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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Oriande on February 18, 2011, 05:08:36 PM
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I have debated posting this, but two sessions of hostile reactions from the same player have me concerned. What I need to know is how do other gamemasters rate their own performance?
Usually, I like to listen to my players between sessions. If they are eager to talk about what is happening, are pestering me for clues on their plans or theories, and are looking forward to the next session, then I think I am doing well. In addition, I like to place an emphasis on role-playing: character interactions, conflict and growth, instead of simple monster slaying. However, when I recently presented the groups True Believer with a moral dilemma – a test of Faith – the player was far from happy with me. Ironically, other players whose characters are facing threats to their family, job or freedom all appear to be enjoying the game.
To paraphrase one player: “My character hates it, but I think it’s great.” So… how do I know if I’m doing this right or not?
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this is a difficult situation to handle. From what little you've given us it sounds like you have a player whose looking for a different style of game then the others. Can you give us a bit more detail, perhaps describe the moral dilemma you gave him and what his reaction was to it?
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Most of the time I keep a very open dialogue with my players, so I hear directly from them when they're unhappy with the game. What I would say is find some time to take the player aside and figure out exactly what is bothering him. It's possible that s/he doesn't want a game of introspection. That's totally ok. You can run a game with differing results for different players. It might also be possible that what ever you brought up is just too close to them. I know that I have a lot of abandonment issues, so as a player personal betrayals tend to sour me on a session. So it may not be the method, it may be the specific situation.
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However, when I recently presented the groups True Believer with a moral dilemma – a test of Faith – the player was far from happy with me. Ironically, other players whose characters are facing threats to their family, job or freedom all appear to be enjoying the game.
A couple of possibilities come to mind...do note, I'm speculating not accusing. - The player may not see the dilemma you've presented as a choice. Does he think you've railroaded his character into a dead end which the character can't reasonably recover from?
- The player may not see the same choices you do. Does the player realize there is a way out through Faith? (Remember, you want the character to show faith. You don't need the player to do so.)
- It may simply be an area of play which the player is uncomfortable with. Ether the ethics of the situation itself, the 'gray' nature of a moral dilemma, or he simply wants to fight monsters...or something else entirely.
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Another issue to consider is "how is he objecting?" Is he simply expressing that he's unhappy with the way things are going, or is he actively trying to screw up the whole gaming experience for everyone?
Can you adjust the things to accomodate him without being unfair to, or otherwise upsetting the other players?
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I'm with Umbra at the moment. What's this dilemma?
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It sounds like the issue is with the problem you've presented to this player, not the game in general.
What I would do is try to find out what about the situation the player finds upsetting. And how things could be modified to better suit what the player would like to see.
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To elaborate:
Part of the current plot centers around a child who was conceived in a demonic ritual and baptized in blood. The cultists intend for her to be the mortal vessel of their master – to be possessed by him in order to give him access to and power in the mortal realm. The character must decide whether he will destroy her before this can happen.
As for his reaction, the player initially called me a bitch and flipped me off. The character tried splashing the kid with holy water which had no effect as she is not currently a demonic entity. At the most recent session, he told me I was destroying the game since Betty [another character] would never forgive him if he killed the child. I tried to provide some subtle guidance by asking him who he wanted to consult; the local head of his order? The parish priest? The party? Eventually, he confided in another character who observed that he seemed more concerned for himself; “I could go to prison.” than with “I might be killing an innocent to save the world.”
Later, I thought everything was going to be resolved and the character triumphant, but then things went downhill again. The character had hit on an excellent (perhaps even brilliant) solution when he declared that he would invoke an aspect “With Faith All Things Are Possible”, determine whether or not the child had a soul, and if it had been sold to Satan, he would get it back. Unfortunately, when I asked how he wanted to proceed, he said that his character was going to the rifle range to practice marksmanship, in case he had to “blow her head off.” while the player went back to texting his girlfriend. [Maybe that’s the problem.] His actions did not strike me as being an Act of Faith – quite the opposite in fact… as two of the other players commented at the end of the session.
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As moral dilemmas go that one is particularly harsh I suppose you should signpost him a good out in that
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There's another possibility I neglected to bring up in my initial post...the issue may not be related to the dilemma presented at all. It could be an external issue being acted on via game play. That's what your expanded explanation makes me think.
