Paul+

This is the author access character template for Paul. As such it contains many more spoilers than the regular character sheet, and is not reader friendly. Credits to KittySpace for the template.

***The Character Physically***

1. What is the character's stature and build? Is s/he overweight? Thin? How much of his/her build is muscle and how much fat? Is s/he visibly out of shape?

A healthy young man of average height, build, musculature. That's his thing, he's the standard to whom the other characters are compared.

2. Describe her/his posture. Is it good? Does s/he carry himself well? Is s/he crooked and bent over? Slouched? Straight?

The hero's stance. He stands tall, and proud, and straight, except at the beginning of a charge, where he descends his posture by a small amount.

3. Is s/he in good shape or out of condition? Is s/he coordinated or does s/he move awkwardly or stiffly? If there is combat, would the character be swift and capable or sluggish and slow to react? Is s/he a trained dancer or some other physical profession that would give the character grace?

Paul is a stiff, unwieldy mover. The way he moves and fights is slowed by a combination of deliberate precision, and heroic flamboyance. His actual movements though, once they finally happen, are some of the swiftest among his fellows. He has the ungraceful movements of a young man still coming to terms with his growing body.

4. How is her/his health? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?

He has a mental condition, or possibly a skin condition that renders him immune to pain. This, whilst it might come vaguely handy in a fight, is also a very serious disadvantage, both in regular life, and in dangerous situations.

5. Is s/he physically active or sedentary? How is the character's stamina? Does the character tire easily because of lack of habitual exercise or physical disability, or is the character capable of going for a few hours without significant rest, or days?

Paul goes out of his way to exercise and hone his physical abilities. However, he spends enough time training that his already average at best stamina is somewhat compromised.

6. Does s/he move in straight or curved lines? Is s/he physically tight or fluid? Tense and controlled or relaxed and free? Is the character free with motions or largely still, economizing movement?

Paul goes through something of a shift in strategy as the story progresses. Though he remains a straight, tight, direct fighter and mover, he gradually gains fluidity in his movement, freedom of motion, and a fighting style that changes direction like nobody's business.

7. What are her/his chief efforts? What actions is s/he accustomed to taking? What physical movements are habitual and embedded in muscle memory?

His sword swing is key in his muscle memory, he fights and wins. Fight before flight.

8. Is the character good-looking by the standards of the setting, pretty, beautiful, average, plain, ugly, disfigured?

Paul is a very handsome looking heroic type. He's very distinctive, and from appearance alone he sways people to his side.

9. How aware is the character of herself/himself physically? Health and physical ability? Her/His looks?

He's fairly aware that he looks heroic and handsome, but doesn't actually care that much. He overestimates his physical ability, but not by much.

10. Describe the character physically, as you would in the story itself. Skin, hair, typical grooming, body shape, teeth and nails and any habitual ornamentation or medical devices.

Paul is a tall, muscular teenager with short fair hair and blue eyes. He's more slight than bulky.

***The Character's Appearance***

1. How many clothes does this character have? What sort of clothes, and why? How much ornamentation (bracelets and earrings, body piercing items, hair decorations) does the character have? In a given day, how many does this character use? In a given month? For what purpose? Is s/he aware of fashion, does s/he go through longer cycles (seasonal to multiple years) of wearing the same style(s), then change drastically? Why?

Over the first arc he has little beyond the clothing he wore in the village, He gets more during the time-skip. He wears simple peasant clothes with a preference for light colours, and initially gloves with a shiny breastplate. However, he most certainly upgrades over time, acquiring an advanced suit of paladin armour and his own cape. White and shining and visible are the traits he desires in his appearance.

2. What are her/his favorite articles of clothing? Why? How often does s/he wear them? What about ornaments?

The dented piece of armour he wore in his youth holds sentimental value, even though it's too big for him and he professes to hate it. His sword, on the other hand belonged to Nicolas and he cares for it like a brother. Keeps them polished constantly. He really likes his new cape, which is a running joke because as far as everyone else is concerned it just makes him too cliche and make efforts to destroy it!

