Okay, I think I've waited it out enough to post a snippet of one of my characters. While I'm still kinda-sorta sorting things out about him before he undergoes any specifics, like full-blown stories, but I think he's ready to show him off a little. I thought it would be simplistic enough to use the profile format from Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014, as it seemed fairly straightforward. As for his allies, enemies, etc; I do have characters by those names, but unfortunately I do not yet have either significant established explanations for the events leading to their relation to Milov OR profiles for them with nearly as much content.

Milov Lask
Ladies' Man. Philomancer. Negotiator.

Human Male, Age 24

Height/Weight:
5'7", 160 lbs.

Style of Magic:
Red- and white-mana philomancy (invocation of emotions)

Favored Creatures:
Creatures with womanly human features

Favored Spells:
Elicitation of strong emotional feelings

Distinguishing Features:
Wears multiple color-changing gem accessories which determine Milov's current mood

Overview:
Milov wields philomancy, magic that affects passionate feelings. He uses his skills as a philomancer to complement his own charm and social prowess for various specialty jobs. Milov is notorious for his penchant for charming young women across the multiverse, looking for either love or pleasurable company.

Quote:
"Changing the hearts of men is my job, but for the fairer sex, it's my specialty."

Allies:
Alfhilda

Enemies:
Valin Drom

Associations:
None known

While there is a part of me that is apprehensive of the implications of a character using emotion-altering magic to seduce women (this can be read in a VERY disturbing manner) I will give you the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Mostly, I just need to know more about this character before I can make any sort of real judgment on it. This format of profile is useful in giving us a quick glance at a character, and I like what you have so far. But what is he like? What kind of life has he led? What was his first planeswalk like, and what triggered it?

Basically, I'm not seeing anything here that sends up red flags about him as a character himself (other than the one I already mentioned), so I do want to know more about him, but I don't think there's enough here to give you much feedback.

I never intended him to use his magic to 'seduce' anyone in such a rape-y way. The way I see it, the general extent of his red magic would be to merely sway the mood in a direction, not change on demand. Since he uses his magic for odd jobs (mostly jobs that require negotiating, or convincing) it helps to be able to give someone a push from "hostile" in the direction of "calm" in a heated hostage situation, or to cause someone to be more reactive if an interrogation is necessary, not to mention that red magic is known to be quick and temporary, at his worst he may use it to get a spark going, but it's his own charm that fuels anything that follows. There is a little room for tweaking, but he doesn't use his magic so underhandedly. Only when the question of whether or not to dip into Green/Blue/Black magic arises is the idea of those implications considered, even momentarily (as Green would be a hormonal thing, Blue would be mind control, and Black would be practically enslaving) His duality reflects that often he may have a steady young woman by his side he also has many friends in the right places which is his primary perk.

The problem with being from an unknown plane is establishing a backstory involving it. His spark igniting however is meant to be a love story gone wrong, very wrong if it led to an experience traumatic enough to ignite his spark. As I really like Kiora's unique description of Planeswalking, so I've considered planeswalking for Milov would either be like some sort of Freudian birth sequence, or some sort of flirtatious dance through the Blind Eternities. As for his destination, my current decision is Theros. Due to the Uncharted Realms "Kruphix's Insight", we know there USED to be a god of love. Between his arrival there and his eventual departure (many days) Milov may discover that out of a pantheon of war, death, deception, sea, forge, hunting, seasons, and more, there is no god of love. With the understanding that Theros is a world without support for love, (and that this does in fact upset him despite what he's been through) and having reason to not return to his home plane, Milov keeps moving forward.

Oof, yeah, I have the same reservations that Raven does. Lots of reservations there. Among other things it strays very closely to Pick Up Artist territory and I have a lot of Feelings about PUAs. (Not positive ones.) It depends on how you play it, honestly, and that will inherently come out in the text itself rather than in the description. Execution and context is everything.

I also have reservations about the Known Association section. I'm wary of works that might be problematic worming their way into the archives via name mentions in dossiers without actually getting voted on.

That said, there's some stuff about this character that I like a lot. The thing that most caught my eye was the mood ring outfit. That's so delightfully gimmicky that I've got to kind of love it. (I've been reading a lot of Silver Age comics lately and well.)

I think I'd like to see more information on this character, and if possible an actual story about this character.

