Stages of character development?

[Mitch]

First and foremost, if this is within the wrong section, may a staff member please move it accordingly? Thank you.

That aside, I know there are many long-standing characters in our lovely world of Altera, and it occurred to me minutes ago that with such time, heaps of character development must have taken place. We even have characters that have developed greatly in short periods of time! As such, I have created this thread so, if you're interested, you may talk about the stages of development that your character took to get to the way they are now. Add as little or as much detail as you wish!

My character, Syr, was started on April 8th of 2013. Come September 8th, I will have been playing him for six months, making him my longest played character on HW (though I realize this is nothing compared to some). Through this time, in my opinion, he has undergone many changes and development, and continues to do so.

• When I first began the character, he was a ten year old student of the Inquisition. Curious about the world, oblivious to all the horrors of it, interested in anything and everything. Optimistic, always wishing to help where he can, kept an open-mind and friendliness to most everyone.

• Upon being promoted to the first rank of Inquisitor, I aged the character to fourteen. In this time he had grown into an arrogant teenager, full of himself and his abilities. Was always willing to fight, and had slain Aloan in a "friendly duel." Questionable morals.

• And then, reaching High Inquisitor, he was aged once again, to eighteen. In this time he matured greatly due to the RPs I had with him, and had started to display the cold and harsh nature that he now holds. While he still trusted himself to be capable of competing with many, he was not nearly as cocky. Also began to experience "love," truly, for the first time.

• If I recall correctly, the next aging came to... twenty-one. He became rather cold to many that he met, and entered a state of depression, also due to events in RP. This resulted in him being extremely vulnerable emotionally, and unintentionally pushing the friends he had away.

• I believe the next came to twenty-three, and this is when he married his wife, Mia Sicarus, and had his first son, Aetyr. Shortly after came his daughter, Mirabelle. His life had, in his eyes, started to once again even itself out, and the family he raised had resulted in him growing much friendlier, followed by a considerable increase in happiness for a time.

• Ehm- this would be at twenty-three still, I think. The "Falling of the Inquisition" occurred. Due to being raised and growing within the Inquisition, this event truly hit him hard. It made him angrier, and once again, hostile. Former Inquisitors being hunted gave way to a strong sense of trusting little-to-nobody. He was paranoid.

• Twenty-five is where he is now. His kids have both simply... disappeared. Mia has left without word. Gelyk was, for a time, presumed dead. Syr has grown to the point of not caring much about anything, including himself. He prefers to seclude himself away from speaking with many people. While he does attempt to hold an extent of friendliness with certain people, a fair amount of it is simply an act. Despite making actual efforts to aid in the war, he truly believes this Exodus will result... not-so-greatly (mind you, it is also his first).

So, that's basically the "main" stages of his development. As you can see, it has changed and jumped at a decent amount, personality-wise. He has learned many things within this time, and there are many smaller developments that I have left out. So, once again, how has your character developed over the time that you have played them?

(Some people I really want to hear from: @Arken @blargtheawesome @Faelin @Rygan @Michcat @godfather1 and of course everyone)

 

[Legion]

Wouldnt you like to know?

Maybe one day ill tell everyone everything about Legion.

 

[Mitch]

Wouldnt you like to know?

Maybe one day ill tell everyone everything about Legion.

*rubs hands together in anticipation*
Maybe one day!

 

[Evan1114]

Ehm...

 

[Mitch]

Ehm...

Do it. Post.

 

[Evan1114]

Do it. Post.

I don't remember much about Jeff.

 

[Mitch]

I don't remember much about Jeff.

wellhmph.

 

[Arken]

I'll try my best, but I started GElyk so long ago, I barely remember.
This'll be the ultimate shortened version ever.

