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[pbp] [Kingdom] Watch it Burn (Now Playing!) (1 place open)
The Brayster
UKRegistered User regular
UKRegistered User regular
Hey folks,
Once again, I am looking to set up a game of Kingdom, and need 4 other players (Player count = 5, including me). If you are interested, Sign Up!
Simply put, this is a rules-lite RPG, in which we each play characters who influence the decisions and fate of a 'Kingdom'. Each player will have differing ways to influence the game, and through roleplaying scenes and decision making in the form of Crossroads, will determine whether the Kingdom ends in glory or ruin.
I could go on a long schpiel about this for quite some time, but I figure I should let the creator of the game speak for me:
What is 'Kingdom'?
Kingdoms are all around us…
Groups are stronger than individuals. In a Kingdom, we can work together to do great things. But we may not agree what path our Kingdom should take or what it should stand for. Can your vision of the Kingdom work with mine? Can everybody get what they want? Because if you’re part of the Kingdom, it makes demands on you too. You’re pressured to do what it thinks is right. The question becomes: do you change the Kingdom or does the Kingdom change you?
We make our Kingdom together
A “Kingdom” is the game term for the community or organization that is the focus of our game. Any kind of community works, and we’ll decide what kind of Kingdom we want to play together. Our Kingdom could be… … a frontier town in the Old West … a colony ship crawling towards a distant star … or the teachers and students of Sunnybrook Elementary School. Each of us will play a character who is part of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is what ties our characters together. It’s the center of all our lives.
... and Watch it Burn
The game is about seeing what happens to the Kingdom and the people in it. How the characters change the Kingdom and how it changes them. As players, we all have equal authority to influence the game. It’s up to each of us to push the Kingdom in directions we find interesting. What will our Kingdom do? What will it become? Will it burn or flourish? Will it stay true to its ideals–our ideals–or will it become some twisted shadow of our dreams?
The Kingdom’s fate is in our hands.
Kingdom in a Nutshell
Crossroads:
We’ve got our Kingdom and we’ve got our characters. Now we’re going to play to see how our characters shape the Kingdom and how the Kingdom shapes them. As players, we’re going to confront our Kingdom (and our characters) with Crossroads: critical decisions the Kingdom must make, decisions that may change the Kingdom forever. Does the Kingdom invade its neighbor? Does it outlaw the new religion? Crossroads are the major arcs of our game. They are the chapters of the story we’re making. It’s our job to make Crossroads that push the Kingdom and the characters into territory that interests us. Never make a Crossroad that doesn’t interest you! You might even introduce a Crossroad that your character dreads, but that you think would be interesting.
Scenes & Cards
Before we see the final decision the Kingdom makes about the Crossroad, we’ll take turns creating scenes and role-playing them together. We’ll explore the Crossroad and see what our characters think and do about it. We might find out the situation is a lot more complicated than we thought. Each of the three cards on the table is a countdown. On your turn you get to pick which to check and move closer to completion. When all the boxes on a card are checked, we’ll pause and play to see what happens. When all the boxes on the Crossroad are full, we play to see what choice the Kingdom makes and what the consequences are. When all the boxes on the Crisis card are full, we’ll see whether the Kingdom survives the Crisis or is destroyed. Characters may flee the Kingdom. When all the boxes on the time Passes card are full, there is a break in the action when our characters can rest and reflect. Months or years will pass. When we finish a card, we start a new one.
Roles
Each Role gives you a different way to influence the Kingdom and the Crossroad:
Perspective : You can predict the consequences of picking different sides of the Crossroad. It’s your job to show us what’s really at stake.
Touchstone : You decide how the people of the Kingdom feel and what they want. You can instantly define the Kingdom and show us how the people react to what is happening.
Power : After seeing those consequences and hearing what the people want, you get to decide what the Kingdom actually does. That doesn’t seem fair, does it? Only Power gets to decide what the Kingdom does? No, it isn’t fair, but it might be balanced. Power makes the choice, but Perspective and Touchstone determine the consequences.
Challenge & overthrow
Eventually someone is going to do something to the Kingdom that you don’t like. You can do something about it:
You can Change your role if you want a different voice in the Kingdom or your old Role doesn’t seem like a good fit anymore.
You can Challenge another character to stop something they do or establish. If Power arrests someone, bust them out of jail. If Touchstone shows that the people are angry, give a speech to calm the mob.
