Motifs--Mist

Alyria is a world of mist. It is the feeling of an early morning walk, when the mist still clings to the trees and cloaks them in magic. It is the feeling of wonder when the lands of Faerie open before you in your mind’s eye and the cloudy veil parts to reveal the delicate beauty of that land’s inhabitants. It is the feeling of mystery when the fog shrouds the dark city streets through which you hurry, seeking shelter from the night. It is the feeling of terror, when something moves in the haze just beyond the limits of vision as you blunder through the deep forest. It is beauty and wonder and melancholy and horror. Alyria is a world that is touched by both Heaven and Hell, where beauty and horror spiral with wild abandon. Here are mighty beauties and terrifying ugliness, somber darkness and raging light, magic and mystery and beauty and woe, hidden and swirling in the ever-cloaking mists.

Alyria should feel wondrous and mystical and melancholy, all rolled into one. You can incorporate some of this sense of mystery and melancholy into the storymaps that you create by including characters that incorporate this theme. Misbegotten or Restored characters do quite well at providing a melancholy touch, and a well-crafted Chosen character can insert a sense of the mystical. Unusual abilities or technologies can add to the wonder incorporated by a character. Use these touches in setting descriptions as well. Accentuate what is alien about the world. Describe the Weeping Moon rising over the horizon or tell of the mist ship sailing out to sea. Include those setting elements that excite in you a sense of the wondrous, and you will be able to communicate this sense of wonder to your fellow players.