The Character Survey of Doom

[wracian]

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?

Edan’s perpetual traveling keeps him wiry. By no means is he bulky or muscular, but the muscle he has is powerful and sharply toned. With regard to height, he is rather short, only about 5’ 5” by most accounts. His shoulders are broad for his height, with a thick neck and often furrowed brow.

2. How old is he?

Not the best question to ask of him! He is as old as the mountains, unchanging as the sea. In less poetic terms he has existed since the beginning of sapient life on the planet, and will continue to exist until its end. Currently, however, he is around 3,000 years old.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?

He maintains a solid, if relaxed, posture when standing. He doesn't slouch (that's bad for your back) but neither is he tense in the shoulders.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?

He is very fit, as befits a traveler. His only inherent disability is that he is sterile, and can never reproduce.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?

He carries himself with purpose, not graceful but with intent and a confidence built over millennia.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?

I suppose the answer to this depends on your species! But you could say he has a certain rugged charm. He puts little stock in vanity, and has long ago accepted his appearance.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?

His travel keeps him tanned and rugged, rarely clean-shaven. While most wounds will heal and scars will fade with time, injuries that “kill” him scar permanently, and to some degree never heal properly.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.

His hair is a sandy brown, wavy and coarse, windblown and kept at a middling length, say 3-4 inches at its longest. As far as facial hair, he keeps it down to stubble, a permafrost of fuzz on his face which never quite goes away entirely.

9. What color are his eyes?

His eyes are an overcast grey, and take on the color of ambient light.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?

Aside from his perma-scars discussed earlier, no.

11. What are his chief tension centers?

Stagnation and “settling down” wear on him quickly, and he has a severe phobia of leaving his planet. No space for Edan, even discussing the topic makes him uncomfortable. He feels an attachment to his planet, and being off of it gives him a distinct feeling of disconnection and abandonment. He has a dislike for impracticality, though it is not nearly as severe as the other 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?

His dress is generally chosen on practical grounds, usually sturdy, coarse leather or denim, depending on the time period. He prefers earthy tones, deep greens and browns. He travels light, usually with only a single spare outfit.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?

He chooses his clothes to last, and is very much at home in them.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?

Depends on the job! He wouldn’t wear the same clothes for blacksmithing as he would for seafaring, for obvious reasons. He is very much a pragmatist when it comes to clothing.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?

Oh, commando! Underwear is a luxury.



Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?

His voice is gruff but not terribly deep. Imagine if coarse leather learned how to talk.

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?

He speaks deliberately; not using six words when three will suffice. He speaks in a level tone, and is not one to raise his voice unnecessarily. He is not prone to hesitation or stuttering and is, as ever, comfortable in his own skin.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?

His accent is difficult to place, but he tends to soften many sounds with an underlying S sound, giving his accent a hiss-like quality. By contrast, he rolls his Rs ever so slightly and many consonants are hard and sharp.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?

While he has some proficiency in many languages, he tends to fall out of touch with the current dialect. For example, say he visited a country and learned their language, then left and didn't return for 200 years. Upon his return, the language would naturally have changed to a great degree. By English standards he would sound Shakespearean until he got the hang of the new dialect.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?

His first language has stuck with him, as first languages will, across his entire lifespan, although no one else speaks it. It is a harsh language, all consonants and seven-syllable words. He lapses into this in moments of intense stress, anger, or concentration; think of it as his own personal angrish.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?

He is, as stated earlier, deliberate in his speaking. When asked a question he will generally sit silently until he has an answer; he won’t just rush into an answer without thinking.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?

Again, it depends on the language he is using, although he tends to fall neatly between the two with a practical vocabulary gathered over time. In a language he is closely familiar with, and in a more formal setting, he might lapse into eloquence, but for the most part he remains practical in his speech.



Mental and Emotional

1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?

He is intelligent, but leans heavily toward the street-smart side. He isn’t ignorant, but like his language skills his book smarts tend to lag a century or two behind. He attempts to keep up with modern thought by reading, but has never had the patience for structured education.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?

