I've a couple suggestions, but so as to hopefully not overload the thread given everyone else also wants to say they helped, I'll try and keep it as direct as possible. I've looked back on some of your previous characters, and I'm hoping my criticisms will help you find what you're looking for! Keep in mind that I have no intent to insult you, and that all I want to do is assist you.

What seems to separate your first characters from your late characters is what they have. When you first joined Massive, you immediately became a part of some larger family, which gave you a base to stand on pretty securely. As a new player, you want to try everything and earn everything, so you already have most of your goals handed out to you like most other players do. As you age, your goals slowly wear down since most of them are now easily achievable. You can simply select 'expert' on applications or apply for yet another noble family with some pretty damn good chances of being accepted. I've noticed that, while your newer characters are rather interesting on the outside, they're already experts with sufficient body builds and wages to do what they want. You've made a lot of lovely characters that can fill in the faults of others, but accidentally have no faults of their own. There always has been an epidemic of professionals that now have nothing to do because they've gotten what they want, and therefore have to make their main ambition a goal that's statistically almost impossible to achieve for someone of their stature. I would even dare to say that their personality might not even be the problem at all in this case (although having a fresh personality might help you feel more motivated in the long-run). By making a character with noticeable flaws and holes, such as a Fighter who wants to become a great soldier or an Alchemist that's suddenly decided he wants to be an adventurer, other characters will essentially provide to you progression just by your mere existence. What's so interesting about having experts is that your character has the opportunity to help students reach their goal and will fill in the missing links for others, but overall can do little other than that.

If I were to sum up what you've gotten yourself into with one sentence: you have fallen into a trap of making characters that will support everyone else's story, but has no story of their own that others can help write. An expert Blackmark, an expert alchemist, multiple nobles, so on. If you notice something with those characters, they're all very interesting (and actually are still pretty damn good), but they're all professionals and have no goal they can reach without OOC assistance (collaboration with staff, collaboration with 5+ friends, lucky world progressions, et cetera). As such, their story has already happened, and the results can only help others reach their own climax.

I'll provide an example of my own characters: Wilfre, an expert anti-mage (at the time), specifically went around the sewers to try and pry magical material away from mages and provide people opportunities to have a nemesis. Occasionally, he would drop something valuable or would win in a significant battle that provided a character with a reason to keep this item or remember this fight, which would have them gather up friends to either identify this item or come back to beat up Wilfre. However, Nikkidroth, a Dwarvish sapper who doesn't yet grasp Regalian customs, is constantly surrounded by people who are so frustrated with his taboo behavior who keep trying to help him improve as a proud citizen of the holy city. There are also a couple rich men who, upon hearing there's a fierce Dwarf who has no job but a lot of scrap and muscle, offer him a job with the request that he get back to them.

There are distinct differences between the two, even beyond their obvious racial differences and backgrounds. I'll sum it up in a few sentences: Wilfre has everything he needs, and therefore, has no reason to exist except to lose them. Nikkidroth doesn't have anything that he needs, and therefore, anything that happens to him will literally only benefit him. Wilfre can't be a main character of any kind because he already has been one in his backstory and in his special abilities. Nikkidroth has endless opportunities to be one because he can both fill in other's flaws (as a soldier and smithy) while also needing his own things that others must either help him complete or he can complete over time.

TL;DR - Your characters are being given too much from the start. Make your characters start lower down the pyramid (perhaps as fighters or even as complete beginners of their field), and you'll find that almost every interaction with benefit your character as progression. If you want my own examples and my direct criticism, simply read the bold text above. I hope this helps, and I hope to see you in Regalia with a smile on your face and a story in your mind! [USER=10243]@WrongChat[/USER]