The Idol

Right now—in the 2020s—it’s K-Pop. Before that—at least in Asia—it was J-Pop. While there might be superficial similarities to manufactured pop stars and boy- and girl-bands in North America and Europe, the term Idol has particular significance when applied to the star system in Korea and Japan. These stars are not only trained in music and dance performance, but cultivate an image of accessibility and even connection—an intentional para-social relationship that is based on the idea that the Idol is just like you, they are your avatar in the world of superstardom, and that they rely on you to support and protect them. That probably isn’t true of every Idol and Idol group, nor is it necessarily intentional, but it kind of helps identify and categorize a particular approach and style.

And this is definitely not intended to denigrate the Idols. They are amazing performers—singers, dancers, and actors all in one. They work insanely hard and undergo incredible stress in pursuit of their art. Maybe they are doing it for the money or the adulation, but aren’t we all? Pick any singer-songwriter of note. They could have stayed in the coffeeshop or the club but they instead sought the limelight. We want to share our art with the world (man, can I relate to that!) and maybe bring some joy. I would expect that most Idols are no different. Money is how the world shows it cares.

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All Clear, All Broken

This adventure is designed for a cyberpunk or near-future dystopia kind of setting, but could certainly be adapted to almost any genre with a bit of work. Instead of an arcology, maybe it’s a village the local lord has abandoned. Maybe it’s a neighbourhood in a city in an ungoverned space.

The basic premise is one that has been seen throughout history—when the authorities decide not to resource civil order in an area, someone ultimately arises to impose it. Those that arise as alternative providers of civil order are either criminal organization or they evolve into one. It then becomes really difficult of state authorities to then reassert power over the area, if they ever try. The areas have often become heavily criminalized with extreme sanctions for those cooperating with the authorities.

The adventure works best if the region is one the PCs know well through previous interaction. It might be the location of a safehouse, or perhaps an informant or other ally that has helped the PCs previously. A situation like this might end up feeling like a status quo the PCs do not consider shifting or that the PCs do not need to address. I mean injustice and oppression is everywhere, right?

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Sleeping Hearts, Full On Darkness

In The Bad Sleep Well, individuals are merely pawns for the powerful to sacrifice when they become inconvenient. The ambitious who toss aside those who have supported them without remorse are particular villains. Like Hamlet gaining revenge for his father’s fate, The Bad Sleep Well centres on a plot to gain revenge. That’s the inspiration for this one-pager. It could work in a modern, near future, or cyberpunk setting—or even an earlier 20th Century framing. While records were harder to search and harder to duplicate and exfiltrate before digitization, that could add some level of complication to the story, which is always a good thing.

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