The moment that really brought out the most prominent character development or showed what you character values most.
Probably the first Exceptional Friend story I ever played-The Last Dog Society. Before that, my character was a violent and stupid free spirit who would basically be game for anything as long as it looked interesting or someone convinced him it was something he was supposed to do (he’s easily distracted and easily convinced). And this story started out the same way. He didn’t really know who these people were or what exactly was going on, but he was infiltrating their little club for some reason and it was fun. He even made a couple of friends!
Then those "friends" took part in a terrifying contest and each one seemed to think they would win because my character would help them. And my character did want to help them. But to help one he had to activaly condemn the other to death and he couldn’t do that to a friend. So he stood there, indecisive, and eventually they both died horribly because of his indecision. Because of his meddling and refusing to take something seriously enough to question whether he should be sticking his nose into it.
He was so guilt-ridden he actually moped for a couple of days and even stopped talking in all caps. Eventually, rescuing someone else who he loved snapped him out of it, but from then on, he could no longer view others as mere amusements and distractions, but as actual people who could be hurt by his actions, and as a result, he became surprisingly compassionate, to the point where he could probably be considered "chaotic good."
It was a direction I never intended to go with this character, so it was a bit surprising, but it’s been interesting too. And frustrating-he always seems to be suffering emotionally/financially/professionally because of it, but that’s just the way things go in Fallen London :P[li]
edited by Kukapetal on 1/12/2016
The moment when my stained, scarred, chained and marsh-mired character stood on a windy rooftop and gave up his search for the Name.
The moment Pyro spared his brother’s killer in his Ambition. As for Rudolph, I’m planning for him getting a Fluke-Core as part of his defining moment in the future.
There were a few, but most surprising was Port Carnelian, as stupid as it may sound. My rake and bon vivant of a character suddenly understood that he’s an ardent patriot of London and will do almost anything possible so his city stays safe and powerful, including governing the hell out of its overseas colony, which definitely deprives him of most of his free time and entertainment possibilities.
WRITE YOUR OWN STORIES, OR THEY WILL BE WRITTEN FOR YOU
My young rake was once a doctor, up there. He often gave consultations when he could, in London, and hoped to open his own clinic soon.
And then he killed a man just to steal a secret, because the anatomy of the Neath had become much more interesting than those of the human body.
Goodbye Hippocratic Oath.
Suddenly, I understood that the price of love is autonomy. To care is to give up the power over your own fate. Romance is a surrender to the Masters. I delivered true death, and watched my victim’s lover scream, and found the miserable path that fit my feet.
there was once a woman who planned to use me purely for her own gain, to annihilate her competition, while most of the work for her was interesting, she ended up having a "blast", after all why would i want anymore enemies than i have already, this way was more efficient and nobody shall ever see her again… or any of those other people who hinder me
Most likely when Eli first fought his greatest adversary, a man who could attack him anywhere and at anytime. Eli was shot, stabbed, thrown from a rooftop and buried alive. He finally fought his nemesis in single combat before leaving him to be consumed by flames atop an orphanage.
He never found the body and still returns to look for it among the miles of rubble. He will never be certain the man is gone until he finds his rotten corpse. Until then, he is ready to cross blades again.
It’s a bit of a Fallen London cliche, but deciding to take a promotion from the Brass Embassy after being tricked into an Abstraction was my character’s defining moment.
Because that’s the point at which any rational person would have realized that devils are untrustworthy. Instead, she dug in her heels and tried harder to believe that Hell would give her all the answers. I mean, when she first met devils, they seemed like perfect friend-shaped creatures. Anti-church, anti-law, and so much fun to be around. She just didn’t want to give up the dream. She doesn’t even acknowledge what happened to her, except in her quietest innermost thoughts, the ones that don’t form words.
It was when I looked at the Regretful Soldier and realized that I couldn’t possibly take his soul. I broke my fork and picked up a timepiece that day.
Probably the last Fruits of the Zee Festival, when Kazimierz picked his Destiny and saw the Liberation of Night in a vision. New goals and priorities were set that day - after all, how can he pass up the opportunity to cause this much misery and destruction…?
I have been RP-ing a lost love story with a friend. It involved a curse from Salt that resulted in the odd circumstance where two betrothed were transformed into my character and their Starveling Cat. I had been slowly revealing the details of how things came to be to my friend Appolonia vonRavenscroft when I ran across the storyline where your home is invaded by a bandit gang of Rattus Faber.
