Weasel (from Mask of Names)

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Weasel (85)

Project: Fantasy novel series (Mask of Names)

Known as: Weasel

Real name: Boman Gelfand Kansley

Group affiliation: Student of Justitia Academy; Prince of Callum

Physical description: Weasel is 17 but small for his age. When we meet him, he is wearing his mask of a weasel (masks are magical amulets students of the academy are required to wear that conceal their identity; it both masks their voice and gives them the appearance of having the head of their assigned animal).

Personality: Weasel is intelligent and observant. He frequently notices things that others miss. He is very practical and pragmatic and is unusually cynical for his age. He does have goals and wants to do good in the world, it’s just that he feels like the latitude he can take in accomplishing those goals is fairly great given the world is fundamentally unfair anyway. He likes a relatively few number of people but those he does like he is extremely loyal to (oddly, he considers this a weakness). He is dangerously close to a total “ends justify the means” life view but could be influenced to be better.

History: Graden joins the academy and is excited about many of its policies. To him, the requirement to wear a mask amulet and conceal identities means that everyone is judged on their character and deeds (especially important to him once he finds out part of his name is “son of a betrayer”). The chance for his name to be cleared and only have his academy accomplishments attached to his name on graduation also feels fair to him. When he is assigned to be Viper he believes it is through random assignment. Finally, he was asked to swear on an Oath Stone (a new, more advanced version of the Name Stone). This stone compels the user to obey whatever they swear when using it. Graden, always one to stick to his word anyway, looks forward to a time when others are held to the same standard (the oaths for the academy include not revealing your identity directly, or performing actions that will reveal your identity).

Early in his education he intervened in a group of students having an altercation. Lion, Eagle, and Bear were ganging up on Weasel and Graden found the odds unfair. Though they were skilled fighters (especially Lion), the group was unprepared for Graden and he managed to outright defeat or dissuade them all. Weasel ended up attaching himself to Graden (Viper).

Graden felt a little trapped. He assumed Weasel needed Graden’s protection but felt he perhaps was excluded from his proper peer group due to his association with Weasel. Graden’s code of behavior would not allow him to abandon Weasel, however. Graden also found Weasel very odd and sometimes disquieting. Weasel seemed to enjoy questioning fundamental truths which were core to Graden’s belief system.

Weasel had a very different perspective on their dynamic. He felt Graden actually got more from their friendship as Weasel was very knowledgeable and intelligent and often helped Graden in his coursework. Also, Weasel did not in fact attach himself to Graden for protection (he felt he could take care of himself or could simply suffer through when he couldn’t). Instead, Weasel found Graden fascinating in his goodness. Weasel had heard of fundamentally decent people but doubted their existence. Weasel’s questioning of Graden’s beliefs was actually more of an exploration of Graden’s psyche (even the cynical Weasel began to admire Graden’s inherent goodness).

Still, Weasel also found Graden very naïve and certainly disagreed with Graden about the virtuousness of the academy. Weasel did not believe that the assignment of animals were random nor that they accomplished the goal of ensuring judgement without prejudice. As example, he noted that Graden’s judgment of him was likely influenced by him being a “weasel” (and that people had views based on Graden being a “viper”). For that matter, Weasel is confident he knows the identity of sever of the students. Weasel also found the Oath Stone abhorrent. To him, an oath that people were forced to follow had no nobility, and the worst sin against a person was restricting their free will.

Despite their differences (or perhaps because of) they became fast friends. Graden began to notice that Weasel often risked himself for Graden’s benefit; and while Graden wondered if Weasel had the proper moral code he could never fault his friendship. Weasel for his part believed Graden was the rarest of people – truly decent and principled.

Their friendship (and at times, enmity) will serve as a major element in the series. Some things that might happen:

• Graden will be troubled when some of Weasel’s cleverness is of questionable morals (even though the outcome is positive).
• They will have a complicated relationship with a third (Fox). Weasel will be in love with her.
• Weasel will win one on one combat with Lion by manipulation of the Oath Stone. At the beginning of combat, Weasel will say he suspects Lion’s identity and that a close-up review of Lion’s fighting style will confirm it. As Lion cannot perform and act that would reveal his identity, this statement will be enough to make Lion unable to defend himself and Weasel win easily. This will cause a major break between Graden and Weasel, as Graden finds this tremendously dishonorable (Weasel, for his part, believes it is unfair that someone like Lion can challenge someone like him to physical combat when they are so obviously mismatched).
• Graden will be stunned when he learns Weasel is the prince of a smaller, disadvantaged kingdom (they have a rival group of extraordinary warriors known as the Rangers). This will not happen until graduation.
• Graden will also be crushed when he (Graden) gets some unfair additions to his name at graduation.
• Their reunification will come when Weasel (now Boman) willingly adds “Friend of Graden” to his name. Graden will swear fealty to Boman, setting up the rest of the series.
• Boman cares passionately about his kingdom and ensuring it’s security and posterity. This may ultimate draw the friends into war.

Role in the narrative: Foil and friend to Graden. Together they will be used to explore principles vs. pragmatism; methods and outcomes; duty and free will.

Abilities: Physically, not many (he is a talented archer, however; he chooses not to reveal this at the academy, as he never likes to give up an advantage; Graden finds this befuddling and deceptive). Mentally he is very gifted. He learns and retains information very well and is deeply thoughtful. He notices things others do not and is gifted enough at spellcraft he could have choosen to be a mage (Graden expected Weasel would – as Graden didn’t know Weasel was a prince).

Inspirations: Lex Luthor in Smallville. He’s a character who feels like he might be a good friend or two away from being a good guy (but he could go either way). I’ve watched a few documentaries on wrongfully convicted people which is what I’m mining for ideas for the downsides to using Name Stones and Mask Amulets. What people believe about you is a more powerful force than the “truth” often times. Many might compare Weasel to Harmoine, but their only similarities are intelligence and skill (Harmoine is way less morally ambiguous than Weasel can be at times).