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A writing guild for those who like to torment their characters. 

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  I don't understand what this has to do with character abuse. (Hint: it doesn't.)
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deactivated28752859652

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:27 am


For a guild that supports the abuse of characters, we don't reward it very often. It's more like a secret fetish or something. So, here we go - this thread is to honour those creators among us and in the big wide world who really do torture their characters.

Now, here's how it works:
1. Nominate a character you think is abused in a post here. A character will have to get a score of 10 or more points using the scoring system below to be considered. One other member of the CAA must also approve that your facts are correct.
2. Once a character is in the CAA Hall of Pain, their creator will go into the Honoured Torturers list.
3. A character who has all their points from physical pain will be listed in dark-red, while one from all psychological will be in blue.
4. A creator with three or more characters in the Hall of Pain will go onto the records as an Ultimate Torturer, and have their name in dark-red. Any story with three or more tortured characters in it will go into the LIST OF DOOM.
5. Yes, you can nominate your own characters, but they will be checked!

Scoring:
0.5 points for physical damage that does not leave a lasting mark, eg. a black eye. Colour code with dark red.
1 point for physical damage that leaves a lasting mark, eg. a scar, missing teeth. Colour code with red.
1 point for short-term psychological damage, eg. partner has an affair - though this really depends on the character. Colour code with dark blue.
2 points for long-tern psychological damage, eg. parents killed - although again this depends on the character. Colour code with blue.
Points are awarded per occasion, not per mark. For example, if a character were stabbed repeatedly on one single occasion, that only counts as 1 point.
Characters who are tortured for a living, eg. Tom from Tom and Jerry or the Coyote from the Road Runner Show, are not eligible as they are basically big damnit-dolls with no complex histories.

The form is thus:
[b]Character:[/b]
[b]Creator:[/b]
[b]World:[/b] (eg. Discworld, Harry Potter, etc.)
[b]Trauma:[/b]
-
-
-
[b]Total:[/b]


Example:
Okay, let's say I want to nominate 2D from Gorillaz for our Hall of Pain.
Let's see here. Starting with the "Rock The House" video; in this, he was shot with billiard balls repeatedly. I know that this didn't leave a lasting mark, so he gets 0.5 points for that. The "Jump the Gut" cartoon ended in a very painful crash, which will get him another 0.5, and the "Fairground Indent" in which he gets run over also gets him a 0.5. There's also a game in which you swap his organ's for Murdoc's while he's asleep - I think that counts as another 0.5.
His front teeth were knocked out by Murdoc for not going to an interview, that counts as 1. He also got a croissant pushed into his face which knocked out his tonsils, that's another 1. Since his two 'fractured eyes' occurred on different occasions (the first, Murdoc drove a car into his face, the second, he was catapulted out of a car) that comes to 2 more points. The regular abuse from Murdoc, including having a phonebook thrown at his head, a cigarette butt extinguished on his arm, etc, I am going to put under a collective 1 as this is constant, ongoing physical trauma. He also fell out of a tree as a kid, which resulted in his migraines and blue hair (don't ask), so he gets a 1 for that.
For the psychological side, Murdoc did bang his girlfriend, and although he still whines about that, it really only comes to 'short-term' damage, therefore a 1.

So this is how I'd present the form:

Character Name: Stuart "2D" Pot
Creator: Jamie Hewlett/Damon Albran
World: Gorillaz
Trauma:
- "Rock The House" video - 0.5
- "Jump The Gut" bite - 0.5
- "Fairground Indent" - 0.5
- "Operation" game - 0.5
- Front teeth knocked out by Murdoc - 1
- Tonsils knocked out by croissant to face - 1
- Car driven into face resultant in "fractured eyeball" - 1
- Catapulted out of car resulting in second "fractured eyeball" - 1
- Ongoing Murdoc-induced trauma - 1
- Fell out of tree in preteens, resulting in migraines and blue hair - 1
- Girlfriend (Paula) cheats on him with Murdoc - 1
Total: 9

Therefore, unfortunately, 2D is not eligible for the Hall of Pain (unless someone else can come up with something I've missed). Even if he were, one other person in the guild would have to check my facts first.

