Narrativist Scenario Writing

[Peter Nordstrand]

Hi,

Just to add to Chris' post:

I am currently going over the Spring Fountain fief. Among other things, it will include some kind of decription of the communities involved, as well as a number of guardians. It will also tie-in more specifically to Seshnela while still allowing the narrator to make her own decisions regarding, for example where it is located, who Sir Eustef's liege lord is, etc.

Ideas, suggestions and input is of course most welcome.

Mick, please stop telling us what this thread is really about, as if we didn't know. You may also want to consider the possibility that I too have at least a little bit of experience roleplaying in Glorantha.

/Peter N

[Peter Nordstrand]

Howdy,

Can anybody come up with a decent family name for Sir Eustef & sons?

Cheers,

/Peter N

[Palashee]

Could you elaborate?  What would you suggest would make use of HQ's unique systems?  

Chris

Before I list what I think is important in a Heroquest adventure I'd like to take a moment to briefly explain part of the design philosophy I use. When I'm creating stories I never consider the HQ game system, the Gloranthan game world, or the narrativist play style in isolation. Each has a bearing on what the final scenario will be like, the story is created by blending these elements together concurrently to produce a final solution. IMO to focus only on one aspect at a time leads to problems, and invariably means it takes longer to write, as bits of the draft have to be rewritten to accommodate the information specific to another element.

As an example of what I mean, let's take the title 'Well of Souls'. Now I expect this was written in all innocence and when reading what's been done so far seem's perfectly acceptable. But once we begin to apply Heroquest to the scenario we find that this innocent title has some surprising repercussions. Why, because Seshnela's main religion is the Rokari church, its main magic system is wizardry and so its worshippers and practitioners don't have souls. This is because in Heroquest only theists have souls, wizards actually have essences, whilst Animists have spirits. So the question is, should the title be changed to 'Well of Essences' or does the title signify some connection with the lands pagan past. One that the church is likely to whole heartedly disapprove of and will try to stop anyone from attempting to use. If it's the latter then this will have a knock on affect on some of the NPC's and communities goals.  Which way you go for is open for debate.

Anyway here's some of the factors I think need to be looked at:  

The Law of the Land
What seems to be lacking is that none of characters seem to have a basic awareness of the norms and social order of the society they live in. Without that its difficult see how they fit into the caste system and which traits are virtues and which are flaws. (If I get time I'll write a short summary up of my understanding of Seshnelan society)

Relationships
-   Culture (in this case Seshnelan Caste System)
-   Communities (including Relatives, Religious, Governmental and Unions)
-   Hero Bands
-   Individual NPC's
-   The Heroes

The great thing about Heroquest is that it provides the heroes with a social context to play in. Thus the relationships and goals of the various parts of a society to the heroes and to other parts of the society are all important. All these groups will have their own agendas, their own wants and needs, what's good for one sector of society may not be wanted by another. How the heroes and major protagonists interact with these groupings will determine level and size of their support when it comes to a Heroquest.
I think each of these communities needs to be written up in the same way you've written up the individual characters.    

Mythical and Historical Resonance
–   in daily life
–   in the actions of the individuals and communities
–   in the form of the heroquest  

The cyclical nature of Glorantha means that events are prone to repeat themselves every Age or so. The more the current events can be connected with any historical or mythical precedents the better. Similarly, Gloranthans show their piety by emulating the words and deeds of god and his saints. So a pious farmer will live by reenacting the deeds of the patron saint of farming and the teachings of Rokar, with the ultimate form of reenactment being a heroquest.

Terminology
 I think someone may have mentioned this already, but I'll repaeat it for the sake of completeness. This is going to be a Heroquest game so you should use Heroquest terms rather than theoretical Narrativist terms.

If you want me to expand these points further let me know.

BTW Looking back over what i've written i think one of our differences in design philosophy is that you start with the individuals and work your way outwards, whilst i start with the social order and then work my way inwards

Hope this makes sense

Cheers,
Mick

[Bankuei]

Hi Mick,

Please realize that what you see here, is still a work in progress.  Peter has already volunteered for full write ups of the various communities, and the area of Spring Fountain.  As far as your other concerns, I'm still very much not sure on what you're asking for here...

