Ensemble Tropes-Part 1

I write stories about five primary characters, and I also have a large number of supporting characters. However, rarely do I write any story that features just one solitary character, and in the case of Team Girl, never. Conflict is a ubiquitous trope; except for experimental fiction, a story needs conflict to drive the plot, and most of the time that conflict is driven by interactions between characters. Even a simple story involving a hero and villain derives its conflict from their interaction. As pointed out above, Eile and Sunny are a natural duo and rarely act alone, and even when they do, they usually recruit a temporary partner. Sir Differel Van Helsing sometimes has solo adventures, but more often I pair her with Vlad Drakulya, Lady Margaret Chesham, or Team Girl, or some other temporary partner. Medb is the quintessential loner, yet so far her stories show her with a temporary partner or as part of a team effort (except "Sacrificial Offering").

This post is about tropes associated with character Ensembles. These are story conventions concerning the group dynamics of multiple characters. They include associations ranging from partnerships all the way up to whole armies, even alliances between nations. Most groups are cooperative, some are not; most are positive, some are negative. Some are pragmatic, others idealistic, and some are metaphorical. Most are used seriously, but some are played for laughs and a few others are parodies.

Because of the complexity of my characters (modest, ain't I), the variety of situations I put them in, and the fact that they all know each other, so that I can readily mix-and-match them, each can be associated with multiple Ensembles. In fact, I was surprised by how many applied, and I felt tempted to shoehorn in a few that I really liked. For example, The Three Faces of Eve teams a calm and capable motherly woman with a hot and sexy femme fatale and a playful and innocent girl child (see the blog image above). Margaret would play the sexy slut quite well (especially since she IS one), but Differel is not quite the motherly type (though she is very maternal towards her son Henry), and Henry is a boy. It might have worked if I had given Differel a daughter, but as it now stands I would have to try to argue that the gender of the child is irrelevant, and I don't know if I could. So I decided not to include it.

I should note at this point that some of the titles for these Ensembles are fairly explicit. However, rather than write Exactly As It Says On the Tin as I have done in past posts, in this post I will leave the description blank. Hopefully the example(s) I provide will clear up any confusion.

Action Duo -- a Badass or an Action Hero teams up with a non-fighter, and they kick ass

***** In "Shenanigans", Differel is the Badass with the sword while Margaret is the non-fighter who picks locks

Adventure Duo -- hero and sidekick

***** Eile and Sunny (though they're really partners); Differel and Vlad; Dribble and Maggot (aka, Differel and Margaret). In all three ensembles, Eile and Differel are usually the point-of-view characters, so their actions tend to drive the plot, with Sunny, Vlad, or Margaret supporting them. However, in future stories the rolls will reverse for Eile and Sunny and Dribble & Maggot, giving the "sidekicks" a chance to be heroes.

Amazon Brigade -- an elite fighting unit composed of women

***** The warrior nuns of the Daughters of Cwenthryth, though currently, except for Walpurga and a few trainers, the order is composed of novices in training.

Medb has occasionally formed teams of lady fighters to accomplish her operations.

In the future story "The Dream-Trials", Team Girl calls upon their friends in the Dreamlands to help them escort Differel back to the Waking World.

When a female Fomorian tried to take over the Caerleon Order by bringing the men under her control, Differel and the few female troopers trained the household maids in commando tactics to strike back.

Back-to-Back Badasses -- two Badasses stand back-to-back to kick ass

***** In "Survival & Sacrifice", during their Heroic Sacrifice, when they run out of ammunition, Eile and Sunny stand back-to-back against against a horde of monsters using their rifles as clubs.

Badass and Child Duo -- a Badass protects a helpless child

***** Averted; Vlad and Differel could have become this, if Aunt Mandy had not tried to kill her.

Badass Army

***** The paramilitary unit assigned to the Caerleon Order to perform operations against incursions of monsters, and to protect Differel. Its members are mostly from the British Army, with a fair number of Royal Marines and a few SAS (Special Air Service) operatives, but they are all considered to be the handpicked best of their outfits, making the Order's troops one of the best units in existence.

Badass Crew

***** Differel's senior staff. Aelfraed the butler and chief-of-staff has commando combat skills. Mrs. Widget the housekeeper is one of only three people whom Vlad cannot intimidate. Maggie King the manager would take a bullet for Differel. Sharona Turing the chief analyst is a cousin of Alan Turing and a certifiable genius in her own right. Giles Holt the master-at-arms is a Royal Marine who was given SAS training before he was transferred to the Order. Maj. Thaddeus Carmichael, MD, the medical officer and chief surgeon, is a combat medic who wouldn't hesitate to use a gun to defend his patients. Madam Phillipa Trumbo the executive chef once saved Differel from a hag while armed with just her wits and several delicious food dishes.

Battle Couple

***** Eile and Sunny, Team Girl; Differel and Victor Plunkett (her husband); Dribble & Maggot. Also on occasion Aelfraed and Mrs. Widget (though they are siblings, not lovers).

Beast and Beauty

***** Vlad and Differel; this applies even in his Human form, but Vlad can change into several beastly forms. His favorite is the Barghest, a combination of werewolf and ghost.

Beauty, Brains, Brawn

***** This can take various forms, depending on the situation and who is part of the makeup of the team, but it always involves The Chick, The Smart Gal, and The Big Gal:

Sunny | Sunny | Medb -- Chick
Eile | Medb | Sunny -- Smart Gal
Medb | Eile | Eile -- Big gal

Sunny is smarter than she looks, Medb can handle all three roles, and sometimes Eile needs to play bodyguard as Medb or Sunny figure out a solution. Though quite clever herself, Eile is the Smart Gal only when Medb and Sunny must handle the other roles.

