It's a new month and a new spotlight! We like to start of each new month with a celebration of a character (and RPer) that has caught our attention for one reason or another such as their character's development, biography, or simply because we think the roleplayer deserves some recognition for being awesome. This is my first time with the privilege of making this announcement and I am so excited to share with you who the spotlight for March is!
This month we're spotlighting Eoghan Blyth, RPed by our wonderful Zephie
For more information on Eoghan make sure to check his biography, relationships and aesthetic!
As is tradition, we asked Zephie a few questions:
What was your initial thought when you were contacted about being spotlighted? I was in the middle of duels so honestly I thought I'd messed up with a student's points or something when I saw a GM PM 
However when I read it and found out Eoghan had actually been spotlighted I am delightedddd! It's been a long time since I've had as much muse for a character as I do Eoghan, so I'm really glad he's been spotlighted because I feel like that shows!
What was the inspiration for your character? Originally Eoghan was a character I designed for different roleplay universe, after being inspired by Snow's character in Hunger Games; Songbirds + Snakes. Specifically, the way he puts on a front to cover up his real family life and wants to build a life for the family he does have while knowing they're relying on him to get them out of their current situation. When I made him originally his personally was very similar, but I made him 17, which is probably one of the reasons he comes across as such as old soul character because trying to make him younger has been a challenge
He also most definitely is growing up a different way and will not be the same character at 17 anymore! I also made him Finnish on HNZ as a nod to Faye, who hadn't joined at the time but I was talking to her about Eoghan when he was created 
His love for Tarot cards also was never planned and just appeared when I was writing the topic of him meeting some of his classmates, but as soon as I wrote it, it felt like something I could expand on. Again, Faye and I had been friends before she joined the site and one of the many things we'd bonded over in the recent weeks had been Tarot Cards and how we both had an interest in them but hadn't really tried them properly, so it was the planted seed that took off
What is your favourite RP that your character has taken part in? Not gonna lie, I adored doing the original truth or dare game because it was so fun to get a group of characters together and see how they interact with one another, and even Eoghan who was/is such a closed off introvert it was great to see them bouncing off each other. Similarly I think the truth or dare game they did this year was a turning point for Eoghan because he's starting to come out of his shell to his classmates (dare he say friends) and trust those around him.
What is your favourite aspect of your character? I enjoy writing the part of Eoghan that is quite dismissive, especially of people he doesn't consider to be close to him because I feel like not many of my characters are like that and it makes for some surprising interactions. It's this interesting middle ground where I wouldn't say he's a rude person, but he can certainly be unintentionally selfish which is a lot to do with his upbringing. My favourite part of Eoghan though is I love how fiercely loyal he is, particularly to Lilith and Tori. It's because of them that Eoghan often pushes past his own comfort zones which in turn is helping to develop who he is.
Your least favourite aspect? Sometimes I shake my head at the way he'll talk about other students (Sorry Jonah and Susie) because while I know most others would see him as being condescending or unkind, Eoghan just sees it as laying facts out the way they really are and at times he lacks the empathy to handle it with any grace
But that being said I love an all rounded character so it's important to give them a flaw or two
If you could meet your character in real life would you want to? Why or why not? See if I didn't know what Eoghan was thinking behind the scenes, I would think he is quite a judgmental character and hard to talk to since he doesn't exactly offer up information, which is probably someone I would find very hard to get along with in real life
However if I knew what he was really like then I think it would be fun to have a session of asking him lots of questions
What do you feel your strength in developing characters is?
I feel like I'm good at taking one single trait, and designing a character around that (Eoghan's being his family relies on him). For instance, just taking one way of thinking, or hobby, outlook, habit or moral, I can usually then start to ask myself questions as to how this came to be this way, what their background looked like for this to happen, and it just sort of snowballs from there to create someone new. That's how a lot of my new characters start, just with one trait that gets expanded upon
Your weakness? Sometimes I feel like I give up too early with a character. If I don't have any muse for them I just won't write them, but I should probably try to get through that wall and find their unique quality so I can develop them later. I currently have an active character that I've done that with There was a point where I wasn't entirely sure they were going to exist for a while but I'm very glad they do now I've found who they are
What would you recommend to those looking to further develop their characters? I would say try to add them to as many events and situations as possible. Eoghan is tricky because he's so introverted, but even then he's grown so much because I keep offering him up for things (like rose giving, dueling etc) and that helps to discover how he feels about things and gives him a chance to interact with more people that can push him one way or another. Even when I don't really understand my own characters yet because they're so new, throwing them into a few roleplays usually makes their personality shine through.
