Character Development!
Questions;1. What’s one thing that’s happened to you that has made you a stronger person?Being able to give up my material possessions and live as a nomad made me a stronger person! It gave me the freedom to travel with only the essentials.
2. What’s one thing that’s happened to you in your life that made you feel weak?Anytime I come across something that I've come too late to save.
3. Where is your favorite place to escape to?I really love travelling to the
Alaskan wilderness during the summer months! It's so peaceful in the mornings, right at dawn when it's still a bit foggy!
4. Who do you think has had the largest influence on the person you are today?All the older monks who taught me my culture! I wouldn't be who I am if I had never learned from them!
5. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?I wish I had a stronger stomach!! I can handle minor first aid and I can handle blood, but I could never watch a surgery or perform one. Think of all the people I could help if I was less squeamish!
6. What decade do you feel you most belong in?Hmm.. a future decade, one that is peaceful and without war. I don't believe such a one has existed yet.
7. What is your favorite quality about your best friend?My best friend is Ginko-- I love how he expresses himself through his art! Gi's drawings are so beautiful, and I really admire his talent!
8. When you were younger what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?I always knew I wanted to spend my life helping others!
9. Do you easily accept compliments? Or do you hate compliments?I love compliments! I love getting them and giving them to others.
10. What is your favorite physical attribute about yourself?I love my arrow-shaped shine. It makes me feel connected to my culture!
11. What is your favorite non-physical attribute about yourself?Probably my patience. It has allowed me to meet and get along with all sorts of different people, and that is something that's very important to me!
12. Do you believe in love at first sight?Sure, why not?
13. Do you believe in soul mates?Definitely!
14. How seriously do you take horoscopes?Not very seriously.
15. Have you ever been in love? How many times?Not yet I haven't!
16. What makes you fall in love with someone?Hmm... probably the way they treat others. How you interact with the people around you says a lot about who you are!
17. What does vulnerability mean to you? What has the ability to make you vulnerable?Vulnerability means allowing yourself to be completely open with someone, and letting them see who you truly are. Someone willing to share that sort of vulnerability with me would cause me to share myself with them in the same way.
18. What’s one thing you’d love to learn more about?I'm always interested in learning more about other cultures and types of people, not any one in particular, but all in general!
19. What is something you’ve never done that you’ve always wanted to do?I have always wished I could know how it feels to fly!
20. Why haven’t you done it yet?Well, it's not physically possible for a kalon to fly, I suppose!
21. If money didn’t matter, what would your dream job be?Money already doesn't matter to me! I don't have a job at all. I travel the world and spread kindness and peace wherever I can.
22. What was the last thing that made you cry?I took part in a family reunion recently that involved a parent who had been away on a business trip for a long time. Seeing people meet up again like that always brings a happy tear to my eye!
23. What was the last thing that made you laugh?Probably Dustin! He has so many great jokes!
24. What is your favorite memory?The first time I ever rode my air bison, Tashi. It was so amazing!
25. What’s the last thing that REALLY embarrassed you?I can't remember! I don't get embarrassed very easily.
26. What is your biggest fear?Being unable to do anything to help.
27. Do you have any regrets? What’s your biggest one?It is better not to regret your actions, but to learn from them and do better in the future!
28. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?I once helped a zookeeper milk a mother rhinoceros who had abandoned her newborn calf. I kept her calm and still while he collected her milk to feed the baby. That was both dangerous and crazy!
29. What’s your favorite joke?Where do sheep go on vacation?
To the Baaaa-hamas!
30. Are you a dog person or a cat person?Neither! I am a lemur person!
31. If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?I wish I could be an air bison. Being able to fly like them would be incredible!
32. What’s one show, movie, or book, you’re embarrassed to admit you enjoy?I always loved the Curious George books when I was a kid!
33. What’s something you believe in that not everyone else does?Pacifism!
34. What’s one thing that makes you unique from other people?My culture.
35. What is one thing you feel your life is missing?More vegetarian restaurants!
Workshop One - Day One ExerciseWhat is your Kalon’s first, middle, and last name (if they have one)?Just Tenzin! I never really give my characters middle or last names.
Does your Kalon have a human appearance as well? If so, what do they look like?Yes he does! In his human form, Tenzin has probably a slightly Indian skin tone and facial structure. He shaves his head completely bald, and wears
traditional air nomad robes. He also wears
two necklaces-- one is a simple strand of turquoise beads, and the other is a string of wooden beads and a wooden pendant, along with some red tassels.
