Herschel+

This is the author access character template for Herschel. 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?

Herschel is tall, one of the tallest characters, but very skinny with minimal muscle. Healthy, it's not as though he doesn't get around, but a scholar, hardly strong.

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

Herschel slouches and is a bit crooked, he spends a lot of time bent over books, and because he's tall he tends to bend to examine things.

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?

Herschel is quite poorly conditioned, being at best a mage or a scholar in terms of fitness. Which is not to say he's not coordinated. He has huge coordination, which extends to an immense amount of magical ability, but also a very surprising turn of speed when he's forced to fight physically. He's a superior mage who also has the conditioning of a swordsman. His reactions aren't the quickest in the world, but he has a kind of clumsy coordination that suits his height.

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

He's actually a necromancer, thus his strong dark magic (a healing sphere) gives him almost perfect immunity to illness and disability, physical or magical. However, that same magic comes with its own personal downsides. Herschel is constantly struggling against madness due to the powerful incursion darkness has on a mage's mind. Furthermore, upon giving into the urge to raise the dead, he finds himself host to the memories of those he raised, and is burdened by the truth of necromancy as well as the uncontrollable power granted from that. He's long sighted, and wears reading glasses to compensate.

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?

Herschel spends most of his time studying, but as a true wizard of immense power, he has no choice but to perform physical tasks manually, the alternative being too dangerous. His stamina is the worst among the group, however, as much as his will fights against this. After a short time acting he becomes too tired to go on and has to rely on others. Fortunately he's not remotely opposed to this.

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?

Herschel expertly balances the straight direct approaches of a master mage with his own fluid and relaxed nature. He's animated while speaking but is able to quiet himself when he's reading or fighting.

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?

Chiefly he's a healer, but he has a speed and precision with his hands that is unmatched and deeply embedded in muscle memory with regards to magic. Besides this he has experience fighting with his hands and is at least as good as Paul in terms of the muscle memory of fighting hand to hand.

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

I think Herschel's cute, by the standards of the setting. He's geeky and wears glasses, but his cheery personality and fairly attractive features mean that he's one of the party members less likely to go unnoticed. Unless of course he has his hood up and he's angry.

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

Herschel is well aware that he is absolutely pathetic in the physical sense. He's unaware of how blessed he is in terms of height and appearance.

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.

Tall and skinny, with a thin face and straight, long black hair. He has blue eyes that blaze with intelligence and pale skin. He wears a pair of round glasses.

***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?

Herschel has a couple of outfits. He wears regular peasant clothes when he isn't working with his magic, or otherwise what's available to him, which improves as he becomes a vassal of the High Kingdom and a magic teacher. Otherwise he wears the vestments of a dark wizard.

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

He loves the black robes he inherited from his own mother. He considers them a valuable inheritance. They fit him really well, despite maybe being a little tight around the shoulders and a little breezy around the hips. After discovering the true nature of his mother, he switches them out for a suit of magical armour stolen from her empire, wearing it like a king and taking his affection.

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?

Herschel prefers dull colours but appreciates the beauty of bright natural colours too. He looks very attractive when properly dressed. His wizard robes are all black and shadowy. True to this he prefers to avoid dark magic when he's not wearing them.

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?

He has clothes mainly handed down to him at the start of the journey, but the time in the High Kingdom gives him a greater range of better clothes to wear, as do his adventures in the Restitution. Following this, his black magic armour was stolen.

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?

His later clothes fit him quite well, but his initial wizard robes are a little tight around the shoulders, and he tends to tug nervously at his clothes in any case. When you're dressed as an embodiment of darkness and death that certainly tends to increase the confidence of one like Herschel.

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

It's quite hard to stain black, which is what Herschel will often jest to his companions, even as he washes his and their clothes in an obsessive compulsive manner.

***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?

Herschel has a medium pitched voice, that regularly pitches down when he's angry, or determined, or strained, which is whenever the others are idiots, which is all the time. Of course Herschel has an even tone, he's the smart guy in the group, which isn't to exclude the high pitched yelps he makes when surprised or terrified.

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?

