Yesterday I posted some thoughts on thinking about the unconscious existence of characters. Now it is important to note that this is not something that underpins any game mechanics at this point. But it gives us some interesting hard limits on spiritual participation.
So yesterday I compared Vasana, our budding heroine, with Alvin the Ordinary. Today, let’s compare Argrath with Harrek.
Argrath actually dedicates most of his unconscious self to things other than himself:
- Dream 15% – Argrath is more of a dreamer that most people.
- Undifferentiated 10% – this is that bit that Argrath doesn’t and can’t know. He’s a mortal after all.
- Orlanth 25%, divided between Orlanth, Adventurous, and Rex.
- Dragon stuff 10% (Dragontooth Runners, etc.)
- White Bull 10%
- Personal Power 20%
- Other Spirits 10%
So in terms of personal aggrandisement, Argrath is about on the same level as Vasana or other Orlanthi hero-types. More than half of the mana he receives goes to Orlanth, Draconic stuff, the White Bull, or other spirits. About a third goes to personal power and dreaming. Now admittedly his is a MUCH BIGGER pie than someone like Vasana, but he divides it up in a more or less normal way.
Harrek is different.
- White Bear 30%
- Dream 10%
- Undifferentiated 10%
- Personal Power 50%
With Harrek almost everything goes to his personal power and to his White Bear self. And given how HUGE the mana pool he gets to play around with must be, that Personal Power lets him do stuff like kill with a glance.
Jar-eel is similar to Harrek, not Argrath.
- Personal Power 50%
- Bloodspillers 20%
- Dream 10%
- Undifferentiated 10%
- Red Goddess 10%
So with Jar-eel about half goes to her personal aggrandisement, and another 20% goes to her Sardukar Guard. This actually shows a nice and tidy way of distinguishing between superheroes and mere heroes. Heroes are lifted by others and those others share in their rewards. Superheroes have gotten to the point that they don’t need those others any more and have broken out of that system.
Isn’t Jar-Eel much more grounded in the Lunar way and culture than Harrek is in, well, anything? She is a superhero of The Empire, not a pirate? Jar-eel has broken out of that mold every bit as much as Harrek has. She has a symbiotic relationship with the Empire, but then again, Harrek has something similar with Argrath and his kingdom.
Should characters use some of their subconscious for their loves? e.g. Should Jar-eel have 10% Beat Pot or similar? no. That all falls within the undifferentiated and dreaming self.