But if Challenging them isn't enough–if you want to stop what another character is doing with their Role entirely–you can overthrow them and take their Role for yourself. Storm the capitol and take away their Power. These options are listed at the bottom of your Role card. But be warned: nothing can take a player out of the game. A character you usurp just picks a different Role and keeps influencing the Kingdom in a different way. Take away someone’s Power and they might return as Perspective and predict a dire future…
So how is this game going to run in this specific case?
Glad you asked. I will cover all the important stuff in detail later, using the second post as a rules reference guide, but the basic summary is thus:
I will present a number of 'seeds', which will be the subject of the game. Once signups are complete, we will vote on which seed we like the most. Then, I will post a guide to creating our (first) characters. After that, we will begin play.
Can we design our own Kingdom?
Technically yes, a 'Kingdom' according to this rule set is any organisation involving anywhere from 20 people to 20 billion people, but for this game, No. The reason I say no is that this has led to problems in past games, both personal and online. Creating a unique Kingdom is fine and dandy, but more often than not a particular group of players is going to have a player or two who are more vocal than the others, which can result in a Kingdom being THEIR creation more than others. This can lead to disconnect/disinterest in the rest of the group, and that's not fun. Instead, we will pick a seed, a theme for which will be well understood by all players, then we can get creative from there on an equal footing.
The Seeds:
I have made a shortlist of the more popular seeds the game provides (based on their popularity in past groups). These are the settings we will be using as a whole. Once one is picked, I will provide more detail of what is in store, including some customization options. You can choose a character template or make your own. Likewise, threats and crossroads are player divined, but there are some pre-made for each seed if needed.
Lost Legion:
Countless leagues from home, a single Legion stands amidst a sea of foes who hunger for Roman blood… The Romans came to fight and support foreign kings who swore allegiance to the Empire, but those allies have fallen and their armies are scattered, leaving the Romans with no friends or safe harbor. Villages and towns that gave the Legion welcome and shelter before are twice as vehement in their refusal now, all the better to prove that their allegiance is with the victors. But even though they are hemmed in by danger on all sides and facing overwhelming odds, the might of Roman steel remains unconquered, for now. Can the Legion march home, hewing a path through a sea of foes? Or must it seek alliance and sow division between its many enemies? Or will the once-proud soldiers give in to despair and let their standard fall into the mire? The Kingdom is this one Legion, originally five thousand soldiers strong, cut off from their homeland. It could take years for them to return to Roman territory, if they return at all. Your game could be a running battle as they march back to Rome or a century-long epic of the colonies the legionaries and their ancestors build or conquer along the way.
HMS Rubicon:
Halfway around the world from the shores of England, the British frigate Rubicon proudly flies His Majesty’s flag in the age of sail and cannon. The Rubicon faces dangers without and within. Enemies of the Crown sail in these same tropical waters and, even though there are ports in friendly colonies in the vast expanse of ocean, a lone ship is very much on her own against enemy cannon and tempest alike. Perhaps the even greater danger is the absence of any external threat, anything to unite the crew and turn their hands against a common peril. There is nothing more deadly than to sit becalmed on a glassy sea where the relentless sun and stillness turns idle hands to mutiny! The Kingdom is the ship, its officers and crew (about 300 hands all told), not the British navy or Empire as a whole.
Hammer of the Gods:
From the splendor of their eternal realm, the gods and demi-gods toy with the fate of humanity and its heroes. Are those pesky mortals getting too big for their togas? Failing to pay homage in the time-honored fashion? Release the kraken! Despite all the gods have done for them, it seems to be man’s curse to bring down the wrath of the heavens upon themselves. Fickle is the favor of the gods even to those they love: one day a shining hero, the next a lightningscorched crater. The Immortals forged the world with the Hammer of the Gods. With a blow they could shatter it again if it no longer pleased them, returning man and all his works to chaos. But are the gods truly so fickle or does some greater purpose guide their sometimes cruel hands? Is the world a plaything or a priceless treasure? The Kingdom is the pantheon of gods and demi-gods as well as their divine servants like the terrible monsters they can unleash upon humanity. The Kingdom is not the world or nations of men: you could wipe out all of civilization and raise a new one in its place, if you so desired.
Battleship Orion:
The Colonies have been annihilated, but a rag-tag fugitive fleet has escaped to start a new life beyond the stars. Can the refugees find a world to call home, somewhere far away and safe from the enemies who would destroy them? Or will they turn against each other and extinguish the last hope for humanity? The Kingdom is the entire Fleet, a chaotic mix of civilian and commercial starships that were lucky enough to escape the destruction of the Colonies. Their sole protector is the warship Orion, the last (known) survivor of the mighty Colonial armada.
