![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
CHARACTER SURVEY
CHARACTER SURVEY
Because one of the goals of Kenos is to give characters unique, compelling reasons to both show loyalty to their faction and to question it, it’s helpful to get to know them better! While filling out this survey isn’t required, it’s highly recommended! How else can we effectively torment or reward your blorbo if we don’t know what they hate/love? ♥
Just fill out the survey below and post it to this entry! We recommend commenting in such a way that you'll be able to come back and update this survey throughout the game. As their desires change, this survey can evolve!
Series: Self-Explanatory!
Wiki Link: If one exists, put a wiki link for your character here
THE GOOD
How far would they go to accomplish their goals or fulfill their desires? Do they have lines they wouldn't cross?
In as little or as much detail as you want.
What is something they treasure?
Or someone. This can be something material like a precious heirloom, or can be more vague like "honesty".
What do they consider to be their best or most positive qualities?
In as little or as much detail as you want. You may also consider adding what others percieve them to be if the character is particularly self-loathing.
What is this character's best memory?
In as little or as much detail as you want. You can also link to scene(s) in canon if you want and are able.
Is there anyone they have highly positive feelings towards?
If so, describe them, link to wiki pages, say if it's another character or NPC in the game, etc.
THE BAD
What could or would tempt your character to compromise their principles?
In as little or as much detail as you want.
What do they desire above all else?
In as little or as much detail as you want. This can be something material like a MacGuffin from their canon, or can be more general like "world domination".
What are their biggest fear and/or insecurities?
In as little or as much detail as you want.
What is this character's worst memory?
In as little or as much detail as you want. You can also link to scene(s) in canon if you want and are able.
Is there anyone they have highly negative feelings towards?
If so, describe them, link to wiki pages, say if it's another character or NPC in the game, etc.
THE ET CETERA
What kinds of gifts does your character like?
Do they like chocolates? Flowers? A new car with a big red bow?
What item(s) would your character be pleased to receive as a reward?
Special weapons, a precious trinket, etc. List as many things as you want here, since this a pool where "free" AC rewards will be pulled from. Bold any that are particularly notable to the character or that you, the player, want OOC
What item(s) would your character never ask for, but you, the player, would want to give them?
If applicable. This is a free-for-all section for joke items.
OOC, what are your goals with this character? What would you enjoy seeing them getting involved in or would enjoy as a potential character arc?
Does your character strongly believe in one of the faction's promises? Did they get involved in a plot that they're now very invested in pushing to completion? Do you want a corruption arc for them? Or do they just want to become the newest local druglord? While not required, we strongly recommend giving this section thought, since this can be a helpful way for the mods to give you more customized AC Rewards, plot hooks, etc.
Just fill out the survey below and post it to this entry! We recommend commenting in such a way that you'll be able to come back and update this survey throughout the game. As their desires change, this survey can evolve!
SURVEY
Character Name(s): Include all names they've gone bySeries: Self-Explanatory!
Wiki Link: If one exists, put a wiki link for your character here
THE GOOD
How far would they go to accomplish their goals or fulfill their desires? Do they have lines they wouldn't cross?
In as little or as much detail as you want.
What is something they treasure?
Or someone. This can be something material like a precious heirloom, or can be more vague like "honesty".
What do they consider to be their best or most positive qualities?
In as little or as much detail as you want. You may also consider adding what others percieve them to be if the character is particularly self-loathing.
What is this character's best memory?
In as little or as much detail as you want. You can also link to scene(s) in canon if you want and are able.
Is there anyone they have highly positive feelings towards?
If so, describe them, link to wiki pages, say if it's another character or NPC in the game, etc.
THE BAD
What could or would tempt your character to compromise their principles?
In as little or as much detail as you want.
What do they desire above all else?
In as little or as much detail as you want. This can be something material like a MacGuffin from their canon, or can be more general like "world domination".
What are their biggest fear and/or insecurities?
In as little or as much detail as you want.
What is this character's worst memory?
In as little or as much detail as you want. You can also link to scene(s) in canon if you want and are able.
Is there anyone they have highly negative feelings towards?
If so, describe them, link to wiki pages, say if it's another character or NPC in the game, etc.
THE ET CETERA
What kinds of gifts does your character like?
Do they like chocolates? Flowers? A new car with a big red bow?
