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World of Darkness
Step Ten: Spark of Life
It’s been said the devil’s in the details . Details are what make your character a complete and unique individual. The following areas are crucial to determining what your character is like a person. You do not necessarily need to write these down, but spaces are provided for them on the personal history sheet, and it is recommended that you do so. If nothing else, think about them – not only now but throughout the career and life of your character.
| Appearance | |
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Your character’s Physical appearance makes her Traits visible to other characters. You may be asked to give a general description of her to aid other players in imagining the story. Attempt to turn the concept and relevant Traits of your character into aspects of her appearance. Certainly, there will be obvious differences between a childling and a grump, but its up to you to describe those differences.
Choose your words carefully when writing your character’s description. High Dexterity can be described as slender, agile, frame or long-fingered hands. It is much more evocative to sat, “Shara moves with catlike grace,” than to say, “Shara is very dexterous.” Include references to clothing, hair color, eye color, body size and any scaring or tattoos. The more detailed the description , the easier it will be for other players to imagine your character as you intend her to look.
A changeling has both faerie appearance and a mortal appearance. These will differ greatly in many cases, and it is important to know what your character looks like to both mortals and other changelings. The changeling appearance tends to be more colorful and remarkable, whereas the mortal appearance may be dulled and seem haggard in comparison.
Example mortal seeming:
Maribeth appears to be in her early 20s, of average height and slender build with long, agile fingers and hands used to holding her beloved violin or her favorite poetry books. Her high cheekbones, deep-set eyes and thin lips give her a slightly mystical appearance that some find appealing. Her poker-straight brown hair is forever escaping whatever headband or hairclasp she uses, and few wistful strands drift around her face. Her cloud-gray eyes are clear and miss little around her. Soft-spoken and shy around people, loud noises startle her, and she dislikes being the center of undue attention, preferring to watch from the background. Nervous smiles flit across her pale face, and most people think she would be a great deal prettier if she smiled more. Her cloths are frequently plain and always seem a little to large for her.
Example fae mien :
As a slaugh wilder, Maribeth (also known as Melinda) grows even more thin and pale, almost ghostlike. Her high cheekbones and deep-set eyes now give her a slightly starved look. Her gray eyes take on a slight glitter, especially when a good idea comes to her. Her soft=spoken voice sinks into a whisper that some sluagh find difficult to hear. Her brown hair darkens and lengthens to her waist; she frequently puts it in a braid, and any lose strains look more alluring than wistful. Her fingers look like the frame of a fan, and scramble over her violin like pale spiders. Her shy manner is reminiscent of a retiring Victorian lady, and she often wears long, dark colored Morticia Adam’s style dresses and veils.
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| Quirks | |
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By giving your character quirks and idiosyncrasies, you can add a great deal of depth and interest to her. Write a few sentences describing unique and possibly odd things that define your character. A quirk could be a twisted sense of humor, gentleness towards animals, or a habit of grunting when answering yes to a question. It could include mannerisms such as constantly twirling a curl around her finger, or walking around with an unlit cigarette hanging out of her mouth.
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| Motivations and Goals | |
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What drives your character? What makes her laugh, makes her cry, makes her angry, makes her nervous, makes her afraid? What gives her hope? In what does she believe? Does she have an obsession or a higher purpose? Jot a few notes about your character’s goals and motivations. Thinking about these will help you get under her skin as you start to roleplay her.
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| Mortal Identity | |
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A changeling character is born mortal and lives as a mortal life until the day she experiences her Chrysalis and becomes aware of her faerie nature. Throughout their lives, changelings must cope with the mortal world and survive within it. A very important aspect of your character is her identity in normal society.
Some changelings completely remove themselves from mortal society, spending most of their time in freeholds. This is very dangerous, as the balance between their fae and mortal nature must be maintained or they risk slipping into Bedlam. Changelings must carefully balance their mundane and fae lives; even the sidhe must have time outside of the freehold.
What is your character’s mortal life like? Where does he work or go to school? Where does he live? Does he have a mortal friends or business associates? Does he have a mortal family? What was his mortal childhood like? What were his parents like? Was he abused? Did he have brothers and sisters? Was he adopted or raised in an orphanage? How does your character feel about mortals? Did he turn his back on his mortal family and friends after his Chrysalis?
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| Changeling Identity | |
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Much of this has already been determined by your choice of Traits, especially Backgrounds and Abilities. However, there are other aspects of changeling life you should think about. From the moment a changeling experiences her Chrysalis, her life changes irrevocable. One thing in particular that you must choose for your character is her faerie name. All changelings have a True Name or a soul name that is different from the name given to them by their mortal parents. Later in life, a changeling may decide a nickname based on his True Name, but few ever give out their True Names to anyone other than their most trusted allies because of the power they hold over them.
Were one or both of your character’s parents changelings or kinain? How old was she when she experienced her Chrysalis? What was her reaction to her new changeling self—excitement? Horror? Fear? How active or interested is she in changeling politics and court? How does she feel about the Escheat and whether or not it should be upheld? Does she have any prejudices against other kith, and if so, why? What does she do to strengthen the Dreaming? Does she have an outstanding geas that has carried her from a past life or her time in Arcadia? What is it, and what is the story behind it?
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| Equipment | |
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If there are any mundane possessions that you want your character to have (such as a Walkman, pocket knife, apartment or vehicle), you should work out the details with your Storyteller before play. Otherwise, you will have to acquire the equipment during the course of the game. This can take time and is not automatically successful.
Almost any mundane item that fits your concept can be obtained with Storyteller approval, provided that your character has sufficient dots in the Resources Background. Special chimerical items and treasures can only be gained by possessing a particular Background.
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The above information was taken from the Changeling : The Dreaming Second Edition book. All of this information here has been copyrighted to White Wolf Publishing.
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