Character Survey

[isolophobia]

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?

Slender, tall, and built like a swimmer.

2. How old is he?

Older than dirt. Seriously, he's been around since the world was new, and was around even longer as Kozmotis Pitchner.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?

Usually he stands very straight, almost militaristic even when 'at ease'.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?

Pitch is a spirit, so his body type is pretty much the same as it's always been? He's never had to worry about things like disease or physical impairment. His teeth are a little on the crooked side, though.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?

As a general rule Pitch is extremely graceful, and moves as quick and quiet as the shadows he commands.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?

Again: spirit. Pitch doesn't really view himself in terms of physical attractiveness, but rather in personal power. When the fear of others around him is strong, he feels strong and capable. When those around him are not afraid or unable to see Pitch, he feels physically weakened.

In truth, Pitch doesn't even really view himself in human form. There's a great deal of concept art for the Rise of the Guardians movie where Pitch is depicted as a huge mass of shadowy tendrils and eyes ( ala' Call of Cthulu ) and taken in combination with Rufftoon's comic Intermezzo, Pitch's appearance is whatever the viewer expects to see.

Short answer; It Depends On Who's Looking.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?

Grey. Grey to the point of being ashen. Failing that, he looks like an inky black shadow mass with lots of gold eyes.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.

Black, course and strangely spikey. The slicked back, spikey look is a holdover from some of Kozmotis' species traits. He keeps his hair short, but it does grow extremely slowly.

9. What color are his eyes?

Bright gold, and sometimes they get a weird shine to them when Pitch is particularly angry or actively trying to frighten someone.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?

A very hooked, aquiline nose and a lack of eyebrows. His facial features are pretty distinct, and definitely wouldn't call him "attractive" in the traditional sense.

11. What are his chief tension centers?

Shoulders, and upper back mainly. He tends to stoop a lot when feeling pressured.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?

His wardrobe is just an extension of the shadows he commands. So he almost always looks like he's wearing the same floor length black robe. The cuffs and collar of said robe just sort of blend in with Pitch's own skin at the wrists and back of his neck. The deep V neck does something similar over his sternum. Under that, it looks like he's wearing some form of leggings, or pants? But, being made of shadows, those aren't really visible except as the occasional impression of his legs moving when he walks.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?

Shadow-clothes, so they look perfectly tailored to Pitch's body. There isn't any reason to "change" them, since Pitch is a spirit and they aren't proper clothes in the first place.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?

...Shadow-clothes. It's always the same style robe. Though when it's just Pitch alone, he has been known to ditch the pants and go with only the ankle length "bathrobe" look.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?

I guess, technically, the answer is commando? Shadows don't have much use for knickers.

Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?

Pitch is voiced by Jude Law in Rise of the Guardians, so he's got a very clear tenor that's mildly accented on some words. ( Youtube clip of Pitch's attack and monologue at the Tooth Palace )

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?

Normally, Pitch speaks easily and most often with a cynical or sarcastic comment. He's not above ranting a little if he gets going on certain sore subjects.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?

Yup, see above.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?

He's the embodiment of fear, so he can pretty much understand all forms of language. What the person listening to him hears might be up for debate, but he can make himself known with little difficulty.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?

See above.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?

Definitely an impromptu speaker. Pitch isn't much for preparing a speech in advance for anything.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?

Eloquent, but prone to throwing in a crass jibe or comment if he sees the opening.

Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?

Very intelligent, though it ranges between the two. As the embodiment of fear, he's picked up a lot of Worldly Wisdom ( so to speak ) but can just as easily turn toward more academic ideas if the situation called for it.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?

Pitch would prefer to be able to deliberate, but he's perfectly comfortable improvising.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?

Pitch is an intuitive creature. He knows the deepest darkest fears of anyone he's met, and the understanding of those fears gets paired with a pretty ruthless nature. He's intuitive but definitely methodical.

4. What kind of education has the character had?

As Kozmotis? He had a rather formal military education. Since then? A great deal of "practical experience", so to speak.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?

Fear in all it's many forms and manifestations. While fear is not the end all, be all of Pitch's interests, he's pretty committed to his job. Outside that, he does have an interest in writers ( especially horror writers ) and is a secret connoisseur of various types of wine and absinthe.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?

Very much an extrovert. Even to the point of being dramatic and flamboyant at times.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?

At this point in his existence, Pitch is a very moody individual. Generally his moods range from cynical disdain to vindictive glee with a significant amount of loneliness mixed in. He can turn from one to the other on a dime, though. He is also singularly driven to achieve his goal of being believed in. He'd planned the downfall of the Guardians for years and years before ever so much as showing himself publicly.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?

Pitch is suspicious and paranoid by nature. Reading another person's fears generally gives him insight into the darker parts of that person before anything else, though. Once he does know a person's fears, Pitch will often be calm, or even aloof in his interactions. Unless he feels cornered, or powerless, in which case he is just as capable of playing on the fears of others with the express purpose of manipulation, or intimidation.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?

