The Mystic & The Prince: Character Basics

Firstly…

This document will contain the bare bones of who these characters are and what drives them. In future posts I will dive into detailed relationships and add to what I have built here. I am also hoping that shining a light on this process may help anyone who feels overwhelmed when it comes to creative writing, character development, and world-building. As this project progresses, I will be adding more and more to not only the characters, but the story, the world, and the lore. The Mystic & The Prince will be a starting point for me to explore these stories that have been floating around in my head and in various notebooks for some time now. I hope you enjoy the journey!

Two other notes…

In this post, I do not own the images presented. These are merely reference images for now. Down the line, I will be drawing the characters myself; however, for now, enjoy these references! I have done my best to track down original artists and credit them. If I’ve missed something, please reach out and let me know.

Which leads to note number two: if you are an illustrator and wish to have your art featured, please let me know. I will be more than happy to boost your stuff!

OKAY!

CHARACTER TIME!

Archmage Themis of the Tribe Veshli

Role

Themis is one of our two protagonists, an ally to Eagol and Wixxie, and opponent for Uel.

Race

While I am still working out cultural and historical details for the Tribe Veshli, I am thinking – at least aesthetically – the Veshli people, or at the very least, Themis, will resemble Air and Water Genasi from Dungeons and Dragons 5e. Themis has light blue skin and eyes, white hair, angular face and is about six feet tall. He will also likely wear glasses and be a tad “nerdy” often carrying spell books, with attempts at a regal air.

Class/Occupation

The Mystic: Having some connection to the elemental energy of Teth and the knack for picking up spells pretty easily, Themis is very much a wizard/mage. The term used for this project will probably be mage.

Personality/Alignment

While Themis doesn’t always like aligning themselves with characteristics of his people, the Veshli, there’s no denying that much like the general race, Themis tends more towards neutrality and a mild temperament. True Neutral wouldn’t be a huge semantic leap here.

Pronouns

He/they: Themis is a firm believer in the nonexistence of gender, however he doesn’t put too much stock in the idea of gender. He really isn’t too concerned with how he is identified by others. In self-dialogue, Themis tends to switch between he and they.

Age

They are 30 standard years old.

Parentage

Mira and Klive of the Tribe Veshli were freedom fighters and often spoke out against the rule of Eldinocres, a warmonger philanthropist from their home realm in a neighboring star system to Teth. They were killed, along with Themis’ older brother, Tocius, age 16, when Themis was 7 years old. For awhile Themis was raised by a friend of the family named C’bo. However, she was taken by the new imperial rulers when Themis was about 17. Many had begun looking to Themis for guidance in their community since Mira and Klive were important figures for the freedom movement, but this was too much for Themis to handle, and he soon skipped town, and ended up on Teth.

Background

From ages 17 to 25, Themis was a wanderer on Teth. He spent those years traveling, never settling down or trusting anyone, taking on lowly magery positions in varying provinces here and there. For some time, he apprenticed to a mage by the moniker Larkowl, a title Themis took on once briefly after Larkowl passed. Themis was 23 at the time. It wasn’t until two years after this when Themis was walking through the woods and found a jibooh (a small squirrel-sized creature with large ears) following him as he whistled a Veshli song. This was Wixxie, who led Themis to Eagol – who he would soon discover was the love of his life. There, with the help of Mayor Wiegol’s hospitality and resources, Themis came to be fully realized as an Archmage, and – as it happens – the Archmage of Clonaav (and possibly all of Teth).

Main Weakness

Themis is loving, attentive, nurturing, and knowledgeable, but boy, is he an airhead. The first thing most people recognize about Themis is how incredible aloof and absent-minded he seems to always be. This oftentimes gets in the way of people realizing how intelligent and focused he really is, and it sometimes gets him in domestic trouble with Eagol. However, it is his main point of connection with Wixxie. I would definitely put Themis on the thimbo scale (not to be confused with the thembo side of the spectrum).

Need

Themis has a hard time communicating their feelings. The main thing Themis needs is to practice direct communication more often, however this is hardly ever a top priority.

Desire

More than anything in the world, this adorable theyboy wants to protect his partner, the soon-to-be Mayor (“the Prince“) Eagol. Whatever threat is waiting for the lovely Eagol, Archmage Themis will die defending them.

Enemy/Obstacle

On the conceptual side of this coin, Themis comes head to head with imperialism, systems of (man made) law enforcement, and the anti-naturalists are his general opposition. On the flip side – the character side – we have Uel, who will be outlined further down below.

…

Deputy Mayor Eagol of the Regaufel People

Role

Eagol is our other protagonist, son of the current Mayor of Regaufel. Ally to Themis and Wixxie, opponent to Uel and his forces.

