Proposals

I've got two major proposals for how these files might look.

Proposal 1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<oraclelist>
    <author>Vincent Baker</author>
    <description>Default elements for AG&G.</description>
        <version>0.1</version>
        <arena name="urban">
            <element tag="character">
                An assassin hired by some wealthy enemy.
            </element>
        </arena>
        <arena name="rural">
            <element tag="event group">
                A band of goat herders, armed, outraged by an injustice visited upon their clan.
            </element>
            <element tag="character">
                A bandit captain, in hiding, with her trusted bodyguard.
            </element>
        </arena>
        <arena name="magical">
            <element tag="event character">
                The awakening of 3 powerful and malignant genii.
            </element>
            <element tag="group">
                A band of demons, laughing and malicious, authors of debauched sensuality and corrupt appetites.                
            </element>
            <element tag="event character">
                The awakening of a merciless and tyrannical pit-wyrm.
            </element>
        </arena>
</oraclelist>

Proposal 2

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<oraclelist>
    <author>Vincent Baker</author>
    <description>Default elements for AG&G.</description>
    <version>0.1</version>
    <arena name="urban">
        <character>
            An assassin hired by some wealthy enemy.
        </character>
    </arena>
    <arena name="rural">
        <group>
            A band of goat herders, armed, outraged by an injustice visited upon their clan.
        </group>
        <character>
            A bandit captain, in hiding, with her trusted bodyguard.
        </character>
    </arena>
    <arena name="magical">
        <event>
            The awakening of 3 powerful and malignant genii.
        </event>
        <group>
            A band of demons, laughing and malicious, authors of debauched sensuality and corrupt appetites.                
        </group>
        <event>
            The awakening of a merciless and tyrannical pit-wyrm.
        </event>
    </arena>
</oraclelist>

Vincent

My suggestion'd be a non-hierarchy. Maybe something like:

<element>
    <text>
        A bandit captain, in hiding, with her trusted bodyguard.
    </text>
    <tag name="type">
        character
    </tag>
    <tag name="locale">
        countryside
    </tag>
[ and maybe include whatever you want, like: ]
    <tag name="status">
        outlaw
    </tag>
    <tag name="thematic">
        loyalty
    </tag>
</element>

(I don't know from legal xml, I'm just guessing.)