Character monologues

[Comic]

Re: Character monologues

 

"Now, in general, I'm of few words, as folks say..." there's a pause. The figure scans his audience, strides a step, languidly wave an open-hand gesture of undefined nuance. "Folks not being me, as I'm of few words."

 

"But seein' as no one's shooting at me at the moment," there's a muffled moan, cut short by a sudden kick from the last man standing.. and talking, "I suppose I best make the best of this opportunity to explain a few things to you all."

 

"One. If you bring a fight to me again, ever," And then his voice drops so low it is the merest whisper, intimately audible, insinuative, "I will end you."

 

"Two," voice louder again. "When a feller stands up and tells you you best lay down your arms and reason things out, that feller might be me. Refer back to item One. I don't always wear this same outfit, and am given to changing the way I part my hair. You never know."

 

"Three. You should tell all your friends, colleagues, collaborators, bosses, underlings and so forth, as I would consider it a courtesy, what with me leaving you all alive, and you being so inhospitable and saying such uncouth things about me earlier. There ain't overmuch courtesy left in the world."

 

"Now, I'd go past three, but I don't want to strain you folks' counting skills, what with the headaches you all must be havin', them loud sirens comin', and the way the ceiling seems to be creaking and crumblin' so noisily just now. Those of you what can still crawl might want to think on makin' for the way out. If not, sit tight. I'm fair sure somone will be by to dig you out.

 

With that, the figure vanishes, retreating back to his usual mode of fewer words. Which is just as well. His next words would have been, "And I think I've got a splinter under one of my fingernails. You ever have one of them? That surely smarts. Ow. Ow. Ow."

[Comic]

Re: Character monologues

 

Once played supermodel heroine-against-her-will Fluff, who could "wield the power cosmetic", and break down the structural integrity of matter on a large, large scale.

 

Not so much a monologue as a one-liner, but sums her up:

 

"Oh look, all their big guns just went all soft and fuzzy and limp and flopsy and bendy. Those would be good names for bunnyrabbits, don't you think?

[Gemphyre]

Re: Character monologues

 

Once played supermodel heroine-against-her-will Fluff, who could "wield the power cosmetic", and break down the structural integrity of matter on a large, large scale.

 

Not so much a monologue as a one-liner, but sums her up:

 

"Oh look, all their big guns just went all soft and fuzzy and limp and flopsy and bendy. Those would be good names for bunnyrabbits, don't you think?

 

"The power COSMETIC???":confused: Should I even ask? Although it would explain how she became a supermodel.

 

Gemphyre

[Lucius]

Re: Character monologues

 

Under the Hat

 

I sit alone in the rain and the darkness. I am cold, and I am angry. I have a duck on my head.

 

*** *** *** ***

 

I hear one ask The Question.

 

“Why does he have that duck on his head?â€

 

I wish I could tell them.

 

And thus the Odd name is finally explained....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Why is he riding a palindromedary?

["V"]

Re: Character monologues

 

Jack-a-Dandy's Resignation

 

I am told that many people awaken to a few seconds worth of confusion or mental cloudiness that is rapidly replaced by the recollection of whatever bad news is currently preoccupying them. Not so Jack-a-Dandy. No, for one reason or another I have always accelerated from sleep to full alertness with no intervening period of psychological transition.

 

It can be disorienting, especially if one has been dreaming of an enjoyable evening a few months ago with a menage of the most exquisite runners-up from that dreadful television Idol programme. Apparently it is quite popular with the great unwashed. Television that is. I have no idea what the Idol programme is about, but I do know it produces the most self absorbed narcissists this side of... well, me I suppose.

 

It had been a splendid evening, and no wonder it still echoed in my dreams. That look of delightful surprise as I impart a new trick or two never fails to thrill.

 

But still, this is no time for trivial fond records, no indeed. Today is a notable day in Jack-a-Dandy's life and career here. I dress with care, and with even more care admire the splendid fellow looking out of my cheval mirror at me as I do so. I allow myself the vanity of tutting disapprovingly at the growing number of pale star shaped bullet scars - I cannot help but feel that the miscreants responsible should be considered philistines not felons, for damaging such a sublime work of art. Father Oscar was wrong you know: The only thing worse than being talked about is being attacked by gun toting Americans.

 

Breeches, silk shirt, waistcoat, tailcoat, fob watch in place, and that ridiculous domino mask. And now I can face the world.

 

I have already written out my letter of resignation, perfectly proper and professional, setting out the reason for my growing disenchantment with my life as one of the Bastions of this fair city. No sense in becoming improperly emotional about the matter, no need at all to complain that the blood on my hands is growing thicker by the day and that each news report reveals how inept a job we are doing at protecting the helpless.

