Character Builder

Character Builder — Unified Template + Workflow

Single source of truth for character creation across the Eldrath series (and any future book project). Merges frameworks from narrative (project-mode), writing (writing-claw CHARACTER REGISTRY), and literary-fiction-craft (Mode 4 interiority).

When to Use

• Creating a new character (any role)
• Reviewing/tightening an existing character sheet
• Preparing characters before drafting a chapter they appear in
• Cross-book continuity checks on recurring characters

Template (YAML)

# ═══ CORE (all characters) ═══
name:
species:
role: protagonist | companion | antagonist | catalyst | authority | background
sliders: { proactivity: _, likability: _, competence: _ }  # 0-10
arc_type: positive | flat | negative | none
ghost:          # backstory wound-event (what damaged them)
wound:          # ongoing emotional damage
lie:            # false belief adopted to cope
want:           # external goal (wrong solution driven by lie)
need:           # internal truth (opposes lie, actually heals)
fear:           # what they avoid at cost to themselves
voice:          # one sentence: how they speak and think

# ═══ DIALOGUE 8-DIMS ═══
dialogue:
  vocabulary:       # terse | moderate | verbose | archaic | technical
  formality:        # contracted | standard | formal | stiff
  tics: []          # catchphrases, verbal habits (2-3 max)
  metaphor_domain:  # what world they think in (landscape, forge, market, etc.)
  directness:       # high | medium | low
  interrupt:        # dominant | balanced | submissive
  q_ratio:          # 0.0–1.0 (questions vs statements)

# ═══ EMOTIONAL ARC ═══
arc:
  opening_state:    # emotional condition at first appearance
  pressure_points:  # scenes/moments that force change
  transformation:   # what shifts (may be positive, negative, ambiguous)
  closing_state:    # condition at end of book

# ═══ THEMATIC RESONANCE ═══
theme:
  primary_theme:    # the idea this character embodies or challenges
  motifs: []        # recurring images/phrases/behaviors tied to them
  symbolic_object:  # physical thing carrying their meaning (optional)
  arc_color:        # one-word emotional register (amber, cold, rust, etc.)

# ═══ ROLE-OPTIONAL TAGS ═══
# [combat] — fighters, tanks, archers, duelists
combat_style:
weapons:
fighting_philosophy:

# [magic] — mages, healers, summoners, enchanters
magic_type:
magic_limitation:
magic_cost:

# [authority] — guild masters, receptionists, leaders, judges
institutional_role:
judgment_style:

# [antagonist] — ambushers, rivals, faction agents
motivation:
method:
relationship_to_protag:

# [background] — passers-by, tavern crowds, one-scene roles
function:           # what narrative job they serve
impression:         # one detail the reader should remember

Build Workflow (per character)

1. Fill template — draft all core fields + relevant role tags
2. Interiority test (from literary-fiction-craft Mode 4):
   • Contradiction: what they want vs what they do — should conflict
   • Physical anchor: one small specific habit that reveals who they are
   • Surprise test: can they surprise us in a way that feels inevitable?
3. Dialogue distinctiveness test — write 3-4 sample lines, remove tags, verify reader can tell who's speaking
4. Gap check — who has this character NOT met yet that they should? (interaction matrix)
5. Lock — write into character-sheet.md, update canon.md if new facts introduced

Slider Guidelines

• Compelling = HIGH on at least 2 sliders, OR high on 1 with clear growth
• All three low = boring. All three high from start = Mary Sue.
• Classic combos:
  • High competence + high proactivity + low likability = antihero
  • High likability + low competence + low proactivity = everyman
  • High proactivity + high likability + low competence = scrappy underdog

Arc Types

• positive: Lie → Truth (growth)
• flat: already knows Truth, changes the WORLD instead
• negative: Truth → Lie, or Lie → Deeper Lie (fall)
• none: background/functional characters who don't arc

Role Tag Rules

• Only fill tags relevant to the character's role
• [combat] and [magic] can coexist (battlemage, hex-tank, etc.)
• [antagonist] requires motivation — no evil-for-evil's-sake
• [background] needs only function + impression (keep it to 2-3 fields max)

Cross-Book Continuity

For recurring characters across books:

• Track arc.closing_state of Book N as arc.opening_state of Book N+1
• Update sliders if competence/proactivity shifted
• Note new motifs acquired in later books
• Flag if a character's lie was resolved — do they get a new one or stay flat?

Pitfalls

• Filling every field mechanically without asking "does this character NEED a symbolic object?"
• Giving background characters full arcs (waste of authorial bandwidth)
• Dialogue tics that are quirks without meaning (must reveal character)
• Sliders that never change across a book where the character is supposed to grow
• Forgetting the interiority test — a perfectly filled template can still produce a flat character