He much prefers to take his time with important decisions, even to the point where he will sit silently for a few seconds before answering difficult questions. He dislikes rash actions, and will always recommend that others thin.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?

He is an intuitive thinker, and tends to follow his gut. He doesn’t dislike logic or find it tiresome, but his own decisions tend to be based on what “feels” right, for better or for worse. As with his clothing, his decisions are very pragmatic. He has seen hundreds of ideologies come to pass, far too many to be an idealist himself.

4. What kind of education has the character had?

He never had the patience for a serious education, but he will occasionally buy a book or two in an attempt to catch up with modern thought. He has learned many practical skills out of necessity, and a handful of trade skills out of desire.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?

His areas of expertise are practical in nature, primary among them being sword fighting, seafaring, and basic hunting and cooking skills. He is a curious character, and does tend to at least try his hand at new things. Lately he has dabbled in blacksmithing, but while he is beginning to get the hang of it, the sedentary nature of the job prevents him from making it a career.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?

An introvert, primarily. Long lonely weeks on the road are no strange thing for him, and while he isn’t a hermit, he welcomes the solitude. As an introvert, he feeds on the peace and quiet that the open road or sea offers. This doesn't make him anti-social, however.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?

He is very, very even-tempered. Time has given him a very down-to-earth temperament, and he is difficult to upset or throw off balance emotionally. One thing which does cause him to slip into melancholy, however, is reflection. A life as long as his contains as much loss as it does gain. He defaults to being laid-back, but is not appreciative of efforts to restrain him.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?

Relaxed, definitely. Not much is foreign to him, and his natural level-headedness means he handles pressure very well. A stranger is more likely to be met with a smile and a wave than suspicion, and he sees new places as opportunities rather than as risks.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?

He is not a brash character, and prefers to react, as befits an introvert such as himself.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?

Fight! He is more than capable of defending himself, and will not back down to threats or bluffs. There is a feral side to him, deep under his layers of calm, and the risk of physical harm to him or his can awaken it.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?

He does most of his laughing at the small oddities in the world; a bird that has built an upside-down nest, a fish swimming upstream, and the like. He enjoys puns and clever jokes, but he’s heard all the bathroom humor in the world a dozen times and gallows humor hits too close to home.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?

No~

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?

The continually renewed alienation caused by the inevitable death of every friend and lover has made him slow to trust and befriend. Early in his life he witnessed the fall of an empire, and the idealistic fervor of both sides planted in him a bitterness toward zealotry.

14. What does he fear?

Leaving the planet is his deepest fear, but he is also mildly claustrophobic and has a fear of being in prison or otherwise captured against his will.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?

Edan's deepest desire is to travel, almost at an instinctual level, but he dreams of finding someone who can fully relate to him. If you were feeling sappy you might say there's a life-long-partner shaped hole in his heart.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?

His past is not without its dark patches. He is known in western legends as the butcher of the southern Isles, named so for the slaughter at Ineran, where a town learned of his immortality and attempted to imprison and torture him. He paniced, and nearly half of the town's population died trying to restrain him. At some point or another he has been a wanted criminal in a score or so of nations which no longer exist.



Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.

No parents! He just is.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?

No other family.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?

None~

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?

He has had many close relationships over the course of his life. At the time of this meme, he is becoming good friends with a man named Sean, whose family he considers his own.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?

He’s had many good friends over the millennia, but at the moment he is fast friends with Sean, mentioned before, who he pulled out of a stormy sea after the poor guy fell off a cliff.

6. Does he have other close friends?

Not particularly. The inevitable loss of those close to him makes him slow to attach to people.

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?

He isn’t unfriendly, but his friendliness is shallow. Not many people make it past his initial politeness, and fewer become truly close to him. The knowledge that he will undoubtedly outlive them makes him hesitate before stepping into long-term relationships.

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?

He has no family!

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?

He has been married several times, but at the moment he is recently widowed. After the death of his wife, who he had been with for 53 years, he was overwhelmed with grief, and set out on a one-man boat across the ocean to a new continent, set on abandoning every trace of his former life.