Herschel is neither loud nor soft, but he does have something of a reedy, smartass sounding voice. He does project his voice quite well though. He speaks for his grandfather, and can easily enthrall an audience when he's making a point.

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?

Herschel feels before he thinks and talks, of all the characters he'll always be the first to react in fear or horror or amusement and this shows in his voice. He can't control this. He makes an effort to control his speech, he's a good explainer, but his opinion on any topic will always be clear.

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?

Herschel has the weak accent of a secluded scholar, and good grammar to boot. Never stutters, that's his grandfather's job.

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]

Herschel is one of those people who gets less self conscious as the group he's addressing gets bigger. (They exist, right?) The idea I have is that he gets vainer, almost Paul-like when he has a big enough audience.

***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?

Herschel is very clever. The cleverest, in fact, though Nicolas comes fairly close. True, there are individuals in the world smarter than Herschel, but very few of them interact with the group. Herschel typically acts on every thought he has as it's coming, which means he'll be constantly changing the direction of his thoughts to accommodate his surroundings. This chaotic approach means that he's prone to missing the obvious.

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

Herschel is so prideful that he'll never change the way he thinks about the world, but balances that with a healthy skepticism and eagerness to learn.

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

Herschel is mainly self taught, from outdated books, with a little assistance from his grandfather.

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

Magic, obviously, as well as an incredible amount of medical knowledge, a decent amount of history, a small amount of swordplay, and most household duties.

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

Herschel is amusing in that he will come to a thoroughly logical conclusion about how best to act and predict what the result will be, before going with his emotions on just about any plan where death isn't a certainty.

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

He's a master of the debate, always leaving himself space to think before talking, which lets him win arguments since he will always have the best response.

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?

Herschel likes to sit and read, sometimes he ponders the necromancer's curse, other times he'll watch, and think about, his friends.

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?

Herschel is very idealistic. He values action above thought or avoidance, even though this goes against his better judgement. Simply put, Herschel will go through the motions of thinking through a comfortable, pragmatic solution for a situation which doesn't require him to act. Then he will act anyway, putting himself in danger for the sake of his friends. This is why he should be considered one of if not the bravest character in the series.

***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?

Herschel is a people person, no doubt. He's a bit of a "tsundere", will appear to push people away and ignore them while actually enjoying their company. people like him simply for how useful he is, and those who know him can see beyond his aloof nature. Herschel won't exactly manually charm people, he prefers to use logic to get people on his side. The fact is though, he's charming even despite that.

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?

Herschel has many friends and the majority of them are close. He's just too lovable for his friends not to be close.

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

Herschel is cool-headed, never letting his emotions control him, besides fear, of course. He tends to have bad control over his usually correct impulses but this tends not to be a problem.

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?

Herschel is very emotional. He cries when hearing a sad story, cowers in fear where stupider men would run to their deaths, and his failed attempts to control these facts are more of what makes him endearing. Emotions are a strong part of magic, Herschel knows how important they are.

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...?

Herschel is suspicious, of course he is, he's a member of a half-dead breed, one that is feared and distrusted throughout society. The more he lets slip about his abilities, his past, his future, the better it will be for his treasured friends. Behold, the sight of Herschel meeting new people, eyes narrowed in distrust even as he fights against the friendly, honest smile forming on his face. "Hello! It's very nice to meet you!" "shutupshutupshutup..." "What do you want from me?" (glare)

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?

Herschel I think is the epitome of passive, given that he just allows events to unfold around him despite usually having a better solution. This is partly because of how well he knows his own strengths. Better to let the others flex their muscles and learn some new things rather than use his five second fix. Do not put him in a leading role. You, by which I mean the enemy/goal, will be hounded mercilessly.

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?

Unlike Zacharias, Herschel will start to run away from danger, shaking and weeping, and lo and behold will complete a large circle back into the danger, entirely out of his control, he cares too much. His fear is justified, his power is limited by his ability to concentrate. He'll get more and more afraid as the danger unfolds. On his last ditch attempt to survive, friends and foes alike will notice him getting suddenly calm as the likelihood of death reaches a peak. The latter shall then be temporarily in pain. The magic of chaos, truly has the most effect when the worst situation is being turned into the best.