Talk to him. Find out what he's looking for and, if you can, his complaints.
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well, for starters, you put your priest in a very challenging moral dilemma, one that most other players won't have to face anything remotely similar. He tried various faith aspects (such as holy water), which did not work. if your player is normal he'd hate killing an innocent, regardless of his character's affiliation.
More likely than not, it feels unbalanced to him. He has the biggest struggle, so I'd say he's frustrated and locked into what seems like a hopeless situation.
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I don't think that's a bad dilemma at all. Try to find a way to stop the demon from taking over, if that fails, kill the kids AFTER the demon is in charge (harder than just killing a kid, but not impossible, I'd think). It's a PROBLEM, but not something terribly difficult to manage in principle. Seems like the player freaked for no good reason. So either he expects everything to be super-easy or there's something else going on like Umbra said.
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A) I think that is a pretty harsh moral dilemma.
B) These types of dilemmas happen with some regularity in the fiction, so you're totally justified in having such moral conflicts.
I occasionally find myself having to say to my own players "you're almost there - you're doing great" when a particular challenge seems to be confounding them.
I feel bitterpill's suggestion of nudging the player towards some sort of "out" or signpost might be alright. Perhaps have a priest NPC - of his own volition - approach the character, as if God felt there was some way he could help with something, the same way Michael just ends up where he is needed all the time. Don't make it a social conflict to force the PC to unburden himself, though - the player will feel even more out of control if he is forced by an NPC to spill his troubles, and it would reinforce any perception of player-GM antagonism.
The player may simply be "checked out," however, but without talking to him, it will be hard to determine whether this is some external frustration being expressed in-game, or actual dissatisfaction with feeling trapped by the GM.
Say something like "hey, I know this dilemma is harsh, but it happens all the time in Dresden Files. I'm not doing it to punish you or make your own life hard - it is supposed to make the game more compelling, and to give players serious choices to make so that they can grow. There may be ways out which you haven't identified, but this game isn't supposed to be a chess game between player and GM - we all are here to have fun, so if this isn't fun for you, lets work together on resolving it. We can discuss - out of character - how to resolve this dilemma, without the other players. I'm happy to hear your thoughts and help out if I can: just tell me how you envision this ending."
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A harsh dilemma would be having to kill the kid before the demon takes over or the kid and another kid dies. Something like that REALLY sucks. What we have here is just a difficult problem.
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It is a dilemma, but I can see several ethical (though not necessarily legal) ways out. Kidnap the kid and adopt him out or have him raised by the church. Put the kid through a regimen designed to remove the ritual taint (repeated baths in holy water, various blessings, or even more elaborate rituals). Variations or combinations of those are possible. It could be as simple as ensuring the player knows there are a variety of options to consider beyond murder or possession.
But, when the person reacts angrily and / or passive aggressively, it's probably time to a) cool down and then b) have a reasoned discussion to find out the source of the problem.
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Is it a "no win situation?" Are there multiple possitible actions he could find or invent that would allow him to save the child and hte world?
It sounds like you give your players room to invent solutions, so my impression is that the problem is with this player's personality and not your GM skillz.
A potential loophole someone could point out to him: Given the power and importance of Free Will in the Dresdenverse, despite the blood baptizing and whatnot.... are parents even able to sell or bargain an infant's soul? To quote a poet by the name of Kahlil Gibran:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
(What would be really funny if the whole thing was just a scam to hook the souls of all the adults involved. What could better guarantee a southbound ticket than making a choice and effort to kill and damn a child? Like those FBI scams where they offer to help some clowns blow up some innocent people. Tempt a fellow into trying to do something that will get him damned, even though it's not even possible for him to actually succeed in his attempt.)
If this is the way "souls" and choice work in your game universe, then the parent's can't obligate the child's soul, it's not theirs to peddle. They can get the child killed, influence her choices towards darkness and corruption to predisposer her to choosing things that will lead her on a southerly path, but have no say on where her soul is bound for. An involuntary possession would hardly blemish the innocent soul of a child, I'm thinking. Seal it up in the attic of the mind where it is innocent of whatever acts the skinriding demon commits, or compels the child to commit. Or the soul could be driven out and replaced by the Bad Thing, sending it on it's way to the afterlife while the empty husk is taken over by the demon. Either way, the child's soul is not in peril of damnation even if the character fails.
