Character Development by Book

[LadyEowyn]

Each book up until now has differed in which members of the Order have their character arcs as the focus. My read is:

DCF: All the characters are pretty flat

NCFTPB: Mainly Roy

W&XP: Mainly Haley and Elan.

DSTP: Mainly Vaarsuvius, Elan, and Belkar; somewhat Haley and Roy.

BRITF: Mainly Elan, Vaarsuvius, and Belkar

UD: Mainly Durkon, Belkar and Roy.

Do you agree with this read? Which characters’ arcs do you think will be the focus of Book 7?

[Trilo]

I'd guess that Haley and Elan will probably have a little less character development than the other four, unless something really unexpected happens to shake them up.

It's not that I think they'll have less screen time, it's just that their arcs have already brought them to a pretty stable place.

Let's pretend that Redcloak and Xykon get taken out by a meteor tomorrow. No more threat to the world, yay. Haley and Elan are the only members of the order who I don't think would have a sense of unfinished business. There's still things they'd want to do, of course, like taking down Tarquin -- but whatever they did, they'd have each other, and I'd expect them to remain fairly content and at peace with themselves.

Conversely, although Roy would be happy the threat to the world had ended, he'd probably struggle with not having taken Xykon down himself. V would have a ton of unresolved issues related to his family and the fallout from the Soul Splice and Familicide. Belkar would still be a mess ("Joke's on you, because I have NO IDEA what I want.") Durkon would be OK, but he'd have to deal with not being able to complete a quest of literally universal significance that came directly from his god.

I think that to varying degrees Roy, V, Durkon and Belkar will be the focus of the next book, because their arcs are still unresolved.

[CriticalFailure]

I’m really curious what will happen. V in particular seems to have a lot left to deal with in her arc. Also, Durkon’s new mission from Thor throws a lot of stuff up in the air and it seems like that poses a challenge to every character.

[ByzantiumBhuka]

Let's pretend that Redcloak and Xykon get taken out by a meteor tomorrow. No more threat to the world, yay.

Interesting thought experiment. (There would still be the rifts to deal with, but let's imagine that by some freak incident the Dark One's quiddity stored in Redcloak emanates outward and automagically seals the rifts and imbues the whole world with TDO's touch. Problem solved! )

I agree with your assessments here; they would suggest that on a scale of character development, where 1 is "just introduced" and 100 is "completely developed":
Haley and Elan are at 99 (very near happily-ever-after);
Roy and Durkon are at 90 (developed, but have quest stuff to do);
V is at ~70 (a developed character, but still has plenty to do in the world);
Belkar is at 40 and going up (still a mess, but becoming more and more a team player every day).

But there's also our +1 to deal with. Minrah has to be something like a 10, and it would be pretty difficult to get her to Haley-Elan level in the next book. I see four possibilities:
First, she's just left without complete development in the end, denying her a story arc. I find that possibility hard to believe, though maybe the arc could be very minor.
Second, Rich pulls off a Durkon, giving Minrah a huge character arc. That would be near-impossible, though, considering we have just one book to go.
Third, she dies. That would be sad, though, so I hope it doesn't happen.
Fourth- and this is the possibility that I like the most- she finds herself part of some large arc that starts at the end of the book; maybe she becomes a paladin and the first new member of the spot-welding team for the rifts (which suddenly I really want to happen).

So maybe add Minrah to that list of characters to be developed.

[denthor]

Utterly Dwarfed is Durkin, getting the spotlight

[brian 333]

Is it okay to discuss wiat developments were made?

Begining with Roy:

I don't think his arc was so much about development or growth as it was about exposition. Roy has changed the least of all the characters, and the bulk of tiat change happened during the arcs of other characters.

As an example, he didn't tear up the contracts until long after 'his' book.

[LadyEowyn]

NCFTPB saw Roy moving from largely personal, selfish motivations (proving himself better than his dad and fulfilling the Blood Oath) to altrustic ones (defeat Xykon because he’s a threat to the world). He became more committed to the rest of the team. He also became less sexist.

I’d say DSTP was more about character elaboration than character development for Roy - we learned more about his moral and ethical outlook from the deva-interview scenes, and more about his motivations and relationship with his family through the Celestia scenes.

Utterly Dwarfed had some more subtle character development for Roy as he listened to NPCs more (and got useful info from the High Priestess of Thor, among others) and relied on the rest of the team more heavily (helped by the fact that they’d all undergone character development and become more reliable).