Betty Stivic -- Chick
Sunny -- Smart Gal
Eile -- Big Gal

In the Dreamlands.

Sunny | Differel | Eile -- Chick
Differel | Sunny | Sunny -- Smart Gal
Eile | Eile | Differel -- Big Gal

This is how this ensemble shifts roles depending upon whether Differel must protect Team Girl, solve the conflict, or keep Eile and Sunny working together.

Margaret -- Chick
Differel -- Smart Gal
Vlad -- Big Gal

Vlad protects them while Differel figures out how to deal with the problem and Margaret lends logistical and emotional support.

Victor -- Chick
Margaret -- Smart Gal
Differel -- Big gal

When these three work together, Victor has to keep the peace between the other two.

Big Bad Ensemble -- villains who co-exist, but pursue independent schemes; each may not even know the other exists

***** Every member of the Team Girl/Sir Differel Rogues Gallery. It can go to ridiculous extremes, such as when a Lich tries to destroy all life on earth, but Aunt Mandy, the Serpent People, the Daoine Sidhe, etc., make no effort to stop her.

A Boy and His X -- a partnership, where "X" can be just about anything: animal, vegetable, or mineral; living or dead; organic or synthetic or machine

***** Medb and her Cat, Zoog, and Bird ["Barbarians R Us"; "The Lions of Inganok"]; Team Girl and their Kitty ["Cats' Peril"]; Differel and her Vampire ["One-Percenter Vendetta"]; Differel and her Wakiya ["Adventurer's Honeymoon"].

Brains and Brawn

***** The basic pairings:

Sunny | Differel | Margaret -- Brains
Eile | Vlad | Differel -- Brawn

Though their roles can change to handle a changing situation, Sunny, Differel, and Margaret tend to come up with the solutions while Eile, Vlad, and Differel make them work.

Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough -- the leader is fatherly and compassionate, while his subordinate is tough and harsh

***** Differel prefers to command in a patient and Socratic manner, explaining what she needs to have happen. She leaves it to Mr. Holt to manage, motivate, and discipline the troops.

The Church

***** The Catholic Church, particularly the Order of St. Antony Demons-Bane. Also, the Anglican Church in Great Britain has elements of this.

The Clan

***** Though the line that commands the Caerleon Order descends from father to son (or in the case of Differel to daughter) directly from Abraham Van Helsing, Differel has a number of cousins who descend from the aunts and uncles of previous generations. Though she seldom interacts with them, and they have no involvement with the Order, Vlad would turn to Differel's closest blood relative if anything happened to her.

Command Roster -- the hierarchy of seniority among the leaders of a unit or organization

***** In the Caerleon Order, Differel serves as Director. Below her is Maggie King as Manager and Aelfraed as Chief of Staff. Below them is Sharona Turing as Chief Analyst in charge of Intelligence, Giles Holt as Master-at-Arms in charge of the Household Guard, Maj. Nathaniel Baintree as Commandant in charge of the Order's paramilitary force, Maj. Thaddeus Carmichael MD as Medical Officer and Chief Surgeon in charge of the Order's medical department, Dr. Mabuse as Chief Science Officer in charge of the Order's R&D department, and Mrs. Widget in charge of the household staff.

In turn, the household domestic staff devolves from Aelfraed as Butler and head of the footmen, Mrs. Widget as Housekeeper and head of the maids, and Madam Trumbo as Executive Chef and head of the kitchen staff.

The (Syn)Dividual -- two or more (non-identical) characters that act as one

***** Team Girl is one syndividual, Dribble & Maggot is another. Also, Differel and Vlad. Aelfraed and Mrs. Widget act as this on occasion. Sunny's parents Maela and Oda are very much this.

Eccentric Townsfolk

***** Virtually every town in the Dreamlands has a few of these, but most can be found in Ulthar. Some are not so harmless, though.

Elite Army

***** The Caerleon Order Paranormal Deterrent Force, also known as the paramilitary troops, consisting of a full company. Most of them are recruited from the British Army, but a significant percentage are Royal Marines and Special Air Service (SAS). Mr. Holt and Maj. Baintree have instituted a training program based on the Royal Marine courses with aspects of SAS training thrown in as well. Man (or woman; the Order does not discriminate)-for-man, the troops are one of the best units in the British Armed Forces.

Fighter, Mage, Thief -- the physical powerhouse, the wielder of arcane magic/technology/knowledge, and the master of stealth and guile

***** In the Dreamlands, there are two primary trios:

Medb -- Stone Wall (protects the rest from harm)
Sunny -- Glass Cannon (strong against ranged targets but weak in melee combat)
Eile -- Lightning Bruiser (both fast and strong)

and

Differel -- Blademaster
Sunny -- Archer/Magician
Eile -- Scrapper

Five Man Band -- a five person team consisting of the leader, the sidekick (called the lancer), the smart guy, the big guy, and the chick (who balances the group), with extras that can include the team mom, the medic, the mentor, the tagalong kid, the team benefactor, or the team pet

***** The classic Five Man Band of my stories:

Leader -- Differel Van Helsing
Lancer -- Margaret Chesham
Smart Gal -- Sunny/Dr. Mabuse
Big Gal/Guy -- Vlad/Medb/Giles Holt
Chick -- Eile/Victor

Team Mom/Mentor -- Medb
Tagalong Kids -- Connie & Liza, Team Girl's daughters/Henry
Team Pet -- Snowshoe Kitty

Next week I will present Part 2 of Ensemble Tropes.