Update 2/10: Cyras X Equiroth Story--Soleus, Soleus, Soleus

 So anyway @Regno-Works is currently doing his anniversary for his gryphons. And since I got the crossover soon, let's talk about that. 

For nearly five years, I've got N:Era.

Anyway, so our characters are meeting or crossing over, to fight against Light Menace, who is living in the Superior Heights. Cyras starts some shit and the two fight, but ironically Cyras is an actual divine being while Light probably fancies herself as worthy of divinity. Light Menace wants to protect a "Treasure In the Sky" that belongs to her. Cyras wants a way out, but isn't letting anyone get in her way. 

So with seven different major characters, there's no way to meaningfully represent them all in a 10,000 word novelette. There might be following novelettes, but so far only a sequel has been discussed, but three would make for a trilogy of the Cyras and the Gryphons of Equiroth series. 

This has been in talks for maybe a couple years now as nothing has to be rushed yet. 

But, main goal is, how to represent the right characters. And, the right choices for this entire plot about a Treasure In the Sky was the more fancy and flighty Windspeed and the more sensible and sensitive Hugo. A great importance is the theme of Friendship versus this attraction to Miracles. 

If you went with Robert McKee's theory, the positive is Friendship. The treasure represents the negative of Affectation to Higher Orders, trying to transcend above one's station in a meaningless way. To have accepted oneself is more what Hugo represents. He has no lofty ambitions or dreams.  

So you get Friendship, then the half-step of the negative is Pretentiousness. Affection. And finally, the sacrificing.

Well, while getting a new life is an investment, Light Menace wants that investment to get what is rightly hers. However, she has never actually opened that Treasure In the Sky. 

Now, while Regno-Works has written in his lore, there's plenty to add to for these purposes.We're introducing a race of Tuatara peoples, who are very much into prophecy and believe there will come a time where both Sun and Moon shine at same moment. 

Ironically this means there will be a part of the world that can't see anything for a few hours, lol.

This will have some drawings in the style of Greek Pottery Art. There are prophecy vibes, and chances are some references to Jason and the Argonauts.

While this was plotted before really getting into the Argonauts, that seemed quite appropriate in retrospect to fill the treasure with more elements of the "Golden Fleece", after all. Goulder and Cyras get something of a small fight. 

Cyras' adventures are about how she's already super loyal. Ironically, maybe if she actually thought about herself for once and what she wants, she might Ascend a bit.

Maybe after all, that is her Soleus. Thy Orisons, Ophelia, Ophelia, Ophelia-a-a, will update about Soleus next week at 2/17, Chinese Lunar New Year. 

Update 2/3 - How many OCs Presently

 

 The February 3rd update, released on February 11th.

Welp, nearly finished Krampus. 

 

How many characters do I have in actuality? Well, when people ask this, they really mean this question for OC creators. People who draw a character regularly, but don't usually have a real plot or storyline with them. 

However, having a storyline to follow, there's plenty of various side characters. For instance, the Pewtersmith in Glacialane who's main purpose is realizing the suffering of the peoples of Glacialane overall. In fact, he's one of many. 

But these aren't developed characters. Overall, I really classify the characters into four major groups: N:Era proper, N:Era Minor, Reoccurring characters, and jobbers. 

For instance, N:Era proper is Cyras, Rosod, Lilu, and Ahmond, with Owlis being somewhere between this group and N:Era minor, or characters who appear in each story but don't usually play a main or active role in them or don't appear in every single chapter. Characters such as Karv, Jazmyn, Owlis, Mosor, Vanos, Kyofi, Sumhyr, and Kryyk, or Maypol. 

Reoccurring characters refers to characters who appear in some stories and maybe even major elements. Such as Snofall, Wasting, Swillow, Clovur, or Portus. Someone like Karv is right above this list, where he appears in each story, but only acts as a named guard for Jazmyn. Same with Maypol who never lead a real plot. At lowest end of this list is probably someone like Baynana, who appears in like one different story and rarely again. These characters are free-drifters.

Then there's the jobbers. The first three are all developed characters. But the jobbers only have to give so much illusion they exist beyond the pages. 

I don't think of this as needless categorization. In fact, these lumpings are important to the process, even if admittedly I didn't lump them like this until just now for purposes of this article, lol. But, main characters should almost always have something going on, even if they aren't the main choice-makers. For instance, in Ascalon, Lilu has shit going on, but she still has a superplot that extends beyond that one novella, and this novella represents a step in her story for now. 

However, the N:Era Minor are more characters that are meant to fill the world and to be present as representations. Maypol represents Owlis mostly. Sure, she could be replaced by different guards, but having her named gives more a sense of a closed world, and if this ever got animated, this would definitely reduce amount of time doing designs. They enhance the characters they're usually around by acting as shooting points. Maypol is more angry than Owlis and less graceful.  

These characters do tend to have plot twists and get their own times in the limelight, such as Karv's near death scene in "Fangs of Liberty", or how Maypol works for Snofall. A character like Kryyk has major developments in terms of his masculinity. Then, Sumhyr is mostly a mystery who might be a maniac or insane maniac. 

Reoccurring characters are more about their mysteries. There's so much to Swillow or Wasting that won't be figured out. They still have developed backstories, but these backstories won't be fully unraveled.  

Alternatively, they're mostly about one-note events. Or repeats in harmony. Clovur and Cyras both have loss of mothers. 

 However, in some way, Jobbers are the hardest because they have to push the plot forth while still having reasonable motivations. Why would the pewtersmith assist Team N:Era. Why is Orch assisting? Why is Daybreak acting awry or like a dudebro. 

Jobbers go from Villain of the Day worthy with Daybreak being fairly high as he's the main antagonist for "Where We Lie", to the crimson ladies who smile as the flood occurs. They exist because they exist, they exist because old women smile during accidents. 

There's also some reoccuring jobbers, like characters who appear a couple of times but don't really have any important roles, or the Incidentals as Spongebob says. They might not even have a truly set personality. After all, random joe schmoe's can seem to have very different personalities at different points. This is less obvious since N:Era isn't typically visual.

Oh, right, how many characters?

Well, I guess this varies by what counts. Like, what point do the jobbers count as characters? IMO, all of them do, but I don't feel a deep link or attachment to everyone at all. Yeah, sure, I COULD give each character, even the most minor deep-seated traumas, insecurities, great virtues, and heroic prestiges. But, why? 

I think that'll be funny if I reveal someone like Raynfall is a major villain despite just being a foreign dignitary in "Where We Lie". Oh. Wait.

 

 I just realized this doesn't really update anything . . . Yeah.