hellomynameisthedarkurge

[hellomynameisthedarkurge]

Four of Swords. Art by Jesse Lonergan, from The Unveiled Tarot.

[hellomynameisthedarkurge]

Not our bosses, you're the zookeeper and we're chomping on the enrichment you feed us.

Don’t update NG because once you do I want updates flowing like WATER the way you fed B&G fans. We’ve let the B&G folks have their time in the sun so when you bring us out of darkness do it PROPERLY. I’m not responsible for who I become when my favorite show comes back on…respectfully

the way some of yall act like your my bosses and I get paid to feed you 🥲

[hellomynameisthedarkurge]

beauty and the beast is an incredibly tragic tale from the pov of the heroine, an enthusiastic monsterfucker who accidentally ends up in love with Just Some Guy

[hellomynameisthedarkurge]

Sincline Godeep - Descent into Avernus

What is the character’s go-to drink order? Tongue of Madness Tea when he's drinking in company. He might not warn a person about the side effects, mostly because he can give himself advantage on that saving throw. Otherwise, mushroom teas that do not cause a person to spill their internal monologue.

What is their grooming routine? His ideal grooming routine is to boil himself in a hot bath perfumed with oils and salts while drinking something cold, having a little snack and reading about famous adventurers. While he enjoys being a snob about his bath products, he is also perfectly okay taking a hoe bath in the sink. He's learned to adapt.

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? He splits his disposable income between his own gear and whatever Xen thinks they need for their living space. He prizes freedom over possessions and wealth, but likes to utilize gold in practical ways for himself and his family.

Do they have any scars or tattoos? He has a pronounced facial scar from a spell attack- magic healed the wound but the scar remained. He also has a large, questionable beholder tattoo across his throat. Why? Impulse. But he does not regret it.

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? He's an emotional guy for a drow. He cried when he saw a unicorn. He cried when he found out his friends were going to die before he was out of young adulthood.

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? He is the third son and the second youngest. When he was born, rather than being tossed into the spare son baby grinder, being of unusual coloring and having wild magic, he was spared and instead, his older brothers had to fight to the death for a place in the family. The oldest brother won and while he wasn't partial to the brother he killed, that brother resented Sincline for securing a prominent place in the family based on an accident of birth (wild magic) and not merit, as well as being kind of spoiled for aforementioned sorcery. Sincline, meanwhile, accepts that the universe loves him and all he does is win win win.

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. Black leather, very stylized with sharp angles and off putting lines. Black is good for both hiding bloodstains and adding to the stereotypical intimidation factor of ooh scary drow.

Describe the place where they sleep. Xen's bed. It's a little cabinet thing with drapes and screens and lanterns. Very cavelike. He approves.

What is their favorite holiday? Gorian's Ward Day. Second favorite: Returning Day. Oh BOY is he ever going to be disappointed if he finds out Balduran turned into a mind flayer.

What objects do they always carry around with them? A wand of the war mage in the shape of a vape. Faerun Redbull. A pair of dice made out of bone. And a bag of spice. He will season his food before tasting it. No he's not sorry.

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.)