Tlakeln Orthrod

pronounced "Tahl-keen"

~30-35 years old, 6'7" (half) orc with green and tan skin and reddish-pink eyes

Outwardly gregarious which makes him approachable to anyone who doesn’t know any better. He’s learned that a friendly demeanor and a quick wit can diffuse a situation but one should always be prepared for the inevitable fight. He prefers to “do things the easy way,” but won’t hesitate to “do things the hard way,” especially when it comes to those who are dumb enough to challenge his authority - he revels in the opportunity to make an example of someone.

Can be an arrogant, self righteous, stubborn, holier-than-thou bastard. This is reinforced by his misdirected sense of self worth being associated with how he can best prove his usefulness and loyalty to Renzo (as he was raised to believe). Deep down he desires meaningful connections and is often sympathetic towards people’s struggles, but fears caring for others might be seen as a weakness to be taken advantage of.

His temper/emotions can get the better of him when someone (mostly Ulhrah) is able to get under his skin, he lashes out or acts on emotions which usually leads to careless decisions. He’s lived a violent life surrounded by violent people, so violence comes naturally to him. He’s aware of this shortcoming, but feels like there are situations where he has no choice.

Appearance

Background

Born into this life of crime and was never offered a chance to live a different life. Proved his usefulness early on as a fighter/muscle, quickly picked up on the politics of “the business” which helped him climb rank to caporegime. As a trusted and loyal confidante, Renzo put Tlakeln in charge of one of their local rackets, allowed him to hire his own underlings and generally maintain the peace, so long as the decisions Tlakeln makes benefits Renzo/the organization.

Relationships & Connections

  • capo within The Mawr
  • WRITING/⟡ Published OC Database/Mafia AU/Ulhrah Maulvi - enemy to lover situation. Initially doesn’t trust Ulhrah (she’s obviously a fae spy) but has to trust Renzo and Mada at their word - she is there to provide protection/support and he has to go along with it to maintain good relations. Tlakeln is more than a little afraid of her and what she’s capable of, she is constantly trying his patience and her presence complicates interactions in his day-to-day business.
  • Gwynfor- Tlakeln works for Renzo closely, usually overseeing important/sensitive matters along with “usual business.” They have a mutual respect for each other, however Tlakeln begins to feel that Renzo does not have his best interests in mind and is merely a pawn in his game.
  • Rogdul Orthrod - biological father
  • three sisters, Tlakeln is the youngest
  • Grel - right hand woman, childhood friends

Themes

toxic masculinity, emotional vulnerability, the "hanged man" and the truths he must learn to face his reality

  • Protagonist/Anti-Villain - a character with heroic goals, personality traits, and/or virtues who is ultimately the villain, both by choice and circumstance in Tlakeln’s case. Wants a better life for himself/his community, but is the right hand man of a mob boss and is living well himself (complacent), understands on some level that he’s not the “good guy” so leans a little harder into being the “bad guy” (might want to be the good guy, but can’t/doesn’t believe he can achieve that)
  • Henry Hill/Goodfellas - in that he’s more of a “working-class” criminal who will never be a “made man,” can’t move up in rank, can’t go out on his own without it being perceived as a threat or a risk to his own life.**
  • Justified Criminal? - too ingrained in this life to think there’s another option

%%Development

  • Describe the character in one sentence.

  • What type of personality dose this character have?

  • What is their purpose in the story (protagonist, antagonist, etc)?

  • How is this character different from other characters, how do they compare?

  • What makes them interesting or relatable to an audience?

  • Their key physical traits.

  • What is the most important thing that happened to them, good and bad?

  • What do they care most about (people, things, ideals)?

  • How do they deal with problems?

  • What would it take to change this character significantly?

  • What relationship would this character have with others (strangers, friends, family, lovers, etc)?

  • Long term goals: eek out enough power within Renzo’s syndicate to try and do some good in the world, or find something/someone to be his whole world.

  • Short term goals: not get killed by Ulhrah, stop Ulhrah from killing

  • Ideals: sympathetic, wants to help people/do the right thing (even if the means don’t justify the end), believe in honor, trust and respect and maintaining the peace at all costs. 

  • Bonds: is honor bound to Renzo who has provided him with the means to rise in rank and gain power and wealth. 

  • Flaws: arrogant, loyal to a fault, acts in Renzo’s best interest rather than his own or someone else’s; believes he is untouchable/unbreakable so long as he doesn’t show any weakness (sympathy/empathy, emotions, relationships).**

Visual Development

  • VISUAL DIRECTION: Able to achieve his station through physical intimidation and brute force as needed; burdened by responsibilities; would rather live a life of comfort, but also kinda enjoys doing crimes/is good at doing crimes
  • SHAPE/PROPORTION: I like to think of him as having a wider build but also long legs because of his height; shapes are generally rounded rather than squared (sloped shoulders, softer midsection) to help communicate that he’s approachable; I tend toward more stable/grounded poses for him since he’s stronger than he is fast.
  • COLOR/COSTUME: Skin is green and tan so I try to make color choices that don’t conflict with that for costuming, generally warmer colors; more formal wear to communicate that he’s in this role of “businessman” but always with rolled up sleeves/open collar to show that he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.**