-Awareness of culture

All of the NPCs presented are very much considered with a caste system in mind.  Their individual motivations are not a denial of such a system, but serve areas of dramatic conflict, where they must either submit to tradition, find some work around solution, or out and out violate it.  Notice that most of the lower caste individuals are very concerned with allying or manipulating the higher ones into assisting them in their goals.  

I was very much thinking of themes such as tradition vs. necessity, chivalry vs. pragmatism, politics vs. ideals(church and otherwise), love vs. society rules, etc.  

-Mythology

I'm not sure what you're asking for in these terms.  Mythology-wise, all of the NPCs have their individual motivations, but much of their personalities have been left open for interpretation, with the specific intent that GMs will be able to fit them into the players' focal mythologies, and shift the focus of the scenario to what fits best for the heros' myths.  

-Terminology

The only Narrativist terminology that's being ported into the scenario is Bangs, for which I have not seen an equivalent term in HW.  If the new HQ rules happen to contain one, I'll gladly use it.  Aside from that, you've completely lost me on what you're referring to.  Can you give me an examples?

-The Name

Frankly, I'm rather fine with the name as is.  Soul, Spirit, Essence, whatever term, humans generally refer to a "something" that is beyond the physical.  I have faith in the audience to understand that the title is simply that, a summary to convey the concept, just as the movie Requiem for a Dream did not specifically involve a requiem or a dream(in the literal sense of either).  Of course, given Peter's interpretation of the heroquest, and the mythology, it very well could be pointing to the animist past of the area, and that's also cool to me as well.

All in all, I'd like to ask for more specific information so I can understand your concerns.  Aside from the need for individual community write ups, which I agree with, and Peter is working on at the moment, I'm not sure I understand the issues you're raising.

Chris

[Peter Nordstrand]

Mick,

I note that you ignore the fact that several of your concerns have been addressed by me previously. In the case of communities, relationships, and guardians I have brought it up repeatedly. Please understand that this is not about who though of these things first, it is about you not recognizing that I am a participant in this discussion.

The Law of the Land
It is assumed that narrators are familiar with the HeroQuest rulebook, which gives all the basic information about Seshnela.

Mythical and Historical Resonance
I agree that Glorantha resonates with myth and magic. However, the Rokari Church strongly discourages people of emulating the saints, even membership in a saintly order is viewed as suspect by the iconoclastic Ecclesiarch. People show their piety by going to the weekly worship service, and by acting in ways appropriate to their caste. Obedience is the most important virtue. Emulating God? I'd say it is time to contact the Inquisitors' School.

Terminology
GM = narrator
NPC = narrator character
PC = hero alt. player hero

Is that what you mean?

/Peter N

[Alai]

Why, because Seshnela's main religion is the Rokari church, its main magic system is wizardry and so its worshippers and practitioners don't have souls. This is because in Heroquest only theists have souls, wizards actually have essences, whilst Animists have spirits.

This isn't quite right, or at least, would only be true of exceedingly "advanced" users of each magical system.  One doesn't instantly "lose one's soul" on initiating into a liturgical or animist religion, for example.  Rather it would be more accurate to say that one's otherworldly self ("sorb" to use Greg's term) starts off as a roughly even mixture, and is made to progressively consist more of (or assume the shape of, if you will) one of the three otherworldly templates. By the time one had say, concentrated one's magic to theism, become a devotee, and learned one's deity's Secret, one would be pretty much pure "soul", though. (And more or less irreversibly so, not necessarily the case earlier on.)

Cheers,
Alex.

[Christopher Kubasik]

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for the thread so far.  I've been following it with great interest and look forward to more.

At the risk of being presumptuous, I'm going to step into the meta-discussion taking place between Peter, Mick and Chris.

First, Mick, welcome to The Forge.  I want to be very clear up front that this post is made as a welcome.  Many people have received similar responses to their initial posts when they'd first arrived at the Forge and felt like they'd been told off.  This is not the case.  This is a post that says, "Welcome.  Here's some information about the surrounding landscape."