Banner of the Black Serpent:
The Banner of the Black Serpent is an order of knights who fought valiantly for the realm. As a reward for the blood they shed, they were granted lands, strongholds and the right to bear arms in the realm, yet they stand beholden to no other lord. Now they are an army apart from the normal feudal hierarchy. Do they protect the throne that rewarded them? Or do they sell their swords to the highest bidder? Do they fight for gold, glory or the honor of the Banner? The Kingdom is the order of knights and all their men-at-arms and associated servants. Their holdings are inside the realm they fought for (a feudal kingdom with a lower case ‘k’), but in play you will explore the decisions and fate of the Banner, not the realm around them.
Steam: TheBrayster
PSN: TheBrayster_92
PSN: TheBrayster_92
The Brayster on
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http://www.lamemage.com/kingdom/Kingdom_RPG_reference.pdf
Kingdom Core Ruklebook PDF:
https://dropbox.com/s/u147fe66zhurqhw/Kingdom_RPG.pdf?dl=0
Overview of Play:
1) If there is no Crossroad, introduce one: But if you have already made a Crossroad and someone else has not, the nearest left-hand player who has not made a Crossroad makes one instead. Then you continue your turn.
2) Play a Scene: Make a scene focusing on what your character thinks or does about the Crossroad. Role-play together.
3) Reactions: Any player can briefly narrate how their character reacts to the scene. It must be a direct reaction to what just happened. Each player can make one and use it to do or show one thing.
Anyone in a scene or reaction can use their Role to influence the Crossroad: Perspective makes predictions, Touchstone shows what the people of the Kingdom feel, Power decides what the Kingdom does. If your Role does not fit you anymore, you can Change it. Characters can also Challenge to stop something another character did or established or Overthrow to take away another character’s Role.
4) Advance a card: After your scene, pick which card you want to move closer to completion. Checking a Crossroad box is the default, but you can check Crisis if you think the Kingdom is in trouble or Time Passes to draw out the Crossroad and move closer to a break in the action.
5) Resolve cards that are full: If you checked the last box on a card, stop and resolve it before the next player takes their turn. If more than one card is full, resolve each one in this order: Crossroad, Crisis, then Time Passes.
6) Next player: Pass the current player token to the person to your left (clockwise). They go next. Start again from the top. That’s the whole game. Keep repeating until your Kingdom becomes a paradise on Earth, collapses in flames or everyone has to go home.
Crossroads:
A Crossroad must be something the Kingdom does or decides, not something that is done to the Kingdom. The Crossroad may be a reaction to outside forces or situations, but the question is always about what the Kingdom chooses. Deciding whether or not the Kingdom is invaded by barbarians is not a valid Crossroad. Deciding whether to bribe the attacking barbarians is.
Each Crossroad is a major arc in the story of your Kingdom. It is the next chapter you are going to explore. The Crossroads you introduce determine what kind of story you are going to play. As the game continues, each player will get to introduce Crossroads they want the Kingdom to confront. You can introduce Crossroads that could reverse previous decisions the Kingdom made, but you can never erase what has already happened.
A previous Crossroad enslaved the nomadic tribes of the desert and put them to work building monuments to the Sun God. A new Crossroad could set them free, but it can’t undo the fact that they were slaves. They are unlikely to forget the years they spent toiling for Pharaoh…
There is always exactly one Crossroad in play. After the Crossroad is resolved and we find out what the Kingdom does, a new Crossroad is introduced.
make Crossroads that matter to you
Interesting Crossroads are essential to the success of your game. There is no point introducing a Crossroad if you don’t care about it or if it doesn’t interest you. Ask yourself: Do you care how this Crossroad will turn out? Will the other players care? Need a good idea for a Crossroad? Look at a character’s Wish or Fear (your own or another player’s) and make a Crossroad that puts the Kingdom right on the path that character wants or dreads. Play to see what they’ll do to make it happen or to stop it.
making stuff up
When you create a Crossroad, you are allowed to invent situations and details the Kingdom needs to confront. Dream up droughts, attacking armies or fiscal crises. Just don’t decide what the Kingdom does about it yet: that’s what you find out in play when you resolve the Crossroad.
