Recommendations for Creating Bloodlines
Jul 15, 2016 13:59:54 GMT -5
Biblically Accurate Angel and Toz76 like this
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 15, 2016 13:59:54 GMT -5
Given that creating Colormen Lineages can be both tedious and time consuming, and there is a lot of work, naturally it can be tough to figure out where to start. This was created to help give anyone who wants to create a bloodline the kickstart to figure out where to begin.
Point one: Format
All lineages follow the same format, listing those who have held the title, like this:
1) Matthew Erdagovern
Born: 1065
Died: 1163
Held the title: 1095 - 1161
NOTE: first of the Colormen
It is rather straightforward: Name, year of birth and death, time held title, and a fact that distinguishes him individually.
Going off of this: for the name, while real first names are preferred, you are free to come up with original names, so long are they are not crude and they are pronounceable.
The Year of birth and death, while it is true that the Colorfolk are magic, they are still human, and should have believable life spans. In general, that means 80s and 90s should be the peak of longevity. While it is true that some people live to be over 100 years old, it is recommended that per bloodline, only about 3 or four of these exist.
Point two: Age correlation
Remember, you are following a bloodline, so in the case of a Colorman, the one that comes before is, in general, the father, and the one that comes after is the son. That being said, brothers can succeed the power, so long as it is specified.
So let's go to the first three Men In Blue as an example:
1) Matthew Erdagovern
Born: 1065
Died: 1163
Held the title: 1095 - 1161
NOTE: first of the Colormen
2) Elias Erdagovern
Born: 1098
Died: 1193
Held the title: 1161-1192
NOTE: Is said to be the Colorman responsible for the current layout of the Great Hall
3) Albert Erdagovern
Born: 1126
Died: 1219
Held the title: 1192-1205
NOTE: Declared the policy of "Willful passage of power" to allow Colorman powers to be passed on at a younger age, so that Colormen would not be "just a bunch of old men defending Sodor from the unseen evils."
Point one: Format
All lineages follow the same format, listing those who have held the title, like this:
1) Matthew Erdagovern
Born: 1065
Died: 1163
Held the title: 1095 - 1161
NOTE: first of the Colormen
It is rather straightforward: Name, year of birth and death, time held title, and a fact that distinguishes him individually.
Going off of this: for the name, while real first names are preferred, you are free to come up with original names, so long are they are not crude and they are pronounceable.
The Year of birth and death, while it is true that the Colorfolk are magic, they are still human, and should have believable life spans. In general, that means 80s and 90s should be the peak of longevity. While it is true that some people live to be over 100 years old, it is recommended that per bloodline, only about 3 or four of these exist.
Point two: Age correlation
Remember, you are following a bloodline, so in the case of a Colorman, the one that comes before is, in general, the father, and the one that comes after is the son. That being said, brothers can succeed the power, so long as it is specified.
So let's go to the first three Men In Blue as an example:
1) Matthew Erdagovern
Born: 1065
Died: 1163
Held the title: 1095 - 1161
NOTE: first of the Colormen
2) Elias Erdagovern
Born: 1098
Died: 1193
Held the title: 1161-1192
NOTE: Is said to be the Colorman responsible for the current layout of the Great Hall
3) Albert Erdagovern
Born: 1126
Died: 1219
Held the title: 1192-1205
NOTE: Declared the policy of "Willful passage of power" to allow Colorman powers to be passed on at a younger age, so that Colormen would not be "just a bunch of old men defending Sodor from the unseen evils."
One thing you will notice right away is that about 20-40 years separates each person's birth. Remember, the Colormen pass down their powers by generation, so sons should be, at the minimum, 20 years younger than their fathers. In specific circumstances though, 18 or 19 years old can be acceptable.
Point three: Gender
Recall, it is the ColorMEN and ColorWOMEN. So in a Colorman bloodline, all the members should be male, and in a Colorwoman bloodline, all the members should be female. No, this is not because the factions are sexist, it is because in order to maintain balance, there must be one man and one woman per color.
