On Martel
I'm not sure I have the time or patience to turn this into a full essay like the one Saffy wrote on Anna, but I figure I should at least have some bullet points in mind to help Martel players interact with my Yuan.
* Yuan still loves Martel. There's no doubt about that anymore.
* While he may never be over her, he has come to terms with the fact that she's dead. Finding her alive again will be as upsetting as it is a relief.
* Martel is not perfect. She was a mortal woman just like any other, and while there's no doubt she was an extraordinarily good one, she had her flaws. Mithos was just plain wrong about that.
* Martel is not perfectly innocent. The amazing thing about Martel is not her purity, but the fact that she's seen so much pain and evil in the world, and still loves the world, still believes that people are basically good. A pure, sweet innocent like I've seen her played as so many times could never have survived a war and horrible discrimination with her mind and ideals intact.
* Martel is understanding. She sees the pure motives behind every action people take, and it distresses her when she can't find any. She really, really wants to believe that everyone is good and unselfish at some deep level, and it hurts her when they aren't.
* Martel is not unbreakable. Just very, very strong. She would have shattered during her quest without her friends for support.
Basically, if you play her flat, Yuan will wonder where his Martel went, and pull in on himself and wonder what's wrong with him because he can't love a cardboard cutout of a canon sue. And no one wants that. So please, carefully consider whether your Martel is rounded before playing her.
* Yuan still loves Martel. There's no doubt about that anymore.
* While he may never be over her, he has come to terms with the fact that she's dead. Finding her alive again will be as upsetting as it is a relief.
* Martel is not perfect. She was a mortal woman just like any other, and while there's no doubt she was an extraordinarily good one, she had her flaws. Mithos was just plain wrong about that.
* Martel is not perfectly innocent. The amazing thing about Martel is not her purity, but the fact that she's seen so much pain and evil in the world, and still loves the world, still believes that people are basically good. A pure, sweet innocent like I've seen her played as so many times could never have survived a war and horrible discrimination with her mind and ideals intact.
* Martel is understanding. She sees the pure motives behind every action people take, and it distresses her when she can't find any. She really, really wants to believe that everyone is good and unselfish at some deep level, and it hurts her when they aren't.
* Martel is not unbreakable. Just very, very strong. She would have shattered during her quest without her friends for support.
Basically, if you play her flat, Yuan will wonder where his Martel went, and pull in on himself and wonder what's wrong with him because he can't love a cardboard cutout of a canon sue. And no one wants that. So please, carefully consider whether your Martel is rounded before playing her.