Roles:
Perspective:
When you’re in a scene or reaction…
You can predict the consequences of the Crossroad. Pick either Yes or No, then declare something that will happen if that outcome is chosen. The prediction can be good or bad for the Kingdom as you wish. Make predictions about the Kingdom, not specific characters.
The Crossroad is “Does the colony ration food?” A Perspective player adds a prediction on the No side: “Some people starve.” So if the colony decides not to ration food, some people will starve. A different Perspective player adds a Yes prediction: “Riots break out.” So if food is rationed, there are riots. If it isn’t, some people will starve. Write the prediction in the Yes or No column of the Crossroad card, followed by your character’s name so everyone know who controls it. There can be any number of predictions on a Crossroad.
When a Crossroad is resolved…
You decide if your prediction comes true. Predictions are accurate by default, but things may have changed enough that you no longer think it should happen. The truth is not your fault. The Perspective character is seeing the truth, not making it happen, even though you as a player are. A player with Perspective can intentionally introduce catastrophic predictions all while having their character remain completely innocent or even horrified at the possibilities. You can intentionally make predictions you know other characters will want to stop just to see how far they will go to fix them. Will they heed your warning or ignore you at their peril? If someone who does not have Perspective says what they think is going to happen, you are in a position to say whether they are right or wrong. If you like their idea, make it a prediction. Otherwise it holds no weight.
If another player wants to prevent the consequences you are describing, they can try to Challenge your prediction. If they want to prove you wrong, they must Overthrow your Role and take Perspective away from you. If you feel like you do not understand the Kingdom or the consequences of the Crossroad, it is time to Change your Role.
Touchstone:
When you’re in a scene or reaction…
You decide how the people of the Kingdom feel by showing how your character feels. As soon as we see your character react or express an opinion, we know that is the attitude of the people too. You can instantly change the entire Kingdom.
The Crossroad is “Will the haven give shelter to the refugees from the ray-wastes?” During a scene, one character talks about seeing these poor devils with nothing but rags, but the Touchstone character is less sympathetic. “Sure I feel bad for them, but we’ve got to look out for own first, don’t we?” We now know that is how the average person in the Kingdom feels.
on your turn…
After playing your scene, you have the option to check Crisis if you think the Kingdom is going down the drain or erase a Crisis check if you think things are calming down. This is in addition to the box you normally check at the end of your Scene (you could even check Crisis twice). Describe the change you see in the Kingdom. When a Crossroad is resolved… You show how the people of the Kingdom react to what happened by checking or unchecking Crisis. Moral of the story: don’t make the people angry. Touchstone can rapidly destroy the Kingdom. Much like Perspective, a Touchstone character is not responsible for what the people think: the player is. The character is not influencing the people or controlling them. He or she just happens to have a point of view that most people share. Silencing a Touchstone character or locking them in a dungeon will not stop them from being accurate indicators of public opinion. A Touchstone character might not even know that their attitudes are the norm. Touchstone is allowed to have attitudes the people do not share, if they want.
If another player wants to sway the people, they can try to Challenge the public attitudes you described. If they want to prove you are wrong about the people, they have to Overthrow your Role to show that you aren’t really a Touchstone after all. If you feel like your character has opinions that the people would not share, it is time to Change your Role.
Power:
When you’re in a scene or reaction…
You can use your authority to make the Kingdom do something to another character: throw them in jail, give them a raise, etc. Describe how you make it happen. After the ace pilot mouths off during a briefing, the Commander (Power) uses her authority to ground him. He’s flying a desk until she says otherwise. You cannot use Power to control another player’s character, but you can threaten or bribe characters to make them do what you want. Power does not let you change another character’s Role. You can throw a Perspective character in prison, but that does not stop them from being right. You can also give orders that are only carried out if the Crossroad result you specify is chosen. Pick Yes or No, then declare what you order the Kingdom to do to someone if that outcome is chosen. Write it in the appropriate column on the Crossroad card, followed by your character’s name. Put an asterisk in front to show that it is an order, not a prediction.
If the realm goes to war (Crossroad = Yes), the Duke promises the lowly knight an influential command.
When a Crossroad is resolved…
You decide whether the Kingdom says Yes or No to the Crossroad. Your decision is final unless other Powers disagree or Power is taken away from you. After hearing the consequences (Perspective) and what the people think (Touchstone), Power decides what the Kingdom actually does. Can you ignore what everyone else says and just do what you want? Absolutely–as long as you’re willing to suffer the consequences. Upset people enough and they may take Power away from you. Power might be the most straightforward Role to play. Unlike Touchstone or Perspective, when a Power player makes something happen, it is clearly their character doing it. Everyone knows who to blame (or thank).
