Again, my apologies in not writing so long. Hopefully, I can make up for lost time.
The last post was about who your characters were (and might be again), this post will be about who your characters seem to be (even to themselves).
Most PCs will seem to be teenagers from 13-17 (just short of adulthood), although it is possible to play someone seemingly aged into senility or other possibilities. If your characters are old enough, they can have driver's licenses (they might still know how to drive anyway).
For each player, they must decide how advantaged their PC is compared to the people around them. Compared to the average character in the Amber novels, ordinary people are very minor indeed. So I give each player a choice, your character can be superior to the people around him or her in every way (stronger, smarter, more attractive, richer, etc.). Or you might choose to have your character be more normal or even disadvantaged compared to the average person (weaker, seemingly dumber, plain, dirt poor, etc.). The question is WHY would you choose to voluntarily limit your character?
I can think of a few reasons...
- One is that the more limiting the incarnation, the more effective the disguise. Some hunters will simply consider it IMPOSSIBLE that an Amber Royal would stomach being a humble mortal peasant for long.
- Another is that doing without might strengthen the characters against their more jaded and decadent brethren.
- And it just might be FUN to play the rags-to-riches angle to its fullest. Remember, Cinderella works better when Cinderella starts out as wretched as can be.
Also, do you want to be part of the same family? That is, your character believe that they are all part of the same family, perhaps even siblings (this might actually be their true relationship). Or, for the other extreme, the characters don't know each other, at least as family. The kids might be citizens of the same town but strangers to each other and have no idea of their relationship or specialness. In the show SMALLVILLE, many kids have special powers simply because of being born where a kryptonite meteor shower landed (along with baby Superman) but otherwise are not related or initially ware of other 'special' kids. Those players who want to be part of the same family might want to see if they can agree on the common details.
I welcome any ideas you have. But for those players who wouldn't mind a common origin and family background, here is my initial pitch...
The Quiet Earth (QE):
QE is one of the near-infinite versions of Shadow Earth. Depending on party preference, QE can be exactly like our Earth except when required by the Amber setting or the game plot OR QE can be different in minor but amusing ways (for example, Kentucki Fried Lizard Partes rather than KFC).
QE was originally a minor base for the group that would eventually become the Rebels. After the Rebellion, the surviving Rebels fled to QE, which was their best remaining option. Through hellriding and manipulating the timeflow of QE they were able to hide it and themselves from their pursuers.
To completely hide themselves, it was necessary to reduce the Amber exiles to the seeming of children and for the Seneschals and Watchers to remain isolated on this lone shadow.
QE:
The game starts in QE in the here and now.
The future rebels started to influence QE for thier own purposes somewhere in Europe during the Roman Empire.
The Rebellion started sometime between these two points. Given the immortal nature of the Rebels and the elastic timeflow, what may have days for the Rebels was centuries on QE (or vice versa). It may that the young kids have been kids for a millennia or so but no one remembers, least of all them.
QE Now:
The game will start in the here and now on an island retreat, near a major city. This could be a summer colony like Martha's Vineyard.
The Island has been the home of several families and groups.
The Aristocrats: The Aristocrats are descendants of European nobility, merchant princes, robber barons and their paramours. Still wealthy, the Aristocrats influence and power peaked during the Great Depression. Now, they are limited to running a small fleet of cargo and cruise ships. The youngest generation of the Aristocrats lives in luxury thanks to generous trust funds but they are expected to make something of themselves come adulthood.
The Servants: The Servants have been the family servants of the Aristocrats for generations. The truth is the two family trees are far more 'intertwined' than is commonly known. In general, the offspring of a Aristocrat/Servant tryst is of the same clan as the mother (at least maternity can't be debated). While the Aristocrats lead more luxurious lives than the Servant clan, the servants still lead a more privileged life than most people. After all, they get to travel with the Aristocrats and partake in some of their privileged lives (necessary to serve).
The Rustics: On the Island is an alternative community that tries to live a life from centuries before. They try to live isolated and quietly from the world at large. Despite this, they have become popular tourist attractions, similar to the Amish.
The Learned: There is a ancient college on the Island. Not quite Ivy League, the college has fallen on hard times and tries to greatly leverage its rustic charm and history by offering mainly archaic and eccentric courses. The Learned professors and faculty are rather eccentric, even for tenured scholars.
Other Islanders: The rest of the Island is full of just ordinary folks, most either working in the tourist or maritime industry. There is a sense of slight difference between the Islanders and the Mainlanders but this is partly due to the occassional isolation of the Island due to storms and tides.
With that said, here are some of the things I need to know about your character choices...
First, if you don't like something in the above, let me know. It is not too late for me to change something.
For now, assuming otherwise...
If you want your character to part of a large family of fellow special siblings (PC and/or NPCs), let me know which of the three family groups (Aristocrats, Servants, Rustics) you would like your character to be a part of? Each family will have a different set of useful skills and advantages. If you are part of one of the large families, you will be amongst the older children. There will be a few children older than you (and seemingly more capable) but most of your siblings will be younger than you (and possibly look up to you for guidance). The older children will be very similar to the Princes of Amber, most likely full siblings and differing mainly in talents and personality. The younger children will generally be half-siblings and of odd bloodlines, making them slightly awkward and somewhat out-of-place.
The Learned are seeming adults who work at the local college (and secretly watch their charges), it is possible that a PC could be a child of one of the Learned but this is uncommon.
Do you wish your character to be an only child? That is, your character is not aware of any relation to the other special kids (or they them) and is probably a member of a more typical modern family. For such onlies, do you want the Seneschals and/or Watchers to be aware of your identity. Due to an as yet unrevealed plot device, it is possible that a character can be even hidden from his or her protectors. The protectors will be aware that some children on the Island are special but not necessarily WHICH ones.
That's it for this post. Let me know what you think. I value your feedback. Next up, actual character creation rules, hopefully by this time tomorrow...
way, there is always cloning, homoculi, blood babies, 
