In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would do a one-shot using the Quill Letter Writing RPG. For this letter, I am choosing a scenario from the Love Letters (affiliate link) expansion to the game. I have decided to base the letter on a certain style of romantic comedy that is a hallmark of a particular television network. To do this I made some adjustments to several of the game’s elements. For starters, instead of using one of Quill’s standard classes, I made up one of my own: the suitor. For the suitor, I used the same stats as the Courtier, as I felt they best portrayed the typical leading man in these movies. In addition, I changed the name of the recipient of the letter to make it more modern. Finally, for proper form, the letter required six paragraphs instead of Quill’s standard five. The last paragraph is not scored and did not affect the outcome of the game.
Inkpot words are written in red. Flourish words are written in blue.
The rolls and scores for each paragraph are listed after the letter.
For more information on how to play quill, see my first Quill post, The Father.
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Making Amends
Character: Suitor (Custom class with stats based on the Courtier) Brad (Skill: Scenario does not allow skill, so I skipped picking one)
Penmanship: Poor (1d)
Language: Average (2d)
Heart: Good (3d)
Profile: You are corresponding with Emily Penderghast, an ex-lover who left you a month ago after deciding that you weren't committed to the relationship.
You are writing to win back Emily and to explain that you have changed and are more committed than ever. You need to persuade Emily that you both have a future and give examples as to how your life is without your love.
Rules of correspondence: Emily likes when people are straightforward with their correspondence. You are unable to use any skills in this letter.
* * * * *
Dear Emily,
It has been several weeks since the Harvest Festival and the night you walked away from me, clearly embarrassed and heart-broken. I am writing to you now to admit that I had been a fool. I assumed things that I shouldn’t have and made decisions for us without considering your own feelings.
Two months ago you returned to Meadowville to help your father with the watermelon harvest after he contracted COVID-19. I remember the day I drove out to the farm to deliver a truckload of fertilizer your father bought from my parent’s ranch. Not having seen you since high school, you can imagine my surprise when you answered the door. I took one look at you and thought to myself, “Little Emily Penderghast is all grown up!” Seeing you standing there with your fancy dress, high heels, and made-up face, I was certain you wouldn't last a week on the farm. (I also thought you should be wearing a mask.)
Those first few days proved me right. I would stop by the farm and see you dripping with sweat and muddy from head to toe. Your back ached from lifting the melons and your hands were blistered from gipping the tools. You swore that eternal Hellfire would be preferential to suffering another day picking melons and living in this backwoods town. You made it clear that as soon as the harvest was over you would be returning to the big city and your job as a publishing agent. After all, you were on track to become a Head Editor and you made sure I knew you had a boyfriend back home.
But things slowly began to change. I would come by to help you on the farm and teach you ways to work smarter instead of harder. When we had time I drove you into town and showed you the charms life in Meadowville had to offer. Somehow I even convinced you to help out on the Harvest Festival Planning Committee. We would work the fields in the morning, prepare for the festival in the afternoon, and share a glass of wine under the twinkling stars at night. That’s when something curious began to happen. I was falling for you, Emily Penderghast. And it felt like you were falling for me as well.
I was going to tell you how I felt during the Harvest Festival. I had purchased a watermelon daiquiri, your favorite drink, from one of the stands and was bringing it to you at the gazebo when I saw you with Harold, your boyfriend. He came to the festival to surprise you and you wrapped your arms around him and gave him a big hug. Imagine how sad I felt when I realized you had your life and promotion back in the city and I could never hope that we would ever have a life together. So that night I told you that our relationship was getting in the way of my duties on my parent’s ranch and that it would be best if we went our own ways. How was I to know that you had quit your job in the city to stay in Meadowville to help your father run the melon farm due to the virus robbing him of his sense of taste and the ability to perform proper quality control? Or that you just broke up with Harold and were just giving him a hug good-bye?
As I wrote at the start of this letter, I was a fool. If only I had talked with you and told you how I felt, then I would have known that you felt the same. I have been lost without you and all I can think about is our days and nights together. If it is in your heart to forgive me, then I would beg you for another chance. I want to share my life with you, Emily. I dream of us working your family’s farm together: plowing your fields, tending your crops, and grabbing your melons at harvest. I can only pray that you still feel the same. I eagerly await your response.
With sincerest apologies,
Brad
P1 - Flourish: 1,4,4 Fail Inkpot: 1,5 Success - superior word Penmanship: 6 Success
Total Score: 2
P2 - Flourish: 1,5,6 Success Inkpot: 2,2, Fail - inferior word (-1 for flourish) Penmanship: 5 Success
Total Score: 0
P3 - Flourish: 2,2,4 Fail Inkpot: 6, 6 Success - superior word Penmanship: 5 success
Total Score: 2
P4 - Flourish: 1, 4, 5 Success Inkpot: 1,3 Fail - inferior word (-1 for flourish) Penmanship: 2 Fail
Total Score: -1
P5 - Flourish: 1,2,2 Fail Inkpot: 2,4 Fail-inferior word Penmanship: 4 Fail
Total Score: 0
P6 - Not scored. Added only to finish out the letter.
Total Letter Score: 3
Result: Less than 5 points: Emily writes back. She is put off at your lack of faith in her and finds your behavior immature. You are horrid and your letter lacks sincerity. In no uncertain terms, she makes it painfully clear that you are the last person she would let plant their seeds in her fertile soil. In fact, she seriously doubts you have any seeds to plant. She is civil enough, however, to wish you well, but never speaks to you again.
(Actual text: Emily writes back, believing that you are worse than ever and that there is no hint of sincerity in your writing. You receive no further correspondence.)
Well, this is not how these movies typically end. I guess this story was featured on that lesser-known television network: the Hellmark Channel.
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