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<blockquote data-quote="arkwright" data-source="post: 8563413" data-attributes="member: 6925177"><p>Welcome to the AP. Backstory ties can be rewarding, but treacherous. Make sure not to give a player ties that give them much more spotlight than the rest, or more spotlight than they want. Kasvarina is a very pivotal character.</p><p></p><p>[spoiler=Honey]</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could be fun to have Rosamund be a benign worshipper of the Voice of Rot. In contrast to the many malign servants who enable the Voice's doomsday plan.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could swap out Emon for Kasvarina, or her Book 7 subordinate Cula Ravajahani. You will need to have a think about the contrast between the Risuri Vekeshi (heavily Risuri Fey-tied) and the Elfaivaran Vekeshi (doing assassinations for the Ob). If you feel like it, you could swap out Emon for Gale, and have your Gale have more of a connection to her homeland and the Vekeshi. It would fit well with her ties with the fey.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Swap out the police officer for Delft? Timeline could fit, what with his mimic-caused leg injury.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The premium handouts have a list of prominent vekeshi in Flint, like the Old Stag who ties into the Book 3 vekeshi side-mission.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Vekeshi Mystics, particularly the ones who go through the trials, are geared towards being urban superheroes/avengers. Consider getting Honey to describe the missions she has done in the time since arriving in Flint.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An obvious tie is for one of Honey's previous lives to have been spent in service to the Ob/Kasvarina. Noting that Nic/Stanfield have the ability to preserve memories from previous lives and manifest past lives, it would be easy to do something fun there.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Seedism; do have a think about the Elfaivaran gods. Are they real? Were they real? In my first game, I had them be Gidim hiveminds, in my second I'm leaning towards having them be orcish heroes from the time of the Ancients.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Honey is a good character for exploring the changing Elfaivaran perception of Srasama. There's a strong subtext that prior to the Great Malice she was but one goddess among many with a limited portfolio, but in the time since she has become viewed as the all-encompassing god of women and war.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Do have a think about the source of the fey tech sickness. Is it spinning wheels?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Her being Kasvarina's daughter is possible. Maybe she is Launga, and she somehow survived the Betrayl of Rilego, wandering the world. But then why wouldn't Kasvarina recognise her upon seeing her; if it is because her face has changed, that creates yet further questions. I'd suggest not going for the Kasvarina-daughter tie, just settle for a close subordinate/supporter. Then again, a backstory where Honey turns against Kasvarina and was killed, leading up to her Risur reincarnation, almost writes itself. </li> </ul><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>[spoiler=John]</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">As a rough-raised street orphan, John definitely needs a tie to Lorcan Kell. Could be he was a junior member of one of Kell's gangs, or even friends with the man himself.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Also, ties to the Dockers, since they are associated with Flint's worker conflicts.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could give him a tie to Mayor Macbannin, who rules over a slum district.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unknown creature being an Ob experiment makes a goodly bit of sense. Remember the jaguars.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">John should have gone into the common police force first, working his way up to the RHC.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could give him a tie to an incognito Amielle Latimer.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">As a Risuri, John should probably have a perspective on the fey, and the fey-v-tech question. The fey are <em>very</em> tied into Risuri life. Even him not having an opinion could be a statement- as a child of Flint, the Great Blight, he is the first of a new generation of citizens who think the fey don't matter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Service during the Yerasol War is good stuff, for joining the RHC and for setting him up as a potential king. Consider whether he me, say, Lya Jierre on the battlefield.