City of 10,000 Magicians: Heroquest Relationship Mapping

[doubtofbuddha]

Well, after last night, most of the characters, with one exception are pretty much done.

I am just waiting for the final paragraph for Lisa's character. I am awaiting alot of stuff from Scott's character, but thats because he is making his own homeland and magical keywords.

This is Chris's: http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/91617.html

This is Brian's:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/91244.html

This is Sam's: http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/91002.html

I will have Mary post her character sheet ASAP and will fill out my thoughts on each character's conflicts and how to include followers tonight..

[Mike Holmes]

OK, looking at the characters, one thing that you'll find is that "goals" don't equate to character issues neccessarily. That is, they often are one sided tellings of the story. Like you said, for the guy who wants to be a dragon, the issue is what he has to give up. So the purpose of NPCs it seems to me is to be a means to becoming a dragon, or to be something that he'd have to give up. The first is easy, the second is hard. Basically, since the character has set a goal, it's harder to grab him on the side of remaining a character. So the real hard part is figuring out how to make him become attached to the folks who need him. That is for the NPCs who grab him, how do they become something that will be hard to let go of?

For Bavastaros, I don't see any issue clearly shouting out for NPCs to attack, but there's a couple that seem possible. For example, he seems very concerned with his position and such. You could make NPCs all about wanting him to be normal and in his place with others having information about the Dream Woman. So it then becomes a conflict between his drive to find this person, and maintaining his normal position in life.

For the thief, I'm seeing draws on his greed as distracting him from his goal of getting rid of the curse. Some NPCs should grrab him in terms of tracking down that goal, and others should work against those people appealing to his greed.

Make sense?

Mike

[doubtofbuddha]

Have been horribly busy, but got player #4 to post her character:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/92723.html?view=528435#t528435

I will post more later.

[Mike Holmes]

Fated?

I that as broad as it sounds, or is there some Glorantha reference which would narrow it?

Mike

[doubtofbuddha]

Well, basically I was going with the idea that her character has a specific Fate which I have yet to decide. Her main conflict is going to be between her character and the fate that is being thrust upon her.

Its not a happy sort of ability and its mostly something I will be using. (Though I will be using it both for and against her).

[Mike Holmes]

So the intent is to narrow it down via play? That's cool. I assume that you allowed this as a flaw for free? If not, I'd do so immediately. Which means that the player is allowed to boost it up to whatever level they like. I think it'd be more fun at a nice fat jucy level. At 13 it looks just tacked on.

"Oh, and I'm slightly Fated."  ;-)

I've really started to enjoy egging players on into taking really large Flaw levels.

Mike

[doubtofbuddha]

Oh yeah its free. I let her take it as one of her flaws.

Hmmm.....I honestly did not realize that it was only at a 13.

I will instruct her to increase it though. :)

Actually I have a rough idea of what the Fate is going to be (I have discussed it with the player), I am just uncertain as to the specifics.

Basically its going to be focused on her incarnational ties to Saird and the Red Woman cult and her sidekick's desire to recreate Saird, carving it out from the Empire.

Her patron wants Saird to be recreated, but as part of the Empire. If he can bring it about he could probably use his influence to gain control over it bringing himself, and his allies, the mystical power that would come with a recreated Saird.

So it will be something based on her taking a role in the recreation of Saird and her previous mythic role. Its just the specifics that we have not worked out. :)

[doubtofbuddha]

OK, looking at the characters, one thing that you'll find is that "goals" don't equate to character issues neccessarily. That is, they often are one sided tellings of the story. Like you said, for the guy who wants to be a dragon, the issue is what he has to give up. So the purpose of NPCs it seems to me is to be a means to becoming a dragon, or to be something that he'd have to give up. The first is easy, the second is hard. Basically, since the character has set a goal, it's harder to grab him on the side of remaining a character. So the real hard part is figuring out how to make him become attached to the folks who need him. That is for the NPCs who grab him, how do they become something that will be hard to let go of?

Oh, I am aware of the fact that goals do not equate to character issues.
I saw goals merely as being things that can cause conflict for the characters as they collide with their belief systems.

But yes, I think Chris' character will be the most difficult one to create conflicts from. He has seemingly already abandoned his home and family in pursuit of his goal and he really doesn't really have very much left to tie him to this world except for his current humanity. However, if he wishes to complete his draconic apothesis he is going to require either large-scale community support (for the heroquest to become the mystical equivlant to a dragonnewt noble) and probably even more so for the final step into dragon.

