Wheel of Time (Mirror World; Freeform; Interest Check)

[SheerFantasia]

Hello and thanks for looking!  I've been in the mood to do something Wheel of Time related for a while now and I'm just checking the current degree of interest on Elliquiy for the same.  Do note that this is a tentative idea for the moment, and probably 2 or 3 weeks away from actual implementation, so for now I'd just like to test the waters and see what type of players are interested in this, as well as what their expectations are for a game of this sort.  Still here?  Then on with the premise:


Rand al'Thor has triumphed and the Dark One remains imprisoned within Shayol Ghul, but the Father of Lies is the embodiment of paradox and chaos - whilst he has lost the battle here, there are other worlds and other battles yet to be resolved - he needs only be freed in one world and he will be freed on all.  And so it is on one such world that the War of the Shadow continues, even as it begins anew...

Music based on Wheel of Time to Inspire (by Blind Guardian): Ride into Obsession, Wheel of Time

As the title of this post suggests, this story takes place in one of the mirror worlds to the canon Wheel of Time.  Everything is much the same as it was in canon as this mirror world very closely resembles it, save perhaps for specific characters and some specific events (in short everything is as canon unless/until mentioned otherwise in game).  I envision that the game begins as the series, in the Two Rivers, and carries on from there.  Things that I would personally like to see from this RP are: adventure, camaraderie, setbacks, passion, world shaping, and colourful characters.

I'm seeing this as free form as I simply wouldn't have the time to handle an additional system game.

GAME DETAILS

The Dilemma:
The biggest problem to this particular world is the Dragon Reborn himself (the role of which I'll take).  More worldly, brilliant and cunning than Rand al'Thor, Soren al'Thor lacks the ethical constraints of his parallel counterpart and is morally ambiguous and very ambitious, mentally styling himself as an Artur Hawking (not very apparent to begin with but more so later) - in short, the world does not have a devoted champion against the Dark One; he could just as easily end up on the side of the Shadow as of the Light, or even just for himself.  He does closely value his family, friends, companions, and comrades - and it is they who will have the greatest pull on him and thus where his life finally takes him, and ultimately deciding what happens to the world (in this sense, the Dragon Reborn is more of an instrument rather than the determining factor of the plot).

Character Roles:
The following major roles come to mind at the moment, but not in concrete (and there may be more when I actually get down to this proper):

• Ta'veren: 2, perhaps 3, of these.  Female or male doesn't matter.
• Aes Sedai:  Following canon, these are female only.  Perhaps up to 3.  There should be at least 1 full Aes Sedai, and the rest can be optionally Aes Sedai or Accepted.  Generally following in Moiraine's footsteps to find the ta'veren in Two Rivers.
• Warders: Up to 3, depending on the number of Aes Sedai (as above), though I suppose an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah could have more than one.  I'll recommend them being men, but I won't say no to a female warder, though she will still be the exception rather than the norm in the world (please be kind enough to consult the Aes Sedai players to come up with an appropriate warder).
• Other Significant Characters: No more than 3.  You should have a vision for what your character will eventually be (i.e. they should not remain small-fry).

A Game of Multiple Pseudo-GMs - Domains:
Whilst I'll nominally GM the game, I'd greatly appreciate that others contribute to the story (that and a few time constraints on my part).  Hence, my idea is to issue players various 'domains'.  An example would be a player being issued with an (example) Domain called 'Andor' - in short that player decides exactly what goes on within the land of Andor, from peasant to nobility, where and what it's armies are doing, etc... Similarly, a player issued a domain called 'Trollocs' has absolute say over where Trollocs are found and what they are doing.

There are four restrictions to the power of domains.  One is by GM ruling (which should be a rare occurrence).  Second is by domain overlap - if something you want to do overlaps with the domain of another player, it can't happen (unless you consult and get an agreement).  Using the previous example - the player with the domain Trollocs cannot simply have Trollocs within the realm of Andor, just as the player for Andor cannot say there are Trollocs in his/her realm, unless both players agree for this one time).  Third, is based on good sense, i.e. things just don't happen randomly.  Using the Trollocs example; please have an idea why Trollocs suddenly ambush a party out of the blue, not just because.  Fourth is that the player of the domain use it to advance/help the plot and not use it to deliberately kill player characters or foil their goals.

F.A.Q.

Can I be a darkfriend?
Given the nature of this game, I'd say yes (just don't put your inclinations out in public).  Whilst on topic, darkfriends should be prepared for their characters to die off if exposed (or if they escape to become a reccuring character, rather than a main one).

Can I play canon characters?
I have no real problem with that, so yes to that as well.  Be aware some people do take offence to the use of canon characters in game, so just run a courtesy check before you do.

Can I play a character from another book-/anime-/film-verse?
Whilst I admit there are intriguing possibilities, I'm going to have to say no, as the potential for it to loose the Wheel of Time feel is too big of a risk.

This. Is. Elliquiy!  What about sex?
The books had it, so yes.  My only request is that you're there mainly to contribute to the story rather than having smut as your main contribution, as I don't want it to overshadow the plot.  On the topic: hetero-, homo-, bi-sexual any three are fine form my point of view.

The above, so far, is proposition and I'd be more than pleased to hear views, opinions, suggestions and general interest from people who enjoy the Wheel of Time and general brainstorming.  Many thanks, and looking forward to hearing from you!

[Question Mark]

I don't yet know if I have time for another game, especially one as sprawling and complex as the WoT setting is like too be, but I'd be sorely remiss if I didn't keep an eye on this thread.  The WoT is an amazing series and an epic world, and I hope I can join in on the fun.

Question: is Soren already aware of his destiny at the start of the game?

[GabrielM]

I might be interested I actually just finished the first book and I am in the process of saving up to read the second one!

[Blinkin]

While I would love to play in the rich world that Jordan left us; the major players and roles... not so much.

I would much more excited if the story was more about the others who strove for the Light, or the dark for that matter, than the Dragon Reborn and his friends who caused all of the events... not in replaying the story, so to speak.

I'll keep an eye on this, but I would be much more interested in playing smaller roles that may have just as much of an impact in the struggle than the main players... who were the thousands of people who actually faught that last battle, afterall?

[SheerFantasia]

Hi guys and thanks for dropping by.

@Question Mark: Soren will be more or less as inexperienced as Rand was at the start of the first book and won't have a clue on anything beyond local affairs.  Unlike Rand, I'm thinking Soren will have made a few trips between the Two Rivers and Baerlon, and knows a bit more than typical village life.

@GabrielM: Great to welcome you to the Wheel of Time world Gabriel!  I hope you enjoy the 2nd book!  Brace yourself (and your wallet), as there's quite a few more to go  ;D

@Blinkin: Your post presents an interesting pitch.  Though I would like the story centred around the DR and companions, it would be great to have someone who can portray the other people in the world  :-)

[Blinkin]

I'm just about to start The Dragon Reborn on my 4th run through the series, although this time, I want to read the whole series at once since I've never actually done that... I didn't read A Memory Of Light until the middle of last year so I can actually do all of it.

My first attempt to read The Eye of the World only got as far as about page 20 before I dropped it... at the time, I was put off by the overly detailed description of a rock in the road, but when I decided to give it a try again, some 15 years later, I could never find the passage, so I must assume that either I imagined the whole multi-page passage, or it was a different book... although everything else was the same.

Anyway, I'm sure that you'll enjoy the series, I consider it the best series of all time in the fantasy genre... but people think that I'm off of my rocker most of the time.

[Ziya]

Now THIS looks interesting! WoT is one of my all time favorite series, so count me in if this gets off the ground.