Personalities

*This article is about the array of personality traits characters have in-game. For information about interacting with NPCs, see Socializing.*

Every cat in *From the Ground Up* has a personality made up of their alignment and a list of personality traits. Cats have their personalities randomly generated when they're created. The Playercat's personality is comprised of the same components as an NPC's, however they may be decided by the player at the start of a new game. These personality traits determine what a cat will or won't do, and how they will react to certain situations. Even the player is restricted by their personality traits; it is thus advised that a player chooses their cat's traits wisely, as they may lock off certain interactions.

All traits can be Discovered by interacting with an NPC. The more the player talks to and spends time with an NPC, the higher their relationship will be, and the more comfortable an NPC will be sharing their opinions. Having an idea of how an NPC will behave is beneficial to making leadership decisions, such as choosing a mentor for apprentices, or choosing a deputy.

## Alignment

Alignments are made up of two parts: a cat's opinions of authority and morality. There are three options for either component, making a total of nine possible alignments.

* Lawful
* Neutral
* Chaotic

**Lawful** cats follow the rules.

**Authority-Neutral** cats have no opinion of authority, and will generally follow it as long as it is unobtrusive to them.

**Chaotic** cats will choose to act based on their own desires, regardless of whether or not they do so within the rules.

* Good
* Neutral
* Evil

**Good** cats will always do what they believe is morally right. They tend to be forgiving and kind, and will refuse to hurt another cat unless they are without a choice.

**Morally Neutral** cats believe it's impossible to be wholly good or bad, and will base their moral decisions on context and personal perception.

**Evil** cats bear no regard for the lives of other living things. They see other cats as mere tools to meet their own ends, and feel no remorse for hurting anyone in their path.

## Personality Traits

* Energy
* Social Energy
* Bravery
* Humor
* Temper
* Romance
* Privacy
* Social Awareness
* Parental Instincts

A cat can be **Energetic**, **Average**, or **Lazy**. Though not all lazy cats will share this pose, a cat slumped over on its haunches can always be identified as lazy. Conversely, cats posed standing on all four paws instead of sitting down will *never* be lazy.

**Energetic** cats have higher energy reserves than others, with more stamina to use throughout the day. They require less sleep and regain energy faster from sleeping. Because of their boundless energy, they may get bored easily and get caught goofing off when they're meant to be performing tasks. However, they can perform more tasks than other cats without getting as tired.

Cats with an **Average** amount of energy have no positive or negative effects on energy consumption and regeneration throughout the day. They're just average!

**Lazy** cats have less overall energy to use throughout the day. They recoup energy slower than other cats while sleeping, and as such may require more sleep on average. These cats will in turn look for ways to conserve their energy, choosing the path of least resistance in most tasks, if they bother to perform tasks at all.

A cat can be an **Extrovert**, an **Ambivert**, or an **Introvert**, which determines their social energy, and how they recuperate that energy. This trait also plays a small part in a cat's willingness to open up about themselves.

**Extroverted** cats gain energy through social interaction. They thrive on conversation, and are all too happy to chat forever. Extroverted cats who don't get to socialize often will become sad and tired easily. A quick chat will usually pick them right up. These cats are typically more open about themselves, being more reliant on social interaction to be happy, and sharing information is their way of bonding.

**Ambiverted** cats feel no effects on their energy one way or another from socialization. They are neither as difficult as Introverts or as easy as Extroverts to get to know; their social energy trait doesn't affect their decisions to share personal information.

**Introverted** cats actively lose energy from being social. They may enjoy having a nice chat as much as an Extrovert does, but afterwards they will need time by themselves to rest. As such, it may be harder to get to know an Introverted cat, as they will end a conversation early if they are feeling "talked-out" or won't be as willing to talk about deep subjects with someone they don't have a close relationship with.
A cat's third trait determines how brave they are. They can be **Fearless**, **Cautious**, or **Cowardly**. For some cats, this personality trait is evident in their character model; cats who are leaning forward and sit with confidence will never be cowards, and cats who are sitting slightly crouched will never be fearless.

A cat can be **Humorous**, **Neutral**, or **Serious**. This trait determines how serious they are as a cat.

**Humorous** cats may choose to tell jokes or otherwise make light of situations to mask their negative feelings.

**Neutral**-humored cats have a healthy appreciation for humor, but also a healthy respect for when humor may not be appropriate.

**Serious** cats may take too seriously a situation that could benefit from a little humor.

A cat's temper will determine how quick to anger they are. They may be **Tranquil**, **Even-Tempered**, or **Intemperate**.

**Tranquil** cats will never get physically angry. When they feel anger, they will deal with it in a way they find constructive, usually by taking deep breaths or retreating from a situation to prevent themselves from doing or saying something they will regret.

**Even-Tempered** cats have an average control over their temper. They have a better grip on staying calm over short-tempered cats, but they will still have their explosive moments, unlike tranquil cats. They won't always start a fight, but they'll sure finish one.

**Intemperate** cats are quick to anger and lash out. These are the cats that take every little affront deeply personally. and are usually the ones to initiate fights and arguments. Some intemperate cats may learn to manage their anger better and check their reactions, but they will always have a fire inside.

A cat's feelings about romance will determine how they react to flirts. They can be **Hopeless Romantic**, **Flirty**, **Neutral**, and **Aromantic**.

