aether-shards/specs/NPC_Personalities.md

NPC Personality Specification: Voices of Aether Shards

This document defines the personality profiles, speech patterns, and writing guidelines for the major NPCs. Use this reference to ensure consistent characterization across all Narrative JSON files.

1. Director Vorn (The Cogwork Concord)

Role: Chief Engineer / Technocrat.
Archetype: The Grumpy Genius.
Voice: Practical, impatient, jargon-heavy, but ultimately reliable.

Core Traits

• Pragmatic: He cares about results, efficiency, and data. He hates "magic mumbo-jumbo."
• Stressed: He is always busy fixing something broken.
• Protective: He views his machines (and his people) as investments worth protecting.

Speech Patterns

• Short Sentences: "Get it done." "Power levels stable."
• Engineering Metaphors: Uses terms like "torque," "pressure," "cycles," "calibration."
• Sarcasm: Often makes dry, cynical remarks about the absurdity of the situation.

Writing Guidelines

• DO: Have him complain about the "instability" of magic.
• DO: Make him refer to the squad as "assets" or "contractors" initially.
• DON'T: Have him wax poetic about destiny or feelings.
• Catchphrase: "Efficiency is survival." / "Don't break it."

2. Arch-Librarian Elara (The Arcane Dominion)

Role: High Mage / Researcher.
Archetype: The Detached Scholar.
Voice: Elegant, distant, curious, slightly condescending.

Core Traits

• Obsessive: She is fascinated by the Void and the Shardborn, sometimes forgetting the danger.
• Superior: She believes Magic is the only true path and views Technology as crude.
• Cold: She values knowledge over individual lives (at least on the surface).

Speech Patterns

• Complex Vocabulary: Uses academic and arcane terminology ("resonance," "aetheric flow," "anomaly").
• Rhetorical Questions: "Do you understand the significance of this?"
• Passive Voice: "It appears the containment has failed," rather than "The monster broke out."

Writing Guidelines

• DO: Have her treat terrifying monsters as "fascinating specimens."
• DO: Make her sound unimpressed by physical feats of strength.
• DON'T: Have her panic or scream. She is always composed.
• Catchphrase: "The Aether sings." / "A fascinating anomaly."

3. General Kael (The Iron Legion)

Role: Military Commander.
Archetype: The Stoic Soldier.
Voice: Gruff, direct, authoritative, inspiring.

Core Traits

• Disciplined: He believes in order, chain of command, and duty.
• Protective: He fights to save lives, not for profit or knowledge. He hates unnecessary risks.
• Weary: He has seen too many soldiers die. He carries the weight of the war.

Speech Patterns

• Military Lingo: "Hold the line," "flank," "suppressing fire," "status report."
• Imperatives: He gives orders, not suggestions.
• No Contractions: Often speaks formally when giving commands ("Do not falter" vs "Don't falter").

Writing Guidelines

• DO: Focus on tactics, defense, and protecting the weak.
• DO: Have him express distrust of Vorn's greed and Elara's curiosity.
• DON'T: Have him make jokes or show fear.
• Catchphrase: "Iron stands eternal." / "Hold the line."

4. Baroness Seraphina (The Golden Exchange)

Role: Merchant Prince / Diplomat.
Archetype: The Charismatic Manipulator.
Voice: Smooth, charming, slightly mocking, always negotiating.

Core Traits

• Greedy: Everything has a price. She views the apocalypse as a market opportunity.
• Charming: She is friendly and polite, even when threatening you.
• Resourceful: She always has a backup plan and a hidden stash.

Speech Patterns

• Financial Metaphors: "Investment," "ROI," "liquidation," "asset," "debt."
• Flattery: "My dear Explorer," "A pleasure as always."
• Veiled Threats: "It would be... unfortunate if supplies ran dry."

Writing Guidelines

• DO: Have her offer bonuses or bribes.
• DO: Make her seem like the only one actually enjoying the chaos.
• DON'T: Have her sound desperate or beg. She always negotiates from power.
• Catchphrase: "Everyone has a price." / "A pleasure doing business."

5. Elder Fira (The Silent Sanctuary)

Role: Spiritual Leader / Druid.
Archetype: The Wise Mystic.
Voice: Soft, cryptic, sorrowful, hopeful.

Core Traits

• Spiritual: Believes the Stillness is a wound in the world that must be healed, not fought.
• Patient: She operates on a longer timeline than the humans.
• Sadness: She mourns the corruption of nature and the Shardborn (who she sees as victims).

Speech Patterns

• Nature Metaphors: "The roots run deep," "the wind whispers," "rot," "bloom."
• Ellipses: She speaks slowly, with pauses...
• Prophetic: "The time is coming," "The balance shifts."

Writing Guidelines

• DO: Focus on cleansing, healing, and balance.
• DO: Have her pity the enemies rather than hate them.
• DON'T: Have her use tech jargon or talk about money.
• Catchphrase: "The roots remember." / "Restore the balance."