• Gelyk was a lowly person from a town in the North which name I do not even know, would have been about 17. His only hope was to study magic, and he did that.
• Started training magic in Yoshi's Island, along with a number of places privately. Started as a Pyromancer, and wasn't very good at it. 21, his morales strictly noble.
• Started to heavily worship the gods, serving under their name and completing tasks he imagined they'd enjoy. 26-ish.
• Continued to do so, being a hero and such for the next while of his life. His morales very much so on the good side, striking down villains. Shortly after he was granted rejuvenation by the Sister-hood, making him immortal, in a sense.
• Began trainign heavily with blades, with the combo of magic. Trained with the melee weapon for.... Ever, since he was about 100 til this day as he still practices.
• At the age of Forty, albeit his life extended, he was bitten by a Vyre. Became a vyre, and dedicated himself to Kilrox, sacrificing those to the god and practicing extreme cannibalism. He was tired of serving the people and getting nothing in return. Rather good at Pyromancy, practicing now, as a secondary, Fulgurmancy.
• Was taken in by the Slayers, and tortured, albeit he escaped and attempted to start a Mage's guild which failed horridly. Gelyk went out and found a mage capable of curing him of Vyre-ism, and did it. Age 80, 90-ish.
• Exodus somewhere in here, messed with Gelyk really bad. Charged his spirit to wield magic, and strike down the Grief.
• Practiced both arts of magic severely now, devoting every day of his life to magic. Magic, magic, magic. He practiced insane amounts, and was starting to go a bit loopy. Age 100-300, 400, 500, 600, 700, (pretty much up until a few hundred years ago.) Went quite loopy, and went to a mage. (Jstar's character, dunno his name.) and started to train eeeeeeven more.
• Gelyk found the three masks of Vertigo in a tomb on a self-quest I did. At this point, Gelyk was very cold to all around him, having fought in many, many, many wars, and essentially all of his wives, children, brothers sister and loved ones dying out and him living on. Put the masks on, went completely insane was not himself and Gelyk basically died. Being reborn as Vertigo, the insane, cannibalistic psychopath. Did this for many, many, many years still practicing with blades and or other weapons. Working only on Fulgurmancy and Kinetomancy for the last six-hundred years. Was Vertigo until he was 1567, which he destroyed the masks and was reborn again as GElyk.
• Instantly picked up his training with both melee weapons and magic. Devoting himself to all of the gods, seeing neutrality for the first time. Started to fight in more battles, with Heaven's Reach. 1600, ish.
• Did some stuff, was an arse, old-bastard and very, very cold.
• Joined the Inquisition, rose through the ranks, did stuff. Joined Dormus, killed heretics and Darkbloods with his proffesional skilllls.
• Gelyk has been an arse since.
• The.
  
• End.

 

[Mitch]

Amazing stuff about Gelyk, exactly what I wanted!

I forgot to add in my own that Gelyk adopting Syr has basically shaped all of his developments and made him who he is currently.
It was the thing that played the largest role in his life.

 

[blargtheawesome]

Let's start with Basil:.

+At the age of about... twenty, if not his early twenties, came into the North after his "adventures" throughout the south and east territories. He was a travelling thief, whore-monger, and occasional heavy-drinker.
+Ran about, did some crazy things, pretty much essentially what he in his past now in his customary black robe with red lining. Not really needing much more clothing-wise due to his Fireblessedness making him warm.
+A long, long series of very unfortunate events, or arguably even luck, very, very, very thoroughly screwed up Basil's entire mental state in several ways.
+Dumb luck and a very inattentive nature for the man had Kuthian become Basil's teacher for Pyromancy.
+Quickly, almost unnaturally mastered the basics of Pyromancy and worked from there, Kuthian trying too hard for Basil's insane tastes to try to change his nature, so he then simply ignored Kuthian and worked from there.
+Basil never really had the discipline to learn anything more advanced than what he had for decades, but his natural ability with the art made him infamous and his dedication to fire in general- near worship at times- made him a living legend.
+At some point or another, gained a grand total of five apprentices over his years, the only one to survive him being Turik.
+Had left his long-time lover for Eminu, who, in truth, had grown boring to him. And Eminu was the next logical choice.
+Met Legion.
+At some point, [Redacted, not sure if he wants me to name him, here] had used some form of artifact to fix up Basil's mental state.
+Immediate and utter depression at what he had done over the past decades, the former supposed "master of fire" became a literal shell of a man, his mind and body deteriorating to the point that he simply tried to kill himself.
+Fun things.