React. Fear is a reactionary emotion, after all. However, Pitch is also capable of planning ahead pretty extensively, then putting that plan into action should he feel the need.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?

Depends on the situation. If Pitch feels he's pushed, he will lash out just as quickly as dropping into a shadow to escape. If completely overmatched and outgunned, Pitch will flee rather than try to fight to the bitter end.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?

A very dark, cynical one. He very much enjoys gallows humor, but his sense of whats 'funny' is pretty skewed in comparison to an average person. Pitch is the sort to laugh at a pack of wild dogs running down an innocent child because said child is afraid.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?

After centuries of loneliness, rejection, and desperation? Yeah, Pitch is a bit on the unstable side. As far as any specific mental disorders, the closest human approximation would probably be depression.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?

Pitch Black started life as Kozmotis Pitchiner. A general in Tsar Lunanoff's army, and a very capable warrior set to guard the then-imprisoned Living Shadows. But the fearlings and the nightmare men would whisper, plead, threaten and cajole constantly. The only thing that kept Kozmotis going strong were thoughts of his daughter, Seraphina, whom he kept a picture of in a locket around his neck. But, the Living Shadows sensed his weakness and one day imitated the voice of Seraphina. Kozmotis was hypnotized by it, and became convinced that Seraphina had become imprisoned with the fearlings and nightmare men. Frantic to release her, he opened the doors - and ten thousand shadows rushed out to meet him. Though he fought against the possession, the fearlings and nightmare men took control of Kozmotis, and made him forget all about Seraphina, and the life he had before.

Thus Kozmotis Pitchiner became Pitch Black.

Twisted by the shadows, Pitch sought to destroy the Golden Age. He plundered planets, lead his army of shadows across the stars, and consumed every dream he came across. Pitch planned to turn the infant Lunanoff Prince, who had never had a nightmare, into his Prince of Nightmares. To flee him, the Lunanoff family set sail for Earth but Pitch pursued. The resulting confrontation ended in a huge explosion that simultaneously killed the man in the moon's parents and stranded a severely weakened Pitch on earth.

Over the centuries, Pitch slowly recovered, but being stranded on earth did change him. For the better by Pitch's standards, since he actually fulfilled a vital role to the growing planet, could inspire fear and respect far and wide, and therefore had an endless supply of dreams to consume.

He walked battlefields, dropped in on asylums, and haunted witch trials and everywhere his name was known in whispers or nightmares. Thus, giving rise to his title of The Boogeyman.

But, the Dark Ages came to an end when the man in the moon chose four spirits to become the Guardians of dreams, hope, memory, and wonder respectively. At first, the idea had been to balance out fear, and thus the Guardians initially asked Pitch to join them. But once North explained that the Guardian's purpose was to protect the belief of children, Pitch stated that his purpose would not be dictated by children, and he therefore wanted no part of the Guardians.

From there, fear was still a strong force in the world, but too much fear makes people act stupid, and Pitch was no exception. He gloried in his own power, selfish in the pursuit of enhancing his own image ( or rather ego). Hope, wonder, memory and dreams pushed back against the tide of fear for many years, and as Pitch watched his power being challenged, he grew angry and vindictive.
The last great battle between Pitch Black and the Guardians was staged in the skies above Basel in 1566, and at the time Pitch was sure that he was battling for his own survival. The Nightmare King lost that battle pretty spectacularly, and Pitch was severely weakened, having committed too much of his remaining power at once and was therefore forced underground.

For centuries, Pitch was forced to hide from the Guardians, and lurked under beds and in closets in order to feed off the fear of the dwindling numbers of people who did believe in him. Utterly alone, and mostly powerless, Pitch watched the world of spirits and humans equally, and soon came to long for the power he once had. More than that, he longed for an end to his solitude, his loneliness - he longed for a family that would accept him as he was. But the epiphany was late, the Nightmare King too weak, and so that longing turned into bitter jealousy instead.

Pitch did eventually figure out how to fight back, as well. It was mostly by accident, but one night while dream gathering, Pitch accidentally ran into some of the Sandman's dreamsand delivering good dreams to children. Panicked by the light, Pitch tried to push it away...and discovered that he could turn the golden sand black. The black sand became infused with a fearling and thus Pitch created his very first physical Nightmare.

So Pitch laid his plans, and slowly gathered more corrupted dreamsand, and more nightmares. For years Pitch waited, and gathered his strength, until he had an army of dreamsand-created Nightmares, and was able to launch another attack on the Guardians specifically.

14. What does he fear?

Being powerless, and completely alone. He may be the embodiment of fear, but that only means his own fears are more intense, and deeper seated.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?

First and foremost is to regain the belief of the world. To be feared and respected as befits the Nightmare King. After that...well, he does have a secret desire for acceptance, but the latter he barely admits to himself, let alone anyone else.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?

