Simplicity

The Aspects are limitless. There’s simply too many unique personality traits that people can have! The one constant, however, is that in every story, there are pairs. A foil character, in a sense, who compliments and opposes the other. There are certain aspect pairs that are more common than others.

Youth and Age are an exceptionally common pair in Simplicity. This pair focuses more on the concept of growing up, the lifespan of a people, race, of anything really! Time is a key component of their abilities and focuses.

Youth players tend to have to face their childishness. This is not to say that Youth players are happy-go-lucky people who have no sense of adulthood. Instead, these tend to be people who value their childhood or the youthfulness of something over everything else. The challenge they face is to turn away from that ideal - not abandoning it completely, but recognizing that there is a time and a place for a child to be, but in the midst of war, there is no place for children. They will come to find a place for the childishness of youth and their own outlook, instead of letting it rule their entire life.

Age players, on the other hand, must face the inevitability of change. While Youth players commonly accept the change that occurs and cling to the past, Age players accept the change that occurs and cling to the future. They have high hopes, often, and work and strive towards their goals. They tend to be very mature individuals and often have a twinge of perfectionism, though it’s not a mandatory part of their aspect. Their challenge is found in realizing the losses their maturity causes and in the journey back to the childishness they often abandon in their attempt to cling to the future. They come to find a place for the maturity of their age and their own outlook, instead of letting it rule their life.

But what do we truly know about the Black Queen and White King, or their Court? What follows is everything you can gather from the tales you’ve heard. These are some of the common Noble roles you have found:

The White King is the highest power of the White Kingdom. A true leader and an active being, this person will be the one with the most knowledge of how to lead, particularly in the circumstances the story presents. As with the Black Queen, the person who fulfills this role cannot stray far from the Kingdom, having to rely on others to retrieve the source of their True power: the Black Scepter.

The Black Queen, on the other hand, is the highest power of the Black Kingdom. A true leader and a passive being, this person will be the one with the most knowledge of how to lead, particularly in the circumstances the story presents. As with the White King, the person who fulfills this role cannot stray far from the Kingdom, having to rely on others to retrieve the source of their True power: the White Scepter.

The White Queen and The Black King are two sides of the same coin, in some senses. They are always the second highest power, but ironically, are completely optional in the scheme of the story. This role is only fulfilled by those beings who are, shall we say, invisible forces. They are often left behind: forgotten. Small, but powerful. They are easily manipulated or swayed one way or another, and unlike the other roles, they do not have a power object.

Princes/Princesses possess leadership qualities, but they are not ready for the commitment of being a King or Queen; there is something that holds them back. They have doubts and are uncertain figures, even if it is not outwardly visible. Their quest requires of them to leave the castle, and, if a Civilian is present, they must aid the Civilian in their quest. They rely on their crowns, which, when used properly, give them the ability to hone into the thoughts of others. The more adept they are in their quest, the more they can hear from the thoughts of others. This class has only ever been present in the case that a Lord/Lady is present as well.

Lords/Ladies are decisive, able individuals who are unfit to lead in any capacity for one way or another. They consider themselves the judge and jury of their own lives and, frequently, of others. They are often somewhat corrupt in the sense that they frequently choose right and wrong based on their own goals. This is why their power comes from their Coins. A Lord/Lady relies on choices, and their Coins allow for a binary choice. No matter what happens, when given a choice, the Coin’s answer will be what goes, if the Lord/Lady chooses to flip it. However, this can prove to be dangerous. Their quest is their own, but when they are present, they frequently create conflict through use of their Coin.

A complete list of all of the roles would be impossible, but you have managed to collect some into this space. These roles - the Lords/Ladies, the Princes/Princesses, the Kings, and the Queens - all have roles to play. These Noble roles do not have sub-classes, but there are many more nobles you have yet to research. Given time, more may arise. Until that point, this list will do.

The Black Queen and White King are, of course, essential to every kingdom. Without these two forces, there is no Simplicity, and thus, nothing to read. You have no knowledge of if there has ever been a single kingdom tale, and frankly, you wouldn’t know who to ask.

But you do know there’s been tales with more than just a King and Queen. It’s rather common, actually. After all, what is the King and Queen without their subjects? Not including the Nobility, these are some of the most common Roles:

The Bards find power in their instruments, whatever they may be, and have one of the most important jobs of any Role. They find the Treasure and get it where it needs to go. These are the ones who interact most with the story. Commonly fun loving and free-spirited, they also tend to have similar Aspects to learn in the course of their quest.

The Civilians form their own quests, independent of the society around them. They are subjects of the King or Queen, and it is up to them to forge their own path, to decide who to follow and why. Their only caveat is to aid the Prince or Princess on their quest with the use of their seemingly infinite bags. They are those who struggle to find their standing in life, and their quests often determine that standing for them.

The Artisans craft their destinies in their kingdoms, strongly supporting all those who come to their workshops with the tools of their trade. Using these tools, they can craft anything they need, so long as they physically can. Creative followers, they will follow those in charge with loyalty, if a bit rebellious at times.

The Soldiers are under the command of the King and Queen of their specific kingdom. They are the ones who will obey orders and do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals, whatever they may be. Ambitious and often head-strong, they will often choose their own paths and deviate from the wills of the king and queen, though the loyalty of Soldiers is known to be fatal in some cases. Their weapons are strong, befitting their personalities - though, there are tales that include legendary weapons of fantastical metals that can do wondrous feats.

Lastly, there are The Servants. They are under direct command of the King and Queen, but specifically, under the Black King and White Queen. Born into servitude and enslaved by the golden bands they wear, their power comes from their ability to serve. However, their destiny comes with a crueler fate. Each Servant is cursed. They will always betray someone, in the end, whether by choice or by accident. Those without clear paths in life, and often with regrets left unsaid, tend to be tasked with the Servant Role. Fear them.

These Roles - the Bards, Civilians, Artisans, Soldiers, and Servants - are not essential to a good story. However, they are common in these stories and are often the driving force of the plot. Not only that, but there are far more sub-Roles and Roles that are not yet in this list, as there are near infinite Roles (and, consequently, Aspects) and near infinite stories. There are many more you know.

Simplicity is a land in the midst of war. There’s two distinct sides in most cases of the story - the Black and White side. This derives directly from chess. These two sides are trying to gain the ultimate treasure. When this treasure is gained, the story ends - it is uncertain if this treasure leads to that kingdom winning the war or not. The story ends without going any further.

The two kingdoms are not very different, but those who rule and exist within the kingdoms usually differ slightly. The Black Kingdom consists of many citizens who have grown tired of the feud with the White Kingdom. They have grown restless and, as the time of the story’s beginning draws nearer, the people will begin to act. It is up to the Black Queen, a passive force and the highest power in the kingdom, to keep her subjects calm for a time.

Opposing this, the subjects of the White Kingdom do not wish for a war - or, if they do, they do not want to land the first blows. Passive and relaxed, the subjects of the White Kingdom wish for the war to end without action, and instead resolve itself with peace. Those few subjects who do wish for action are the minority. It is up to the White King, an active force and highest power in this kingdom, to rally his subjects into action with him.

This is the Hierarchy of Simplicity: a Black Queen vs. a White King. One force is passive and the other active. The difficulties arise in the teammates that join these two forces, for those in the White Kingdom are predominantly passive, and those in the Black Kingdom are predominantly active. This point of contention between the ruling powers and the subjects can lead to... interesting results, to put it simply.