Elements are narrative aspects which you would like your character's story to focus on. They are a way to indicate to the GMs particular aspects of the character's backstory or personality which are most important to you, and which you would like to see explored and developed over the course of the game.
While some Elements may appear at first glance to be “good” or “bad”, “helpful” or “unhelpful”, they do not inherently carry mechanical advantage or disadvantage. A character with a poor reputation may still turn that to their advantage in certain situations, or they may be narratively rewarded for facing their flaws and attempting to redeem themselves. Meanwhile, a character who starts with a close relationship to an NPC may find themselves under certain obligations, or could face challenges when that relationship is tested.
At character creation, you should choose 1 or 2 Elements and provide a brief description (~1-3 sentences) for each. Elements are listed below.
There may be many ways to represent the same core ideas - the following list is for inspiration more than strict or distinct categorisation. Pick whatever seems most fitting for your character's situation.
You have a close relationship with an NPC played by one of the GMs. This could be an NPC already listed on the wiki, or one from your backstory. It could be a friend, a family member, a romantic partner, a rival, or any other close relationship. Who is it, and why are they so important to you?
There is something you have wished for or wanted for your whole life - or at least most of it - however long that has been. What challenges have you faced, or are still in your way? What has been holding you back?
There is something about yourself which causes you trouble: a too-quick temper, feelings of inadequacy compared to your much-adored sibling, or an irrepressible drive to be the best in the town - or even beyond - at your particular craft. How does this impact your daily life? Do you wish you were more like somebody else?
There is a publicly accessible echo in the town which is particularly important to your character for some reason. Perhaps it is one that you yourself created, one that you particularly enjoy or find interesting, or one you believe has some connection to you or your family. What does it say about you? Do others know about this connection, and what would they think if they did?
You are well known for something throughout the town, or even beyond. Fame or infamy, is your reputation deserved? How does it affect you, and do you want to see it change?
You hold a secret close in your heart. Does anyone else already know? What do you fear might happen when it gets out?
Rather than conveying mechanical value to contribute to success or failure, Elements are used to indicate the narrative focus of turnsheet actions.
For example, two characters, Alex and Barbara, have both submitted an action to help the baker prepare some baked goods for the festival. Alex has the Element Close GM NPC: he is the baker's brother. Their relationship has been strained recently, but Alex isn't sure why. He is using this opportunity to talk to the baker and find out what he did wrong. The turnsheet response therefore uses the baking as a backdrop, and focuses on the conversation between the two siblings: they get into an argument which reveals what the problem is to Alex, but the relationship is more strained than it had been, and now he needs to find a way to make things up to his sibling.
Barbara, meanwhile, has the Element Lifelong Dream: she wants to be a baker herself, to follow in the footsteps of her deceased father, but she is still relatively young and has much to learn. The turnsheet response thus focuses more on her internal worries about being good enough. When she makes a mistake, she is scolded by the baker - this is what sparks the argument between the baker and Alex. While she still overhears the gist of that argument, Barbara's narrative is more concerned with her relationship with her own skills, and follows her as she goes to visit her father's grave and gets lost in the emotions tied up in her insecurities and bereavement.
As the game is relatively short, at five sessions OC and five days IC, it is not necessarily expected for characters to fully resolve any issues they start with, but this may naturally occur. They may also face new challenges that come to the forefront of their lives, or you as a player may simply find that another aspect of your character has unexpectedly become more interesting to you, or you would like the narrative to focus on a different aspect of their life. In any of these cases, you are welcome to request changes to your chosen Elements, or the GMs may do so for you. We only ask that you do not ask to change your Elements too frequently, as we will be using the Elements to plan out the broader narrative arc for your character.