[Polaris] Protagonist versus Protagonist

[Frank T]

We played Polaris with six players at GroFaFo Winter Rally and it was a blast. We played almost seven hours and even made a Veteran. None of the problems I had been worrying about arose. However, we had several conflicts that were directly, determinedly Protagonist versus Protagonist. Like this: Ursa Mayor is ordered by Andromeda, his head of house, to destroy the sacred armor of his house because if the house shatters, so shall the armor. Ursa Mayor refuses. Andromeda asks her lover, Antares, champion of the people, to take the armor from Ursa Mayor.

Antares' Heart is Kathy. It is her scene. I am Full Moon and play Andromeda. Bastian is Mistaken. Jörg is a dummy in this scene, but Heart to Ursa Mayor. So in free play, Kathy and Jörg are playing Antares and Ursa Mayor, until some statement provokes conflict. It's definitely between Antares and Ursa Mayor, with consequences mostly to Ursa Mayor. I (as the only one who knew the rules) told Jörg and Bastian to do the conflict together, so they had to agree on every single move. But it felt sort of awkward. Anyone got any advice on how to handle such scenes elegantly?

Related: Can you get experience rolls although it's not your Protagonist's scene?
______________

Moments, frozen from yesterday evening:
She sais: "I only need 1d6? You sure this is a Forge game?"
He sais: "This is definitely the best of your funky games so far."
A bystander sais: "This is the most entertaining game to just watch I've ever seen."
As I finish reading out the Moments Frozen from the Flow of Time, she quickly wipes her eyes, a little embarrassed.
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My favorite conflict: Ursa Mayor, exiled, his armor no longer shining, sneaks into the city that is torn by civil war and demon attacks, to kill a certain demon, but instead comes accross his old enemy, Vega, a fighter who always questioned and challenged Ursa Mayor. Vega is bleeding, fighting desperately to protect women and children from impish demons. Ursa Mayor joins him in battle.
Heart: "Together, we drive off the demons."
Mistaken: "But only if Ursa Mayor recognizes Vega for the true hero he is."
Heart: "But only if Vega's spirit forever breaks over the fall of his house."
Mistaken: "And that was how it happened."
(Vega moves to full moon.)

[Ben Lehman]

Yes, you can get experience when it isn't your scene.

When you are involved in a conflict, and you want to make a conflict statement that directly effects another Protagonist, you need to ask permission from the protagonist's Heart before making the statement.  That's the only restriction.

yrs--
--Ben

[Frank T]

Hey Ben,

Thanks for the clarification. I’m aware of the rule about statements and permission. Thing is: If it’s not just a conflict statement that effects the Protagonist, but a conflict between two Protagonists, it feels sort of awkward to play it that way. That’s why I told the players to do it together, since any statement would effect the Protagonist in a way. I think that if someone draws a sword on my Protagonist, I want the right to determine his reaction, not just consent to it, no matter if there is conflict.

- Frank

[Ben Lehman]

Note that the off-scene Heart still controls his Protagonist's actions completely -- just not conflict statements.  "I lunge forward and plunge my sword into your gut, mortally wounding you" is a perfectly fine thing to say w/o conflict -- if the active Heart objects, she can do so using "but it was no matter" and the Mistaken can take up the fight.

yrs--
--Ben

[Stefan / 1of3]

A bystander sais: "This is the most entertaining game to just watch I've ever seen."

That was me. ;)