The Purpose of the Thread

The purpose of the thread is to create a scenario for a certain style of gaming, referred to around these parts as Narrativist style.  It is assumed that people like this style, want it, and don't need to be led into it using more commonly accepted techniques found for a coupel of decades now in most RPG scenario design.


The Term "Narrativist"

Different people are using this word (or variations), but are using it to mean different things.  It's all very Gloranthian, really, with two or more sides talking past each other say, "No, I am Narrativist," but not understanding why they can't understand each other when they talk about this thing called Narrativism.

Mick, you have to understand that you are, essentially, an outlander to a new land, and here there are specific terms, definitions and ideas associated with Narrativist play.  You may not like that, you may not agree with them (once you become familiar with the local definitions), but at this point you're assuming what the word means – and I can assure you, this word has been rubbed and carved into something very specific around here.  There are dozens, if not hundreds, of threads that detail all sorts of tools and techniques that help define Narrativism and offer tools and techniques to facilitate it.  You may not care to look into all of it, but... there it is.  It means something specific here, and everyone else is going to be working on the assumptions of those meanings.


Scenario Design

An example of the difference between your definition of scenario design and what Chris and Peter are defining is your assumptions about the party size, the idea slipping a "generic" adventure into a longer campaign and so forth.

The fact is, while these assumptions are common in the RPG publishing world, they are not assumed here.  They are one type of scenario design, and one type among many.

The truth is, an odd one, I addressed this matter in fourt part article for Inphobia magazine a decade ago.  One part of the series was called, if I recall correctly, "Why Modules Suck."  And it was a rant against the generic module design for a mixed group of adventurers.  Unbeknownst to me, several of the people who have been posting on this site for a long time (even before I knew about it), picked up on some of my ideas, combined them with their gaming frustrations, and started cooking up these new terms, techniques and styles.  (I arrived late the party and have simply benefitted from everyone else's hard work.)

The point is, your assumption of what Narrativist play is, and what a good scenario design is, is completely contrary to a lot of the goals of a lot of the people here work toward when they create Narrativst design.  Now, to each his own.  But to assume how a module is "supposed" to be won't fly here.  The Forge is a place where the mold gets broken.  It's just the case.


Special Jargon

There are tools and techniques used by many people here.  Many of them have been developed by Ron Edwards for his Sorcerer RPG and its supplements.  They're good, and people port them to other games because they're not necessarily about the game, but about Narrativist play. Some of these techniques are: Kickers, Bangs, Relationship Maps.  There are others.  And other people have their own spin on new ways of playing RPGs as well.  People use these terms because they work.  Because they make a certain kind of play more accessible and fun for the kind of play they want.  They can easily be ported to a game like HeroQuest, and so people do. In fact, certain games accept them for easily than others: HeroQuest and the The Pool, for example, accept them easily, while AD&D takes them with a bit more effort. Why?  Because the first two games facilitate narrativist play easily, and these techniques are all about narrativsit play.


Narrativist Assumptions

Here are some assumptions that are unique to Narrativist play, as opposed to assumed scenario design:

* The story is about the PCs, and so all the relationships and situations are designed around the PCs.  People wandering in out of the woods to deal with the problem at hand are simply not as interesting as characters with emotional ties to the story.

For this reason, people usually preffer to play with a smaller number of PCs (two to four).  This is because the "party" is disolved as a useful game concept.  Instead of waiting around as a group for each character to shine, sessions often inovled cutting between characters emotional actions and responses.  Sometimes characters are in a scene together, sometimes they're not.  But things tend to work better this way if you're dealing with fewer people and can get around the table faster.

* The story is about solving some sort of emotional crisis for the character.  (Thus the need to tie the player characters emotionally, through sexual, romantic, and familial ties.)  When the emotional crisis reaches some sort of climax or resolution (for better or ill), the story ends.