IF that's the way things work in your game world, then it could be the player has put on some blinders as to possible solutions (Or is just being an ass). If it's a case of not letting himself think outside the box, then some more breadcrumbs are in order to help the player figure out it's not a black or black Damned or Dead choice. Likewise, you can provide hints at opportunities for him to short circuit the Coming of Badness.
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Yes, it is a harsh dilemma. The player wants his character to receive/ wield a holy sword as a Champion of God. We started at Refresh 7 and have been working towards this. The current situation is meant as a Test of Faith or Test of the Heart in order to prove him worthy of this legacy.
Beyond that, I should probably also clarify that the question is not black-and-white. There are different possible solutions and outcomes. Could the cultist succeed? Of course, and the characters have already had a glimpse of what that future could entail. Can the child be saved? Again, yes, depending on what the players choose to do both now and later.
So…That being said, what I’m looking for from the character in question is not so much what he decides as what his motives are for that decision. If he kills the girl because he honestly believes that is the only way to save the world, he has not failed. If he kills her simply because it is the easiest solution, then he has failed. Similarly, if he lets her live because he is afraid that he will go to prison, that is entirely different than if he refuses to kill a potential innocent. I liked his proposed solution! It was great. I just wanted him to show some faith in it… not to immediately turn aside in case he is wrong.
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Gotcha. That being the case, perhaps a thicker trail of bread crumbs leading him to that understanding... that the why is the test, not the what. Or is the player making a concious decision to ignore any and all breadcrumbs? Like someone who remains determined to dislike something for no purpose other than to remain "faithful" to their initial, if erroneous, impression.
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Again, not that harsh a dilemma if he just has to give an honest effort -- I am not saying this is a bad thing at all, and I find your challenge to be quite appropriate. I think the player might be getting upset their Holy Sword isn't coming super-easy. Honestly, sounds like the player might not have the temperament to properly play a holy warrior if he's constantly thinking self-centered (and petty) thoughts about his character.
That said, not sure it is bad if he prepares for the worst and hopes for the best. Faith doesn't have to mean he's stupid. From how you described it, sounds like the player was extremely frustrated though and just said because he wanted to stop playing for a while.
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Keep us posted.
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Well you've already got a pretty good Carrot to follow up the stick you are beating him with.
Give him an out, heck give him more than one, but they all have consequences. The greatest Act of Faith that anyone can commit is Sacrifice. So the final test could be an opportunity for him to take the Curse or whatnot onto himself, so HE will be the one forced to deal with the constant temptation of the angry but still subtle demonic master. Then it turns into an ongoing challenge for the character and a new aspect to boot "The Demon on my Shoulder"! That's almost classic Dresden there and having a Demon on Board could present its own benefits as well as complications.
The easiest way to introduce such a concept would be via a book; he or a scholar he knows finds a book that has a ritual to re-direct whatever ritual was used on the child, the catch to it being that he has to take the curse onto himself...THEN see what he does...heck have fun and make it a little more obvious by giving the ritual a pseudo-Chrisitian name like "The Penitent Man" or "Redemption of the Innocent".
Of course this won't help if this is an out-of-game issue... but it could make the ordeal a sweeter pill to swallow. So otherwise just gonna have to sit him down and ask him what his real problem with the situation is...and if he lames out...*shrug*
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Yes, it is a harsh dilemma. The player wants his character to receive/ wield a holy sword as a Champion of God. We started at Refresh 7 and have been working towards this. The current situation is meant as a Test of Faith or Test of the Heart in order to prove him worthy of this legacy.
*This is a harsh dilemma- both ingame and metagame.
*Given the goal- a holy sword- this seems appropriate.
*Let him discover this is the reason for the test. Don't directly tell him. Either have an NPC drop hints or keep using words like "test" during his turns.
If things deteriorate consider telling him that it's a test for a sword. Keep us posted, I'm curious how this ends.
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Sometimes players build aspects and traits into their characters that they don't actually want to be challenged at every turn. Just like showing an interest in befriending an NPC doesn't always mean the GM has to kidnap or kill those NPCs, this character's faith may be something the player wants as a cornerstone of their character, something immutable. They might be perfectly happy with you turning the screws on another part of their character.
