Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
One of the most difficult things about pitching or explaining Legends of Windemere is that it involves the concept of destiny. I get a lot of complaints about how my heroes are prophesied and this takes away the tension. Typically, this tends to result in people reacting to the mention of the storyline instead of the core. So let me try to explain this since The Compass Key (ON SALE NOW!) is where parts of the prophecy kick into high gear.
If you think writing a story that involves destiny is easy then you’re wrong. You still have to grant characters free will and not make every event come from deus ex machina or whatever. There needs to be at least a sense of free will or a questioning of the path by at least one of the heroes. You’re bound to have someone who puts all their faith in the will of the gods, but you need a counterbalance. In Windemere, Gabriel the God of Destiny even states that he forges the path, but not the ending. The heroes are destined to reach a final battle in some shape or form, but they aren’t guaranteed a win. The fact that previous champions have failed lends some credence to the idea that destiny is not always the path to victory.
Now, a destined battle does box you into an area where you can’t go on a character killing spree. Yet, you can put these heroes through a lot and show how they change. Do they become bitter and jaded? Maybe they hate their lot in life and seek a way to get out of their destiny. Others can go villain in some fashion because they hate being a pawn of a higher power. There are many ways to work with this that can be more entertaining than simply following a path.
One aspect of the destiny story that I enjoy playing with is how the heroes handle their fate. Luke doesn’t pay much attention to it because he enjoys the adventure. Nyx was raised knowing about it since childhood, so she pays too much attention to it. Others wonder if they should bother thinking about their future since they could die or worse at the end. Remember that it is a heavy weight to be told that you will do something great and not be clear on what the final result will be. That has to affect a character’s thought process.
Still, you’re bound to get into trouble. A lot of people hate destiny stories for one reason or another. They get turned off at the thought, so you can’t really force that issue. All you can say is that you do things a little differently and hope they hear your explanation. Whether they accept it or not is up to them.
Added Note: Villains are technically destined too if you think about it.