Now onto my beloved Nwalme:

+A thoroughly misguided, lost and abused youth, Nwalme came into play at the age of fifteen. Hate, abandonment and confusion clouded these early years, but he had undeniable promise and potential. After two days of being a squire he became knighted by Lord Axex, became the apprentice of Marcus, and overall was quite... remarkable, if internally he was damned screwed up.
+Almost twenties, or in his early twenties, Nwalme was still very, very misguided and latched on desperately to his already lost sense of morality in the new world of Riddleport.
+Idiotic ambitions thoroughly crushed by Grimar and Kyro, Nwalme eventually simply gave up on Riddleport in favor of hiding in Lake Vera.
+Found religion, matured, and overall improved drastically due to some events and personal deep thinking.
+Finally devoted himself to being scholarly, devoting what little time he had to it and learning as much as he could.
+Served as a diplomat in the "War to Purify the High Church," wherein it seeded his sudden and abrupt rise to formidable power.
+Lots of fun stuff.

 

[Legion]

I love how I got a category all to myself

 

[blargtheawesome]

... Could of went on and explained it all and went into detail. But, y'know, 'nuff said as the young'ns put it.

 

[Mitch]

BLarg this is beautiful.

I think you know by now due to PMs and Skype conversations, but I love learning about your characters. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Michcat]

... Could of went on and explained it all and went into detail. But, y'know, 'nuff said as the young'ns put it.

BLarg

I'm hurt.

you forgot Eminu.

 

[blargtheawesome]

S'always a pleasure to get an opportunity to ramble endlessly 'bout any of my chars, Daydream~

Ah- hnf- Eminu- ah-
... She's a part of the "Fun things" at the end, I'm forgetful. :C

 

[Mitch]

I actually realized I forgot a lot about Syr, as well...
As I finished typing and read over it, a lot of memories and little things from when I first started playing him came back to me, which was a nice few moments.
But oh well. Like I said, I managed to get the "main" stages of his development.

 

[Michcat]

I'm forgetful. :C

Quick, edit, quick!

EDIT: Also, typing up mine for alllll my characters...

 

[Mitch]

Quick, edit, quick!

EDIT: Also, typing up mine for alllll my characters...

Oh my god yes.

 

[Faelin]

(Some people I really want to hear from: @Arken @blargtheawesome @Faelin @Rygan @Michcat @godfather1 and of course everyone)

AHAHAHA-
I bloody bet you would.

It's an impressive try, and I won't deny I'm sorely tempted to spill some beans...
Honestly though - why did you think I wrote a new character profile layout? Out of the kindness of my heart~?

 

[Michcat]

*Rolls up sleeves*

Lets. Do. This.

