Okay.. So this is in reference to the Campaign Journal Iressi and I are writing here on the CF forums.
For those who aren't familiar with it, the journal follows the story of a group of adventurers called the Knights of the Silver Dawn.
I am planning to rewrite the entire journal in a fully-inclusive story format. Trouble is, I can't decide whose perspective to write it from. I can't post a poll in the existing journal, so I had to start a thread to do so in order to see what people thought.
There are four options I'm considering. Three of them are from the perspectives of one of the characters and would be 'narrative' type tales. These are the three characters:
Ahvrania Iiremen'surre'esta - Gray Elf Paladin, LG.
Ahvra was abandoned as a child and has seen a very interesting life since then. She lives with a conflict in her heart over the Gods she worships while she serves ideals of good and order. She is in love with a Dwarf, and is almost always the leader of the party when it comes to combat.
Arshea - Aasimar Bard, NG.
Arshea was born into slavery and suffered greatly in her early years. She is a fragmented person, though mostly put back together at this point by Ahvra and Garek. Arshea is afraid of almost everything capable of showing hostility, and faces that fear every single day that she travels with the Knights. She rarely puts herself in a leadership position even when she is a more capable 'leader' than whoever is currently acting the part unless she feels that her allies will suffer if she does not.
Celeste Kalinstren - Seuloise Wizard, LG.
Lady Celeste is the reason the Knights came to Furyondy. She was born as the only child of Baron Cedric Kalinstren - commonly known as 'The Mad Baron' - and mentored by Bigby of the Circle of Eight. She is torn over her father's task because she fears she will lead her friends to death, or worse. She is the party's leader when it comes to decisions about what tasks to set themselves to, and sometimes in combat as well.
I was originally planning on using Celeste's perspective because the story of the party really starts with her father's task. It's what set them on this path, after all. But it occurs to me I can write as much from any of their view points, and it's going to be hard not to give too much insight into the other character's thoughts and motives if I do choose to write from Celeste's (Arshea and Ahvrania are trained in Sense Motive; Celeste is not).
The fourth option was, of course, to write in third person and give some hints to everyone's motives. I find that I'm better at writing narrative stories though, and often feel that my third person perspective is weaker. It's also more removed from all of the emotions attached to this particular tale. Still I'm including it as an option because I'm curious to see others' opinions, and for those who read our CJ, to see whose eyes you'd most like to read the story through.
Thanks for your input if you happen by,
Crys _________________ Shadows and Dust; Just Another Soul.
I think you're doing a fine job of it from Celeste's viewpoint.
Writing from the paladin's viewpoint may necessitate leaving out some important insight as such a zealous character isn't expected to see the broad picture. Celeste, though also Lawful Good, can more realisticly consider non-LG viewpoints long enough to present them in the story. Using the paladin would require asides that end up being third-person or first person from another PC or NPC.
That is very true, Sir Xaris. I hadn't considered the limitations of Ahvrania's perspective. Thank you for your thoughts. _________________ Shadows and Dust; Just Another Soul.
The bard is the story teller so if your gonna tell the story have Arshea do it.
However You can being with Celeste telling the story and having Arshea taking over. Because Celeste believes in giving the tale a more literary prose to the story and Arshea is just chomping at the bit to take over.
If third person is not your strong point go with one of the above. However think of yourself as the third person your playing the story teller and each character is an extension of yourself. It might help you push through your weak point.
Arshea is the actual bard, yes, but ultimately I would be telling the story as experienced by any of the characters, making them all equal vessels. Now if I write a tale or two about some of their adventures in an actual oratory form like you'd hear at a tavern, it will definitely be from Arshea's mind/perspective (which could be fun ).
Third person is the more acceptable perspective for stories in literature. That's the main reason I included it in the choices. So far I have two votes for Celeste's view point (though one was almost for third person) and one for third person... So that's almost a halfway split the way I see it, and I myself am torn between the two.
I suppose I'll give this a few more days before I just sit down and write and see what flows the easiest. _________________ Shadows and Dust; Just Another Soul.
I'm sure it will be great either way. I look forward to seeing your story. You show a lot of feeling behind your characters and you portray that well in your posts. So don't rush in and I can vote numerous ways much like anyone else. In the end you have to write for yourself. If your happy with what you produce it is reflected in your writing. So when your ready I will be one of the first to read it.
The more I write excerpts for the CJ the more I realize that unless I 'man up' and write this thing in third person, a lot of pieces of the puzzle will end up missing. There are things that have happened that only Arshea knows about, and things that Ahvrania and Celeste worry about that they choose not to share.
This story is going to take me a lot longer to write than the little excerpts I'm giving in the CJ thread since I'll be writing it in third now and I'll want to polish it. It's also going to take some relatively major literary license with what actually went down in sessions that I don't remember well because unlike in the CJ where I just said, 'gee I wish I remembered this better', I do intend to include a story for how they acquired Ventanis, the intelligent whip.
At any rate, it's a project I'll get underway in the next few days, and I thank you both Argon and Sir Xaris for sharing your opinions as to which view to write it from (and Iressi, of course, who gave me actual thoughts on it in person and voted for Celeste in the poll). _________________ Shadows and Dust; Just Another Soul.
How long was it up? Oh, I see, first week of September.
Incidentally, Celeste Kalinstren is probably not a Suloise Wizard -- Furyondy is an Oeridian Kingdom, founded by the Aerdi rulers of the Great Kingdom.
So, if she's Suloise, she's a "minority" citizen -- Food Stamps!
I told her the groups that lived in Furyondy, and that the Suel were a minority. She decided to choose that as her bloodline. Now I don't imagine that she is a 'pure-blooded' Sueloise just that she tends to look more Suel/have more Suel blood than Oeridian.
Kalinstren because of her choice has a larger Suel population than other provinces in my version of Furyondy (thus this allows more intermingling between the other vassal families that can be found there, thus explaining how there is a large amount of Suel blood in her.) I have not explained yet why there happens to be this population here, since my game is currently in the Outer Planes though it might be a while before I invent a reason.
But yes she is the only Sueloise high noble in Furyondy, and while she hasn't gotten any flak for it her father did. Some blamed the fact that he was Sueloise was the cause of his insanity, some whisper about inbreeding among the Kalinstren's. Many fear that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, and Celeste will share in her fathers madness.
Anyway's what started as a cosmetic decision in fact led to plot hooks, and the like so I am happy she choose it.
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