Mack wrote:Nekira Sudacne wrote:Actually....I suddenly wonder if this isn't why Kevin keeps putting off writing anything about Lazlo forever. If that's the case he kind of wrote himself into a Corner. Erin Tarin from the first day has done nothing but Praise Lazlo as a bastion of tolerance, respect, learning and peaceful commerse with never a bad thing to say. So subconiously he CAN'T write Lazlo into Rifts because if he did he'd have to shatter the dream. The Lazlo book cannot exist beucase Lazlo cannot exist, he cant' write Utopias, so he'd have to shatter the dream that Lazlo IS all it's said to be. Because then Erin Tarn would be wrong or a fool and he can't have that!
One of the freelance writers (I forget which) said something similar. To create drama, tension, etc, you need to have something dark to contrast the light against. He said he didn't know how to write a Lazlo book without including some sort of dark underside. Otherwise he felt it would be a pretty boring book.
I'm moving this into its own thread to keep from derailing the England campaign discussion, because I think it's worth exploring how to write up Lazlo in a compelling way that's consistent with Rifts. Lazlo is described in fawning terms by Erin Tarn in most of the books, in spite of the fact that, in Kevin's own words, "There are no utopias in Rifts."
In truth, the cracks in the facade of perfection are already beginning to show. In Aftermath, Lazlo is described as being inundated with refugees, rife with unemployment, and plagued by crime. I'd play this angle up.
When I was a kid, I once read in Mad Magazine: "How far can you open your mind before your brains fall out?" This would be the spiritual core of how I'd write Lazlo. By taking in so many, so fast, it's a would-be melting pot utopia that's quickly degenerating in prosperity, security, and identity. It's got shiny and clean parts surrounded by slums and refugee camps that are messy, dirty, and often dangerous. I'd describe Lazlo as a city undergoing rapid cultural, social, and demographic change with three main groups and philosophies vying for control.
First, there's the pre-Tolkeen crowd in power that's all about high-minded idealism and trying to save the world. They've hiked taxes way up and are trying to provide all kinds of aid both within the city and abroad. Erin Tarn is a staunch supporter of this group, but their support is waning, and they may get voted out of power soon without allying themselves with one of the other two power blocks.
Second, there's the refugee population. Thanks to Lazlo's efforts, they aren't starving and desperate anymore. However, they are very poor, mostly unemployed, crammed into slums and refugee camps, and reliant on meager relief supplies while the citizens of Lazlo enjoy luxuries in comfortable, shiny buildings just a mile or two away. Many among the refugees that resent and even hate the Lazlo leadership for doing nothing while the CS crushed Tolkeen. Others resent the citizens of Lazlo who won't hire them and look down on them. Most hate the Coalition with a passion and want to see Lazlo take a more aggressive stance against the Prosek regime. Their leaders are veterans of the Tolkeen war, and some locals who live and work closely with this group are coming around to their point of view.
Finally, there's a growing group of reactionary Pre-Tolkeen residents that's all about putting Lazlo First and wants the refugees re-settled somewhere far away. For the most part, this group is isolationist and consists of a broad mix of humans and debees. They're willing to support the fight against existential threats like the Xiticix, Four Horsemen, Mechanoids, and the Minion War, but otherwise prefer to keep out of foreign affairs. This line of thinking has spread to some of the folks in power, as Plato himself has recently aligned himself with this faction, splitting the Council of Learning.
Anyway, if I were to write up Lazlo, that's how I would do it. What do you think? How would you write up Lazlo?