~In Alphabetical Order~

Eminu, the Butcher of Swordsmen

+Eminu arrives in Altera, confused - alone - and with amnesia. ​

I decided to try and see if I could make something unique out of the Cliche. The first person she meets IC is @CaptainRATZ , and follows him to his Inn in the Eastern Frontier. Her gives her a room and she pays for some food, blubbering out thanks in gobbledegook. He doesn't understand until she uses hand gestures and broken words with a heavy accent.
+Accidentally stumbles onto (literally) another Nakat, the first Nakat seen so far.
He runs away and she attempts to chase him, but gets distracted by pretty ocean en-route and meanders back to wandering.+She meets an entire hoist of people, travels to many places, is shown several secrets and overhears deliciously important conversations, then promptly forgets them all.
During this time, she does - however - manage to pick up and retain Commonspeak, albeit a rather broken for of it.
+Finds Sajek again.
This time, he leads her to Witches Brew, where he owns a home. When she wakes up in Witches Brew, Eminu is very confused and starts to look for food. She meets a strange lady who seems to like Eminu, and the lady asks if Eminu lives there. Eminu thinks she must, and somehow shenanigans her way into owning a plot of land. Huh.
+Builds a Butchery (An ugly one, but functional)
which supplies Sajeks growing Vera Vasiil Cafe with food. He visits her everyday, and is the first person who Eminu begins to remember.
+Occasional fits of paranoia, Post-traumatic Stress, and Dementia. the usual.
+Eminu becomes familiar with the "regulars" of the Cafe, and Witches Brew is a peaceful home. The Butchery gains a basement as a strange Caparii-friend of hers (Fay-lan, or Feylin) gets drunk and goes insane, stabbing her with his horns. Eminu becomes afraid he will kill himself, and stops the other Cafe dwellers from hurting him. He is first locked in the Vera Vasiil, then locked in Eminus basement. She cares for him until he stops acting insane.
+Wins her first swordfight at Gypsy Camp
+Sajek tells her she needs to kill all her animals, bring what she can carry and journey with him thousands of miles away. "ohkay!"
+They travel to the lands of Arduin, and she meets Lady Wild. Eminu is quickly put to work building atop the northern Mountain there, happy in the place that vaugely reminds her of something familiar from the past.
+Eminu sets Tzemik up under Kavdam.
+Once Kavdam has a town hall, Sajek becomes the recruiter and Eminu cheerily welcomes new town members. It quickly grows. Many town members question her sanity/intellect, but Eminu makes many friends. She spends her day with the town, practicing Swordsmanship and learning from one of the town members to guard Kavdam, or butchering cows for the new Vera Vasiil Inn.
+She falls off the Suspended Village, breaking a few ribs and spending a day or so laying in agony. They keep her in the nearby Sheep Pens, lacking an Infirmary, and she slowly recuperates. An interesting man sneaks in and decides to try and brainwash Eminu with magic. Eminu is not happy, but obviously fights back. Something about her mental state repulses the man, who proceeds to merely broaden her shoulder scars and torment her via memories of her past. Eventually someone comes to check on the screaming. They proceed to kick the man out and try and heal Eminu. Someone uses magic, which sends the Nakat over the brink, going Feral. She is tied down until she calms down and forcefed potion for a bit. Gradually recuperates and returns to her normal, cheery self- if a bit more... vapid and absentminded.
+J'dar gives Eminu a very important book, telling her to write her memories in it so she will be able to record them. She cannot read.
+Eminu meets an Elf. For some reason he thinks she is a stable and perfectly fine person, and often visits the Butchery. The Elf joins the Kavdam registry, and proceeds to build a tiny house on the edge of the Lower Valley. It is here he attempts to teach Eminu to read.
+Sajek brings Eminu to Basil in an attempt to get Basil to cure her mind. Basil wrecks up her mental state a bit, Eminu falls unconcious, Sajek pays Basil.
+The Elf proclaims love, Eminu doesn't know who he is.
+ After a while, she begins to remember him (and how to read and write). He tries again, this time insisting they had been already married. Eminu agrees because she knows she sometimes forgets things. Spends more time in the Lower Valley, they begin to build a home together. Sajek disagrees because of the inter-racialness and oddness of it all.
+Eminu begins to use her diary-memory-book, having read the first page and J'dars message there.
+The Exodus comes. Eminu fights, gets wounded, flips out at the magic healing and fights some more.
+The Exodus departs. Eminu promptly forgets about the horrendous nether beasts and isn't sure about what anyone is talking about, but thats normal, so its okay.
+She meets Vorar. Easily remembers him, for some odd reason, and likes him very much, unaware of how different he is.
+Slayers attempt to invade Kavdam. It doesn't go very well. Misrir and Eminu have a laugh.
+The Elf disappears. Sajek disappears. Allena disappears. Makev disappears. Havoki disappears. J'dar disappears. Kaziim disappears. Mistaah disappears. Scardrac forgets to visit Kavdam. Misrir disappears. Kievja disappears. Aspen stops visiting. Faylan stops visiting. Vanar disappears. Infernohawk stops visiting.
Eminu suddenly feels very lonely in Kavdam. It hurts, in her chest, but she can't remember why there are tears rolling off her whiskers, or why she is knocking on the doors of empty houses...
