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strangetrip_ooc2019-05-27 06:49 am
st_oneswidow) wrote in strangetrip_ooc2019-05-27 06:49 am
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[Otherworlds] Planning Post
Hey everybody! We are way overdue for another Otherworld, and this time we're going to Faerie! Going up now to give you time to get your planning, pre-play, or questions on.
It's a magic sandbox. Do what you find meaningful/fun.
Room/Time Frame
Irish Hills. June 14 – June 28.
Setting, or “Where are we going?”
The world our characters are able to venture into this time is the world of Faerie, the realm of Irish folklore inhabited by magical beings. Our characters are confined to the Queen’s city at the center of the Seelie court, surrounded by (to non-fae) endless acres of dense, scary forest full of monsters, neutral fae, and if you’re brave/unlucky enough to really go for it, some Unseelie.
The People, or “WTF are the fae?”
Fairies as we think of them are generally Amazingly Pretty humanoids with pointy ears, but for the sake of fun, if you can think of a magical creature that has human level intelligence, it’s legit. Even if it’s not traditionally part of Celtic mythology. Though because this is a world that’s got some classism and racism going on like every society, the higher up you go in the echelons of society, the more you’re going to get the pretty pointy-eared humanoids. Not that other creatures never make it, just the odds are stacked against them to do it.
All the fae have some things in common, though. They are creatures of magic. They are incapable of lying (though they can absolutely tell the truth just so to get the result they want). They have a natural weakness to iron.
The Social Structure or “Who do I need to not piss off?”
Here are some figures you’ll probably hear about while you’re about town. They are known only by title as true names are dangerous things to know. This is absolutely a dare to find a way to get close to one or another of them and piss them off.
Naturally, there are nobles who have holdings elsewhere, but are in residence in town or at court. This is much more fun if you make up a noble for yourself, and they can be as grand or as ridiculous as you like.
The Rules, or “But isn’t Faerie in general bad for people?”
In general, yes. The rules here are different and not based around human values and norms. But the big three are as follows.
So how do you dance around those?
Nuances of Rule 1: Instead of making requests, which open you up to entering deals you can’t possibly pay off, state what you want. Sometimes you’ll get it without further trouble. Otherwise, make the first move in offering an exchange, offer what you are willing to give for the good or service you want. The other party will either accept or make a counteroffer and haggling continues as long as necessary.
Nuances of Rule 2: Don’t let the locals find out your true name, as it will give any fairy who knows it power over you. What is your true name? Whatever you believe it is. That could be the name you were assigned at birth. It could be a name you chose for yourself. It’s whatever your character believes represents who they really are. You may be okay going by part of your name, or you may want to pick up an alias.
Nuances of Rule 3: There is no set standard of what makes a trade fair or not. Every exchange will look different based on the people involved, what they have, and what they want. You have more or you want more, you pay more. You have less or want less, less will be expected as payment. If you're paying for a service, be sure and specific about what you want. Some will take vague instructions or wishes as an opening for fun or tricks of their own.
The Penitents or “So how is my character supposed to figure this stuff out?”
Upon entering Faerie, most newcomers are met by one of the Penitents, those who have either accrued debt to the state or have had their debt sold to the state. They may be locals, they may be visitors like yourself. They pay off this debt by telling the rules to outsiders and explaining them as necessary.
It’s possible to avoid them if you’d rather your character rush headlong into stupidity.
Something that the Penitents will explain to you, assuming you get a kind one and you’re willing to listen, is how the rules work and can bend. In general, rules are not as strictly enforced for children as adults, as children are still learning. Adulthood varies from species to species, but for human and human-passing purposes, the age of majority is eighteen.
Currency in Faerie or “How do I give fair value?”
Payment in the Goblin Market and the rest of Faerie is largely a barter system. You can exchange and receive services or goods. But remember also that there’s magic involved here, and you can pay with literally anything physical or otherwise as long as your character has it.
Possible forms of payment could include:
Really, go nuts, get in trouble even. If your character has it or can do it, they can use it as payment.
Consequences or “What happens if you don’t pay?”
There is an idea, not an unfounded one, that you should never eat or drink anything in Faerie. And this is… not wrong. It’s not even kind of wrong. But it’s not complete. Food and drink you make an exchange for is perfectly safe. But you should not eat or drink anything offered freely. You shouldn’t accept anything offered freely if you didn’t, as per dancing around rule one, state that you want the thing first. This immediately puts you into debt, and that debt takes the form of whatever the person who tricked you wants. Usually you end up their bond slave for a while. Or you get put up for auction, where you will be sold off to the highest bidder (which yes, increases your debt) and become their bond slave instead. Or you’ll owe them a favor at some point, which you’ll have no choice but to fulfill. Point is, you owe a debt, which for the purposes of play can be whatever is interesting to you.
You can, of course, try to get out of it. If you’re especially stubborn and want to make a break for it, or you have friends who are willing and able to come to your rescue. The reaction you get from the locals might either be respect for your nerve or disgust that you don’t honor your agreements. Just don’t gain too much of a reputation for wiggling out of agreements, or you’ll have a hard time finding anybody willing to deal fairly with you.