Race

The People of Regaufel are best related to Elves in the Tolkien sense, rather than any other iteration. Like the Veshli, this culture will be fleshed out even more in the months to come. However, one thing I do know now is that they have the option (much like Arwen in Lord of the Rings) to choose a mortal life instead of one of the immortal being. This is a choice, as you will see, that Eagol makes. Eagol is five and a half feet tall with an olive complexion, freckles, and brown eyes. They are athletically built.

Class/Occupation

The Prince. Son of the village’s leader, often acting as a deputy mayor, Eagol is looked upon as the Prince of the Wood by many. They are a messenger between the government and the people; a patrol for the woods; a ranger.

Personality/Alignment

Hyperactive. Distracted. Full of energy. They equate themselves with the Spirit of the Forest. Chaotic Good would be fitting here.

Pronouns

They/them: Gender is a nonissue for Eagol personally. However, their community work in eradicating any hunger or housing issue in the village stems from queer youth being more likely to be without a home, not only in their area of the woods, but all over Clonaav and even Teth in general.

Age

They are 28 standard years old.

Parentage

Yalmi and Wiegol weren’t the most attentive parents to Eagol, an only child. They were both staples in the community. Yalmi fell ill when Eagol was in their early twenties and has been bedridden since. Wiegol is always distracted with work and while considered progressive in his early career, has let the systems of the village grow stale.

Background

While spiritually, growing up Eagol was extremely outlandish, being from the upper strata of Regaufel, no matter how isolated and generally marginalized the community is from the rest of Teth, Eagol principally acts from the pretense of a mild form of nobility. It’s not so much wealth that they know about, however they know the ins and outs of the systems that make up the village, the region, and the nation at large.

Main Weakness

While Eagol is one with the spirit and full of determination and grit, they are also extremely fearful and nervous more often than not.

Need

Eagol needs self-acceptance and self-trust more than anything else.

Desire

They want to make sure every citizen of Regaufel has food to eat and a place to sleep consistently.

Enemy/Obstacle

On the conceptual side of this coin, Eagol comes head to head with imperialism, systems of (man made) law enforcement, and the anti-naturalists are their general opposition. On the character side: Uel.

…

Chief Captain Uel, Commanding Officer of the Guard

Role

Antagonist. The culmination of all the antagonizing forces.

Race

The Aegulaxi are typically from Reicamora, which is on the other side of Teth. Aesthetically, they are pretty much identical to the Aarakocra race from Dungeons and Dragons 5e, however, much like the other characters, I have not explored the cultural and historical differences just yet.

Class/Occupation

Ex-military. Soldier. Commander. Officer.

Personality/Alignment

Chaotic Neutral/Evil might fit here. He’s gruff and will always claim Goodness and Righteousness. Though, it seems unlikely that he has any firm idea of right and wrong. In fact, judging by his actions, it seems almost certain that he backs moral relativism without batting an eyelash.

Pronouns

He: This topic confuses and angers him.

Age

He is 67 years old.

Parentage

Mother died in childbirth. Father was a military man.

Background

Nobility in its truest form. A capitalist. Militant.

Main Weakness

Uel is the most arrogant being you will ever meet.

Need

Therapy.

Desire

Imperial rule over the Regaufel region and beyond.

Enemy/Obstacle

His enemy is Change.

…

Wixxie, the Insightful and Loveable

Role

Trickster. Ally to all but Uel.

Race

Again, more to come, but Wixxie is a creature much like the hoojib from some Star Wars comics from back in the day. More will be explained soon!

Class/Occupation

Companion.

Personality/Alignment

Chaotic Good. Wixxie is arguably the wisest character out of all of them. This will become more apparent as we proceed.

Pronouns

They/them: To Wixxie, gender isn’t a thing.

Age

They are 933 years old.

Parentage

Unknown.

Background

Intellectual.

Main Weakness

Lunil berries.

Need

Nothing.

Desire

Lunil berries.

Enemy/Obstacle

Uel and everything for which that bastard stands.

…

Again, thank you all so much for taking this journey with me. It’s a lot, I know, and I’m sure other writers can agree that the process is grueling at best. I really do hope that seeing how this is formatted and how it develops will get some of you with grand ideas to start writing it down, working it out. Start with a whiteboard brainstorm, that’s what I do.

Next beefy post you can expect will be next Friday most likely. I’ll be posting my joint book review of A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan, both by Ursula K. Le Guin, on:

March 12, 2021

Past that post you can expect ‘wiki’ style entries for characters, geographical locations, ideas, and more! In addition, I will be starting my preliminary sketches of characters next week or so and keep you all updated. Thanks again!