Character Development | Playable Character

Character designed for a stealth game / RPG set in 14th Century France.

Character Summary: Hildi is a resilient girl whose life has been marked by loss and the cruelty of her cousin. She grew up in a noble family. Her mother tried to give her a brother and a sister, but the two newborns never made it through winter; planting in her mind the idea that she could lose anyone. Hildi was close to her father, a skilled falconer. She inherited his expertise and trained homing pigeons before moving on to falcons. Even though she was loved by her parents, she was often tormented by her cousin Édouard, a brutal squire soon to be knighted, who disagreed with a girl being taught what he considered men’s skills. Following her father’s disappearance near Marseille and clues pointing to the Count of Burgundy, a stubborn Hildi left her family to relentlessly search for him, only taking a bag, a dagger and her favourite falcon Esmé with her.

Hildi swore not to go back home without bringing him home, or at least finding out what happened. Once a lone wanderer, she joined a highwaymen gang for survival purposes: it was joining up or fighting her way to Marseille alone and losing a considerable amount of time. She obviously doesn’t trust them. However, she gradually forms a bond with Jan, a gang member because she feels that the distant look in the young man’s eyes betrays his desire to leave the group, a longing for freedom and independence. Since she’s not the only one to have noticed this, she keeps her distance from this highwayman who nonetheless makes her laugh with his somewhat rough humour. Over the course of the game, she will eventually make the conscious and courageous choice to confront her fear of losing someone she had become attached to.

Unique Gameplay: Esmé gives her the opportunity to fetch objects without being spotted, hunt for small prey and attack some enemies from a distance.

Character Themes: Survival, Loss, Trust, Solitude, Resilience

Archetype/Inspiration Character[s]:

• Tiffany Doggett, from Orange is the New Black, (despite their different social background) for her fierce independence due to her troubled past and her impulsiveness which can contrast with her tendency to occasionally be swayed by optimism and innocence.
• Carl Grimes, from The Walking Dead, for his unsettling ability to adapt to a cruel world, to endure trauma to the point of convincing himself he lacks feelings and is able to become an adult before his time; before realising that it is only thanks to others that he can face the world.

Other characters relationships:

Oblivious to most of the members of the gang, she still forms a connexion with Jan, a 20-years-old boy from a much more humble upbringing than hers. He has a quick tongue and makes her reflect on the privilege she grew up with and how it still affects her behaviour even though she lost them all when she left in search of her father.
Her cousin, Édouard de Chérin, left a mark on her with his mistreatments. She hates him. Were she to find out he had something to do with the fate of her father (after all, he serves the Count of Burgundy, her #1 suspect), she would get revenge, one way or another.

Speech and quotes

Thanks to her noble upbringing, she knows how to read.

• speaking is natural for her
• she has quick wit (good fit with Jan)
• ability to articulate complex sentences if needed
• uses politeness to put others at a distance, or to win arguments

Trigger	Line	Tone / Intentions
First appearance	Step away! Don’t you get close to me, it will only end in pain.	On the surface, it shows her tendency to be defensive and to be able to strike back. It also reflects her deep-seated fear of attachment.
Quest success	They can hide in the shadows, but I will flush them out; and with them I will find you, Father.	On a stiff note, underlined by her aggressiveness; ends on her hope to be reunited with her father
Quest failure	No, no, no… Father! Please stay within reach!	Desperate
Proposing a deal	I’ll trade you my falconry skills for any clue regarding my father. It’s the only way you can have me around.	Underlining her strong independence
Defeating an enemy	Another one down.	Reflecting her determination, her forced lack of emotion

More dialogue lines for Hildi can be found here, in the context of different quest events / gameplay interactions.

Character General Story Role

Hildi serves as a determined ally, bringing her unique skills to the group; she also brings a deep understanding of loss and what it takes to survive. 
Her confrontation with her cousin who became a knight for the Count of Burgundy gives the opportunity to deal with revenge with another perspective; she will eventually move on, but she will never forgive her cousin.

Personality traits: Independent, resilient, distrustful, compassionate beneath her tough exterior, haunted by past traumas, and driven by a deep sense of duty and loyalty. She may let herself be a bit naive and optimistic from time to time, but she quickly goes back into her shell. 

Background: she was born into a noble family with a history of child loss and familial tension due to that matter. Even the few servants were overcome with despair and fear at the prospect of a newborn’s arrival. On top of that, Hildi’s early teen years were marked by her cousin’s cruelty. However, her bond with her father shines some light over her childhood. He was a falconer, who taught her everything there is to know about homing pigeons and falcons. His disappearance thrust Hildi into a solitary quest, shaping her into a hardened yet deeply caring individual underneath.

Distinctive traits/equipment:

• her falconry glove, it is a big part of her character as it is linked to her dad, her own abilities and responsibilities
• her dagger, useful for close combat, engraved with a falcon and a pigeon
• her hair is pulled back to clear her eyes, so she can see into the distance and remain alert, as well as to reflect her tendency to be a bit stiff because of her noble upbringing

Daily life elements : 

• mastering her dagger skills
• mastering her falconry with Esmé
• training of random pigeons just for the fun of it and the softness they bring to her
• Most of her routine consists in searching for clues about her father, maintaining her falconry equipment, and spying on the Count of Burgundy soldiers on-goings.

Opinions on:

Own Life	Refuses to actually confront the disappearance of her father and to process the possibility of losing him. Doesn’t care much about her own life, she became a tool dedicated to fulfilling her promise of bringing her dad home.
Politics and economics	Distrustful of institutions and the nobility due to her experiences with her cousin, her family and the Inquisition.
Military	Cynical about the use of power and violence, having seen the brutality of soldiers and her cousin’s ambitions.
Friendship	Considers that only because it can be useful, at the beginning of the game. She’s now slowly learning to value and trust the bond she’s forming with Jan.
Foreigners	Generally extremely cautious but open to cooperation if it aligns with her goals.
Innovations	Skeptical but pragmatic, focusing more on immediate survival needs.
Balance between tasks and free time	Often prioritising her quest over personal rest time.
Hierarchy	Disdains rigid structures of power, preferring merit and personal integrity over status.
Fate	Feels her fate is entwined with her quest and is determined to change her destiny through her actions.