However... what you're saying sounds like this ain't the problem. The player called you a bitch and flipped you off when you presented the problem. So far his solutions have been those of a lazy cleric. Splash holy water, collect Sword of the Cross? Petulant and indignant when that fails. Complains that another PC would raise holy hell if he killed the child? Make it obvious that you don't see that as the only way out, and it's not your intention for the True Believer to fall so easily into "kill the kid, collect Sword of the Cross".
After his one good idea, he then goes to the range and gets all passive-aggressive and goes to texting on his phone. Now the player is disrespecting your time and the group's time. He is the bitch now.
I think the player might be getting upset their Holy Sword isn't coming super-easy. Honestly, sounds like the player might not have the temperament to properly play a holy warrior if he's constantly thinking self-centered (and petty) thoughts about his character.
Drachasor has the right of it IMO. The player wants to play a lazy fuckin' cleric, to toss holy water at the problem and go home for pancakes. Lazy clerics don't get Swords of the Cross. The player doesn't want to engage himself in the game like the other players. That's a shame, but hey, work with that. He doesn't have to be in the spotlight. A lazy cleric can be an excellent supporting role. It's just too bad that your plot right now kind of centers on his faith and you've discovered that he's a terrible holy man.
I certainly don't know your bitch player's religious tendencies if any, but my more suspicious mind wonders if he is playing a shitty priest to act out passive aggressive feelings towards religion? Playing a lazy cleric might be how he sees the faithful. He might be trying to make some misguided point. That too is okay, but you might want to sit down and rework his Aspects. :)
I would plan for a failure scenario. The kid gets possessed and twists into some kind of terrible soulless beast that the party can kill without remorse in case ApathyMan over here can't be arsed to care about his character's motivations or the situation before him.
EDIT: I disagree with Katarn. Be open and explicit about the situation with the player. Fuck immersion and player/character knowledge splits. Tell him exactly what the stakes are here.
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It does sound like the GM'ing and the storytelling aren't the problem, rather the problem is the personality of this particular player I'm afraid. The solution appears to be based on nerd herding people skills, how much effort is it worth to keep this player in the group, that sort of thing. Some times a player is a great fella to have around, who just has the odd personality issue... other times you get a player who really just brings nothing to the table as a friend or playmate. I can say that while my old players and I constantly flipped each other off and called each other names, it was just because of our vulgar and course nature, there was no anger and it certainly wasn't "heartfelt."
Something you don't need to answer here, but should think about: Is this player bringing more positive things to your game than he is negative? Unless he's a close personal friend of yours or some vital member(s) of the group, it might be time to find a new playmate. We gamer geeks are often introverts and understandably don't like the thought of kicking a fellow misfit out of a group, but if all he's doing is poisoning things...
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This sounds like one of those situations where you need to sit down and converse with the player. Ask him what the issue is, what's not fun for him. Ask him what he thinks would be more fun. Tell him what you're hoping to do with the situation and see if that's cool with him. Keep in mind that while it's okay for things to suck for the character, it's not cool if it sucks for the player.
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EDIT: I disagree with Katarn. Be open and explicit about the situation with the player. Fuck immersion and player/character knowledge splits. Tell him exactly what the stakes are here.
depends on the person methinks. But yea considering what we know about this guy "explicit" might be the way to go. If it were a less whiny player I'd hint at it (it's actually what I'd prefer were I the cleric). Depends on the player. In this case, if you tell him you get it out in the open if it's the conflict in-game or if it's the player. As said above, find out if the player has issues with religion, and if he's integral to your party.
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Harsh dilema? I don't even see any alternatives. The child needs to be protected and observed. The demon, when it approaches, will need to be fought, with whatever allies and weapons can be mustered. I forsee an epic battle in the never-never, or some sort of ritual excommunication taking place in heavily warded holy sanctum.
The great thing about playing a character who has Faith is that overwhelming odds are and opportunity to prove your faith, be it through triumph in the face of adversity or death in the service of that faith. If the player is not embracing that ethos, then he's treating Faith like its a 9 to 5 job rather than a Calling.
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I love dilemmas like this; this is the pinnacle of role playing potential.
While in real life, I don't think I would "kill the child", I also don't see too many actual demonic possessions happening. In role playing, I get to live in a world that is more intense, more dangerous (okay If I really wanted real life danger THAT much I suppose I could volunteer in war-torn country or something - so clearly I don't).
