Citizens of the Lunar Empire - what have you done with it?

[AndreasDavour]

I took down and started to read my copy of Chris Gidlow's Citizens of the Lunar Empire and as there are so many potential stories in that book, I started to crave hearing them. Have any of you played in any games based on that book, and how did they turn out? I'd love to hear about it.

[jajagappa]

Love the book, and would love to run a game there, but unfortunately too much else going on to do so. Maybe some year...

[Nick Brooke]

I was sketching out a campaign premise -- the adventurers would be young kids coming to the big city from all parts of the Empire, and meeting up for the first time when they become roommates. As well as running errands as a group which take them to different parts of the city (exploring the Glamour map the same way David Scott suggests unpacking Apple Lane: a little at a time, in an episodic TV-series style), they'd also get embroiled in personal stories through their different day-jobs (e.g. the Esrolian political refugee could begin as a make-up artiste and theatrical understudy, only to end up taking a lead role when something happens to the star of the show; the tough Rathori kid starts out in fighting-pit security and clean-up, before achieving gladiatorial greatness); I'd sprinkle the Insula's adventure hooks around generously, and develop relationships with the other residents if players wanted to; there'd have been sundry Carmanian and even Arrolian machinations (because I'm me), but the game would start out very much at street level before the inevitable invitation to provide entertainment at the City of Dreams.

For my game, I'd have treated that as like stepping into Faerie, or a heroquest -- visiting an incredibly dangerous party on the Other Side, among a glittering host of the great and good, with lasting, life-warping consequences if you accept any gifts or pleasures from the denizens. Proper Goblin Market stuff. That could then warp the second arc of the campaign, with visits to noble estates and ruined sorcerer's towers in the Horns of the City, political shenanigans in Halfway, the Senate and the Temple of Peace, and the cults of the Emperor and Glamour becoming ever more prominent. And some adventurers might be working towards secret goals (getting access to hard-to-reach people or places).

But my lockdown players asked me to run Masks of Nyarlathotep instead, bless' em, which saved me a crap-tonne of work. Thanks, players!

[Soccercalle]

I have thought about running a campaign where youngsters from different parts of the Empire are brought to Glamour in some kind of project where they are supposed to "learn the Lunar way" and maybe later return to their homeland. Some may be hostages (sons and daughters to clan and tribal leaders). They may be forced (or not) to join the Seven Mothers but their loyalties would be torn between their roots and their Lunar Masters/step parents. 

But I dont know if I will ever run that campaign. My hands are full with my "regular" 6SiS campaign that in ongoing.

[EricW]

4 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

I was sketching out a campaign premise -- the adventurers would be young kids coming to the big city from all parts of the Empire, and meeting up for the first time when they become roommates. As well as running errands as a group which take them to different parts of the city (exploring the Glamour map the same way David Scott suggests unpacking Apple Lane: a little at a time, in an episodic TV-series style), they'd also get embroiled in personal stories through their different day-jobs (e.g. the Esrolian political refugee could begin as a make-up artiste and theatrical understudy, only to end up taking a lead role when something happens to the star of the show; the tough Rathori kid starts out in fighting-pit security and clean-up, before achieving gladiatorial greatness); I'd sprinkle the Insula's adventure hooks around generously, and develop relationships with the other residents if players wanted to; there'd have been sundry Carmanian and even Arrolian machinations (because I'm me), but the game would start out very much at street level before the inevitable invitation to provide entertainment at the City of Dreams.

For my game, I'd have treated that as like stepping into Faerie, or a heroquest -- visiting an incredibly dangerous party on the Other Side, among a glittering host of the great and good, with lasting, life-warping consequences if you accept any gifts or pleasures from the denizens. Proper Goblin Market stuff. That could then warp the second arc of the campaign, with visits to noble estates and ruined sorcerer's towers in the Horns of the City, political shenanigans in Halfway, the Senate and the Temple of Peace, and the cults of the Emperor and Glamour becoming ever more prominent. And some adventurers might be working towards secret goals (getting access to hard-to-reach people or places).

But my lockdown players asked me to run Masks of Nyarlathotep instead, bless' em, which saved me a crap-tonne of work. Thanks, players!