3. What colors are the clothes? Is there a wide range? Bright or dull? What are her/his favorite colors to wear? What are the character's favorite materials to wear?

The High Kingdom leaves its mark on him. He develops a liking for lordly clothes made from fine materials in bright colours.

4. Were they bought or home-made, hand-me-downs, expensive? How long has the character owned the wardrobe? Is there a mix of origins and ages to the clothes and ornaments?

His original clothes were just what he could get his hands on, made in his village, purchased by his father. Supplemented with wares from Porthold and Highcliff.

5. Do her/his clothes fit well? Is s/he comfortable in them or does the character fight and tug and pull at the clothes and decorations? Do the clothes increase or decrease his/her confidence?

Besides his old, too big breastplate, his clothes fit fine. Paul places importance on his appearance and he does become more confident the more heroically he thinks he's dressed.

6. Does s/he care for her/his clothes? Keep them up and neat? Is s/he worried about how they look?

Polishes his weapons and armour daily. Gets very upset when his armour is dented or when somebody sets his cape on fire.

***The Character's Voice***

1. Does s/he speak in a high or low pitch voice? When might s/he be higher than usual? When lower? Is there a wide range to pitch and volume or is the character's voice largely consistent and even?

Paul has a high-ish tenor voice that breaks and goes high when he gets annoyed. Might be making a heroic speech in his idea of his deep voice, but will get interrupted and sound like an angry child. He does have a changeable and expressive voice.

2. Is s/he a loud or soft talker? Resonant or reedy, windy, or nasal? Is the character a trained speaker or actor? Does s/he know how to project the voice?

Paul is loud. First rule of Souls Alighting. He makes a big noise, he makes a big show, his voice resonates to the heavens, and then everyone ignores him because his speaking skills are terrible.

3. Does the character show emotion through voice or is s/he tightly controlled in that aspect? Make an effort to speak properly or not bother to control his/her words at all?

Yes, Paul is very emotive. He wears his heart on his sleeves, but... he likes to make the correct impression and won't swear, he's a polite young man who controls his words.

4. Is there an accent? Anything unusual in pronunciation? Emphasis? Phrasing? Does the character speak with consistent and correct grammar? Does the character stutter and 'um' a lot?

Has the weird Low High Empire accent shared by the people living in the village on the island. Makes an attempt to speak with what he assumes is correct grammar, but stutters when confronted with the unusual, fearsome, or crowds.

5. Is s/he self-conscious when s/he speaks to others? How large a group could the character speak to before s/he became self-conscious? [code-switching goes here]

Not by default, but his heroic speeches do start to peter out once he notices that people are actually listening to him.

***The Character's Mind***

1. Is the character clever and quick-thinking? Slow of thought and ponderous? If quick, does s/he rush to judgment and conclusion or are his/her thought processes just that quick? If slow, is it because the character wants to examine every angle or because it takes them longer than most of the other characters?

Paul is clever. He actually is! He's one of the smarter characters. He's quick to come up with a new idea on the spot. But... he does have strong beliefs and acts judgmentally before thinking.

2. Does the character grasp new ideas quickly or slowly? What about new ideas that contradict what the character previously thought?

Paul is slow to embrace change. He has a worldview, and would prefer to ignore ideas that would contradict it.

3. What kind of education has s/he had? [oh lord the class/race/gender questions depending on your world might go here, too]

Educated by his father, Jacob the priest, and Nicolas's uncle. Learned about magic, combat, and the nice side of history. He knows how the world works, to a degree.

4. What subjects does the character have knowledge or expertise in?

He's quite knowledgeable about the religion worshiping The Goddess, and about the paladins, and in the workings of magic. He speaks one of the ancient tongues and he is literate. Swordplay too.

5. Is the character logical, rational, or emotional? How does the character approach a logical or logistical problem? An emotional problem?

Paul approaches problems emotionally, aims to protect his friends and destroy his enemies. Then again... faced with a logic problem, he can bring to bear a logical response when necessary, even if it's also straightforward.

