The Misbegotten Kingdoms: Sorrowheim and the Broken Heart Knights
Part 1
Dirk Braunstein was a religious man. He never thought of himself as the most religious but he was determined to not be the least. He went to Sunday Mass even when his wife and son did not accompany him. He made friends with the priest, Father Fleischer, and they regularly drank together and discussed the issues of the day. This was Dirk's preferred method of confession.
After one such Sunday where his wife and son were suspiciously missing from the service and the rest of the church had gone home to a sleepy Sunday afternoon, he stayed at his pew. Father Fleischer, having finished his post-Mass duties came to him.
"Want to have a drink?"
Dirk nodded.
Father Fleischer liked to brew his own ale. This was well known, but Father shared his precious craft with few. He liked to bring bottles as gifts to births, marriages, and even the occasional funeral. Dirk had probably drank of his friend's ale more than anyone else but it was still rare for the Father to break out a bottle. He broke out a bottle today.
"I think you'll like this. It's my Bad Day Brew, and I suspect you're having one."
The toymaker gladly took a glass and toasted: "Prost!"
They drank and Dirk let out a hoarse cough. Father's brew lived up to its name. They spent a moment in silence. Sipping and enjoying the quiet.
"Father... I wonder if God has made me wrong."
The priest sat back and nursed his glass.
The toymaker continued, "I mean, look at me. I am fat and my nose looks like a potato. My eyes are weak. My back is bad. My... other physical aspects are... less than remarkable. I only wonder if I was only crafted a little differently if I could do something about Lisa. If I could sell more toys. If I could make my son smile again. As it is, I feel that I have been given a terrible burden to bear, but I cannot bear it," He chuckled, "As I said, I have a bad back."
The priest sat in silence for a moment before leaning forward. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
He sipped his ale and let out a sigh of satisfaction. "You are fit to the task, Dirk. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. If you could only see the profound majesty of your inner workings and only knew how finely tuned each fiber of your being was, then you would marvel at the craftsman who formed you. Indeed, as the psalmist says, you would see his immense skill and be afraid for it would be too astounding to bear. As a man of the craft yourself, do you make toys to be unlovable? Do you create a tool not fit to complete its purpose?"
Dirk was silent, thinking on the unlovable toys he had made already and hidden in his basement. He had told no one about them, not even the priest.
He took the priest's words and he thought on them. The more he thought on them, the less he liked them. The more he thought that he was designed, the less he liked his designer. After dark, he took his lantern and disappeared into his secret workshop. Tonight he would craft the kingdom of Sorrowheim and the Broken Heart Knights.
Sorrowheim
The kingdom of the joyfully burdened. The commoners of Sorrowheim all bear great loads chained to their backs. If asked about them, they will answer: "Yeah will you look at how big it is? I am truly blessed!" They refuse to see anything wrong about their state. Pain and suffering is a sign of divine providence and so is happiness and pleasure. Their eyes are bright regardless of their circumstance. There is an unease that can easily be felt around these people, but there is also a kind of nobility. Their insane love of their suffering is, at once, delusional and admirable.
Sorrowheim represents some of the most complex aspects of Dirk's psyche. Because of his upbringing in Christianity, there is a persistent part of his mind that is actually proud of how much he has endured. His suffering enforces his own view of himself and gives himself the satisfaction of having the moral high ground.
Getting the commoners to lay down their loads will drain Dirk of the one crutch which has given him strength during his suffering. However, it will also rid him of his victim complex and allow him to more clearly see his own flaws which have contributed to this state of affairs.
The Blubbering King
The King of Sorroheim is an absolute mess, a fat man who is practically drowning in his own folds, constantly sobbing and bemoaning life. He more than makes up for the lack of complaint from his subjects. His castle sort of droops as if melting, the castle continues its degradation as the King goes into one of his sobbing fits. On the Dragon Table, Dirk shaped the castle out of wax and sometimes accidentally sets his lantern a little too near it.
