Main Charactering

[Kim]

So, the story I'm working on. The main character doesn't show up till part 4 of 7, so I have some time to work out the main character. But, being the main character and all, he is rather important, so I want to use that time to it's fullest potential. So here are my thoughts so far...

I think he should be about thirty-three, with a wife and son. He works on a farm that belonged to his father, his father having passed away not too long ago. However, the world has recently become industrialized, and he can't operate on as large of a scale as a lot of the farming companies. He doesn't have the technology, the money to buy said technology, nor enough people to help around the farm.

When he can't pay his taxes, the government seizes his property, sends his wife and son to a government established homeless shelter, that is really more like a prison, and forces him to work at a gem factory. Gem factories are where life and magic are taken from people and put into gems to power all the modern technology. This is what gets him started on his quest to stop the evil government man.

The main character can manipulate water, which isn't really that special, and since he refuses to use gems, knowing where they come from, he's at a real disadvantage.

So... Ideas? Make him stronger? Leave him as is? Make him more disadvantaged?

I'm thinking about having the government try and force him to put his wife and son into gems when he tries to tell people what's going on, but I don't want to kill those two needlessly, and I don't want him on just some revenge quest.

[Marelo]

Hm... To what extent can he manipulate water? Small amounts? Large amounts? How long? How far? With what force? Can he manipulate its temperature?

Depending on the answers to these questions, he could be vastly overpowered or a total pushover. :P

Less specific: Why did you choose water? Is it significant to the story?

How has the government kept the gems' source a secret for so long? I'd have him go around telling people, but have the government discredit him, rather than punish him. A punishment would make it obvious that he was telling the truth. Then, there might be some people who also know the truth, and who seek him out and, well, interact with him as characters, I guess. Or not. Your story, your call. Just some thoughts.

[Kim]

Well, it's using the magic system from that other thread I started a week or so ago I think, so yeah, he can move a lot of water... if he wants to shave years off his life. I chose water not for a story related reason, just had to give him a kind of magic since everyone has it. I mostly chose water rather than any other because water is thought of as a bringer of life, and he is a farmer.

It has been kept a secret for so long by the fact that the government controls the press, and the people being used are from foreign countries the kingdom has conquered.

Yeah, that makes sense to have them discredit him rather than punish him. I think I'll go with that.

[Marelo]

I looked back 45 days and found no such thread :P

[Kim]

I put it in the wrong sub-forum is why. I was used to that sub-forum being posted for shit you made, be it story or art, and this sub-forum for talking about other people's shit, or at least, that is how I understood it. Anywho... Here.

[Marelo]

I see.

Well, how much life, hypothetically, would it cost him to freeze a tiny droplet of moisture and propel it at high velocities for use as a weapon? What about using a tiny, paper-thin stream of water to cut people in half, or, heck, just rip them in half with the water in their own bodies?

I don't imagine it would take much energy to simply stop someone's blood from reaching his/her brain.

[Kim]

I was thinking of putting a requirement of physical contact or the magic starting from the user. Can't manipulate the water in the person without physically touching them sort of thing. Touching their armor or clothes does not count as touching them either. I dunno, I have been worrying that my magic system needs some balancing, but I don't really know how to go about such a thing without essentially making everyone and their dog overpowered.

[Marelo]

I was thinking perhaps that certain things require more concentration than others. Like, manipulating exceptionally small or large things requires a lot more concentration than a medium amount?

It would be a sort of flexible limitation, allowing you to adjust the magic to the story, rather than the other way around. Don't think he should win a certain fight? Drop a few distractions in, and he can't concentrate hard enough.

[Kim]

Good idea! In fact, it's so good, I'll say it was all mine!

Okay, not really. That'd be rude. Thanks for the help.

[Marelo]

No problem