If the player is busy texting his GF during the game, and his consultations with other players are about consequences, not about PLAYING his character, maybe he's missing the point of an RPG in the first place.
Dian
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So what happened? Inquiring minds want to know!
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I know what my PC True Believer would do he would kill the child and claim he was sending her soul to god to save her from the corruption of Satan because the soul is eternal and life is ephemeral (He would spend a session convincing himself of this perhaps with scripture or alcohol).
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The child needs to be protected and observed. The demon, when it approaches, will need to be fought, with whatever allies and weapons can be mustered. I forsee an epic battle in the never-never, or some sort of ritual excommunication taking place in heavily warded holy sanctum.
Hell yes. Sneak into the creature's lair and slay it as Beowulf did, or dare the bastard to come to you and make your stand, like Assault on Precinct 13.
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I know what my PC True Believer would do he would kill the child and claim he was sending her soul to god to save her from the corruption of Satan because the soul is eternal and life is ephemeral (He would spend a session convincing himself of this perhaps with scripture or alcohol).
Indeed, that would be a bitterpill to swallow. :p
Sorry, couldn't help myself!
-EF
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Indeed, that would be a bitterpill to swallow. :p
Sorry, couldn't help myself!
-EF
I think Harry would burn someone trying to do that with eldritchfire.
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I think Harry would burn someone trying to do that with eldritchfire.
Harry also has a blind spot towards family, children, and women that's about a mile in diameter.
I don't see the issue, honestly. If the character is a follower of the White God, that is the God who has specifically instructed the tribes of Israel to put women and children to the sword. Children being precious is a Western idea, not a Biblical one.
The character could either
A. figure that nobody is really innocent after they can talk
or B. figure that sending a child to the afterlife with a clean, pure soul is far better than having it corrupted or eaten by a demon.
If the PC wanted to find another way, they'd probably be trying to be more creative.
It honestly sounds like the player chose a character that he didn't really want to play. I agree with others that you're not being unfair, OP. It actually sounds like an interesting story line.
As long as you give the character room to move, offer choices, compel appropriately, and allow the character to find information pointing in the right direction, the problem is not you.
If the player is really lost, perhaps you could offer a compel as a nudge in the right direction.
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Thanks everyone for their various insights and advice. It has been very helpful. I had not previously considered such things as the player being agnostic as possible factors. I finally had a chance to talk to him last night and while he did not choose to confide what is really bothering him, he did say that I shouldn’t worry about it and gave the impression that it was not, or was only peripherally game related. He also agreed that this type of conflict is and should be part of role-playing, and even went on to reminiscence about similar situations he himself had devised as a GM.
Meanwhile, other players are also involved in the current plot and have devised solutions like those proposed by Drachasor and UmbraLux. The doctor who now the child’s foster mother and wants to legally adopt her has decided to have “Ellie” baptized in her own church, thus dedicating her to God in order to counter any demonic influence and protect both the child and her right to make her own choices. In fact, she insisted on explaining it all to the child first, and asking her consent. [The girl agreed on the condition that she wouldn’t have to live at the church and was allowed to bring her stuffed rabbit to the ceremony.]
The other question which was addressed was that of the child’s soul; did she have one? was it / or could it be claimed? Two PCs, the Doctor and the Ghostspeaker, clearly agree with Paynesgrey on this question and don’t understand why the others are harboring doubts. The Focused Practitioner is doing research, and the Were-cougar (who is taciturn at the best of times) seems to be ignoring the whole debate and just guarding the child and her home. By the end of the session, it appeared that the True Believer had decided to join him. His character reported to the local head of his order and declared that for now, he intended simply to watch.
So, overall the dilemma/test has become more protracted than I initially expected, but since the sword he wants to claim is the sword of patience/endurance that may not be inappropriate. I also like Ren’s suggestion for the final test if that is not too difficult for the player who remains somewhat distracted, but did seem more connected to both his character and the group.
I guess we’ll have to see what happens, and if one of the other characters does become responsible for the kid… well, the cult is still out there, and her natural mother, and who knows who else might take an interest?
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"Only if she could bring her stuffed rabbit to the ceremony."
That's pure gold. Love it.
