January 10, 2006
Game Ire #24: Pilgrimage
Back by popular demand is the game meme IRE--Inspired by Recent Events. I take an event which has happened recently, and we, that is to say, myself and anyone who wants to play, spins a RPG scenario based on it.
The previous IREs are available to be read here.
This time out, I am going to eschew all the bad news that has hit the world lately, and go for something positive--Eid Al Adha, the beginning of the Muslim Hajj.
The Muslim Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that every faithful Muslim is asked to make at least one in his or her life. The pilgrimages traditionally begin at this time every year.
So, what shall I do with this in an RPG sense?
Since I have been using Burning Wheel recently at a group of indie gamers that meets every so often, let's go with that as our system. Since it suits medieval era games, let's use that, and let's set it in Spain, during the time of the Taifa kingdoms in the South and the Christian kingdoms in the North.
The PCs are pilgrims from beyond the Pyrenees who have crossed into the Iberian Peninsula to make the long pilgrimage west to Santiago de Compostela. With greedy feudal lords, bandits, and the threat of Muslim raiders from the South, there are plenty of adventures to be had as the characters cross a lot of unfamiliar territory. To say nothing of the dynamics of the player characters themselves as they make their way to their goal. Cooperation? Conflict? Rivalry? Depending on the group of players, and their styles, any number of directions can be had from a game like this.
Damn. If I know more about Medieval Spain, I'd run this in a heartbeat. Maybe I could, for TBR.
Posted by Jvstin at January 10, 2006 6:28 AMMecca predates Islam. The Kaaba rock once had four outlying monoliths, only one of which was dedicated to al-Lah. The others were al-Lat, his consort, and al-Uzza (Mighty One) and al-Manah (Fate). Al-Lah and al-Lat were simlpy the male and female consorts who ruled together the supernatural world.
(Paraphrased from: The Alphabet versus The Goddess - the Conflict Between Word and Image, by Leonard Shlain)
Mohammad did away with the monoliths, but kept the pilgrimage, because he knew he - like christianity before him - would need to absorb the aspects of the old into the new or not be heard.
So you might have players who pull in a twist from an older strand of history. Or you could use this as part of the story.
By the time of your setting, the earlier 'infidels' had likely been absorbed or destroyed.
Posted by: jenn at January 10, 2006 8:49 AMI'd use Baron Munchausen rules to run Canterbury Tales except to Compostela.
Posted by: Michael at January 10, 2006 9:08 AMWoot! I've missed these.
Posted by: Arref at January 10, 2006 6:57 PM