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foxysquidalso) wrote2007-09-28 11:46 am
foxysquidalso) wrote2007-09-28 11:46 am
Determined to Prove a Villain!
A fitting reference in the subject line...
Regardless, this is a post about villains in Greatheart. Currently they are my greatest problem in figuring out the plot, because I only know who a couple of them are, and I don't know what they all want. MAJOR DIFFICULTIES.
Again, written at work, and I have to take breaks to, you know, work--so this may be rather disjointed and/or truncated.
Motivation:
The antagonists' motivations hinge for the most part on Matthew Loyal, who is a Speaker, which, as I have previously mentioned, means that his words have a supernatural power of persuasion. Currently, I believe the villains wish to obtain Matthew to use his power for their own ends.
The Speaker's "ultimate" ability is the ability to speak a great word of power. Words of power are amazingly strong. They can unmake or create. (Compared to most magic in the Greatheart universe, which just effects already existing objects/elements.) However, such words take so much energy to use that the Speaker can only use one once, as it takes up all his/her power, and it's very possible a Speaker might not even survive the effort.
The Greatheart world is ruled by a High King and his council, seated in the city-state of Axia. I have the vague idea that there is also a kind of opposing "shadow council" (I am REALLY vague on what they're up to) made up of peoples from all the seven kingdoms (Northland, Southland, Eastland, Westland, Aquia, Aether, and Axia, in case you were wondering).
The High King as well as the shadow council (not what it's actually called, but I'll use the term for now) both wish to obtain Matthew. What they want to do with him I'm not so sure of.
I have two more or less developed villains so far (this is still pretty vague):
Roland Morningstar:
The "antihero" villain. Roland is a Northlander, one of the winged bird people. He was a person of great influence in his nation. Although he originally was part of the shadow council, which he joined for reasons of his own but he felt conflicted and finally decided to defy them. But it didn't work out so well. In retaliation (don't mess with the shadow council!) they ruined his reputation and saw to it that he took the blame for certain crimes and/or atrocities. The blame was partly-deserved, but not entirely.
His punishment was pinioning, which is pretty much the worst thing the Northlander justice system can do to you. His wings were cut in such a way (using ritual as well as surgical means) that they cannot be restored, and he has lost the power of flight. This is effectively a type of banishment. He is permitted to stay in the Northland, but as their cities are built in trees and cliff edges (for purposes of defense and isolationism), he would either have to remain and deal with the public shame and the inability to travel unassisted. Pinioning is so traumatic and such a social stigma that most pinioned individuals (although it is a very rare punishment at the time of the story) choose to leave.
Roland is no exception.
At a loss as to what to do, he decides to interfere in the plans of the council, and obtaining the Speaker would be an excellent way to do so. However, Roland is unsure of what to do with Matthew once he has him, but having a goal helps to keep him from losing his mind.
Roland, I have to warn you, tends to brood. And I didn't mean to make a bird pun, it just happened that way.
[Note: Roland's sister Cassandra has also left home to look for him. She's not a villain, though.]
Bertrand Goldenhour:
I've talked about Bertrand before. (Bertrand, you TRAITOR!) As a young man, his best friend was Chester's father, Argus Greatheart (also, I am fairly certain they were lovers--and when I say fairly certain, I mean completely certain). However, Argus, who was incorruptible (and who also shared his son's willful blindness), was in his way, so he killed him--in a highly dramatic scene, of course! He blamed Argus' death on bandits. Perhaps this ties in to the deaths of Fiorel's relatives.
Bertrand is quite possibly the leader--or one of the most powerful members--of the shadow council. Not content to be a night in the "backwater" of Eastland, he is EXTREMELY ambitious. There is nothing he won't do in his quest for power.
Bertrand is at first unsure whether he can use Chester or whether he will have to get Chester out of the way. So he becomes his mentor and keeps a close eye on him. Eventually he decides that Chester is too much like his father to be useful and must be disposed of.
Bertrand is extremely charismatic, and he strikes most people as an honorable man. He has a scar on his cheek, which he blames on bandits, but which was actually inflicted upon him by Argus in their final battle. Poor Argus. ;__;
Regardless, this is a post about villains in Greatheart. Currently they are my greatest problem in figuring out the plot, because I only know who a couple of them are, and I don't know what they all want. MAJOR DIFFICULTIES.
