The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Margrave held his sword in both hands. He was panting, and his face was a grimace of pain, but he stood as the last man on the practice field. Around him half a dozen others groaned, coughing, holding their ribs and clawing at their helms. A brass bell sounded, and Margrave lowered his blunted blade.

"Another victory, my lord," Taran called, smiling. "Is that the third wave, now?"

"The day of the prophecy draws night," Margrave said, removing his helmet and shaking out his hair. His dark eyes were blazing, and his strong, white teeth were bared in a fierce smile. "Have you prepared yourself for it?"

"What need have I for that?" Taran laughed, clapping Margrave on his pauldron. "We have you, after all."

Margrave chuckled, and shook his head, turning toward the cooling pitcher of ice water, and helping several of the other warriors to their feet. Taran's smile wavered as he watched him go. Belief was a powerful thing... but would it be enough to allow Margrave to carry the day?

He hoped it would... or this whole story would all be for naught.

When A Lie Becomes The Truth

Prophecy is a common structure for many of our fantasy stories. Whether it's an oracle stating that the greatest warrior will defeat the dark lord in single combat, or that the scion of a lost king will rise from the ashes to break the bonds of a tyrant, we've seen these heroes rise time and time again in our stories.

But what if the prophecy is a lie? Or worse than a lie... what if it was manufactured? An artificial hope meant to sow the seeds of a story that would lead people to try to become the ones who were foretold?

This can make a character who seems like a Chosen One into somebody far more understandable... and it can be a cliff they're rushing toward in the unfolding narrative!

Say, for instance, that the barbarian was told they were the last child of a lost line of great warrior kings. This makes them train harder, and fight without fear, striving to become the Bearer of The Crimson Crown who cannot be defeated in battle. A sorcerer's bloodline manifests in the form of a powerful storm, and they attempt to reach deeper into themselves because they believe they are the Bringer of The Storm mentioned in the Scrolls of Aznarus. Perhaps these characters are groomed by others who whisper in their ears, pushing them to try to reach heights others wouldn't even try for. It's possible these false prophecies have inspired generations of adventurers who each thought they were the special one mentioned, and sooner or later one of them will succeed where all the others failed.

And it's important to remember this concept isn't just for individual PCs.

A false prophecy is a good way to make a party of adventurers feel like they are the ones destined to free a kingdom, slay an ancient lich, or even challenge the gods themselves. It isn't until they're dealt their death blows that it becomes clear the prophecy that named them was a lie. Additionally, a false prophecy like this could just as easily be the villain's origin story. They, too, once thought they were the chosen one... and when it was made clear the whole thing was a lie, they turned down a much darker path to write their own destiny.

For good or ill, this backstory can be a bit of a twist, but that's part of what makes it so fun and versatile! And if you're looking for potential prophecies to base this concept around (whether it's for a PC, the entire party, their villain, or perhaps all three!), I would highly recommend checking out the following supplements:

- 100 Prophecies and Proverbs From The Black Basilisk

- 100 Oracular Pronouncements

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Unusual Character Concepts post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my gangland noir series starring a Maine Coon enforcer with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more content, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!