Post-5th edition Shadowrun story in the works.

[Nolatari]

So, I have been working on a Shadowrun story that begins in the year 2090 (so after all of the 5th ed stuff). The plot focuses on a 17 year old elf named Maisie, who finds out her father is a dragon (after digging through both Shadowrun and Earthdawn lore, I found that this is a thing that can happen, but only between a male dragon and a female elf, but doesn't happen very often at all. Like, once every several thousand years kind of rare). Her existence sparks an all-out war between Lofwyr and Alamais (who is crazed after faking his death for a second time using blood magic. His "death" occurs in 2074 according to Shadowrun lore, and he spends thee years between then and 2090 infiltrating S-K to rip the rug out from under his brother and finds out about Maisie's existence after taking revenge on the shadowrunner who "killed" him).

 

Most of the big players get involved. Hestaby, Harlequin, Aden, Ehran the Scribe, Celedyr, Sean Laverty, Kaltenstein, Jane Foster, Rhonabwy, Aithne Oakforest (only makes a breif appearance at the end), Schwartzkopf, Nadja Daviar, and even Feuerschwinge. 

 

The story ends with Alamais being imprisoned for life, Lofwyr getting the S-K Arcology back under his control and regaining possession of the Jewel of Memory, and Maisie being gifted a private estate in Tir Tairngire and a seat on the Council of Princes. 

 

There's a lot more too it, but I don't want to spoil the whole thing before it's finished. Any tips, suggestions, or advice?

[Inarah]

That sounds like an awful lot for one story. 

[Nolatari]

That sounds like an awful lot for one story. 

It's actually not as much as it sounds. There's quite a bit of backstory that is explained in dialogue, but the story mainly focuses on Maisie coming to terms with what she is and coping with the death of her street adopted dad (who's death kickstarts the plot) at the very formative and vulnerable age of 17, her, her team, and several of the big dogs of the SR universe helping Lofwyr get S-K back and stop Alamais once and for all. This is a novel-length story, so I can actually fit in quite a bit. The hardest part for me so far is keeping true to the lore, while also creating new lore that doesn't contradict what is already established as canon. 

 

It's a lot to juggle, but I like how it's turning out so far.

[PingosHusband]

Let me start by saying that I'm a writer and I've been where you are.

 

The way you're talking about your main character makes her sound Mary Sueish:  Half Dragon / Half Elf whose existence sets the world afire, dragons in all the big players, and who ends up with a lot of goodies. 

 

There's always a temptation when you're writing in someone else's world to drag in everything that sounds cool and anchor it on what you are bringing in of your own creation.  Lots of fanfic writing works like this, but restraint is often better.

 

Your Main Character is bringing a point of view and experiences to a world that is well known to your readers, so what makes this view and experience interesting and fresh? 

 

What are you bringing to the Shadowrun world that will intrigue people who have likely themselves walked through that world and messed around in it? 

 

What aspects of the world are you going to elaborate and present to the readers?  Whatever aspects those are need to both make sense to the readers and be made interesting by a new light.

 

What interpretations are you laying out for the canon characters and how will those fit into or challenge the standard views presented in books and adventures?

Will your readers look at the changes you are bringing to the world and see them as a reasonable evolution of canon or has a particular writer's intrusion into an otherwise working environment?

[Nolatari]

Let me start by saying that I'm a writer and I've been where you are.

 

The way you're talking about your main character makes her sound Mary Sueish:  Half Dragon / Half Elf whose existence sets the world afire, dragons in all the big players, and who ends up with a lot of goodies. 

 

There's always a temptation when you're writing in someone else's world to drag in everything that sounds cool and anchor it on what you are bringing in of your own creation.  Lots of fanfic writing works like this, but restraint is often better.

 

Your Main Character is bringing a point of view and experiences to a world that is well known to your readers, so what makes this view and experience interesting and fresh? 

 

What are you bringing to the Shadowrun world that will intrigue people who have likely themselves walked through that world and messed around in it? 