* A detailed "story" planned out ahead of time by the GM is poison to the whole undertaking.  There is no story until the players, using the player characters, make it happen.  The GM cannot know where the climax will take place, or even, really, who it might take place with.
This point cannot be stressed enough, because it runs so counter to most scenario prep assumptions.  The GM does simply no know the story.  There is to path, no specific encounters, no plotted out geography of locations the player characters explore.  What matters is the emotionally charged relationship between the PCs and the NPCs.  Through these relationships, the actions of the characters upon one another produce stresses that make the characters take stronger actions, that then produce more stresses, that make the characters take even stronger actions... that lead to the climax.  What actions are taken?  We just don't know until we're in the middle of play.


* Characters are not best played when their behavior is limited to cultural standards and assuptions. That is, they are part of a society and culture, but, unlike a lot of games where the players is looked at askance if he acts "out of character"," there's wriggle room is here – because it causes more stress and response from other characters.  Thus making a better story.

So, a Samurai built for a typical RPGs session, say in feudal Japan, is going to behave like a Samurai.  If he stops behaving like a Samurai, then he's doing it wrong.

In a Narrativist game, it's the opposite.  If this same Samurai falls in love with the ghost of a woman who commands him to betray his code, he might well do that... and that's great – because it will provide stress with the PCs wife, his lord, his son and so on.  HeroQuest provides lots of strictures for behavior based on the background of Glorantha.  But it is the choices the PCs (and NPCs) make to follow -- or not! -- those strictures that provides compelling story.  (cf. Macbeth, Romeo, Tristan, Borimor, Achilles, Balin, Michael in the Godfather movies, Al Pacino's character (again) in Dog Day Afternoon, everyone in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the young protagonist in Blue Velvet and so on.)

[And Mick, this last point was added from my attempts to read between the lines of your posts. You may already assume this is the way to play.]



Anyway, there's some stuff to consider.  When Peter posted his, "How I Stopped Plotting Everything and Learned to Love RPGs" post on this thread, he was reflecting certain assumptions about how people around here see Narrativist play.  A lot of work has gone into buildig more tools and ideas to support that style of play.  It's something to consider as you wander around these boards.

Again, welcome.

Take care,
Christopher

[Nick Brooke]

Rather it would be more accurate to say that one's otherworldly self ("sorb" to use Greg's term) starts off as a roughly even mixture, and is made to progressively consist more of (or assume the shape of, if you will) one of the three otherworldly templates. By the time one had say, concentrated one's magic to theism, become a devotee, and learned one's deity's Secret, one would be pretty much pure "soul", though. (And more or less irreversibly so, not necessarily the case earlier on.)

This monkeying around with language ('one true meaning of common English words') is what leads to spirits becoming daimones, illusion magic becoming creation magic, and the apparently urgent need to rename Nomad Gods "Nomad Giants". A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of HeroQuest authors. "Well of Souls" sounds fine to me, and I hope it sticks around.

Cheers, Nick

[Palashee]

Hi there,

Oh dear it seems that with each post i step on someone's feet.

Let me take this moment to clarify my position. I'm not against narrativist intent of this thread, trying besmirch anyone's efforts or nitpick for the sake of nitpicking. Any criticism is intended as constructive criticism aimed at making the final story the best story possible. If I thought this exercise was a complete waste of time then i just wouldn't read this thread.

I admit to being a little bemused when i'm told to stop talking about what this thread is about, how does one discuss the main premise 'How to write a narrativist story for Heroquest' without referring to it.    

My perspective is different, so what, I see this as a positive thing  if everybody's approach was exactly the same then there'd be nothing to learn about writing the story. Based on this it seems perfectly valid to make comments on and discuss my design philosophy. The whole point of my argument is that the ideal method designing the story is to look at all three elements, Heroquest, Glorantha, and narrative, together and not in isolation. (I do understand Chris' lack of Gloranthan know-how means my ideal has not been met in this instance, but its still valid to point it out).  

I note that you ignore the fact that several of your concerns have been addressed by me previously. In the case of communities, relationships, and guardians I have brought it up repeatedly. Please understand that this is not about who though of these things first, it is about you not recognizing that I am a participant in this discussion.

