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Let's talk about Characterization!
Portius
Likes big books, cannot lie
In the fine tradition of Lusternian threads in which we discuss our characters, I think we need to have a thread about FATEifying them. What is this FATEification, I hear all of you asking? Why, it's a thing which can be described by quoting myself from another thread!
"What matters more than anything else is characterization that leads to actions. Your character can have all the deep dark secrets in the world, but if they don't have an effect on how he acts, when played, they don't actually matter. Same thing goes with backstory. It doesn't do a whole lot of good if it doesn't lead to you doing something. That doesn't mean you have to tell people about it all the time. If it influences your choice of actions, then it can be useful. And telling people about it is itself an action, so talking about that backstory can be useful, too. A lot of people seem to feel like they need huge backstories and piles of secrets and whatnot that, in the end, don't really effect anything. This is a stumbling block for some people when it comes to, well, characterizing. They want depth, but they don't want to do a huge history. That's alright! There's an easier way that works out to be a lot more useful in practice.
There's an RPG system called FATE that turned this into a core mechanic, and I'm going to use their terminology here. A character has some number of aspects which are core points of characterization, the character's defining traits. These are big, important traits, not little things like appearance, unless of course appearance is important to that character (it usually is not.) They get snappy names to really hammer home the nature of the aspect, and to make them memorable. In FATE, there are some game mechanics that encourage people to act according to these aspects. That doesn't exist in Lusternia, obviously, but it's stilll a good way to structure a character. When deciding what to do, look at your list of aspects and see if any of them seem relevant, and act accordingly. That's not to say you always have to follow them. There could be other situational factors involved, after all! But they do provide a very strong place to start thinking about things, and generally following them is a good way to stay reasonably consistent without acting by rote.
You don't want too many aspects. These are big picture type thing, after all, and having too many dilutes the characterization too much (Some complexity is good. Excessive complexity is not. This can be a hard line to find, and it depends on the type or roleplaying/writing that's happening.) FATE uses five aspects for a player character, and that's a good number to stick around. Maybe use a little more, maybe use a little less, but stay in that ballpark. FATE also kind of elevates two of them above the others in the character creation process, a core concept and the trouble, which in the context of the RPG is the big one that causes problems for that character. These are a little less applicable to something like Lusternia, but can be useful to keep in mind nonetheless.
Let's do Portius as an example!
The Lord-Librarian- Portius is a peer. This is probably the single most important part of his characterization. He's at the very top of Hallifaxian society, and he got there through his own merit. He's aware of his status, and he doesn't like it when people don't respect it. That can be devaluing his work or his position, or it can be from claiming to be high status without having done anything in the arts/sciences. This covers his vanity, his pride, but also his dedication to being good at things, because that is what it is to be a peer. That's the crux of this aspect. He's a peer, he knows it, and he makes a point of acting accordingly.
Glory to the Collective- Portius is a devoted Hallifaxian nationalist. He cares about its economic health and so forth, but he's mostly concerned with making sure it's glorious. He recognizes that he's one of the most public people in Hallifaxian culture, and he revels in doing that much to build Hallifax's reputation. Even with practical matters, like industrialization, Portius cares just as much about making sure Hallifax is better than other nations as he does about the actual benefit to the city.
The Sublime Theorem-Beauty comes from comprehension. Truth is beauty. Thus, scientific research is the pursuit of beauty as much as it is any practical knowledge. This aspect, more than anything else, is Portius as the pure scientist. This is Portius alone in his lab, or presenting a lecture, marvelling at the sheer beauty of reality as it is understood. He is a peer because he is a scientist. He is a scientist because knowing things is magnificent.
A Civilized Man is a Virtuous Man-To shy from technology is foolishness. Willful ignorance is a sin. Those are both problems for the forestals. He might like an individual one here or there (Remember what I said about being able to break away from aspects sometimes? This is it!) but on the whole, they are pathetic savages. You can be evil without living in the forests, like Gaudiguchis are, but you cannot be good without living in a city. Ultimately, those luddites are worse than Celestines or Magnagorans. We can use them, but we can use horses, too. Doesn't mean that they're people.
