Start with a person, not a lore function
Give them a job, relationship, habit, irritation, object or promise. The more specific the ordinary life feels, the stronger the Echo becomes.
People who remain
Echoes
An Echo is an impression of someone who once lived in Qamaris: a memory caught repeating an action, worry, conversation, job or promise.
Choose the size of the idea
A minor Echo can be one unforgettable routine or conversation. A major Echo can recur, carry a side story or reveal more of a region across several encounters.
Let the player discover the life
The Echo does not need to explain itself. A repeated action, a misplaced object and one line of dialogue can say more than a paragraph of exposition.
IDEA STARTERS
Small ideas can carry a whole life.
A guard waiting for the soldier meant to relieve his shift, checking the same gate latch every few moments.
A merchant haggling with an empty stall because she still remembers the customer who always argued over the same spice.
A woman preparing coffee for guests who never arrive, setting out one extra cup that nobody is allowed to move.
A street cleaner sweeping a road that no longer leads anywhere and muttering about children tracking dust back across his work.
A young apprentice hiding a chipped tool because he expects his teacher to notice it any moment.
Two Echoes repeating opposite versions of the same tiny family argument in rooms beside one another.
FROM SPARK TO CONTRIBUTION
Worked example: Zahra the Host
This is not canon. It shows how a small idea can become a complete Echo contribution without needing to solve any major lore.
Name
Zahra
Type
Minor Echo
Possible region
Mother of Cinders or the Stillcourt
Who she was
A neighbour known for receiving guests, remembering everyone's preferences and being quietly offended when somebody refused a second cup.
Echo loop
She arranges three cups, wipes the rim of the fourth, looks toward the doorway and begins again. The fourth place is always left open.
Dialogue
‘He said he would only be a moment.’ / ‘No, no. That cup stays there.’ / ‘You came without him?’
Object hook
A chipped serving cup found elsewhere matches the empty place at her mat. Returning it changes one part of her loop rather than making her disappear.
Book of Names entry
Zahra — neighbour, host, aunt, remembered for never letting a guest leave hungry.
Why it works
The player learns about hospitality, relationships and a missing person through routine and objects. Zahra has a life beyond being a clue.
ONLY IF INSPIRED
Create an Echo
You can also keep exploring. Contribution is an invitation, not the destination of every page.