Hmm... This is a tough one! ._.
I really can't boil any of my four main characters down to just one word. But if I had to, I think it'd be these.
-
Kassia's is 'empathy'. It's her core motivation and strength, but also a weakness in that she loves too deeply in a dangerous world prone to martyring the people she cares about. Her overprotectiveness, intense fear of loss, distance from others, need for control, and anxiety all stem from this.
Nora's is 'passion'. She has strong emotions, desires, and ideals. These give her energy and drive, but can also cause her to act childishly or recklessly when she fails to control her emotions. Pragmatism doesn't come easy to her- she will (almost) always choose to follow her heart over her head.
Den's is 'control'. His life is defined by rigid structure and discipline, and he tolerates nothing that strays from his strict personal code of "right and wrong"- where what's "right" is anything that increases his family's power and social status and what's "wrong" is anything that threatens it. At its best, his desire for control makes him a strong, determined leader... At its worst: callous, power-hungry, and stubbornly close-minded.
Beyren's is 'idealism'. He's good-natured, has a childlike sense of wonder and love of life, and wants to be an archetypal self-sacrificial hero. His dreams and ideals are his driving motivation, but also cause him to come off as carelessly optimistic and easygoing, an air-headed dreamer.
In summary: empathy, passion, control, and idealism :]
Characters from this: