Character Exercise: Oran Aicasse
I decided to do this Character Exercise for Oran Aicasse as, although he has existed for awhile, he's not been used much. I wanted to flesh him out a little now that he's being used more frequently and this helps to identify those areas that I need to think about more.
Part 1: Basic Information
1. What is your character’s full name? Oran Aicasse
2. Where and when were they born? He was born in Ostohelyanwe, the Capital of the Aarataure
3. Who are/were their parents? His parents were Tressach Aicasse, now deceased, and his wife, Edana (formerly Windsinger). Tressach was a senior officer in the Aarataurean army. Edana is a member of the current royal family who has frequently taken an ambassadorial role.
4. Do they have any siblings? What are/were they like? He has no siblings.
5. Where do they live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people. He now divides his time between two homes: his mother's and his paternal grandfather's. Since his father's death, he is the heir to the Aicasse House, and thus will in time be one of the Council of Light, the chief advisors to the King. His time with his grandfather is spent learning what he will need to know to fulfil that role. It also provides him with a 'parental' figure when his mother is away due to her role as an ambassador. Both houses are located within the City of Ostohelyanwe and are typical for their place.
6. What is their occupation? He is a member of an aristocratic household
7. Write a full physical description of your character. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks
Hair: Dark Blond
Eyes: Light Blue
Complexion: Fair
Height: 6' 01"
Build: Lean
Identifying Marks: None
Clothing: Generally a simple tunic that reaches to mid-thigh, over the top of leggings with soft leather boots. These are most commonly in darker shades of blue or grey.
8. To which social class do they belong? Nobility
9. Do they have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? He is allergic to iron.
10. Are they right-handed or left-handed? Right-handed
11. What does their voice sound like? Like all Aarataureans, Oran's native spoken dialect is a musical tongue, not dissimilar in sound to Terran Irish, and this is reflected in his accent when speaking Common or other languages.
12. What words and/or phrases do they use very frequently? Not sure.
13. What do they have in your pockets or pack? It depends on where they are.
14. Do they have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? Not really.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would they describe their childhood in general? Their childhood was generally quiet and was fairly typical for someone of his race and rank. He would describe it as happy, but in the light of later events perhaps misleadingly so.
16. What is their earliest memory? Playing in the garden behind his parents' house.
17. How much schooling did they have? He was well-educated, but did not attend school. Instead he was taught by private tutors in subjects such as art, literature, history and etiquette.
18. Did they enjoy school? He did not hate his lessons, but neither was he an avid scholar.
19. Where did they learn most of their skills and other abilities? Who did they learn them from? He learned most of his skills and abilities from his tutors.
20. While growing up, did they have any role models? If so, describe them. His role model was his father.
21. While growing up, how did they get along with other members of their family? Generally speaking, yes.
22. As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? I would not say he 'wanted' to be anything, he 'knew' he was going to be a member of the Council of Light when he was older and just accepted that was a matter of course.
23. As a child, what were their favourite activities? Active things - horse-riding, going for a walk through the forest etc...
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did they display? Determination, Enthusiasm.
25. As a child, were they popular? Who were their friends and what were they like? He was reasonably popular. His best friend was Cahan Romello, another son of a Council of Light family.
26. When and with whom was their first kiss? His first kiss was with a nymph called Iris when Oran got lost one day.
Part 3: Past Influences
27. What do they consider the most important event of their life so far? The death of his father.
28. Who has had the most influence on them? His parents.
29. What do they consider their greatest achievement? Doesn't have one.
30. What is their greatest regret? That he allowed himself to be deceived by Gavin Windsinger over the death of his father.
31. What is the most evil thing that they have ever done? Hasn't done anything that could be described as evil.
32. Do they have a criminal record of any kind? No.
33. When was the time that they were the most frightened? When they discovered that Jared Windsinger had been badly wounded and that Gavin was behind the plot to kill him.
34. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to them? Not sure.
35. If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be and why? His father's death, because he thinks he died too soon.
36. What is their best memory? His first time on horse-back unassisted.
37. What is their worst memory? His father's funeral.
Part 4: Beliefs and Opinions
38. Are they basically optimistic or pessimistic? Pessimistic
39. What is their greatest fear? Letting people down.
40. What are their religious views? He was brought up to worship Aedammair, Goddess of Light, Healing and Prophecy.
41. What are their political views? Conservative.
42. Are they able to kill? Under what circumstances do they find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? He has never killed anyone and so does not know whether he is able to do so.
