DM Notes: Lakeshore 14

Hello, esteemed patrons!

Jesse here, with another quick peek behind the curtain at the making of Many Realms. Let's jump right in, shall we?

For this episode's notes, I want to talk about some of the ideas I had for Lakeshore that didn't end up panning out, because several of them got reworked in this episode. Of course, it's not a problem that these ideas changed shape--Urban Shadows is a game that resists a certain level of prep or planning--but I do think it's always interesting to see where things could have gone.

In this episode we continue to see Hazel's vulnerable side as she opens up to the group, particularly Susan and Roman. As well, we see Roman visiting the whimsical ghost bar The Last Hurrah on her quest to find a way to restore her sister's powers. Both of these moments I had expected to come along much, much earlier in the story.

You may not remember, but The Last Hurrah was first mentioned back in episode 2, when Nox found a matchbook for the bar while investigating the old shed in Fairmont Park. Perhaps naively, I figured that Nox might follow that classic lead of a dead man's matchbook and make his way over to the The Last Hurrah.

 I, of course, was wrong. But what if he had?

I had sketched out The Last Hurrah as a sort of information nerve centre, where the ghosts of the city might float down to gossip about every force and faction known to Lakeshore. It might have been a good place for Nox to pick up leads, or even a recurring location for the whole gang. It might have even been fun to throw Nox into a barfight with a dozen ghosts, just to see what would happen! (Hey, there's still time.)

As well, if Nox had gone there early in the campaign he would have found a familiar face tickling the ivories. Because Hazel is also a Tainted under Rex's control, I really wanted him to run into her several times throughout the campaign, serving that classic femme fatale archetype. Sometimes helpful, sometimes hostile, always cryptic, I wanted to tease out the mystery of her story and her plight so she could serve as a foil to Nox.

Of course, even if Nox didn't go to The Last Hurrah, I still could have introduced Hazel earlier if I had wanted. Maybe she could have been at the Hardware the night of the fire, or at Trixie's when the gang showed up. (Does this group just spend their time going to different bars..?) But once the sunshine/werewolf plot got seriously underway, I thought I should put Rex, demons, and mysterious piano players on the back burner until we had a bit more breathing room, and I think that was the right choice.

Still, it's fun to think about what might have been! But the story that has unfolded organically has brought its own exciting twists and turns; Roman hanging out at The Last Hurrah has such a playful, excited air that only Eli could bring. And that's the beauty of roleplaying--even an Oracle can't predict everything!

That's all for me, patrons. See you next time!