Writing Characterization problem I've come across and need help solving

[LuoirM]

For context, in my medieval fantasy story, the MC team consisted of 5 people. They are doing the morally right thing, keeping a dangerous species as their pet a promise from the mother who died, but it's extremely illegal and they've been chased around the whole place trying to protect the pet (it's long but that's basically the idea)

Now I just introduced the stereotypical Lawful Good character, religious and believes heavily in the god/goddess of him/her choosing. But the problem aroses because I desperately really really REALLY want that character to be a new member of the forementioned MC team. But with their character trait, how would they possibly agree to be hunted like wanted criminals as much so associate themselves with the criminals?

I've been thinking the cliché "Oh, they just risk their life save an innocent girl out of danger! So that means they're gud ppl, so that mean I can trust them." but that's just very... tickles me

Any form of suggestion from good to rebuilding the Soviet is appreciated!

 

[Temple]

How would that lawful good character react to a person stealing bread to feed his sister or something. Essentially, it'll be like that. Personally, I'd rather not go in that route because discussing morality itself is going to be very iffy in future scenes. If this lawful good character joins based on "bending" rules a bit, then when will that bending end? There runs the risk of diluting this character in the future.

For me, I'll just play it safe and use religion. This character is super religious, right? Use something that makes the god/goddess "approve" of the dangerous pet, so you externalize the dilemma. Like a statue of the deity miraculously cries tears that falls on the pet, and the lawful good character takes it as a sign that it's okay. (Can be real miracle or something comedic.)

If you internalize the moral question, there's probably going to be a lot more rule bendings to come. At that point, why bother with a lawful good character that'd bend rules when sufficient reason is found?

 

[prognastat]

Another possibility is possibly making them owe a large debt to someone in the party or the entire party that is great enough to where they begrudgingly accept the situation though it is clear they don't like it. Then make them fight the party on it every so often eventually coming to an head where either they are forced out of the group or circumstances force them to change their strongly held belief and accept the dangerous species. Or maybe they manage to change the laws so it isn't illegal. Or they get a royal pardon or something similar.

It all depends on what kind of dynamic you want. A lawful good character just accepting the party just constantly breaking the law is going to need addressing somehow though.

 

[Cipiteca396]

If they're really a lawful good character, then just convince them that helping the party is a good thing to do? It's not that complicated.

First example I can think of is Eleanor Hume from Tales of Berseria.

 

[LilRora]

I see two solutions to that that don't involve some past or special circumstances. Neither is perfect, but one of them will be good for you, hopefully.

The first one is forced cooperation that changes their views of the party and let them see the group isn't some random bad criminals, but someone worth helping/with noble cause/whatever fits your story. Hopefully there's no need to explain how this works, because it's a fairly popular trope, though there's a lot of ways to make it look more original because it's generally a fairly long, flexible process.

The second one, they see something that makes them convinced they're not bad people, and not just like helping a girl, but ideally something that hits them where there was doubt or where they're particularly invested in.

There is, again, a lot of option here, but an example of that would be that the religious character has always perticularly hated people who kill/use/hurt children; upon seeing the group help one/more of them and treating them gently, with kindness, they start having doubts, and some subsequesnt enciunter can convince them the group is not bad as they had been made believe.

Another example, the religious person has always doubted that law and church doesn't necessarily follow their god's teachings to the letter. When they see the group doing something or being involved in something, they see the hipocrysy/discrepancy in their religion and how it's executed, and they decide to stand by their religion, not their church.

 

[Azure_Fog]

morality itself is going to be very iffy in future scenes

There is no such thing as morals, everything is relative

 

[Temple]

There is no such thing as morals, everything is relative

I was talking about morality from the viewpoint of the character subject of this thread, not yours or mine. As OP stated, the character in question is hyper religious, lawful good, hence my statement to avoid morality questions related to that character to not dilute the characterization. I never talk about personal beliefs when it comes to stories.

 

[patrick_lansing]

I don't see the problem! What you'll do is add lots of conflict to the dynamic of the team, and conflict is good!