6. Does the character think out things before speaking or can s/he "think on her feet" while speaking?

Paul performs carefully planned speeches, he's not capable of bending around real world events.

7. Does the character have contemplative times? Under what circumstances? What are the recurring issues or questions s/he thinks about when thoughtful and at rest?

Paul spends his moments of contemplation reaffirming his own beliefs about the world. He gets a hole in them and spends hours poking at it like a rotten tooth.

8. Is the character an idealist or a pragmatist? Thoughtful or inclined to action? How does the character balance thought and action? How does the character relate abstracts with practical, solid concepts?

Paul is an idealist whose ideals are justice and order, with just a smidgen of his father's religion thrown in with it. Action inclined, but I'd say he has about an about equal action to thought ratio. Paul's thought processes are impractical and abstract, he has a focus on heroism. justice and feeling concepts more than physical events.

***The Character's Emotions and Personality***

1. Does the character regain energy from being around people or from solitary activities, or being around one or two specific people? Does the character get along well with people? How much effort does it take for him/her to charm someone? How about a group of people?

Paul achieves camaraderie with his close friends. He's self conscious around others, which is the reason for his flamboyant behaviour. His honesty and straightforward nature makes it hard for people to dislike him, especially those of like minds, but he does rub those different from him up the wrong way. He's vaguely better at rallying a group than making a new friend, but it's simply not a part of his skill set.

2. Does the character have many friends? Close friends? What is the balance between the two, many casual friends but no close friends, many casual and one or two close?

Paul does gather friends, from all walks of life, because he's likable and honest. He does have a couple of close friends, but most of his friends are not close, simply work relations or people whose lives he has touched.

3. Is the character hot-blooded or cool-headed? Does the character have good or poor impulse control?

Believe it or not, I would describe Paul as a fairly cool-headed, but this comes second to him taking a stand for his beliefs, or for justice. He knows when to act, and when he should act, and when he must. Impulses don't come into it.

4. Does the character have a narrow or wide range of emotions? Do they show often? Does the character fight his/her emotions or allow them and try to work with them? How does the character feel about emotions in general?

Paul has a narrow range of powerful emotions. He's not complex, he loves, he hates, he knows his own mind, and he works with these to move through life with valiance.

5. Is the character sensitive or receptive to new people or calloused and/or suspicious? Is the character cautious about trusting others with one part of themselves, all parts, just their emotions...?

Paul is suspicious of those who are different to himself, or who follow differing beliefs. On the other hand he is quick to trust those who are the same as he is. He tends to be honest about how he feels.

6. Is the character an aggressive or reactive person? Does the character fight his/her surroundings, look for the negative, or is the character more passive and inclined to let things happen to him/her, or does the character seek out positive things and actively pursue goals?

Paul is aggressive, he has dreams, goals and motives, and he goes out of his way to achieve them.

7. In a danger or emergency situation would the character go to it or run away from it? In what situations is the character incapable of thinking clearly or reacting productively? Is the character more nervous or calm?

Paul runs toward the fighting. He always tries to save the day. When he gets angry though, his thinking suffers, however he's of a type that calms down as an emergency progresses.

8. Does the character have a sense of humor? Is the character capable of making jokes or is s/he better at appreciating them? Can s/he see humor in unfunny situations or dark situations; does the character use humor as a coping mechanism or understand the use of it? Can s/he laugh at himself? Is the character's sense of humor cruel or generous?

Paul doesn't get jokes, bless him. But, since he's surrounded by friends with quirks or amusing tendencies, he does, sometimes find a reason to laugh. Paul would never laugh cruelly, well, except in the sense of gloating over the failure of an enemy.

9. Under what conditions could the character be harmful or mean or cruel to another person? What are the character's moral and ethical boundaries?

He's moral, and honorable, up to the point when he believes a person "deserves" otherwise.

10. Is the character a loving person, either romantically or filially? Is s/he capable of or inclined to relate to others in a loving way? Is the character loved by others? In a romantic or a familial way?

