Carol

The Basics

Species / Kind:

Barrel

Gender:

Female

Eye Colour:

Green

Complexion:

Medium Brown

Place of Birth:

Everbloom Forest

Date of Birth:

Old Rose, Year 135 (6 months ago)

Personality

Emotional Disposition:

Angry

Outlook:

Pessimistic

Integrity:

Honest

Impulsiveness:

Spontaneous

Boldness:

Reckless

Agreeableness:

Narrow-minded

Interactivity:

Talkative

Conformity:

Rebellious

Current Behaviors

Angry disposition — Cynical outlook — Treats others with hostility — Insults others bluntly — Impatient — Bossy — Arrogant to make up for disadvantages

Goal

To find my family

Background

New Green, Year 136

2 months ago

Show Spoiler

During the annual Founding Festival celebration in Lakefall, the mayor gave a speech and used me for his podium — his hands were all over me... Ugh! So gross… Afterwards, a group of little fleshbags started playing. They used my parents as target practice, throwing fruit at them. I watched and saw the humiliation written all over my parent’s faces. They continued playing, standing on top of my parents and hiding inside them. Eventually my parents broke apart into pieces and those little rotten fleshbags laughed. The full grown fleshbags around them joined in and laughed too. I watched and felt the anger boiling inside me. I still feel it to this day.

Full Green, Year 136

1 month ago

A wagon hijacking separated me from my family — my son Oliver, my sister Meryl, my grandparents Elvira and Hank, and my friend Woody.

Internal Motivations

Influenced by her past (the Lie she believes)

I believe...

I will only find love, belonging, acceptance, connection, and trust with my own kind. Other people can’t be trusted.

Influenced by the Lie she believes (what she “wants” & what drives the story)

I desire...

A safe place to belong. I know that my only safe place is with my own kind.

The obstacle in the way of her desire that is sparked by events in her past

I fear...

I will be unable to defend myself from cruel fleshbags and they will put my life in danger and stop me finding my family.

Influenced by her fear (what keeps her stuck where she is)

I’m dissatisfied with my life because…

I’m fed up of hiding because it’s slowing me down from finding my family, but there would be complete mayhem if people found out that I am sentient. Society will never accept me and my kind.

The solution to her fear (her agenda & what she wants from you)

I want you to...

Protect me from non-barrel kind and help me find my family. Fleshbags have more advantages than barrels and can defend themselves better.

Potential Character Arcs

The Truth/Lesson/Moral/Theme (what she “needs” & the opposite of the Lie she believes)

A good or wise hero:

They may encourage Carol to realise that her belief is a lie and discover that she can find love, belonging, acceptance, connection, and trust with anyone, even those different to her. People can be trusted. Forming close bonds with others outside your own kind is eye-opening.

A brave or foolish hero:

They may encourage Carol to follow her desire and find a way to find her family, but not encourage her to bond outside her own kind. They help Carol get her “want” but not her “need”.

An evil hero:

They may force Carol to face her fear by continuously intimidating and threatening her, further proving to Carol that humans can’t be trusted. She will stick with you, but drop you once her goal has been achieved.

Community Ideas & Thoughts

Do they know they are barrels? Do they think they just look like barrels? Do they get offended if someone calls them a barrel. I got many questions.

⁠— chubcheeks92

I wonder if there are those in the world that see these "inanimate" objects coming to life as an affront to nature and have pledged to destroying them to restore what they see as the natural order.

⁠— Triakis

If the player romances Carol, it would be interesting to explore the idea of "should Carol try to become human". It could be a powerful message, exploring her feelings and sense of self, and deciding she's happy with who she is, and that she shouldn't have to change who she is for someone.

⁠— Zexionthefirst

I just had a thought that there could be a running gag where the player encounters piles of scrap wood and Carol shrieks and hides her eyes because it's so "gory".

⁠— DaevaPalladion