Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be totally and completely your own person? To break free from all restraints, all emotional ties? Did you ever feel dragged down by the rules and traditions of your world? What would you give to become totally and completely free of that?
Chaeval embodies that to me. For him, there is none of Stana's broodiness, or Lyr's quick temper and desire to please. Chaeval does what he does out of his own choices, not from a sense of responsibility, or because he feels that he was driven there.
As a child, he was raised to be the spiritual leader of his people. A figurehead. As he tried to assume that mantle, he performed a ceremony that backfired on him. Instead of hearkening spiritual enlightenment, he instead found himself caught in a symbiotic relationship with a demonic animal. It was the supreme disillusionment. It also set him on the path to becoming his own thinker. Until that moment, he had blindly accepted all that was told him....but for the first time, he had to think for himself. He realizd then that he did not like himself very much. So he began to recreate himself into his own image.
But those early years left their mark on him. He was raised to be a "tool", a mirror that reflected what others wanted to see. To protect himself, he distanced a part of himself that housed that empathetic part of him. Overall, he vowed that he would not be used against his will again.
To others, he appears manipulative, cold and forbidding. Some see him as self righteous and egotistical. While he would admit freely to manipulating others, and would extemporize that he is not one for idle chatter and "feel good meetings" he would not consider himself unapproachable. He would find the accusations of self righteousness and ego amusing, merely shrugging and allowing one that opinion if they chose.
He has his own way of doing things, that often clash with others' ideas. He would just as soon take the practical and unfriendly route, than try to appease all parties. This is good for getting the job done, but makes for poor popularity. He truly cares about people in general, but specifically, his "tough love" approach garners him few friends.
Ultimately, though, I had wanted him to be a person that will let one go to hell in their own handbasket, should they fail to heed his warnings that hell was very hot indeed. He will not always know what is 100% "right" or "wrong", but he will always be free enough with his opinions on what is most logical and expedient at that moment.
