It's way overdue I guess, but here is the backstory on Brenna. I used different models and questionnaires to deepen her character and thus define my character design constraints.
Main character / Protagonist
1A. The game character Brenna is primarily story-based; the way she looks flows from that.
2Q. What style is your art-based character drawn in: cartoon, comic-book superhero, realistic, gothic, and so on? Will your character be exaggerated in some way: cute, super-sensual, or otherwise?
2A. The character will have two forms;
3Q. Do your art-based characters depend upon visual stereotypes for instant identification, or are they more subtle than that? If they are more subtle, how does their appearance support their role in the game?
3A. For the game character I will use a visual stereotype which can be described as a “light class”, or in different terms a scout/ranger. For the animation character, things are going to be more subtle, focusing on her personality instead of her visual and functional traits.
4Q. Can the player tell by looking at a character how that character is likely to act? Are there reasons in the story or gameplay for wanting a character's behavior to be predictable from his/her appearance, or is there a reason to make the character ambiguous?
4A. When the player will see her in the game, it should be obvious that she is quick on her feet because of her “light”, slender appearance and light class association. Also, she should look determined in fulfilling her journey.
5Q. If the game has an avatar, does the avatar have a sidekick? What does the sidekick offer the player—information, advice, physical assistance? How will the sidekick complement the avatar? How will the player be able to visually distinguish between the two of them at a glance?
5A. In the beginning of the game, you’ll start off alone. During the game you will meet new people who can take with you. These will have different abilities, varying between burly warriors and knowledgeable clerics. They will always bring something different and new to your party, so don’t expect any other “ranger/scout” types. For the animation part, I’m going to focus solely on her, so no sidekicks present there.
6Q. With a story-based character, how will you convey the character's personality and attitudes to the player? Through narration, dialog, gameplay, backstory, or other means?
6A. Brenna’s personality will be conveyed through all the mentioned examples, namely, dialogue options in the game, the narration of the story and the gameplay as a scout/ranger, exploring these vast landscapes. This is all in-game. As a transmedia franchise, the backstory will be told through a separate short 2D animated film, explaining why she went on this journey in the first place, giving more context to the game’s story.
7Q. How does the character's grammar, vocabulary, tone of voice, and speech patterns contribute to the player's understanding of him/her?
7A. Brenna’s tone is primarily determined throughout the game. But, still being a young woman, I don’t want her to sound too “butch”. Before her journey, she never had set a foot outside the Northern Island Kingdom of Eovia. As a child, she never wandered too far off her village Bres as well. So I still want a sense of wonder about her, as she discovers new places and meets new people. But, her main quest is still getting her family back and avenge her father’s death, so that is the main motivator.
8Q. Specifically in the case of avatar characters, what about the avatar will intrigue and interest the player?
8A. She isn’t particularly physically strong, but she is strong in her conviction, and she is very determined to complete her quest. During the game, when she matures thanks to the journey she must take, she will grow from a young, impressionable girl to a confident and strong woman who can hold her own in a world fraught with danger.
9Q. What about the avatar will encourage the player to like him/her?
9A. Of course next to the obvious visual appeal (she is not going to be too ugly, right?), it’s her strong will and determination. Even though the hardship that she has endured during the loss of her parents, I want her to be open-minded and still impressionable. As I stated before, she hasn’t ventured into the outside world yet, and all these new discoveries leave a big impact on her.
11Q. Does the character (any character, not just the avatar) correspond to one of Campbell's mythic archetypes: the hero, mentor, ally, threshold guardian, and so on? Or does he/she have a less archetypal, more complex role to play, and if so, what is it?
11A. At first sight, Brenna is of course the hero(in) archetype, but because she is a female character she has a different sub archetype; the Amazonian warrior. This due to her weapon of choice; bow and arrow and because she grows during the game into a strong, mature woman. In the animation, she will also be the heroin character, but it will be more subtle, in contrast to the game character where the emphasis lies on character class. In the animation the emphasis will lie on her youthful innocence, before the devastating attack on her village.
