As part of a writing course I was recently taking, we were asked to develop some character profiles. This is the profile I developed for one of the antagonist. While he’s not the “Big Bad,” he’s the character with whom* my protagonists have the most interaction.
Meet Rikaine Westmoreland
Rikaine Westmoreland hates his name. He was only the second person to bear it, a very short, inglorious history. The fact that Uncle Rikaine died a failure, with a blemished service record, was an ever-present weight on this young Rikaine’s shoulders. It would have been better to have a new name, a new start. But family honour demanded a success, or a sacrifice.
Rikaine must do enough for both generations, to redeem his uncle, to ensure the name will be venerated in future histories, worn proudly by future Rikaines throughout time. The alternative, failure, would ensure that no one would ever utter this cursed name again.
It’s not like Rikaine doesn’t have his advantages. He’s genetically modified to be strong, fit, handsome. His mind is enhanced by cybernetic implants include technology only rumoured to exist elsewhere. In every way, he’s superior to you. His one flaw, if he has one, is that he knows this.
Having risen quickly in the ranks of the Schevren Corporatists’ elite infiltration unit, Rikaine now walks among his enemies, befriending them, building their trust, setting them up for a glorious fall, one that will forever redeem the name Rikaine Westmoreland.
*I know that’s the correct grammar, but I really wanted to leave the dangling modifier: While he’s not the “Big Bad,” he’s the character my protagonists have the most interaction with.
If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy my short story collection The Maiden Voyage of Novyy Mir and Other Short Stories.