If another player wants to stop something you made the Kingdom do, they can try to Challenge your authority. If they do not want you to be in charge
anymore, they have to Overthrow your Role and take Power away from you. If you feel like you aren’t really in charge or you do not want to tell the Kingdom what to do, it is probably time to Change your Role.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Banner of Black Serpent
followed by Battleship GalactacaOrion interest me the most
PSN: TheBrayster_92
PSN: TheBrayster_92
I've done a couple of games of each of those in real life and they turned out wildly different in all cases.
I would also comment that my most interesting game, plotwise, actually came from a Lost Legion game. The funniest was a Hammer of the Gods.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Orion because it sounds the most Galactica-y, basically. That said I prefer the first more because GoT is currently on O-o. I don't mind any of the other choices if they are preferred. I'm not a huge history buff so unsure how much I could add to the Rubicon or Legion one .
Lost legion first choice, Battleship Orion second one.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Here's the full seed for Battleship Orion. If you decide against this and want to see something else, let me know.
We'll address each in order together. For the setting customization, my thought are long the lines of:
The colonies were lose when a desperate military gamble to turn the tide of war left them defenseless.
The enemy are a mysterious alien race no human has ever seen in the flesh.
The fleet is fleeing blindly in uncharted space.
The Orion is a tough old ship, a veteran of many battles.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
PSN: TheBrayster_92
I suggest:
How much do we care about historical accuracy? We want to [ generally match the setting, but without sweating details | pay careful attention to period detail | ignore historical facts and make up what we want (I'm a Turtledove fan, the crazier the better... ]
The Legion came here [ to defend the lands of foreign allies of Rome | to expand Roman territory by conquering new lands | to further the interests of a selfish Roman politician, not the good of the Empire ]
We lost the battle that led to the destruction of our allies because [ we were grossly outnumbered | our commander made a terrible tactical mistake which cost him his life | we were betrayed by our allies ]
Right now we are countless leagues from Rome in a land of [ steep mountains and black forests | burning desert | fertile plains and rivers | rocky beaches and the vast ocean that separates us from our homeland ]
That said like steep mountains and black forests a tad more, though that may be due to the opening of Gladiator.
and wouldnt mind furthering a politico's agenda.
Like betrayal and ignoring history.
Though i sorta imagine some terrains going better with various scarios
Politico+betrayal+rocky beaches and vast ocean
Defend+grossly outnumbered+black forest
Conquer+Tactical Mistake +burning desert
Generally Match the setting, but without sweating details.
Basically, we don't need to worry about locations, specific battle/army structure, the names of tribes etc, that can all be made up. But by the same time, no random outbursts of supernatural or magic (perceived, maybe, but not actual). Generally keep a historical theme historical feeling.
The Legion came to further the ambitions of a selfish Roman Politician
A bit of intrigue and backstabbing works great to set up a story about defeat and desperation.
We lost the battle because we were betrayed by our allies
It would appear the politician wasn't very popular locally either.
Right now we are constant leagues from Rome in a land of rocky beaches and the vast ocean that separates us from our homeland
The locale really doesn't matter too much, and can/will change as our legion marches desperately on. I get a Greek/Turkish feeling to this locale, our legion would undergo many of the same troubles that those who stood against Julius Caesar and later Octavian.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Politico+betrayal+rocky beaches and vast ocean = you are explicitly stranded/separated, so that seems to add to the whole "you got screwed over" thing
Defend+grossly outnumbered+black forest = mainly evocative of fighting foreign invaders in a setting that could lend itself to "guerilla-esque" warfare which the romans might not be great at
Conquer+Tactical Mistake +burning desert =fish out of water mainly
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Politico+betrayal+rocky beaches and vast ocean could go with a far east-ish setting. Messangers from Chinese Empire arrived in Persia searching for the Roman empire and were turned back by Persian agents simply by telling them that the Romans where still half the world away while really they were simply 2 hundreds kilometers away. If one got through instead, a lot of option to be lost in the east are immediately a possibility...
Defend+grossly outnumbered+black forests could be a Britain/ scandinavian setting, with a proto-Arthurian feel. Many legions risked to be left in Britain. What if the ships left the last one there when they retired?