 

What aspects of the world are you going to elaborate and present to the readers?  Whatever aspects those are need to both make sense to the readers and be made interesting by a new light.

 

What interpretations are you laying out for the canon characters and how will those fit into or challenge the standard views presented in books and adventures?

Will your readers look at the changes you are bringing to the world and see them as a reasonable evolution of canon or has a particular writer's intrusion into an otherwise working environment?

I'll admit that that Maisie walks the border between ok and mary sue, but has so far managed to pass the litmus test.

 

All of the currently living immortal elves are descendants of elves who mated with dragons back during the first and second worlds, so it used to be a lot more common. It only became taboo after the immortal elves rebelled against the dragons. Maisie's existence also shows that magic levels in the world are getting close to their peak. That's why some want her dead, and other know that dragons and immortal elves are the only ones who can go toe-to-toe with the Horrors and win. The Horrors will be showing up relatively soon, so they can't afford to lose someone who can help in the fight. 

 

Shadowrun is known for having almost solely self-interested characters. Everyone is in it for themselves. Maisie still has that youthful desire to save the world, but is too naive to understand how the world actually works. She fights to the death to protect people, and that makes her both incredibly powerful, but also very vulnerable. She's a bleeding heart, and it costs her dearly. 

 

People have been asking for a new immortal or a new dragon for a while, as well as more crossover into the Earthdawn universe as the magic levels get higher. I give them that. 

 

Magic. It's a very complex system in the Shadowrun universe. I make it more refined and easier to understand in my story. 

 

Harlequin and Lofwyr both show a more caring/merciful side. The ordeals with Aina Dupree and Feuerschwinge show that neither of them are heartless, but they have to be tough and distant in order to survive in such a harsh world. This is a rarely-seen side of them. 

 

I hope they see it as an evolution of canon, since everyone involved starts to focus on how to defeat the horrors when they arrive, and less on bickering with each other. 

Edited June 10, 2016 by Nolatari

[Kheprera]

Let me start by saying that I'm a writer and I've been where you are.

 

The way you're talking about your main character makes her sound Mary Sueish:  Half Dragon / Half Elf whose existence sets the world afire, dragons in all the big players, and who ends up with a lot of goodies. 

 

There's always a temptation when you're writing in someone else's world to drag in everything that sounds cool and anchor it on what you are bringing in of your own creation.  Lots of fanfic writing works like this, but restraint is often better.

 

Your Main Character is bringing a point of view and experiences to a world that is well known to your readers, so what makes this view and experience interesting and fresh? 

 

What are you bringing to the Shadowrun world that will intrigue people who have likely themselves walked through that world and messed around in it? 

 

What aspects of the world are you going to elaborate and present to the readers?  Whatever aspects those are need to both make sense to the readers and be made interesting by a new light.

 

What interpretations are you laying out for the canon characters and how will those fit into or challenge the standard views presented in books and adventures?

Will your readers look at the changes you are bringing to the world and see them as a reasonable evolution of canon or has a particular writer's intrusion into an otherwise working environment?

 

I cannot support the above statement enough.

 

I first read this and have been wracking my brain in how to say something constructive and helpful that doesn't come across as knocking your idea down. I don't want to do that.

 

When you are writing something like this set in a very well known setting, using big names as main parts of your plot (instead of cameos) can be detrimental. Writing them without knowing the proper "voice" will be especially difficult.

 

Also, I can tell you now, having a half-dragon/half-elf "look at meeeee" type of character is, as stated, very Mary Sueish and will garner the derision of many of the older Shadowrun community. Twenty years ago half-dragon/half-elves were derided and made fun of then by people writing or heavily involved in Shadowrun, and the same can likely be said now.

 

Instead, make up your own NPC characters. Your own organizations, cults, gangs, companies. You can then own their voice and decide how they act.

 

However, if you are writing this only for yourself with no intention of others reading it, completely disregard and have fun with it.

[Nolatari]

 

Let me start by saying that I'm a writer and I've been where you are.