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?

Nope!

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?

His first crush was a young man with a name all but unpronounceable in modern language. This was a while ago. He grew out of crushes millennia ago.

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?

A willingness to travel, obviously. More specifically he looks for people who, in his words, “have the past in their eyes.” Being as old as he is, no one he meets can truly understand what it is to have seen so much come to pass. He relates more easily to people who appear to have seen a lot of life, regardless of their age.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?

Edan is sterile! No immortal babies running around.

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?

At the moment, the best answer would be “not yet.” He has just arrived on a continent he hasn’t visited in over 100 years, so no one has had the chance to hate him yet. There are, however, those who hold grudges and pass them to their children. The mention of an undying man returning to the land after hundreds of years might yet perk a few ears.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?

His preferences shift over time, but he is solidly bisexual, Kinsey 3-4.

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?

Edan enjoys sex as much as the next guy. He spends a lot of time alone on the road or sea though, so it doesn’t always happen, and he accepts that, even if he doesn’t necessarily enjoy it.

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?

His tastes change over time, but people who are interested in him because of what he is rather than who he is has always been a huge turn-off for him. As for bedroom habits, contrary to what one might think he doesn’t frown on a little bondage every now and then.



Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?

He isn’t from earth so zodiac signs don’t work. If he were, however, he would be a Leo based on his birthdate, which fits him reasonably well.

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?

Edan is agnostic. He acknowledges that some higher power must exist for him to exist, as he is clearly unnatural, but having seen scores of religions come and go, he remains skeptical of their truths. He feels a strong connection to the planet, but it is more a source of comfort than a spiritual experience to him.

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?

He developed a sense of honor early in his life, and adheres to it stringently. Having felt the pain of betrayal on more than a few occasions, his sense of honor and loyalty is sharply defined, and only a good old-fashioned double-crossing by the object of his loyalty would cause him to compromise it.

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?

He regards the beliefs of others with an open, if skeptical, mind. Those who display aimless or dangerous zealotry for their beliefs, however, he is wary of.

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?

He attempts to maintain an open mind, but ironically his greatest prejudice is against those who do not share his open-mindedness. He may consider them rude, stupid, arrogant, or dangerous depending on the person and his mood. While this view is not without justification, the extent of his prejudice could easily be considered excessive.



Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?

Edan lives as comfortably as a wanderer can be expected to. He has never been one for excess, preferring instead to take only as he needs and then move on.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?

His social status is dictated by how the nation he is in regards wanderers. Generally he is seen by others as a face in the crowd, part of the scenery, but some societies have little patience or respect for his sort, and he avoids those societies.

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?

Edan lives where he sleeps. Inns, tents, camps, boats, wherever he happens to be. He does have a home which he technically owns in the rocky canyons on the eastern coast, although it has been quite some time since he visited.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?

He spends his extra money on his interests, such as smithing equipment, books, and writing equipment.

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?

He picks up odd jobs wherever he goes when he needs money, although he is also a talented smith, which makes for a nice fallback. He enjoys the work, but of course prefers the road.

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?

At the end of a day he is known to sit quietly with a journal and a pen, and write the story of his day. His journals are a method or relaxation for him, and he greatly enjoys the chance to step back from his day and write whatever comes to mind.

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?

He eats hearty meals, meat and potatoes you could say. He isn’t much of a gourmet chef, but he knows how to roast a chunk of venison. He drinks occasionally, but sparingly, as it doesn’t take much to get him tipsy. He hates lettuce.



Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:

1. Color? Deep green or dusty brown.
2. Smell? Dirt, sweat, and the wind off the ocean.
3. Time of day? The middle hours of the morning, say 9 or 10.
4. Season? Autumn.
5. Book? There and Back Again.
6. Music? The Queenstons – Figurehead.
7. Place? Big Sur.
8. Substance? Coarse leather.
9. Plant? Pine.
10. Animal? Fennec fox.