While it is true that the Man In Black and Man In Black Leather Jacket bloodlines do have one female each, this is because it fit the narrative of their respective stories. In General, it is preferred that the gender remain consistent in a bloodline. (In the case of Sudrian Colormen and women)
Some of you may ask "What about transgender?" To be honest, having met only one or two transgender people in my life, I do not understand transgenders as well as I should, and as a caution I generally avoid writing about them because I don't want to accidentally create an offensive character. While it is true that Man In Pink is currently transgender, to date this is the only Transgender Colorperson, and because this happens so rarely, there are currently no recommendations that exist concerning them.
Point Four: Personalities
The Colormen are good men of humble origin with a desire to protect Sodor. The Colorwomen have not been developed as much by comparison, so information about them will be posted once it is available. Anyway, since Colormen are not evil, they should not be "rampaging, bloodthirsty murderers" or anything like that. For the most part. Recall that Colormen History is divided into three eras: First, Dark and new. The First era Colormen should all be good men, as the Prism's morality check assures they fight for good. This is because a Colorman is at his most powerful when his fighting selflessly for the sake of others.
Though Prism power and evil are not compatible, during the dark era the shattering of the prism cancelled the morality check, giving the Colormen free control over their powers, but in a much weakened state. So therefore, any "darkness" to a lineage should be kept to the dark era, between 1657 and 2014. However, some actions outside the dark era are allowed, provided there is an adequate backstory explaining it, such as the Man In White's lineage civil war.
Point Five: Continuity
Though it can be tricky, maintaining continuity within the line and with other lines is important, as contradictions can cause confusion over what happened when. Therefore, any events within a lineage that happen to coincide with another lineage, should have a continuity present that both lineages can adhere too.
If anyone needs help, you are free to talk to others for assistance. We are all here to help each other.
If there are any further questions about lineage writing, please ask them below, and I will answer as best as I can. I hope this has been helpful to all of you.
Point three: Gender
Recall, it is the ColorMEN and ColorWOMEN. So in a Colorman bloodline, all the members should be male, and in a Colorwoman bloodline, all the members should be female. No, this is not because the factions are sexist, it is because in order to maintain balance, there must be one man and one woman per color.
While it is true that the Man In Black and Man In Black Leather Jacket bloodlines do have one female each, this is because it fit the narrative of their respective stories. In General, it is preferred that the gender remain consistent in a bloodline. (In the case of Sudrian Colormen and women)
Some of you may ask "What about transgender?" To be honest, having met only one or two transgender people in my life, I do not understand transgenders as well as I should, and as a caution I generally avoid writing about them because I don't want to accidentally create an offensive character. While it is true that Man In Pink is currently transgender, to date this is the only Transgender Colorperson, and because this happens so rarely, there are currently no recommendations that exist concerning them.
Point Four: Personalities
The Colormen are good men of humble origin with a desire to protect Sodor. The Colorwomen have not been developed as much by comparison, so information about them will be posted once it is available. Anyway, since Colormen are not evil, they should not be "rampaging, bloodthirsty murderers" or anything like that. For the most part. Recall that Colormen History is divided into three eras: First, Dark and new. The First era Colormen should all be good men, as the Prism's morality check assures they fight for good. This is because a Colorman is at his most powerful when his fighting selflessly for the sake of others.
Though Prism power and evil are not compatible, during the dark era the shattering of the prism cancelled the morality check, giving the Colormen free control over their powers, but in a much weakened state. So therefore, any "darkness" to a lineage should be kept to the dark era, between 1657 and 2014. However, some actions outside the dark era are allowed, provided there is an adequate backstory explaining it, such as the Man In White's lineage civil war.
Point Five: Continuity
Though it can be tricky, maintaining continuity within the line and with other lines is important, as contradictions can cause confusion over what happened when. Therefore, any events within a lineage that happen to coincide with another lineage, should have a continuity present that both lineages can adhere too.
If anyone needs help, you are free to talk to others for assistance. We are all here to help each other.
If there are any further questions about lineage writing, please ask them below, and I will answer as best as I can. I hope this has been helpful to all of you.