STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL

Making choices, awaking voices

- 

Grace has been at a loose end since leaving college, a fact that hasn’t escaped the notice of best friend Freddie, a drummer and lyricist who invites her to a band audition. When, hours later, an exasperated Grace sighs, “I wish I knew where I fit”, we know she’s not just talking about her role in the group. Once the others have left, she vocalises her feelings in song, her voice attracting a young woman who joins in, before introducing herself as Calliope. The title’s a clue that there’s a fantastical element to this world, and if you know your Greek mythology, you’ll be aware that this stranger is the last of the Muses. As the two harmonise, it seems she’s here to help Grace find her voice.

The concept of a ‘roleplaying musical’ shouldn’t be so surprising. After all, the songs in a musical often serve as expressions of internal conflict, which would fit the theme of a choice-driven RPG like a glove. (Not to mention it’s in keeping with modern games’ fondness for exterior monologues.) Stray Gods’ creative director David Gaider had floated the idea more than once while he was a writer at BioWare, which manifested in a musical segment in