A Two-Year Plan

Explanations and justifications for a Non-Player Character's items, experience points and behavior. Note: Not everything in this document has yet to come to pass. Events may derail Darla's plans!

1) Past and Potential

Darla travels with Abrac via the Top from pyramids in the North towards New Avalon. After an encounter with and angel and a slew of undead in a jungle people's village Abrac deposits her in New Avalon.

Darla goes to New Avalon to establish and perpetuate the religion of Tyche, Goddess of Luck and Fortune. She also needed to get away from the Eternal Party for a time. Since they are men, they always have a way of ignoring her needs, feelings and opinions. They also have the habit of getting in all sorts of trouble, high and low. She has her own agenda. Still, she will join them on future adventures from time to time.

Darla has resources of cash and magic to supplement her natural leadership and Awe Power. She has the Eternals to protect her interests and from whom she can draw and rely upon. Presently she has not done so.

Initially Abrac makes a minor contribution of a few low-end magics for her grand plan. Evidently Abrac felt guilty about the treasure division from their last encounter (the angel and undead in the jungle) and this is his way of making a partial amends.

Darla establishes her first temple approximately six months before John Whorfin sets up his Eternal House.

She is very charismatic and has her Awe Power, which she always uses to her full advantage. Darla has the ability to attract worshippers and potential followers quickly with the power of her physical beauty, dazzling personality, and spiritual purity. Tyche's New Avalon temple(s) draws parishioners that are mostly male -- no big surprise there. They seem to be attracted to the beauty of Tyche, the beauty of her high priestess and the good luck that faithful worshippers seem to obtain.

Most "devoted" men of the One True Faith (the only real religion in town), New Avalon men specifically, are somewhat carefree about throwing a little belief the way of a "pagan" luck goddess, especially if it might work to their advantage. Tyche doesn't seem to mind. Back in the Old Empire this would be actual sacrilege. It could only be permitted should The One take Tyche under his wing and into the fold, as He has with other lesser gods and goddess of the past.

There is a certain colonial roughness and a better base attachment to reality that Avaloners possess compared to those in the Old Empire. More utilitarian, more practical, colony people are separated from the old world, which is safer, sterile, somewhat predictable. Colony people are much more likely to be exposed to actual harsh experiences. They encounter more monsters and the like and do not see every jungle religion as an immediate threat to their uniquely rooted religious belief system.

Certainly, another sixth level cleric with no Awe Power or charisma would fail at the task Darla has set for herself. But with her commanding presence, Darla has the potential to gain converts and followers as she establishes a cult of personality. Although it is ostensibly Tyche, god of luck, that followers worship, in truth, Darla's people follow her, not Tyche. With time, these followers will become true Tyche worshippers, but to start, they worship Tyche because Darla tells them to. Because it is Darla who personally drives followers' faith and interest, when Darla is not personally involved (for example, if she is away for a voyage), attendence at services drops and converts tend to lapse.

Although Darla is no fool, she does not entirely realize the extent to which the power of her personality drives the success of her missionary efforts. She tends to attribute a little too much to the intercession of Tyche.

2) The First Temple [5 months]

Initially Darla starts up a small modest temple [T01] in the middle of Avalon's dock and gambling areas. In five full months, she quickly trains 3 students (all young women) as to eventually who become 1st level priestesses [Fortune, Gabby, and Midge - all of humble birth]. And her temple [T01] is now self sustaining.

The appeal of her goddess tends to attract (and in the highest to lowest percentage):

Gamblers [mostly male]

Sailors [mostly male]

Business folk [male and female]

Juveniles to Teenagers (in a faddish way, rebelling against authority) [mostly female, and the older ones are a good source of priestesses candidates]

Travelers [mostly male]

Adventurers that have no current religious views [mostly female]

3) The Second Temple [2 months, 7 total]

Darla starts a second smaller temple [T02] down near the business district of the city center of New Avalon. She and one priestess [Gabby] oversee this new holy place. The remaining two priestesses [Fortune and Midge] stay and run the first temple [T01]. Darla returns every few days to first temple since it is only several miles away. In two months this second temple is self-sustaining -- that is, it will not need further investment of cash and will not lose parishioners so long as Darla is in residence at least one week every two months. It will not grow unless she is in residence at least one week every month.

From both locations Darla has three more priestess candidates [Ivy, Damsel, and Ester (the daughter of a middle-class chymist)] who are looking to become holy women of Tyche. Because Darla splits her time between locations and the fact that her first three true priestesses are so new themselves, the new candidates will take much longer to train, if they hold interest. It will take these women nearly a full year to become first level.

