Library of Characters: Bree

Howdy-do, all! The name’s Pembrook. Bree Pembrook. I’m a teen author and blogger at laughsandliterature.wordpress.com and have too many WIP’s to count. Thanks Lucy for letting me do this!

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Introduce your antagonist to me—who is he? What story is he from?

That angry-looking character in the corner is the Antagonist in my Fantasy Work-in-Progress. His name is Galeren Ormeson.

What is his personality?

Galeren has a flair for the dramatic (ignore his furious head-shaking, he’s dramatic and he knows it) and he’s great with cheesy sarcasm in the midst of battle, usually against my protagonist Varus. He’s also bent on revenge for a past wrong.

Give a synopsis of his past

Galeren’s got a roller coaster of a history. His father, Orme, usurped the throne from King Waylon the Wise. But then, years later, the usurper’s throne was usurped! And by the usurpers second cousin no less! Galeren’s father, along with Galeren himself and his brother, Ezra, attempted to take back the throne assisted only by a small mob of people. Ezra died in the attempt and Orme was banished. Galeren’s mother died of grief, and Galeren was left to take back their stolen throne on his own. Oh boy… *tries not to spoil things*

What gave/gives you inspiration for him?

I don’t remember if anything in particular inspired this guy, but for some reason I picture him looking a little bit like Severus Snape… just different.

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As Varus rounded the corner, he saw that Galeren had hung back and let his soldiers continue without him. He stood facing Varus, sword drawn, looking smug. “Ah, Varus, isn’t it? The boy general who lets spies linger and gather information while he spends time with his new friend, the king of Praetiretus Patriam, the weakling.” 

Varus signaled for his men to keep chasing the enemy. “No time for dramatics, Galeren. I have an army to lead, foolish attackers to fend off, and a war to win.”

Galeren lunged, bringing his sword toward the crown of Varus’ head. Varus raised his own weapon, and saw a few sparks fly past his face as they clashed. He pushed back until Galeren brought his sword away. Varus slashed at Galeren’s side, causing Galeren to leave an opening on his other side. 

“I am here to see that Adriel falls,” Galeren said, recovering and blocking Varus before he could strike.

“Sorry, you’re in the wrong part of the valley,” Varus shot back, “Adriel Falls is on the western edge. It’s starting to freeze this time of year, so I would recommend that you just leave.”

Galeren managed to roll his eyes and fight at the same time. “Well, this isn’t the way I would destroy your little kingdom, but my King has ordered his plan put into action, and I’m the only capable person under him. And you’re really not helping me do this any faster, so please, give up already.”

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How has his past shaped the villain he is now?

Naturally, the fact that his brother was killed would cause Galeren to want revenge. Really, Galeren has two enemies; Cedric and King Adriel of Praetiretus Patriam. He wants his usurping father’s usurped throne back from the usurper, Cedric, and once he does, he doesn’t want King Adriel trying to take the throne back since it was his family’s before.

Does he see himself as a villain?

Galeren sees himself as the hero. He’s taking his father’s throne back, right? 

Does he work alone? Or does he have ‘henchmen.’

Galeren managed to get the position of General under Cedric as part of his plan to regain his throne. So, he’s got an entire army as his henchmen. One person in particular who does his bidding is a mysterious captain. Can’t say who…

Who is his arch nemesis, and why?

Man, this guy’s made a lot of enemies. Being the son of Orme, naturally the descendants of King Waylon hate him. And Cedric would probably not like to hear that Galeren is plotting to overthrow him and kill him to avenge his brother. Yeah, I think he’s a little on the loopy side…

What is his favorite and least favorite part of being a villain?

Galeren loves his role as General, though he doesn’t like his king. He enjoys hunting down the “boy general” and gathering information. Though he won’t admit it, I think he wishes he could undo what his father did, especially if it meant his family would still be with him.

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Suddenly, Varus saw a flash of bright blue. Could it be the coat of the scout (Galeren)? He craned his neck to see over the heads of the crowd. There, standing outside of the door of an inn, was the scout. Varus leaned forward and whispered directions to Dante. While Dante slowly wormed his way past the people and toward the inn, Varus watched the man. 

The scout sat motionless on a bench until a small man, who looked like a rat, came and handed him a cloth wrapped bundle. Taking it, the scout ducked into the inn.

Varus whispered again to his horse. “No good. He’s gone.” 

Unused to the cobblestone street, Dante tripped and nearly fell, causing Varus to lurch forward. As he did so, Varus heard a whistling noise no more than a few inches behind his head. He looked to his right and saw that an arrow had embedded itself deep in the post holding up the canopy of a butcher’s stall. Every person on the street stopped what they were doing and stared.

“You!” the butcher thundered, “Look what you did to my shop!” He brandished his cleaver menacingly. 

“Sir?” Varus was thoroughly confused, not to mention shaken from his second near death experience. I’ve become a target. Why? Right. General Varus.

“The arrow!” The butcher exclaimed. “If you hadn’t moved, the arrow wouldn’t have ruined my stand, and the world would be rid of one more high-and-mighty foreigner!”

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What is his greatest struggle or fear?

Galeren’s greatest fear is losing his position as General. Without it, he won’t stand a chance against Cedric or Adriel. That’s about it though. Other than that, he has “nothing left to lose.” No family, nothing.

What is he most afraid of losing?

See the question above XD

What does he want most? What is his ultimate motive?

Here, I’ll show you Galeren’s list! *restrains Galeren from taking it away* It’s simple, really; Take back his throne, keep Praetiretus Patriam in check, and make sure Cedric dies a horrible death. Oh, and don’t get killed in the process.

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Galeren entered, locking the door behind himself after making sure no one else was in the room. He sat down at a desk and held his head in his hands. “That Cedric will die for what he did to Ezra! To my father! I’ve sworn revenge before and I swear it again! He is a beastly man, and he’ll pay for his deeds with his life.” He slammed his hands onto the desk. 

At first Varus thought Galeren was talking to himself like a madman, but then he noticed the man standing in the shadows, blending in with the suits of armor that stood at intervals with the bookcases. He stepped forward. His back was to Varus, but Varus could see that he was short and thin, with the clothes of a soldier.

“Patience, General,” he said in a voice as smooth as honey. “Yes, Cedric will pay. It’s downright wrong to usurp the throne from a usurper!”

“Watch your tongue, Captain!” Galeren exclaimed, slamming his fists on the desktop and standing at the same time. “You will find yourself running from me as well if you speak of my father that way!”

“Don’t worry sir, I know the plan. You’ll have your father’s kingdom back soon enough.”

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Hair? Eyes? Height?

He’s got black hair, black eyes, and… his distinguishing feature… a hawk-like nose. He’s on the tall end, and good with a sword as well as with a longbow or crossbow.

Opinions on ice cream vs. cake? Other?

I asked him about cake and ice cream, but he has only had cake a few times many years ago and doesn’t know what ice cream is.

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Once General Varus saw that the army was in place, down to the last man, he rushed back to the wall and peered over. A crossbow bolt fired past his face. He jerked his head back, looking up at the bolt, now a black speck in the sky. The black speck then grew again, until it embedded itself in the cracked stone at Varus’ feet. Varus quickly poked his head over the wall, only long enough to see who the archer below was. 

General Galeren. The spy, the general who had seemed to hate his own king. The one who had convinced one of King Adriel’s subjects to turn on him and share vital information. And he was leading his soldiers toward the gate. If I had a throwing dagger right now, I’d pin his foot to the dirt.