CHARACTER SURVEY ~-~ taxonomites
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? Corwin is tall and slender, but muscular. He is a sowrdfighter and it shows.
2. How old is he? Older than he looks. At least 400, though it's hinted that he is far older, perhaps reaching 1500 or 2000.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? Courtesy of a centuries-long military career, Corwin's posture is immaculate and imposing.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? Very much in shape - the military as well as his combat training in edged weapons saw to that. Corwin has no illnesses or disabilities at the moment.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? Even without a sword in his hand, Corwin moves with a fencer's grace. He is always ready for any surprise attacks that may or may not happen, though he never appears tense.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? Corwin is attractive and knows it. As far as he is concerned, he is god's gift to women, though he has been known to rein in the ego on that front for a few individuals.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Corwin has a clear, light complexion.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. Black, kept clean and somewhat longish, though never enough to get into his eyes.
9. What color are his eyes? Emerald green - the same as his mother's.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? --
11. What are his chief tension centers? --
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? Corwin's wardrobe consists mostly of blacks and silvers - his colors. He favors more "fantasy-type" clothing, including a black cloak fastened with his symbol, the silver rose. However, he is known to wear more "modern" outfits as well, depending on which version of the world he is in at the time.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? Corwin is more than comfortable in his colors. As far as he is concerned, seeing them should be enough to make people nervous.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? Yes; he doesn't technically have a "job," though his wardrobe doesn't vary much in that respect. No reason to dirty more clothing than necessary.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? ...boxers?
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? Middle - think low end of the tenors, high of the basses.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? Corwin speaks very clearly at a regular volume unless circumstances or anger demand otherwise.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? --
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? Thari - fluent; English - fluent; German - fluent; French - fluent
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? Depending on where he is and who he is speaking with, his language will switch for convenience.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? ...yes. It depends on the circumstances, though Corwin thinks quite well on his feet and always seems to have some kind of a snarky reply for everything.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? Being royalty ensured the best education available, and as such, Corwin is on the high end of articulate, possessing a huge vocabulary that he isn't afraid to use. Furthermore, he is an accomplished poet and has had centuries of practice manipulating words.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? Yes. Corwin has learned much from books, though the centuries have provided practical experience as well. Corwin is highly intelligent and analytical and is not afraid to show off.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? Corwin is more the "act first" type, though if necessary, he will slow down and think. This usually occurs in a tactical setting, but Corwin is also able to keep up with the rapidly changing scenes of large-scale battle.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Corwin is both practical and logical, though emotion and what "feels good" are often dictators of his thought process. He is driven very much by pleasure- particularly his own.
4. What kind of education has the character had? Again, being royalty ensured the best education available in Amber, though in "our" Earth, Corwin has gone far beyond "bachelor's degree" in college education.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about? Literature, history, tactics, combat, sciences, and, though he is not a practicing physician, medicine.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert. Definitely.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? For the most part, Corwin is even-tempered, though there are certain things that set his temper off.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? Corwin is highly suspicious of new people due to intrigues in his family growing up. He does not trust strangers and he trusts family even less.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? Define the circumstances, and we'll see.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight? Fight
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? Sarcasm and gallows humor, for the most part. Corwin can take a joke amongst friends, but is more serious amongst strangers.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? None; he was admitted to mental instutions in the past on false claims, though he does not actually have any treatable mental condition.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person? Growing up, really. Surviving the bubonic plague, his amnesia, his military career, his car accident, re-discovery of himself, his assault on Amber, his imprisonment and blinding, meeting Dara, the death of his father, the creation of his own Pattern, talking with his son for the first time, etc.
14. What does he fear? The dark and closed spaces.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations? He currently has none. At once point, it was to rule Amber, but after his realization that he does not actually want to, he has yet to find anything else he wants.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him? His rather pansy phobias.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents. Nonexistant - his mother is and has been dead for centuries, and his father played his children off of each other to strengthen his hold on the crown.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? Dozens. The relationships are more along the lines of alliances and enemies than actual siblings.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand? All of them with very few exceptions.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them? Not since he discovered that the person he thought was a friend was actually his father in disguise.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? Ganelon - they met in Avalon, Corwin's private kingdom, while Corwin was king and Ganelon was one of his knights.
6. Does he have other close friends? No
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people? It isn't so much getting along with them, as getting to any point where he could even think about beginning to maybe remotely trust them.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends? Neither.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once? Single, though he tends to sleep around with whatever pretty female creature happens to fall into his bed
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? No.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest? First: unknown. Latest: Dara, though he has since fallen out with her.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner? Attractiveness and sex.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any? Corwin has one son, Merlin, though the relationship is distant. He has spoken with him once and treats him more as an acquaintance than his offspring. Still, they don't hate each other and Merlin cares enough for his father to try finding him when he disappears.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies? Too many to name. Most of them family.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale? Corwin is exclusively heterosexual.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him? Corwin likes sex. Sex is a good thing.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? I devline to answer this question.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type? Unknown - no canon birthday.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life? Corwin doesn't believe in any gods or other spiritual forces that control his or anyone's life. He does believe in the supernatural because anything can exist anywhere, and he is, essentially, god.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? Define "morals." There is a lot that Corwin will do to accomplish his personal goals.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? Corwin is mostly indifferent to what others believe. If it works for you, good for you.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them? No traditional ones, at any rate. They mostly center around family and Chaosians.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? Corwin might be considered "wealthy," but he doesn't particularly care or flaunt it.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him? That depends on where you find him. In Amber, Corwin is the fifth son of King Oberon, but in other places, he holds different positions: on Earth, he is simply a wealthy retired soldier, in Avalon he was king.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others? Again, this depends on where he is. His house on Earth has been vacated and sold, though he considers the castle at Amber his "home," even if he tends mostly to wander.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on? ...good question. Women and booze, probably.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else? Soldier- he is, in his own words, the "third best" swordsman amongst his brothers, though with his practice in the military and with Eric's death, that has jumped to second-best.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time? Reading and sex, mostly. An awkward combination, but true.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? Corwin likes booze and good food, but during military operations he will eat what is given to him.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Silver and black
2. Smell? Oil and leather
3. Time of day? Midnight
4. Season? Fall
5. Book? The Prince : Machiavelli - Hamlet : Shakespeare
6. Music? Something Celtic
7. Place? California
8. Substance? Tobacco
9. Plant? Pine trees
10. Animal? Horse
END
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