 

The way you're talking about your main character makes her sound Mary Sueish:  Half Dragon / Half Elf whose existence sets the world afire, dragons in all the big players, and who ends up with a lot of goodies. 

 

There's always a temptation when you're writing in someone else's world to drag in everything that sounds cool and anchor it on what you are bringing in of your own creation.  Lots of fanfic writing works like this, but restraint is often better.

 

Your Main Character is bringing a point of view and experiences to a world that is well known to your readers, so what makes this view and experience interesting and fresh? 

 

What are you bringing to the Shadowrun world that will intrigue people who have likely themselves walked through that world and messed around in it? 

 

What aspects of the world are you going to elaborate and present to the readers?  Whatever aspects those are need to both make sense to the readers and be made interesting by a new light.

 

What interpretations are you laying out for the canon characters and how will those fit into or challenge the standard views presented in books and adventures?

Will your readers look at the changes you are bringing to the world and see them as a reasonable evolution of canon or has a particular writer's intrusion into an otherwise working environment?

 

I cannot support the above statement enough.

 

I first read this and have been wracking my brain in how to say something constructive and helpful that doesn't come across as knocking your idea down. I don't want to do that.

 

When you are writing something like this set in a very well known setting, using big names as main parts of your plot (instead of cameos) can be detrimental. Writing them without knowing the proper "voice" will be especially difficult.

 

Also, I can tell you now, having a half-dragon/half-elf "look at meeeee" type of character is, as stated, very Mary Sueish and will garner the derision of many of the older Shadowrun community. Twenty years ago half-dragon/half-elves were derided and made fun of then by people writing or heavily involved in Shadowrun, and the same can likely be said now.

 

Instead, make up your own NPC characters. Your own organizations, cults, gangs, companies. You can then own their voice and decide how they act.

 

However, if you are writing this only for yourself with no intention of others reading it, completely disregard and have fun with it.

 

I've created several new characters for the story that play a huge role (they're basically Maisie's family). Greg, Sam, Mod, Nip, Pip, and Jack. 

 

Maisie is definitely not a "look at me" type. She wants justice for her dad's murder, but would otherwise like to simply disappear. She's lived her whole life in the shadows, so being suddenly thrust into the limelight is extremely uncomfortable for her. After the dust settles, she pretty much goes into hiding. She acts exactly how any other traumatized 17 year old would react. The only real advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being really hard to kill, but even that is bittersweet for her. She ends up leaning heavily on Ehran and Sean Laverty for support and guidance. She may be immortal, but she's still a child who was just forced to grow up way to fast and has a lot of mental health problems as a result. Lofwyr feels at least a little guilty for what she had to go through, but there's exactly nothing he can do to help other than ensure she lives the rest of her days in comfort. 

[Nolatari]

I took great care to not Mary Sue the heck out of Maisie. She's not any more powerful than any other magician her age, she doesn't have a sudden flash of god-like power at just the right moment. Literally the only advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being immune to age, disease, poisons, and pathogens, and even that is a very bittersweet perk given that she'll watch every member of the only family she's ever known wither and die, and she'll suffer from some pretty major PTSD for the foreseeable future. She has a LOT of trouble coping with everything. She never loses her heart of gold, but over time slowly gets closer and closer to Aina Dupree levels of unstable and eccentric. 

 

I don't know why this is all highlighted.

[TGP]

I took great care to not Mary Sue the heck out of Maisie. She's not any more powerful than any other magician her age, she doesn't have a sudden flash of god-like power at just the right moment. Literally the only advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being immune to age, disease, poisons, and pathogens, and even that is a very bittersweet perk given that she'll watch every member of the only family she's ever known wither and die, and she'll suffer from some pretty major PTSD for the foreseeable future. She has a LOT of trouble coping with everything. She never loses her heart of gold, but over time slowly gets closer and closer to Aina Dupree levels of unstable and eccentric. 

 

I don't know why this is all highlighted.

 

The text ^ acquired background tags somehow. RGB "ff ff ff" is pure white; "ee ee ee" is backed down a little from white.

