The Outskirts

The Outskirts

Virtually all important events happen in Luisant’s Feasting Grounds, and the majority of the villagers live within a mile of that central location. However, others are further afield. There are houses and huts dotted throughout the forest and swamp around Luisant for several miles – in greater density near the central ring, and gradually thinning toward the furthest reaches. Those who live in these remote locations are generally members of Luisant’s families, who simply have some reason to be staying further away from the center; some are naturally reclusive, some are working a remote part of the land, some prefer a particular part of the forest for sentimental reasons. They keep some contact with their more central family members, but are self-sufficient and often go seasons or even years without returning to the town center or even the Hearth.

The outskirts are, oddly enough, not significantly more dangerous than the central territories. However, the paths through the woods shift more often – and the forgetfulness seems to strike more frequently.

Usage in Play

The Outskirts is a source of both NPCs and PC backstory. Many encountered NPCs will be Luisant villagers who just happen to reside in the Outskirts.

New player characters will usually be returning from the Outskirts, allowing them to have established connections to Luisant’s families and prominent figures while providing an explanation for why they haven’t been seen until now. The “memory loss” effect of the strange fogs sometimes encountered in the Forest helps cover for characters not knowing things they “should”, such as not immediately recognizing names and faces.

The Outskirts can also be used to explain temporary PC absences (e.g. a player isn’t present at a game) and provides a story option for PC “retirement”.