Character Tropes Tagging Game
I’ve been tagged by @athiefswarwriteblr! Thank you so much!
Rules: Pick up to three(3) of your characters and assign them an archetype or trope they fit. Then say why they don’t wholly fit that trope.
For this I’ll be using this website as reference:
The Rebel - Razimarr Quartz
“A rebel is mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. In the face of an unjust society, they are the ones with the will to overthrow the status quo. A rebel might be a charismatic leader, but they also might work in secret. They can be a freedom fighter, or rock musician, or the girl in chemistry class with the purple highlights in her hair.”
Raz doesn’t exactly meet the typical example of the rebel archetype, as rebels are usually trying to change society at large, whereas my dumb cat boy is just trying to change the hand life dealt him. He was born into a home filled with hunger and discord, as was the case for all other catfolk in his village. He’s not seeking to make their lives better, and any social change he causes is incidental for most of the series.
Notably, The Rebel archetype usually attacks the unjust and oppressive structures as a means for change, while Raz - for many years - rejects society itself and lives a life of lawlessness. Even once he leaves the cartel and seeks atonement, his pursuits are as a vigilante outside the realm of law, targeting organized crime that springs from societal injustice.
The Caregiver - Nerharr Quartz
“Selflessness is the defining attribute of this character type. They might be a mother, father, wife, husband, or best friend — whoever they are, they’ll do anything to protect their child, ward, lover, or best bud. It’s quite rare for the caregiver to take center stage but such is the nature of one so selfless.”
Ahh Nerharr...you sad poor man. Raz’s father most closely matches The Caregiver archetype, but in a tragic and perverted sense where his care and love does more harm than good. Nerharr Quartz is a man crippled with depression, self-doubt, and self-loathing, resulting from losing his entire immediate family before the age of 16, and shortly afterwards unexpectedly becoming a father himself at only 19.
Drunk and pitiful, Nerharr sees himself as a blight on Raz’s life, but he does genuinely love his son. Raz’s mother is an abusive woman, and Nerharr does his best to direct her verbal and emotional violence towards himself, believing that he can take it while Raz cannot. Unfortunately, because he sees himself as a blight, Nerharr tries to maintain emotional distance from his son so that his own failures won’t corrupt him, viewing such space as being in Raz’s best interests. This, in the end, only makes Raz feel abandoned and neglected, which later feeds into the resentment that drives him to run away.
The Ruler - Terasas Feldspar
“Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown. Any society needs a leader, but how does that leader cope with absolute power? What will they do to maintain control and order? Do they rule with kindness and compassion or with an iron fist?”
Terasas embodies this archetype well and in its most positive sense. The young boy from Coalfell has always existed to be Raz’s foil in addition to friend, confidant, and brother-in-arms against life’s trials; they both come from the same place, born in similar circumstances, and yet Terasas is the one who keeps his head held high and walks in the light despite losing as much - if not more - than his own friend.
While I’m choosing not to go into too much about Terasas’ path as to avoid spoilers, before the campaign started he wound up being the lieutenant guard-captain in a small fishing town far from Coalfell, admired by the populace. He’s a man others are drawn towards, and his natural leadership inspires change all around him.
I’ll tag @francestroublr @melissagt @arathir-starsong @waterfallwritings