Let’s talk themes

Wyrmrest Accord
21

Sarestha’s key theme is loyalty, I’d say, and through her development I’ve explored the dangers of it when bound to fanatical idealism. Sarestha was my well-intentioned extremist at first. Ever since the coming of the Scourge, she’s always tried to serve two key ideals:

  1. The Restoration of Lordaeron
  2. The Destruction of the Scourge.

Those key beliefs ultimately rule her life, even post the Crusade and Sylvanas. She’s still absolutely dedicated to building a home for herself and her people in the Kingdom of Lordaeron, even if the capital city is long gone. And she’s historically stood against the Scourge and other powers like them, even going as far as to leave the service of both Bolvar and Sylvanas when she believed they’d gone too far.

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22

So I forgot what more I was going to say about perception; probably should’ve done this follow up sooner, but whatever.

There is a bit about perception that I do remember, however; tying into the theme of freedom. Freedom is a minor but significant part of Sinothyr’s characterization. It’s a core part of her ideals, specifically. She believes everyone should be free but also have the strength to maintain that freedom should it be challenged. This ideal had some presence in her life but took on its current form after her break from the Scourge. The idea that she could so deeply controlled and manipulated proved appalling in retrospect, however not so much that could conjure sympathy for the lesser masses that serve her and her comrades.

This view was reinforced through years of service to the Ebon Blade, especially when dealing with wayward cultists and others subdued by the organization. Many were easily dispatched and easily broken. That lack of challenge translated to lack of overall prowess which translated to weakness; thus the inability to maintain their freedom. It is like a privilege to her; if one cannot stop one from taking it away, and has no way of getting it back, they no longer deserve to have it.

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23

Before exploring my answer to your questions, I think it’s very important for me to remind myself what a theme is, and how it differs from a plot.

A plot is a series of events happening in an (often) sequential order. A theme is the underlying message or thought that drives (or does not drive) these events. Another way to look at it as the plot is the “what” of a story, whereas the theme is what I consider the “why” of the story, making up at least one character’s motivation to drive him along the plot. Without a theme to hold it up, a plot turns into what is essentially a shopping list of events happening without any clear rhyme or reason.

In the context of roleplay, it’s a complicated issue because several authors are coming together to further a plot, or several plots, and different characters will all be driven by different motivations. That being said, I think each individual character should operate off of a simple premise that explores a particular topic inherent or otherwise relevant to them. What is interesting for me, though, is if you actually begin to treat your character as a real person, you realize that they don’t even adhere to a single theme.

For example- Karnum is a Death Knight, risen during the Third War in a similar vein to Koltira Deathweaver (ironically a character I wasn’t aware of until long after I decided this backstory). Coming to grips with who he is, what he’s lost, and what he can and cannot do as an undead warrior who sowed chaos and despair, is a major part of his character. But that’s just one of many facets to his personality and story. Being slain and risen before the notion of Sin’dorei was conceived gives him a unique perspective on his ‘people’, who he may associate with on a surface level, but internally feels resentment towards for falling so far in the first place.

All of this clearly reads like my character is a really dark and brooding individual, but that isn’t always the case. Certainly he isn’t jovial by any stretch, but he has an understated love for being bitterly sarcastic about his lot in unlife. Actually, a lot of my characters engage in dry sarcasm, but anyways.

If Karnum’s “plot” is that he’s a Death Knight roaming Azeroth and trying to find a place for himself, then what gives this goal legs to stand on is his desire to understand what Undeath truly means for him as an individual, and either accepting or rejecting the premise that his people have changed.

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