Hayward the Bastard

 After about an 8 year absence, I returned to Xanodria as a PC (what they call an Adventurer).

I decided a comedic charatcer was in order, so I made a drunken swordsman who had traveled the known world. He basically had an inflated opinion of his sword fighting abilities and his charms with women. Hayward the Bastard was meant to be put in his place rather often and in rather comedic ways. 

He was quickly shanghied by a lunatic wizard named Cassandra and he ended up becoming a wizard himself.  He honestly didn't realize it was happening until it actually happened (because he was drunk at the time)

So now you had a drunken wizard running around trying to make a "Enhance Member" spell so that he can make it even better with the ladies.  Then the game hit that forever changed things.

There was a game where we were supposed to give our character's biggest fears. Hayward really wasn't developed enough to have a greatest fear, but I told the people running that game that I had my own fears about something happening to my children.

So what happened was there was this bad guy named Martin. Martin revealed that Hayward, who had slept across the known world, had fathered a son three years before, and presented the dead child to Hayward.

This sent the character from comedic to tragic faster than Londo Mollari. It was a sudden moment in time that dominated the entire time I have played the character.

Mind you, I have greatly enjoyed this broken character full of depth rather than the shallow comedic character I created.  His interactions have been defined by that moment.  Hayward has become "Papa phisyk" using both magic and mundane means to heal the wounded in Xanodria. While there is a certain sadness to the character, he wears his emotions on his sleeve and that has made for some excellent role play with other people. 

I like the quiet moments. It's part of the reason I enjoy The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.  There are sometimes just conversations on a plane that are just enjoyablke for me to read. IN game, I have had hour and a half plus conversations with people in character.  No skill use.  No combat brewing. Just conversations.  And they have been glorious.