Wanna really see if he has patience and endurance, able to handle curve ball?
Lawyers.
The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up. No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples. Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served. She appears on milk cartons as "missing." The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show. And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.
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"Only if she could bring her stuffed rabbit to the ceremony."
That's pure gold. Love it.
Wanna really see if he has patience and endurance, able to handle curve ball?
Lawyers.
The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up. No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples. Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served. She appears on milk cartons as "missing." The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show. And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.
I love that idea, however if the player is having a hard time as it is....
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Good point, particularly if the issue is based on real-life emotional matters. Although you can always stick the idea in a jug for later use... ;)
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Wanna really see if he has patience and endurance, able to handle curve ball?
Lawyers.
The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up. No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples. Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served. She appears on milk cartons as "missing." The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show. And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.
My God. That's brilliant. If you think your player can handle it, DO IT. It's the end to a series of difficult tests, encompassing many aspects- ones worthy of Sword.
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The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up. No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples. Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served...
I really like this idea. It might even help by shifting the focus to another player, the Doctor who would be the central figure in a custody battle while allowing the True Believer to lurk on the sidelines watching for demons. [Assuming he doesn't just go homicidal on the cultists]
The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show. And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.
Especially this bit. And since the mother is already suspected of being an unfit parent -- the child was originally found abandoned, suffering from voluntary mutism and malnutrition -- let's make it a cultist claiming to be her unknown father. What are the players going to say? "He's lying. He can't be the father. Her father is dead. I've talked to his ghost!"
Then I suspose the "Larry Fowler Show" arranges DNA testing. Hmmmmm... How accurate are those tests? Would a maternal Uncle (assuming involvement in the cult is a family tradition) be close enough genetically for the tests to come out positive? Or does our law firm just fudge the data?
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I'd have them fudge the data; it wouldn't make for a good story if the PCs dig in to investigate... and then find out that the data is exactly as presented and there's nothing worth having pursued in that direction. Of course, make sure that some NPC brings up the "near relative" option, so that the PCs won't know from the get-go that it's being fudged.
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DNA tests, done properly are quite accurate. But databases can be hacked, results switched, and all manner of mundane and mojo-ical skullduggery can take place.
(http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/paynesgrey2000/screenshot_110223-17-46-50-1-1.jpg)
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Do your characters have any Aspects with respect to a legal approach? Would the child and the characters acting as her guardians not have proper documentation? Would the characters not have covered the legal aspect in the first place or made it much much more difficult?
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If the right bureaucracies are infiltrated or even have just one or two employees who can be suborned, fake pedigree and custody papers would be pretty simple to cook up. Same goes for the electronic paper trail. It would take resources and an understanding of the involved social agencies, but with the right connections and some happy joe money bucks, I could provide certifiable "proof" that not only are you my firstborn child of the sex opposite your real sex, but also that you've signed a Power of Attorney allowing me to commit you for your own good... It's easy to get a bureaucracy to crap out pretty much whatever you want if you know how to feed it. Then the party that gets there the firstest with the mostest lawyers is likely to win, at least initially.
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Do your characters have any Aspects with respect to a legal approach? Would the child and the characters acting as her guardians not have proper documentation? Would the characters not have covered the legal aspect in the first place or made it much much more difficult?
Yes... maybe and it's complicated. We already had the custody question playing out in the background, involving legal claims and issues from two different states.
You see, the mother (cultist) tended to regard the kid primarily as property to be dedicated, sold or sacrificed as she chose. The father [listed on the birth certificate as unknown] was a Changeling who when he discovered this, managed to steal the child away through the Nevernever at the cost of his life.
The result was that the girl was found in New Mexico apparently abandoned, no known identity (and no matches on missing children databases) and showing signs of abuse/neglect. She became a ward of the state and Betty, the doctor PC, became her foster mother and legal guardian.
Since then, the mother has come forward claiming custody working through the court system in her home state as well as behind the scenes with cultist minions lurking in the bushes. Betty has hired both a lawyer and a PI. She has also been is taking the child to a therapist and working closely with Social Services – in short doing everything right to advance her petition to adopt.
Now, we get to add the evil law firm and whole media circus – although I doubt Betty would consent to appear on television. Still, that won’t stop nosy reporters from ambushing her outside the court, or at work or possibly even at her home.