on my quest for knowledge....... please (but only if you want to 😖) talk about Foxbane...!
I presume this is the same anon!! Sorry I couldn’t get back to you till now :) Anyways, so as Boots said, Foxbane is my character in the Sergioland world. Sergioland takes place in a authoritarian government controlled fantasy-western world where magic is regulated, and increasingly so throughout the plot. The world is still reeling from a years-long civil war, which Foxbane fought on the opposite side to Carter as. Some coles notes on Foxbane and her basic history and personality:
Comes across as tough and silent at first. Good in a fight, she was a captain in the civil war. She also has pyrokinetic abilities, which she has almost never used at the start of our story to avoid capture.
Once you get to know her though, she’s a momfriend for days. Likes to cook for people and her previous experiences allow her to brew some fairly useful potions.
Her namesake is the poisonous plant, foxbane, which she used to create a chemical weapon to poison the food stores of the opposing side in the war. She was trained as a sort of chemist before the war, and is very scientifically curious.
Her real name is Ana Karisj, and has a degree of infamy as Captain Karisj, though she’s presumed dead after the war. This is an early source of tension between her and Carter. She regrets her decision to use the chemical weapon immensely, and took the name Foxbane to remind herself never to go that far again.
Foxbane also struggles with self-sabotage and self-isolation in similar ways to Carter, but she’s further along in her healing than Carter is. They help each other out a lot. It’s good for Foxbane to have someone to take care of a little, but he also prevents her from going too far into her own ruts. Sometimes (often) they smoke and drink and brood together.
A major reason for her struggling slightly less with post wartime depression and PTSD is Raine, her lover and a water witch. Raine is many years older than Foxbane (witches live a LONG time), and Foxbane met her not too long after the war when she was wandering in the wilderness and really not taking care of herself (seriously struggling with suicidal ideation there). Raine taught her to make a lot of healing potions, which helped her see her aptitude with chemistry/potions as not something to be feared. She also learned more about her pyrokinesis during this time with Raine. She still thinks of her very fondly and sort of thinks of herself as ‘with’ Raine.
So with Boot’s suggestion, I’d say Foxbane’s major thematic developments are:
Taking on leadership and responsibility for a group, fighting previous mistakes when doing so
Accepting and developing love despite obstacles and age difference
Caring for a friend with depression
Self-care and dealing with depression
Limiting curiosity; not pursuing scientific pursuits simply because they haven’t been done. Assessing the ethical implications of those choices and setting aside ego.
Self-acceptance, and radical self acceptance in the face of fear in order to liberate others (use of her pyrokinesis becomes a plot point later)
I guess that’s a good start!!! Thanks so much for asking anon, and if you feel comfortable coming off-anon and chatting with any of us we’re really friendly ^^
