Alright it's time again 
not sure, if I will find the time to finish my entry, but let's see how far I come ^-^ I teach a character design course at a university and my students had chosen Japanese antiquity as their theme for this semester - since I've now learned a lot about it, I'll just put it directly into practice here and chose Japan as my character's country.
This is the first draft of notes I took about my character Oiwai:
Attributes: spontaneous and superficial - spirit of festivities and special occasions.
Always appears where people dress up and celebrate exuberantly
Name: Oiwai (means party)
Role in Story: Trickster – playable Character (Sidekick)
Occupation: She is an successful influencer and always looking for the next "kick", always wants to be the centre of attention, but it is never enough for her, she is always looking for "more" she is looking for new and ever more extreme backdrops for her selfies, she also puts herself in combat situations in which she then poses.
(maybe something happens that changes her long-term motivation? She meets the hero of the story whose mission takes her to a place that no human being has ever visited (the underworld?) which would be the ultimate selfie backdrop for her and so she accompanies him).
Personality:
- Takes nothing seriously --> lightness of being, life is one big party
- Quick to get excited
- Just as quickly loses the desire for something again
- --> flighty
- Cheerful disposition --> sanguine with choleric tendencies
- Unfocused, easily distracted
- Loves to be the centre of attention and to show off
- Never turns down an invitation to a party
- Insecure, needs reassurance by always pushing herself into the centre of attention
- Defines herself by her appearance, extremely fashion conscious
- Loves luxury
- Can become arrogant and condescending at times
Habits/Mannerisms: Always presents herself from her "best side" and automatically adopts typical Instagram poses in every situation, even without anyone taking a photo
Background:
Teenager, 15 years old
Delicate and agile
Air spirit?
Oiwai was born from the rising steam of a sake bowl at a boisterous festival of the old gods, when one of the gods drunkenly wanted to show off his magic. At first, he merely formed small figures out of the steam. Eventually, however, he became overconfident and breathed life into one of these figures.
So Oiwai was the centre of the party when she was born and enjoyed the attention. Since then, she has regularly turned up at celebrations, always striving to feel that feeling from back then again. In the meantime, however, the attention at festivals is no longer enough for her, because there are too few people. She has discovered the internet and especially the delightful world of social media, where she can present herself to a much wider audience. She now loves not only to be the centre of attention at parties, but to take advantage of the numerous opportunities to use her social media channels.
General background: The gods of antiquity still exist, although mankind has forgotten them. They too move with the times and adapt. Mankind believes in new idols in the form of celebrities, which the gods take advantage of in modern times by becoming such idols themselves. Oiwai uses social media to do this.
Internal conflicts: Her desire to always be the centre of attention can never fill the emptiness that the circumstances of her birth brought. She has no family, no deeper relationships. She wants to be admired by many, but does not understand that she actually longs for a real friend.
External conflicts: Because of her flighty nature and her often far too direct and cocky manner, she has snubbed many people and gods over the course of time. Gods in particular are not known for being quick to forgive and forget. There is no arch-enemy yet, but there are quite a few who would not let an opportunity to harm her pass...
Visual traits:
Personal Spotlight
Colourful, eye-catching
Hummingbird, peacock, butterfly
Delicate
Class: Melee (Rogue Close Combat and Deception/Confusion)
Skills: Flash --> blinds opponents for a moment
Steam double --> Confusion
Melee attack with ring lights
Steam beam --> dissolves into a cloud of steam, blows a short distance in any direction and then manifests again
What do you have to recognise?
Japanese culture, supernatural being, personality, abilities
