It's no surprise that I made Chachan as open and friendly and goodhearted as he is in no small part to being new to MMO RP and utterly terrified that I'd come in and no one would want to play with me. I even felt I had made a mistake that first day he entered Balmung and I was looking from the outside in on all the RP going on. Fortunately, I got into some RP with some nice people, made friends and now quite look forward to the end of the work day so I can pop on to either RP or just talk with the LSes and FC I've become a part of. 
But because of that concern at the onset, I had a very simple concept for Chachan. The little hero wannabe. Left home to seek "ADVENTURE" and become a hero and hopefully make a bunch of friends along the way! He was slated to be basically friendly and cheerful and more or less a ray of sunshine amongst all the nitty-gritty of the setting.
Of course, on contact with actual other players, that definitely morphed some. Seeing and interacting with several Paladins - both Sultansworn and Free - gave a purpose to his initial heroic drive. It became the answer to how he would be helping people, along with the little odds and ends errands I started having him doing to pay for his lodging at the Hourglass.
But with it, though, came a great defining moment of "why" he wanted to become a Paladin, why he wanted to help people. The childish desire for heroism was still there somewhat, but it became tempered by the razing of Doma. While he, for the most part, got out of it fine - he wasn't there and family made it out, so all he lost was a home... though, that was definitely a poignant thought for him - it helped put some solidarity behind his heroic dreams that evolved beyond his childhood daydreaming.
And there's more, too. His friendly nature and desire to help ended up causing some changes as well. As his circle of friends of expanded and he became involved in a lot of their personal conflicts and peculiarities, he ran into situations where he didn't know how to help or his attempts to help only managed to make things worse. Not to mention all these situations kind of turned him into a bit of a worrywart - often being the first to ask if people are okay and to timidly offer his help when he can.
All the way through, I've wanted him to stay friendly and helpful... and that's been a surprising challenge at times, given the penchant for some dark stuff being thrown at him. Spiraling depression, irate spirits, conflicts between his friends, death. There have been quite a few sobering moments for the little guy who wanted to be like the storybook heroes. But it's also served as a fuel for that childishly stubborn drive of his to help people, and given him a bit of worldliness that helps him to do that.
And really, I think it makes his determination all the more inspiring (to me, at least ) considering all he's gone through... rather than it all just being wrought of fairy tales, daydreams, and story books.
But because of that concern at the onset, I had a very simple concept for Chachan. The little hero wannabe. Left home to seek "ADVENTURE" and become a hero and hopefully make a bunch of friends along the way! He was slated to be basically friendly and cheerful and more or less a ray of sunshine amongst all the nitty-gritty of the setting.
Of course, on contact with actual other players, that definitely morphed some. Seeing and interacting with several Paladins - both Sultansworn and Free - gave a purpose to his initial heroic drive. It became the answer to how he would be helping people, along with the little odds and ends errands I started having him doing to pay for his lodging at the Hourglass.
But with it, though, came a great defining moment of "why" he wanted to become a Paladin, why he wanted to help people. The childish desire for heroism was still there somewhat, but it became tempered by the razing of Doma. While he, for the most part, got out of it fine - he wasn't there and family made it out, so all he lost was a home... though, that was definitely a poignant thought for him - it helped put some solidarity behind his heroic dreams that evolved beyond his childhood daydreaming.
And there's more, too. His friendly nature and desire to help ended up causing some changes as well. As his circle of friends of expanded and he became involved in a lot of their personal conflicts and peculiarities, he ran into situations where he didn't know how to help or his attempts to help only managed to make things worse. Not to mention all these situations kind of turned him into a bit of a worrywart - often being the first to ask if people are okay and to timidly offer his help when he can.
All the way through, I've wanted him to stay friendly and helpful... and that's been a surprising challenge at times, given the penchant for some dark stuff being thrown at him. Spiraling depression, irate spirits, conflicts between his friends, death. There have been quite a few sobering moments for the little guy who wanted to be like the storybook heroes. But it's also served as a fuel for that childishly stubborn drive of his to help people, and given him a bit of worldliness that helps him to do that.
And really, I think it makes his determination all the more inspiring (to me, at least
) considering all he's gone through... rather than it all just being wrought of fairy tales, daydreams, and story books.
~