WCD#18:
Mage Character
Continuing my mini-series. In place of my old Wild Card Day I am now pulling “cards” for my character profiles.
I continue to share my writing on this blog, while honing my focus on completing my primary goal: The Sands of Chaos, Book One of my Chaos Chronicles.
Here’s one of my favorite characters, just about to join my hero’s team:
Character Card: Kaill
BASIC
Name: Kaill Kirth
Aliases: The Arcane Wizard (though he shies away from it since he has not attained wizard level yet)
Gender: Male
Race: Human, unknown origin
Age: unclear, appears in his 30s but seems to have lived longer
Birthplace: Mystery
Current Location: Shony City, primarily
Flaws: Haughty know-it-all, can’t be wrong
Strengths: Magical power beyond his years and his peers and his training, empathy and kind heart
Accomplishments: Sorcerer level training at Shony College of Magic, upper levels of Elika Maga for some years
Health: Fairly good, gets heartburn, underlying breathing issues he doesn’t like to talk about
Literate: Extremely well-read
PHYSICAL
Build: Average weight, a little slim, tall
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 180lbs
Gait: Long, steady
Posture: Tall, proud, slight droop when walking long distance
Gestures: Not a lot of gestures, holds his staff as if for support
Eye contact: Very consistent eye contact with the one he’s speaking to, but when lost in thought his eyes wander to the sky
Hair: Brown, short, thick
Eyes: Brown with hints of purple
Skin: Normal, white that tans
Features: Strong nose
FAMILY/RELATIONSHIPS
(Include age, occupation, location, brief description and relationship)
Parents: Unclear
Siblings: Estranged brother, Kiyle
Extended: Not known
Important: His mentor he calls “One”
Friends: Doesn’t feel the need for friends and is more solo and elusive in general, though he is well known and respected
Enemies: Those who fear and hate magic and power, as well as some shelegre for one of his mistakes in their lands
Interest: Secret interest in a sorceress named Erremeld
Advice/Mentor/Support: One, about whom little is known
Pets: A hidden familiar will-o-wisp
Caste: Unclear but he has no trouble getting by in all levels of class
EDUCATION
Focus: All things arcane
School: Shony College of Magic
Vocation: Rogue sorcerer, former Elika Maga
Path to Vocation: Completed sorcery level training at Shony, years of Elika Maga and mastery level training to reach for wizard level
Vocational Skills: All schools of magic, intellect, interpersonal skills, charisma
Money: Unknown but never struggles financially
Home: Keeps this information to himself
Transportation: Various forms of magical means
PSYCHOLOGY
Fears: The proclivity of mankind to turn to darkness, worries that he might choose power over faith
Secrets: Many
Regrets: His mistakes in Shay
Anger: Usually in check but when triggered he can have quick outbursts of anger
Intelligence: Extremely intelligent, knows more than he lets on
Eating: Eats healthily and enjoys all flavors from all cultures, tries new foods
Sleeping: Sleeps very little, restless and busy mind
Social: Learned to be outgoing, not actively looking to be social but gets on with anyone
Speech: Educated, intellectual, sometimes fast, often authoritative
Preferred Epithet: “By the Nine!”
Laughter: Great sense of humor but doesn’t laugh aloud much
Smile: Genuine and full
Emotive: More scholarly than emotive generally, does have a warm disposition
Leader/Follower: Leader
Planned/Spontaneous: Both
Careful/Reckless: Both
Optimist/Realist/Pessimist: Optimist and realist, never pessimistic
Hobbies: Collecting and playing Nine Cards
Pet Peeves: Anyone’s words, signs, or behaviors hating on magic and magic kind
Obsessions: Learning new spells and collecting scrolls
Desires: To attain wizard status, clear his name and correct his mistakes
Prejudices: Anyone who follows darkness and Chaos
Morality: Relative but utopian, wanting the best for all but having traveled knows that each culture has different ways
Common Behaviors: Holding both hands on the top of his staff and leaning in while pondering things
Typical Mood: Upbeat, positive, expecting the best
As seen by others: Powerful, haughty, know-it-all, aloof, respected
As seen by self: Almost good enough but not as great as requires for himself
Hero: Not one in particular but respects all former heroes of history
RELIGION
Main: Coventry of the Nine Magi
(Information repeated from other character cards. See addendum below)
MAGIC
Type: Fire, Lightning
Level: Sorcerer, bordering on wizard status
Spells: Just about all known, some of his own creation
Power: Powerful beyond his training, wizard-level
Mana: Unusually high
POSSESSIONS
Clothes: Robe
Bags: Reagents pouch, scroll holder
Tools: Crystals
Scrolls: Teleportation, tent, various others
Reagents: Many, most for restoration, alteration and destruction spells
Books: The Miniature Giant Tome of the Histories of the Voltar
Weapons: Staff, magic
Armor: Conjured only
HISTORY
Describe as child: Curious, shy, introverted
If could change one thing from past: Undo his mistakes in Shay
Earliest memory: Exploring the woods looking for bugs
Saddest memory: When his grandmother died
Happiest memory: When he first found his innate magical abilities
Clearest memory: The day he started at Shony College of Magic
Kaill has always been one of my favorites and I use his name often as a handle in video games. Yeah, he’s the Merlin/Gandalf archetype of the story. But he’s so himself, too.
Cheers!
What do you think of my mage? I hope you found him interesting and can’t wait to see him in the story.
My writing is a gift I am blessed with, and I share it with all,
Matthew
Addendum
RELIGION
Main: Coventry of the Nine
Place: Sanctums in any city where honored, which is most of Paelstor
Beliefs: The Nine Magi created the universe and the world of Paelstor; they are nine eternal beings and truths that maintain all energies and magic in perfect accord and alignment; they keep the forces of Chaos at bay from destroying the fabric of reality
Rituals: Followers honor the Nine each day in prayers to themselves, or attend sanctums to offer blessings to little statuettes of the Magi, seeking to align that part of their life that may be out of tune; often followers tend to choose one Magi over the others that may inspire certain qualities in their life
Requirements: Hold the belief in the Nine Magi as creators of all and that no other god exists or has any power; attend sanctums for prayer and advice; speak kindly of the Magi and not curse them
Boons: The Magi are not said to offer boons or answers to requests, but rather help return balance to energies that are out of alignment in followers’ lives that may be causing trouble; so in a way, the boons are to restore the natural order and balance for individuals, groups and nations
Flaws: They completely denounce the old gods and condemn worshipers of the Temples, seeking to root them out of their towns and nations; sanctums and their attending reverents can seem cold and aloof, the Nine Magi almost too abstract and non-human to relate to
Perceived by world: Most of Paelstor holds faith in the Nine Magi, citing them for saving the world time and again from the threat of Chaos and complete annihilation, so there is little contest to this prevailing religious tradition; the Temples of the Gods, however, where they are practiced, have a long-standing contention with the Coventry of the Nine for being cast out, persecuted, and hated; the Church of Lum also denies any standing that the Nine Magi even exist and discount the entire religion as a political contrivance to control the world