I thought about answering this in thread, but Laridian made some points that I don't want to get lost.
First, I apologize for the 'Screw it'. It was not meant in any way to indicate a lack of interest or devotion on my part. This is the first time that I have ever submitted any part of my imagination for public consumption, criticism, and ridicule. I have shared with my wife and with a very few close friends, that is all. Usually in a shared storytelling(i.e. true roleplaying) setting. I have read a number of fictions that have been posted on the internet and enjoyed them very much. I am tired of being a parasite in this medium and want to develope a more symbiotic relationship with the community. As such, I agonized over that first post for almost a week trying to 'make it perfect'. That is just part of me, I guess. Ask Wolf, she'll tell ya. Anyway, 'Screw it" was meant for me to quit putting it off and put things out there. Sorry.
Now for the points that Laridian raised.
1. I was warned against tying too many game systems together into a single character. Kederren started his existence a Racial Dwarf from any of the fantasy RPG systems. As such he does not 'suffer' from dwarfism per se. He is within the height and weight norms of his race. I could go cheap and easy and leave it at that, since CoX is a fantasy/SciFi setting that includes many optional origins, including a magical transport from a fantasy AU. But that would feel like cheating.
Kederren's family is a multi-generational family of privilege and old money. They have also been on the shorter end of the bell curve. The men of the family have rarely been attracted to women who are taller than them(male ego). The family has had a trend to 'breeding' itself smaller. As a child, Kederren/Deepstryker was always one of those kids who had to rock up on his toes a little to ride on the rides. When applying for military service he was a couple of inches under the minimum standard. (The rest of this may be a bit of a spoiler for the character's story, but...) Even though Father did not 'approve' of Kederren's choice and they argued about it to the point that Ked stormed out, Father still believed in supporting his son in what he wanted to do. Basically, Father pulled some strings to get the standard changed to allow his some to pursue his goals. Ked never knew and did not understand the resentment that some of his fellows had toward him. He always worked hard and was good at what he did. The resentment always went away as he proved his ability. The last few inches of height was lost in the cybernetics, as Crey(oops, spoiler) was able to pack power and speed into a more compact size that bone and muscle could handle.
2. IIRC the Greek period was called City-states. I am trying to refer to the more modern era of Nationalism that arose as the Monarchies went away. It was a non-specific attempt to tie into the CoX histories that appear to spin off somewhere around the 30's/40's. I have not yet found and read all of them.
3. Yes, he is generally a loner and 'difficult' to get along with. Most people start off putting up with him because he is a good fighter and tactician. The rest grows from there. It is all part of his Heroic(or Anti-Heroic, in this case) journey.
4.I have not taken any formal writing courses, so this is the best that I can determine the story outline of this character.
A. Ked considers himself a 'dead man walking'. He should have died when the rest of his unit and friends died(Survivor Guilt)
B. He and his unit were betrayed from within by a 'friend'(Distrust issues)
C. He lives now to avenge himself on his betrayer, and to do that he must find him and aquire skill and power.(Heroic Adventure)
D. He belives that he disappointed, lost the love of, and is separated from his Father.
E. During the course of the Heroic Adventure he is forced to deal with the other issues in his life(Heroic Journey) and reenter life as a complete human being.
It is an ongoing story that has been built over many years, playing many games and game sessions. And will be written, probably severely out of order in fanfic, ficlets, and short stories.
productive