Again, written at work, and I have to take breaks to, you know, work--so this may be rather disjointed and/or truncated.
Motivation:
The antagonists' motivations hinge for the most part on Matthew Loyal, who is a Speaker, which, as I have previously mentioned, means that his words have a supernatural power of persuasion. Currently, I believe the villains wish to obtain Matthew to use his power for their own ends.
The Speaker's "ultimate" ability is the ability to speak a great word of power. Words of power are amazingly strong. They can unmake or create. (Compared to most magic in the Greatheart universe, which just effects already existing objects/elements.) However, such words take so much energy to use that the Speaker can only use one once, as it takes up all his/her power, and it's very possible a Speaker might not even survive the effort.
The Greatheart world is ruled by a High King and his council, seated in the city-state of Axia. I have the vague idea that there is also a kind of opposing "shadow council" (I am REALLY vague on what they're up to) made up of peoples from all the seven kingdoms (Northland, Southland, Eastland, Westland, Aquia, Aether, and Axia, in case you were wondering).
The High King as well as the shadow council (not what it's actually called, but I'll use the term for now) both wish to obtain Matthew. What they want to do with him I'm not so sure of.
I have two more or less developed villains so far (this is still pretty vague):
Roland Morningstar:
The "antihero" villain. Roland is a Northlander, one of the winged bird people. He was a person of great influence in his nation. Although he originally was part of the shadow council, which he joined for reasons of his own but he felt conflicted and finally decided to defy them. But it didn't work out so well. In retaliation (don't mess with the shadow council!) they ruined his reputation and saw to it that he took the blame for certain crimes and/or atrocities. The blame was partly-deserved, but not entirely.
His punishment was pinioning, which is pretty much the worst thing the Northlander justice system can do to you. His wings were cut in such a way (using ritual as well as surgical means) that they cannot be restored, and he has lost the power of flight. This is effectively a type of banishment. He is permitted to stay in the Northland, but as their cities are built in trees and cliff edges (for purposes of defense and isolationism), he would either have to remain and deal with the public shame and the inability to travel unassisted. Pinioning is so traumatic and such a social stigma that most pinioned individuals (although it is a very rare punishment at the time of the story) choose to leave.
Roland is no exception.
At a loss as to what to do, he decides to interfere in the plans of the council, and obtaining the Speaker would be an excellent way to do so. However, Roland is unsure of what to do with Matthew once he has him, but having a goal helps to keep him from losing his mind.
Roland, I have to warn you, tends to brood. And I didn't mean to make a bird pun, it just happened that way.
[Note: Roland's sister Cassandra has also left home to look for him. She's not a villain, though.]
Bertrand Goldenhour:
I've talked about Bertrand before. (Bertrand, you TRAITOR!) As a young man, his best friend was Chester's father, Argus Greatheart (also, I am fairly certain they were lovers--and when I say fairly certain, I mean completely certain). However, Argus, who was incorruptible (and who also shared his son's willful blindness), was in his way, so he killed him--in a highly dramatic scene, of course! He blamed Argus' death on bandits. Perhaps this ties in to the deaths of Fiorel's relatives.
Bertrand is quite possibly the leader--or one of the most powerful members--of the shadow council. Not content to be a night in the "backwater" of Eastland, he is EXTREMELY ambitious. There is nothing he won't do in his quest for power.
Bertrand is at first unsure whether he can use Chester or whether he will have to get Chester out of the way. So he becomes his mentor and keeps a close eye on him. Eventually he decides that Chester is too much like his father to be useful and must be disposed of.
Bertrand is extremely charismatic, and he strikes most people as an honorable man. He has a scar on his cheek, which he blames on bandits, but which was actually inflicted upon him by Argus in their final battle. Poor Argus. ;__;
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Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
by drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams...
I'm so taken with both Roland and Bertrand(you traitor!) - for entirely different reasons, of course!
One often encounters MAJOR DIFFICULTIES in the course of a PRIVATE TRIAL.
But buck up, my lad, it goes promisingly well! *hearts*
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Haha, well, never mind. I fancy you can tell the difference between Gloucester's thoughts and mine. ;3
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no subject
I am glad you like both Roland and Bertrand. Now if only I could figure out what my scheming antagonists are up to, exactly. Do they wish to overthrow the High King? Or perhaps to remake the world as they see fit? Or unmake the parts of it they don't like? I have much to ponder...