[Schroeswald]

Is it okay to discuss wiat developments were made?

Begining with Roy:

I don't think his arc was so much about development or growth as it was about exposition. Roy has changed the least of all the characters, and the bulk of tiat change happened during the arcs of other characters.

As an example, he didn't tear up the contracts until long after 'his' book.

I disagree with basically this entire thing, and honestly I don't understand how you can get, any of that from Roy's character arc besides maybe the bulk of his change occurring during the arcs of others. Like your final sentence is objectively false, he tore up the contracts at the very end of NCFTPB, which was "his" book. As for development and growth being less than exposition and Roy changing the least, that applies to Durkon, Roy's arc wasn't particularly expository while Durkon's was and Durkon is still very similar to what he was during DCF. Finally on the fact that most of his development was during others arcs, thats I guess true, but he's also the main character and as such had a ton of development in the comics first half, almost as much as Elan, Haley and V in books 3 and 4, with his development not really going from when he started haunting until Durkon's death, which sort of kickstarted his development for his shared arc in this book.

[CriticalFailure]

I definitely think Roy’s gotten the most so far as the main character.

As for Minrah, I doubt she will have as much of an arc as the members of the Order, but a small character arc seems likely?

Still think V has the most loose ends of all the members of the Order. Belkar is a mess but his situation a lot simpler than V’s and overall I think she has more to resolve just because of the complexity of her own personal mess.

A meteor wiping out Xykon and Redcloak would ensure that neither of them get any more character development. Xykon getting any character development in the last book seems unlikely as he has been described as an intentionally static character. Redcloak could probably go either way but Durkon’s mission makes it more likely.

[brian 333]

I disagree with basically this entire thing, and honestly I don't understand how you can get, any of that from Roy's character arc besides maybe the bulk of his change occurring during the arcs of others. Like your final sentence is objectively false, he tore up the contracts at the very end of NCFTPB, which was "his" book. As for development and growth being less than exposition and Roy changing the least, that applies to Durkon, Roy's arc wasn't particularly expository while Durkon's was and Durkon is still very similar to what he was during DCF. Finally on the fact that most of his development was during others arcs, thats I guess true, but he's also the main character and as such had a ton of development in the comics first half, almost as much as Elan, Haley and V in books 3 and 4, with his development not really going from when he started haunting until Durkon's death, which sort of kickstarted his development for his shared arc in this book.

My mistake: I thought he tore up the contracts after being raised.

Otherwise, you seem to be making my arguments for me while claiming you disagree!

[Cozzer]

After the last two book were focus episodes for different parts of the team (Elan & Haley, then Belkar & Durkon, with V getting their big moment at the end of Don't Split the Party and Roy having a more constant focus), I expect the last one to be more even with its focus on the main characters.

It's true that Elan and Haley seem to have less room for development than the others, but that itself is an opportunity: they could find themselves in the position of being the stable ones who keep everything together as the formerly "stable" ones are cracking, or too caught up in their own personal issues.

[Sniccups]

After the last two book were focus episodes for different parts of the team (Elan & Haley, then Belkar & Durkon, with V getting their big moment at the end of Don't Split the Party and Roy having a more constant focus), I expect the last one to be more even with its focus on the main characters.

It's true that Elan and Haley seem to have less room for development than the others, but that itself is an opportunity: they could find themselves in the position of being the stable ones who keep everything together as the formerly "stable" ones are cracking, or too caught up in their own personal issues.

I'd like to see that.

[DLcygnet]

I don't have a quote, but I remember the Giant admitted that he was focusing on different characters & their growth in each book (once he had fleshed out his characters & story a little more beyond the gag-a-day format).

DCF: Intro Pro-/Ant-agonists.
NCFTPB: Roy
W&XP: Haley
DSTP: V
BRITF: Elan
UD: Durkon
Yesterday: Belkar

(Not a real speculation on the book title, but with all the threads coming together in this last book & rule of drama in effect, these Beetles lyrics will be stuck in my head for awhile.)

[D.One]

Yesterday: Belkar

(Not a real speculation on the book title, but with all the threads coming together in this last book & rule of drama in effect, these Beetles lyrics will be stuck in my head for awhile.)

You made me think of a pun, "Yes There Day". I just don't know how to fit it in a title...