Of course this conflicts with the fact that dragonnewts traditionally need to seperate themselves from connections with the world in order to ascend. This means doing things like buying down personality traits and the like, as both being cowardly and brave are considered to seen as too binding.

A potential conflict is that the use of draconic magic pollute the dragon soul, tying them more closely to the world. So I could put him in situations where the use of his draconic magic would help him achieve short-term goals, but at the cost of slowing down his eventual ascension. This will cause him to question what is more important, his ties to the world or his own, draconic soul? Does that sound appropriate? Do you have any other ideas?

For Bavastaros, I don't see any issue clearly shouting out for NPCs to attack, but there's a couple that seem possible. For example, he seems very concerned with his position and such. You could make NPCs all about wanting him to be normal and in his place with others having information about the Dream Woman. So it then becomes a conflict between his drive to find this person, and maintaining his normal position in life.

Yes, though most of the people he has ties to position-wise aren't in the vicinity.
As sort of a variation on that, I could create conflicts between his desire to further the interests of his family or further his own interests. He has come to the City of 10K Magicians partially to see if he can have his family establish themselves in the city, creating a conduit for the gem stone trade. (Hmmm, I could add a local mercantile type or influential noble to the map fo rthis purpose) I could make it so that he is able to do this but at the cost of losing out on the potential of losing or hindering his chance to find information about his dream woman.

For the thief, I'm seeing draws on his greed as distracting him from his goal of getting rid of the curse. Some NPCs should grrab him in terms of tracking down that goal, and others should work against those people appealing to his greed.

Yeah that should work fine.
Though he is trying to conceal the fact that he is a thief, it will be difficult for me to tie him into potential chances to work on his greed. Any suggestions?

[Mike Holmes]

Oh, I am aware of the fact that goals do not equate to character issues.
I saw goals merely as being things that can cause conflict for the characters as they collide with their belief systems.

Good way to think about it. In fact, HQ in general is about the conflict of belief systems. So lets see how we can incorporate that into the below...

A potential conflict is that the use of draconic magic pollute the dragon soul, tying them more closely to the world. So I could put him in situations where the use of his draconic magic would help him achieve short-term goals, but at the cost of slowing down his eventual ascension. This will cause him to question what is more important, his ties to the world or his own, draconic soul? Does that sound appropriate? Do you have any other ideas?

Tough one. I don't see how giving him alternatives between short term goals or long term goals will matter if his short term goals only serve his long term goals. That is, does he have any short-term goals that aren't about getting what he needs to become a dragon?

I think that this one has to be handled carefully. Thinking about it, it looks like the character's issues aren't really about becoming a dragon at all. That seems completely resolved - he won't let anything get in the way. So, instead, give him two routs to go to get to being a dragon. Make one be a positive statement in support of one belief system, say his culture. Then have the other be a positive statement about another belief system he has, say, his prowess as a warrior (just to pick out his keywords). He "is" both of these. In making it a choice about which to support in the process of getting where he's going, he makes a statement, he has real choices.

See what I'm getting at?

Yes, though most of the people he has ties to position-wise aren't in the vicinity.

That's what he thought. First move on your part is to figure out why they all decided to show up together. Or some of them.

As sort of a variation on that, I could create conflicts between his desire to further the interests of his family or further his own interests. He has come to the City of 10K Magicians partially to see if he can have his family establish themselves in the city, creating a conduit for the gem stone trade. (Hmmm, I could add a local mercantile type or influential noble to the map fo rthis purpose) I could make it so that he is able to do this but at the cost of losing out on the potential of losing or hindering his chance to find information about his dream woman.

Sounds perfect. Just what I was getting at.

Yeah that should work fine.
Though he is trying to conceal the fact that he is a thief, it will be difficult for me to tie him into potential chances to work on his greed. Any suggestions?

What does he present himself as? People who think he's legit present opportunities to be ripped off. Make these the same people that can help him, and you have the conflict straight off. For example, he's working with this priest who says he can help him, but while in the temple, the guy leaves him alone with the golden idol. Uh, someone offers him a job to guard something valuable, but he has to be there at the time of a conjunction of planets that would be helpful in getting rid of the curse. The people grabbing him on the Greed side, are about presenting him with opportunities, whether they're aware or not.

Also, if he does get into some theft, then the local organization discovers him, and will want him to work for them.