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">He would be the right age to have mentored Rock Rackus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could be interesting if he and Stover were partners. For a reason, Stover got promoted to assistant chief inspector, and John is still a plodding investigator. Maybe John did something or made a decision and the brass blocked promotion. Nice source of drama.</li> </ul><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>[spoiler=Nefarian]</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The player definitely doesn't have any information on Ber and Drakr. Would be good to pass him some excerpts. My Age of Enlightenment wiki has a lot.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could give him Captain Rutger Smith as his army contact.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Seems strange for the army/RHC to 'scout' a fifteen year old to serve as an investigator. Unless your player is thinking that lizardfolk become adults at like 12?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">This player is tricky. I get competing vibes of 'I need to know more about the setting' and 'I don't want a complex backstory.' You'll have to sort that.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Get him to provide a second draft.</li> </ul><p>[/spoiler]</p><p>[Spoiler=Sanaa]</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Malice Lands are an interesting place to grow up. Make sure she knows about Malice Beasts, consider having her know Oliviert Boone, or to Angus and the Fists of Pala (they are a one-note Millerite group) or have ties to the Great Avery Coast Railroad.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I imagine Sanaa would have a very different perspective on the history of the Demonocracy. Also note that the Demonocracy were demons, devils have not showed up in force on Lanjyr ever, though they can be summoned. Of course, a weird cult can believe whatever it wants to believe, especially in the wacky malice lands.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Glaucia Evora is the most prominent Executore, she'd make a fine candidate for Sanaa's saviour.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">'Second chances and giving resources to grow and improve' doesn't sound much like Executore ideology to me, but so be it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Give her the city info on Ursalina from Book 11, maybe she has a tie with the bardic college.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Definitely give her a tie with Reed Macbannin. the man would be sympathetic, and keen to raise his political profile, but his patriotic duty of helping 'aodhan's' bleak gate project comes first.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could be fun if she has a tie with a Crisillyiri Clericist priest who was also helping the poor in the Nettles.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could be good to get her to clarify why she couldn't develop 'a sense of belonging and purpose' in Ursalina.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">With her role as an executore/skyseer/community leader, it's fairly possible she could get recruited straight into the RHC and given a crash-course in investigation. Worth considering.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">As a tiefling, she is descended from the Clericist priests of Danor at the time of the Great Malice. perhaps her family told stories about their clerical riches, perhaps she is descended from the hierarch who captured Kasvarina and Miller, or maybe even a long-lost Jierre scion.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Given Risur's centuries of war with Danor, I'd think she'd have a hard time fitting in.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could be nice if she met Heid. Maybe he was doing a speaking tour through Ber.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">She could have a tie with Gale, who is also sympathetic to the plight of Flint's workers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Perhaps during her time in Flint she met Beran journalist Melissa Amarie as she was writing an article about the city. Or even Brakken.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sanaa has had quite the zigzag. Malice lands to Danor to Ber to Risur. Consider seeing if the player wants to simplify that, maybe she was a tiefling born to Beran expatriates.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Given her time in Ber, Sanaa might have a very different perspective on tech. Ber doesn't have Fey in the same way as Risur, so technology has fewer downsides. Railroads connecting the nation is an even bigger deal, part of unlocking the now-civilised nation's potential.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fortune could be swapped for Rock Rackus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Consider giving her a list of Flint NPCs to have a tie to. The Waryeyes, Thames Grimsley, Nevard Sechim.