Wrothelingan Personality Traits

by Andrew Behan

Brave/Cowardly

To be brave means that you ared courageous, willing to place yourself in danger for the sake of your kin or friends or for the love of adventure. Most Wrothelli are doughty, stalwart and intrepid. Exceptionally heroic individuals are called fearless or reckless.

Cowardly means to be fearful and afraid enough to affect actions. Extremely fainthearted characters are prone to mindless panic. They are mocked as craven dogs, poltroons, yellow bellies, squirrels and effeminate weaklings.

Energetic/Lazy

A vigorous person is Energetic. It includes the natural ability to get up and go to work, and to apply oneself to the task at hand. The Wrothelli hold industrious people in particularly high esteem, though they have no patience for folk who try to avoid contemplation through constant activity. Energetic people are called vigorous, robust and industrious.

Laziness includes all slothful activity such as loafing and general sedentary behaviour. The Wr othelli spend most of their time playing rather than working. Nevertheless they despise people who procrastinate when there is work to be done. Exceptionally lazy individuals are called parasites.

Forgiving/Vengeful

To be forgiving means that a character is unlikely to bear grudges or seek revenge for injuries intended or do ne to him. Extremely forgiving people are called magnanimous.

Vengeful indicates that a character harbours grudges. They may seek revenge, perhaps petty, sometimes sweeping and grandiose, for real or imagined insults. This trait also includes spitefulness.

Generous/Selfish

To be generous includes the desire to share. The Wrothelli consider sharing one's own food and talents to be the highest virtue of all. Yet to give them away to strangers is foolish and to share them with enemies is bad. Hunting is a chancy business -- only by sharing can survival be ensured.

Sefishness is the impulse to accumulate and keep things for yourself. Greed is a component of selfishness as is individualism. Greed can be for food, status or worst of all material possessions. Selfish characters are labelled stingy, self-seeking and uncooperative.

Honourable/Treacherous

Honour is a person's ability to keep their word. Since the Wrothelli regulate their lives by the mutual understanding of custom rather than external laws enforced by a superior authority, such a the state, personal promises and vows are taken very seriously indeed. Honourable individuals are honest with their friends and kin. They set great store by keeping their word. Extremely Honourable people are called upright, relisble and trustworthy.

Treacherous means that a character distorts the truth to their own ends. Their word is not their bond and they are not oipen with their kinsfolk. Chronically treacherous characters are called darklings, liars, traitors and outcasts.

Intuitive/Pedantic

The Wrothelli value feelings over intellect. They act upon emotions, and the promptings of the gods, often abruptly and wildly, in both anger and joy. Characters acting according to a Passion always do so in response to their feelings without any concern for the consequences beyond the immediate future. Extremely intuitive characters are called passionate, impetuous or hot-headed.

Pedantic means that a charactergives thought to what he does before he acts. Such a character is called cautious, indecisive or rational. Excessively pedantic characters are calculating or thoughtful.

Merciful/Cruel

Merciful means that a character sympathizes with the pain and suffering of others and that they are likely to mitigate or at least not exacerbate it. A very merciful character is called compassionate.

Cruel indicates a disregard for the feelings and needs of others or lack of sympathy. The Wrothelli have no empatrhy for foreigners and outlaws or chaos creatures but they still regard extreme cruelty: enjoying the discomforts and troubles of others as unnatural in these cases.

Natural/Chaotic

Natural shows that a character feels a sense of belonging and satisfaction with their place in the cosmos; behaving in a manner that befits their station. The Wrothelli do not require mindless o bedience to traditional authority, nor condone inno vation for its own sake, but seek the middle ground between according to their best advantage at the time.

Chaotic characters are called unruly or anarchic. Extremely chaotic folk are reviled by everyone. They chafe at every restriction, no matter how reasonable. They are called chaos-spawn, nihilists and krjalki.

Permissive/Reserved

The Wrothelli are a "sex-positive" culture. They encourage and delight in procreation. Even within monogamous marriages casual affairs are considered trivial as long as they don't develop to the detriment of the spouse or group.

This is true of homosexuality as well. Lesbianism is considered a special case for special people and is ignored outside of those contexts (to the point where its existence is denied) as long as it doesn't eclipse marital relationships. Though passive male homosexuality ("being used as a woman") is considered to be an unnatural parody of womanhood it is so shrouded in taboo that even to accuse someone of it is considered to be wicked and so it is generally ignored. Paradoxically using another man as a women is not regarded as homosexuality at all.

Reserved means that a character does not take particular pleasure in sexual activity. The Wrothelli do not condemn chastity or in special cases even virginity. Extremely reserved characters are called shy.

Proud/Modest

To be proud means that a character has a sense of self-worth. Extremely proud characters cannot take insult without injury and take great pleasure in their accomplishments. Proud characters are determined and refuse to accept failure or humiliation.

Modest means that your character is humble and inordinately concerned with impressing others, or with their opnions. Extremely modest characters are quiet, meek or even self-critical. They do not seek recognition and are thick-skinned when it comes to insults.

Suspicious/Trusting

Suspicious means that a person reacts to strangers and exotic ideas with skepticism. They are unlikely to believe what they hear unless proof is offered that an enthusiastic approach is more appropriate than cautious curiosity. An extremely suspicious character is called xenphobic, skeptical or a doubter.

To be trusting is to believe information withoutany inclination to suspect its falsity. An excessively trusting person is gullible and credulous, perhaps even a dupe.

Taciturn/Garrulous

Taciturn means that a person is terse, close-mouthed, valuing effective action over talk. Taciturn characters are stoical but bottle up their frustrations. Their idea of wit is a short, snappy come-back; especially if it silences a long winded person. An extremely taciturn person is a master of understatement. They are called dour, evasive, secretive, inscrutable or even silent.

Garrulousindicates that a character likes to talk, an attribute usually associated with women.Talkative people share their problems and hopes. They enjoy talkingwith their friends and acquaintances as a form of relaxation. Excessively talkative people are called frivilous, boastful, loud-mouths and gossips.


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