I have noticed more and more in my writings that my grasp on Evalin has slipped since her creation. Always I envisioned her as cold, in control and unswayable. I have veiwed her has ruthless, but cruel to only an extent. Recently I have seen a different Eva. I have seen an Eva that is little more than a brat, selfish and emotional far beyond anything I have ever wanted. So what does that mean? Well to put it simply I have lost track of who she is as a character. It is time to fix that now.
Now I will put down some traits that will help me guide my views of Evalin. Hopefully this will help me in the future when I find myself seeing an Evalin that I do not wish for.
1) First and for most Evalin is cold. Her eyes hold nothing. No anger, no ambition, no emotions to be seen. From time to time there may be a sense of pride, but never arrogance because she has long since learned the follies of that. She should be detached from this world, seeking to control it from the distance with a calculating mind that does not allow for anything but cold logic to control it.
2) She should never be emotional. She should not be readable, her reactions should not be guessable. She should be stagnant, trapped outside the flow of the world and unmovable by the current from where she stands at the rivers edge.
3) Nothing matters but the goal. People, events, outcomes, reasons, methods, nothing should stand in the way of her ultimate goals.
4) The simplest method should always be taken over long and drawn out ones. To overcomplicate matters is to waste time, and while she is immortal Evalin does not wish to spend century upon century without moving forward with her plans. Do not waste movements, do not squander recourses. Do not take risks. Do not let the actions of others sway you otherwise.
5) People are to be used. There are no friends. There are no allies. Social ties are nooses, nothing more than cords that tighten about ones throat over time. Some resources are meant to be treated better than others, but in the grand scheme of things even the greatest minds of this world are nothing more than stepping stones.
6) When a tool is no longer useful cast it aside. Do not allow sentiments to cloud your view of the past. Do not let the illusion of "friendships" cause you to stumble along your path. Do not allow your tools to know your true views of them. Let them think you are a companion, an ally in the journey, but come the time when their purpose has come and gone be rid of them forever.
7) Do not leave a trail. Do not allow whispers to follow. Leave nothing but ash and stone where you stood. Sever all ties when all tasks at hand are completed. Do not let the threads of tools bind you in place and pull you down into the pit.
8 ) Nothing is worth your life. If retrieving a needed item is within the depths of the darkest pits, send a tool to retrieve it for you. If a friend is a liability do not hesitate to wipe all trace of them out, even if they held some purpose to you still. Your life is all that matters. Your life and the goal. All else can be replaced.
9) Be ruthless. Be cruel, but do not be in excess. If you must kill kill quickly and without hesitation. If you must torture do so in a way that leaves nothing behind. If you cannot be rid of a body mar it beyond recognition. When possible completely dispose of a corpse. Never leave the face in tact. Do not take pleasure in the act of killing. It is a method, a means to an end. Do not let it distract you.
10) Mercy is not weakness, it is a means to an end. Show your cruelty, but from time to time show a goodness, a sense of righteousness. Let others think you can be reasoned with. Let them think you ruthless, but still give hints of a greater good. At times the smallest amount of kindness can bind tighter than any chain.
There you go. 10 rules to help me stay in Eva's character in threads. Hopefully if I run into a difficult situation I can turn to one of these rules and work my way through it. More may come with time, and others might alter slightly. Yes some of them do sound nearly the same, but I promise you they are not.
All in all Evalin is a very dark character. I have never written for someone like her before, and I must admit that at times it is difficult to keep from doing what "I" would do and stick with what "SHE" would do. I really do enjoy this role a lot actually. It gets boring always playing sweet and nice girls and bold and heroic men. Eva is a good change