What item(s) would your character be pleased to receive as a reward?
Special weapons, a precious trinket, etc. List as many things as you want here, since this a pool where "free" AC rewards will be pulled from. Bold any that are particularly notable to the character or that you, the player, want OOC
What item(s) would your character never ask for, but you, the player, would want to give them?
If applicable. This is a free-for-all section for joke items.
OOC, what are your goals with this character? What would you enjoy seeing them getting involved in or would enjoy as a potential character arc?
Does your character strongly believe in one of the faction's promises? Did they get involved in a plot that they're now very invested in pushing to completion? Do you want a corruption arc for them? Or do they just want to become the newest local druglord? While not required, we strongly recommend giving this section thought, since this can be a helpful way for the mods to give you more customized AC Rewards, plot hooks, etc.
link
Series: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Wiki Link: Here (both the Breath of the Wild section and the Tears of the Kingdom section)
LAST UPDATE: 1/11/24
THE GOOD
How far would they go to accomplish their goals or fulfill their desires? Do they have lines they wouldn't cross?
Link is courageous to an almost inhuman degree and is willing to put himself in just about any variety of extreme danger if it's necessary to save someone or achieve his goals. There is no physical danger that he is truly afraid of; if he turns down something risky, it would be because he doesn't think he can actually do it or because the benefits aren't worth it, not because he'd be too scared to try if he believed otherwise. Go fight that monster that's probably going to turn him into strawberry jelly? Sure! Just give him a second to formulate a plan and off he goes.
This stems from a very deep part of Link's identity as the destined "Hero" and very possibly his connection to the Triforce of Courage, an ancient relic from Hyrule's past that attaches itself to the person most worthy of having it. While Link doesn't have his object in BotW/TotK or in Kenos, the connection he has to it in other games is pretty strong proof of just how fearless he is.
But it comes from another facet of who Link inherently is as a person, too, and that's his lingering sense of failure and survivor's guilt. Not only is he someone willing to put himself in harm's way, he's someone who feels duty-bound to do so. It's his job to be the Hero and protect others, and he's already failed at that twice already — once a hundred years ago, which trigger an apocalypse, and again more recently, when he was unable to deal with Ganondorf immediately upon finding him under Hyrule Castle.
With all that said... he does still have some sense of self-preservation — he can't exactly fulfill his destiny of protecting others and saving Hyrule if he goes and gets himself killed! (Again!) So as noted above, his willingness to put himself at great risk of death is still subject to a risk-reward analysis. The fact that death is largely impermanent in Kenos skews this analysis considerably... so while Link isn't willing to get himself killed, he is more willing to get himself dissipated.
When it comes to lines he wouldn't cross, Link would not find it acceptable to put others at risk to achieve his goals... not only innocent people, but really, anyone. He isn't even comfortable with the idea of having to kill other people, although he will not hesitate to do so in self-defense. The war he fought in Hyrule was against monsters and demons, not people, and even when he's fought members of the Yiga Clan (humans who have allied themselves with Ganon and his monsters), he's only done so after being attacked first or while on a mission in their territory.
Since arriving in Kenos, Link has struggled with the possibility that there's no way to achieve his goals without hurting members of the other faction, and this hesitance continues even while aligned with Zenith. Link's self-concept as the "Hero" who was born to protect and defend is a core part of his identity. This attitude has persisted even after Aetós exposed his Shard to the Timestream and revealed the cyclical nature of Hyrule's wars to him. When it comes to people he sees as truly bad and undeserving of mercy, Link is not against violence at all. The issue is who falls into that category and who doesn't.
Still, there are a few lines he will likely never cross. The first is harming children, the elderly, and other vulnerable types of people. You couldn't convince Link to harm a small child even if you held a gun to his head. He also is nowhere near the point of being willing to "fight dirty," and probably never will be. If someone is injured, defenseless, poses no threat to him, and begging for their life, he is very unlikely to take advantage of the situation and kill them anyway. The only exception to this is someone he was in the midst of trying to kill in the first place. And as seasoned as he is in combat, it's never about taking pleasure in the fighting. To him, it is a duty, a means to an end.
What is something they treasure?