Peter, Yes you have and sorry i wasn't ignoring your posts, rather i was trying to support your case by re-emphasising that these points are important, and need to be developed as well as the individuals have been.

Please realize that what you see here, is still a work in progress. Peter has already volunteered for full write ups of the various communities, and the area of Spring Fountain

Chris, Of course i understand its a WIP. You asked a particular question and so I responded based on what actual bits of the story have been posted so far. I can't comment on what's not been posted yet.

Narrativist Assumptions

Here are some assumptions that are unique to Narrativist play, as opposed to assumed scenario design:
The story is about the PCs .....
The story is about solving some sort of emotional crisis for the character......
A detailed "story" planned out ahead of time by the GM is poison to the whole undertaking......
Characters are not best played when their behavior is limited to cultural standards and assuptions......

Christopher, i'm not sure what your point is here, as i have never argued against any of the above.

I'll clarify the other points ASAP

Cheers,
Mick

[Christopher Kubasik]

Hi Mick,

I'm sorry if I misunderstood your words.  I was working from the paragraphs from a post of yours from a few pages back.

I agree with you.  The value of this thread is everyone hashing this out.  But I stand by my statements.  What you have suggested in your posts runs counter to some of the more... outlandish and newfangled assumptions of RPGing one can find on the Forge.

The Origins of the Heroes
It is important to know where the Heroes are likely to come from as this will affect their relationships with the community and important NPC personalities.

Are they members, strangers or foreigners?
Where
Members = the Heroes are part of the community and so have preexisting ties to the holdings of Spring Fountain and its populace. This is easy to do if the its the beginning of a campaign where the heroes can write the relationships into their 100 words, but is dangerous as players, particularly novice players, find being given lots of handouts to read before the game daunting and off putting
Strangers = The Heroes are part of the same culture and so may have general relationships in common with the people of Spring Fountain, such as to the church and/or to king and country; but they don't have any relationships to particular people. This is the most likely situation to arise if the story is placed into a pre-existing extended campaign.    
Foreigners = Heroes from a different culture completely, with no obvious relationships to anyone at Spring Fountain. this is another possibility with a pre-existing campaign and adds an extra layer of interaction with a few well placed traits among the NPC's stats such as Distrust/Hate Foriegners.

One solution to the Strangers and Foriegners lack of traits is for the first two or three sessions to be pre-coma where Heroes go to Spring Fountain for a completely a different reason and are then slowly introduced to all the main personilities, gaining friends and enemies along the way, before the crunch time comes.    
....
Spring Fountain Manor
"Welcome, Stranger, to Spring Fountain Manor, in the beautiful land of Seshnela, famous for its eponymous magical fountain that heals the sick and cleanses the soul. The good folk of this land are a paragon of virtue and order, following the wise Sir Eustef, the brave and caring banneret of this fiefdom.

Wait, what's that, the fountain is no longer flowing and the banneret in a coma. This is dire news, What shall we do, who will lead and protect us."

The disability of the Banneret, and the failing of the fountain leave a power vacuum in the fiefdom of the Spring Fountain. The once orderly lands of Sir Eustef begin to disintergrate into quarreling factions. As Eustef most loyal followers seek to restore the king to health his sons start arguing over their claims to the throne. And watching from across the borders the neighbouring lords begin to muster their knights to take Spring Fountain for themselves.

Amidst all the politics and double dealing stand the heroes. Why has the fountain dried up? By whose side will they stand in the troubles ahead or have they a cunning plan of their own?  

Spring Fountain Manor is a HeroQuest game set in the magical world of Glorantha. A ready to play story for 6-8 aspiring heroes whose primary skills are around 10-15W mark. It can be played as a stand alone mini campaign or easily intergrated into any existing Seshnelen Homeland Campaign. The story arc and episodes are designed especially for novice narrators and players, including helpful hints and tips on how to run a Gloranthan HeroQuest Campaign.  

Note that while you don't rule out the possibility of tying the characters directly to the NPCs, your wording leans in general toward this notion: the "Heroes go to Spring Fountain for a completely a different reason and are then slowly introduced to all the main personilities, gaining friends and enemies along the way, before the crunch time comes."

