Thursday 24 May 2012

Beautiful People, May 2012 - Evil Edition!

My villains are my favourites. As much as I come to feel affection for my delightful bands of heroes, heroines, and gods know what else they are, it's always the villain I'll love the best. 


Of course, this gave me something of a dichotomy when it came to choosing one for this post.


Should I find you a villain from the Aeserion Trilogy?  Can't - they're all in the middle of reworking, and thus everything I write here is probably incorrect. Besides, spoilers!


What about a villain from the new novel I started last week? Sadly, that won't work either - you guys would have no idea who I was on about.


A villain from a past NaNo, then? Now that got me thinking.


Of course, I couldn't settle for just any old villain - I wanted to find one that would be impressive. Terrifying. Skin-tingling. And not eat me when I dragged him out of his lair to answer the questions.


I half succeeded. It may have cost an arm and a leg - quite literally, I'm typing this with my nose, 'cause I'm so talented - but you lovely people will have an insight into the most terrifying entity who currently inhabits my head.


You all know the lovely Vidal. Meet his many-times-great-grandson.


Sephirax; "Sixknives", "The Shadow", "The Bane of Tanelorn". Murderer and madman.
Even the Stormlord bloodline, notorious murderers, liars, thieves and worse, have disowned him. And you're about to see why.


1. What is their motive? 
It depends what he's doing. Sometimes it's part of a long-term plan. Sometimes it's a spurr of the moment necessity. Sometimes there's a personal grudge involved. Sometimes it's a red herring to throw his enemies off the scent. Sometimes it's for kicks and giggles.

2. What are they prepared to do to get what they want? 

Anything. Sephirax has all the morals of a rock. And a good deal less sensitivity. The fact he's dancing dangerously close to insanity doesn't really help his moral compass.

3. Are they evil to the core, or simply misunderstood? 

In the beginning, he did what he did because he had no choice - it was that, or starve and die, taking the one person he cared about, and who cared about him, with him. Now, though? There's no doubt he's lost his mind - or some of it, at least. But whether it's the madness, or Sephirax's own twisted soul that drives him now, no one knows. Depends who you ask. And if they'll tell you anything. 

4. What was their past like? What about their childhood? Was there one defining moment that made them embrace their evil ways?

Sephirax started out in the world much the same way Vidal did - a bastard to a high-born lady, who died not long after his birth, and whose father never claimed him. He grew up fairly wild in the custody of the midwife's family, but they kicked him out the moment they could. He was strange. Very very strange. But sweet enough beneath that - he had a knack for mischief, and a distinct lack of any sort of conscience, but he never meant to cause harm. Not at first.


Unfortunately, the development of his exceedingly powerful mentalist abilities soon lead him towards darker and darker acts, drawn by a strange morbid curiosity with pushing the limits of his power. His friends, who were all he had in the world, started to fear him. And so did everyone else. This seemingly inexplicable rejection twisted like a knife in Sephirax, and he went south when he was still scarce more than a child, looking for something nobody is sure of. No one knows what happened to him, but when he came back, Tanelorn had no idea what it had created. Or what a bloodstained nightmare his madness would wreak upon them.


5. Now that they’re evil, have they turned their back on everyone, or is there still someone in their life that they care for? (Brother? Daughter? Love interest? Mother? Someone who is just as evil as they are?)
Love is a word Sephirax regards with the worst sort of scorn. The world's rejection of him made him bitter, and he'll happily use the loved ones of others to get what he wants - whether it be crucial to his job, or just because he feels the urge to destroy something. 


But there is one tiny little corner of his rotten heart that beats for someone else. His deafblind, crippled half-sister, Eli, rescued from the clutches of their mother's family who sought to exploit her Stormlord blood and use her as a political pawn. Her protection and welfare is all that stands between her brother's descent into lunacy and death. 


And, despite his bitterness towards them, Sephirax still agonises over actions concerning his old friends. Sometimes his old memories inspire a strange act of mercy. Sometimes they drive him to atrocities.

6. Do they like hugs?

Only from Eli. She sleeps curled up in his arms every night.


*aside* In his heart of hearts, he loves them. But don't try. He'll do something horrible to you.

7. Are they plagued by something? (Nightmares, terrible thoughts?) 

Enemies. Shifting webs of treachery. Lies. Deceit. Bitter memories. Fear. His own mental demons. And a new foe, stalking in his shadow, disappearing every time he looks. But he knows it's there. And he knows it's coming for him.

8. Who are they more similar to: Gollum or Maleficent?

Sephirax is a Malificent from the outset, but inside he's just as lost as Gollum ever was. He's both terrified of and intrigued by the power he has at his disposal, though his concern for Eli and his occasional fits of doubt and agony over the wreck of his life torment him near constantly. But he has made his choice, and he pays the price. Great power has, quite literally, lead to madness. 

9. If your villain could have their choice of transportation what would it be?

He would love to be able to teleport. There are thousands of stories that he can - though according to these stories he's also able to fly, steals souls just by making eye-contact, can walk through walls, and his father was a dragon. Teleportation would be a wonderful compliment to his job, and would cover up several of his somewhat limiting physical and mental weaknesses nicely. Even he can't kill a foe from halfway across the city, however much he would want to.

