Story Iinput (Now in the right thread, I think.)

[SaddleRider]

I'm oddly stuck on something that, on the surface, seems like it should be easy to solve. Have an evil mage with demon army running roughshod over the land and the people as the bad girl with her foes traveling to face her. One of the lesser foot soldiers is corrupted, but doesn't remember being so.

Party of roughly fifteen. It has mages as well, but I can neuter their skill if need be in a way that makes sense to me. Looking for a way to separate the group in a way/for a reason that seems reasonable. Everything I think of, such as demon hoard blocking the path as they approach a city, stumps me with, 'Yeah, but aren't they always better off sticking together?'

I guess I'm sort of looking for a solution and some internal logic not my own because my own just keeps circling the above.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

Chaotic battle in which part of the group gets separated. (Tolkien uses this several times.)

Competing agendas. Some of the heroes want to help a local farmer. fight demons. Others say its more important to get to the city as quickly as possible. Angry words are exchanged.

There have got to be some natural fault lines in the group. Create a situation that sets one off. The group temporarily splits to avoid the quarrel escalating.

Someone is tired or injured. Group stops for a long rest. A small group leaves to scout ahead or check out something suspicious.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Without knowing more about your world and the scenario its impossible to be great but there are any number of plausible reasons to split up. In no particular order.

Nature splits them. Flash floods happen IRL, as do forest fires, land slides and depending on where you are the occiasional stampede of things you'd rather not be in the way of. Anything that happens relatively quickly (fast enough that people are more focused on "oh shit don't die" than stick together and then they can't get back to the rest of their group. Is it a bit cliched? Yep but who cares.

Race or nationality splits them. The next region is ruled by Tribe X, Tribe X hates Tribe Q and has for generations. Half your people are of Tribe X or at least tribes aligned with X but half are Q or are of tribes that physically resemble Q a bit too much to wander into enemy territory.

Standard interneral grief over the best way forward. Even bestest buddies occasionally disagree on the best way to somewhere? Do you take the straight path that goes through the Black Forest of Burly Balrogs or do you stay on the road even though it's four more days travel? This one is especially effective if Balrogs are supposed to be a myth or perhaps are yadda yadda.

If one of your soldiers is corrupted as you say now could be the time to activate him. He convinces them to split up because it's better that half of them maybe get caught in this area than everybody and your deep in enemy territory. Fighting your way out is not a realistic option.

 

[SaddleRider]

Without knowing more about your world and the scenario its impossible to be great but there are any number of plausible reasons to split up. In no particular order.

If one of your soldiers is corrupted as you say now could be the time to activate him. He convinces them to split up because it's better that half of them maybe get caught in this area than everybody and your deep in enemy territory. Fighting your way out is not a realistic option.

Thanks to all. I can see how this could work now and, honestly, I feel a little dumb for not having seen how to do it believably. I just got stuck with one scene in my head with one way and one thought as to how it should be until I locked up.

 

[Hypoxia]

I posted some insidious suggestions in your prior thread. I'm glad you found a solution.

IRL the trigger is usually sloth or ineptness, not treachery. But betrayal works too.

When in doubt, have a divine force drop a big rock on them. That clears things nicely.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Agreed. Though as a long time DnD player my philosophy tends to be dont' split the party. AT best it comes back together beautifuly, at worst you end up with two entirely separate tales and usually it feels contrived when everybody hooks back up.