Does you Kalon have any family members? If so, blood related or adopted?Tenzin is the son of
Kyle and
Sassafrass, brother to
this babe, and half-brother to
these two and
these three. Though he does have a pretty large family and has five siblings, Tenzin isn't very close with many of them. His travelling and wanderlust have kept him apart from his family for most of his life, but he does visit his father Sassafrass most often. He runs into his siblings every now and then and is always happy to see them, but he admittedly doesn't know them very well.
Who is your Kalon the closest to? Why?Tenzin is definitely closest with his best friend
Ginko, because their personalities and beliefs align closest out of any of Tenzin's acquaintances. Ginko and Tenzin really understand each other and often don't have to say anything to portray what they're thinking.
What sort of occupation does your Kalon have? Do they enjoy it?Tenzin does not have a traditional sort of job, but spends his time travelling the world and offering assistance in any way. Sometimes he will stop for the day to help a farmer harvest his crops, or clean some dishes in a diner in exchange for a meal, and occasionally he even offers some basic medical help in hospitals or clinics, things like that. He loves what he does because everyone is always grateful for his help and people will often offer him something as a thank-you, which allows him to live the way he does without having to rely on money. (He doesn't do these things expecting something in return, but people are often kind enough to offer it anyway!)
List some of your Kalons likes and dislikes and give an explanation as to why.Quiet mornings-- A nice quiet morning is the perfect time to meditate!
Art-- Tenzin is a horrible artist admittedly, but he loves the arts and is always enthusiastic about them! He loves to encourage his friends in their artistic efforts as well.
Storytelling-- This is the one art that Tenzin does excel at. He believes stories are the best way to share information and teach lessons.
Animals and plants-- Tenzin is very in touch with nature and loves all things natural!
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Caves-- Tenzin really dislikes being underground and would rather stay out in the open than in a scary cave.
Staying in one place-- As a nomad, he dislikes staying put for too long, and really prefers to move around as much as possible.
Disorder-- He prefers to have things neat and tidy, and doesn't like a lot of clutter sitting around.
Violence-- Tenzin is a pacifist and violence is the one thing in the world he dislikes more than anything else.
What is your Kalons biggest weakness and strength?Tenzin's biggest strength is his enormous heart. He would do anything for anybody, no matter who they were. He would even help out someone who meant him harm. He is extremely loving and caring, and always puts others before himself.
His kind heart can also be his biggest weakness. He has, on occasion, been lured into some less than ideal situations because of his willingness to help out someone in distress.
Workshop Two - Day One ExerciseKalon Name: Tenzin
Link to Kalon: viewtopic.php?f=53&t=3375161Where do they live and what is the geography like?Tenzin is a nomad and doesn't live in any one place. He does live on Earth, though I suppose it would be in an alternate universe with animals like the ones that exist in the Avatar series. He also prefers warmer, greener types of areas, so he might be most often found in places like that, though there's nowhere he wouldn't visit at least once.
What is the society like there, is there a hierarchy?Tenzin's people (theoretical existence, not actual created kalons) are a group of monks that have a council of elders, but no actual government or specific leaders. Though the oldest of the monks are respected most highly, no one individual is above or below any other; everyone is essentially equal. (Tenzin's society is based on the air nomads and air accolytes from the Avatar series.)
What kind of technology does the world possess: modern, medieval, fantasy, etc.?Many of Tenzin's friends exist in modern worlds, but some also exist in fantasy worlds, so I suppose it would vary. Tenzin himself does not often make use of any sort of modern technology for the most part, however.
Do many or only a few people live here?The group of monks that Tenzin belongs to would only be a small group, probably less than 100 individuals, though since they are nomadic, they probably are scattered and often only tiny travel groups would be found in any one location.
Is the history the same as our world, or is it different? If different, how?Different probably, at least for Tenzin's people? Again it would be similar to the Avatar series I suppose; though Tenzin would exist probably in a time after the 100 year war from the series, but before the death of Avatar Aang.
Is your Kalon(s) considered lower, middle, or upper class?By our standards Tenzin would be considered lower class, because he does not have any money, doesn't own a home, and doesn't have many posessions at all to speak of, aside from necessities/what he can travel with. In his society, these class systems don't exist, so he wouldn't consider himself any of the three.
What sort of language(s) is commonly spoken here?English would be his primary language I suppose, but Tenzin also knows the basics of a few other languages that are spoken in the areas he travels to most often.