HALL OF PAIN

"Xavier" Montmorency (20.5)
Felix Harrowgate (20)

HONOURED TORTURERS
Sarah Monette (Felix Harrowgate)
Eleanor Updale ("Xavier" Montmorency)

LIST OF DOOM
PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:55 pm


So we can nominate both our own characters and other characters? Like, if I wanted to nominate Kerrigan from StarCraft, I could?

I don't actually want to nominate Kerrigan as she is a gigantic Sue, but the StarCraft CD is right beside my computer and she was the first person that came to mind.

erikakaiser
Vice Captain

Dapper Inquisitor


deactivated28752859652

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:34 pm


Yep. You could nominate Kerrigan, Leon, anyone. ^.^
PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:05 am


Character: Felix Harrowgate
Creator: Sarah Monette
World: Melusine
Trauma:
- Was abandoned by his mother at a young age - 1
- Regularly whipped by his Keeper as a kept-thief - 1 (heavily scarred back)
- Nearly drowned by his Keeper - 2
- Saw a close childhood friend die in a fire - 2
- Became a whore in the Pharaohlight district of Melusine - 2
- Abused by Malkar as a student - 2
- Social gossip that Felix used to be a whore in Pharaohlight - 1
- Broke up with boyfriend Lord Shannon - 1
- Raped by Malkar - 2
- Had his mind shattered, causing hallucinations galore 3nodding - 2
- Excommunicated from the Mirador - 1
- Is "interrogated" while batshit insane - 1
- Thrown into a temple devoted to the care of the insane - 1
- Hallucinates that his brother is his long-dead Keeper - 1


Total: DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN 20

Rimbaum


Raincrow
Captain

9,050 Points
  • Survivor 150
  • Healer 50
  • Pie For All! 300
PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:18 am


The first trauma I would only assign one point to, as Felix doesn't really remember his mother, and seems much more affected by what happened after his abandonment than the fact that he was abandoned. At least, so far as I can remember. That still would only bring the total to 20, though.

Check check check...everything seems in order...yep, all this did happen. And only in the first book, I might add. 3nodding

*secretly tacks on one point for the random shallow cut he got on his face* ninja

And, by the way, the final trauma on the list has to be my favorite. 3nodding So, do we call it an even 20?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:20 am


Raincrow
The first trauma I would only assign one point to, as Felix doesn't really remember his mother, and seems much more affected by what happened after his abandonment than the fact that he was abandoned. At least, so far as I can remember. That still would only bring the total to 20, though.

Check check check...everything seems in order...yep, all this did happen. And only in the first book, I might add. 3nodding

*secretly tacks on one point for the random shallow cut he got on his face* ninja

And, by the way, the final trauma on the list has to be my favorite. 3nodding So, do we call it an even 20?
I'd agree with that, though the reason I originally said that Felix being abandoned by his mother was 2 points was... well, because of the fact that he WAS abandoned, not necessarily because he knew her.

Just pointing. I don't argue with 20.

EDIT: and changed to reflect revised final score

Rimbaum


erikakaiser
Vice Captain

Dapper Inquisitor

PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:22 am


All of that happened in one book?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:24 am


erikakaiser
All of that happened in one book?
Yes. I'm waiting for the fourth book to come out this summer 3nodding I want to read MOAR of how Felix copes with what's thrown at him next.


I know he's practically a walking Gary-Stu, but it's hard not to like a guy who spends the vast majority of a book batshit insane. On top of that, I give kudos to Sarah Monette for creating characters that don't angst about their past... Felix dwells on his endlessly because, well, he's upper-class, and rumors are a nasty way to bring down your carefully built reputation. Especially if the basis for those rumors is true.

