I have a story idea about an animal-morph character falling in love with a girl from outside Metamor Valley, and going to live with her as she inherits her family's land. I was wondering if anyone has touched on the idea in another story, and how villagers outside Metamor Valley would react to a Keeper living among them. I've read a few stories about Keepers receiving both good and bad receptions in other towns, but I was unsure about the lands closest to Metamor, probably within 5 days' journey or less.
Any part of the Midlands that is that close to Metamor is going to be under the rule of a noble who owes fealty to Duke Hassan. These are people who have to deal with Metamor regularly, so it would behoove them not to show open hostility to someone from the capital. If word got out that the Duke's subjects were being mistreated, there could be some sort of punishment meted out.
That having been said, though, a Keeper settling outside the Valley is almost certainly going to experience some tension and discrimination — not necessarily from everyone, but enough that it would be a constant reminder. The Northern Midlanders know that they owe their allegiance to the Duke, but that doesn't mean they're happy about being reminded about it. It is likely that he will have to put up with countless petty slights from the people around him — people hoping to make him just uncomfortable enough that he'll go back to the Valley "where he belongs," without making him angry enough that he would lodge a formal complaint with the Duke and get them in trouble.
Of course, people are a very diverse lot, and other reactions are also possible. Perhaps the people of this particular village admire the Keepers for their bravery and treat him like a celebrity (which could be almost as uncomfortable as being hated). Perhaps they treat him well in hopes of getting him to put in a good word for them at the capital the next time he goes there. Or maybe they decide that the best way to get rid of him without causing a ruckus is for him to have a little "accident" — the roads are long, after all, and raiders are always a danger…
In other words, it's up to you. People may love him or revile him, but they won't be able to ignore him.
I've read the discussions here on the future on Metamor, how eventually the number of morphed Keepers is going to continue to grow. Eventually, these people will want to settle outside the valley, and more and more of those in the surrounding regions are going to become used to them.
True, though that will partly be due to an increase in the radius of the Curse. Once the hole in reality is sealed at Jagoduun, magic starts to fill up the world again, and the rising mana levels lead to an expansion of the Curse.
Anybody have any suggestions on a good setting outside of Metamor for this story, or should I simply create my own village? It would be a very tiny community with some outlying farms.
A community that small isn't going to show up on the map. I've named a bunch of tiny thorps and hamlets for my d20 Lothanasi game, but that campaign takes place ~1300 years in the past, so any village that small isn't likely to be one that lasts through the ages. Feel free to make up your own. :)
Also, how would children from a male animal-morph and human female be handled? Is there a consensus on this yet?
According to the MK guidelines established by Copernicus, children of mixed species are born human. Some of the MK writers have since employed assorted types of Phlebotinum to produce furry children, but these are the exception rather than the norm. A child born to a human mother outside the range of the Curse is certainly going to be human unless very weird magical forces are in play.