43. In their opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being (or race) can do? Not sure.
44. Do they believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? He is uncertain about this.
45. What do they believe makes a successful life? Doing your best for your family.
46. How honest are they about their thoughts and feelings (i.e. do they hide their true self from others and in what way)? He is quite reserved and inclined, on the whole, to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself.
47. Do they have any biases or prejudices? He is prejudiced against Tauremornans.
48. Is there anything they absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances?Uncertain
49. Who or what, if anything, would they die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)? Uncertain
Part 5: Relationships With Others:
50. In general, how do they treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance etc)? Does their treatment of them change depending on how well they know the other person, if so, how? Generally polite, in a reserved kind of manner.
51. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? His mother and paternal grandfather.
52. Who is the person they respect the most? Why? His paternal grandfather.
53. Who are their friends? Do they have a best friend? Describe these people. Other males of similar age and rank, e.g. Cahan Romello with whom he has been friends since childhood.
54. Do they have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe the person. No.
55. Have they ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. No.
56. What do they look for in a potential lover? Not sure.
57. How close are they to their family? Reasonably so.
58. Have they started their own family? If so, describe them. If not, do they want to start a family? Why or why not? He has no children. He has no wish to have children at this stage as he is still young, but imagines that he will probably get married and have a family when he is older, if only to carry on the Aicasse family line.
59. Who would they turn to if they were in desperate need of help? Family.
60. Do they trust anyone to protect them? Who and why? His mother, as she has never let him down.
61. Who is the person they despise the most and why? Gavin Windsinger because of his involvement in his father's death.
62. Do they tend to argue with people or avoid conflict? Argue
63. Do they tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? Sometimes.
64. Do they like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? Sometimes.
65. Do they care what others think of them? Yes.
Part 6: Likes and Dislikes:
66. What is/are their favourite hobbies and pastimes? Horse-riding in the forest.
67. What is their most treasured possession? His father's sword.
68. What is their favourite colour? Blue
69. What is their favourite food? Odith, a white, creamy textured soup similar to New England clam chowder.
70. What, if anything, do they like to read? He's not an avid reader
71. What is their idea of good entertainment? A small gathering of friends enjoying one another's company.
72. Do they smoke, drink or use drugs? If so, why? Do they want to quit? No, he does not smoke, drink or use drugs.
73. How do they spend a typical Saturday night? With friends.
74. What makes them laugh? It depends.
75. What, if anything, shocks or offends them? It varies.
76. What do they do if they have insomnia and have to find something to do to amuse themselves? Something active to wear himself out.
77. How do they deal with stress? Keep busy
78. Are they spontaneous or do they always need to have a plan? a bit of both.
79. What are their pet peeves? Not sure.
Part 7: Self Images and etc.:
80. Describe the routine of a normal day for them. How do they feel when this routine is disrupted? His normal routine is to spend the morning with his tutor, continuing his academic studies. His afternoons are often spent with his paternal grandfather, learning about the role of the head of the Aicasse family, which he will inherit in time. He quite likes the routine being disrupted because it can at times be a little dull.
81. What is their greatest strength as a person? His determination
82. What is their greatest weakness? His impulsiveness
83. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Not sure.
84. Are they generally introverted or extroverted? Somewhere in between the two
85. Are they generally organized or messy? A bit messy
86. Name three things they consider themselves to be very good at, and three things they consider themselves to be very bad at. He considers himself to be a good horse-rider, courtier and nobleman. He considers himself to be bad at sitting still for long periods of time, art and herbalism.
87. Do they like themselves? Most of the time.
88. What are their reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are their real reasons for doing this different than the ones they tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...) He explores other places in order to get away from the Aarataure for a time, and thus also get away from his destiny as head of the Aicasse family. This position is one that he is proud of, but also resents a little since it is something that was chosen for him, rather than something he chose himself.
89. What goal do they most want to accomplish in their lifetime? To make their family strong.
90. Where do they see themselves in 5 years? In much the same place as they are now.
91. If they could choose, how would they want to die? Peacefully.
92. If they knew they were going to die in 24 hours, name three things they would do in the time they had left. Say goodbye to friends and family, write his last will and testament... and then have a good time.
93. What is the one thing for which they would most like to be remembered after their death? He would like to be remembered well, but isn't picky about what for.