 

No. A simple clear letter of resignation and then Jack-a-Dandy will fade quietly away into the background of some discreet little club somewhere. Perhaps I shall finish that novel, or learn to paint. On the other hand I may decide to betray my former comrades to a dreadful fate at my own hands. I really haven't decided yet.

 

Though between you and me, the choice of ink for my resignation letter - an alchemical compound that will bleed through even Paladin's much vaunted invulnerability and strip the flesh from his bones - may suggest that I have made my mind up after all.

 

Ah, the breakfast bell.

[Vondy]

Re: Character monologues

 

Who are you saying is being self-indulgent? The player monologuing? Or the player whose character rushed in ahead of the plan?

 

Also, sometimes its not in -character- for a character to say they have a problem with another character. If its a player to player conversation, yeah, sure, bring it up. But sometimes players let something go on that bugs their character -because- it bugs their character. And in being bugged, the character gets to think and feel things that are interesting to the player.

 

(Note: This is not to say that its all right to allow your character being annoyed -in- character to transfer to you -out- of character. If youre annoyed -out- of character, please tell someone!)

 

Your responding to someone who has been banned for fifteen months, which is cool, but don't expect an answer.

[Comic]

Re: Character monologues

 

Overgamer's Monologue (he calls himself 'Magister' in 'hero id'...

 

"D20's fake man! It's _FAKE! I know! I know. Only Champions is real. Only Dark Champs, man!

 

The figure paces back and forth, agitated, gesticulating, twitching.

 

"Believe me, I held out hope for years. I tried to find them -- wizard chicks, sorceress types with mega CHA, she-Paladins with healing touch.. Nothin'.

 

"I kept the faith. I mean, d20 is so.. beautiful, man. It seduces you with those pretty pretty dice and that cover art. All that cover art.

 

He pauses, sighs, carries on, ranting and rambling.

 

"My path kept getting darker and darker. They don't exist. There's no TG. Not even a TG. I mean, I tried to bribe.. I tried to find it with bugging and hacking and shadowing. I tried beating it out of panhandlers and addicts and pimps, man. Nada. There's no such thing as the TG. d20 is so FAKE!"

 

It's a shout, repeated, to the sky, "D20 is FAKE!"

 

The rain laughs, spitting down. The wind laughs over the shout. The sodden figure draws out a pair of very heavy-looking handguns.

 

"But Dark Champions -- that's real. These SIGs are real, man. The dragonsbreath rounds -- they're the only real dragons there are, except the tatts on my arms and my chi-power throat-strike.

 

The weapons are brought level. One taps the steel cable wrapping the bound man who stares incomprehendingly. From the look on the struggling, prone man's face, he's only making out perhaps half of the psychotic ranter's meaning. He whimpers in a puddle of more than just rainwater, pleading for "M-m-mercy."

 

"Mercy? You filthy scum, begging Magister for mercy? Did they show me mercy, man? Did they show me mercy when they threw me in that place? I don't think so. Man, you are so dead. You tell me where to find the VIPER's nest, and I'll make it quick. That's the only mercy you'll get, you scum. You slipped green into my crystal for the last time tonight, man."

 

There's a mechanical sound as the weapon is readied to fire. One points at the prone man's head. The other at his elbow. "Your choice, man. Fast or slow. Where is the VIPER's Nest?"

[Lucius]

Re: Character monologues

 

Crossposted from an old thread:

 

 

 

The clouds above Stormwalker's head darken and expand as he listens. The air is still, but grows cooler. Finally he speaks.

 

"What you ask of me is impious. I don't expect you to understand that, and in fact, it would not necessarily dissuade me - although I hope it always gives me pause. But the reason I will not help you is that it is futile."

 

The clouds weave about his form.

 

"You think you are merely fighting a single mortal. Someone whose own child was hurt, and so hunts those who hurt children. But if you capture this one, two more will appear. You might as well be fighting the Hydra."

 

A strand of cloud rears up, snakelike, then divides, and divides again, until Stormwalker is surrounded by waving tentacles of mist.

 

"You are not facing one mortal, nor a group of them. You are up against the Furies."

 

A low rumble of thunder punctuates the word "Furies."

 

"The Furies are ancient. They are the avengers, the spirits of blood-feud. They are relentless in pursuit. They feed on the suffering and blood of the guilty. Only one thing has ever stopped them, and permitted mortal civilizations to exist, and that is the Pact."

 

At mention of the Pact, the drifting fogsnakes dissipate.

