Orphan Creation [Small Guide]

[chaotikal 2236]

How to; Make a correct orphan character

 
Introduction
 
I’ve seen many applications that follow the same pattern as following; People who have Orphan characters, or simply characters whose parents were killed in a violent murder, this guide should lead you on the right way to make a logical character with this path, and avoid a cliche character.

 

Defining The Parents

 

 

This is something usually skipped. The characters are often “Perfect” until the murder occurs. This is to be avoided, almost completely.
 
Your character’s parents should be flawed. Perhaps your father wasn’t the “best” farmer? Why can’t he be an alcoholic drunkard who happens to beat your character’s mother daily? Why can’t he be a kind man who tries to cope with daily issues, yet, like any other “Poor” farmer can not spend the time he requires with your character. Your character could develop zealous about these sort of things. He should be moulded by all of these events. I myself have a very absent father, and I often feel rage towards him, even if he IS caring when he is around me. Yet those events that I consider major where he was not there, have moulded my personality.
 
Your mother. This figure is vital, just like a father, but in a more life-marking way. She nurtures you and basically is always going to be the one who will care more for you. How can you make her “Human”?, Quite simple. Most mothers are over-caring, quick to anger, or very patronizing, these can make your character grow slight rage at her. Remember that ALL of us at some point have become angered at our peers, we’re humans. And even if your character is a Dwarf, an Orc or an Elf he should still be affected by hormonal changes throughout his aging, and actually, the races named prior are even burdened with greater hormonal charge.

 

Defining the aftermath

 

After your character’s parents, sisters and pretty much all of his relatives are dead but him, for some magical reason , you have to define the moulding of your character upon this. Will he grow out of it, and enbrave upon the situation? Will he embrace guilt and live by the shadow, weeping for his lost loved ones? Does he adopts villainy to cope with the feelings and guilt? Does he suicide? (This one defeats the purpose of the character...)
 
I dislike seeing new applicants making their characters extremely brave upon such a situation, yet desiring vengeance. This means they are quite bipolar, and are not, by any chance, a stable character you want. Your character is a mortal being who feels. He cries, he laughs, he enjoys and he angers, just like you and I.
 
An example would be “Tom”, after losing his parents and siblings, decides to go on hermit life, living by the shade of isolation, rarely speaking to anyone. Or, what if Tim decided to face the death of his loved ones and grew out of it, become a lot more self-confident as he finds himself fit to surpass death burden? It’s all open for your imagination, but having characters that “Want vengeance.” And that hate a particular racial group because of it, is stupid. (Seriously, applicants. Don’t make an app where you hate all orcs. IF you were an orc, you wouldn’t want new applicants roguing on that they hate your race. This is also because the people who say “Marauding” orcs killed their parents have not read one inch of the Uruk’s lore.)

 

Conclusion

 

This was a short guide, but hopefully, you can use it to further flesh out your character. Just think about the points I made, and tell me if you want to add anything to it.

 

 

Addon

 

How to make a completely parent-less character

 

If your character is one of those abandoned by their mother or father, you can easily come up with a story where he is moulded by the fact his life goes through enclosed walls, with no motherly or fatherly figure to follow to. To start with, if he was never adopted (Case being he is in an orphanage), how woud he feel? Wouldn't he feel very resentful against pretty much everyone, blaming his mother for everything, or his father, even if they don't know them? Think about it. How would YOU feel if you suddenly were dropped off by your parents, and they never returned for you, and carried on with their lives? Would you be the same? No. You would be completely different. This applies to the cases above, where you can adapt to the situation differently.

[SkyyoBee 249]

This guide was needed, and very good. Good job.

[Tom_Whiteman 949]

 This would have been better back in Aegis due to all the Orcs killed my Human parents cliche... Thanks~

[chaotikal 2236]

Thank you both. And I actually had an orphan character back in Aegis (I still have him. :P); Merrigan, He was resentful against his parents though, and did not enjoy his experience whilst being adopted. He was, a rebel, in other words, not a common cliché orphan, I guess.

[VonAulus 2076]

I get it, small guide, orphans are small! Haha

[hammer01 29]

I made my first characters mother die during childbirth and my father a drunk. He then abandoned me and my uncle took over...

[✿Honeybear✿ 84]

A very well written guide, thanks for contributing it, I really hope some of the newer players take the time to look through it.

[Heff 2458]

 Very well written too many times people's orphan story is that their parents were killed by plundering orcs or some freak accident or died heroically in battle. My orphan Bod has absolutely no memory of his parents, was raised in an orphanage for five years then it burned down, then he became a sort of Huckleberry Finn in Salvus. Again great guide! 

[Shadeleaf 757]

By the Seven Skies this was needed in Ageis...

VERY AWESOMENESS!

[Bristlebranch 808]

You've earned this token of awesomeness.