4) Darla the Shriner [3 months, 10 total]

Darla moves on to outside the city proper and establishes seven small roadside shrines [S01-07] along the seven major ways entering the city. She understands that this is mainly to establish a presence in the minds of New Avaloners. She assigns the first temple [T01] to maintain these shrines. Instructing a visit to a different shrine each week and the performance of ritual ceremony (regardless of an audience) as well as removing any valuable offerings (not likely) and to perform regular maintenance.

She helps run both temples, part-time. She is grooming her clerics for independence. The shrine project takes three months. Two to produce the shrines and another month to transport, set up and activate each one. On her off time she oversees the two temples. Any profit made from the temples is put back into the system in order to make the goddess, priestesses and parishioners happy.

5) Into the Wilds and Out Again [2 months, 12 total]

One priestess runs each temple [Gabby at T01 and Midge at T02]. Darla takes her most hardy priestess of the three [Fortune], hires a small force of low level soldiers and a captain for an expedition into bush for several months. She wishes to expand her faith outward. She goes into the jungle proper to do this. Either she was "unlucky" [which is very unlikely] or her approach was all wrong. Her various attempts with jungle tribes and villages of natives does not work well.

Some minor monsters are encountered, Darla and, more importantly, Fortune get some xp.

No temples established. No followers gained. The only other consolation is in attracting one young female native candidate who Darla deems to have an aura of power (or potential power) about her. Her name is Sonadirill-e-Chatikk.

In total Darla spends two months in the jungle scouting an area about 50 to 100 miles SW of New Avalon. Then she receives a note from a ranger-messenger, telling her that she is urgently needed at home.

6) Ladybug Ladybug [4 months, 16 total]

Upon returning to New Avalon she hears the bad news that second temple (near the business district) sustained some damage in a fire which consumed most of the street block the holy house was located on. The fire is not of a suspicious nature. The temple was 30 percent destroyed.

Sonadirillbecomes a student in first temple. The first two months are hell. It is very difficult for her to adjust to city life. After this time she becomes an excellent student. Because of her spiritual aptitudes, she completes her studies at an accelerated rate. After 2 additional months she is a bonafide first level cleric.

Darla spends four months rebuilding her second temple and training students -- Ivy, Damsel, Ester, and especially Sonadirill.

7) Gathering Capital [1 month, 17 total]

Darla is in need of major cash and commits herself completely to the concept of "services for cash." She goes on various minor in-town and local errands and mini-adventures (mostly with low level NPC parties). Darla will get all her clerics involved in minor ways with this project. She picks up some cash and some minor magics. One of these jobs involved playing doctor for one faction during a Thieves Guild gang-related skirmish. She plays capitalist for a month. It earns money, magic, xp and more.

After talking with Abrac and Sonadirill during a lunch one sunny afternoon, Darla comes to a better understanding of the nature of the jungle people and their attitudes their religion, their needs, etc. Darla will revise her approach next time she is in the jungle. She will take advantage of her native priestess too.

Changes!
At this point, around Eternal Day 800 and just before, Darla's plans go awry! She finds herself under pressure to avoid and deny the Eternals aid and comfort. And she obliges. I (Alterio) suspect that she is not able to pursue this plan to sell services and make cash -- I suspect the government does not allow this -- instead she has to supply services to the government, and receives a subsidy. I suspect she also comes under pressure to add mention of the One Pale God to her services -- as some kind of friend or ally of Tyche.

That means no vacation and no trip to Shoal. Even if Tim were not a persona non grata, the appearance of Heffalump Isle would make the trip too risky. Which begs the question -- what happens to Darla now? She has 200-plus days to catch up to the party as of Eternal Day 1,044 (the end of Don't adventure). For what it's worth, I suspect her new followers will plateau at around 150 to 200 people -- and that number will drop somewhat if the flock becomes openly persecuted. But does that happen? Will the New Avalon government let her continue? Did she betray the Eternals in order to keep her flock?

Well, don't look at me! Some other Eternal GM can decide. Don may even have something in mind. Don? Comments? Anyone?

But remember, Darla is not without resources. Consider not only her stunning charisma, but also that she owns a ring of limited wish.

This assumes that in any population, there are a number of people who are open to new ideas and who might give a new religion a try. That's 10 percent of the population. So if New Avalon has about 3,500 people, Darla's New Avo flocks can expect to grow to about 350 total with no real problem. After that, the other 90 percent of the people tend not to give up their original religion. Conversion rates drop significantly then.

And since these new converts are somewhat wishy washy, they also tend to desert if they are ignored.

It must be noted that the results shown below are highly unusual for a cleric of Darla's experience and obscurity. Her awe power makes up for those disadvantages and more. Note that Sonadirill has the potential for vestal virgin status, and her presence in Shoal will maintain the congregation there in Darla's absence.