Virtue is a Choice-Being good or evil comes down to your choices. If you live in the forest, or in Gaudiguch, you do it by choice. You could leave. But you haven't, you chose not to. That means you're choosing to be morally worse than him. That makes him pretty harsh on moral failings. But at the same time, if you can choose to be evil, you can also choose to be good. That means there is always a chance for a person to chose virtue and redeem themselves. You have to be wary of them, because it could be a trick, and sometimes it's just too dangerous to trust them, but it can happen. There is always hope.
That covers the things about Portius that actually matter pretty thoroughly. Him disapproving of Zyphora being married to Turnus? I'm invoking (the FATE term for choosing to use an aspect) A Civilized Man is a Virtuous Man to hate Turnus and Virtue is a Choice to be really hard on Zyphie about it. After all, she's letting her emotions drive her to consort with a confounded savage when she could just control herself and make a better choice! Mad at Cosette for disrespecting the peerage? Naturally, since he is The Lord-Librarian!
There's an absence in that list of aspects that some of you might have noticed. There isn't anything that refers to him being in @Isune order, even though he's in the Grand Salon and everything. That's because him following Isune isn't a terribly important part of his character. Leaving it wouldn't significantly change how he acts. He follows a goddess of beauty because he has strong ideas about The Sublime Theorem, but those ideas cause him to worship Isune, not the other way around. If there was a god that was more openly about that kind of thing, he'd drop Isune (who is occasionally kind of dismissive about science in a way that bothers Portius) in a heartbeat. Same thing if she ever said something really anti-sciencey.
And that's Portius, as expressed through the aspect system. It's not everything about him. It's the important things, the parts that are really relevant to deciding what to do. Try putting your character through it. Makes you decide what's really important to the characterization."
Now you should all put your characters into that same system. @Zitto and I want to see them.
"What matters more than anything else is characterization that leads to actions. Your character can have all the deep dark secrets in the world, but if they don't have an effect on how he acts, when played, they don't actually matter. Same thing goes with backstory. It doesn't do a whole lot of good if it doesn't lead to you doing something. That doesn't mean you have to tell people about it all the time. If it influences your choice of actions, then it can be useful. And telling people about it is itself an action, so talking about that backstory can be useful, too. A lot of people seem to feel like they need huge backstories and piles of secrets and whatnot that, in the end, don't really effect anything. This is a stumbling block for some people when it comes to, well, characterizing. They want depth, but they don't want to do a huge history. That's alright! There's an easier way that works out to be a lot more useful in practice.
There's an RPG system called FATE that turned this into a core mechanic, and I'm going to use their terminology here. A character has some number of aspects which are core points of characterization, the character's defining traits. These are big, important traits, not little things like appearance, unless of course appearance is important to that character (it usually is not.) They get snappy names to really hammer home the nature of the aspect, and to make them memorable. In FATE, there are some game mechanics that encourage people to act according to these aspects. That doesn't exist in Lusternia, obviously, but it's stilll a good way to structure a character. When deciding what to do, look at your list of aspects and see if any of them seem relevant, and act accordingly. That's not to say you always have to follow them. There could be other situational factors involved, after all! But they do provide a very strong place to start thinking about things, and generally following them is a good way to stay reasonably consistent without acting by rote.
You don't want too many aspects. These are big picture type thing, after all, and having too many dilutes the characterization too much (Some complexity is good. Excessive complexity is not. This can be a hard line to find, and it depends on the type or roleplaying/writing that's happening.) FATE uses five aspects for a player character, and that's a good number to stick around. Maybe use a little more, maybe use a little less, but stay in that ballpark. FATE also kind of elevates two of them above the others in the character creation process, a core concept and the trouble, which in the context of the RPG is the big one that causes problems for that character. These are a little less applicable to something like Lusternia, but can be useful to keep in mind nonetheless.
Let's do Portius as an example!
