Experiments in Fiction
One delightful benefit of particpating in Interactive fiction
is the ability to experiment with concepts, test with uncontrolled
(uncontrolled by the author of the concept) characters and
understand how the concept affects different people. Expecially
when such concepts are impossible in reality, for any of numerous
reasons. Consider three concepts, two of which are under play in the
ever exciting Araulmor
game.
Concept 1: a person enacts a horrendous tragedy against
loved ones and is tormented forever more about it. Although this
is commonly used in story-telling, even from ancient times,
group authoring offers some unique opportunities to explore
many aspects of such. Often we find such characters have
blanked these events from the mind. A character is aware
something terrible happened, perhaps even feel guilt because
a lingering sense of contribution, but details are masked.
Usually something triggers a recollection, partial or full.
In turn the recollection inflicts a trauma on the person,
the perpetrator.
Introducing such a character in a Sci-Fi or
Fantasy genre widens the field for possibilities. For example,
a character named Sirak in the Araulmor series recently
began suffering such flashbacks. A loner, bounty hunter
by trade, his encounter with the soldier Rozenn has triggered
the recall. Before, he had the dim nagging guilt, not fully
realizing what he hid from himself. Dealing with people pained
him, thus the solitary lifestyle.
Sirak is usually the main character in the flashbacks, the
recollections, following the usual tradition. Let us however,
fully explore some possibilities of the Fantasy genre. What
if some of the flashbacks involved him as a different
character, reliving the tragedy as someone else. How might
that alter what he knows? How might that affect his dealings
with others? Especially, how might such knowledge affect those
who try to help him?
Already the recollections have altered his perception of
the people around him. He begins to cling to Rozenn, seeing her
as a reminder of something deeper, although he doesn’t know
what. The others in his group see him as disturbed. To this
point he has confessed none of the flashbacks, hence they
have nothing to suspect. As usual, a time will come when
the flashbacks cannot be stopped or pushed aside, all will
be known.
Until then it is enjoyable to see how his mood and
view of others changes as the recollections slowly alter him.
Tomorrow I will write about the second concept.
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