Character NotesConstant Traits+ CreativeIan is, above all, a creator. He is most satisfied, focused, and confident when making something, and feels accomplished when he can exercise his craftsmanship successfully. He’d rather be making than anything else, and the process is sometimes more important to him than the end result. What he makes is art to him, even if others may only see a boat. For Finian, his work must be as beautiful as it is functional, and this is often a source of inner conflict. Not all of what he does can be as lovely as he’d like it to be, and his chosen craft is not something often admired outside of his race.
His creativity also spills into solving problems: he’s a talker, a lover, a fixer, not a fighter. He’d rather come up with a working solution than be forced into violence, though he’s not afraid to step up to such measures if the situation requires such.
- StubbornFinian likes to be right. He’d rather always be right, and when he is actually wrong (which is often enough that it should be humbling), he struggles to admit he’s wrong, to apologize, and to make things right. His stubbornness, tempered with a deep-rooted creative sense of perfectionism, can make Ian quite obstinate. While he somehow manages to keep violence and anger most of the time, he’s not immune to passionate fits of stubborn frustration. Tools have been thrown and lumber has been broken at the height of such dramatic moments.
Despite being raised in a large family and surrounded by a busy enough pod, Finian prefers things his way as often as he can get it. When pushed against the grain, his first response is not to bend but to push back. He can be shaped—persuaded—but immediate compliance to something he doesn’t agree with is not his knee-jerk reaction … ever.
Situational Traits+ PassionateFinian works in one direction: his. When he has an idea, a vision, or a plan, he pursues it until it's end, whether that end is good or bad. When motivated to do something, he does it with a fiery intensity that cannot be doused by any storm. When he enjoys something, he enjoys it fully. When he loves something, he loves it whole-heartedly. When he hates something, he hates it completely. This passion grants Ian a kind of selective focus when it comes to work or play, a narrow beam of concentration on things when it suits his interests. The opposite, however, is also true. If he doesn't feel the desire to do something, he simply cannot bring himself to do it.
- InsecureWhether this seed was always in his heart or not, Ian is not certain. He grew up in a large, hard-working family and was always given something useful to do. He doesn't suffer from feeling incapable so much as never feeling like enough. The roots to this deep insecurity were firmly planted over the years of conflict between himself and his cousin while apprenticing under his father. This insecurity usually manifests itself in a very aggressive form of competitiveness, but can also flare up into something more like inconsolable moodiness, especially when he feels frustrated by a creative project or large task.
Defining gestures/movements (i.e., curling his or her lip when he or she speaks, always keeping his or her eyes on the ground, etc.): Finian always talks with his hands, whether it's in Fratava (where gestures are obviously part of the language) or in Common. In fact, because his Common is not the best, he often relies heavily on using his hands to get his point across when nothing else will do, especially when flustered or otherwise upset. When deep in though, he chews the inside of his cheek. He is also prone to preening his hair when bored.
Things about his or her appearance he or she would most like to change: Ian's rather comfortable in his skin.
Speaking style (fast, talkative, monotone, etc.): Animated, loud, sometimes too fast, but when actually focused on his work, he can be hard to get a word from.
Pet peeves: People touching his unfinished work. People moving or messing with his tools. Being told what to do.
Fondest memory:Something wood-carving related with his grandfather that will most likely be written about in a Flashback. Stay tuned.
Insecurities:Deep down, Ian is rather convinced he'll never be good enough as a shipwright, as an artist, as a Svefra. This is, obviously, not an uncommon insecurity, but it's one that is rather fresh thanks to the conflict with his family that made him decide to leave the Flotilla in the first place (whether Ian's reasons were at all well-founded or not).
Quirks/eccentricities:Ian is creative, and, by nature, eccentric to others who don't share his love of craftsmanship. He can "geek out" over fresh lumber or a particular pattern in wood grain. He will often run his fingers/hands over bar tops or other attractive pieces of wood. He has been known to criticize the design or state of repair of another Svefra's boat, which has not always gone over well.
Temperament (easygoing, easily angered, etc.):Generally easy-going, but he has a tendency to tense up and become difficult under pressure or in the face of opposition.
Things that upset him or her:Sloppiness. Poor craftsmanship. Being wrong. Unfounded criticism (he can handle critique, however).
Things that embarrass him or her: Finally having to admit he was wrong, while not entirely embarrassing, is difficult for Ian. Having grown up with a large number of siblings and a large family in general, there is very little that can embarrass him. Being Svefra and comfortable with his body, he's hardly self-conscious enough to be physically embarrassed, either. Nudity, personal space, and bodily functions have no effect on him. Too much praise of his work can come close to embarrassing him, but it is a very insecure kind of shyness.
This character is highly opinionated about:Boats. Wood. Sailing. Svefra being fantastic people.
Any phobias?Not entirely a phobia, but Ian doesn't actually enjoy being alone for long periods of time, especially out at sea. On land, he's extremely agoraphobic (nothing moves, for Laviku's sake!). He can also be somewhat xenophobic. I mean, who can trust someone who isn't Svefra, anyway?
Things that make him or her happy:Crafting a good boat. Eating a good meal. Listening to a good story. Enjoying a good drink. Having a good tumble between the sheets. Sunsets. Swimming. Fresh wood. Watching a storm on the horizon. New tools.
Family (describe):It's complicated, but he loves them. Ian grew up in the middle of a family of 7, surrounded by cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. He also grew up on the Ancorage Flotilla, which was full of other familial-like Svefra. He's a family guy, even though he felt it necessary to leave that behind and find something of his own.
Other people's opinions of this character (What do people like about this character? I'll come back to this one.What do they dislike about this character?):I'll come back to this one.Favorite foods: Anything edible fresh from the Suvan.
Religion/philosophy of life:I'll come back to this one.Description of his or her house:A casinor, of course. Finian built it with his grandfather, knowing it was his own craft. About 30 feet long,
The Handmade'n is a
cutter rig crafted for sea-worthiness (unlike most casinor). The interior is completely customized and rather different than even most Svefra homes. While the ship can sleep three bodies comfortably (the master berth sleeps two and there's a cozy extra berth toward the head of the ship) and up to five if needed, Finian more or less created a sailing workshop. His galley is tiny, without any formal seating to be found. Instead, storage and workspace are a big part of his small cabin's interior. With more cargo capacity than the average casinor, the sturdy ship can carry tools, spare parts, lumber, and even has a limited amount of room for working on small ship repairs.
Reference
this exterior.
Eventually redraw
this interior so that it actually looks like the inside of Finian's ship (workspace, storage, etc.).
Best thing that has ever happened to this character:I'll come back to this.
Worst thing that has ever happened to this character:I'll come back to this.
Superstitions:I'll come back to this.
Three words to describe this character:Craftsman. Sailor. Friend.
