Creating Characters Pt.3
The Comic Relief
Porthos of Ugon
Smuggler and arms dealer
I choose the name Porthos, inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers—a wartime alias that hints at loyalty, bravado, and hidden depths.
Porthos is the polar opposite of the ship’s hyper-logical computer, SUNI—gruff, blunt, and full of swagger. He fancies himself the star of every mission, convinced he’s always the one swooping in to save the day. His rivalry with Margo crackles with tension and snark; he refuses to call her by name, instead using the Ugon slur “Hew-mon.” Margo gives as good as she gets, calling him “dwarf” just to needle him. Porthos never misses a chance to talk about himself—in the third person, no less—and every word he utters drips with ego and drama, making him the perfect comic foil.
Margo first crosses paths with Porthos in a seedy, off-world dive, where he’s caught smuggling a sentient virus in a stolen containment pod. One botched deal and a bar brawl later, they’re locked in a high-stakes struggle for control of the weapon. In the chaos, the virus is unleashed—wiping out their enemies, but marking the start of a much bigger mess. Turns out, Porthos has been working for Margo’s own company the whole time. The corporation wants the virus for its own secret agenda and, to keep things quiet, assigns Porthos to her ship to monitor both the virus and Margo. Neither of them is thrilled by the arrangement.
Porthos’ own past is shrouded in secrets—a story yet to be revealed in a future arc.
Keep Creating,