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Maybe in Ber she had run-ins with the Valando brothers, and even arrested them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could be good for her to have a perspective on political corruption/the ruler of Risur, since in Ber she would be living under a decadent populist, Shantus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Could also just swap out Danisca Waryeye for Nidon.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Consider finding ways to give her backstory-NPCs their own backstory-NPCs. Perhaps Brog is a budding Docker, perhaps Arilin is competing with Lorcan Kell.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Also, note the Book 2 cloudwood bandits, that's a whole thing.</li> </ul><p>[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p>There are some good character ideas here. But I think a significant issue is that your players clearly have very different levels of understanding about the world. Also, it may be better to encourage them to tie to existing NPCs, rather than having them come up with their own NPCs and then giving those NPCs importance. Zeit is a complicated web, working out how many new NPCs fit in could get messy.</p><p></p><p>Do have a look through my Zeitvice and Age of Enlightenment resources.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="arkwright, post: 8563413, member: 6925177"] Welcome to the AP. Backstory ties can be rewarding, but treacherous. Make sure not to give a player ties that give them much more spotlight than the rest, or more spotlight than they want. Kasvarina is a very pivotal character. [spoiler=Honey] [LIST] [*]Could be fun to have Rosamund be a benign worshipper of the Voice of Rot. In contrast to the many malign servants who enable the Voice's doomsday plan. [*]Could swap out Emon for Kasvarina, or her Book 7 subordinate Cula Ravajahani. You will need to have a think about the contrast between the Risuri Vekeshi (heavily Risuri Fey-tied) and the Elfaivaran Vekeshi (doing assassinations for the Ob). If you feel like it, you could swap out Emon for Gale, and have your Gale have more of a connection to her homeland and the Vekeshi. It would fit well with her ties with the fey. [*]Swap out the police officer for Delft? Timeline could fit, what with his mimic-caused leg injury. [*]The premium handouts have a list of prominent vekeshi in Flint, like the Old Stag who ties into the Book 3 vekeshi side-mission. [*]The Vekeshi Mystics, particularly the ones who go through the trials, are geared towards being urban superheroes/avengers. Consider getting Honey to describe the missions she has done in the time since arriving in Flint. [*]An obvious tie is for one of Honey's previous lives to have been spent in service to the Ob/Kasvarina. Noting that Nic/Stanfield have the ability to preserve memories from previous lives and manifest past lives, it would be easy to do something fun there. [*]Seedism; do have a think about the Elfaivaran gods. Are they real? Were they real? In my first game, I had them be Gidim hiveminds, in my second I'm leaning towards having them be orcish heroes from the time of the Ancients. [*]Honey is a good character for exploring the changing Elfaivaran perception of Srasama. There's a strong subtext that prior to the Great Malice she was but one goddess among many with a limited portfolio, but in the time since she has become viewed as the all-encompassing god of women and war. [*]Do have a think about the source of the fey tech sickness. Is it spinning wheels? [*]Her being Kasvarina's daughter is possible. Maybe she is Launga, and she somehow survived the Betrayl of Rilego, wandering the world. But then why wouldn't Kasvarina recognise her upon seeing her; if it is because her face has changed, that creates yet further questions. I'd suggest not going for the Kasvarina-daughter tie, just settle for a close subordinate/supporter. Then again, a backstory where Honey turns against Kasvarina and was killed, leading up to her Risur reincarnation, almost writes itself. [/LIST] [/spoiler] [spoiler=John] [LIST] [*]As a rough-raised street orphan, John definitely needs a tie to Lorcan Kell. Could be he was a junior member of one of Kell's gangs, or even friends with the man himself. [*]Also, ties to the Dockers, since they are associated with Flint's worker conflicts. [*]Could give him a tie to Mayor Macbannin, who rules over a slum district. [*]Unknown creature being an Ob experiment makes a goodly bit of sense. Remember the jaguars. [*]John should have gone into the common police force first, working his way up to the RHC. [*]Could give him a tie to an incognito Amielle Latimer. [*]As a Risuri, John should probably have a perspective on the fey, and the fey-v-tech question. The fey are [I]very[/I] tied into Risuri life. Even him not having an opinion could be a statement- as a child of Flint, the Great Blight, he is the first of a new generation of citizens who think the fey don't matter. [*]Service during the Yerasol War is good