Experiments in Fiction: Case 2

Last time I looked at the character Sirak who is haunted by
a tragedy in his past. A tragedy that is hidden from his own
consciousness but surfaces periodically to horrify and mystify.
This time we will study The Edwards.

The premise is simple: often we have regrets, things a person
wishes he did or did not do. Decisions that we dislike. Sometimes
a person obsesses over these regrets, fixating on them so strongly
they imprison him. Each day he lives the regrets, paining himself
constantly. What if the regrets were given a corporeal form?

Thus we find The Edwards: Edward the Older (EtO) and Edward the
Younger (EtY). EtO has the regrets. Periodically EtY appears and
re-enacts the regrets. Not the specific instances in EtOs past,
rather the attitudes and choice types.

EtO is made into a dispassionate man, apathetic to the extreme.
No life or emotion flickers in his eyes, his voice, his manner.
Flat, gray and lifeless does he seem. EtY is the repository of
all that. When he appears, ill is afoot. EtO is powerless to change
(at least for now) what EtY does. To compound the situation, when
EtY acts, the negative emotions generated by the victims is channeled
to EtO.

At this point, what exactly is happening between the two Edwards
is unrevealed in game. Other characters and authors are greatly
mystified and piqued regarding the two. With EtY’s first re-enactment,
what I envisioned for people’s reactions was correct, with their
own small twists. It was quite the explosive (between characters) and
educational encounter.

Clarification: Experiments in Fiction

After reading my previous post I realized my premise, although expressed, was hidden. Let me restate it. Often when a person writes there is little input beyond the author’s imagination. Certainly at times authors do some research, even collaborate with experts in a certain field. However, in the end it is left to the Author’s imagination and knowledge. When plotting, writing and detailing interaction among characters then, everything is decidely one-sided. The Author controls everything, it is left to his scope of imagination and knowledge.

With group writing, as done in such environs as Araulmor, the scope is broadened. Suddenly an Author is writing for only his character. Interactions with other persona (except for very trivial interactions) are handled by other Authors. This closely matches what happens in real life, you don’t get to control how others react to you, why should it happen to your characters?