Plot III: Character Vs. Fate

I really like this plot. Some times this is called Destiny. one of the greatest theological and philosophical question is are we free agents or is everything already decided? For some this is a parodox because if there is an all powerful, all knowing God then he has to know what will happen before it happend, thus on the one hond he had determond everything, but then on the other hand we hear about our choices, do we really make choices or is it just and illusion?

So this plot focuses on the question is the character or isn't the character fated? Is it possible for him or her to change their fate? can they beat their fate or should they beat their fate? How are they going to fulfill their destiny.

To illustrate this plot I am going to use a web comic called Goblins. I can not recommend this comic enough it is well written and well drawn. Tarol Hunt plays with the Character vs Fate plot extensively with his goblin party. Goblins in his world either are named for a physical atrobute, like Big Ear or just Ears and One Eye. or they are named for something that the prophet/seer saw when they were born, Like Complains-of-names, Fumbles, Tempts Fate, Chief, Saves a fox, and Dies Horribly.

As you might have guessed Complains-of-names  complains about peoples names, and just about everything else. his fate is to be a complainer and he does it very well.

Fumbles, well fumbles and always in a way that causes more trouble for his village and his party. once he tries to become an adventurer but trips in battle nearly getting killed by the adventurer Minmax. letter he attacks an elf child thinking that what he hears is a random encounter. in an attempt to give the child back her doll he gets trips up and gets captured. Fumbles has a good heart but his fate is to blunder around.

Tempts Fate generally goes on crazy adventures and well tempts fate.

but what fun is the plot of character vs fate if everyone just kind of goes along with their fate. are these characters really fated or are they the way they are because of the way they have been named. can they fight their fate?

at this point come the spoilers for this comic, but if you haven't read it you really should even after I revile what i am about to talk about.

Cheif is the chief of the goblin tribe because at he was the son of the goblins and when he was born the seer saw that he was to be the chief. So he became the chief. however the seer lied. what she saw was someone else was to be the chief, but if that person was to become the chief there would be a civil war in the tribe. instead she named the dead chief's son Chief. though out the story Chief is trying to be the person that he was not fated to be but the one whom everyone thinks he is fated to be. everyday he is living a lie and he knows it, but for the sake of his tribe he will do it.

Saves-a-Fox was given the prophecy at her birth that she would save a fox. but Save-a-fox did not want to believe her life had to be governed by these prophecies. she wanted to make her own way in the world. So on the day when she found a fox eating her tribes provisions instead of 'saving' the fox she killed it. take that fate! but latter she realizes that the fox had a strange disease which it would have suffered greatly from, so actually she saved the fox.

Last but not least Dies-Horribly. this is my favorite character. because he knows he is going to die horribly Dies is a coward. always jumpy expecting everything and anything to kill him. Fox does her best to help him to see that he can beat his fate. But will he? will he escape with his party out of the crazy dungeon or will he die horribly. Well sense the comic isn't finished yet we will all have to wait and see.