stuff, for joining the RHC and for setting him up as a potential king. Consider whether he me, say, Lya Jierre on the battlefield. [*]He would be the right age to have mentored Rock Rackus. [*]Could be interesting if he and Stover were partners. For a reason, Stover got promoted to assistant chief inspector, and John is still a plodding investigator. Maybe John did something or made a decision and the brass blocked promotion. Nice source of drama. [/LIST] [/spoiler] [spoiler=Nefarian] [LIST] [*]The player definitely doesn't have any information on Ber and Drakr. Would be good to pass him some excerpts. My Age of Enlightenment wiki has a lot. [*]Could give him Captain Rutger Smith as his army contact. [*]Seems strange for the army/RHC to 'scout' a fifteen year old to serve as an investigator. Unless your player is thinking that lizardfolk become adults at like 12? [*]This player is tricky. I get competing vibes of 'I need to know more about the setting' and 'I don't want a complex backstory.' You'll have to sort that. [*]Get him to provide a second draft. [/LIST] [/spoiler] [Spoiler=Sanaa] [LIST] [*]The Malice Lands are an interesting place to grow up. Make sure she knows about Malice Beasts, consider having her know Oliviert Boone, or to Angus and the Fists of Pala (they are a one-note Millerite group) or have ties to the Great Avery Coast Railroad. [*]I imagine Sanaa would have a very different perspective on the history of the Demonocracy. Also note that the Demonocracy were demons, devils have not showed up in force on Lanjyr ever, though they can be summoned. Of course, a weird cult can believe whatever it wants to believe, especially in the wacky malice lands. [*]Glaucia Evora is the most prominent Executore, she'd make a fine candidate for Sanaa's saviour. [*]'Second chances and giving resources to grow and improve' doesn't sound much like Executore ideology to me, but so be it. [*]Give her the city info on Ursalina from Book 11, maybe she has a tie with the bardic college. [*]Definitely give her a tie with Reed Macbannin. the man would be sympathetic, and keen to raise his political profile, but his patriotic duty of helping 'aodhan's' bleak gate project comes first. [*]Could be fun if she has a tie with a Crisillyiri Clericist priest who was also helping the poor in the Nettles. [*]Could be good to get her to clarify why she couldn't develop 'a sense of belonging and purpose' in Ursalina. [*]With her role as an executore/skyseer/community leader, it's fairly possible she could get recruited straight into the RHC and given a crash-course in investigation. Worth considering. [*]As a tiefling, she is descended from the Clericist priests of Danor at the time of the Great Malice. perhaps her family told stories about their clerical riches, perhaps she is descended from the hierarch who captured Kasvarina and Miller, or maybe even a long-lost Jierre scion. [*]Given Risur's centuries of war with Danor, I'd think she'd have a hard time fitting in. [*]Could be nice if she met Heid. Maybe he was doing a speaking tour through Ber. [*]She could have a tie with Gale, who is also sympathetic to the plight of Flint's workers. [*]Perhaps during her time in Flint she met Beran journalist Melissa Amarie as she was writing an article about the city. Or even Brakken. [*]Sanaa has had quite the zigzag. Malice lands to Danor to Ber to Risur. Consider seeing if the player wants to simplify that, maybe she was a tiefling born to Beran expatriates. [*]Given her time in Ber, Sanaa might have a very different perspective on tech. Ber doesn't have Fey in the same way as Risur, so technology has fewer downsides. Railroads connecting the nation is an even bigger deal, part of unlocking the now-civilised nation's potential. [*]Fortune could be swapped for Rock Rackus. [*]Consider giving her a list of Flint NPCs to have a tie to. The Waryeyes, Thames Grimsley, Nevard Sechim. [*]Maybe in Ber she had run-ins with the Valando brothers, and even arrested them. [*]Could be good for her to have a perspective on political corruption/the ruler of Risur, since in Ber she would be living under a decadent populist, Shantus. [*]Could also just swap out Danisca Waryeye for Nidon. [*]Consider finding ways to give her backstory-NPCs their own backstory-NPCs. Perhaps Brog is a budding Docker, perhaps Arilin is competing with Lorcan Kell. [*]Also, note the Book 2 cloudwood bandits, that's a whole thing. [/LIST] [/spoiler] There are some good character ideas here. But I think a significant issue is that your players clearly have very different levels of understanding about the world. Also, it may be better to encourage them to tie to existing NPCs, rather than having them come up with their own NPCs and then giving those NPCs importance. Zeit is a complicated web, working out how many new NPCs fit in could get messy. Do have a look through my Zeitvice and Age of Enlightenment resources. [/QUOTE]
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