After losing all of his memories, Link's most precious possessions are not real possessions at all, but those few, scant memories of his original life, before the Calamity, that he's managed to regain. Most of his knowledge of who he was before the war (and thus, who he's supposed to be now), is pieced together through a patchwork of clues found among the ruins of Hyrule, things other people have told him, and a collection of sparse moments in time that have been jogged from his memory during his travels. No physical possession is more important to him than this small collection of mental scraps from his past.
Since his canon update in October of 2023, Link regained five years' worth of happy memories with Zelda. These memories are probably even more precious to him than those from his past. After defeating Calamity Ganon, they worked together to begin rebuilding Hyrule. Zelda told him many things about their old life before the Calamity, filling in a large portion of the gaps in his memory. This gave him a better understanding of himself and a stronger sense of identity. Along with that... they were able to simply live together. Eat together, laugh together, share a home together; the romance between them that was put on hold for 100 years was allowed to blossom during this time. Nothing and no one is more important to Link, at this point, than Zelda and the few years of happiness that they managed to find together.
In terms of physical objects, the Master Sword was probably his most important and precious possession. The one he had in Kenos previously was from prior to his canon update, before it was destroyed by Ganondorf during the events of TotK. But, it was sacrificed to the Harbinger Oracle in November 2023.
What do they consider to be their best or most positive qualities?
⁕His combat and survival skills, which enable him to be completely independent from others and therefore more capable of focusing on his current goal or problem. Link prides himself in his independence and expertise. His power to take care of himself is at the core of his commitment to help others, and why his failures wounded him so deeply.
⁕His ability to stay composed and focused under pressure, regardless of what type of pressure it is — during combat, when he's lost, when he's trying to work out a problem, or even socially. Note that this does not mean Link doesn't get worried or angry... just that he's really good at hiding it and keeping himself together. This skill arose out of necessity, during his life prior to the Calamity, when Link realized that he needed to be a "rock" to others and maintain an appearance of stoic, unemotional strength. (The limits of this ability have been pushed more lately with everything that's happened to him, but even then, he's still trying his hardest not to let show how much he's struggling.)
⁕His intelligence and ability to solve problems. Because he only has a basic education (his ass did not go to high school or any equivalent of it) and his experiences have emotionally stunted him in several ways, Link can sometimes come across as a bit clueless or even stupid, but this is far from the truth. Link is highly intelligent, with that intelligence focused on problem solving, mastering skills, and being highly perceptive to what's happening around him. In D&D terms (which are not entirely 1:1 but still illustrative), he's a character who'd have average INT but very high WIS — not the greatest book smarts, but excellent street smarts.
What is this character's best memory?
Prior to his canon update, his happiest memories would be those he still retained of the early days of following Princess Zelda as her guard, slowly becoming her trusted friend, and being there for her as she struggled with her own duty. Now, following his canon update, his happiest memory is when he defeated Calamity Ganon, redeeming himself for his failure 100 years earlier and freeing Zelda.
Is there anyone they have highly positive feelings towards?
Princess Zelda and the friends he's made since being revived, such as Prince Sidon of the Zora and the Chief of the Gerudo, Rizu. These people are as important to him as family.
In Kenos itself, Link has forged strong bonds with Gen, Cid, Gavial, Drizzt, and the entire Fire Emblem cast. He is also especially protective of Midna, as she is the only other person he's met in Kenos who is "from" Hyrule (more accurately, from the same universe Hyrule is part of).
THE BAD
What could or would tempt your character to compromise their principles?
Link is a hero, considers himself a hero, and holds himself to the standard of a hero. If and when anything happens that would shake his understanding of himself as playing that role, or the justification for playing that rule, it would likely pose an enormous personal crisis. His identity and his concept of his place in the world is already quite fragile as it is, despite being one of the few things he has to keep going for. (I wrote this paragraph months ago, and behold, this is exactly what happened ♥)
Moreover, Link struggles with genuine moral dilemmas. Having to make tough choices in a war fought against other people, instead of clearly evil monsters, is enormously challenging for him, because he's never been in a position of having to make those calls. He isn't much of an intellectual or philosopher, so he'd normally leave such decisions to the people he's chosen to devote himself to. Kenos has left him without such a person, making him somewhat directionless and more prone to decisions that feel like mistakes in hindsight.
