Character deep dive: Gregor
A look at the time-tested friend from the Five Fates series [contains spoilers]
Welcome to my character deep dives, where I take a detailed look at one of the main characters in my emotional epic fantasy series and what makes them tick. This week’s discussion is on the main character from the upcoming book three of the Five Fates series: Gregor Thalesen. [Please note: this article will contain spoilers for Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart, and Earth’s Blood, Fate’s Folly, books one and two of the Five Fates series.]
Archetype: the time-tested friend (entering his FAFO era)
In Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart, Gregor is the time-tested friend. He’s used to being the stoic one, the helpful one—the one stalwart shoulder for his friends to cry on. He hasn’t seen Dare or Jae in years, and yet as soon as they turn up needing help, he risks everything to help them. By Earth’s Blood, Fate’s Folly, Gregor’s lost his way. His life was safe and stable before the events of FHFH, and now he’s been set adrift in a world of danger that he didn’t ask for and doesn’t know how to handle. He still wants to help his friends, but he’s terrified of the threats that are still out there. By the time we see Gregor as the main character of book three, he’s accepted that his world will never be the same, and he’s trying to figure out who he really is within this new context. He’s still the time-tested friend, full of caring and unconditional love for his chosen family, but he’s exploring who he is when he doesn’t prioritize everyone else’s needs above his own.
Personality-wise, Gregor is quiet and reserved, typically hiding behind propriety when placed in situations outside of his comfort zone (which is basically everything from 3/4 of the way through FHFH and onward). But everyone has their limit, their breaking point. Their moment when they stop letting people walk on them and they start standing up for themselves—their fuck around and find out era, if you will. Gregor’s is coming, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for a character arc.
Inspiration and similar characters
Gregor started off as a one-off side character who was needed for two scenes and nothing more. As such, his creation was purely stream-of-consciousness and wasn’t rooted in any particular inspirations. As Gregor made it clear that he would not be sticking to his two allotted scenes, he needed a more expansive personality. Some of the new details developed naturally through exploratory writing, working on scenes between Gregor and Dare when they discuss growing up in Brookshire, but I also drew some inspiration from the character of Percy in Critical Role season one (in fact, Gregor’s last name, Thalesen, is a shout-out Taliesin Jaffe who played Percy in Critical Role and The Legend of Vox Machina).
There are several characters in other popular media who, while they didn’t necessarily provide inspiration, certainly fit his overall vibe. These inlcude Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones, Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings.
Aesthetic
Gregor’s aesthetic is “gothic academia” with a side of angst and yearning.
Songs that fit the vibe
And because we gotta have some songs with the right vibe, here’s a few for our traumatized scholar.
How Gregor got into this mess
[This section contains major spoilers for Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart and Earth’s Blood, Fate’s Folly.] In the third installment of my epic fantasy series, Gregor’s trying to keep himself busy, hoping to distract himself from the uncertainty of his new life beyond the walls of Brookshire. But with Dare missing and his power from Aetherann still uncontrolled, he’s not having much luck. So when the children he rescued during the shifter attack in Whitehollow need someone to escort them to Aetherann’s Reach, Gregor jumps at the opportunity. It’ll give him something to do, yes, but being in the Reach—the ancient seat of Aetherann’s divine power—might be just what he needs to solve at least one of the mysteries currently vexing him. But the other one, the question of who he is without his work in Brookshire … and without Dare … is another matter entirely.
Tell me what you think
Let me know what you think about Gregor and other characters like him. He may seem subdued early in the series, but there’s a lot bubbling just beneath the surface. Do you like the idea of the prim-and-proper scholar pushed to their breaking point? What about the time-tested friend archetype, who tends to focus on others over themselves?
If Gregor sounds like a character you’d enjoy, check out the Five Fates series. Although Gregor is the main character of the upcoming book three, he’s introduced in the second half of Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart and plays a large role in Earth’s Blood, Fate’s Folly. Both of the books in the main series that are currently available, as well as the series prequel, are all available in Kindle Unlimited.