Rimbaum


Raincrow
Captain

9,050 Points
  • Survivor 150
  • Healer 50
  • Pie For All! 300
PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:10 am


erikakaiser
All of that happened in one book?

It was a long book, though. And its timeframe is actually, what, a year and a half? A little over a year? A lot of s**t can happen in a year.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:14 pm


Well, Felix can't stay on that list all by his lonesome. Uhh...I know this entry won't be able to be confirmed until Koopa or Heidi decide to show up again, but Montmorency needs love all the same.

Character: "Xavier" Montmorency
Creator: Eleanor Updale
World: Victorian England, London
Trauma: *cracks knuckles*
- Orphaned at a young age. - 2
- Fell through factory skylight onto a machine, tearing his body to horrible shreds and nearly dying. - 1
- Kept alive and medically experimented upon by Dr. Farcett, prolonging his misery and leaving him with worse scars than he would have had under "normal" medical care. - 1
- Tormented by prison in-mates. - 1
- Shown off like a prize pig to the Scientific Society people. - 1
- Mercilessly persued by landlord's daughter. - 1 (Though I'm tempted to call it a 2 for the sake of my own suffering.)
- Nearly drowned in the London sewers. - 0.5
- Guilt trip for letting an old friend swing for his crimes. - 2
- Drug addiction. - 0.5, 2
- Fistfight with London bomber. - 0.5
- Sharing a bed with George (what, I think it would be plenty scarring!) - 1
- "Is the kid mine?" - 1
- Death of a close friend. - 2
- Love of his life turned against him. - 1
- Thinks Tom hates him. - 1
- Near-deadly illness from a fight in the sewers. - 1
- Guilt trip for not saving the President. - 1
Total: 20.5

Since I've done my best to block the last two books of the series from my memory, I may have accidentally left out key points. ...We are allowed to take details from a whole series, right? If not, I'm sunk; if yes, Monty lives a ridiculously easy life compared to Felix (okay, this is debatable). Then again, it's relatively the same ratio of abuse per page, since the Montmorency books are only a fraction of the size of the Doctrine of Labyrinths books.

And I think we really ought to address drug addiction and long-term illness in the rules. I wasn't sure exactly what to put down, since both drug addiction and long-term illness severely affect the body as a whole, but don't necessarily leave a mark.

I'll try to track down Koopa or Heidi to check this ASAP.

By the by, Rimbaum, I thought you had told me you'd nominate Mildmay, too. *can't do it because she surely can't remember back to reading Melusine last summer and would leave too many things out*

Raincrow
Captain

9,050 Points
  • Survivor 150
  • Healer 50
  • Pie For All! 300

Nicco Nightstar

PostPosted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:07 pm


Hey, Rae, I'd say any series that starts with the title character falling through a skylight and into a machine... well, that definitely belongs in our hall of fame. That's just the start of poor Monty's pain and suffering.
PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:14 pm


There, I have a witness. MONTY GOES ON THE WALL. ^_^

Raincrow
Captain

9,050 Points
  • Survivor 150
  • Healer 50
  • Pie For All! 300

deactivated28752859652

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 9:30 am


Raincrow
And I think we really ought to address drug addiction and long-term illness in the rules. I wasn't sure exactly what to put down, since both drug addiction and long-term illness severely affect the body as a whole, but don't necessarily leave a mark.


I'd generally put drug addiction as psychological damage, not so sure about long-term illness... both about equal to 1, though. What do you think?
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:18 am


I can say from personal experience that how much "torture" is involved with long term illness is entirely dependent on the attitude of the person dealing with it. A good attitude can make a pretty nasty thing seem not so bad. A poor attitude does the opposite.

Nicco Nightstar


Raincrow
Captain

9,050 Points
  • Survivor 150
  • Healer 50
  • Pie For All! 300
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:14 am


Yeah, but I'm more thinking of the effects a wasting illness can have on a character--in some cases it could affect them long after the illness has passed.

To be honest, it's been so long I don't entirely remember why I brought it up. sweatdrop
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