Everyone plays a role, often several, every day. Every individual displays multiple layers of personality, varying from the contrived to the sincere. Each of these roles define how we interact with the people and places around us, and we choose which parts of ourselves we wish to show. Archetypes allow players to build a sense of personality for their characters, and to define a bit of what makes the character tick. The character should act as the player reasonably or emotionally believes they would act in a given situation. It is worth noting that Archetypes are not rigid but are merely starting points. As a character grows and changes, they may shift. Players and Storytellers may wish to define their own Archetypes that more closely exemplify how the character in question responds to her surroundings and customizing an Archetype that truly speaks to the soul of a character. Every character is an individual, and customized Archetypes are a logical outgrowth of that.
The concept of Nature and Demeanor corresponds directly to the different masks we wear when we interact. What face do they present to the world, and what face lies beneath that? It is another way of asking the question “What is my character like?” Asking the whether your character is very open about his nature or whether she puts on a different face for the world may help you role play her more evocatively. By choosing how we relate to the world, we are able to choose how it relates to us as well, as we guide the responses others give us. Nature and Demeanor are a way to elaborate further on characters’ personality. Characters need not slavishly devote themselves to their Natures and Demeanors. The concept of Nature and Demeanor is that a character loosely matches a pair of given personality Archetypes.
For example, a character might have deep doubts about a war, which she conceals with laughter and deflecting humor; thus, the player may consider she has a Fatalist Nature hidden under a Trickster Demeanor. These Archetypes aren’t rigid,
Philosophy aside, personality also has an effect on mechanics. A character may regain her drive and sense of purpose by acting in accordance with her Nature. Every time a character fulfills the requirement of her Nature Archetype that character regains a point of spent Willpower.
Nature: This is a one-word archetype that represents your character’s true self. Is she a Barbarian at heart? A Caretaker? A Survivor? This is the “true” personality of your character — who she is deep down Nature is the character’s “real” self, the person she truly is. The Archetype a player chooses reflects that character’s deep-rooted feelings about herself, others, and the world. Nature should not be the only aspect of a character’s true personality, merely the most dominant. Nature is also used to determine a character’s ability to regain Willpower points. A character’s Nature is her true self, her innermost being — the person she truly is. It is dangerous to show this, though, as it lets others know who we are and what is important to us. Nature is the true face of a character
Demeanor: Another one-word archetype (chosen from the same list as Nature) that represents the face your character shows the world. Taken with Nature, this allows you to get a quick handle on your character’s personality. This is the personality your character presents to the world. More often than not, Nature and Demeanor are different, especially given the unknown paths of the human mind. Demeanor is the way a character presents herself to the outside world. It is the “mask” she wears to protect her inner self. A character’s Demeanor often differs from her Nature, though it might not. Also, Demeanor refers to the attitude a character adopts most often — people change Demeanors as often as they change their minds. Demeanor has no effect on any rules. Thus, characters also have Demeanors, faces they show to the world. Demeanor is the mask she wears.