+Arduin begins to prepare for the Game of Crowns! Suddenly, people come back to Kavdam! Eminu is very happy with the company. She promises to work harder, and that she won't be stupid anymore, so nobody leaves again. She apologizes to everyone, so they know how bad she feels for messing up, which she must have done and forgotten about. (They were very confused)
+With a better sense of observation, Eminu is elected to be Arduins' diplomat for the Game of Crowns politics. She rather likes Lady Wild, and swears to work for Arduin until the end of her days.
+Eminu and Basil duel on the bridge of Port Silver, for Basil thought it was funny to call Eminu a "Kitten" and Eminu felt offended. Eminu wins, Basil promises to respect Nakam. Basil and Eminu begin to train more. Basil attempts to convince her to get used to magic. She doesn't like it, but is easily convinced.
+They eventually realize that Lonmar and Arduin don't like each other. Eminu doesn't particularly think its a big deal, Basil doesn't care, save for being unhappy when Eminu is wounded during the Game of Crown battles. Baz'neh fixes her up.
+Aspen the Caparii professes his love. Eminu doesn't understand, and Aspen is upset. Vorar helps Eminu learn a bit about the entire thing later.
+The Game of Crowns tapers out, Eminu happily goes back to swordsmanship and butchery.
+Basil decides he loves Eminu. She thinks its a fine idea. Eminu begins to care for his daughter, Arianna, and spend more time wherever Basil is, often acting as a sword for the Pyromancer. She soon joins the Inquisition that Basil is in, as a Torturer. She makes many new friends, remembering them as time goes by.
+Many people tell Eminu this is a very very bad idea. She ignores them, believing Basils word instead.
+Eminu is killed protecting Basil. Her friends rush to the sisterhood, where she is repulsed that magic brought her back to life, believing she should stay dead. It takes several days for Eminu to forget, and to feel better again - this time aided by Basils cogitation, which Eminu despises - she hates anything that messes with her mind.
+Eminu somehow finds and takes in a boy named Amdir who looks suspiciously like the Elf from long ago. In fact, the Elven child almost looks exactly like that Elf from long ago.
+With more insistency, Basil attempts to convince Eminu to study magic. She refuses many a time before finally agreeing at the Pyromancers coercion. Eminu begins to study magic, yet never seems to be able to use it. She constantly pours her soul into the study. Her speech and memory appear to improve. She begins to use longer words, better framed sentences. She appears much more intelligent and more conniving, yet with her same somewhat lopsided cheery self. Begins to remember people and grow close to Basils children, as well as his apprentice - Turik.
Basil thinks this to be a lovely change in his Satob.
+She begins to grow irrational upon a daily basis, fur falling out. Randomly striking Kavdam members, almost killing Turik, injuring Ced in what was supposed to be a friendly duel, isolating herself to the magic study and Butchery. Eminu also begins to dip into the alcohol stores. Sajek disappears from Kavdam, leaving it up to a warped Eminu to attempt to manage it. Basil and Turik often helps her when she forgets to eat. Eminu stays away from the tunnels under Kavdam.
+Amdir gets hurt, goes blind.
+Turik falls off a cliff and dies
the day Eminu decided to quit drinking, quit the magic study, and adopt him. She blames Basil, flees to Kavdam and hides with her alchohol store in the Town Hall Attic, getting drunk and crying her eyes out. Bekkua, Tajay, and Basil come to find her, all very worried. A very drunk Eminu and a very sad Basil begin to argue. Suddenly, she snaps, and runs Basil through with her sword. Once she realizes what shes done, Eminu flees. Basil is later revived and very confused.
+Eminu runs to Tzemik. Tzemik sees the opportunity and decides a very horrible thing. A broken Eminu begins to bring Tzemik bodies again, abducting and killing people in and from Port Silver. She does this very sloppily, and people begin to notice. A few search parties come to Kavdam and several would-be victims escape from the serial killer. The Inquisition decides to hunt her down.
+Eminu takes Amdir and brings him to the Port Silver Library, where she reads him one last bedtime story and puts him to nap on the library bench, insisting the fortuneteller Lillian Florin find him somewhere safe. She leaves him with her heirloom sword turned into a staff for the blind kid, money, and a last hug goodbye.
+Eminu sets up an escape with Tzemik, utilizing the fire in front of the Mead. She proceeds to climb atop the mead and openly challenge anyone who wish to defeat the Serial Killer. Many people climb up, and Eminu spends a day or so fighting off would-be killers. When Albareth comes to duel her, Eminu is weak and exhausted. She throws herself into the fire below, being rescued by Tzemik in the commotion with the use of the Port Silver Sewers and underground tunnel network. For added effect(Or to drop a hint), a day later Eminus "head" is set up on a stake near the fire. (Nobody questioned that it wasn't destroyed in the flames).
+Eminu is badly bruised, cut, severely burned, and has a few broken bones. With Tzemiks constant care, it takes her weeks to recuperate. In this time, Basil, thinking his love is dead for good, commits suicide and dies. So does Amdir.
+Upon hearing this news, Tzemik loses control over Eminu. She packs up and moves to travel far away, where she can hurt no one else as long as she lives. Eminus mind deteriorates during this journey, and she loses much of her memories of the past.