Within the castle, there are three thrones: the Blubbering King's, his queen's, and a little throne for his son. Only the King ever sits on his throne and weeps when his attention is brought to the empty ones. The Blubbering King tried to make his Queen and son happy by giving them parts of his kingdom to rule. Instead, they just made their own kingdoms and broke off in rebellion.
Cheering up the King will give Dirk back a little joy. The King has lost his favorite horse on the misty moors and suspects that the Gobblers have stolen it. The horse represents his lost childhood wonder and returning it will give Dirk back some of the joy of his work.
If the family could be reconciled in the Kingdoms, then Dirk might be reconciled with his family in real life. They are caricatures of their real-life so they are less complex than the real people, and thus easier to make happy.
The Broken Heart Knights
The Knights of Sorrowheim have bulbous heads, tiny bodies, oversized feet, and bulging eyes. They ride horses with wheels for back legs. Their swords are limp and flaccid, despite somehow having a sharp edge. Their lances curl at the tips. Their shields are adorned with a broken heart.
They are a sort of religious order, worshipping the Craftsman. Dirk isn't fully aware of it, but they worship him as their god. Their mantra is: "I will praise thee; for I am cruelly and hideously made; terrible are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
They would be a good encounter for the players to meet early because they wrap up all the weirdness of the Misbegotten Kingdoms. They will wander roads, challenging people to duels that don't recognize their blessed ugliness.
Their real power is that, if any accept their challenge of a duel, no one else can interfere. A magical barrier of pure knightly honor prevents any from approaching.
Slaying these knights or transforming them into less hideous knights will make Dirk less self-loathing.
Dirk Braunstein was a religious man. He never thought of himself as the most religious but he was determined to not be the least. He went to Sunday Mass even when his wife and son did not accompany him. He made friends with the priest, Father Fleischer, and they regularly drank together and discussed the issues of the day. This was Dirk's preferred method of confession.
After one such Sunday where his wife and son were suspiciously missing from the service and the rest of the church had gone home to a sleepy Sunday afternoon, he stayed at his pew. Father Fleischer, having finished his post-Mass duties came to him.
"Want to have a drink?"
Dirk nodded.
Father Fleischer liked to brew his own ale. This was well known, but Father shared his precious craft with few. He liked to bring bottles as gifts to births, marriages, and even the occasional funeral. Dirk had probably drank of his friend's ale more than anyone else but it was still rare for the Father to break out a bottle. He broke out a bottle today.
"I think you'll like this. It's my Bad Day Brew, and I suspect you're having one."
The toymaker gladly took a glass and toasted: "Prost!"
They drank and Dirk let out a hoarse cough. Father's brew lived up to its name. They spent a moment in silence. Sipping and enjoying the quiet.
"Father... I wonder if God has made me wrong."
The priest sat back and nursed his glass.
The toymaker continued, "I mean, look at me. I am fat and my nose looks like a potato. My eyes are weak. My back is bad. My... other physical aspects are... less than remarkable. I only wonder if I was only crafted a little differently if I could do something about Lisa. If I could sell more toys. If I could make my son smile again. As it is, I feel that I have been given a terrible burden to bear, but I cannot bear it," He chuckled, "As I said, I have a bad back."
The priest sat in silence for a moment before leaning forward. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
He sipped his ale and let out a sigh of satisfaction. "You are fit to the task, Dirk. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. If you could only see the profound majesty of your inner workings and only knew how finely tuned each fiber of your being was, then you would marvel at the craftsman who formed you. Indeed, as the psalmist says, you would see his immense skill and be afraid for it would be too astounding to bear. As a man of the craft yourself, do you make toys to be unlovable? Do you create a tool not fit to complete its purpose?"
Dirk was silent, thinking on the unlovable toys he had made already and hidden in his basement. He had told no one about them, not even the priest.
He took the priest's words and he thought on them. The more he thought on them, the less he liked them. The more he thought that he was designed, the less he liked his designer. After dark, he took his lantern and disappeared into his secret workshop. Tonight he would craft the kingdom of Sorrowheim and the Broken Heart Knights.