Certain things will tempt him to compromise his usual values. If someone that Link once considered to be a trusted friend wrongs him, he will feel especially betrayed — the people of Hyrule have to trust each other to make it through their tribulations. A serious violation of Link's trust will almost certainly move a person out of the "friend" category into "you're actually a bad person who I won't feel guilty about killing" category. Link may not always be able to recognize the way that his emotions play into this response, rather than logic.
Additionally, Link operates on a (mostly) utilitarian idea of morality. (This is why he's really a Meri character, deep down!) When presented with an option that would ultimately result in saving people and/or saving Hyrule, he will consider is more seriously, even if it's something he otherwise would never consider. Everything circles back around to his overwhelming duty towards his kingdom and saving his princess, so that underlying motivation is the best possible carrot on a stick for Link.
Even following his flavor-blasting and switch to the Zenith, these things are still highly important to him — they've just been recontextualized to such a degree that he isn't sure what any of it means anymore. But it's still just as much of a carrot on a stick as it was before. Indeed, wanting to save Zelda by getting her Shard from Yima is what ultimately enticed him to switch sides in the first place.
What do they desire above all else?
The answer to this has changed enormously in Link's time at Kenos. At first, his desires were very simple: to get back to his home world and make up for his failure 100 years earlier by defeating Calamity Ganon. Now, after his canon update, he's not so sure. He did get to go back and defeat Calamity Ganon, so in that way, he got the thing he wanted from the start... but that's not all that happened. He was given a look into his world's past and saw how far back the fighting stretches. He's seen that the evil in Hyrule is an ever-present force that can never truly be defeated, only driven back for a future generation to have to deal with all over again.
And the five years he lived back in Hyrule as part of his canon update proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that this phenomenon is still happening, even in his own era: his victory against Calamity Ganon was hollow, as Ganondorf simply reared his ugly head again five years later. He thought he'd be able to handle anything that would threaten Hyrule again with the Master Sword at his side, but Ganondorf shattered the holy sword like it was made of wood. And he thought he'd saved Zelda and that they would happily together for the rest of their lives, but instead, she disappeared into the past — and sacrificed herself for the sake of repairing the Master Sword for Link.
At this point, he's definitely feeling a little lost, but deep in his heart he still has the same strong desires as before, they've simply become more complicated. Ultimately, he still wants to save Hyrule from Ganondorf, but he doesn't know if he can do it without the Master Sword. He wants to save Zelda, but he believes her sacrifice to be completely irreversible, leading him to conclude that asking Yima for her Shard was the only way left to save her. And he wants to find some way to change the never-ending boom and bust cycles that have plagued Hyrule for millennia, but he has no idea how that would even be possible, to the point that he assumes it isn't. It's these things: undoing Zelda's sacrifice, regaining the Master Sword, beating Ganondorf, and ending the cyclical destiny of Hyrule, that he still desires more than anything else.
What are their biggest fear and/or insecurities?
Inadequacy, incompetence, inability. Failure. Never being able to correct his past mistakes. Losing the people who are important to him again. Losing his memories again. Being powerless. Being useless. Being alone.
What is this character's worst memory?
Having to lead Zelda down from Mt. Layanru after their failed trip to awaken her powers. On the very same day, Calamity Ganon attacked, kickstarting an apocalyptic attack on Hyrule that killed all of his friends, massacred thousands of innocents, and lead to Link's mortal injury. It's a bitter and unpleasant memory and not something he is remotely proud of.
His canon update gave him a new contender for "worst memory," which would be the day he and Zelda discovered Ganondorf under Hyrule Castle, leading directly to his arm being permanently injured and Zelda disappearing... but the day of Calamity Ganon's attack still tops it.
Is there anyone they have highly negative feelings towards?
Definitely Ganondorf, haha. In a more general sense, Link does not like people who manipulate others or take advantage of the trust/loyalty they've fostered in others. He is an honest person who tends to assume others are also generally good and honest too. Whenever he witnesses someone betraying the trust others have placed in them, he feels particularly offended on the victim's behalf.
Moreover, in Kenos, Link has a personal history with Aetós that has elevated them into "kill on sight" status. He has also developed very negative CR with Bondrewd. Negative, but not "highly" negative, feelings have arisen towards Set, Hayame, Silco and Raphael.
Re: link
What kinds of gifts does your character like?