94. What three words best describe their personality? Proud, Determined, occasionally Impulsive
95. What three words would others probably use describe them? Stubborn, Hard-headed, occasionally arrogant
Part 1: Basic Information
1. What is your character’s full name? Oran Aicasse
2. Where and when were they born? He was born in Ostohelyanwe, the Capital of the Aarataure
3. Who are/were their parents? His parents were Tressach Aicasse, now deceased, and his wife, Edana (formerly Windsinger). Tressach was a senior officer in the Aarataurean army. Edana is a member of the current royal family who has frequently taken an ambassadorial role.
4. Do they have any siblings? What are/were they like? He has no siblings.
5. Where do they live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people. He now divides his time between two homes: his mother's and his paternal grandfather's. Since his father's death, he is the heir to the Aicasse House, and thus will in time be one of the Council of Light, the chief advisors to the King. His time with his grandfather is spent learning what he will need to know to fulfil that role. It also provides him with a 'parental' figure when his mother is away due to her role as an ambassador. Both houses are located within the City of Ostohelyanwe and are typical for their place.
6. What is their occupation? He is a member of an aristocratic household
7. Write a full physical description of your character. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks
Hair: Dark Blond
Eyes: Light Blue
Complexion: Fair
Height: 6' 01"
Build: Lean
Identifying Marks: None
Clothing: Generally a simple tunic that reaches to mid-thigh, over the top of leggings with soft leather boots. These are most commonly in darker shades of blue or grey.
8. To which social class do they belong? Nobility
9. Do they have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? He is allergic to iron.
10. Are they right-handed or left-handed? Right-handed
11. What does their voice sound like? Like all Aarataureans, Oran's native spoken dialect is a musical tongue, not dissimilar in sound to Terran Irish, and this is reflected in his accent when speaking Common or other languages.
12. What words and/or phrases do they use very frequently? Not sure.
13. What do they have in your pockets or pack? It depends on where they are.
14. Do they have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? Not really.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would they describe their childhood in general? Their childhood was generally quiet and was fairly typical for someone of his race and rank. He would describe it as happy, but in the light of later events perhaps misleadingly so.
16. What is their earliest memory? Playing in the garden behind his parents' house.
17. How much schooling did they have? He was well-educated, but did not attend school. Instead he was taught by private tutors in subjects such as art, literature, history and etiquette.
18. Did they enjoy school? He did not hate his lessons, but neither was he an avid scholar.
19. Where did they learn most of their skills and other abilities? Who did they learn them from? He learned most of his skills and abilities from his tutors.
20. While growing up, did they have any role models? If so, describe them. His role model was his father.
21. While growing up, how did they get along with other members of their family? Generally speaking, yes.
22. As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? I would not say he 'wanted' to be anything, he 'knew' he was going to be a member of the Council of Light when he was older and just accepted that was a matter of course.
23. As a child, what were their favourite activities? Active things - horse-riding, going for a walk through the forest etc...
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did they display? Determination, Enthusiasm.
25. As a child, were they popular? Who were their friends and what were they like? He was reasonably popular. His best friend was Cahan Romello, another son of a Council of Light family.
26. When and with whom was their first kiss? His first kiss was with a nymph called Iris when Oran got lost one day.
Part 3: Past Influences
27. What do they consider the most important event of their life so far? The death of his father.
28. Who has had the most influence on them? His parents.
29. What do they consider their greatest achievement? Doesn't have one.
30. What is their greatest regret? That he allowed himself to be deceived by Gavin Windsinger over the death of his father.
31. What is the most evil thing that they have ever done? Hasn't done anything that could be described as evil.
32. Do they have a criminal record of any kind? No.
33. When was the time that they were the most frightened? When they discovered that Jared Windsinger had been badly wounded and that Gavin was behind the plot to kill him.
34. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to them? Not sure.
35. If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be and why? His father's death, because he thinks he died too soon.
36. What is their best memory? His first time on horse-back unassisted.
37. What is their worst memory? His father's funeral.
Part 4: Beliefs and Opinions
38. Are they basically optimistic or pessimistic? Pessimistic
39. What is their greatest fear? Letting people down.
40. What are their religious views? He was brought up to worship Aedammair, Goddess of Light, Healing and Prophecy.
41. What are their political views? Conservative.
42. Are they able to kill? Under what circumstances do they find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? He has never killed anyone and so does not know whether he is able to do so.