The Lord-Librarian- Portius is a peer. This is probably the single most important part of his characterization. He's at the very top of Hallifaxian society, and he got there through his own merit. He's aware of his status, and he doesn't like it when people don't respect it. That can be devaluing his work or his position, or it can be from claiming to be high status without having done anything in the arts/sciences. This covers his vanity, his pride, but also his dedication to being good at things, because that is what it is to be a peer. That's the crux of this aspect. He's a peer, he knows it, and he makes a point of acting accordingly.
Glory to the Collective- Portius is a devoted Hallifaxian nationalist. He cares about its economic health and so forth, but he's mostly concerned with making sure it's glorious. He recognizes that he's one of the most public people in Hallifaxian culture, and he revels in doing that much to build Hallifax's reputation. Even with practical matters, like industrialization, Portius cares just as much about making sure Hallifax is better than other nations as he does about the actual benefit to the city.
The Sublime Theorem-Beauty comes from comprehension. Truth is beauty. Thus, scientific research is the pursuit of beauty as much as it is any practical knowledge. This aspect, more than anything else, is Portius as the pure scientist. This is Portius alone in his lab, or presenting a lecture, marvelling at the sheer beauty of reality as it is understood. He is a peer because he is a scientist. He is a scientist because knowing things is magnificent.
A Civilized Man is a Virtuous Man-To shy from technology is foolishness. Willful ignorance is a sin. Those are both problems for the forestals. He might like an individual one here or there (Remember what I said about being able to break away from aspects sometimes? This is it!) but on the whole, they are pathetic savages. You can be evil without living in the forests, like Gaudiguchis are, but you cannot be good without living in a city. Ultimately, those luddites are worse than Celestines or Magnagorans. We can use them, but we can use horses, too. Doesn't mean that they're people.
Virtue is a Choice-Being good or evil comes down to your choices. If you live in the forest, or in Gaudiguch, you do it by choice. You could leave. But you haven't, you chose not to. That means you're choosing to be morally worse than him. That makes him pretty harsh on moral failings. But at the same time, if you can choose to be evil, you can also choose to be good. That means there is always a chance for a person to chose virtue and redeem themselves. You have to be wary of them, because it could be a trick, and sometimes it's just too dangerous to trust them, but it can happen. There is always hope.
That covers the things about Portius that actually matter pretty thoroughly. Him disapproving of Zyphora being married to Turnus? I'm invoking (the FATE term for choosing to use an aspect) A Civilized Man is a Virtuous Man to hate Turnus and Virtue is a Choice to be really hard on Zyphie about it. After all, she's letting her emotions drive her to consort with a confounded savage when she could just control herself and make a better choice! Mad at Cosette for disrespecting the peerage? Naturally, since he is The Lord-Librarian!
There's an absence in that list of aspects that some of you might have noticed. There isn't anything that refers to him being in @Isune order, even though he's in the Grand Salon and everything. That's because him following Isune isn't a terribly important part of his character. Leaving it wouldn't significantly change how he acts. He follows a goddess of beauty because he has strong ideas about The Sublime Theorem, but those ideas cause him to worship Isune, not the other way around. If there was a god that was more openly about that kind of thing, he'd drop Isune (who is occasionally kind of dismissive about science in a way that bothers Portius) in a heartbeat. Same thing if she ever said something really anti-sciencey.
And that's Portius, as expressed through the aspect system. It's not everything about him. It's the important things, the parts that are really relevant to deciding what to do. Try putting your character through it. Makes you decide what's really important to the characterization."
Now you should all put your characters into that same system. @Zitto and I want to see them.
Any sufficiently advanced pun is indistinguishable from comedy.
7
(c) Iron Realms Entertainment 2012.
Comments
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Collective or Nothing.
Entrias puts the Collective before himself in every way possible. The bad part about this is that he interprets "putting the Collective first" in a very skewed manner; if he sees someone who is part of the city who he feels is detrimental to the future of Hallifax or if he sees the city making a decision which he feels isn't acceptable, he will go out of his way to sabotage said person or plan, up to and including falsifying information or going beyond the Articles to achieve his goal. Spying on other citizens and sending anonymous letters to citizens who he feels are not "up to snuff" are things he has done in the past. He seeks no recognition for his work, and believes it to be justified no matter what. This figures into the next aspect as well.
