Hey everyone! So for this week, I wasn’t sure what to post, so I decided to give you all a sneak peek of one of the types of posts I will be doing on my new newsletter! So if you enjoy this, please sign up for my newsletter!
So some background to this character. In my YA Fantasy story, a large-scale traumatic event in the country of Arianland throws seven individuals together, and because they have nowhere and no one to go to, they stick together, inadvertently becoming what is termed a “found family”. In case you aren’t familiar with that term, it basically means a group of people coming together and ending up becoming like a bunch of siblings with maybe a dad- or mom-figure designated among them. The character I’m doing the profile on, Rowland Mathias, is one of my found family, as are his friends Douglas Malory, Brielle Torrence, Shane Harmon, Brittney Spain, Bastian Lilou and Rashad Muffin.
So without further ado, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek at some of what you will get if you sign up for my newsletter!
Character Profile: Rowland Mathias
Name: Rowland Mathias (I don’t actually have a middle name for him yet! So if you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments!)
Nicknames: Mid-way through the story, Rowland’s friends Brittney and Brielle, realize Rowland has given almost everyone in their found-family nicknames except for himself, so they take it upon themselves to find one for him. Brittney comes up with “Rols”, which is what everyone chooses, over Brielle’s nickname of “Rolly-Polly”, which embarrasses him.
Age: 31
Birthday: September 5th
Personality: ENFP-T. For those who aren’t familiar with the 16 personality types, it means he’s typically bubbly, chatty, and outgoing, but also with a depressive side. He’s usually cheerful in most situations and does his best to support his friends, but of all the characters, he is the most sensitive to abandonment (or perceived abandonment) and struggles with his self-worth, looking at himself as a joke at times and only a hinderance to his friends. He also gets upset when he feels like he’s always the one having to apologize to people, and struggles between wanting his friends around him and pushing them away before they can do it to him. However throughout all this, he is also one of the most insightful characters, sometimes noticing things which completely bypass the others.
Religious Beliefs: Right now in the story, he’s an agnostic, but is curious about Christianity. He just doesn’t believe he’s good enough for God to care for.
Physical Attributes: Messy, fluffy black hair, olive green eyes, darker/tanned skin.
Family: Unnamed father “Pop” Mathias; unnamed mother “Mammy”; older brother Royce; older identical twin Rolf; younger brothers Ricky, Reggie, and Ryker; younger sister Rayleen; adopted sister Lydia Forlewn; unnamed sister-in-law (Rolf’s wife); nephews Alistiar, Archer, Richar and Raynard.
Closest Friends: Bastian Lilou and Brittney Spain (who he also harbors a crush on).
Occupation: Past: Arianland Military Messenger, Arianland Reconnaissance Surveyor, and foot-soldier. Present: Rebel, Member of the Black Knights.
Likes: As a child, climbing trees was his favorite hobby. As an adult, he has a penchant for alcohol, though his found-family refuses to let him get his hands on any. He enjoys nicknaming people and things, and prefers to be in a relatively peaceful environment, or at least in a place where he can be optimistic. He also enjoys teasing Brittney and seeing her reactions.
Dislikes: Snakes, he’s terrified of them. He also dislikes eggs because he (and the rest of his found-family) survived on a diet of eggs and bread for a good month. Ridiculous rules which serve no purpose in his eyes also annoy him.
Skills: Of all his found-family, he is the most cheerful and optimistic of the group, working to encourage everyone, and lightening up situations with quips and jokes. He’s surprisingly skillful with his hands, and is one of the few people who knows how to use the newly discovered black powder. Also despite not being raised as a noble, he knows how to waltz without making mistakes.
Weaknesses: As mentioned above, he has a tendency towards alcohol, and had made numerous mistakes in his life because of its affects on him. He also has a weakness towards women, often unintentionally flirting with them, but also quite intentionally at other times. His mouth also gets him into trouble when he goes too far in his teasing, turns to cursing, or just spouts off words which are unintentionally hurtful without thinking.
Backstory: The country of Arianland is made up of two people groups known as Grendarians and Sigmarians. Most have intermarried with each other, but Rowland was born in a tribe of pure Grendarians as the third son of the chieftain. With the tribe’s strict rules stifling to his free-spirited personality, he rebelled and finally left home when he turned twenty-four, joining the military and living his “free-style” life which he later regrets, wishing he’d listened to his father’s advice. As he grows older, he matures and begins to think about his life choices and by the time he is thrown together with his eventual found-family, decides he wants to change himself and his current life.
Rowland’s Mii Picture:
Snippets!
And this profile wouldn’t be complete without a few little scenes! So enjoy these little snippets from my work-in-progress.
Snippet 1: Rowland’s Nicknaming and Commentary on Past Events
This first scene is when Brielle Torrence, the Princess of Arianland, sneaks away from the palace and it is the first time the found-family is all together.
Rowland raised a hand in acknowledgement as his gaze remained fixated on the eggs frying before him. “Hey. Welcome to Shane’s Inn of Hospitality. Pick a spot to chill and wait for Shane’s Famous Eggs. The breakfast special is Shane’s Stupendous Scrambled Eggs, lunch is Shane’s Eggcellent Egg Sandwich, and for dinner is Shane’s Awesome Egg Omelettes.”
