Alaska character backgounds part 1, Marc
It appears that the con version of Alaska is not so much about finding out what's going on , but about whether or not some or all of the characters decide to kill Stephanie. Stephanie is a coma patient on life support, a lifelong victim of domestic violence and sexual abuse, who is the focus of the supernatural killings. She remains uncoscious throughout the game, but has episodes of increased brain activity (or something) where she relays key events of her life. Events that are then reflected by the bizarre deaths of the people who carried out the abuse. Again at the suggestion of my playtesters, I'll remove a couple of the murders (Steph's mum and her son) because although they seem important to me as part of Stephanie's story, something has to go to keep the game to time...
Marc's story already existed at the time of the playtest and apparently it made his character more interesting to play, so I've written stories for the other characters... experiences the characters have had that should give them a particular take on the events and ramp up the tension in the group. Please let me know what you think... suggest alternatives or whatever. I won't have much time between now and then, but I promise to at least consider your suggestions!
[PS for the playtesters,I've also reduced san levels of a few characters and put boxes on the character sheets for the wee pictures. I will do a ground-rules speil at the start incorporating the significance of the pictures and managing the police interviews (where possible) by getting people to work out what key info they want from each npc. I'll take sellotape, whiteboard pens and chalk so we can set up a board, change the name of the Wrights, and any other similar names and next stage is bullet point summaries of the first 4 murders, which I will distribute appropriately. If I get organised, I'll also try and pre-record Stephanie's bits. I'll set the alarm on the phone and use it this time :-). What did I forget?]
Marc Taylor
Clinical and Criminal Psychologist
You mostly deal with domestic violence and sexual abuse cases, treating both victims and offenders:
“My best friend came to our school when we were 10... She was mostly kind of quiet and sad.... her baby sister had died a while ago, and it had really messed her up. She said she and he brother and sister saw her Mum’s boyfriend kill her but no-one had believed it. She had such a beautiful laugh. I used to try so hard to make her laugh! We hung out together all the time, and we stayed friends when we went to highschool.
After the 3rd form social, my mum was late to pick us up. It was cold and Stephie was shivering so I put my jacket around her. She smelt so good... apple shampoo and clean clothes and it was warmer when we were close, so I cuddled her for a bit... and then... I kissed her... for a moment she kissed me back and it was wonderful... she tasted of vanilla lip gloss and lemonade... but then suddenly she stiffened and pulled away. “You’re just like him!” she whispered fiercely and burst into tears. I noticed in embarrassment that I had an erection.
Stephie cried the whole way home and after that we kind of avoided each other. A few months later she left the school and the area... her family were still there but Steph moved away. Everyone said she was pregnant and the rumour was that her step-dad had knocked her up, but my mum said that couldn’t be true. He was a lawyer, and they didn’t do things like that!”
Recently, Stephanie showed up at the hospital, badly abused... beaten unconscious by her own son. I was able to convince Stephanie to testify, but that backfired. Her abusive ex-husband gave her son an alibi, he was acquitted and bad-mouthed her to the papers. Now she has lapsed into a coma.
I really should have declared a conflict of interest and let someone else take the case... but somehow I couldn’t. She’s never given any indication that she remembers me, presumably that kiss meant less to her than it did to me but I feel guilty and dishonest.”
Marc's story already existed at the time of the playtest and apparently it made his character more interesting to play, so I've written stories for the other characters... experiences the characters have had that should give them a particular take on the events and ramp up the tension in the group. Please let me know what you think... suggest alternatives or whatever. I won't have much time between now and then, but I promise to at least consider your suggestions!
[PS for the playtesters,I've also reduced san levels of a few characters and put boxes on the character sheets for the wee pictures. I will do a ground-rules speil at the start incorporating the significance of the pictures and managing the police interviews (where possible) by getting people to work out what key info they want from each npc. I'll take sellotape, whiteboard pens and chalk so we can set up a board, change the name of the Wrights, and any other similar names and next stage is bullet point summaries of the first 4 murders, which I will distribute appropriately. If I get organised, I'll also try and pre-record Stephanie's bits. I'll set the alarm on the phone and use it this time :-). What did I forget?]
Marc Taylor
Clinical and Criminal Psychologist
You mostly deal with domestic violence and sexual abuse cases, treating both victims and offenders:
“My best friend came to our school when we were 10... She was mostly kind of quiet and sad.... her baby sister had died a while ago, and it had really messed her up. She said she and he brother and sister saw her Mum’s boyfriend kill her but no-one had believed it. She had such a beautiful laugh. I used to try so hard to make her laugh! We hung out together all the time, and we stayed friends when we went to highschool.
After the 3rd form social, my mum was late to pick us up. It was cold and Stephie was shivering so I put my jacket around her. She smelt so good... apple shampoo and clean clothes and it was warmer when we were close, so I cuddled her for a bit... and then... I kissed her... for a moment she kissed me back and it was wonderful... she tasted of vanilla lip gloss and lemonade... but then suddenly she stiffened and pulled away. “You’re just like him!” she whispered fiercely and burst into tears. I noticed in embarrassment that I had an erection.
Stephie cried the whole way home and after that we kind of avoided each other. A few months later she left the school and the area... her family were still there but Steph moved away. Everyone said she was pregnant and the rumour was that her step-dad had knocked her up, but my mum said that couldn’t be true. He was a lawyer, and they didn’t do things like that!”
Recently, Stephanie showed up at the hospital, badly abused... beaten unconscious by her own son. I was able to convince Stephanie to testify, but that backfired. Her abusive ex-husband gave her son an alibi, he was acquitted and bad-mouthed her to the papers. Now she has lapsed into a coma.
I really should have declared a conflict of interest and let someone else take the case... but somehow I couldn’t. She’s never given any indication that she remembers me, presumably that kiss meant less to her than it did to me but I feel guilty and dishonest.”