They're so much I would like to share, but I don't know where to start.
I started this game as an exercise to improve my homebrew campaing. My RL player have been playing in Mergovie for the last two years (We play about once a month) but they are more roll players so it was difficult to build something without boring them.
I took a few blank sheet draw the map of the continent. Quickly described the various important country and their colony (Leaving some blank area for expansion) Then I focused on a specific small country, increased the amount of detail, then Prumen and Mornonas, Domus and Talos. Created a bunch of stateless NPC with a quick description. Then you keep on adding the meat as you play.
example:Jt'trilailaila. I had a statless NPC for a elven textile merchant and no solid description of the Baron, court. Before having Xavier meets them I created it using elements of what I already knew, I was happy to have created in my RL game the laws which states that the city gates are locked at night. That gave me time to create the Baron's court.
I decided that Xavier would be escorted by a beautiful lady, The baron being a vain man who likes to impress his guest she was fitting perfectly, beautiful and young. Initially I had no plan of having her around more than that, but Doghead opened the door wide open and I couldn't let that roleplaying opportunity go. So I made her a bit more important. Now I had to find a way of making her fit in the environement. She was an elven, there was that elven rich industrial stateless NPC in my notes. So that became her father. Now why is this elven family in Mornonas, elf in Mergovie are an old culture very proud and they don't like to mix with the other races. Note that Axyrian elves are completly different. But their old culture is also very rigid and harsh on it's people, single misbehavior is often enough to be seens as unworthy of the comunity. So I created that story based on what I knew already.
From now on Jt'trilailaila is the daughter of Kt'taler the industrial who forgived his wife and followed her on her exile, only to make fortune among the humans.
If Xavier ever gets more involved with her (which doesn't seems to be the case) then I will develop more their family. As the plot unravel they might even becomes important allies or enemy. ie Uder seeing the relationship between Xavier and Jt'trilailaila, could use his influence in the city to manipulates him more easily through her father. Indirectly involving them in the plot. (Doghead, this is simply an example not a subtle hint that you should get involved with her)
My biggest concern is to keep the whole thing coherent and alive.
So you could say that it's organised wingning, and Pbp are excellent for that.
Other character like Uder and Hl'lar were very well defined before hand, their plan and motives also. When I started the game, I made Uder's plan. The plan was obviously without having the hero bugging him. Now he adapts to your actions. The fact that you stormed the temple forced him to change some of his tactics, the second assault on the temple might change something, Jasper visit to the baron also affected the course of action and maybe now this young noble could be used indirectly somehow.
Doghead when you say that each NPC could be a player, it's true I enjoy playing the game thrue them.
for the story hours, I am already spending more than my allocated time on this board
I would have so much more to say but I got to get back to work.