You just need one incident that hooks the Lawful Good Character (hereby, LGC) with the MC team. LGC needs a token where they can doubt their own beliefs about their dogmas, and have a seed of doubt in their head about the MC team having an essence of good beyond the LGC perspective.

I would avoid that cliche, and go for something simpler. What's one virtue that you, as an author, can get behind, that both your MC and LGC can get behind? I'm sure that will be a convincing scene.

After that, the conflict doesn't need resolution. It should hang around. In fact, it will become stronger as the LGC hangs around, has dialogue, even feuds with the MC. This way, you can move your story forward.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

For context, in my medieval fantasy story, the MC team consisted of 5 people. They are doing the morally right thing, keeping a dangerous species as their pet a promise from the mother who died, but it's extremely illegal and they've been chased around the whole place trying to protect the pet (it's long but that's basically the idea)

Now I just introduced the stereotypical Lawful Good character, religious and believes heavily in the god/goddess of him/her choosing. But the problem aroses because I desperately really really REALLY want that character to be a new member of the forementioned MC team. But with their character trait, how would they possibly agree to be hunted like wanted criminals as much so associate themselves with the criminals?

I've been thinking the cliché "Oh, they just risk their life save an innocent girl out of danger! So that means they're gud ppl, so that mean I can trust them." but that's just very... tickles me

Any form of suggestion from good to rebuilding the Soviet is appreciated!

When in doubt of something cliche and boring, go for something extreme!
This hyper religious character shows their competence in ruthlessly and efficiently parting the team from the pet, completely and utterly assured in their righteousness. Their deity tells them to follow the law and so they do so. They note the pain of the creature, as well as the philosophical reasonings of the rest of the group (in other words, they aren't an idiot.

They understand the perspective of the other side), but all in all, it does not matter because law is one of their core values. Most people will not bend whatsoever for core values they have fleshed out and ingrained in their character. Perhaps express some concern and empathy, in combination with some disappointment and disbelief that they would willingly become criminals like this character had once been as a child before being taken in by the church.

The only issue is, I don't really know what is at the disposal of the government. What are they willing to do? What methods of torture do they have at their disposal? Is the team responsible for literally anything other than this pet?

But anyway, back to the hypothetical extreme. This character turns in the pet...

And gets stabbed in the back, sword inserted straight through their spinal cord...

"I'm sorry... but I can't let you continue your course... I'll explain. I can help you learn... I hope..."

They are stabbed... an unholy pain radiating out through their whole body, making them limb and wheezing in pain. They look down, irises trembling, and teeth clenched and bared in an ugly, ape-like expression of sheer agony. Death is rarely a portent of a sweet expression. Salty sweat and tears drip from their taut cheeks and brow, guttural distress moaning out their snarled, shadowed face. A soft pitter-patter of water on the blade jutting out of their stomach emerges in the silence.

Haltingly, stutteringly, they turned around.

"W-w-who are you?" they ask angrily, tears of pain still flowing down their eyes, yet disbelief is plain in their voice.

It is the main character, crying as well!

To explain the motivation, these are people willing to be chased and perpetually criminalized for the sake of a promise. Presumably there are other stakes as well. You need to show their conviction! Eschew a goody two-shoes idea for a brief moment and grip your readers! Changing a core value takes time, and healing procedures normally take time as well, so give yourself time to ingratiate the character into the gang! Give this character an entire arc, full of numerous tragedies where their black-and-white beliefs are continually tested. Make them see-saw between deciding to help and not deciding to help. And you should probably do about an even mixture of both. It doesn't make sense to decide to help from here on out. Make there be consequences, like lost limbs for the other cast, because the person can't relinquish their ideals! And then when they do help, make rewards and make it help multiple people!

I understand if you aren't willing to do a more complex character that will grip people more though. Might not fit, mood-wise, in your writing.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

Here's my question: what Law is the lawful good character following?
Is it the law of the country or the law of their god?
Perhaps the illegality of the pet does not apply in their god's law so is fine.

 

[Anon2024]

Conspiracy in their religion that needs to be solved, character development in understanding that lawfulness is only morally good if those who make the laws are not corrupted themselves.