A smaller facet of this is that he envies Glomdoring due to their idea of "Nothing Matters But Glomdoring", and if he ever left the city (unlikely), he would likely work to join Glomdoring. This will factor into a few other aspects
A Man Chooses, a Slave Obeys.
Entrias is not, nor does he ever want to be a leader. While he can lead as needed, he would rather take orders and follow commands like a good soldier. He has a bit of an inferiority complex and though he can always take initiative in order to achieve his goals, he prefers the cloak of responsibility to be on someone else. In no way does he really seek glory aside from appreciation for the things he designs. So long as the orders he is given don't go against what he believes is best for the city, he doesn't question authority.
Hopeless Romantic.
Entrias is still very much in love with Zyphora, his first wife. Though he realises she has found another love, and he would never seek to try and find a way into her affections without believing she wished the same thing, he still watches over her in every way possible. When he found out she was going to marry Turnus, he almost went to Turnus and threatened to kill him, and burn his forest to the ground if he ever hurt Zyphora. After watching Turnus for a long while, he realised that Turnus was (publicly) a man of honour, and grudgingly "allowed" Turnus to marry her. If Zyphora ever came to him in need, he likely wouldn't turn her down even if it went against Collective or Nothing. Probably.
He realised at one point that Zyphora was staying away from the Matrix because he was there, and he actually took a long sabbatical away from the city in order to keep from hurting her emotionally by his presence. This hurt him, but she was more important to him than he was.
Among the other women in his life who he has been somewhat attracted to but not married to: Nihmriel, Isune, Tulemrah, Phoebus. People who create and design things attract him, and especially women who would hold a position in the caste system over him.
As a side note, he has the utmost respect for Shikari, as he realises that it is a harsh fate to love someone from afar who may or may not ever love him back. This may only be his own perception as to the connection between Isune and Shikari, but once again Hopeless Romantic.
Beauty in Creation.
Entrias finds beauty in many things. While some may find frilly plumes or cold white marble beautiful, Entrias finds beauty in utilitarian things. If something comes in handy, serves a purpose or is "useful", he finds beauty in it. This often clashes with Isune's version of Beauty, in that things holding Beauty aren't always useful or utilitarian. Thus, he doesn't always agree with his order's tenets, but so long as it allows him to create and be useful, he's all for it.
Entrias also designs and creates things for the people he feels are important to him. This is actually a personality trait shared among all of my characters, so if I've ever designed something for you, that means I think you're pretty awesome.
The Foreign Loyalist - Maligorn's pre-Portal days were spent as a farmer in Estelbar. Naturally, to the southeast, every day he could see this giant floating city and would think to himself of how badly he wanted to go there. So, he did. As an unmarked citizen, he went (in my headcanon), took some tests, and once he passed them favourably, was shoved into the Portal of Fate by officials. Knowing his past, then, Maligorn will never feel as anything but a servant of the Collective, unable to ever join the elite of trill and lucidian, and will always think of himself as truly adopted rather than Irillia and Raikogen's long-lost son. Something else out there also encouraged him to leave Estelbar, because a floating city so close to his beloved stars must have an excellent observatory. And it totally does.
The Brotherhood of Sacrifice - Being an Isunite, Maligorn understands Sacrifice as one of Her main tenets. What that also applies to is everyone in Lusternia. Anybody that would call themselves Protector, Security or Champion earns some serious respect in Maligorn's eyes, regardless of faction. To give your life for the advancement of your org, and knowing that you'll be prepared to do it again and again is truly an inspiring and noble art. Thus, Maligorn becomes really unhappy and almost sick to his stomach when he sees combatants that are in it for the bloodlust or "fun" rather than sacrifice. Enemies (or allies) that complain too much also really chafe his nerves. (Of course, I know how much of a bleeding heart I can be on the forums about combat, but this is IC Maligorn).