I fiercely defended my home fairly often, negotiated with the rats far more often, and once unleashed my Starveling Cat on them – resulting in some dead rats left in my shoes. The numbers of the enemy were dropping, there were a few honorable duels, and I unleashed my Starveling Cat again – this time there were a vast number of dead rat bodies. The negotiations continued, a few more duels were fought, and the bandit chieftain finally came out to fight my character. As I was well above the skills needed it was trivial to capture them, and having gained some respect for the rats I did so – and then chose to defend the rats publicly as people, filled with vice and virtue like us all.
Some time later I was looking at my profile and I noticed my character’s beloved was missing from their mantlepiece. I frantically looked through my inventory, and could not find the cat. At that point I did something I very rarely do and hit the wiki up – where I discovered the Starveling Cat vanishes after a "success" against the rats.
Personally I was troubled, I’d wanted to tell a story of re-uniting lost loves. I didn’t think there would ever be a resolution, as it seemed unlikely that the game has a card written that will turn your character back into the cat that they were born as. It seemed a lost cause, I’d gotten terribly fortunate and drawn the cat in my first bag of oddities, I have never since drawn one so I must assume they’re terribly rare.
But my character was devastated. They have lost all pleasure in life, their taste for scandal is gone, and they have begun many dangerous activities in their search for peace, by which I mean Death.
My friend is desperately working to comfort and heal the character. But as yet I have no idea how the story will work out, all my plans are truly out the window. Thus it is that a brief moment of ignorance as to the consequences of my choices combined with impromptu role-playing and my character’s arc is now drastically altered.
I can’t say there might not be more defining moments in their future, especially if Appolonia, or other friends, succeed in healing their wounded heart, but, for now, that is my character’s most defining moment. This was utterly unexpected and utterly devastating, outside a few table-top RP moments, and one or two very rare moments in LARPing, I have never had such an emotionally impactful role-playing experience.
Thanks Failbetter, I think.
Teaching a clay-man how to romance a lady by dressing as a lady and making the clay-man romance him.
[quote=absimiliard]But my character was devastated. They have lost all pleasure in life, their taste for scandal is gone, and they have begun many dangerous activities in their search for peace, by which I mean Death.
My friend is desperately working to comfort and heal the character. But as yet I have no idea how the story will work out, all my plans are truly out the window. Thus it is that a brief moment of ignorance as to the consequences of my choices combined with impromptu role-playing and my character’s arc is now drastically altered.
I can’t say there might not be more defining moments in their future, especially if Appolonia, or other friends, succeed in healing their wounded heart, but, for now, that is my character’s most defining moment. This was utterly unexpected and utterly devastating, outside a few table-top RP moments, and one or two very rare moments in LARPing, I have never had such an emotionally impactful role-playing experience.
Thanks Failbetter, I think.[/quote]
Thank YOU for sharing. That was heartbreaking to read. And while the circumstances might be different, your character’s current state is almost exactly the same as my character’s. There should be a support group for Fallen Londoners who have become Death-Seekers :P
I have an extra Starveling Cat I could send you. Or would it not count if someone gives one to you?
[li]
Thanks for the offer Kukapetal, regarding the Starveling Cat, but I think the story needs to tell itself out however it goes. Getting a Starveling Cat from someone here on the boards would feel distinctly like “cheating”, and while it would most certainly please my character I don’t think it’s the right answer at the moment. Her heart needs time to heal, and I relish that role-playing opportunity if I’m being honest. There’s something in writers that makes them do the most horrible things to their protagonists, and I’m afraid this is very much that sort of thing – terrible for the character, but inspiring for the story.
Wow. That’s unexpectedly poignant. Would you consider getting into a cat box trade? Or would that hit too close to home (and you would free a cat which came to you instead)? I’m not available myself but there is a thread for it.
edited by Parelle on 2/19/2016
I totally understand. Hope things turn out okay for her in the end.
[li]
October 31, 1891. Before that night, the Garden was a mere curiosity to my character; unreachable and probably not even real.
A vision of an army at the foot of the Mountain, ready to open it for all, changed that. It made him believe it could be done.
It also finally made clear to me what exactly my character’s Heart’s Desire is.