Sorrowheim
The kingdom of the joyfully burdened. The commoners of Sorrowheim all bear great loads chained to their backs. If asked about them, they will answer: "Yeah will you look at how big it is? I am truly blessed!" They refuse to see anything wrong about their state. Pain and suffering is a sign of divine providence and so is happiness and pleasure. Their eyes are bright regardless of their circumstance. There is an unease that can easily be felt around these people, but there is also a kind of nobility. Their insane love of their suffering is, at once, delusional and admirable.
Sorrowheim represents some of the most complex aspects of Dirk's psyche. Because of his upbringing in Christianity, there is a persistent part of his mind that is actually proud of how much he has endured. His suffering enforces his own view of himself and gives himself the satisfaction of having the moral high ground.
Getting the commoners to lay down their loads will drain Dirk of the one crutch which has given him strength during his suffering. However, it will also rid him of his victim complex and allow him to more clearly see his own flaws which have contributed to this state of affairs.
The Blubbering King
The King of Sorroheim is an absolute mess, a fat man who is practically drowning in his own folds, constantly sobbing and bemoaning life. He more than makes up for the lack of complaint from his subjects. His castle sort of droops as if melting, the castle continues its degradation as the King goes into one of his sobbing fits. On the Dragon Table, Dirk shaped the castle out of wax and sometimes accidentally sets his lantern a little too near it.
Within the castle, there are three thrones: the Blubbering King's, his queen's, and a little throne for his son. Only the King ever sits on his throne and weeps when his attention is brought to the empty ones. The Blubbering King tried to make his Queen and son happy by giving them parts of his kingdom to rule. Instead, they just made their own kingdoms and broke off in rebellion.
Cheering up the King will give Dirk back a little joy. The King has lost his favorite horse on the misty moors and suspects that the Gobblers have stolen it. The horse represents his lost childhood wonder and returning it will give Dirk back some of the joy of his work.
If the family could be reconciled in the Kingdoms, then Dirk might be reconciled with his family in real life. They are caricatures of their real-life so they are less complex than the real people, and thus easier to make happy.
The Broken Heart Knights
The Knights of Sorrowheim have bulbous heads, tiny bodies, oversized feet, and bulging eyes. They ride horses with wheels for back legs. Their swords are limp and flaccid, despite somehow having a sharp edge. Their lances curl at the tips. Their shields are adorned with a broken heart.
They are a sort of religious order, worshipping the Craftsman. Dirk isn't fully aware of it, but they worship him as their god. Their mantra is: "I will praise thee; for I am cruelly and hideously made; terrible are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
They would be a good encounter for the players to meet early because they wrap up all the weirdness of the Misbegotten Kingdoms. They will wander roads, challenging people to duels that don't recognize their blessed ugliness.
Their real power is that, if any accept their challenge of a duel, no one else can interfere. A magical barrier of pure knightly honor prevents any from approaching.
Slaying these knights or transforming them into less hideous knights will make Dirk less self-loathing.
I. Love. This!
ReplyDeleteFor starters, the writing is excellent, so much pathos in just a single scene.
I think in part 1 I compared it to Ni No Kuni and I stand by that. I love the juxtaposition of this "real world" person with un-sexy, mundane, but nonetheless unfortunate circumstances, and the fantasy world that not-so-sub-textually represents those circumstances.
It's sad, but also because there's a fantasy world embedded within it, there is something also kind of hopeful about it.
I think if I were to take this setting or a setting like it to the table, I would want the players to have both "real world" personas and "fantasy world" personas, and have their own personalities or issues play a major role in their abilities and also in the plot, and have to go back and forth between the two worlds to progress.
Thank you, Max! I was just thinking about how I could manage to make the players aware of Dirk's state. I was thinking that each session might begin with a little scene just describing what the toy maker is up to and what he is struggling with and ending each session with showing the effects on him from the player's actions.
DeleteThe idea of them having two characters, does that in a really interesting way. Maybe they go to the Misbegotten Kingdoms when they sleep as Dream adventurers? That could open the door for further worlds of dream beyond which I like.