This, to the folks around here, runs counter to Narrativist assumptions about design.

Crunch time is *now.*  The PCs have friends and enemies *now.*  What you proposed in these paragraphs runs counter to emotional crisis for the characters with the players driving the story.  I used to use these techniques.  Hell, I used to write modules for TSR, FASA and other companies and do the best job I could with the techniques and still found them wanting.  I discovered, as others have around the Forge, that what one usually gets using these techniques is a story where the PCs are strangers who wander into someone else's fight, with a story already in motion that they are there to "figure out" as a group.

The differences between effects found between the techniques you are suggesting and those Chris is offereing may not yet be apparent to you, but I assure you, they are there.  You and I may want the same result (in fact, now I'm sure we do), but the tools and assumptions Chris is making will, I and others have found, get a table of players there faster.

However, I assumed otherwise, because I can't honestly see how a group of strangers wandering into a place where they have no connections is going to be emotionally engaging.  Yes, it's standard fare for RPG scenario design. But if you look at almost all literature and dramatic narrative that has stood the test of time, you'll find that the protagonists are deeply embeded in emotional ties of romance, family or violence right from the start.  To assume otherwise, to my way of thinking these days, is to explicitely deny any desire to have the PCs as active, emotionally engaged protagonists.

(As the for the last point about limiting culture behavior, as noted in my post, this may or may not have been a concern of yours.  I admitted as much at the time.)

Again, I don't think you were arguing against these points.  It's that a lot of us has hashed these things out, and found that the assumptions of scenario design don't actually facilitate the play desired, *in spite of* the intentions.

Take care,
Christopher

[Bankuei]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to thank everyone again, for their input, and reiterate that the floor is open for input and comments.  I'd also like for folks to take some time and review the posts thus far, which will prevent further confusion.  Peter and I are both working on a draft version, and request that any specific concerns be presented with specific examples or points to help us in understanding what is being said.

That said, I wanted to lay out some thoughts of mine, about the work in progress, as a POV that may provide some insight:

-WoS presentation?-

Concern has been raised that WoS may be presented in such a way that may alienate potential players.  Since WoS is being produced for free, as a labor of love, I'm not too concerned with "how many people play it".  My only concern would be if the writing was unclear, or the organization set up in such a fashion as to make it difficult to pull forth the ideas.

Ron has already noted that some folks just don't dig narrativism out of preference or habit, and by designing such a scenario, we've already "alienated" them, no biggie there.

Second, as far as terminology goes, I'd like to ask folks to reread "How to use the Scenario" as listed above.  That's about as theory-theory as I get with it, and that's all the theory you're going to see, aside from a brief definition of Bangs.  I'm not sure as to any other form of terminology that might confuse people, so please provide examples of any concerns you may have.

-Violating Tradition-

WoS is rife with conflicts, much of which violate or threaten to violate social mores.  This isn't to say that Spring Fountain is some crazy lawless land in the midst of Seshnela, but to say that the conflicts are putting enough stress on the communities to strain the seams of order and norms.  All of the characters were written with the idea of a highly stratified social order, caste, feudal order, church, etc.  

The decision to stick to social traditions, or break them, how and why, where we get a lot of thematic exploration.  Family vs. Duty, Tradition vs. Necessity, Love vs. Social role, etc.  Aside from a "untouchable" class, throughout most caste based societies, you had lots of undercover deals, affairs, and conflicts going on between castes.  I'd assume Seshnela to be no less complicated.

-Let's talk Myth-

So, we've got NPCs with conflict, but a lots of room to interpret those NPCs, or choose what conflicts or subconflicts become the focus of play.  Is this sloppy, or lazy design?  By no means.  I want you to fit those characters into your players' myths.  I have no clue what kind of players you have, or what heroes they will produce.  At best we can give you highly flexible tools to customize to them.

To use mythology examples I'm familiar with: Is Sir Eustef an Osirius figure?  Is Etienne a jovial Eros type, or a scheming Trickster?  Is Lady Noelle a wise matron sort, or an overcontrolling mother?  Look at your heroes, and adapt the NPCs, to them.  Choose conflicts that fit their myths.  Make it your myth, make it your story.