That he is desperately lonely, and was actually being sincere when he told Jack Frost that he "longed for a family".

Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.

Pitch doesn't even remember his adult life as Kozmotis all that well, nevermind Kozmotis' childhood. Nope on the parents.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?

No siblings.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?

Kozmotis loved his daughter dearly, but Pitch only has the occasional ( and painful ) vague recollection of Seraphina. She is the closest thing to a blood relative he had.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?

Nope, Pitch is utterly alone elsewise. And hates it.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?

He doesn't really have 'friends', best friends or otherwise.

6. Does he have other close friends?

See above.

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?

Pitch is about as abrasive and prickly as it gets. He's terrible at dealing with people, but so lonely that he still continues to try. It's a vicious cycle, really.

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?

No friends. Family either dead or missing.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?

Kozmotis was widowed, but that was a long time ago. Nothing is mentioned of Seraphina's mother in either the Guardians of Childhood books, or Rufftoon's comics, so I assume she must have died in childbirth long ago.

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?

Nope. He's terrible enough at "being social" as it is, let alone romance.

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?

Difficult to say about a first crush, but Pitch has been attracted to other spirits over the centuries. Nothing lasting, though, since most people can't deal with him for long and "a crush" in Pitch's terms is more about wanting to own another. In short; Unhealthy infatuation.

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?

Hypothetically? An intelligent spirit with complimentary strengths. Someone comfortable with Pitch being in control, but who still challenges Pitch in wit and will enough to keep things interesting. Someone who also has fears, but doesn't turn into a gibbering mess at the slightest nudge.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?

Kozmotis had a daughter, but as Pitch Black there are no directly related children.

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?

Pretty much all of Pitch's interactions are with enemies. Fear is not a pleasant emotion for most.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?

There is no canon evidence in either direction, so I go with a solid 3.

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?

Sex can be fun, especially when spiced with fear or dominance games, but Pitch doesn't much care for sex just for the sake of sex.

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?

Turn-ons; Biting, scratching, seeing his partner cry, fingers in his hair, general rough play.
Turn-offs; Giggling, crude language, love of the hearts and flowers variety.

Pitch does enjoy making use of shadows as restraints if the mood strikes, but that's a very rare occurrence.

Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?

Since Pitch was, technically, born on another world and is older than dirt I don't think either of these apply.

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?

Nope. Pitch is a spirit, and he's had a few flings with religious worship ( Phobos to the greeks, etc ) but he doesn't personally keep any sort of religious belief.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?

He's a selfish creature, and generally thinks that morals are a human construct. He is very particular about betrayal, though. If Pitch feels he's been betrayed, then all bets are off as far as the method of retaliation. Unfortunately, Pitch definitely has a double standard when it comes to betrayal because if he does it? Well it must have been a necessity.

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?

Fear takes on many forms, and since Pitch doesn't really deal in religious belief, he tends to view different belief systems pretty similarly. Fear worship is interesting, but almost unknown in today's world.

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?

Very prejudicial against lesser spooks, or humans that try to borrow his titles to make themselves seem more powerful than they are. In Pitch's mind, he's the original Boogeyman and doesn't much care for imitation. It risks taking belief that's rightfully his away from him.

Beyond that? He's very disdainful towards spirits or people who encourage the positive sorts of emotions that combat fear - often seeing them as a personal threat, even if they've never met before.

Anything to do with bright light also gets a pretty instinctual dislike, too.

Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?

Spirit. No need for money.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?

He's always been regarded as something of a villain, thus his social status was 'major threat'. Nowadays he's forced to live pretty much as a largely ignored outcast.

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?

Spirit. He has a lair, but it doesn't fully exist in the physical world. Very dark, shadowy-filled place full of impossible physics, staircases, and unseen rooms. His lair is both his castle and where Pitch was trapped so it's also his prison. In a weird way, he's come to rely on the comfort of his cage, and has made it into his own "safe place", so to speak.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?

Spirit. No money.

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?

He's the embodiment of fear. Pitch is the job and the job is Pitch. He does enjoy his work, and though it's not an easy existence, he doesn't know any other way to be.

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?

With an entire world to cover, and the Guardians to avoid, Pitch doesn't get much 'free time'. What he does get he generally uses for things like reading, or experimenting with dreamsand.

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?

Spirit. Pitch doesn't strictly need to eat at all. But, he does enjoy tasting things from time to time, though his only preferences have been for very old, or very obscure labels in wine. Any kind of food that's excessively bitter or tangy he'll generally enjoy. He can't stand sugar, or sweet things, though.

Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:

1. Color? Black
2. Smell? Dust, or damp stone
3. Time of day? Night
4. Season? Autumn
5. Book? Carl Jung, "Approaching the Unconscious"
6. Music? O Verona "Dark in my Imagination" and David Bowie "I'm Afraid of Americans"
7. Place? Under beds and in closets.
8. Substance? Sand
9. Plant? Foxglove
10. Animal? Horse



END
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