On the topic of the Noble Lines of the Harkaways
The following pages are about enticing you to think of possibilities, and not about limiting your options. They are prompts, points and information about the 1870s, a time and place vastly different from the one we live our humdrum day-to-day in.
To cover the sheer breadth of events spanning even one decade of the 19th century and condense it into a few dot points is a fool's errand. As such fools we have included these few dot points to give you a taste of events occurring at the time in the areas occupied by each of the family lines.
Though far from mandatory, we actively encourage all players to seek inspiration for their characters in history, to delve into the history and folklore of where you are from and see what ideas are born
An altogether too brief discussion on the various Family Lines
Who are you
Whether you are aware of it or not, you are a member of the Harkaway Family, your family tree ultimately leads back to one of 5 siblings who left England in the late 18th century and spread across the globe. Several generations later you were born into the family, and lived a relatively normal life, until that is a man turned up with a letter, inviting you to the funeral and reading of the will of your great, great, great aunt Stella Harkaway. All costs for the trip were covered, and at the end there was the promise of Wealth, Power and Knowledge.
Your life before the game
This is not a game where you are already a monster hunter extraordinaire, it is not a game about being a grand mage, it is not even a game about being a diplomat to the Fey. It is a game about becoming that, if you wish, and so much more.
Before the game begins you would have been leading a relatively normal life.
- You may have been aware you were a member of a somewhat eccentric family.
- Maybe you had heard tales of the antics of your ancestors.
- Maybe you saw something out of the corner of your eye at times.
- Maybe you were unaware you were a Harkaway until a man with a letter arrived.
Once you have a character idea, think about whether you had things like brothers and sisters, maybe reach out to other players in your family and form links.
We will be generating family trees for each branch of the Harkaway family with your input, and further sculpting the family lines based on your input.
Don’t worry if you miss the character generation session, there will be discord to plan on and we are always happy to chat.
And now, let us now touch upon the family lines
The Line of Ulysses
The first brother headed west, far across the ocean. To a land which had only just broken free of the yoke of the English, and there he found his place in the experiment called democracy. They say he never looked at the ocean.
The Line of Genevieve
The first sister went as far as the other side of the channel. There she had grand adventures gallivanting across Europe and the middle-east, weaving inspiration for young people. And yet, at times she looked west longingly.
The Line of Grantham
The second brother was torn, wishing to be with his twin sister, yet wanting to strike out on his own. and so in the end he headed south, and for a time disappeared into the heart of darkness. Eventually he settled in Alexandria, watching ships sail by.
The Line of Winifred
The second sister headed east by train, further, far further than the first sister. She entered the orient, and while it was not all the stories had led her to believe it was, she did find opportunity there. Watching faces twitch as she counted her coin.
The Line of Algernon
The third brother sought not escape, nor adventure, nor coin. He sought control of his fate. And so he made his way to a land barely in its infancy, and there he gathered power in the shadows. And from this vantage he saw something coming.
The Line of Stella
The third sister stayed in England. This tale we tell together over the next 11 months is about what she did with her life as she watched death approach.