43. In their opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being (or race) can do? Not sure.
44. Do they believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? He is uncertain about this.
45. What do they believe makes a successful life? Doing your best for your family.
46. How honest are they about their thoughts and feelings (i.e. do they hide their true self from others and in what way)? He is quite reserved and inclined, on the whole, to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself.
47. Do they have any biases or prejudices? He is prejudiced against Tauremornans.
48. Is there anything they absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances?Uncertain
49. Who or what, if anything, would they die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)? Uncertain
Part 5: Relationships With Others:
50. In general, how do they treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance etc)? Does their treatment of them change depending on how well they know the other person, if so, how? Generally polite, in a reserved kind of manner.
51. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? His mother and paternal grandfather.
52. Who is the person they respect the most? Why? His paternal grandfather.
53. Who are their friends? Do they have a best friend? Describe these people. Other males of similar age and rank, e.g. Cahan Romello with whom he has been friends since childhood.
54. Do they have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe the person. No.
55. Have they ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. No.
56. What do they look for in a potential lover? Not sure.
57. How close are they to their family? Reasonably so.
58. Have they started their own family? If so, describe them. If not, do they want to start a family? Why or why not? He has no children. He has no wish to have children at this stage as he is still young, but imagines that he will probably get married and have a family when he is older, if only to carry on the Aicasse family line.
59. Who would they turn to if they were in desperate need of help? Family.
60. Do they trust anyone to protect them? Who and why? His mother, as she has never let him down.
61. Who is the person they despise the most and why? Gavin Windsinger because of his involvement in his father's death.
62. Do they tend to argue with people or avoid conflict? Argue
63. Do they tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? Sometimes.
64. Do they like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? Sometimes.
65. Do they care what others think of them? Yes.
Part 6: Likes and Dislikes:
66. What is/are their favourite hobbies and pastimes? Horse-riding in the forest.
67. What is their most treasured possession? His father's sword.
68. What is their favourite colour? Blue
69. What is their favourite food? Odith, a white, creamy textured soup similar to New England clam chowder.
70. What, if anything, do they like to read? He's not an avid reader
71. What is their idea of good entertainment? A small gathering of friends enjoying one another's company.
72. Do they smoke, drink or use drugs? If so, why? Do they want to quit? No, he does not smoke, drink or use drugs.
73. How do they spend a typical Saturday night? With friends.
74. What makes them laugh? It depends.
75. What, if anything, shocks or offends them? It varies.
76. What do they do if they have insomnia and have to find something to do to amuse themselves? Something active to wear himself out.
77. How do they deal with stress? Keep busy
78. Are they spontaneous or do they always need to have a plan? a bit of both.
79. What are their pet peeves? Not sure.
Part 7: Self Images and etc.:
80. Describe the routine of a normal day for them. How do they feel when this routine is disrupted? His normal routine is to spend the morning with his tutor, continuing his academic studies. His afternoons are often spent with his paternal grandfather, learning about the role of the head of the Aicasse family, which he will inherit in time. He quite likes the routine being disrupted because it can at times be a little dull.
81. What is their greatest strength as a person? His determination
82. What is their greatest weakness? His impulsiveness
83. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Not sure.
84. Are they generally introverted or extroverted? Somewhere in between the two
85. Are they generally organized or messy? A bit messy
86. Name three things they consider themselves to be very good at, and three things they consider themselves to be very bad at. He considers himself to be a good horse-rider, courtier and nobleman. He considers himself to be bad at sitting still for long periods of time, art and herbalism.
87. Do they like themselves? Most of the time.
88. What are their reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are their real reasons for doing this different than the ones they tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...) He explores other places in order to get away from the Aarataure for a time, and thus also get away from his destiny as head of the Aicasse family. This position is one that he is proud of, but also resents a little since it is something that was chosen for him, rather than something he chose himself.
89. What goal do they most want to accomplish in their lifetime? To make their family strong.
90. Where do they see themselves in 5 years? In much the same place as they are now.
91. If they could choose, how would they want to die? Peacefully.
92. If they knew they were going to die in 24 hours, name three things they would do in the time they had left. Say goodbye to friends and family, write his last will and testament... and then have a good time.
93. What is the one thing for which they would most like to be remembered after their death? He would like to be remembered well, but isn't picky about what for.
94. What three words best describe their personality? Proud, Determined, occasionally Impulsive
95. What three words would others probably use describe them? Stubborn, Hard-headed, occasionally arrogant