The Forging of a King One Page Design: The Role of a King and the Elements Needed Outlined in Lord of the Rings

Wicked Story and Characters
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Introduction

I’m impressed with the overall groundwork for the story so far in No Rest for the Wicked. There are many interconnected threads presented already, with a setup for an ambitious and meaningful epic.

I would like to present a one-pager breakdown that I created that is sourced from the research paper written by Judy Ann Ford and Robin Anne Reid: “Councils and Kings: Aragorn’s Journey Towards Kingship in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings”. The paper can be found in Volume VI of Tolkien Studies.

Role of a King - Duty

  1. Kingship is sacral, grounded in spiritual purpose.
  2. Preserve and prosper the people through his relationship with god(s). The head priest – spiritual leader.

Required Elements - The Quest

  • Ancestry traced back to a god. Divinity in royal blood endows the bearer to be capable of divine wisdom and supernatural power.
  • Favor of god(s) as manifested through luck/blessing performing miraculous physical feats.
  • Favor of god(s) as manifested through supernatural abilities;
    1. Healing of the body and the spirit.
    2. Various feats outlined by the relevant culture.
  • Wields a spiritual relic.
  • Anointed in liturgical ceremony: called upon to uphold divine law, defend the realm and religion, protect the weak, and rule justly.

NOTE: Bloodline marks eligibility, but bloodline is not sufficient to make one a King. They must satisfy all elements as a “Quest of Refinement”-- proving their legitimacy and refining their spirit.

Wicked Analysis: Kingship, Religion, and Odessa’s Path from Strider to Elessar

The King is dead, long live the King! Wicked opens with the passing of a King, and the rise of a new one by Primogeniture. One who is young, bold, and is framed as extreme with tyrannical tendencies already.

A supernatural plague has descended upon the Isle of Sacra and threatens the rest of the kingdom.

Religion has been presented immediately as a source of antagonism, with Madrigal Seline leading an Inquisition to purge the isle. The issue of the Church is a theme repeated throughout this first chapter, suggesting that it will continue as a major theme throughout.

Religion is typically sourced in recent media as an easy antagonist. Criticism of corrupt religious leadership is deserved and necessary, but is lazy without a meaningful contrast. Lord of the Rings is a conflict between an overwhelming supernatural force of evil against a world of varying races and cultures with their own spiritual customs. Their goodness is challenged by the ring and showcased their ability for good to hold immense potential for evil (Gandalf, Galadriel, Saruman, Aragorn, etc.)

Consider as well the series The Last Kingdom. Conflict on the British isles between Scots - Welsh - Anglo Saxons - Danes. These are presented in a complex and meaningful way. The Scots and Welsh struggle to maintain the lands they have left after the invasions of angles and saxons, while the anglo saxons face new invasions from the northern germanic countries. Cultures clash. Viking raiders pillage and commit atrocities, while there are also Danes that settle and contribute to a refined culture that would later flourish in the isles. There are crazy Pagan extremists and there are good. There are many pompous Christian priests, but there are also examples of good.

If religion is ultimately used in Wicked as a tool for an antagonist for the player to fight against, it will be passable, largely go without major criticism, but will miss the opportunity to resonate meaningfully in a universal way the way Lord of the Rings does for those who are spiritual and those who are not.

Odessa is already positioned to be a great character. Her father is the ruler of Sacra, and her uncle the late King. She will be viewed as the rightful ruler of the isles as well as a claim to the kingdom. However, she has made herself an outcast, having recognized the need for change with the church, isles, kingdom, and becoming a pirate to fight against outside influence on Sacra. This is great conflict, and we have already seen growth with her character in this first chapter as she has seen the extremes of the Risen’s attempts to slaughter everyone in Sacra. The player came into possession of her Sparrow Horn, an object that is sure to play an important role.

No Rest for the Wicked is already proving to be great and these are only a few of the elements of its storytelling that are captivating me. MOon is seeking to challenge conventions and I wholeheartedly challenge them to do so, that we may have a game that will resonate for many years to come.

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They have set up many pieces for a great story and world. A lot of effort was put into the lines for various NPCs rather than letting them be forgotten. We already have basic ideas of areas outside of Sacra without ever going there which is amazing.

I believe the religion aspect will play a more nuanced role. Madrigal Seline seems to have an inquisitive side to her. While she may have been trying to prove herself to her god, it seemed she was still disappointed by the Cerim’s inability to open the gate. Her interest is further supported by her sneaking her way into the forbidden archives as a child to read heretical information.

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Absolutely. I think she could easily be great whether she is redemptive or the outright villain. Something that really stands out to me is when she first arrives and discovers Ellsworth did not know his brother the King was dead, she does seem genuinely sad for him. This is soon after followed with her being nasty to him, but indicated to me that she was overcompensating for her previous moment of compassion. Could have just been manipulation, but it was a moment that stood out to me.

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100%. Subtlety can do wonders for storytelling. I think that’s a method they’re trying to employ. The facial expressions on characters alone did a lot in their cutscenes which is very exciting.

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