Well, I actually do intend for him for him to be a sort of Pickup Artist, though a respectable one. If a romance is an option between him and a woman, it begins. If said woman is not a love interest but more of a "Pickup Art Buyer", then that happens. If the woman is not interested, either she will say so, or his magic could help him gauge what sort of emotional response is most likely. In general, since he's kind of a negotiator, he should be proficient enough at reading body language.

What do you mean about the associations? Alfhilda and Valin are characters of mine but just don't have profiles yet.

Glad there's something. Considering 'mood' is his primary motif and concern, it would make enough sense to make it more evident. It would simplify the gauging of others' moods if he has one he can direct at someone else and it change according to their mood.

I do expect to write a story about Milov soon enough, I just need to solidify a few relationships as well as decide which ones would fit for a good "intro" story, thus the setting needs to be decided for certain.

Yeah, ah, PUAs make my skin crawl, so that may be a permanent sticking point for me. Just warning you from the outset.

The thing with the associations bit is that it creates a space in the archives for characters without them actually being voted on. That can be potentially dangerous since something that wouldn't fly normally can sort of sneak its way in that way. It's just another thing I'd like more information on.

You're entitled to your opinion, can't change that, though again, that depends on your definition of such.

Oh, well they're just there atm to fill in. Considering the voting thing, either they should be disregarded or they will have their own very soon and hopefully have an equal chance.

Yeah, as long as you treat it carefully, then I'm fine with the emotion/pick-up thing. It's only when it crosses that line that it really bothers me from a fundamental standpoint. Pickup Artists themselves don't bother me too much (after all, Raiker Venn is a prolific womanizer, as well), so as long as you're aware of the line you're walking, I'm fine with it.

After thinking about it, I'm with Keeper on the associations, though for your purposes for the time being, I think they're fine. However, when and if this eventually goes to vote, I would probably ask that you remove it then. But again, as a writing prompt for yourself and a in-text connection during the creation phase, it's not a problem.

Right, I don't want him to be seen as lewd or anything, so I have an eye on the line.

That's fine, they'll likely get profiles and info as well, probably within the week I hope.
I'll be coming back and adding more later, perhaps I'll have a story to contribute soon.

Good to hear it.

Have fun!

Hey, Planechaser - excited to see where you go from here.

I'll kind of echo Raven and Keeper's concerns, but it sounds like you've got a plan for going forward, so I won't belabor the point.

The thing I'd suggest keeping in mind as you flesh the character out further is: What are his weaknesses? What are his faults? What isn't he good at? The bio we have to this point does a good job of summarizing his strengths and his capabilities. But one of the things which always helps to round out characters and to make them interesting is to get a glimpse at the other side of the coin - what can't they do? What causes problems for them? Where do they fall short?

Just some questions to puzzle over when you're thinking about a story or more character info.

Oh, while the question was primarily to get me thinking, I do have an answer for basic weaknesses.

As of right now, the only primary 'weaknesses' I have set for him is that similar to Ajani only being able to aura-enchant OTHERS, (but he actually has leonin strength and battle skill with his weapon) Milov primarily can use his white and red magic to sway emotions, his ONLY battle strength is relying on his allies and loved one(s), and of course since he is a Planeswalker, given different planes, said allies and loved ones aren't always consistent.

If that doesn't match your expectations, would you mind giving a few good examples of what you mean?

His 'weakness' is really his overly social nature. He's the kind of guy who's never single if he doesn't want to be (and being a planeswalker, if he worries for the unpleasant side of a relationship, he can flee) and he's the kind of guy with so many friendly connections that given the proper timing, if he asked, he could get free/cheap service, or find out secret gossip. Just to clarify, while I do intend for him to be a so-called "Pickup Artist", it's not necessarily meant to be justified per se. Just as Liliana is SORT of a protagonist, it can be foreseen that she will get some consequences to her actions and attitude. I perfectly plan on there being pitfalls to Milov's shenanigans.

While his "way with people" and magic can generally help him with most tasks he's given, I expect similar to Ajani, his magic really comes in handy when used on his company with whom he has bonds with. His white magic works best with his closest and most loyal friends, and his red magic is most potent around someone whom he shares a strong mutual love or passion with, and I predict the results can vary if his relationship with her is less than ideal at the time. I have hopes of taking these 'bonds' in a literal sense (perhaps in a manner similar to mana bonds, like the Join Forces mechanic) but that is another thing altogether.

@Planechaser: Just a gut reaction to your most recent post, but it might be interesting to see Milov on some sort of Zendikar expedition. Zendikar was all about the 'group of adventurers' motif, and that might be a good place to let your character shine. Just a thought, of course.