10. If you met your villain in the street, how afraid would you be? Are they evil enough to kill their creator?

I would just stand there and hope he killed me quickly. I couldn't outrun him - stubby-legged human vs nine and a half feet of muscle and malice is hardly a fair match. I couldn't outfight him - brittle-boned and physically deteriorating or no, if he kicked me hard enough most of my organs would explode. And, at close range, he could tear me apart from the inside out, literally or using his mentalism, depending what mood he was in. Heck, he'd probably hunt me down with the intention of killing me if he was bored. He's that nasty. And has that little regard for life.


Thankfully, I've given him a "squeaky toy" list of other characters he's allowed to maim to his heart's content. That seems to be keeping him happy ... for now.


***
Now ... who's up for a scary story?

- Charley R

18 comments:

  1. Eek, sounds nasty. I don't tend to have villains, I just have misunderstood, morally ambiguous people working for what they think is right but which is actually going to kill everyone. Or, if they're a fairy, because they think it'll decrease their suffering and increase their pleasure, on account of their failures to understand the concept of right and wrong :D
    I guess the last time I had a proper villain was the evil guy Oisin in 'Legacy'. Or Oona's brother in 'Memory'. And that's going back a long way.
    Generally, though my characters aren't working to be evil because it's fun, but because (a) they think it's right or (b) someone else is forcing them to, and that someone else thinks it's right.

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    1. Hehe, trust me, he really is revolting. Nastiest thing I've ever invented. No idea where he came from xP

      Ah, I remember Oisin and thing-thing the brother! Did he have a name? I've forgotten it xP

      Fair do's - those sorts of villains are interesting. I would have some, but al momento most of my major villains are being reworked, or haven't been formally set down in a story. I like your morally ambiguous villains though.

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    2. I'm sure he had a name. No idea what it was though. Should probably, you know, find that out. Since I wrote him.

      I like them too. It means I'm allowed to crush on them without feeling like a bad person ;)

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    3. Waaaaaait ... doobledoop - wasn't his name actually Oisin? I have the funny feeling it was, but I may just be deluded. Something about him being her half-brother, and the original Oisin's descendant or something?

      Hehe, I unashamedly crush on whoever I feel like. Usually the evil ones, because hey, evil is sexy! xD

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  2. I started off not having any evil villians - in fact in my very first story it was more about the miscommunication of facts - aka legend and myth versus reality - that had put up a boarder between magical creatures and humans. :} Then there was the overbearing Aunt who took in her diowned brother's children (*giggles* I suddenly know her motives for that lol).

    Then ther was Wholawski. If Sephirax and he got along we'd have chaos on our hands. In fact I ebt Wholwaski could strike some sort of deal to kill me prior to Seph killing him.. or maybe he'd do both just because. Lord knows Seph hates my Spacer Rachael... I think she's the only one crazy enough in my head to go against him.

    Anyway I'll be doing BP next week. I'm think I might take a look into Chester's head, since I recently did Wholawski.

    An Charley - you do have a way with villians that makes me shudder! :}

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    1. Heehee, for all the rabid vicious monster he is, I do love Sephy. He amuses me greatly.

      Ahaha, especially with our most recent conversation - Sephy will have Wholawski on an eternal I-Will-Maim-You-Beyond-The-Depths-Of-All-Depravity list forevermore. I almost pity him. Almost *cackles*

      Yes, do Chester! That would be awesome :)

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  3. Man, that's impressive and incredibly sad. I always (well, almost always) feel bad for the villains (though I understand, but don't condone their actions) because of their inciting incidences (rejection from the world, murdered family, et cetera) and how just one little thing could have saved them....

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    1. Hehe, I was aiming for that effect with Sephirax up here - he's deranged and evil and absolutely vile in every way, but I'm hoping people will feel a little sorry for him, because the way he ended up like this is plasible and, hopefully, a little tragic.

      Like you, I love villains too. But that's because I have a demented interest in evil things. I see where you're coming from, though.

      And thank you very much for stopping by! Always nice to see new faces :)

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  4. What have I been doing with my life? I need a villain like that. And can I join in on the blog chain (next time around), or whatever it is?

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    1. Sure! Go to teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com and join up next month - it's easy, and very good fun.

      Also, I'm glad you like Seph - I'm rather fond of him too, despite how much it worries me that I created something so horrible. I do recommend a good villain, though. They're wonderful companiosn, as long as you keep them fed and their sadistic urges sated xD

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    2. Nonono, I've been on Teens Can Write, Too for a while now. It's the Beautiful People chain I was wondering about. It looks interesting.

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    3. Ooooh! Sorry, mistranslation :)
      Go to Further Up and Further In - there are links in my earlier BP posts, as well as in my "Co-Conspirators" sidebar. Have fun! :)

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    4. Oh, I've been there too! I wasn't aware that that blog was the originator. And just anyone can join? Good, good...

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    5. Absolutely! As long as you leave a link to your post in their widget, then everyone can come and read it :)

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    6. Okey-doke. I'll do that next month. As you well know, I have no antagonist at present.

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    7. Bring out The Aardvark I say! xD

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  5. Sounds like a nasty person to cross!

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    1. Hehe, I hope so ... heck knows the story rather fails if he's not terrifyng. Though I do wonder what sort of sadistic part of my brain decided to make him this nasty o_O

      Thanks for the comment too! :D

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