Opinions on outsiders or “Isn’t my character going to get a bad rap anyway?”
Like any nation, Faerie has a wide political spectrum. You’ll find some fae who are thrilled to see you and think it’s so cool that you’re here. You’ll find others who are convinced you’re no better than livestock and should be treated like chattel. Generally the higher up you go on the social ladder, the more elitist and exclusionary the fae you encounter are. No one quite knows where the Queen comes down on the issue, however.
Iron or “How do I stay safe if I can’t remember the rules?”
Iron is the traditional weakness of the fairy folk, and such is the case here. It isn’t unwise to carry something made of iron on your person if you’re entering a rough part of town. However you will again find a range of reactions to this precaution. Some will acknowledge it as a necessary step to ensure your safety. Some will take is as a serious affront and try to kill you for it. It’s a crapshoot, though again this generally splits along class lines. Coming near important personages with iron is generally considered rude and a serious threat.
For the sake of simplicity, pure iron only. Steel and other alloys don't count.
Solstice Battle or “Come on, I play a fighter, give me something to hit.”
Need to get your Big Damn Fight on? At the summer solstice, the fae go to ritual war, Seelie vs. Unseelie. By human standards this is more a formality than an actual battle, but the fighting is very real and the bloodshed is part of the continued turning of the year. At Midsummer, the Unseelie gain ascendancy and their power waxes from that time until Midwinter where they will fight again and the Seelie will take power back.
You are free to join either side, but if you fight with the Unseelie, your Seelie hosts will look at you funny and probably not want to deal with you. Also, Do Not bring iron with you into battle. That’s the one thing that’s unequivocally considered a war crime.
When all is said and done, the Queen will marry the Holly King and Big Damn Fight will go Big Damn Party.
Loot or "Can I bring it back with me?"
Can it fit through the door and will it only affect you and yours? Yes. If you want something bigger either in physical size or scope, check with the mods. We want to say yes, we really do.
Credit or "Hey, don't I recognize some of these ideas?"
There are many versions of the fairy realm that beg, borrow, and steal from each other. To give credit where credit is due, this would not be possible without--
It's a magic sandbox. Do what you find meaningful/fun.
Room/Time Frame
Irish Hills. June 14 – June 28.
Setting, or “Where are we going?”
The world our characters are able to venture into this time is the world of Faerie, the realm of Irish folklore inhabited by magical beings. Our characters are confined to the Queen’s city at the center of the Seelie court, surrounded by (to non-fae) endless acres of dense, scary forest full of monsters, neutral fae, and if you’re brave/unlucky enough to really go for it, some Unseelie.
The People, or “WTF are the fae?”
Fairies as we think of them are generally Amazingly Pretty humanoids with pointy ears, but for the sake of fun, if you can think of a magical creature that has human level intelligence, it’s legit. Even if it’s not traditionally part of Celtic mythology. Though because this is a world that’s got some classism and racism going on like every society, the higher up you go in the echelons of society, the more you’re going to get the pretty pointy-eared humanoids. Not that other creatures never make it, just the odds are stacked against them to do it.
All the fae have some things in common, though. They are creatures of magic. They are incapable of lying (though they can absolutely tell the truth just so to get the result they want). They have a natural weakness to iron.
The Social Structure or “Who do I need to not piss off?”
Here are some figures you’ll probably hear about while you’re about town. They are known only by title as true names are dangerous things to know. This is absolutely a dare to find a way to get close to one or another of them and piss them off.
- The Queen. The ruler of Faerie, allegedly the loveliest, wisest, and oldest of her people. She has gone veiled in public for millennia and no one knows exactly why. Some say it’s because her beauty overwhelmed anyone who looked upon her. Some say that she was horribly disfigured at some point. Some say she just got sick of people commenting either way. Only her ladies in waiting and her consorts know for sure, and they’re magically barred from telling.
- The Holly King and the Oak King. The consorts of the Queen, not always men. The current Oak King is a woman and the Holly King is nonbinary. The Oak King is her consort from winter solstice to summer solstice. The Holly King is her consort from summer solstice to winter solstice. There is always a ritual wedding ceremony following the Big Damn Solstice Battle (more on that below).
- The Sparkle Pope. A minotaur. He is the mayor of the city and has only recently been raised to the nobility. That’s the title he chose for himself on his rise to power. All that’s understood by the populace is that he did some amazing favor for the Queen and he has her complete faith despite the fact that while all fae tell the truth he is almost laughably bad at carefully arranging the truth to manipulate.
- The Captain. He’s in charge of the City Watch, and the general lack of creativity or spectacle about him makes many wonder if he was originally a human. But he’s good at his job, so this is accepted. Time for your nonsense, he has none. But he generally leaves any matters of the Market up to—
- Palimpsest. The person in charge of the Goblin Market. They have eight arms, which are constantly recording every transaction that takes place and they’re the one you get to deal with if you upset the marketplace. They may or may not be originally made of paper and the record books may or may not be an extension of their being, they’re not telling.