[PingosHusband]

I took great care to not Mary Sue the heck out of Maisie. She's not any more powerful than any other magician her age, she doesn't have a sudden flash of god-like power at just the right moment. Literally the only advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being immune to age, disease, poisons, and pathogens, and even that is a very bittersweet perk given that she'll watch every member of the only family she's ever known wither and die, and she'll suffer from some pretty major PTSD for the foreseeable future. She has a LOT of trouble coping with everything. She never loses her heart of gold, but over time slowly gets closer and closer to Aina Dupree levels of unstable and eccentric. 

 

I don't know why this is all highlighted.

Mary Sue is not found in her power level, but in her excessive importance.  A Damsel in Distress can be a Mary Sue, if everyone thinks she is the most important thing in the world.  Your character is throwing the world into chaos just from existing, not from anything she's done.

 

The angst you are describing for your character ('oh, what a tragedy that I will join the immortals while these I love are to be lost to dust and ashes, what a cruelty is the Sixth World' sort of thing) is a classic Mary Sue kind of thing. 

 

Just by way of example of the kind of problems that you can have diving into canon, you describe Lofwyr as feeling guilty.  My reaction to that is "Lofwyr, feel guilty?"  what?  From my perspective as a long time Shadowrun player you're already bending the canon character's past the breaking point and that's just from a chance comment.

[Nolatari]

 

I took great care to not Mary Sue the heck out of Maisie. She's not any more powerful than any other magician her age, she doesn't have a sudden flash of god-like power at just the right moment. Literally the only advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being immune to age, disease, poisons, and pathogens, and even that is a very bittersweet perk given that she'll watch every member of the only family she's ever known wither and die, and she'll suffer from some pretty major PTSD for the foreseeable future. She has a LOT of trouble coping with everything. She never loses her heart of gold, but over time slowly gets closer and closer to Aina Dupree levels of unstable and eccentric. 

 

I don't know why this is all highlighted.

Mary Sue is not found in her power level, but in her excessive importance.  A Damsel in Distress can be a Mary Sue, if everyone thinks she is the most important thing in the world.  Your character is throwing the world into chaos just from existing, not from anything she's done.

 

The angst you are describing for your character ('oh, what a tragedy that I will join the immortals while these I love are to be lost to dust and ashes, what a cruelty is the Sixth World' sort of thing) is a classic Mary Sue kind of thing. 

 

Just by way of example of the kind of problems that you can have diving into canon, you describe Lofwyr as feeling guilty.  My reaction to that is "Lofwyr, feel guilty?"  what?  From my perspective as a long time Shadowrun player you're already bending the canon character's past the breaking point and that's just from a chance comment.

 

I guess "guilty" would be the wrong word. Responsible, perhaps? Saying he cares about her might be going too far, but he wouldn't want her dead. The backlash from the other immortals would be massive. That said, all of the characters are still open to change, as I've only just started my first draft. Right now I'm just getting the idea out. I'm not trying to Mary Sue Maisie, but instead make her personality realistic. Any advice would be welcome.

[PingosHusband]

 

 

I took great care to not Mary Sue the heck out of Maisie. She's not any more powerful than any other magician her age, she doesn't have a sudden flash of god-like power at just the right moment. Literally the only advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being immune to age, disease, poisons, and pathogens, and even that is a very bittersweet perk given that she'll watch every member of the only family she's ever known wither and die, and she'll suffer from some pretty major PTSD for the foreseeable future. She has a LOT of trouble coping with everything. She never loses her heart of gold, but over time slowly gets closer and closer to Aina Dupree levels of unstable and eccentric. 

 

I don't know why this is all highlighted.

Mary Sue is not found in her power level, but in her excessive importance.  A Damsel in Distress can be a Mary Sue, if everyone thinks she is the most important thing in the world.  Your character is throwing the world into chaos just from existing, not from anything she's done.

