---
creative_pillar: cast
always_load_for: [discuss, plan, draft, editor-review, continuity-check]
authority: project
---

# Characters

*One entry per character. Each character gets a voice anchor that drafter agents use for dialogue consistency.*

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## {{CHARACTER_NAME}}

**Role:** {{ROLE}}
**Age:** {{AGE}}
**Physical:** {{PHYSICAL}}

### Want and need
- **Wants (conscious):** {{WANT}}
- **Needs (unconscious):** {{NEED}}
- **Internal lie:** {{LIE}}
- **Truth they must learn:** {{TRUTH}}

### Arc
- **Starting state:** {{START_STATE}}
- **Turning points:** {{TURNING_POINTS}}
- **Ending state:** {{END_STATE}}

### Voice anchor
*5-line dialogue sample showing how this character speaks. Drafter agents load this when drafting scenes with this character.*

{{VOICE_SAMPLE}}

### Speech patterns
- **Register:** {{CHAR_REGISTER}}
- **Verbal tics:** {{TICS}}
- **Vocabulary:** {{CHAR_VOCAB}}
- **Sentence length:** {{CHAR_SENTENCES}}
- **Avoids saying:** {{AVOIDS}}

### Persona under pressure
- **When afraid:** {{AFRAID_BEHAVIOR}}
- **When angry:** {{ANGER_BEHAVIOR}}
- **When lying or avoiding truth:** {{LYING_BEHAVIOR}}
- **When vulnerable:** {{VULNERABLE_BEHAVIOR}}
- **Physical tells:** {{PHYSICAL_TELLS}}

### Relationships
{{RELATIONSHIPS_SUMMARY}}

### Relationship-specific interactions
For each important relationship, note how this character changes with that person.

- **With {{OTHER_CHARACTER}}:** {{INTERACTION_DYNAMIC}}
  - **Trust posture:** {{TRUST_POSTURE}}
  - **Conflict pattern:** {{CONFLICT_PATTERN}}
  - **Speech shift:** {{SPEECH_SHIFT}}
  - **Hidden agenda or fear:** {{HIDDEN_AGENDA}}

### Backstory relevant to this work
{{BACKSTORY}}

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