The Fireside

A small group is huddled around a fire.
Resting, eating, trading stories, teaching each other songs, but most importantly, preparing to travel tomorrow.

Who are these people?

Let's find out...

Travellers around a fire

Mechanically, the Fireside is an event throughout which the Party discovers or defines their characters.
Before the fireside, the characters are blank slates. They are nothings with the possibility of becoming anything.
Some Players may already have some idea of who their character might be, others may have no idea at all.

This event should be a collaborative, caring moment.
The Guide is responsible for moving the focus around the table and helping the Players discover their characters. They must listen to the Players, try to understand their needs, hold their hands when they're stumbling, and let them fly when they're ready.
For every decision made at the Fireside, the Guide should use the following priorities:

• Listen to the Players, follow their needs
• Connect ideas to build a compelling narrative
• Trust randomness, the dice are often wise

During the Fireside, the Guide will move from Player to Player, defining a Trait when they stop on a player, and tracing a Thread when they move to the next.

The Fireside continues until the Guide and Players are satisfied.
Each character should have at least one Trait and one Thread.
Characters do not need to have the same number of Traits and Threads as the others.
Three is a nice number to stop at.

Traits and Threads

Traits define player characters. They're the chisel with which will sculpt our characters. They're the lens through which we will see the characters' shapes.

Threads are the connections between characters. They're the beginnings of some of the relationships they'll forge as they journey together.