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I’m not even sure if I can make a big post about this.  The idea came to my mind when I was thinking about how heroes in fantasy go on big adventures.  Can’t remember many of them getting homesick.  Not majorly.  Sure, many lose their hometowns during their origins, but that isn’t everyone.  So, why don’t heroes get homesick?

Part of it might be that the heroes are heading out on a mission, so it’s assumed that they won’t think of home very often.  They will focus on the job and only consider home when they remember who they are trying to protect.  Guess it makes sense, but it can’t hold out for years like with most adventures.  Traveling with friends certainly helps, but they aren’t the same as going back to family.  Not only family, but just returning to your place of origin and remembering where you came from.  Maybe humans have a fear of forgetting their hometowns if they’re away for so long.  I know I definitely started feeling that when I lived in Florida for 4.5 years, especially since I think I only came back to Long Island twice during that time.

In Legends of Windemere, I kind of bypassed this by having the heroes either not have a hometown or return over the course of their adventures.  Luke Callindor, Nyx, Delvin Cunningham, and Timoran Wrath all had points where they went back home. Sari and Dariana didn’t have a home to return to.  So, there wasn’t much of an opening for them to get homesick.  In War of Nytefall, it never came up because the heroes were always at home during part of their story.   Clyde and the Dawn Fangs weren’t traveling adventurers, but protectors of their kingdom.  Hence, homesickness wasn’t a thing.

So, will this be an issue with Darwin Slepsnor?  I genuinely don’t know.  Events in the first book kind of prevent that, but I also found that his personality wasn’t letting me give him a bout of homesickness.  He just kept getting distracted by a new adventure, new friend, or whatever was in front of him.  Darwin being sad and missing home never felt natural even though he’s stated many times that he plans on going back.  Maybe a hero who is sure that they’ll return some day and plan to do so with stories doesn’t get homesick?  I mean, if he goes back too early, Darwin won’t have enough stories to tell or miss a big one.  For some reason, that logic makes more sense for him than missing home.

So, what do other people think about heroes being homesick?  I’m talking primarily from a fantasy adventure perspective, but we can talk in general.  I figure characters on Earth will be easier to suffer from it than non-Earth.