I agree to some extent, the trade off is multiple allies/party members, but it IS Zendikar after all, so other planes might be more appealing over time, but he would have to start from scratch for allies & lovers, much like the concept of losing mana bonds ala Manablade like the Jace-Tezzeret story arc.

I suppose UNLIKE Ajani's sheer enchantment theme, Milov's more recognizable spells are mostly Protection (there is some subtle meta humor intended there) and Dual Casting like effects.

Considering his reliance on allies & lovers, I've already got a character lined up to be one of said allies, based on the concept of a "wingman" but will also literally be a or mage specializing in Flight magic.

...Ok that's kinda funny, I must admit.

While I didn't plan for it to be that way, I have noticed he seems like a mashup between Dack and Ajani. Something I've been trying to tweak concerns Ajani Vengeant's nature, if I recall, Ajani is the only one with a real noticeable explanation for his color-additions with his newfound anger concerning details of his brother's murder. I want to somehow implement something more to his nature, for example the noticeable presence of in relation to his romantic bond with his female (given that he's formed any such bond with anyone on that plane) and something similar in regards to and his more platonic bonds with comrades. Now that I mentioned it, there is SOME justification for Milov's habits. As a Planeswalker (and a wayward one at that) there is no way for him to take any love interests with him, and due to his indeciveness (he is still fairly young) he's not ready to consign himself to one plane just yet.

Also, I must ask, while I'm putting the pieces together for a story starring Milov, I would like to know what *kinds* of stories are most appreciated for review?

This has caused me to be racking my brain for some time on this: Since in an early "what if" stage of Milov's creation, I'd thought about what if he could somehow (I won't go into detail some of the odd "triggers" I've imagined for this ability) take a (woman) companion with him when he planeswalked, though I later came to see that that was way way too mold breaking, so I ditched that. However now I don't see anything wrong with instead, he be able to connect with people (most *commonly* women) who are unable to leave their home plane in a similar way to most mages making connections with the land(s), perhaps reflecting the color pie. Does anyone have any insight into breaking either love or bonds in general into the color pie? As far as love itself goes, I can see love being friendly platonic love, love being the passionate romantic kind of love, love being either "self-love" or pure desire, or even false love as subconscious wish fulfilment, and love being interpreted as either familial love, or the other side of the scale and being "physical love" as per the expectations of nature. (while putting those in the same category can seem sketchy, they kind of go together in a cyclical cause-and-effect kind of way.) I have no certainty about love, but I very much believe there's room for it to be interpreted to fit in the cycle. As for the functionality of my curiosity, if I look at bonds and not 'love' per se, I can imagine Milov forming bonds with people that also behave as a symbiotic link between himself and his partner(s). For example, a Red-aligned bond would be an emotional bond (he emotionally feels what she feels, vice-versa, and perhaps a more practical perk) while a Blue-aligned bond would link Milov's mind with that of his partner with whom he shares the Blue bond, and a practical perk. My guess for a White-aligned bond would rely on loyalty (perhaps) but being magically bonded through loyalty doesn't yield any expected special shared qualities that I can easily think of) Any suggestions about this train of thought would be wonderful and very appreciated lol This concept even encourages me to incorporate some of it into the background for his unknown plane of origin (5 sects of 'love sages' each of whom practice the fundamentals of each color of 'love')

Blue love is manipulative and secretive.

You love somebody. But you believe that your relationship could be better. You have an ideal vision of that relationship in mind. Then you take steps to build towards that vision, and erase everything that isn't part of that vision.

You want to woo somebody? Send them unsigned love letters. Go to a masked ball and dance with them anonymously. Write poetry and riddles expressing your feelings. Fantasize about them in idealistic romances of the mind.

When the big day comes, dress up and organize a perfect date night. Make sure everyone else in the tavern is in on the plan.

You fear that someone will come between you and your lover? Spread rumors about them. Manipulate your lover against them. Make sure you never see that person in your life again. It's okay if it's for the good of your relationship, right?

You fear that your lover is slipping away from you? Start keeping tabs on them wherever they go. Pay people to tail them in their daily life. Check their travel records. Pace back and forth in your drawing-room.

It isn't fair! You took every step to ensure that you would be together. This is not how the world is supposed to work. Send letter after letter pleading for them to come back. Drink a lot when they don't write back.

Mope around on the streets. Write poetry about love found and lost. Write an epic ballad. Become a Poet Laureate of the Crown. Die lonely. Becomes famous after you die.