Note that this might not really be all that long term a goal. If he can find another goal in play, then let him get rid of the curse, and move on to pursuing that. Keep the greed as something that prevents him from getting to whatever goals. You can't keep this up plausibly for long with just one goal, and greed. But greed can be, long term, an issue with whatever other goals he has. So, develop romantic relationships with the character, and then have him choose whether or not to be late to his dates because he's stopping to pilfer things. Etc.

Mike

[doubtofbuddha]

Due to the events I noted in my other thread the composition of the group has changed slightly.


Now we have...

Calla (played by Lisa), a young Lunar Dara Happan Petty Noble Devotee of Selven Hara who wishes to get out from under the thumb of her family (though she dearly loves her "daddy" she fears her mother) and explore the world and truly live life. She has followed her father and her friend Ashaetili to the City of 10,000 Magicians. http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/93363.html?#cutid1

Ashaetili is a Lunar Sylilian Scholar Intitiate of Zaytenera (the Truth aspect of the Red Moon) who has Calla's father, Khorkenus, as her patron. She is a reincarnated tactician from the lands of Talastar who is currently struggling with the fate that includes her being instrumental in causing the reunification of the tribes and clans of said land as a companion of Talastar's reincarnated hero. She fears this fate, and would rather live her own life rather than one that is forced upon her by destiny. Her companion, a daimon cat by the name of Scarlet, sees otherwise, and wishes to see her new mistress take up the same role of her old mistress (the tactician).  http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/92723.html?#cutid1
She is currently going to the City of 10,000 Magicians with her patron to get more information on Talastar. He wishes to use her connection in order to be able to seize Talastar and its resources for the Empire.

This reincarnated hero currently lacks a name or a character sheet. :P His people have been divided for a long time, fighting against each other while being preyed upon by the malignant forced of Chaos emerging from Dorastor.  He has come to see that he needs to bring unity to his people if they are to survive and so seeks to prove that he is the ancient hero reborn to lead his people. He has gone to the hag-priestesses of the mountains who have instructed him to recover the ancient regalia of the hero and perform the heroquests that correspond to the actions the hero completed. He has come to the City of 10,000 Magicians in order to gain a piece of the regalia from a member of his people who lives here, and to gain more information about certain heroquests he needs to complete.


The fourth is a Lunar Wizard, recently graduated from the Imperial College of Magic and still working on his civil service. His mission is to co-opt the myths of the Talastarians in order to facilitate their eventual acquisition by the Empire. He considers this to be a good chance to practice his myth-shaping skills in order to eventually achieve his true goal, bringing the Orlanthi into the Lunar fold by proving that Orlanth is indeed part of the Lunar Way. Of course, standard Lunar dogma states otherwise, so he will face opposition to this not only from the Orlanthi, but from his own people. He is very focused on the Lunar religon and the idea, "We Are All Us"

The fifth is a Lunar Carmanian Grave Robber Initiate of Rufelza, Okamar. Okamar travels to the City of 10,000 Magicians in order to find a means to remove Daak's curse from himself. In a past life he was a Palandan thief who refused to massacre the inhabitants of an orphanage of Teelo Norri in Daak's name and so was cursed to never return to his homeland or to stay in any one place long enough to call it home. He knows the Lunar Wizard from consulting him to get information about his curse, and it is from him that he knows the potential of the City of 10,000 Magicians.  http://www.livejournal.com/community/worldsoftuerny/91617.html?#cutid2


Honestly, though I am having difficulty relationship mapping beyond the three primary focal points listed above. I am going to have to mull over this some more.

[doubtofbuddha]

Alright we have....


A Provincial Merchant Initiate of Etryies who is the mercantile representative for the city. He is friends with Ordandavesh and supplies his lotus habit. He is very ambitious and would like to get out of this (in his opinion) one horse town and go somewhere with more potential, like Furthest or Mirin's Crossing.

Bangs:
He is interested in Barastaros's product and is willing to make a deal, but this will end up taking a week or two of contract negotiation, thus making him lose this window of oppurtunity in getting into the city.

A Kostaddi Priest Devotee of Rufelza that runs the town's Lunar Temple.  It has shrines to most of the various aspects of Sedenya, as well as the Seven Mothers. He is a government appointee, but he enjoys his position. He has influence (being one of the advisors to the leader of the town) and he is bringing the word of Rufelza to the poor misguided Orlanthi of Aggar.