These are all some of the foundational concepts I'm working off of here, so hopefully this will shed some light on where I'm coming from.

Chris

[Peter Nordstrand]

Hi,

Comments and criticism is more than welcome. Please remember that it is a draft.

SPRING FOUNTAIN
Delivered from Shadow

Named after the magical fountain located in the courtyard of Wells Manor, Spring Fountain was seized by Enval FAMILYNAME only six generations ago. The previous lord had been killed in the Serpent War Invasion. Enval cleansed the land of the poisonous vipers, and established himself as its ruler. He renamed his territory Trymirwal in honor of his heroic ancestor, who lived here in before time.

Enemies have always coveted the fief for its riches. The small town of Wells is a center of local economy, and is strategically located along an important trade route. Spring Fountain is also the sole source of a rare blue dye. ETIENNE'S FATHER retains the dye trading monopoly on behalf of the FAMILYNAME family. Nonetheless, Lord Eustef's reign has created political and military stability unprecedented in its short and violent history.

Spring Fountain includes four vassal holdings: Biche, Boyenne, Mime, and Stalos. Boyenne is ruled by Serge of the Crescent Sword, Mime by Old Maslin. The two remaining knights can be created by the narrator, if necessary. If one of the player heroes are playing a cavalry soldier (i.e. a knight) or a petty noble, one of these lesser holdings may belong to him.

The peasants of Spring Fountain have always held on to some of their ancient pre-Rokari ways. To this day, they offer propitiatory worship to Rascarl of the Slippery Dark (see The Peasants' Tale, pg. XX), who was banished in mythic times, but who is still hiding in the crevices of reality; brooding and vengeful. Should the peasants ever stop their practice, the realm would again be invaded by fiendish Snake Things. If the church knew about the secret practices of the commoners of Spring Fountain, they would surely do their best to eradicate the wicked heresy.

The exact location of Spring Fountain is left for the narrator to decide. Sir Eustef has managed to stay remarkably independent from his superiors. His liege lord is either the church, one of the few important lords not conquered by the crown, or King Guilmarn himself. If Spring Fountain is a vassal of the church, Eustef's liege will be a powerful bishop, or even Ecclesiarch Theoblanc. If a vassal of King Guilmarn, most matters between lord and vassal will be handled through an intermediary, a Constable appointed by the king. The only great territorial magnates remaining are the Count of Noyelle and the Baron of Gilboch (an island). Narrators may decide to place Spring Fountain outside the kingdom proper, such as the Castle Coast, Nolos, or even the western parts of Ralios.

Formal Name: Trymirwal.
Ruler: Lord Eustef  of the Fountain, Bannerette of Trymirwal.
Population: 1750 adults, and about as many children.
Settlements: Boyenne, Mime, Wells, and numerous lesser villages.[/list:u]

Wells
Wells is Sir Eustef's personal demesne, centered around the town of the same name. It is the focus of the military, spiritual, and economic might of the fief.

Ruler: Eustef.
Adult Population: 720.
Army: 3 knights, 7 sergeants, 38 men-at-arms.[/list:u]

Townspeople of Wells
Wells is a small town of about 60 buildings, a marketplace, and a stone church. Wells Manor, protected by a moat and a wooden palisade, overlooks the settlement from a nearby hill.

Leader: Council.
Adult Population: 180.[/list:u]

Congregation of Wells
Once a week peasants from the surrounding countryside gathers at the newly renovated church of Wells. The building is a source of great pride among the populace, and a testimony to the piety of their Lord.

Leader: Father Rance.
Members: 700.[/list:u]
The church's reliquary is the Frontispiece of Saint Rokar's personal copy of the Abiding Book.

