The Blades. In this article, we will explore three…
By: Bridget Smith
Tags: Character, Book Recommendations, Books, Fantasy, Writing

Rawley Hendrick, Lord Commissioner

Hendrick leads the work of all the Blades in Rosemoor Dell. Under his purview is all intelligence gathering in the province and advising both the Imperial Authority and the Lord of Rosemoor of potential threats. He has been serving the Blades in Rosemoor for decades. Before his time in the Blades, rumor has it that he was one of the Bandit Lords of Danen, who rule the vast, open spaces between the cities of the southern province. However, nobody has ever summoned the courage to ask him if the rumors are true.

Tall and broad, Hendrick is a man who is not afraid to take up space. A distinguished handlebar mustache is framed by clever blue eyes which have yet to miss a thing, and most Blades believe he could take the Imperial Army itself in a fight. Despite his imposing physical stature, Hendrick is careful and contemplative: he thinks through plans carefully, makes judgments fairly, and always supports the Blades who serve him.

My Inspiration

I created Hendrick after considering the question what would lead a prominent, wealthy bandit to leave a comfortable life behind for hard work and public service? He is born from this contradiction: examining the personality traits which can lead to both criminality and law enforcement in equal turn. This is a tension we see in our own world regularly: think of white hat hackers, or criminal informants, and one I wanted to learn more about.

Hendrick is also quite fun to write because, like me, he has some hidden hobbies that make him truly happy (and though they don’t occupy much space in the chapters, it’s this kind of multi-dimensionality that makes a character feel real). He meditates every morning, and is an avid gardener — the overflowing flower boxes at the headquarters of the Blades are proof.

Personality Elements

As I’ve written about before on my blog, much of my world-building and character design was inspired by Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). When a player designs a character in D&D, they consider four elements: what their prominent personality traits are; what they idealize or believe in; who or what they are bonded to; and what flaws they possess.

I used this process with my book characters, in order to help flesh them out and help them feel more real! Below, I’ve outlined some of the key elements I see in Hendrick — as you’re reading Summer Twilight, make sure you keep track of how these different aspects of his personality influence his motives and decisions.

Traits

I judge people by their actions, not their words.

I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.

I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.

I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me.

Ideals

Fairness. No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law.

Greater Good. My lot is to lay down my lives in defense of others.

Freedom. Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people.

Bonds

Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again.

My dagger is a symbol of my past life, and I carry it so that I will never forget my roots.

Nothing is more important than the other members of the Blades.

mnI’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.

Flaws

I have trouble trusting in my allies.

I remember every insult I’ve received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who’s ever wronged me.

I’d risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge.

Dating Profile Bio

In the twenty-first century, social media defines our lives, and my beta readers voted that including the dating profile biography of each character was critical — so here we are!

Hendrick is a little bit old fashioned compared to some of the other characters; I imagine him using a dating site exclusively for nature lovers, to find someone with similar interests.

Looking for the rose to my thorn. Must like cats.

Author Secrets

Here are a couple of hidden or subtle elements of Hendrick that you’ll probably only pick up on by reading this article!