Name: Brenna Chisholm (
Meaning first name: raven maid, dark-haired)
Age: 19 (At the beginning of the first game) / 12 (when the devastating raid occurs). Sex: Female
Occupation: Lone archer on an epic quest
Physical Appearance: slender, lean, agile, quick, slight olive skinned, dark brown/black hair
Weapon(s): bow and arrow, dagger
Keywords personality: Quick wit, observant, determined, impressionable, passionate / strong willed, still unexperienced, charming, still innocent at heart
Short bio:
Age: 19 (At the beginning of the first game) / 12 (when the devastating raid occurs). Sex: Female
Occupation: Lone archer on an epic quest
Physical Appearance: slender, lean, agile, quick, slight olive skinned, dark brown/black hair
Weapon(s): bow and arrow, dagger
Keywords personality: Quick wit, observant, determined, impressionable, passionate / strong willed, still unexperienced, charming, still innocent at heart
Short bio:
Brenna is the firstborn daughter of Urard
MacChisholm and Morna Chisholm. Before the devastating raid on her village of
Bres, she lived happily and undisturbed with her parents and three little brothers.
In her pastime she loves to climb trees, chase rabbits and to play hide and
seek with her three little brothers. She dreams of one day going outside the
village and explore the world. This prospect dismays her father, protective as
he is. He warns her about the harsh and unwelcoming outside world. This doesn’t
stop her from fantasizing about the world beyond Bres. Unfortunately for her,
she’ll soon have to get acquinted with this outside world in a rather
unexpected and cruel way…
Character Bio Questionnaire
Source: Thinking Animation: Bridging the Gap between 2D and CG by Angie Jones and Jamie Oliff
Source: Thinking Animation: Bridging the Gap between 2D and CG by Angie Jones and Jamie Oliff
Age: 19 (when the game begins)
Ethnicity: Can be described as mixed; partly Eovian (Northern kingdom) and Tibocian (Southern kingdom). Comparable to an Irish/Spanish mix.
Height: 170 cm / 5’ 7”
Weight: 58 kgs / 127 pounds.
Sex: She hasn’t had any intercouse yet at the beginning of the game. This will probably change this during the game, but she is cautious for anything that stands in achieving her main goal and because she is unexperienced in that area.
Gender: Female.
Health: Perfectly fine, fit and lean due to Medieval circumstances and training by Brion
Intelligence: She is bright, observant and has quick wit. But, she still has to learn a lot since she hasn’t left her village ever.
Education: Initially she doesn’t receive any special education, but after the raid when she is taken in by Brion, she does. She receives special combat training and learns how to survive in the outside world. Also, because of her royal lineage, she learns some things about strategy, compassion and how to be a just ruler.
Lifespan: The games will span across a couple of decades of Brenna’s life. In the epilogue, she will die of old age, at the age of 78.
Culture: She comes from a simple village and farming community.
Ethnicity: Can be described as mixed; partly Eovian (Northern kingdom) and Tibocian (Southern kingdom). Comparable to an Irish/Spanish mix.
Height: 170 cm / 5’ 7”
Weight: 58 kgs / 127 pounds.
Sex: She hasn’t had any intercouse yet at the beginning of the game. This will probably change this during the game, but she is cautious for anything that stands in achieving her main goal and because she is unexperienced in that area.
Gender: Female.
Health: Perfectly fine, fit and lean due to Medieval circumstances and training by Brion
Intelligence: She is bright, observant and has quick wit. But, she still has to learn a lot since she hasn’t left her village ever.
Education: Initially she doesn’t receive any special education, but after the raid when she is taken in by Brion, she does. She receives special combat training and learns how to survive in the outside world. Also, because of her royal lineage, she learns some things about strategy, compassion and how to be a just ruler.
Lifespan: The games will span across a couple of decades of Brenna’s life. In the epilogue, she will die of old age, at the age of 78.
Culture: She comes from a simple village and farming community.
Food/Eating habits: Initially, she lives on a farmstead. She eats a variety of grain, bread,
porridge, vegetables and crops, animal meat like pigs, sheep and against her
will the occasional rabbit (She adores rabbits).
Nocturnal: She is not a nightdweller, although she is intrigued by the world at night. She is especially intrigued by the moon and the stars, as she cannot grasp them.