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?

Herschel has a dry sense of humour, a sharp tongue and a sharp wit, along with copious servings of sarcasm. Like Zacharias (I wonder why I'm comparing these too so much!) he will laugh out loud at something funny, but unlike him this includes jokes, which he understands, while careful not to humiliate another by laughing at them. Unfunny and dark situations? Suddenly Herschel's the only one joking, discomfort all around. Herschel treats humour as a deadly weapon. In his hands, it pretty much is. Herschel would laugh at himself, were he not spending most of his humour points on cruelly mocking his friends and allies, and his enemies, worse. Of course, he'd never put down a friend for no reason.

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?

Herschel is only cruel, and quite mean, to get what he wants from another. His basic temperament is friendliness, and even in the heat of battle, he wouldn't bring himself to hate his foe, whilst fatally harming them, of course. In that sense he's crueler to his friends because they get to remember it.

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?

Very much so. It's why his primary designation is healer and his secondary designation is "touch my friends and you will die in agony one thousand times! (will have to have him quote that at some point (why did I switch the "a" out for a "one"? I'm too deep in a head)) His filial love is outwardly stronger, but perhaps that's because he's more often surrounded by lots of "family" and only one romance. As an official "tsundere" (oh god I made it official what's happening to me?) he is actually quite limited as far as treating people in a loving way. Friendliness, certainly, but he doesn't really have a "love mode". Of course he's loved by the party, his students, his teachers, some of his enemies, and romantically by one or two people towards the story's end.

***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?

No, as most of the island characters he has the clothes on his back and some basic supplies and little actual money. Then he's a teacher and we all know how well they're paid. But, to any stranger, Herschel in full druid mode elicits a range of emotions the last of which refers to money.

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

From what's been written before, obviously Herschel isn't a selfish person. What's his is yours, not that you'll need, want, use it, except for Tina and Damian, and what kind of person would be selfish about books?!

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?

Blam, druid. Druid DRUID! "They've got a renegade, and a DRUID!" "Are you really a druid?" "Don't take them lightly, that's a druid I see." "You're a chaos mage! Fascinating!" "AAAHHHHH NECROMANCER!"

Well... that's that. Screw prestige and history, once they see a druid, everyone wants his help, and is scared of him, worse so if he lets it slip that he's a necromancer, and there are no other chaos mages. He gains ground quickly in the restitution from ability alone, and he can usually get any person to do what he wants, we all have injured relatives somewhere. But... he really doesn't want to. A guy like Herschel, he hates seeing people afraid of him, and if he wasn't so busy he'd toss the robes full stop!

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?

Among the party, Herschel is in the most recognisable core of heroes, and he's seen as reliable. He ranks highly in the Restitution. Samuel will kill you if you make Herschel cry by being afraid of him, and Paul won't be far behind, this sums up how most of the characters feel about his influence.

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?

Wooo, scary robes.

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?

Herschel submits to nobody's will. He's learnt that doing that kind of thing can lead to conflicts of interest, and thus will only act in accordance with his own heart.

***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?

Herschel can often be seen reading by the fire, occasionally he's wrestled into short training sessions with the other mages or Paul. (Just try to hide your smile...) He takes zero issue with things like mucking out stables, cleaning, polishing, in fact he's a bit of a perfectionist. Just don't make him carry anything heavy.

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

Early rising, fixing everything then reading, followed by fixing everyone else, possibly teaching depending on the story arc, otherwise it's still adventuring. He'll be last to sleep, because he's so busy.

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

Journeyman druid. Technically it's a religion, but the point is that he's expected to provide the party's medical aid, and when pressed, obliterate the odd obstacle. Stellar mage, very handy in a fight, if that wasn't obvious.

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.

Herschel would love to discover something new about the world, he looks forward to time spent perfecting magical thought exercises or excavating old ruins, anything to crack magical secrets and make himself more powerful... and ideally, more stable. ;\_;

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?

