Astrology? No, Vampire Clans as Personality Traits
It’s one of those things I see on social media, and it’s one of those things that every content creation guide for writers tells you to do: share the astrological signs of your characters.
Here’s the thing: I rarely think of my characters in terms of astrology. I don’t find it anywhere near as useful as most people seem to think it is. Maybe it’s because I’m an Aquarius who is routinely believed to be either a Scorpio or a Leo.
What I do, however, do is think of my characters in terms of vampire clans from Vampire: the Masquerade. For those unfamiliar, this is a wonderful gothic horror tabletop role-playing game that is far older than I would like to admit. In the game, you play vampires, and the game focuses on trying to maintain humanity while dealing with issues of addiction, power, hierarchy, and nepotism while being unable to tell everyone who you truly are, hence the “masquerade” part of it.
But I do take the idea of Sun/Moon, and sometimes Rising signs and then apply them to the characters. I find it more useful than astrology, and it seems to give me more flexibility in characterization, as there are more clans than signs. That’s important, because I’m a character discovery writer: while I have some description of a character’s personality at the beginning of writing, I often allow most of their personality to emerge naturally.
As an example, let’s look at the protagonist for my Adventures of Sam Hain series, Samantha Hain herself:
Sun Sign - Brujah
The sun sign represents who you are asked to become, your sense of purpose forged through experiences. Sam, like the Brujah clan, is a warrior with a cause. She is dedicated to following her passions and her ideals, and she is willing to put someone in their place with a sharp tongue and a bullet.
Moon Sign - Caitiff
the moon sign is the “inner truth,” the emotional core of a person. It highlights where someone goes emotionally during a conflict: fight, flight, freeze, fawn (etc.). Like the lineage-free Caitiff, Sam makes her own way, is unpredictable, and dabbles in both human fighting techniques (she’s good but not as skilled as her best friend Destiny Grimm) and magic (her emotions give her power but control isn’t her strong suit).
Rising Sign - Banu Haqim
The rising sign is the “emotional handshake” of the birth chart. It represents the first impression someone gives off when meeting others. This was hard to figure out as I planned Sam. Because no one clan really encapsulated the idea of how she would present herself in my mind. Until I really thought about her backstory, the death of her mother, the abandonment and betrayal by her father, etc. With all of that chaos, with the chaos of knowing the truth behind the Veil, with the recognition that her calling was as much to keep supernatural creatures safe from the strict, severe laws imposed upon them as it was to help humans in supernatural (and natural) trouble, it hit me: the Banu Haqim, who strive to seek justice, handle threats, and uphold laws and traditions. That is how she would want people to see her.
So, this is how I use Vampire: the Masquerade clans to provide writing notes on character personalities. There are 16 clans/lineages, which means there are more options for me to choose from. And, as a side note, people always mistake what my sign is… no one mistakes what my clan is. Can you guess?
Update on The Devourer’s Sonata and Saint of the Shattered Veil
So, the cover for my upcoming dark fantasy with a strong sapphic romantic subplot, The Devourer’s Sonata, will be revealed on Valentine’s Day. I have also commissioned character art for it, and that will be revealed when ready (one of my favorite artists has been commissioned).
I am about to reveal both cover art and character art for Saint of the Shattered Veil, a collection of dark fantasy novelettes focused on the exploits of a warrior nun who has taken vows of Veiled Visage, Necessary Speech, and Non-Refusal of Aid. More on that will come soon.
-Robin