No, love comes slowly to Paul. There's no doubt he loves his siblings, but his view of the people around him is either as a simple friend or rival, or as a person to protect. Of course his siblings love him back, and Zacharias and Herschel also develop a familial love for him. His relationship with Freida borders on the absurd.

***The Character's Wealth, Power, and Influence***

1. Does the character have much money? Other material resources? Is it renewable or finite? Does it provide position or respect from others for her/him?

Paul starts out as an unknown peasant with little to his name besides a mildly unusual bloodline. Ends up head of the paladins. This does afford him a great deal of respect, he gets into important parties for example. The position doesn't come with any money, though.

2. Is the character generous or selfish with her/his money and possessions? Is this generosity need based or whimsical?

Paul carries little with him, and assigns high value to it. As such, transfer of possessions happens only when required.

3. Is the character socially prominent? From wealth, position or office, family history, ability or accomplishment? Is the character socially respected or feared, and how much influence can the character bring to bear for a purpose? How much is the character willing to bring to bear under ordinary circumstances?

Since Paul became head paladin through a battle to the death with maybe the strongest among them, he is very much respected and feared. For his abilities, he is put on a pedestal even by the other 11 main characters. He is the go to man where a fight seems unwinnable, he is that strong and he got there mainly through hard work.

4. Does the character rate high in the pecking order with her/his household? How is the character's outside influence or wealth seen by his/her relatives?

For this same reason he is held as the group's honorary second in command, even though his actual command skill is lacking. Mostly they're just happy that he achieved his dream, even though many of them have reached fairly important positions themselves.

5. By what means does the character exert influence over the people around him/her? Is it direct or indirect? Financial/material or influential/social?

Direct social influence and commands, though there are certainly stories about him by the end of the tale.

6. To whom is the character subservient? To whom does the character owe fealty or respect? Is this submission by choice or unavoidable? Is it within a social framework or agreed upon by the individuals involved?

Hilariously, Zacharias. Paul holds him in such high esteem that even the other members of the group find it ridiculous. Samuel as well, for being his mentor, and also Renata, because protecting a princess is what should be done. None of these characters are especially keen on this relationship.

***The Character's Activities***

1. How does the character spend her/his free time? What activities does s/he choose to do and what activities must s/he do? What does the character hate to do?

Paul is obsessed with sword training, as well as maintaining his weapons. He also enjoys a spot of sparring with his friends when they're free. He also does odd jobs for his friends where necessary, though he has little skill for pursuits beyond combat. Since he's afraid of both fire, and the dark, he doesn't enjoy taking a night watch, or tending the fire.

2. What does the character's daily routine consist of?

Rise, train, work, whatever the group has in mind, then train some more, maintain his weapons, and others if they're given to him, then sleep.

3. What is the character's profession or work? What does this occupation involve, what sorts of actions and activities?

Nothing more than a journeyman swordsman for the first part of the story, he trains as a paladin before becoming their leader under dangerous circumstances. So, until then, he's the chief fighter in the group, but later has to cope with administration, delegation, and keeping a bunch of novice paladins from dying horribly.

4. What kinds of leisure activities does the character plan and look forward to, long term? Such as preparing for a tournament or an event, practicing a sport, or creating a complex craft item.

You cannot hold a candle to the amount Paul will prepare before a tournament or a duel is coming up. He hates losing!

5. Does the character like to eat or drink, or cook, or does s/he look at food as a necessity rather than a pleasure?

Paul appreciates food, but would probably burn ice cream. Lucky Zacharias is his besty.

6. How important is sex to the character? What sexual activities does s/he partake in? What are his/her emotions regarding sex? Does the character's sexual inclinations or past affect how s/he behaves in the rest of her life and if so, positively or negatively?

It is a running joke that nobody has ever told Paul what sex is. Traditionally, Paladins are chaste, so the concept doesn't come up at all for most of the story. The other running joke is that he's been married to Freida since they were small children, who has a similar outlook. Thus is comes as a humorous surprise for the rest of the group when the pair progress unabashedly to sexual relations.