Communication: The blood of St. Rokar appears on the paper.
Functions:
         Awareness—Sense Disease 2W.
         Blessings—Work Even Harder 7W.
         Defense—Be Content 15.[/list:u]
The Well of Souls (Guardian Essence)
When Enval liberated Trymirwal, he reconnected with the ancient past. He spent a full season of prayer and fasting. When he finally stood up, a well sprang to life beneath his feet. Many years later, a fountain was built around the spring. The Well of Souls has no personality or identity of its own. It is just a sacred well. Unfortunately, only the lord can control its magic. While Eustef is in a coma, the people of Spring Fountain cannot benefit from its powers.

Method: Emanation.
Form: A beautiful, ornate fountain.
Communication Manifestation: The shape, color, and odor of the water.
Functions:
         Awareness—Sense Ambush 15W2.
         Blessings—Lord of the Lands 1W3 (Command Peasant, Fertile Fields, Strike Down Peasant, Tear Apart Enemy Unit.) (This functions as a wyter ability.)
         Defense—Protect from Earth Magic 9W2.[/list:u]

Vassals

Biche
Adult Population: 180.
Army: 1 knight, 4 men-at-arms.

Boyenne
Ruler: Serge of the Crescent Sword
Adult Population: 380.
Army: 1 knight, 2 sergeants, 14 men-at-arms.

Mime
Ruler: Old Maslin.
Adult Population: 320.
Army: 1 knight, 3 sergeants, 10 men-at-arms.

Stalos
Adult Population: 150.
Army: 1 knight, 2 men-at-arms.


// SIDEBAR//
Rascarl of the Slippery Dark
Rascarl is a fiendish serpent being from the Ice Age who was banished and dismembered by an ancestor of the FAMILYNAME family. He is still looking for vengeance, and only the propitiatory worship (see HeroQuest[/b], pg. XX) of the peasants of Spring Fountain keeps him from invading the realm.
Rascarl is the son of an earth daimon known as Damsel Ophidia who was worshipped by ignorant humans in the Dawn Age. Neither are revered today.

Form: Rascarl manifests as an invasion of venomous snakes. Each snake is but a part of his body.
Functions:
         Awareness—Sense Serpent 20.
         Defense—Resist Snake Venom 17W.[/list:u]
//END SIDEBAR//

[Peter Nordstrand]

Hi Mick,

Thank you for your courtesy. I appreciate it.

/Peter N

[Peter Nordstrand]

Hi again,

Chris asked for a overview of the military forces connected to this adventure. Below is two tables. The Army of Spring Fountain is a list of the armed forces as distributed on the five holdings of the fief. Military Strength of the Factions lists the fighting force broken down into the followers of the various factions and leaders.

The Army of Spring Fountain
Wells (1): 3 knights,   7 sergeants,   38 men-at-arms
Biche:   1 knight,   4 men-at-arms
Boyenne (2):   1 knight,   2 sergeants,   14 men-at-arms
Mime (3):   1 knight,   3   sergeants, 10 men-at-arms
Stalos:   1 knight,   2 men-at-arms

Total:   7 knights,   12 sergreants,   68 men-at-arms

(1) Includes Alfan, Trencavel, Xavier, and their personal followers.
(2) Includes Serge.
(3) Includes Maslin.

Military Strength of the Factions
Alfan: 2 sergeants
Serge:   2 sergeants,   14  men-at-arms
Old Guard Total: 4 sergeants, 14 men-at-arms

Maslin:   3 sergeants,   10  men-at-arms
Xavier: 1 sergeant
Hugo Total: 4 sergeants, 10 men-at-arms

Trencavel: 38 men-at-arms.

Note: I don't think Guilbert quite as weak in terms of fighting force as it seems. Remember that Serge "has already started maneuvering to put Guilbert in power, " which gives him a total of 2 sergeants and 14 foot soldiers in addition to the idealistic young men he is hanging out with. And in addition to his general popularity.

Cheers,

/Peter N

[Bankuei]

Hi Peter,

Excellent information.  I was rather thinking of the military ratings as something abstract such as, "5W3 worth of fighting men", or some such, but exact numbers work well also.

I'm currently revising the Bangs and doing up artwork.  I'll go hunting for a family name as well.  Etienne's father has been dubbed Jacques for lack of originality at the moment.

Chris