Children taken as hostages from conquered Orlanthi lands? They are forbidden from travelling by mundane means beyond the bounds of Glamour, if they try there comes a point where they cannot take another step away from the city. But otherwise they are encouraged to explore the city, to learn and experience the Lunar way, and develop personally and magically by the grace of the Goddess, so one day they can bring enlightenment back to their barbarian families in the occupied provinces. Adult supervisors bristling with detection spells and gentle but firm authority. Magical lessons from teachers with gentle smiles.

But beneath the facade of benign guardianship and Lunar evangelism is the hidden side of Lunar experience. If you stand very still at midnight, staring across the bright lights and bustle of Glamour, occasionally the vision of fun and gaiety wavers and grows distant, everything becomes very quiet, the light of the moon grows harsh and bright, and the shadows of the windows on the surrounding buildings start to look like eyes, hungry shadows endlessly staring at the dormitory which houses the children. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by EricW

[mfbrandi]

10 minutes ago, EricW said:

They are forbidden from travelling by mundane means beyond the bounds of Glamour, if they try there comes a point where they cannot take another step away from the city.

Maybe this is unnecessary. If you are in Glamour, then you are already in “Faerie” — albeit a heavily policed and controlled bit — and walking away from the town (which you are free to do) just takes you deep into uncontrolled weirdness and danger. To exit into the normal normal surroundings of Glamour takes Lunar magic.

Or this is the story that is told, but truly people who have moved to the city stay because it is more agreeable and less dangerous than their home villages.

It all comes to the same thing: you can leave, but you don’t want to. How you react to that realization determines the stories you tell yourself and others about your captivity/liberation.

[Nick Brooke]

Well, in my outline the adventurers would all be free, and would have chosen to come to Glamour the way kids IRL travel to London, NYC, Hollywood or Vegas: it’s where they think they can achieve their fullest potential, a place where they think they won’t be held back by their parents’ dull, traditional lack of aspiration. But by all means you do you.

[Squaredeal Sten]

11 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

I was sketching out a campaign premise -- the adventurers would be young kids coming to the big city from all parts of the Empire, and meeting up for the first time when they become roommates. As well as running errands as a group which take them to different parts of the city (exploring the Glamour map the same way David Scott suggests unpacking Apple Lane: a little at a time, in an episodic TV-series style), they'd also get embroiled in personal stories through their different day-jobs (e.g. the Esrolian political refugee could begin as a make-up artiste and theatrical understudy, only to end up taking a lead role when something happens to the star of the show; the tough Rathori kid starts out in fighting-pit security and clean-up, before achieving gladiatorial greatness); I'd sprinkle the Insula's adventure hooks around generously, and develop relationships with the other residents if players wanted to; there'd have been sundry Carmanian and even Arrolian machinations (because I'm me), but the game would start out very much at street level before the inevitable invitation to provide entertainment at the City of Dreams.

For my game, I'd have treated that as like stepping into Faerie, or a heroquest -- visiting an incredibly dangerous party on the Other Side, among a glittering host of the great and good, with lasting, life-warping consequences if you accept any gifts or pleasures from the denizens. Proper Goblin Market stuff. That could then warp the second arc of the campaign, with visits to noble estates and ruined sorcerer's towers in the Horns of the City, political shenanigans in Halfway, the Senate and the Temple of Peace, and the cults of the Emperor and Glamour becoming ever more prominent. And some adventurers might be working towards secret goals (getting access to hard-to-reach people or places).

But my lockdown players asked me to run Masks of Nyarlathotep instead, bless' em, which saved me a crap-tonne of work. Thanks, players!

Nick.

I bought the Glamour books for background and found them great reading and instructive in NPC creation.

But for me to make a jump to a campaign - I don't have enough to stand on. 

What the Lunar Empire needs as a Runequest campaign area  is to be fleshed out with just such a campaign book as you just described.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Squaredeal Sten
As a cpn area

[AndreasDavour]

Fun to hear what people are thinking about this. I am pretty sure I would love to play in any game run by Nick, but I'm not sure I would be able to run those gonzo ones myself. I totally agree a Lunar book is what we all need, but I wont hold my breath for it to ever come out.