7. Does the character enjoy performance or creative arts? How important does the character believe these are to life, in a general sense? In a specific sense, how important does the character believe the arts are to him/her?

Paul takes to the fine arts like a duck to water. They are the domain of the realm of lords and knights to which Paul is drawn. Since he believes that the appearance of any object betrays its nature, the existence of art and drama representing such nobility is important to he, and from his point of view, the general populace.

***Character's Personal Life***

1. What are the character's specific religious beliefs? Does s/he belong to a specific sect or creed? Does the character advocate that group's beliefs or only elaborate them when asked? How are these beliefs reflected in the character's actions and activities?

Paul is a worshiper of the Goddess of Light. By joining the paladins he has followed one of the typical paths for a light mage to be ordained. He is a genuine holy warrior, when presented with differing beliefs he will argue for the benevolence of the Goddess, the code of the paladins, with all the fervor and detail given by his priest father.

2. How did the character come to the religion? How important is it to the character?

Since his father was a priest, Paul grew up listening to sermons. Since his father wasn't exactly the most pious of priests, Paul doesn't consider the beliefs of value beyond standing up for them, however, he does at least eclipse his father in his devotion.

3. How big a role did family play in the character's upbringing? Was the character raised by a family considered normative by his/her society? Was the character raised by his/her biological family, adoptive family, or a mix of both?

Paul was raised by his father and, for a time, the mother of Terri and Tina, along with a few close relatives of the same. The absence of a biological mother and any male line relatives hurt his upbringing slightly, but in the postwar times, his family was fairly typical. They certainly played an important role in raising him.

4. How does the character define family, chosen or biological? To which does s/he feel stronger ties, or does s/he feel the ties equally?

Paul feels very strong ties to his biological family. As of recent times this is beginning to include members of the party, but then he would develop familial ties with them regardless. He does feel stronger ties to biological family members.

5. How did the character meet his/her current spouse(s)/serious lover(s)? How did the character meet past ones? How long did it take before the character considered the relationship serious? Before the character proposed marriage, or did the spouse propose?

Paul and Freida grew up together. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and upon reacquainting, the pair embarked on possibly the subtlest transition from childhood friend to lover that is possible in literary terms (mine, at least). Technically, they have always been in a serious relationship, as far as both parties are concerned. Despite Paul's religious traits, at no point did he consider marriage a necessity.

6. Does the character have children? Does the character want children? How does s/he view the offspring in question, how is his/her relationship with them?

This is still heavily uncharted uber-sequel territory... but yes, he will eventually have children. Let it be known that Paul despairs over the behaviour of his eldest son. More information in probably years...

7. Does the character have a physical home or is the character a traveler, preferring not to settle in any one place?

Yes, had a home on the island for 17 years, then the High Kingdom for about a year, then the Paladin's Mount for a spell, then Nirvana for an eternity (please don't ask me about this) then somewhere in England (REALLY CLASSIFIED even more don't ask me about this) Not a traveler by choice, none of the heroes really are.

***Character's Hopes and Fears***

1. What things frighten the character, both abstract concepts and concrete items? What would the character's idea of a terrible fate be?

Paul is afraid of fire, for good reason, and of the dark, for silly reasons. He's also frightened of failure. He would hate to die before achieving his dreams.

2. What are the character's hopes and dreams, abstract and concrete? What would the character's idea of the best fate in the world be?

He really wants to be a paladin someday. Of course, he obviously achieves that. Presumably his next solid goal would be to rebuild the Paladins, or at least some similar world defending organization.

3. What are the character's primary motivations? Are they active or reactive? Solid, tangible goals or concepts?

He wants to be a hero, he wants to enforce order and create justice. As such, that would make his motivations reactive. You can't be a hero without villains!

4. What is one thing the character wouldn't want anyone to find out about her/him?

He doesn't feel it. Enduring a deathblow for the sake of protecting a friend, shedding blood along side them and yet, he feels no pain. This is a point of shame for him, how dare he be the one suffering least!