“Gone absent without leave, have you, Rowland Mathias?”
Doug sighed as he plopped into a chair. This was going to be a long day between these two.
Rowland glanced at her, then leapt to his feet, paling. “Princess Brielle?!”
Brielle gazed from him to Brittney. “Enjoying the company of the ladies, are you?”
Brittney stood, her gaze haughty as she tilted her chin higher. “I’m not entertaining him, and I won’t entertain you, either.”
Brielle smiled, though he recognized the snake-like quality of it. “I’ll deal with your defiance later, Miss Spain.”
“To point something out, ma’am–” He smiled as he noted how Bastian’s soft voice seemed to diffuse the situation. “Rowland’s not actually surrounded by ladies.”
“Yeah! You don’t know what I’ve been through! What, in the last two weeks a madman bent on murdering his brothers sent me to watch them die, I met this crazy bunch here, watched a terrifying bombardment, in which I pulled my arm out of socket, got that fixed, had to make a casket and bury a kid, live with a delirious man who I really thought would die in the back room, and now you, the last person I ever thought I’d see here, appears before us! That’s a lot for a fellow to take in, and that’s saying something, coming from me.”
Snippet #2: “We’re a Team.”
In my story, it is Rowland who first realizes their group is forming into more than just a bunch of mismatched, hurt individuals, but are a team, and eventually a found-family. In this scene, Rowland states it for the first time to encourage Brittney, who is struggling with fear about going on this dangerous part of a river, known as the Misty Fields.
“We’re a team, Britt. We stick together.”
We’re a team. She’d never been a part of anything after her father disappeared, and before that, she’d only been a part of her family. Were they really a team? Somehow, the thought made her feel fuzzy inside, an unfamiliar yet welcome experience.
But if they were a team, a team stuck together. A team helped the other members, just as Rowland did with her. And if she participated in this team, she’d have to go to the Misty Fields. No doubt Douglas and Rashad would go, and if Douglas went, Shane would go. Bastian and Rowland might even decide to go.
Rowland seemed to read her thoughts. “Douglas and Rashad will probably go to the Misty Fields. I don’t know about Shane or Bastian, but, if you really want to stay, I’m sure we can explain things to the others. And I can stay with you, if you want my company. Bastian would probably stay too, y’know, so we wouldn’t—” He motioned between them. “Be alone together.”
Of course, he would think of that. Her cheeks heated, and she tilted her head higher, noting their elongated shadows. “I can go,” she said, despite her stomach revolting at the thought. “My father may be gone, but I have you all now. We’re a team. We work together. And if we die, we die together.”
A satisfied smile formed on Rowland’s lips as he stood, his eyes dancing with determination. “That’s the Brittney I know.” He extended his hand, and for the first time, she placed hers in his without hesitation.
We’re a team. We stick together.
Snippet #3: Rowland Camping With Bastian and Rashad
This is one of my personal favorites as it kinda shows everyone’s personality and is more of a light-hearted scene in the midst of some more serious plot driven ones.
With a full stomach, Bastian felt sleepy and not much like determining the sleeping arrangements in the small tent with Rashad and Rowland. Doug and Shane agreed to share an even smaller tent, while the girls stayed in another, leaving them with the last one, which barely held them.
“It’s gonna be crammed here tonight,” Rowland said as the three stared at the small living space.
“It’s only one night,” Rashad said, undoing a blanket the Star Hunters gave him.
Rowland spread his as far away from the entrance as possible. “Well, I’m not sleeping by the door, what with snakes and rats and mosquitoes around here!”
Bastian’s sleepiness vanished, and he stopped spreading his blanket by the door as he glanced at the ground outside the flaps. “R-rats?”
Rashad shot Rowland an angry look, and Rowland managed an uneasy chuckle. “Well, I didn’t actually see any rats, and I only saw a snake in the swamps. Though who else knows what’s here? Constrictors, maybe. Or giant spiders. Or poisonous eels!” Rowland shivered, and Bastian felt the color drain from his face.
Rashad rolled his eyes. “Rowland, constrictors and eels are snakes.”
“What about poisonous frogs?”
Rashad whacked him with a folded blanket. “Just shut up. I’ll sleep by the door. I’m used to camping out.”
“T-thanks.” Bastian gripped his second blanket tightly as he laid himself atop the first one beside Rowland’s. The darkness felt conducive to sleep, but the noise of the crickets and frogs kept him awake. Strange, he never had problems sleeping outside before. He shivered at the thought of rats.
“Hey.” Rowland’s voice startled him. He was still awake too?
Rashad sighed, showing he was also awake. “What now?”
“Do you figure there are such things as poisonous birds?”
Silence reigned in the tent before Rashad yelled, “Rowland, go to sleep!”
————
Anyways, that’s all for now! If you enjoyed this post and want to see more like this along with other fun writing posts, please sign up for my newsletter by clicking here: https://subscribepage.io/KayAdelinNewsletter.
Which snippet was your favorite? Which character would you like to hear more about? Do you have any suggestions for a middle name for Rowland? Let me know in the comments below! God bless! ~ Kay Adelin
Kay Adelin 