In terms of being stranded, while it isn't specifically mentioned here, it wouldn't be too hard to spin the idea that our legion was a 'Defeated' legion, i.e. not welcome back in Rome. Maybe we're at the back of a civil war or some such and are thus not welcome in Rome.
Just an extra idea, take or leave it at your leisure.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
If anyone has any objections, speak up.
The next thing we need to cover is Threats. These are the elements which will be affecting the Legion throughout the game, constantly looming over us. We need 3, so we can do one each. You can use one from the list or make up your own, as long as you keep it simple. We will likely be basing our crossroads off these a lot of the time.
My submission is: The (original) Legate is dead, slain in combat, leaving a power vacuum for the Tribunes to fill.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
We are lost. With no native guides, we don’t know what lies ahead or what our best path is.
seems like an obvious one as well. Though not sure if redundant?
Do you feel like you're ever likely to create a Crossroad based off of this? A serious Yes/No decision that will alter the course of the Legion?
If not, maybe consider something else.
Threats will be kept up as a reminder of the serious problems the Legion needs to address. It is not impossible for them to change, but for now we need to consider them as the three key issues the Legion faces. If you don't want to really address a threat, be it not interesting or just seemingly obvious, feel free to do something else instead. @Egos
For example, I brought up the fact that the overall commander of the Legion is dead. There is a power vacuum, and in my mind that just can't go un-addressed. We're gonna need to make some decisions about the leadership, and they may be tough.
Likewise with Predas example, how to get home (or even if we want to get home) or simply getting AWAY from danger is a series of active decisions that need to be met.
In short, do you specifically want to address the problem of Morale?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
We’re surrounded by enemies.
would be of more interest to me of those remaining.
You've missed out on setting up the theme, but we're about to start a more important process, character creation.
So we have our theme. In a 'What If' situation, whereby the Roman Empire finds itself getting involved in lands further east, our Legion has been dealt a decisive blow by our enemies and is currently undergoing an organised retreat. We're not here to further the interests of Rome, but the interests of a particular (potentially corrupt) politician. Sadly, this situation has backfired on us. Those who we were supposed to consider as our allies turned against us. We are lost, thousands of miles from home with no leader, no direction as to how to get home, and our enemies are all around us.
So first, I'd like each of us to come up with the concept of the character you want to play. While you may end up playing this character the whole game, there is a good chance you won't. There are many opportunities for characters to die or desert.
Listed in the seed are various ideas for characters. You can make up your own if you like, but keep it simple. For now, post your character name and a brief summary of who they are and why they're here (and maybe a couple of their initial thoughts of the situation).
I'll go last, so as to not take an idea someone else wants more (I play Kingdom often in real life, so it's no issue).
PSN: TheBrayster_92
If someone has their heart set on that though I can think of something else.
e:I'll edit in info.
How far east? What century?
Most of it is going to be raw fiction, we're not going to sweat about accuracy.
In my minds eye the legion fell just short of reaching China.
Also worth noting - the only one of a kind position is the Legate. There can be multiple of everything else (just keep a reason in mind as to why you would be able to sway decision making for the legion)
PSN: TheBrayster_92
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Ideally a thouchstone, I'll go more in dept and pickj names if it's ok.
Marcus Livius - Prefect of the 16th Legion of Rome.
A man in his mid-30's, Livius was propelled up the ranks through entry under commission granted by his Uncle, the now deceased Legate. Despite this, for a man to rise in the ranks of a Legion of Rome he also needs to possess talent, talent which Livius has often been praised for. He is more keen to absorb foreign culture than some may like, however, and there are those who believe he would be better suited to being a scholar than a leader of Soldiers. (I'm gearing towards Perspective, but the decision won't be finalized until we reach the end).
We just need @JusticeforPluto to submit his, but in the meantime, we can start considering the next steps. For the sake of getting this going, we'll do a couple at once.
Each of us will submit 2 locations, the locations our characters are likely to be found/spend time in. These will be the settings of our scenes. These will largely be parts of the legions encampment as it hunkers down after each days march, but can also include temporary/occasion setting such as 'In the Column' while marching or 'On the front line' in battle.
Then, state a Wish OR a Fear your character has about the future of the Legion. This can be kept simple.
Then, come up with an Issue your character has, be it with themselves, a relationship issue, or something else. You, as the character, should want to be rid of it, but as the player should be interested in pursuing it. (Think drinking problem, doubts of faith/courage, past that has the potential to come around and bite, etc).