 

The angst you are describing for your character ('oh, what a tragedy that I will join the immortals while these I love are to be lost to dust and ashes, what a cruelty is the Sixth World' sort of thing) is a classic Mary Sue kind of thing. 

 

Just by way of example of the kind of problems that you can have diving into canon, you describe Lofwyr as feeling guilty.  My reaction to that is "Lofwyr, feel guilty?"  what?  From my perspective as a long time Shadowrun player you're already bending the canon character's past the breaking point and that's just from a chance comment.

 

I guess "guilty" would be the wrong word. Responsible, perhaps? Saying he cares about her might be going too far, but he wouldn't want her dead. The backlash from the other immortals would be massive. That said, all of the characters are still open to change, as I've only just started my first draft. Right now I'm just getting the idea out. I'm not trying to Mary Sue Maisie, but instead make her personality realistic. Any advice would be welcome.

 

 

The best way to make a character realistic is from the inside.  Begin with how she thinks.  This does not mean what does she think about, but how does she think?  What ways of thinking is she good at and which are difficult for her.  How easy is it for her to shift perspectives?  How easy is it for her to put herself in someone else's place.  Move on to what interests her.  What things does she like to do?  What activities get her mind going?  What is she utterly indifferent to? What does she find beautiful and interesting?  What's boring?  Does she have an easy or hard time sharing in the activities of others and if so which others and what activities?

 

She's presumably magically active, so how does the astral look to her?  What spirits does she interact with on a regular basis?  Does she prefer being in her body or flying in the Astral?  Does she spend much time in the Matrix and, if so, what does she do there?

 

Who are her friends?  Who would she like to be friends with?  Who can she relate to and who can relate to her?

 

What are her other senses like?  What affects does her draconic heritage have on her thinking, her senses, her body, her mind, her astral body, etc?

 

What schooling or training has she had?  Who were her teachers and fellow students?  How did she get along with them?

 

How well known is her status?  Have people been trying to manipulate her or kill her since she was a baby or is this recently discovered?

 

Work out her background on a personal level until you have a good feel for her. You know you have a character properly constructed when the character goes its own way in your mind regardless of how you want the plot to go.

[Nolatari]

 

 

 

I took great care to not Mary Sue the heck out of Maisie. She's not any more powerful than any other magician her age, she doesn't have a sudden flash of god-like power at just the right moment. Literally the only advantage being dragon-blooded gives her is being immune to age, disease, poisons, and pathogens, and even that is a very bittersweet perk given that she'll watch every member of the only family she's ever known wither and die, and she'll suffer from some pretty major PTSD for the foreseeable future. She has a LOT of trouble coping with everything. She never loses her heart of gold, but over time slowly gets closer and closer to Aina Dupree levels of unstable and eccentric. 

 

I don't know why this is all highlighted.

Mary Sue is not found in her power level, but in her excessive importance.  A Damsel in Distress can be a Mary Sue, if everyone thinks she is the most important thing in the world.  Your character is throwing the world into chaos just from existing, not from anything she's done.

 

The angst you are describing for your character ('oh, what a tragedy that I will join the immortals while these I love are to be lost to dust and ashes, what a cruelty is the Sixth World' sort of thing) is a classic Mary Sue kind of thing. 

 

Just by way of example of the kind of problems that you can have diving into canon, you describe Lofwyr as feeling guilty.  My reaction to that is "Lofwyr, feel guilty?"  what?  From my perspective as a long time Shadowrun player you're already bending the canon character's past the breaking point and that's just from a chance comment.

 

I guess "guilty" would be the wrong word. Responsible, perhaps? Saying he cares about her might be going too far, but he wouldn't want her dead. The backlash from the other immortals would be massive. That said, all of the characters are still open to change, as I've only just started my first draft. Right now I'm just getting the idea out. I'm not trying to Mary Sue Maisie, but instead make her personality realistic. Any advice would be welcome.