So, although I said Link treasures memories more than any physical item... he definitely still LOVES stuff. Food, clothing, knick-knacks, toys, tools, weapons, and gadgets of any kind are all things he'd be happy to receive! Link likes acquiring new skills, so in-person lessons to learn something new would also make him excited!
Luxury items would be less appreciated, as Link generally has no need for overly fancy things, but books have gone from something Link once didn't care much for to being very interested in. Now that he's living in seclusion in the Beyond, he's started to visit the Tomes for books to read to help pass the time when he's bored.
What item(s) would your character be pleased to receive as a reward?
If he were from the real world, he'd probably be a typical off-the-grid/outdoorsman/hunting nerd; instead, he's a Nintendo elf, so he's more of a... swords and shields nerd. He is extremely proficient in archery, so he'd love anything related to archery: bows of different kinds, arrows of different kinds, equipment like quivers or wrist guards, even special dates/locations to do some target practice. He also really likes horses... A new horse would be especially treasured!
On top of that, tools and equipment to make life easier in the woods would also be appreciated — and this is pretty open-ended, as there's probably an infinite number of things that would make it easier to live in thick, monster-infested woods.
What item(s) would your character never ask for, but you, the player, would want to give them?
A serious answer: the Master Sword. I don't know if this is possible, and I'd accept if it isn't, since I know the sacrifices to the Harbinger Oracle were meant to be permanent. (But also, body parts sacrificed to it wouldn't necessarily be gone forever, so maybe there's some room for him to get it back somehow?) But regaining the Master Sword would be a significant motivator for Link, to the degree that it might even be something he'd be willing to bend his values for. This could be the impetus for anything from a player plot, to a plot reward, to a faction mission. Even if it was Aetós who came to Link promising a way to get it back, he'd probably still go for it. This counts as something Link would never ask for, because he earnestly believes it's gone forever and he can't get it back.
Another serious answer: not-so-pleasant tokens from Hyrule that remind him of stuff he doesn't want to think about, including and especially new memories of his past. There are certain memories Link longs for — his father and whether he had any other family, for example — but even positive memories are likely to make him feel more guilty and lonely, and further complicate his mixed feelings on his situation.
Here's a short list of tangible items that would make good gifts for Link!
Clothing sets from BotW and/or Totk. Some of these have special properties, others do not. Any of them would be something he'd be happy to receive. Since some of the armor has effects that might amount to a minor character power, I'd be okay with those effects being lost in Kenos.
Musical instruments. The presence of musical instruments within the world of Hyrule is a pretty consistent theme in the series, and sometimes Link gets an instrument himself! Anything from that list would be fun. Apologies ahead of time to everyone living nearby who will have to listen to Link practice.
Non-serious answer: stuff that's completely out of his wheelhouse, like formal wear or complicated books or a letter telling him he has jury duty.
OOC, what are your goals with this character? What would you enjoy seeing them getting involved in or would enjoy as a potential character arc?
At this point, Link has been through quite a lot! He went from being an immediate Meridian follower, to being unsure about having to harm others in order to get home, to accepting it and becoming a more staunchly loyal Meridian. Then the whole Aetós and canon update happened, which veered him wildly off that course and into deharmonization and the Zenith. For a while, he was metaphorically swerving in and out of traffic as he tried to figure out what to do... and now, he's settled into a numb, depressed resignation towards his situation. He wants to still want to save Hyrule, but he really feels like he's staring down an impossible puzzle.
At this juncture, I want him to stay in Zenith for a while... but while he's there, come to understand himself and his world better, to the point that it eventually leads him back to the Meridian. He really is a Meri at his core, who's just going through some very difficult things at the moment, which very few people around him can relate to. So I'm interested in having him learn more about the Zenith and Highstorm, only to clash with it. To start having the kind of philosophical conversations he never had any reason to be interested in engaging with in the past, and seriously thinking deeply for the first time about his life, his responsibilities, and his limits.
I'm also very much interested in having him be involved with future developments when it comes to Aetós!!! At the moment, Aetós is definitely on Link's list of people he considers to be unambiguously bad and therefore justified in killing... but how much does Link know about them, really? Basically nothing. It sure would be spicy if Link was presented with a reason to doubt his current conception of Aetós... or maybe even want to work with him? :3c