Creature of Curiousity - Maligorn is always working on some project to elucidate the inner workings of x, y, or z. As such, he is often preoccupied and reluctant to speak until he has a definitive answer on whatever he happens to be pondering, whether it's "I wonder what pink loti mushrooms taste like" to "Can I trust this individual" to "Will Pejat-sempai notice me". As such, he often puts himself in danger for experimentation, without any real regard to his safety. After all, he'll just come back to life anyway.
Elders are Just Like Us - Of course, most of us have figured out by now that the Elder gods are not perfect -- they have their own intrigues, shortcomings, and mindsets that make them all unique and flawed. That's a given. Maligorn takes it one step further, understanding that since we shards used to be Elders, we should be lauded as equals or perhaps even superiors for succeeding in containing the Soulless when the Elder Gods could not, and because we all were once Elders too (except for humans/viscanti/faelings). For the Elder Gods to come back and assume authority after abandoning the shards, their former Elder friends and comrades, to their fates is bordering on preposterous, though expected from perceived egomaniacal Traitors. Maligorn has naturally had heated discussions with Isune about this.
Uphold the Meritocracy
Zitto is a fanatical believer in Hallifax's caste system, accepting the society's inequality as a fair tradeoff for a society that rewards talent and ability with upward mobility. Given his strong feelings for the caste system, he is extremely deferential to those above his station. Zitto views one of the duties of the upper castes as guiding and advising the lower castes, and is consequently very helpful and friendly, but reacts extremely poorly to criticism or defiance. This dynamic also plays out in his addressing people of higher standing by their particular titles while referring to his peers and lower caste members uniformly as 'comrade.'
We Owe the Foreigners Nothing
As a researcher and the Hallifax Librarian, Zitto believes strongly in making use of every source of information. He is extremely eager to learn about the other societies of the Basin, not out of respect for them, but because they may have knowledge worth pilfering. He desires to maintain genuinely good relationships with individuals and, where possible, the divinities of other cities, but ultimately does his best to ensure that transactions are one-sided in Hallifax's favor. He holds genuine respect for some foreigners, particularly those he associates with scholarly work, like @Kalnid and @Marcella, but is prepared to treat even genuine friendships as a tactical resource if the good of the Commonwealth requires it.
Remember Their Kindness
Many high-caste citizens of Hallifax were extremely helpful to Zitto in his early days out of the Portal. While he understands that they have a personal interest in retaining and supporting new citizens, he also realizes that their patience, support, and guidance were essential to his establishing himself in Hallifaxian society. Consequently, he is inclined to show great patience and provide material support for new citizens. While this support is absolute for citizens who recently emerged from the portal of fate, it can diminish quickly for recently citizened foreigners.
We Use The Tools At Hand
Zitto finds the idea of dismissing any potential resource for moral reasons to be unthinkable. Consequently, he views the Taint as a potential natural resource, capable of being used for the good of society if correctly applied. While he appreciates the difficulties in containing and controlling the taint, he would be as adverse to seeing it totally eliminated as he would seeing the entire basin tainted. In his mind, utilizing it is no different than utilizing fire, which can burn those who are not careful with it. As a consequence of these ideas, his opinions of foreign societies are based primarily on their scholarly reputation and social structure rather than their position on taint. This puts him in the small pool of citizens who see the idea of an alliance with Magnagora as consistent with the ideology of Hallifax.
Solder, Scholar, Priest, and Peer
Particular individuals made a very strong impression on Zitto in his early days, particularly @Vivet and @Portius. He finds their achievements particularly laudable and strives to emulate their example. He works particularly hard to make a good impression on them and strives to emulate their examples. This is particularly visible in his attempt to mimic Portius' humor around him. The other overwhelming impression was his first meeting with Jadice, who was the first to call Zitto on his excessive flattery and servile nature. His impression of Her was responsible for the start of a slow transition from a nakedly ambitious chatterbox to a more reserved scholar in his society. From these examples, Zitto derives his long-term goals of joining the peerage through scholarly work, establishing himself as a valuable combat asset to Hallifax, and developing his mannerisms after the example of the analytical and distant Frost Queen.
