Fantasy Aliens Took Over My Kingdom - Characters

[eldorado]

Citizen's Perspective:
You're from the kingdom of Gilgamo, which is not the best of locations. Okay, so I was exaggerating. It's a miserable place. The mountains that top your northern border are where the Ooligan bandits stream down from, and they're always raiding your cities and doing unspeakable things to the inhabitants. Then you've got the East, the Kingdom of Qur, which you can't trust because they can't stop lying to you and poisoning your wine and filling your courts with spies. They couldn't say a true word for their own mother! And you'd think that was as bad as it got, but in the South, the Dougal Empire (stuffed to the brim with pompous, self-obsessed hypocrites who fall over backwards to keep their tradition) has such advances in technology and such a disciplined army that the very sight of a messenger clothed in their purple-and-scarlet finery sends a chill of silent dread down your back. We can all agree that we would be their slaves if it weren't for Qur foiling Dougal's every military campaign.

Oh, and to the West is the ocean. It likes to hurl hurricanes at us.

But it's not all bad! Your own country is nice! The line of kings in Gilgamo have been merciful and just. Our late King, Ferdamo, is best of them all. He generously provided martial training to every citizen -- he sent even his own royal officers to train squadrons in every city, taught your blacksmiths with his blacksmiths. Even at a cost to his own power, he did not hoard military strength, but freely gave weaponry and seigecraft to the seven Dukes of Gilgamo, such that their power would be equal to his own. How can there be such a kind king? Well, for all his reign, from the time of his youth, King Ferdamo lent an ear to Brother Urmack, whom the Church of the One Divine selected to guide him.

Which reminds me to mention that third estate. The spiritual estate. Long have we looked to the One Church for counsel and aid. Were it not for them, we would have long succumbed to this cruel world that so rages against us on every side. We have been in need of food, and they gave us bread. We have been in need of beds, and they opened their doors. We have lost our way, and they have guided us in times of darkness. The light to this dark world, the One Church has healed our injuries, soothed our hunger, and taught us truth. With Healers of divine power, Brothers of righteous wisdom, and Workers of compassionate provision, we have found hope and light. You can expect that our children will turn and ask, and we will take them through the doors of those hallowed buildings, so that they may be taught from the historical chronicles of ages past. Although the church has refused to rule over us, we so love their kind influence. King Ferdamo has protected it like he would his own heart.

All our misery between the nations was soon to end. After years of conference and debate, of hope and despair and hope again, at last we felt some relief. Promises of peace flooded our streets.

Then, on the day of the treaty, yesterday, something happened. The castle doors were closed to us. We know not what.

Today, the prince will tell us what has happened. Take hold of your wife and children. Prepare your heart for the worst, your hand for war.

It would not be the first time we have been betrayed.

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Requisites for Your Character: 1) your character volunteered to fight. 2) your character is noteworthy because of a past accomplishment.

Character Sheet
Name: (what's in a name? ((o romeo, romeo... a rose by any other name would smell as sweet!)) )
Appearance: (the first impression your character's demeanor and looks give. How would I react if I saw them on the street with no context? you can provide an image, but include an answer to the question if you please)
Personality: (the first sentence is a quick oversimplification of your character. from there, clarify and explain the oversimplification -- a fun little exercise, am I right?)
History: (explain your character's significance to the history books, and also either begin or end with your character's personal history.)
Motivation: (What compels your character to raise their hand? Why would they risk their life for the prince? this can be a single sentence or a short paragraph.)


“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way." -Ernest Hemingway

 

[eldorado]

Marf UrmacksonAppearance:
Even in a crowd, the man stands out. It's not like your eyes are drawn to him, nor that you can't look away, but the sight is notable. You wouldn't forget the plain white garments that contrast starkly against the vibrant colors of the commoner's wear. Nor the rope that is tied about the waist, surprisingly thin. The cape he wears is raggedy on the edges, and the ends of it so chafed that you may wonder if ever he wore anything else.
But when you meet his eyes, which are so darkened by the thick brow above and the black circles below, you will find them looking through you, the mind caught in some other place.

Personality:
Marf is a little too serious. He thinks too much. He's always trying to find the right answer, and he can't stop churning questions over in his mind until he finds himself satisfied. Neglecting food, friends, sleep, Marf pursued true knowledge in the deepest chambers of the archives. Dust is ever coating the hem of his cloak, his hair perpetually disheveled, his body malnourished. Like a stray dog, untamed desire may propel him to action, but Marf is otherwise humorlessly considering the bottom of the matter, and avoids the frivolities of life.

History:
As most of those who serve the church begin, Marf was an orphan abandoned on the steps. Raised by the nuns that lived there, he responded so gravely to their discipline that they began to call him the man of their house before he was old enough to tie his shoes. The stories were what ruled his childhood. The church was always telling stories, from history to their holy writings. He took them to heart, and when he grew older, he obeyed them solemnly. As one of the nuns was Brother Urmack's sister by blood, the king was often visiting, and it was not long before Urmack took notice of the boy's propensity for piety.
When Marf was of age, he was given to Brother Urmack, the King's Priest, and taken as his son. He came to describe the boy as "Full of such capacity for wisdom as may surpass any priest in the king's service, but so susceptible to doubt and despair that every seed is stopped before growth." Although his interpersonal skills have earned him the reputation of a grump and a hermit, Marf has gained some positive recognition for translating the ancient writ that explains how to quench the fires of our hearts.

Motivation:
Marf contends that the kingdom's prince is rightful ruler, and worthy of his life and service.

 

[eldorado]

Prince Humphrey, Sapling of GilgamoAppearance:
Prince may as well be branded on his forehead. The lad does nothing to hide it. The gold of his hair slicked back, the intricate finery of his robes flashing with royal colours. Not a thread out of place, not a speck of dust.
Yet those watery eyes waver. Something seems to tell you he'd surrender at the first sign of a fight. Despite the lad's straight back, his royal clothes, his rows of guards, his title, he cannot hide his weakness.

Personality:
Humphrey is really nothing much. With a voice without strength, his poise and manners are without fault. So he's easily liked, and at court meetings, he never makes trouble. The misery he feels is a quiet misery that he tells no one. He only means to escape, but he can seem like a good prince if the court is watching. He knows how to say the right thing.

History:
His father's the one everyone admired and loved, and everyone kept comparing him and Humphrey couldn't meet their expectations. So he gave up. He gave up again and again, in sword arts, in his studies, in his dignity, and in diplomacy. Lately, he's managed to keep up a facade in life at court until he can do what he wants, escaping out late at night to taverns and drinks and girls, and it makes him miserable.

Motivation:
He is the prince, so of course he'll die for the prince.