Family: She cares a great deal about her family. Being the oldest of four children, she always felt like she had to watch over her three younger brothers. She also loves her father and mother, although they can be a bit overprotective at times.
Money: She doesn’t care about money. On the farm and in the village most of the commerce is done by trading foods and other supplies. As soon as she set foot outside of Bres, she start to realise the importance of having some medieval cash to accommodate for basic needs like food and shelter.
Profession: She doesn’t have a specific profession. When the raid occurs, she is 12 and hasn’t learn enough about how to run a farmstead. After the training with Brion she embarks on her quest as an lone archer so she mainly moves around in search of means to continue her journey to her native country of Tiboc.
Body structure: She is a young girl/woman and has a lean, slender stature. People perceive her as quite fragile, but her life on the farmstead and the training by Brion made her physically durable. Due to her appearance she can move stealthily and run fast. What she doesn’t have in brute strenght she compensates in her agility and quick manouverability.
Flaws: In the beginning of the game, she is too trusting and quite impressionable. She hasn’t ventured outside her village of Bres, and people can take advantage of her this way. And that is not wise in the medieval world of Lir. She is physically not the strongest, so in hand to hand combat she mostly has to rely on her smarts and her agility and speed. That is why she relies first and utmost in her arching skills, and then in desperate times falls back on her dagger.
Idiosyncracies: First of all, Brenna has a very distinct appearance. She has the lean build of her Eovian father Urard, and on the other hand the dark hair, olive skin and dark eyes of her Tibocian mother Morna. She is also a young woman in a man’s world, trying to survive between thugs, mercenaries and so forth. She relies on her wits and speed, instead of brute strength.
Goals: Before the raid, it was mainly to grow up and one day leave Bres. After the raid this quickly changes. She wants to retrieve her family and avenge her father’s death. Also, when she learns of her royal lineage, at first she doesn’t want any of it. Then, when she sees how Kurmak is holding down the people in Tiboc, she changes her mind and decides next to killing Kurmak, she will take over as a just ruler.
Dreams: As a young girl, she always dreamed about foreign countries and crossing vast seas. She also has a special connection with birds, as these creatures are free to go whenever they please and travel across different lands and seas. Therefore she is also intrigued by nature, animals and the sky at night, with its beautiful moon and stars.
Trauma: Up until age 12, Brenna is brought up as a normal young farmer girl. She is kinda bored by this prospect, dreaming of venturing into the outside world, to dismay of her protective father. When the raid happens, her simple and safe life falls apart. Her father gets killed and her mother and three little brothers are abducted by an army of thugs. With the dying words of her father on her mind, she flees the village and runs as fast as she can to the east coast. She passes out and gets picked up by Brion, unknowingly her grandfather. Brion explains her lineage and who is probably behind this attack on Bres. After she hears of this, she develops a strong hatred for Kurmak and his army and the inhabitants of Tiboc.
Stereotype vs. archetype: She is the typical heroin archetype, pure, innocent and wronged by the main antagonist Kurmak. She has traits of the fierce Amazonian archetype, although she doesn’t start that way. She develops her lethal skills throughout the game, but starts off as a impressionable young woman.
Talent: She is quick on her feet, agile, can move stealthily around and has a considerable arching skill which she develops throughout the game. She also possesses a quick wit, is observant and bright.
Addictions: She hasn’t any physical addictions. No booze, no drugs, nothing of the sort. But as a young kid, she always has adored chasing rabbits.
Character Development Worksheet
Source: N/A
1Q. Are the game’s character(s) primarily art-based or story-based?
Nocturnal: She is not a nightdweller, although she is intrigued by the world at night. She is especially intrigued by the moon and the stars, as she cannot grasp them.
Family: She cares a great deal about her family. Being the oldest of four children, she always felt like she had to watch over her three younger brothers. She also loves her father and mother, although they can be a bit overprotective at times.
Money: She doesn’t care about money. On the farm and in the village most of the commerce is done by trading foods and other supplies. As soon as she set foot outside of Bres, she start to realise the importance of having some medieval cash to accommodate for basic needs like food and shelter.
