Four weeks have passed since I last made a diary entry here. I have used that time to cogitate on the problem, and have identified a crucial flaw in Siboot that led to its failure. With that in mind, I think I can see how to proceed: the encounters must include a great deal of material about the individual characters, so that the player has a strong perception of their personalities and relationships. That will require scores of encounters; the project will be much larger.
In order to accomplish this, I must first define these characters to myself. I already have a fairly good mental image of each character, but I need to flesh these out in long essays. Once these are done, I can start to write encounters about them.
Merlin
Merlin is one strange dude. He’s completely bald and has no facial hair. He seems to appear and disappear when nobody’s looking. Nobody knows where he lives. He is always dressed exactly the same way: a single long robe of coarse brown wool with a rope for a belt and a bag hanging from the belt. He wears sandals. Even in the coldest rain he wears no hat. He will eat socially but seldom seems to actually need food.
Merlin is unquestionably old—ancient, even—yet nobody knows his age. He’s always been around. He doesn’t look old; there are no wrinkles on his face, his skin doesn’t sag, and he walks normally, although nobody has ever seen him run or jump. He always walks at a steady pace. He doesn’t look young, either. His appearance is as strange as everything else about him.
He’s not cynical but has no illusions about the folly of humanity. He also sports an odd sense of humor, and has even been known to pull the rare practical joke on especially self-important boasters. For the most part, Merlin spends his time advising and teaching those who will listen. He has no friends.
Bors
Bors is a coarse and ungentlemanly fellow, but a good fighter and a trustworthy comrade. He’s rude to most people and abusive to subordinates.
Galahad
Galahad is irritatingly virtuous. He never tells a wicked joke. He never gossips. He never has anything bad to say about anybody. He cares about his people and always treats everybody well. He’s not the greatest of fighters, but he’s competent.
Gawaine
Kay
Kay is Arthur’s older brother.
Lancelot
Lancelot is an old warrior with a long career all over the world. He fought for the Eastern Roman Emperor for a few years. He has seen much of the world and, even at his age is still a formidable fighter.
Mordred
Mordred is Arthur’s illegitimate son. His mother Nolwenn was the daughter of Winoc, a minor sub-king. She seduced Arthur one night when he was drunk. At first there was no problem, as Arthur was not considered to be a likely successor to Ambrosius Aurelianus. However, when Ambrosius on his deathbed declared Arthur to be his successor, everything changed. Nolwenn’s son, Mordred, was suddenly in line for the throne, a development with great significance for all the noble houses, who would want to marry their daughters to Arthur. Somebody, we know not who, managed to get an assassin into Winoc’s manor and murder Nolwenn. However, the assassin was killed before he could get to Mordred. Mordred was sent for protection to some distant relatives in the far north where he remained until Winoc died, at which time Mordred took over Winoc’s lands as its sub-king. In the meantime, Arthur had married Guenevere, and it was expected that she would give birth to a legitimate son who would inherit the throne from Arthur—but that never happened.
Mordred was brought up in fear for his life and resentment for his mother’s murder. He hates Arthur as being somehow complicit in his mother’s death, and suspects all the other sub-kings as well. He is angry at just about everybody and has grown into an ugly human being.
Sagramore
Tristram
Tristram is the youngest of the sub-kings. He