Solitary Sentinel - Aside from a brief stint as a novice and unskilled Aeromancer before the Sentinels guild opened, Ushaara has always been a Sentinel. Being a Sentinel meshes well with A Man of His Word, and Ushaara takes the Company's oath of service to the State and its Artistic and Scientific families as seriously as any other promise he makes. Going with his oath, he recognises and values the Company's doctrines regarding duty, loyalty, service and obedience. He is accustomed to being on his own, and with most of those who were his closest friends now absent, while not lonely, is increasingly solitary. While there are still a few people who can/could rouse him to action and stop him from isolating himself further, he maintains a cautious distance from them because OTHER REASONS. While he will still interact, offer to teach, lead hunting trips or generally help out, most of these people he interacts with now will never manage to cross the barriers he has raised around himself.
The Faithful Constant - As Keeper of the Archetype, he feels it is his burden to keep Zvoltz's teachings and secrets, even if he may be the only person to remember them. Though he has been rattled at times, he has come to have absolute faith in Zvoltz's Foundations, and believes that as long as he keeps to them, all that was lost can be restored when Zvoltz returns, including parts of himself. It is the duty he is most conscious of, and will put before all others since Zvoltz's self-sacrifice. He appreciates Isune greatly in this regard, knowing that while other mortals may forget Him, She won't, despite Her dalliances with Shikari.
On the whole, trying to stick to 'A Man of His Word' has lead to some of the best RP interactions I've had while playing.
She who holds the scales of Justice – Arien's attachment to the forest is changeable as is her very behavior. She is a chimaera without the visual, clear deception that someone like that brings. A lot of her views and actions are attuned to the beyond the physical, meaning that her connections to primal energies, the Spirits, the different aspects of the Elder Gods of Serenwilde and especially @Lisaera are forefront. She is, without a doubt one of the most difficult I have played due to this aspect of her, that every object that breathes has life, spirit, name, the interconnection of those threads and portents can change her direction. It is not that her loyalty is fitful; it is simply that she attempts to make balance, even when those who are involved may not deserve it from many others perspectives.
Serpent of Paradise – In her youth, Arien learned of the tales of her grandmother’s fate concerning both Lady Maylea and @Nocht. She knew that this Silent Elder God had, to terrible effect torn her family apart. But after one brief moment of being inhabited by his presence, the allure of Night and His strange ways were present when doubt would come into the ‘garden of paradise,’ so to speak. Often times, this has caused disquiet with her; that she is so easily tipped towards something that is unknown, something despite her degradation of the shadowlings of the south, is quite possible. In these moments, she sees the possibility that she could convince the southern forests to be at peace with Serenwilde, just so that Night and Moon could work in tandem with the feminine powers they hold. Even, these thoughts as going so far as to manipulate those of Night from a political side to do their biding to certain unfavorable organizations. But, she is jolted out of this by her connection to the Trinitarian whims of Mother Moon.
Enthroned of Winter - Basically, one of her many goals is that she plans to renew her family as the main family of the Winter Court in Serenwilde, and revitalizing the ideals of the House Myeras. She outwardly projects that elfen and faeling purity are key success to a line, but will not openly admit this attribute to racism. She enjoys all kinds, but believes her family can be only successful through the ties of a certain kind of blood magic. She believes that out of all of her family, she bears enough wisdom to be seated on the High Throne of Winter, not just because of her accomplishments, but for the temperament she bears from ‘good breeding.’ If this were to be cultivated further, she would likely be a great warlord or tactician under the wing of someone who could teach such a thing. For the time being, she only thinks of this with ritual importance. Beauty can be useful, but it is the mind and blade that conquers.
