hello, core differences between bards and sylphs please? this might be an unconventional question (hope this isnt too hard to answer), but im trying to write a fan session for my friends and we hit a roadblock and we kinda need help. sylphs and bards do have different quests and personal journey but im more confused on what is the difference of their actions in-game.
my example, we plan our sylph of breath character to inspire a civil war on derse that upends the balance of the game simply because she was outspoken on how she hates that the king and queen in their session forces and threaten their citizens to be loyal to them and the war at all costs. but my friend said this is more of a thing bard of blood usually do, passively inviting destruction by ruining the team cohesion of their enemies. but i personally think this is more of a case of sylphs breaking the shackles and fixing the freedom for others but fucking up because their character arc and personal quest aren't done yet. what do you think?
This is an interesting case of opposite classes and opposite aspects resulting in two very similar titles. Both could play this role.
Sylphs and Bards are both passive classes, but Sylphs function more as coordinators and supporters while Bards are tricksters and wildcards -- things tend to happen *around* Bards, with less consideration for what they actually want to do.
A Bard's aspect may end up working against them, following the whims of chaos, while Sylphs are on much better terms with their own metaphysics. If the Sylph of Breath starts the war, it's because she acted hastily when she should have been patient; if the Bard of Blood does it, it's because they thought they had more control over the situation than they actually did.
The key difference is in order versus chaos. Bards naturally tend towards chaos, so for them trying to enact order would be what goes against the grain. If your Bard really thought they could handle this political situation, it could hardly do anything *but* devolve into a war, where the bonds they were trying to break might end up even stronger than they were before.
The Bard invites destruction by involving themselves in the fray, and the forces of Blood turn on them as a result. Opposite to this, Sylphs tend towards order. They want to do things cleanly and efficiently. In this case, the Sylph of Breath jumps the gun and acts before she knows all the facts, resulting in chaos and war.
She has good intentions, or maybe doesn't even intend to do anything at all but voice her own personal beliefs, but she behaves recklessly. The forces of Breath spin out of her control like she accidentally released an invasive species into the ecosystem. I think ultimately there's no single right answer as to which character is more likely to do this.
It depends on what would work best in the story. Consider, are there any particular themes you want to write about? The Bard's path here is one of dramatic irony, overestimating one's own ability, and consequences of getting involved with other people's problems.
The Sylph's path is about small actions with big consequences down the line, paving the road to hell with good intentions, and in a sense failing to "put your own oxygen mask on first" -- trying to help others but falling through due to lack of foresight.
They are similar, and the ultimate outcome is the same, but which path is best depends on the structure of the rest of the plot. For whichever character you don't pick for this role, consider what else they can do that's of equal importance to the narrative.
If you find that either one doesn't have any other opportunities to catalyse a major story beat like this, I would suggest giving them this one, and letting the other have the spotlight somewhere else.