Bangs:
When he sees the tomb robber's curse (Soul Vision) offers to see if he can help the tomb robber out. He also offers to let him stay in the temple while he is in town. The outer perimiter of the temple is defended and has an appropriate daimon to guard it. The priests trust in this guardian (and the tomb robber's cultic connections) and leaves him in the presence of valuable holy objects. What does the tomb robber do?

Plus the ones from before:

Ordandavesh, a Lunar Dara Happan Wizard of the Makabean Order (and member of the Imperial College of Magicians). He is the individual responsible for determining who gets in and out of the city. Supposedly this is based on the length of time a particular scholar has been waiting and the "importance of the research to the Empire" but in reality it depends alot on how influential a scholar (or his friends) are, or how much the scholar is willing to pay Ordandavesh to get into the city. He has a lotus addiction and gets most of his "goods" from his good friend, the Etryies Merchant.

Bangs:
In order to get into the city (legally) they are going to need Ordandavesh's persmission. What are they willing to do to get it? He is going to be naturally inclined towards either Ashaetili (because of her backing) or the Lunar Wizard (because of his government job and the fact that they both are alumni of the Imperial Lunar College of Magic). But that doesn't mean someone else might not succeed at getting in with suitable.... "persuasion."

Yrsa Sevendaughter, a Provincial (Aggarite) Warrior Devotee of Vinga the Thief. She is a rebel, but a smart rebel, in that rather than simply rise up and strike at Lunar military units or raid the steads of Lunar-allied clans, she is going for a much bigger goal. She is aware of the City of 10,000 Magicians secret and figures that by awakening the dragon (and thus destroying the city) she will be able to strike a significant blow against the Lunar Empire. The only problem is getting into the city incognito. She will thus be visiting Ordandavesh in order to achieve this.

Potential bangs and connections:

Okamar:
She is going to be hooking up with the local Aggarite underworld as soon as she arrives to see if she can find a way to sneak into the city or get information to implicate Ordandavesh. If Okamar hooks up with the underworld she could come looking for him and suggest that the two of them team up to find a way into the city.
What will he do? Will he increase his chances to get into the city and remove the curse or will he go with his religion and his homeland and turn against her? If he does turn against her, will he risk angering the local underworld by turning her in or will he keep silent?


Khorkenus, a Lunar Dara Happan Noble Initiate of Natha. This is Lisa's character's father and Mary's character's patron. His goal is to get Mary's character into the city. Why? Because he wishes to take advantage of Ashaetili's mythic ties in some way that will allow him to incorporate the Talastari into the Empire in order to gain influence and power. He has instructed her to research the myths of the Talastari for this express purpose and has directed her to a scholar in the city specializin in such things.

Bangs:
Khorkenus flips out over Calla secretly following him here from the family home. He orders her to return home immediately. Does she follow through with her "Daddy's" orders or does she go  through with her desire to live life and travel?

[doubtofbuddha]

Scott just posted this for his Lunar Wizard character...


http://wayofman.org:8080/~nleseul/heroquest/earth_and_moon_order.pdf

I am impressed.

[doubtofbuddha]

I seem to have reached a stumbling block in constructing the relationship map; as in I am having difficulty filling it out enough and making it connected enough to actually seem like a "map"

Is there anything that you can see that I am missing from my technique so far?

Any suggestions on how to flesh it out further (not neccessarily characters, but just how I would go about building it)?

The only thing I can think of that I may be doing wrong is that I haven't been setting up the relationship map based on a "situation" that the NPCs in the town are established at in this particular point of time.

Is this something I need to do?

[Mike Holmes]

Think relatives and lovers. That is, look at the characters you have, and who their relationship abilties would be with. Where are these folks? Can they be interesting at all?

Mike

[doubtofbuddha]

See, the thing is noone is from this particular area. They have all traveled from somewhere far away. And in typical RPG fashion Only a few really have anything beyond vague relationships with their parents.

I am playing those relationships for all they are worth with Calla (her father is present and is a sponsor of one PC, I am also thinking he could be pretty useful for perhaps a bang with the reincarnated hero, as he can offer him aid but only in exchange for concessions after he comes to power in Talastar).

Okamar's parents are dead.

Actually now that I think about it, the merchant has an apprentice merchant sidekick. Perhaps I can try to convince him to make the apprentic his kid brother or something.

I think next time I am going to be a bit more focused on character creation specifications, insisting that they all come from one culture/region so that I can have them be a bit more tightly integrated into the local community.