Eyes of the Hunter – Bearing the mark of the Hart does not necessarily mean one is a gentle, delicate soul. There are no happy rainbows, or dancing faeries, or prancing fawns with pretty pink bows. There is no laughter without purpose, no smile, no word that cannot be justified by what she plans. Everything. Is. Planned. Everything. Is. Guarded. Everything is censored until a judgment or ‘kill’ can be made about a decision, person, thing. Her dedication of this is shone through most current events. She shows her loyalty and devotion, her faith and hope first. But not her terror of losing everything that she loves, and has worked tirelessly for. The fear of abandonment does not outweigh what she wishes to convey to the people she protects, despite its crippling effect.
Motherly Crone - Though there is little development in her family life, she is known to be more gentle than violent. Imparting wisdom to her young, but also keeping a firm hand. She has not yet had to be wrathful against her own, but it does not stop her from committing acts to teach them lessons that Nature yet have not. This can be seen in a most recent interaction with @Everiine, where she both chastises and comforts concerning the Serenguard lock. She can see aspects of youth that remain in people fairly easily, and while she does not look down upon them for it, she sees that a lesson must be taught, or words must be spoken.
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A shimmering liquid appears in your inventory smelling sweetly of something carbonated. It vanishes in a puff of silver smoke seconds later.
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I write things
Fiery Zeal - Once she's set her mind to something, Wyle puts her entire effort into believing that thing. She does not brook well with questioning her beliefs, and I personally style her paradigmatics not as her intentionally manipulating inherent instabilities within reality, but that her convictions are so fervent that reality itself must bend to meet them.She wholeheartedly believes that everything she does is for the greater good, and that ultimately the entire world will be reborn into a more enlightened civilisation because of actions like hers. The idea that others might not also have the same passions in other directions is, to her, a sign of their delusion.
Sacred Space - While she really enjoys being part of a crowd, Wyle strongly prefers being independent of others. This doesn't mean she's a loner, just that she get uncomfortable spending every waking moment with someone, no matter how much she likes or cares about that person. This has caused its fair share of strife in her past, but due to Fiery Zeal she refuses to back down about this issue. The short-ticket to her bad side is to try and be around her when she doesn't want you specifically there, or to try to actively monopolize her time.
All work and no play makes you a bad person - Subby isn't afraid of working hard when he needs to, but he can turn it off as needed. He can be fighting against you one minute, and sending you cupcakes after the raid is over. He feels that if you can't enjoy life, why live it? What good is hard work if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labors? Subby has a severe dislike of people who are constantly at attention, constantly on guard and constantly unable to relax. If you can't lighten up, he has no place for you in his life.
Generosity is its own reward - Subby spends a lot of money on people, and doesn't think much about it. If he has gold, he spends it. If he doesn't have gold, he makes it and spends it. He's sort of easy-going, and it doesn't bother him to dump a load of gold on a novice who needs stuff, or to pour gold into a feast to feed a bunch of people, or even to sell food below cost just because people like his cooking. He's not wasteful, he just believes in giving what he has to others in need. Why hoard something that is so easily received?
Passionate Peacock - For a long while, Subby was a hedonist. He whored around (not really), wore fancy clothes, got drunk and threw up all over the place, and generally did what he wanted, where he wanted, simply for the pleasure of it. Since joining Crumkane's order, he's grown up a bit; he still loves wearing fancy clothes and trying new foods for the sheer pleasure of it. He's learned a bit of self control, but that doesn't stop him from buying a new robe simply because he enjoys the feel of the fabric or how it matches his hair.
Native of the Undervault
While her memory of her youth is still mostly clouded by her passage through the portal of fate she finds the Undervault comforting and familiar. She strives to uphold her racial heritage through what her Hive Queen teaches her and what she discovers for herself through her visits to her homeland. Dakhamunzu also strives to keep her fear of the sky deeply hidden. She honestly hates Serenwilde sometimes for it's lack of proper buildings and caverns. She seeks out places that have some familiarity to them and tries to stay indoors when it is raining.
Everything and Everyone Has Their Use
Dakhamunzu hates waste, she finds it abhorrent and completely repugnant. This doesn't necessarily mean that everything has to live up to its full potential but neither should it lay on the wayside and rot. With people this mostly translates to her looking down upon those who do not contribute in someway to their community. With objects it's a bit more complicated. She has learned that while the surface has many more resources than the Undervault does, it is still limited by the simple fact that much of the world has been devoured by the Soulless. This has led her to question why people built cities that further use up these limited resources when forestall communes and small villages seem much more logical.
