So there I was and I wrote one new name on the map and drew two little lines and thereby created a rich, intense chapter of backstory full of sex, true love, familial betrayal, blood, vengeance, and murder.

It was like religion.

-lumpley Vincent

OK.

Could you be more specific?

Sure. But not superspecific, since Meguey and Emily Care might read this.

There's this situation our characters are already hooked into, with a ghost and her son the local lord and his daughter who has the gift and all that kind of goodness.

There's this other situation our characters have sort of heard of but aren't hooked into at all, with a covenant that fell into terrible winter and lost everything and one noble maga is trying to rebuild there and that's about all we know.

Writing one name ("Andrzej of Jerbiton") on the map, and drawing a line from him to the ghost, and another line from him to the noble maga, created in my head the aforementioned backstory chapter of blood, guts, and dramatic drama.

Already I've said too much.

Anyway, all possible because having it laid out in front of me let me think about it in those terms.

By 'It's like religion,' I meant it's inspiring and fulfilling and gives me hope on a gray december morning when I have to haul my sad ass off to work.

Better?

-lumpley Vincent

Much better. Let us know how play on the Map goes.

Mike