She is gone for a very long time.

+Word travels that the feared, insane Pyromancer, Basil, has returned. Eminu stirs for the first time in years. She makes it back to the Northern Kingdoms as fast she can, and her and Basil meet up again. Eminu is overjoyed. Basils asks her to wreck Port Silver with him. She gladly agrees. Together, they begin mass-murdering within Port Silver, moving to the Cathedral, personally assaulting it, killing a few children, Inquisitors, the ilk. Eminu even runs back in to fix the sign in her old torture room, then escaping from the mass of insulted Inquisitors.
+Basil meets with her in Tauredal. He tells her of his condition and the events, she learning his stay is short. They vow to spend the remaining days together.
+Whilst experimenting with Blaze and Basils golem thing, Naelwyn shows up. Eminu and Basil attempt to lengthen Basils stay, accidentally trapping him within the sword, instead of within the temporary golem. Eminu becomes furious with Naelwyn, before begging Naelwyn to give Basil more time. It doesn't work, and Basil decides to share with Eminu more knowledge, before admitting he is unsure of what to do next.

He asks Eminu if she is alright with him moving on, instead if living as captured soul for eternity.
She pauses.
Despite her stupidity, Eminu realizes free-spirited Basil will hate being trapped.
They exchange goodbyes.
Naelwyn shatters Blaze.
Eminu immediately regrets this decision.

Some friends, looking for her, finds Eminu in Tauredal, ripping her hands apart on the shards of Blaze trying to fix it, eventually sobbing away her ability to cry any longer and mourning to the stars. She stays like that for several days. Naelwyn eventually dulls the shards of Blaze so Eminu does not cut herself, and she hangs them upon her wrists, buried in fur.

+Eminu goes to find Lathan. He attempts to hide. She finds him. He climbs a tree to get away. She begs for him to revive Basil. He refuses. She pleads. He refuses. [Redacted] chatises Lathan for being a stubborn butt and gets him down from the tree, telling Eminu her best shot at reviving Basil is joining the Silver Serpent. Eminu accepts.
+Still being quite lost, Eminu begins to work in the Merry Mead as a 'floor cleaner', claiming to have always worked there. She does this for a very long time, occasionally working as a messenger for [Redacted]. She finds herself a home above the Auction House.
+The home is reconstructed in New Port Silver, and Eminu goes with. She takes up odd jobs and works the Port Silver Butchery for the Naught Inn, occasionally acting out the orders from the Silver Serpent.

+Eminu currently saves up her tiny income to build a small shrine to Basil.