Manners and Appearance go a Long Way
Violence, threats, and insults will only make a situation worse. Simply being polite and actually talking about things in a reasonable manner will solve far more disputes than a more confrontational attack. This includes appearance and how someone presents themselves. As a result Dakhamunzu wears upworlder clothing despite how uncomfortable she feels in it and tires to be polite to even those who have been aggressive towards her or those she cares about.
Edit: I forgot one!
Records or it Didn't Happen
Dakhamunzu is extremely unsettled that she doesn't remember her life before the portal. As a result she now keeps a journal so that if the inexplicable ever happens again and she forgets everything she will at least have her journal as a reference point. This has also lead to respect for books and the knowledge they contain. It's an anchor that will always stay the same. If she comes back to a book it will provide her with the exact same information it did the last time she read it.
Lavinya has the lowest opinion of those that she deems disloyal - most especially to her own loyalties, but also those who seem to have no passion or conviction in any of their beliefs, seemingly changing them at whim. Loyalty is unwavering, and she strives to always hold strong - to Lord Morgfyre, to Magnagora, to the Demon Lords, to her husband. In doing so she may even turn a blind eye to short-comings or flaws, because being constant is more important than being fickle. She is fierce in her loyalty, unwavering in her devotion, and open in her derision to anyone who isn't. And it has lead to some (ongoing) inner conflict regarding her decision to leave the Nihilists.
Appearances are everything
Vanity is really the foremost trait that became evident in Lavinya, from a very young age, and it has only increased over the years. She cares about how she looks, but it goes deeper than that. She cares about how she is perceived. If outwardly she is perfection, no one will question the doubts and uncertainties inside. She is quite self-conscious and insecure, but she keeps that all hidden away under a shroud of arrogance and haughtiness. And fabulous good looks. Also, as viscanti she is very aware of being considered an abomination, and is thus often torn between pride in her heritage and wondering warily how an outsider perceives her. Putting forward the appropriate facade is of utmost importance, as a true leader and representative leads by example. It's not always easy, and she often has outbursts of revealing emotion that she can't always hide. It is a very, very rare person that is allowed to see the woman behind the public facade.
I am merely mortal
In Magnagora there is a very strong desire and lust for power, for using everything at hand to make oneself and ones city strong. While she adheres to the notion of growth, she has some moderation - she is aware she is merely a mortal. There are some who show derision to the elder gods and believe 'mortals' to be above Them, but Lavinya recognises that she is not on top of the food chain and is quite accepting of it. Even if one could fan their divine spark, a dracnari will never become Dracnoris again. A shard is just that, a fragment of something greater. As such, she has a measure of respect for all the elder gods just because of what They are, even those for whom she holds great contempt due to Their teachings and actions. She believe all of Them have a perspective that she can never have due to Their power and age and will often approach Them (even 'enemy gods') for advice and wisdom from time to time.
Decorum defines us
Despite being something of a rebel in her youth, Lavinya has come to strongly desire and depend on decorum. To her, appropriate behaviour is what separates mankind from the beasts. It is a sign of rigorous control and respect. A city that can adhere to its rules on decorum is a city that has strong discipline and respect for one another (or at least the appearance of it). A healthy respect for the arts and culture, for appropriate dress and speech, respect for superiors shows a desire to improve upon ones base nature. People claim that the taint turns people into mindless bloodthirsty savages, yet strict decorum proves that Magnagorans are in complete control of themselves. The fact that few people even care about appearances anymore is incredibly distressing to Lavinya, she views it as a breakdown on society and a crumbling of the foundation of Magnagora. Indeed, forgoing decorum is only an early step on the slippery slope to complete anarchy and self-destruction. That leaders of the city show not even an ounce of respect for decorum has her inwardly panicking and even more determined to stand against the tide and remind everyone of what a proper Magnagoran should be.