**Hopeless Romantics** are cats that daydream about *The One*. They yearn for a Soulmate, a cat that knows them inside and out, to spend their natural lives with. These cats are looking for emotional connection, and will not be receptive to the advances of cats they don't know very well.

**Flirty** cats don't care too much about emotional connection, but they enjoy the perks the come with being flirtatious. They're here for a good time, not necessarily a long time, and don't usually make good mates due to their wandering eyes. However, depending on other traits and relationship factors, flirty cats can still be committed in a relationship. Flirty toms are usually all too happy to father kits without actually thinking about *fathering the kits*.

**Neutral** cats don't feel any type of way towards romance. They will welcome it if it comes to them, but they won't usually try to seek it out.

**Aromantic** cats are not interested in romantic relationships at all. They will always reject romantic advances, and are impossible to make monogamous mates out of. Aromantic cats *can* wish to be parents, however, and will sometimes adopt kits, or choose to reproduce with a willing platonic partner.

A cat's sense of privacy will determine how willing they are to divulge information about themselves or those they know. They can be **Open**, **Neutral**, or **Private**.

**Open** cats wear their hearts on their pelts. They don't see a necessity behind keeping secrets, and will be the easiest to get to know. However, they will also be the first cats to tell others information they've been told, either by accident or on purpose.

**Neutral** cats have a healthy relationship with sharing information. They will share what they believe is necessary or harmless to share, and keep to themselves what they believe is not necessary for other cats to know.

**Private** cats will be the most difficult to get to know, as they are reluctant to share about themselves. Trust will have to be built first before they will be forthcoming about certain aspects of themselves. However, these cats are also very good at keeping information to themselves, no questions asked.

A cat's social awareness determines how they react in certain emotional situations. They can be **Charismatic**, **Neutral**, or **Awkward**. This is the easiest trait to Discover, as a cat's social awareness will almost always be quite evident in the way they speak and carry themselves.

**Charismatic** cats always know just what to say. They choose their words with care, and have a knack for getting the reaction they want out of someone by saying just the right words at just the right time. Charisma can be a powerful asset, as well as a threat in the wrong paws.

**Neutral** cats aren't particularly charismatic, but they're not *bad* with words either. They say what they mean, and aren't prone to emotional manipulation.

**Awkward** cats will often fumble over their words, say things in a roundabout way that may not always make total sense, or make inappropriate remarks without first "reading the room". Their unique way of thinking and speaking can be jarring for other cats, who may take the wrong meaning. This can lead to misunderstandings and even fights and arguments.

A cat's opinion of kits will be one of three options: **Nurturing**, **Ambivalent**, or **Disagreeable**.

**Nurturing** cats love kits, and will always strive to ensure a kit's safety and well-being. They can make for excellent mentors, as they understand young cats fundamentally. However, there is a risk that a Nurturing cat will under-prepare their apprentice and teach them too *little* about how truly dangerous the world is. These cats make the best parents, as they will always be involved with their offspring. However, they will be disappointed if their mate does not want kits, and this may cause strain or ultimately a break in their relationship.

**Ambivalent** cats bear no positive, nor negative feelings towards kits. They are the safest choice of mentor, as they will ensure their apprentice is prepared for the world without the chance that they may try to over-protect their apprentice from its dangers. These cats will be happy to go with whatever their mate wants and will not be disappointed if they become a parent, nor if they do not. They will try their best at parenthood should they become one, though their success will depend on other personality traits.

**Disagreeable** cats do not enjoy kits. Whether or not they are *mean* or simply uncomfortable will depend on other personality traits. Regardless, these cats are poor choices for mentors, as they will have a hard time being around young cats. She-cats with this trait will never have the desire to be mothers, and will refuse to bear kits entirely. Conversely, toms may father kits if they're asked to, but this does not mean that they will have much bearing on raising them, depending on their combination of other traits.
## Special Traits

Special traits are separate from the other trait spectrums. These can offer unique dialogue, affect skill / stat check outcomes, or give cats advantages over certain everyday tasks. Clan Traits are also assigned to cats under the Special category. Cats possessing special traits that match their Clan's will fare better in the Clan than cats that have opposing traits. Cats without any Clan traits or with non-conflicting ones will have neither a bonus nor a penalty. While many special traits are innate, it is possible to gain special traits over the course of a cat's life.

## Other Factors

### Preferences

Each NPC has specific items that they favor over any other, as well as items they dislike. These preferences apply to food, toys, and bedding such as moss and down feathers.

### Names

NPCs that are not born in the Clan environment have a chance to reject taking a full name, depending on their personality traits. They may not want to change their name at all, or they may accept a partial name, which can have similar results to SkyClan's daylight-warriors (ex. Billystorm). There is not, however, the ability to have daylight-warriors in-game at this time. Cats who are not allowed to keep their name in whatever form they request may also decide not to accept their new name, and leave the Clan entirely, depending on their personality.

Clan cats also develop opinions about their name. If they don't like their name, they may request the Playercat to change it. On the other hand, if they do like their name, they may not be too thrilled if the player attempts to rename them. Because of this, it should not be used to fix typos; if a player is worried about making mistakes, it's better to save before a naming ceremony and reload that save if a mistake is made.

### Faith

Not all cats will believe in StarClan; in fact, in the beginning, it may not be easy to convince cats that warrior ancestors even exist. This trait is unique in that it may change over the course of a cat's life. Much like in real life, faith can be shaken or bolstered by an individual's experiences.