CORVIDAE- ARIA MEETS JERRISON.pdf
NO STAKES, INTERACTIONS ARE FLAT, NO REASON FOR JERRISON AND ARIA TO BECOME FRIENDS, SOLUTIONS ARE TOO EASY!
NEW STAKES: Instead of bumping into Aria, Jerrison and Aria meet when Jerrison is thrown out of the Nest. His wings are no longer just clipped, but the Raven Guards snap his arms/wings, leaving him for dead. Aria, using her skills as a biologist, creates splints for his arms, letting them set properly and preventing him from dying. Jerrison already has a hideout, and he asks Aria to take him there. Aria and Jerrison then begin talking as to what caused him to get kicked out, reminding Aria of how she’s not taken seriously in her grad program. They talk about how she wants to get home and he wants to finally find one. Jerrison still likes quarters and shiny things, but Jerrison asks for other things to add to his nest. Finally, while at Jerrison’s nest, he asks if there’s any way he can help her in return for his arms. She asks for any advice on what to do next and he tells her to head to The Nest. He tells her she can come back and ask for any advice she might need, and before she sets out to the Nest, hands her a pen.
What does this fix? - Stakes + Relationship are clearer, focuses on dynamic as mutual outsiders, Aria won’t fully trust him, and likely will not until the end of Act I, but even a shady ally is better than none at all. Aria has more say in the matter, as she’s the one who sets his wings right. The dynamic also has room to grow and evolve as they become closer to each other. Maybe Aria isn’t told Jerrison is framed, but slowly learns it over the course of the game, eventually sharing that information with him to raise the stakes of Aria’s sleuthing.