AC Spotlight: Harlequin's Hollowed Hearth
We sat down with Eleanor, the Game Master of Harlequin's Hollowed Hearth.
In this episode of AC Spotlight, we sat down with Elanor, the GM of Harlequin’s Hallowed Hearth and the creative force behind the new AP: An End to Hunger.
Spotlight: An End to Hunger
If you love Gothic horror, then this is the series for you. Set in the "Immortal Principality of Ustalav" within the Pathfinder 2e Lost Omens setting, the show leans heavily into supernatural mystery and "gaslight" horror.
Pathfinder 2e is extremely integrated with its lore," Elanor says. "Everywhere on the world of Golarion, there are different stories being told in real time. If you want to tell a Gothic story with murders and the supernatural, you go to Ustalav.
The Rule of Cool
In a system as dense as Pathfinder, Elanor has a specific take on house rules. She believes rules should be "written in stone" primarily to protect the players' builds.
The point of Pathfinder is to create singular, iconoclastic characters," she says. "If I 'rule of cool' something that undercuts what a player specifically built their character to do, I’m not serving the table. The rules that are set in stone are the ones that make my players feel like heroes.
The GM as a Gardener
Elanor rejects the idea of the GM as an antagonist or a "fame-seeker." Instead, she views GMs as vigilant gardeners.
"Player characters are extensions of themselves... beautiful little pieces they have plucked off and planted. We need to water them and help them grow and live outside of their own body in a way they never could."
You can find Elanor and the Harlequin’s Hallowed Hearth crew here.