Profession: She doesn’t have a specific profession. When the raid occurs, she is 12 and hasn’t learn enough about how to run a farmstead. After the training with Brion she embarks on her quest as an lone archer so she mainly moves around in search of means to continue her journey to her native country of Tiboc.
Body structure: She is a young girl/woman and has a lean, slender stature. People perceive her as quite fragile, but her life on the farmstead and the training by Brion made her physically durable. Due to her appearance she can move stealthily and run fast. What she doesn’t have in brute strenght she compensates in her agility and quick manouverability.
Flaws: In the beginning of the game, she is too trusting and quite impressionable. She hasn’t ventured outside her village of Bres, and people can take advantage of her this way. And that is not wise in the medieval world of Lir. She is physically not the strongest, so in hand to hand combat she mostly has to rely on her smarts and her agility and speed. That is why she relies first and utmost in her arching skills, and then in desperate times falls back on her dagger.
Idiosyncracies: First of all, Brenna has a very distinct appearance. She has the lean build of her Eovian father Urard, and on the other hand the dark hair, olive skin and dark eyes of her Tibocian mother Morna. She is also a young woman in a man’s world, trying to survive between thugs, mercenaries and so forth. She relies on her wits and speed, instead of brute strength.
Goals: Before the raid, it was mainly to grow up and one day leave Bres. After the raid this quickly changes. She wants to retrieve her family and avenge her father’s death. Also, when she learns of her royal lineage, at first she doesn’t want any of it. Then, when she sees how Kurmak is holding down the people in Tiboc, she changes her mind and decides next to killing Kurmak, she will take over as a just ruler.
Dreams: As a young girl, she always dreamed about foreign countries and crossing vast seas. She also has a special connection with birds, as these creatures are free to go whenever they please and travel across different lands and seas. Therefore she is also intrigued by nature, animals and the sky at night, with its beautiful moon and stars.
Trauma: Up until age 12, Brenna is brought up as a normal young farmer girl. She is kinda bored by this prospect, dreaming of venturing into the outside world, to dismay of her protective father. When the raid happens, her simple and safe life falls apart. Her father gets killed and her mother and three little brothers are abducted by an army of thugs. With the dying words of her father on her mind, she flees the village and runs as fast as she can to the east coast. She passes out and gets picked up by Brion, unknowingly her grandfather. Brion explains her lineage and who is probably behind this attack on Bres. After she hears of this, she develops a strong hatred for Kurmak and his army and the inhabitants of Tiboc.
Stereotype vs. archetype: She is the typical heroin archetype, pure, innocent and wronged by the main antagonist Kurmak. She has traits of the fierce Amazonian archetype, although she doesn’t start that way. She develops her lethal skills throughout the game, but starts off as a impressionable young woman.
Talent: She is quick on her feet, agile, can move stealthily around and has a considerable arching skill which she develops throughout the game. She also possesses a quick wit, is observant and bright.
Addictions: She hasn’t any physical addictions. No booze, no drugs, nothing of the sort. But as a young kid, she always has adored chasing rabbits.
Character Development Worksheet
Source: N/A
1Q. Are the game’s character(s) primarily art-based or story-based?
1A. The game character Brenna is primarily story-based; the way she looks flows from that.
2Q. What style is your art-based character drawn in: cartoon, comic-book superhero, realistic, gothic, and so on? Will your character be exaggerated in some way: cute, super-sensual, or otherwise?
2A. The character will have two forms;
- Game character - The
game character will have a more realistic approach, with realistic proportions
and anatomy. This character design is aimed at a 3D action adventure game for
the XBOX360 and Playstation3.
- Animation character – The animation character (the same character) will have a more stylized look, appropriate for a 2D animation.
- Animation character – The animation character (the same character) will have a more stylized look, appropriate for a 2D animation.
3Q. Do your art-based characters depend upon visual stereotypes for instant identification, or are they more subtle than that? If they are more subtle, how does their appearance support their role in the game?
3A. For the game character I will use a visual stereotype which can be described as a “light class”, or in different terms a scout/ranger. For the animation character, things are going to be more subtle, focusing on her personality instead of her visual and functional traits.
