So as many have noticed (and noted), the cast is pretty large! We're talking 11 main characters, 13 if we're counting Pax and Fenix (I usually don't as I consider them a part of Haven, and count all 3 of them as 1). Anyways, I figured I'd state my reasons for it.
1: As this project is to help me develop as a writer, I figured more characters would mean more challenge. While it'll start off rougher, I hope by the end I'll have learned a lot! That's my goal anyways.
2: I really wanted to get more into the tension between Elf and Dwarf and how it's affecting the team as a whole. If I just had 2 Elves and 2 Dwarves though, that dynamic just wouldn't come across the same. As a result, I wanted a larger cast. I settled on 9 characters, 4 Elves and 4 Dwarves. Wait ... you said 11 characters! Yeah, about that ... I had settled on 9, but I came up with a new storyline and that led to Mancer and K'Ulnar. Both were late add-ons, but I liked the story, the dynamic, and their personalities really just came together for me! Out of all the cast, they're possibly two of the easiest for me to write for, though as late add-ons I sometimes forget they exist and forget to include them in scenes (like Chapter 3, Scene 2 ... I forgot all about them until after I posted the scene).
3: Even though it's starting off large, I'll make this declaration now: Not all of the characters will make it to the end of the story. Does that mean they'll be killed off, retire, or leave for some other reason? I'll let the story tell you that as it unfoldds. However, by the end of the story, the cast will be smaller.
As a result of the large cast though, I still struggle with some of the characters. E'Sarinn is probably the main character, if I had to pick one. I really understand him well. However, there will be changes to him, and sometimes it's hard for me to keep who he is now (at the start of the story) separate from where I want to go with him (in the future). As I said with Mancer and K'Ulnar, they just really came together in my mind. H'Dargoyn ... well, I had the basics for him, but he's been coming together better than I expected as a character. I think he's actually my fiance's favorite. Go figure.
You haven't met Z'Xen yet. She's really a more secondary/support character. We'll see more of her in the future (I do have plans for her character), but not sure how much (and since I haven't had to write for her much, I can't tell you how easy or hard her character will be).
In contrast to those, Kendroll is probably one of the hardest for me to write for! I view him as a necessary character. For one, he helps offset Z'Xen (the young dwarf to balance out the young Elf). He'll also help shape events in the future. While I know his story, his personality has never come together for me. I struggle with him. I hope to get that worked out in the future, but no promises. In fact, I was so clueless about him I even started this thread several months back to help me figure it out. After reading Scene 3, this question/thread will make more sense if you know it's Kendroll:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=140267Almost all the characters will play a critical role in one story or another. So I hope you enjoy the cast and bear with its size while you enjoy the ride.