So for me:
Locations:
"Praetorium" The tent once belonging to the Legate, now acting as a meeting place for ranking officers of the legion.
The "Ramparts". Earthen mounds or other natural defense the legion camped within, fortified with stakes and heavily patrolled by sentries.
Fear: The Legion, facing desperate times, may end up ceasing to function as a Roman Army and instead like a heavily armed Bandit Brigade, abandoning their cause and country to fend for themselves by violent means.
Issue: Marcus Livius gained his commission from his uncle, the recently slain Legate Gaius Livius. His sole sponsor is now dead, shaking his confidence in his own position, as many of his fellow officers act to undermine him.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
On the bright side, once you guys have got this stuff down, we only need to establish bonds and our roles. Then we can start.
Almost there...
PSN: TheBrayster_92
PSN: TheBrayster_92
I will be the new Legate, Gaius Atilius. Young (late 20's), inexperienced, and headstrong almost to a fault. Yet talented in the art of warfare. A new addition to the Legion, this is my first campaign. As the senior most officer to survive the disaster I assumed command during the battle and lead the counter attack and withdrawal (perhaps some say too early, if you want to have a beef with my character). Despite my families nobility I lack the social skills associated with that class. This, combined with my unpopularity due to my recent arrival put me in a difficult position. At the start of the game I possess an unshakable loyalty to Rome and want to return, yet time will tell if this remains true to the end. Secretly I want to ensure my name will be remembered throughout history.
This is totally a power character.
Locations:
Command Tent
Ramparts
Fear: Causing the destruction of the Legion
Issue: finds himself surrounded by those he cannot trust to follow him
Titus is most veteran of all the legion soldiers, been there since it's foundation. He's a man past is better years (somewhere in his forties, when Roman legionares generally retire with 15 years of service at least ten years before that...) and 8 different legates had command of the legion during his carrer from simple rank and file legionare to his actual position. Three of this eight come and go during his post as first spear. No one of them shined in his eyes, particularly the just deceased one. As the most veteran man in the legion, he is at the same time feared and venerated from the troops. As the main non commissioned officer of the legion, any officier who disregarded his counsel had a short life in the legion command sistem. He don't give orders, he makes sure that the officers orders are carried on. But a single stare or even worse a single word from him often better then an officier order. Officiers are only officiers, come and go; he's The Primus Pilus...
He knows everyone in the legion from the higher officier to the last recruit. If something is happening in the legion HE KNOWS, and more than an officer lost is post for not listening to him.
He's a grizzled veteran, sturdy and strong, covered in scars from many battles. It's still one of the better soldiers in the legion, but the age starts to make him slower...
Location:
The eagle guard. Titus actively supervise the eagle wellfare.
Campus Martius (Field of Mars): Cleared square area just outside the legion fortified camp, where the troops train. Titus is often there to supervise them.
Fear: The Legion. While Rome is far away on the land, it's still in the heart of Titus. Being a legionare isn't simply to be a soldier. It means to serve an idea before a nation. Or at least should be. And Titus always tried to set an exaple of that. Going back to actual Rome is not so important. Keeping the legion "Roman" is. All that's around the legion make Titus afraid. Not to die, but that the legion might stop to be what it should.
Issue: The chain of command is in disarray, the officier squabble between themselves. They squabble in front of the legionnaires. And there's only a thing worse than a bad commander: no commander at all: a good legionaire could weather a bad commander could even make him better by deing the good soldier that he is, but will run in panic if the chain of command broke.
So with that, we simply need to create bonds, establish roles, and go!
Every character in Kingdom will have a bond with two other characters. These may be positive, they may be negative, but these bonds are what keep these characters close together and routinely interacting.
The player order is:
The Brayster
Egos
Preda
Justicefor Pluto
Each of us needs to dictate a bond to the person below you on that list. It can be whatever you want it to be, so long as it makes sense for each of the characters to be linked this way. Bonds can be broken/new ones made later on, but these are what we start with. Everyone should end up with two bonds - one you have dictated, one dictated to you.
@Egos, I need you to fill out your detail so I can establish a bond with you.
The other thing we each need to do is establish our Roles: Power, Perspective or Touchstone. We can be any combination of these provided we aren't all the SAME ONE. If you have any questions about these roles, let me know. (Details are in the 2nd post).
I am going to declare myself a PERSPECTIVE player.
PSN: TheBrayster_92