4Q. Can the player tell by looking at a character how that character is likely to act? Are there reasons in the story or gameplay for wanting a character's behavior to be predictable from his/her appearance, or is there a reason to make the character ambiguous?
4A. When the player will see her in the game, it should be obvious that she is quick on her feet because of her “light”, slender appearance and light class association. Also, she should look determined in fulfilling her journey.
5Q. If the game has an avatar, does the avatar have a sidekick? What does the sidekick offer the player—information, advice, physical assistance? How will the sidekick complement the avatar? How will the player be able to visually distinguish between the two of them at a glance?
5A. In the beginning of the game, you’ll start off alone. During the game you will meet new people who can take with you. These will have different abilities, varying between burly warriors and knowledgeable clerics. They will always bring something different and new to your party, so don’t expect any other “ranger/scout” types. For the animation part, I’m going to focus solely on her, so no sidekicks present there.
6Q. With a story-based character, how will you convey the character's personality and attitudes to the player? Through narration, dialog, gameplay, backstory, or other means?
6A. Brenna’s personality will be conveyed through all the mentioned examples, namely, dialogue options in the game, the narration of the story and the gameplay as a scout/ranger, exploring these vast landscapes. This is all in-game. As a transmedia franchise, the backstory will be told through a separate short 2D animated film, explaining why she went on this journey in the first place, giving more context to the game’s story.
7Q. How does the character's grammar, vocabulary, tone of voice, and speech patterns contribute to the player's understanding of him/her?
7A. Brenna’s tone is primarily determined throughout the game. But, still being a young woman, I don’t want her to sound too “butch”. Before her journey, she never had set a foot outside the Northern Island Kingdom of Eovia. As a child, she never wandered too far off her village Bres as well. So I still want a sense of wonder about her, as she discovers new places and meets new people. But, her main quest is still getting her family back and avenge her father’s death, so that is the main motivator.
8Q. Specifically in the case of avatar characters, what about the avatar will intrigue and interest the player?
8A. She isn’t particularly physically strong, but she is strong in her conviction, and she is very determined to complete her quest. During the game, when she matures thanks to the journey she must take, she will grow from a young, impressionable girl to a confident and strong woman who can hold her own in a world fraught with danger.
9Q. What about the avatar will encourage the player to like him/her?
9A. Of course next to the obvious visual appeal (she is not going to be too ugly, right?), it’s her strong will and determination. Even though the hardship that she has endured during the loss of her parents, I want her to be open-minded and still impressionable. As I stated before, she hasn’t ventured into the outside world yet, and all these new discoveries leave a big impact on her.
10Q. How will the avatar change and grow throughout
the game?
10A. As I mentioned before, she starts off her journey when she is 19. Still a young girl/woman and she hasn’t seen much of the world. Also, at the beginning of the game she is told that she stems from a unique royal lineage. This comes as a big shock at first, especially considering her humble beginnings in Bres. This fact takes some time to sink in her mind, but comes back at her with full force when she first ventures back to her native country, the desert kingdom of Tiboc.
10A. As I mentioned before, she starts off her journey when she is 19. Still a young girl/woman and she hasn’t seen much of the world. Also, at the beginning of the game she is told that she stems from a unique royal lineage. This comes as a big shock at first, especially considering her humble beginnings in Bres. This fact takes some time to sink in her mind, but comes back at her with full force when she first ventures back to her native country, the desert kingdom of Tiboc.
11Q. Does the character (any character, not just the avatar) correspond to one of Campbell's mythic archetypes: the hero, mentor, ally, threshold guardian, and so on? Or does he/she have a less archetypal, more complex role to play, and if so, what is it?
11A. At first sight, Brenna is of course the hero(in) archetype, but because she is a female character she has a different sub archetype; the Amazonian warrior. This due to her weapon of choice; bow and arrow and because she grows during the game into a strong, mature woman. In the animation, she will also be the heroin character, but it will be more subtle, in contrast to the game character where the emphasis lies on character class. In the animation the emphasis will lie on her youthful innocence, before the devastating attack on her village.
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