The 'Look' of Alyria

[Shreyas Sampat]

I've been wondering about Alyria's visual style for some time; it has a very clear mood, and even suggests a sort of aural atmosphere (muffled clanks and voices, all overlying the sound of running water, is what I hear in my mind), but what does it look like?

There is something about Alyria that makes me see it all in half-light in my mind's eye, and something makes me feel like what's beneath the shadows is different from that which turns its face to the light... rose vines become thorny brambles as clouds pass the moon.  There is always the feel of something obscured, by a curtain or a curl of mist.  There is no horizon... the ground bleeds into the sky.  The landscape is as clear as it ever will be.

But I cannot see the characters.  They are little more than blurry silhouettes.  What blocks my vision?

[M. J. Young]

The characters are nearly human.

That's a strange way to put it; but that seems the best way, in my mind, to explain why you can't see them clearly. They are too much like us, and yet somehow a shade different. Those who live in the Ark, the majority of those in the Citadel, the vast majority of those in the countryside, could probably pass for your neighbors; although given their background and experience, you would always think they were a bit odd. In their midst there are the Blessed and the Misbegotten, and they are at once inhuman and still somehow human, outcasts and simultaneously recongizably part of the people. You try to see an Alyrian who is both ordinary and extraordinary; but there is no such Alyrian--they are either one or the other, just as we are. Alyria is a mirror of our world, a distorting mirror which in distorting reveals the reality. It is a mirror that shows you that you are fat by making you look fatter, or makes you look shorter if you are short, or uglier if you are ugly. It makes you look kinder or crueler, smarter or fiercer or duller or gentler. It takes who you are and puts it into stark relief.

You need to look into Alyria and see yourself there, along with your friends and family, the people you know. Then you will be able to see the people of Alyria.

--M. J. Young

[Valamir]

I tend to think that for Alyria, the characters are actually less important than the situation they are in.   In model terms I suspect that in final form, Exploration will prioritize first situation and color and secondarily setting and character.

Characters in Alyria in my experience are there to represent a certain archetype.  It is not the character himself that is important but what the actions of that character illustrate.  In many ways they are like the characters in Fables.  No one really cares what the ant and the grasshopper are like outside of those elements essential for illustrating the point.

Seth uses a particular example of Uriel the feral child frequently.  In all of those examples I never got the sense that Uriel was a "character".  Rather Uriel exists to illustrate the retaliation of people who have been unfairly betrayed and mistreated.  The village and all of the characters exist solely to be a microcosm of this situation.

[GreatWolf]

Hey, I've been trying to respond to this thread for a couple of days, but work and a sick child have been interfering.  I'll get here, I swear!

I will mention that M.J. and Ralph have both made good responses with which I generally agree.  More info is forthcoming.

Seth Ben-Ezra
Great Wolf

[GreatWolf]

Okay, here is my response.

Seth uses a particular example of Uriel the feral child frequently.  In all of those examples I never got the sense that Uriel was a "character".  Rather Uriel exists to illustrate the retaliation of people who have been unfairly betrayed and mistreated.  The village and all of the characters exist solely to be a microcosm of this situation.

And the actual play when I ran that storymap bears this out.  The village ended up with two responses, each "led" by a character.  Jochebed was trying to welcome Uriel home as a long-lost son in need of love.  Victor was trying to kill Uriel as an enemy of the village.  (Of course, they each had personal reasons for their approaches as well.)

When I was originally thinking through my response to this post, I came up with two reasons why characters seem so hazy.  The first is that, in my thinking, the conflicts, themes, and moods of the game are embedded in the Setting (specifically the land).  Therefore, characters draw their cues from the setting elements included in the storymap.

The second reason, though, has to do with personal style.  When I roleplay, I rarely see my own character in my mind's eye.  I am more concerned with his inner life than with his outer life.  So, for instance, in the Pendragon game that Ralph is running, I know my knight through his personality, not through his appearance.  Therefore, as I approached Alyria design, I utilized this approach.  However, I have also discovered that not everyone is like this.  For example, my wife has to draw a picture of her character in order to be able to play her.  Thus, her character sheet in Pendragon has a picture of her knight on the back.  (He looks like Frodo, but that's neither here or there.)  I've also discovered that Ron is similar, based on his feedback on Alyria.  Because of this, I have done extra work on the objective physical appearance of Alyrians.  Not too much, for the reasons that M.J. and Ralph mention, but enough that there is visual material to work from.

(Aside.  The moral of this story:  have others examine your work for hidden assumptions.  You may discover weaknesses that you did not know.)

So, with all that in mind, here are brief descriptions of various Alyrians.


Citadel commoners

Citadel commoners typically dress in grey cloaks with hoods.  This is a practical garment, as it keeps the rain off and doesn't show the soot that invariably covers them.  Underneath, they wear simple homespun sorts of clothing.  Think drab and plain.

There are some wealthy commoners (e.g. merchants) who wear colorful clothing, but they are rare.  Color is a sign of wealth.

Citadel Noble Born

Citadel Noble Born often wear grey cloaks as well, but their clothing overall is of a much finer quality and is much more colorful.  In addition, the Noble Born wear their hair in braids.  Men grow a single braid that is never cut, while women braid their hair into numerous smaller braids that cascade down their heads.  These braids are a sign of bravery, and to cut
them off is an ultimate shame.

Arkite

Arkites dress in voluminous robes with cowls that are colored appropriate to their duty roles.  For instance, a gardener might have a brown robe, or a warrior might have a black robe with blood-red edging.  In addition, each Arkite wears a mask designed in accordance with their duty roles.  See "Wearing the Mask" for a couple of examples.

Keeper

Keepers dress in brown or green robes that are frequently embroidered with intricate designs similar to electronic circuitboards.  Each one wears a pendant of the Gear, which is used in a fashion similar to the rosary.

Wilderness

Beats me.  It could be anything.  :-)

Hopefully these concrete details are somewhat helpful to you.

Oh, what do their faces look like?

On the whole, I'd say that they look a bit like you.

Seth Ben-Ezra
Great Wolf