 

 

The best way to make a character realistic is from the inside.  Begin with how she thinks.  This does not mean what does she think about, but how does she think?  What ways of thinking is she good at and which are difficult for her.  How easy is it for her to shift perspectives?  How easy is it for her to put herself in someone else's place.  Move on to what interests her.  What things does she like to do?  What activities get her mind going?  What is she utterly indifferent to? What does she find beautiful and interesting?  What's boring?  Does she have an easy or hard time sharing in the activities of others and if so which others and what activities?

 

She's presumably magically active, so how does the astral look to her?  What spirits does she interact with on a regular basis?  Does she prefer being in her body or flying in the Astral?  Does she spend much time in the Matrix and, if so, what does she do there?

 

Who are her friends?  Who would she like to be friends with?  Who can she relate to and who can relate to her?

 

What are her other senses like?  What affects does her draconic heritage have on her thinking, her senses, her body, her mind, her astral body, etc?

 

What schooling or training has she had?  Who were her teachers and fellow students?  How did she get along with them?

 

How well known is her status?  Have people been trying to manipulate her or kill her since she was a baby or is this recently discovered?

 

Work out her background on a personal level until you have a good feel for her. You know you have a character properly constructed when the character goes its own way in your mind regardless of how you want the plot to go.

 

I'll try to answer these in order. Forgive me if I mix them up or accidentally skip one.

 

She's pretty stubborn, but empathetic. She reads a LOT, practices magic, cares for the stray animals in the area (a quality she picked up from Nip), and tormenting her dad, Greg. She has a slight fear of guns, and finds the care and maintenance of weaponry to be tedious and mind-numbing. She shares her love of reading with Jack, and actually taught him how to read. 

 

She doesn't spend much time on the astral plane or interacting with spirits unless Nip is with her.She still prefers her own body, and spends virtually no time in the Matrix except to communicate with others. She has no implants or bioware whatsoever, not even a datajack. She has a commlink, but that's it.

 

She's friends with all of her "family". Greg, Sam, Mod, Nip, Pip, and Jack. She also becomes friends with Hestaby, and eventually, Ehran. She would like to be friends with Harlequin, as she finds his mercurial and unpredictable behavior fascinating. She wants to understand not just who he is, but what made him that way. She also ends up on good terms with Sean Laverty. She's civil with most of the dragons, but has a lot of anger towards Lofwyr and anyone who took Alamais' side. 

 

Her draconic heritage gives her more strength (physically and mentally) than she realizes, and she can use slightly more magic than normal before feeling the effects of drain. Only visibly odd thing about her is her gold eyes, but most people wrote it off as a SURGE trait or something similar. She's also just as stubborn as any dragon, and is very sentimental. She has a small "hoard" of her own, which consists mostly of shiny and/or strange baubles. Her favorite place to be in in the attic of Pip's home, and that is where she stores her little hoard. She even has Mod's old datajack from when he upgraded, and Greg's old dog tags. Her astral body has a bright gold aura, but one of the first things Nip taught her was how to mask it to avoid drawing unwanted attention. She speaks English, German (she was raised in Berlin), and a tiny bit of Japanese thanks to Mod (hello, goodbye, etc.). She has a knack for learning languages, and eventually picks up Sperethiel under Ehran's tutelage. She's also able to communicate with the dragons telepathically, just like the dragons communicate with each other. 

 

Being SIN-less, she's had no formal education, but Nip trains her in magic and taught her to read, and Mod tutors her in everything else (math, science, etc). She loves Nip like an uncle, and Mod like an older brother. Mod's nickname for her is Imouto (Japanese for little sister). 

 

Alamais and the men he sent to kill her mother are the only ones who knew about her, but they all believed her to be dead. Alamais' goons made the mistake of leaving her to die of exposure in a back alley instead of actually killing her, and Greg found her. Neither Greg nor anyone else ever knew who she really was. They all assumed her bio parents chipped out/got high/etc and wandered off. Not even Lofwyr was aware of her existence.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Nolatari

[Nolatari]

Here's descriptions of all the characters I made for the story.

