Endurance is not glamorous, but it is what is needed.
It's not in the dramatic speech before the monster makes its entrance, or in the final fight and the big spell. It is in the aftermath. The next morning comes, and one has to get up for school or work, field questions, and put on a poor show of lying to adults, all while making an effort not to let on that the sound of something scratching at the window last night is still ringing in one’s ears.
Jackson, IL is a town made of such stuff.
Its old buildings that still hold their secrets; the town puts up with its ghosts. The children have to make do with the fact that the grownups will not believe them. And the witches, they endure the price of seeing and knowing more than they should, and yet are expected to be there on Monday as if they had not.
In a game, this is what counts.
A character does not become interesting just because they survive one terrible night. If it was just about the fight, well, I have plenty of combat-focused games for that. No, they become interesting because they keep going after it. They carry the scars, the memories, the bad dreams, the unfinished business, and somehow they are still there when the next bad thing happens.
Endurance is not the same as being invulnerable. It is simply standing your ground after you have been worn down.
So for me, winning the fight is not enough. It is how they walk away from the fight that matters. Sometimes it is more important than the fight itself.
Irianador NPC
Today is Saturday of Week 3, so Associates and Works Hard.
Rourke Flint is an Iriandor blacksmith who repairs weapons for heroes of the Last War and listens to their stories. He sometimes will do the work for free if the story is a good one.
Jackson Soundtrack
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