Narrative Design – Eyvindur Karlsson

Eyvindur Karlsson

Narrative Design Showcase

Tasks from Into Games' Narrative Design Sprint with Kim MacAskill.

Character Profile: Puxie the Street Urchin

Puxie is a goblin street urchin, born and raised in the dark and dusty alleys of Markad City, among the warring gangs of goblins and humans. His father ran away when he was just a baby, to become a cowboy on the arid plains of eastern Tangenia, and his mother died when he was very young. He’s been on his own since then, living on the scraps of upper class elves, trusting no one except his one friend in this world, a crusty old human shopkeeper named Brian, who tells Puxie entertaining stories and sometimes lets him share his meager meals. Puxie has not been inducted into one of the goblin gangs, as most orphans are, because he’s known for legendary clumsiness. He’s been known to fall up the stairs, trip over his feet while standing still, and once even got his foot caught in a bucket that wasn’t even on the ground. In a way, Puxie regrets not getting that chance, and feels inadequate for not being accepted, but he’s resigned himself to being a loner, and is sure that it’s best that way. Still, he looks up to the gangsters, in their pinstripe suits with their wool caps, who patrol the neighborhood and keep the peace.

Inciting Incident

One day, Puxie meanders over to his friend Brian’s establishment, hoping for a good story and an even better meal. Upon entering the shop, which looks empty, he hears noises from the back. He makes his way back there as quietly as he can (which is a chore for him, since he has a way of knocking things over with his aura), and sees three goblin gangsters surrounding the old human, who is tied to a chair. They’re mercilessly beating him for not paying his dues to the gang, as all business owners on this street are required to do. Brian whimpers and tries to explain that it’s coming, business has just been slower than usual, but they don’t listen, just keep pounding on him. Puxie wants to rush in and try to help his friend, but he’s scared, and besides, what could he do against three armed gangsters? He stays hidden in the shadows. When they’ve finally left he goes to Brian and unties him. The old man is overcome by his injuries, and after a brief conversation he dies of his wounds. This changes his perspective on the goblin gangs, and he starts to see them as sinister and threatening, not as keepers of the peace.

Puxie blames his own inaction for Brian’s death, and it reinforces for him the idea that he’s useless, clumsy, and no good. He also starts feeling like his very race makes him one of the bad guys, as his perception of goblins starts to become terribly negative. All he wants is to close himself off to the world, except maybe to warn humans about his fellow goblins. Eventually, though, he’ll come to see that he can make new friends and work towards a unity and harmony between humans and goblins.

As Puxie tries to leave, he is ambushed and knocked out by the goblin gangsters.

Themes

Friendship
Inequality
Belonging
Courage
Overcoming self-doubt

Voice Print

Puxie is Always

Self-deprecating
- “I’ve been known to screw these things up.” “Leave it to me to make a mess of things.” “I’m the last person you want for the job.”
Passive
- “Whatever you think is best.” “I guess?”
Wary
- “I’m not sure this is a good idea.” “I really shouldn’t be here.” “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Curious
- “Wow, what is that?” “How does that work?” “I wonder what’s in there?”
Self-depricatingly optimistic
- “At least this is better than that time I tripped over an invisible pebble and knocked the mayor over.” “Knowing me, this could be a hell of a lot worse.”

Puxie is Never

Cynical
Aggressive
Formal
Confident
Emotionally expressive

Example Dialog

Context: Puxie gets to know Brona, an old goblin lady he meets as he’s just beginning to understand he has a greater purpose, and she becomes his mentor.

Brona: You know, Puxie, some folks see clumsiness as a curse. But I reckon it’s just a different kind of grace.

Puxie: Grace? You mean disgrace?

Brona: Ah, don’t put yourself down like that. You see the world differently. You notice things others don’t, ’cause you’re always lookin’ for the next trip-up. That’s a gift, lad.

Puxie: Some gift. I once tripped over my own shadow.

Brona: Every time you trip or fall, you learn something new, don’t ya?

Puxie: I learn how to fall better, I guess.

Brona: Exactly! Most folks avoid mistakes. But you, you embrace ’em. That makes you wiser than most.

Puxie: I’ve been called a lot of things, but wise?

Brona: Stop selling yourself short, Puxie. Look, there’s something you need to see.

[Brona holds up a shimmering piece of mysterious metal.]

Puxie: Whoa, what is that? It’s… it’s like it’s laughing at me.

Brona: It is! That’s tangium. The only metal with a sense of humor, and the closest thing we have to magic. It’s dangerous, unpredictable. But you, Puxie – you can handle it.

Puxie: I can’t even handle staying upright most of the time.

Brona: Exactly! I keep telling you, your clumsiness is a gift! It means you can handle tangium safely. You’ve got the mutated gene, making you a tangium handler!

Puxie: So, you’re saying all my trips and falls… they’re because of this stuff?

Brona: Not exactly. But it means you’ve got potential, lad. I can help you reach it, if you like.

Puxie: I don’t know…

Brona: Well, think about it, Puxie. You just might stumble into greatness.

Location Bio

The Human Quarter of Markad City

Located in the shadiest part of the sprawling metropolis, the human quarter is so derelict that even the comparatively wealthy live in filth and squalor, at least when measured against the elven ruling class of the city. For the locals it’s home, but outsiders would be well served to grow eyes in the backs of their heads and, if possible, another set of ears. Markad City is located in Tangenia, the sunniest of the Allied Kingdoms of Markadia, and is generally brightly lit. Even so, the human quarter is lost in shadow with narrow alleyways and tall, wooden buildings that feel like they’re just about to keel over. There are few street lamps, and people tend to have shuttered windows, so the light from inside rarely escapes onto the streets. It’s dim during the day, and at night the darkness feels thick enough to cut with a knife – but be careful because it might cut you back.

In the winding streets of the district you’ll find many human-run establishments – shops, taverns, and the like – and every corner is patrolled by a member of one of the many human gangs. Burly looking men wearing worn-out wool suits and caps, dirty looking shirts and suspenders, wielding clubs, knives, or revolvers. Any goblin stupid enough to venture into the district proper is unlikely to get out alive, with the age-old rivalry between the two races. Orcs, elves, dwarves, and others have an easier time navigating this part of the city, but they’ll ever be under the watchful eye of the gang enforcers.

The streets are littered with trash, as garbage collection in these poor areas is not a high priority of the elves who run the city. The streets are almost always crowded, and if you venture into an empty alley you know you’ve taken a wrong turn, because the silence here is deadly.

Watch your step and keep your wits about you, because in the human quarter of Markad City, the shadows are packing heat and the silence has a mean right hook.

Puxie's Fight With the Zombie Mimes

Narrative Wrapper

When Scordon the Scrappy rose to the top of the goblin crime syndicate he was determined to cement his position as the toughest goblin of all time. His predecessor, Murgle the Merciless, had set his sights on eliminating the human gangs in Markad City, but Scordon expanded his scope and decided to exterminate all the humans in the city.

Puxie is horrified to realize that Scordon is using old research from the mad scientist Trux to infect innocent humans with tangium induced psychosis, which results in them turning into mindless mimes who corner their victims with invisible walls or lasso them with invisible ropes and reel them in, before biting them and passing on the infection.