More the necessity side of things. His own cooking isn't exactly stellar... Of course anyone would get a taste for food once Zacharias joins in, and Herschel, desperately trying to hide his amazement, is no exception.

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?

Research, friends, friends, time alone... and then suddenly there are girls everywhere. Herschel has no idea what to do so makes his usual sarcastic comments. Sex becomes important to him once he becomes surrounded by boys and Terri, who are clearly vying for it. Not one to be out done, Herschel is... subsequently outdone and ends up being the last member to subscribe to the booty train. He cares more about his friends than his sex life. He may have had a better chance if he'd been more aggressive.

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?

Anything new and different! Herschel would make a terrible actor, but he's probably the only party member who would give it a shot. He gets emotional when confronted by art, and so considers it important to everyone, including himself.

***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?

Herschel is a worshiper of the Dark God (of course he is...(no! He really is!)). By worshiper, we mean, one who accepts its existence, its necessity, and its relative impartiality compared to the Goddess of the common folk. Typical Goddess worshipers would deny Him or say he were evil. Herschel would calmly refute that and present evidence at that point. His belief system simply makes him very skeptical of the shallow justice of a light user.

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

The religion is a general requirement for those who wish to master magic, the existence of both gods should always be taken as absolute fact in order for order and chaos to be properly balanced in the mind of a mage. Being convinced by textual evidence pertaining to the world's creation is usually enough for a typical conversion. It's a comparatively secular religion and Herschel knows better than to let it affect his daily life.

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?

He was raised by one grandparent, so no... except all of the dead people from the war... so his upbringing was typical, and a lot better than many people in the age. Once his powers revealed themselves, that one grandparent was his bastion against all misery and despair he might otherwise have received.

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?

Herschel defines his biological family as his real family, but his chosen family as having great importance, and his parents miss out on mum/dad of the year somewhat so he is much more attached to his friends/brothers/cousins that he met after his childhood. Nothing matches the derision he feels for his grandfather, though.

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?

She was walking behind two men, one irritating, dragging a half dead forest boy into his home, so she saw him at his best right from the start. When she met a more emotionally weighted childhood friend he left them to it, caring more for her happiness, despite the relation being entirely one-sided. There's only so much self sacrificing heroics a magic necromancer hero can do before he gets noticed, and eventually, he did. She was of course the one who instigated the somewhat touch and go relationship, and both were very shy for the duration, since both considered the other to be far too good for them. Then they simultaneously had a "Screw that, it's what I want!" revelation, that turned into a mutual proposal.

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?

Is it possible for Herschel to love an entity more than he already does? Sure, if it's a child of his.

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 Restitution of the Magi for a spell (ahaha), 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?

So you're a budding druid, reading a book on the use of dark magic, and then you get to a page about bringing back the dead, it lists all the care you must take about the longest time you can leave somebody dead for, the process by which you must filter memories when reconstructing a brain, and finishes with bold text "YOU MUST NEVER DO THIS". It is the reason that you are the last one, one of the reasons for the war. Then, you feel what those first necromancers must have felt, learn what loss means and know that you will be unable to stand by when a friend is in such pain. You cross a line and learn what that means for yourself. Feeling your mind slipping, your power growing, knowing that by the time you are completely insane you will be nigh unstoppable, and those in your path are those very friends you sacrificed your humanity for. Herschel is deep, man. He's also easily scared by dangerous and surprising things. This doesn't necessarily extend to the corpse of a fallen friend.

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?

Herschel is a seeker of knowledge, he has to climb that ladder into madness in the hope of finding a new truth that will erase the old ones held against him by people. He wants to make a good name for himself, and, once atop that ladder he will reach down to pull up all of his friends. It's the least he can do.

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

Knowledge, power, family. Any stepping stone is acceptable to get to these intangible places.

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

I'm a druid, Herschel will say, to everyone he meets. Some people will call him a necromancer. He will never deny that, but the pain it causes him is great. He knows more about the mysteries of death than any non-necromancer, and he'll be keeping that to himself, thanks, along with his deteriorating condition. "Don't worry about the mana burn, I'll just use dark magic to heal it".