From: Sandy Petersen <sandyp_at_idgecko.idsoftware.com>
>Peter Metcalfe
>>If I were playing the campaign Against the KoW, I would make the
>>Driving Force for the KoW _unknown_ to those outside it with
>several >mutally contrary schools of thought about what causes it.
>While >Everybody Else in Fronela sees the key as Military Victory
>and die >bloodily in trying, I would allow the PCs to discover what
>is >happening. What the driving force is I would leave up to the
>GM!
> I wish to add my voice to Peter's here. This is how the KoW
>should be used, IMO. Every GM can have his players find their own
>solution to the problem, depending on his campaign. If his players
>love combat, then a military victory may be possible, at least if
>the PCs are able to sneak deep into the kingdom and destroy the Well
>of Death or whatever is hiding there. If his players prefer
>high-faluting court intrigue, then the KoW can only be beaten if
>everyone in Fronela joins together -- lots of diplomatic action and
>internal factions and spies. And so forth.
Both ways of looking at it are interesting. The above sounds like
viewing the KoW as an external threat to be overcome, while Martin's
view seems more to be to examine the KoW as an internal threat --
it's sort-of seductive, many of its practices are perversions (how
great?) of what We do.
If I would run a campaign on Martin's ideas, I would more or less
enlist the PCs in the KoW, ranking above the basic slaughtering,
and try to show it as just a little bit
disturbed -- probably with intellectual and moral justifications from
the leaders as to why they act like they do, etc. etc. Yet, it should
appear as 'essentially normal' as long as one doesn't look too closely
(visiting Hitler's Germany?).
Then lower the boom, show the essential inhumanity behind the mask.
When the characters realize that everyone is just acting normal;
a nation of murderous madmen.
At this point, they are ready to take it on. (Or, at least I would
hope so :-)
Thomas