 

"One version of the Myth says the Goddess Athena made the Pact. You may know that one. Aeschylus wrote a play. In fact, the Pact was made in different times and places, by Gods and kings and priestesses. In essence, the Pact means that the Furies will not pursue and punish those who are under the King's Protection. Yes, I know, we don't have a literal king - that doesn't matter. Read 'State' if you will, or better yet, 'Law.' But the Pact holds only so long as the king undertakes to establish justice. The specific version of the Pact covering this land dates to when those words - 'establish justice' - were written in the Preamble to the Constitution. And don't think some members of the Constitutional Convention didn't know Who was watching and listening. Why do you think after fighting to be rid of one king, some people wanted to set up George Washington as another? They weren't sure they didn't need a literal king to have a valid Pact."

 

Stormwalker smiles at the way they are looking at him.

 

"You don't believe in the Furies, and the Pact? Then look at what happens in the criminal underworld, look at the violence of gang wars. The old word is 'outlaw.' These are people who have repudiated the Pact, who have put themselves outside the protection of the Law, and left themselves at the mercy - no. At the mercilessness of the Furies, alternately possessed and pursued by Them. The outlaw's life is miserable and often short, consumed in the cycle of violence and revenge. Even those you call supervillains have more to fear from one another than from people like me. I for one have never yet killed - although it has been prophesied that I will." He frowns.

 

"The Kindly Ones (as they are known when restrained by the Pact) are usually content to let the king - or other mortal institutions- deal with finding and punishing the guilty. As long as it gets done. You don't have to catch every wrongdoer, you don't have to punish each one of them, and you can and should permit considerations of reason, of mercy in your system. And after all, mortal law can only be an approximation of true Justice. BUT IT MUST AT LEAST BE AN APPROXIMATION!"

 

A flash, a smell of ozone, a crack of thunder that somehow does not drown out Stormwalker's last words.

 

"Forgive the display, but I confess, stupidity makes me angry. Trying to divide something into three equal halves is stupid. Passing a law to change the value of Pi, or to repeal gravity, is stupid. And it is stupid to think you can do without Justice, and not expect Vengeance and Feud to appear. You WILL have one or the other; there is no 'None of the Above' on this question. If this mortal's targets had been duly slain by law, after exhaustive investigation and a fair trail established their guilt beyond doubt, the Kindly Ones would have remained Kindly. Indeed, if they had merely been confined, prevented from doing harm, and perhaps studied by healers in hopes of learning to predict or prevent their evil in future, that may have sufficed. I do not know. But for child-violators to be loosed, even among a populace warned of their presence, seems an obvious violation of the Pact. The wrath of the Furies will follow, and if you want me to stop that, you may as well ask me to stop the Moon in Her orbit. That would be easier."

 

"We ask for help; we get mythology" grouses the liaison as the clouds begin to clear.

 

"Mythology is as real as physics, and its consequences as ineluctable," counters Stormwalker. "I will give you advice. You cannot stop the Furies, but there are ways to slow them down. One way would be to get rid of the Register. I don't think that will stop this mortal, who probably already has a list made out. But it will make it harder for those who come after. The Furies can tell by smelling you what you're guilty of, but their mortal agents cannot, and even a Fury will find you faster if She has an address than if She's just randomly sniffing around.....if it comes to that. Meanwhile, I will help in so far as this; Give me a list of what you regard as likely potential victims. If some of them are persons I already have a duty towards, I may take steps to protect them; although I'll also be asking how they got on that list."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The character of Stormwalker is copyright Palindromedary Enterprises, 1991

[oconnellmd]

Re: Character monologues

 

There are other creative alternatives to the monologue, too. There's the interview, for example. I did a fictional interview with my (retired) character Dr. Jackal, for example. Great way to get inside their heads:

 

http://forteuniverse.com/forte05/import-jackal-home.htm

 

(Keep in mind it's a fake web page, so none of the links works on it except for the big one in the middle that goes to the interview).

 

I just finished up our "Forte.com" page, which is a simulation of the Forte computer system, and includes fake message boards, a chat room, and an email system. There are fictional threads, chat room transcripts and emails there. Another great way to find the character's "voice".

 

http://forteuniverse.com/fortedotcom/index.htm

 

And there's always the old-fashioned fiction method. Plenty of those on the Forte 2000 Adventures page:

 

http://forteuniverse.com/forte2000/forte2kadventures.htm

 

...or the "Forte '05" page:

 

http://forteuniverse.com/forte05/index.html

 

You can do a lot of exploration IN the game, of course, but you can get a lot deeper and explore the character more outside the game.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Character monologues

 

Yes, I posted an interview with my Champions character Zl'f about three years ago:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=126731&postcount=1

[oconnellmd]

Re: Character monologues

 

Nice. That was fun (da!). Exactly what I'm talking about. Helpful, too, if someone ELSE is asking you the questions, and you're not just interviewing yourself (as I did). I think the media interview should be a requirement in every campaign. Like, the GM writing up the interview questions for each character. Doesn't even have to be done live. Could be done by email or whatever. Helps you learn more about your character, and it's a great way for your fellow players to learn more, too.