What are you most looking forward to on HNZ in the next several months? I can't wait to see what other drama unfolds for the current second years, they've such an iconic group that something is bound to happen, especially as they're about to go up into their elective year which is only going to get more chaotic
What is your favourite part of HNZ? I love that HNZ keeps bringing me back over the years and it's because my friends give me muse to write with them again. All my friends at this point are online, and HNZ definitely gives us a way to reconnect in our own time and have a consistency in our lives to let our hair down!
However when I read it and found out Eoghan had actually been spotlighted I am delightedddd! It's been a long time since I've had as much muse for a character as I do Eoghan, so I'm really glad he's been spotlighted because I feel like that shows!What was the inspiration for your character? Originally Eoghan was a character I designed for different roleplay universe, after being inspired by Snow's character in Hunger Games; Songbirds + Snakes. Specifically, the way he puts on a front to cover up his real family life and wants to build a life for the family he does have while knowing they're relying on him to get them out of their current situation. When I made him originally his personally was very similar, but I made him 17, which is probably one of the reasons he comes across as such as old soul character because trying to make him younger has been a challenge
He also most definitely is growing up a different way and will not be the same character at 17 anymore! I also made him Finnish on HNZ as a nod to Faye, who hadn't joined at the time but I was talking to her about Eoghan when he was created His love for Tarot cards also was never planned and just appeared when I was writing the topic of him meeting some of his classmates, but as soon as I wrote it, it felt like something I could expand on. Again, Faye and I had been friends before she joined the site and one of the many things we'd bonded over in the recent weeks had been Tarot Cards and how we both had an interest in them but hadn't really tried them properly, so it was the planted seed that took off What is your favourite RP that your character has taken part in? Not gonna lie, I adored doing the original truth or dare game because it was so fun to get a group of characters together and see how they interact with one another, and even Eoghan who was/is such a closed off introvert it was great to see them bouncing off each other. Similarly I think the truth or dare game they did this year was a turning point for Eoghan because he's starting to come out of his shell to his classmates (dare he say friends) and trust those around him.
What is your favourite aspect of your character? I enjoy writing the part of Eoghan that is quite dismissive, especially of people he doesn't consider to be close to him because I feel like not many of my characters are like that and it makes for some surprising interactions. It's this interesting middle ground where I wouldn't say he's a rude person, but he can certainly be unintentionally selfish which is a lot to do with his upbringing. My favourite part of Eoghan though is I love how fiercely loyal he is, particularly to Lilith and Tori. It's because of them that Eoghan often pushes past his own comfort zones which in turn is helping to develop who he is.
Your least favourite aspect? Sometimes I shake my head at the way he'll talk about other students (Sorry Jonah and Susie) because while I know most others would see him as being condescending or unkind, Eoghan just sees it as laying facts out the way they really are and at times he lacks the empathy to handle it with any grace
But that being said I love an all rounded character so it's important to give them a flaw or two If you could meet your character in real life would you want to? Why or why not? See if I didn't know what Eoghan was thinking behind the scenes, I would think he is quite a judgmental character and hard to talk to since he doesn't exactly offer up information, which is probably someone I would find very hard to get along with in real life
However if I knew what he was really like then I think it would be fun to have a session of asking him lots of questions What do you feel your strength in developing characters is?
I feel like I'm good at taking one single trait, and designing a character around that (Eoghan's being his family relies on him). For instance, just taking one way of thinking, or hobby, outlook, habit or moral, I can usually then start to ask myself questions as to how this came to be this way, what their background looked like for this to happen, and it just sort of snowballs from there to create someone new. That's how a lot of my new characters start, just with one trait that gets expanded upon
Your weakness? Sometimes I feel like I give up too early with a character. If I don't have any muse for them I just won't write them, but I should probably try to get through that wall and find their unique quality so I can develop them later. I currently have an active character that I've done that with
There was a point where I wasn't entirely sure they were going to exist for a while but I'm very glad they do now I've found who they are What would you recommend to those looking to further develop their characters? I would say try to add them to as many events and situations as possible. Eoghan is tricky because he's so introverted, but even then he's grown so much because I keep offering him up for things (like rose giving, dueling etc) and that helps to discover how he feels about things and gives him a chance to interact with more people that can push him one way or another. Even when I don't really understand my own characters yet because they're so new, throwing them into a few roleplays usually makes their personality shine through.
What are you most looking forward to on HNZ in the next several months? I can't wait to see what other drama unfolds for the current second years, they've such an iconic group that something is bound to happen, especially as they're about to go up into their elective year which is only going to get more chaotic
What is your favourite part of HNZ? I love that HNZ keeps bringing me back over the years and it's because my friends give me muse to write with them again. All my friends at this point are online, and HNZ definitely gives us a way to reconnect in our own time and have a consistency in our lives to let our hair down!
Please join us in congratulating Zephie on this month's spotlight or ask any questions you might have!
~Verity
(on behalf of the HNZ site staff)