 

Gregor (Greg) MacLellan - 

Age: 48

Race: Troll

Birthplace: Aberdeen City, Scotland

Archetype: Gunner

Personality: Gruff and firm, but also fair and kind. Very protective of his street adopted daughter, Maisie.

Other info: Kicked out of home after goblinizing into a Troll at age 13. Moved to Washington, UCAS where he was raised by Mothers of Metahumans. Former UCAS Marine. Lost his right arm protecting a high-ranking UCAS polititian, and was gifted a cybernetic replacement after his honorable discharge. Turned to Shadowrunning after Sam found him drunk and half-dead on the streets. Relocated to Berlin in 2072.

 

Maisie - 

Age: 17

Race: Elf

Birthplace: Unknown, found by Greg as a baby in Berlin

Archetype: Magician with a strong Shamanic lean

Personality: Highly intelligent, curious, stubborn, loving, and protective. Loves her street adopted dad Greg dearly.

Other info: SIN-less, abandoned as a newborn, dragon-blooded.

 

Nip - 

Age: 35

Race: Human

Birthplace: Unknown

Archetype: Cat shaman

Personality: Humorous, intelligent, and slightly crazy.

Other info: Maisie's mentor in magic.

 

Mod AKA Tatsuo Mashinnisundeimasu (had his last name legally changed to that after receiving his PhD) - 

Age: 77

Race: Elf

Birthplace: Kyoto, Japanese Imperial State

Archetype: Decker/Hacker

Personality: Highly intelligent, loves tech, cares for his teammates, nerdy. 

Other Info: Possesses a PhD in Computer Science, tutored Maisie in math, science, and most other subjects.

 

Jack Ryan - 

Age: 47

Race: Dwarf

Birthplace: Tir na nOg 

Archetype: Rigger

Personality: Gleefully insane, drinks heavily.

Other Info: Not much is known about his past. Greg and Sam saved him from getting killed in a bar fight. Gets angry when asked about his past.

 

Samson "Sam" Garcia - 

Age: 46

Race: Human

Birthplace: Boston, UCAS

Archetype: Adept

Personality: Quite, reserved, honest, prone to fits of anger. 

Other Info: Served alongside Greg in the Marines. Sought him out after his general discharge, and the pair turned to Shadowrunning together.

 

Pip -

Age: Same as her fraternal twin, Nip

Race: Ork (she goblinized at puberty, but Nip remained human)

Birthplace: Unknown

Archetype: Dog shaman

Personality: Both the equal and opposite of Nip. Very loyal and loving. 

Other info: Exchanged playful flirts with Greg, but it never evolved into anything serious. Not actually a member of the team, but runs an underground safehouse for runners who need to lay low for a while. Maisie calls her "Mama Pip".

Edited June 12, 2016 by Nolatari

[PingosHusband]

To clarify.  The questions I posted weren't meant to be answered directly.  They're more in the way of things to muse about in order for you to help the character come to life in your own mind. 

 

Another way to help flesh things out is to consider the other characters from their own perspectives.  One of the few rules of thumb in writing that actually works is that everyone is the hero of their own story.  So for each of the other characters you've listed (not to mention all the various canon characters) try to get inside their heads and examine the situations from their perspectives.  Do this not just at the beginning but for each and every scene in your story.  See how it looks for each person involved.  Once you can do this their actions will flow naturally.

 

This is very important.  Readers can tell when character actions are forced or twisted.  They can also see when one character is nothing but a prop for other characters.

 

Also consider what each of the characters is trying to do with their lives and/or for the lives of others.  Remember as well that what we think of as character traits (e.g. Humorous, intelligent, and slightly crazy.) are consequences of how their minds work and of their life experiences.  They are not directly the causes of actions, but the developed manners of action that arose from basic ways of thinking.

 

Dig into their minds until you can look out through their eyes.  You'll be able to tell when you've done this once each of them is passing through the events of your story on their own arcs that begin at their births and end past their deaths.  From a character writing perspective a story is a rope of threads that tie together for a time then ravel back to individual lives.

Edited June 13, 2016 by PingosHusband