Naturally, there are nobles who have holdings elsewhere, but are in residence in town or at court. This is much more fun if you make up a noble for yourself, and they can be as grand or as ridiculous as you like.
The Rules, or “But isn’t Faerie in general bad for people?”
In general, yes. The rules here are different and not based around human values and norms. But the big three are as follows.
- Don’t ask for anything
- Your true name has power
- Equivalent exchange
So how do you dance around those?
Nuances of Rule 1: Instead of making requests, which open you up to entering deals you can’t possibly pay off, state what you want. Sometimes you’ll get it without further trouble. Otherwise, make the first move in offering an exchange, offer what you are willing to give for the good or service you want. The other party will either accept or make a counteroffer and haggling continues as long as necessary.
Nuances of Rule 2: Don’t let the locals find out your true name, as it will give any fairy who knows it power over you. What is your true name? Whatever you believe it is. That could be the name you were assigned at birth. It could be a name you chose for yourself. It’s whatever your character believes represents who they really are. You may be okay going by part of your name, or you may want to pick up an alias.
Nuances of Rule 3: There is no set standard of what makes a trade fair or not. Every exchange will look different based on the people involved, what they have, and what they want. You have more or you want more, you pay more. You have less or want less, less will be expected as payment. If you're paying for a service, be sure and specific about what you want. Some will take vague instructions or wishes as an opening for fun or tricks of their own.
The Penitents or “So how is my character supposed to figure this stuff out?”
Upon entering Faerie, most newcomers are met by one of the Penitents, those who have either accrued debt to the state or have had their debt sold to the state. They may be locals, they may be visitors like yourself. They pay off this debt by telling the rules to outsiders and explaining them as necessary.
It’s possible to avoid them if you’d rather your character rush headlong into stupidity.
Something that the Penitents will explain to you, assuming you get a kind one and you’re willing to listen, is how the rules work and can bend. In general, rules are not as strictly enforced for children as adults, as children are still learning. Adulthood varies from species to species, but for human and human-passing purposes, the age of majority is eighteen.
Currency in Faerie or “How do I give fair value?”
Payment in the Goblin Market and the rest of Faerie is largely a barter system. You can exchange and receive services or goods. But remember also that there’s magic involved here, and you can pay with literally anything physical or otherwise as long as your character has it.
Possible forms of payment could include:
- Kisses
- Blood
- Tears
- Time
- Memories
- Fetch quests in the deep, scary woods
- Heists in a noble's house
- Dance offs
- Ugly truths
Really, go nuts, get in trouble even. If your character has it or can do it, they can use it as payment.
Consequences or “What happens if you don’t pay?”
There is an idea, not an unfounded one, that you should never eat or drink anything in Faerie. And this is… not wrong. It’s not even kind of wrong. But it’s not complete. Food and drink you make an exchange for is perfectly safe. But you should not eat or drink anything offered freely. You shouldn’t accept anything offered freely if you didn’t, as per dancing around rule one, state that you want the thing first. This immediately puts you into debt, and that debt takes the form of whatever the person who tricked you wants. Usually you end up their bond slave for a while. Or you get put up for auction, where you will be sold off to the highest bidder (which yes, increases your debt) and become their bond slave instead. Or you’ll owe them a favor at some point, which you’ll have no choice but to fulfill. Point is, you owe a debt, which for the purposes of play can be whatever is interesting to you.
You can, of course, try to get out of it. If you’re especially stubborn and want to make a break for it, or you have friends who are willing and able to come to your rescue. The reaction you get from the locals might either be respect for your nerve or disgust that you don’t honor your agreements. Just don’t gain too much of a reputation for wiggling out of agreements, or you’ll have a hard time finding anybody willing to deal fairly with you.
Opinions on outsiders or “Isn’t my character going to get a bad rap anyway?”
Like any nation, Faerie has a wide political spectrum. You’ll find some fae who are thrilled to see you and think it’s so cool that you’re here. You’ll find others who are convinced you’re no better than livestock and should be treated like chattel. Generally the higher up you go on the social ladder, the more elitist and exclusionary the fae you encounter are. No one quite knows where the Queen comes down on the issue, however.
Iron or “How do I stay safe if I can’t remember the rules?”
Iron is the traditional weakness of the fairy folk, and such is the case here. It isn’t unwise to carry something made of iron on your person if you’re entering a rough part of town. However you will again find a range of reactions to this precaution. Some will acknowledge it as a necessary step to ensure your safety. Some will take is as a serious affront and try to kill you for it. It’s a crapshoot, though again this generally splits along class lines. Coming near important personages with iron is generally considered rude and a serious threat.
For the sake of simplicity, pure iron only. Steel and other alloys don't count.
Solstice Battle or “Come on, I play a fighter, give me something to hit.”
Need to get your Big Damn Fight on? At the summer solstice, the fae go to ritual war, Seelie vs. Unseelie. By human standards this is more a formality than an actual battle, but the fighting is very real and the bloodshed is part of the continued turning of the year. At Midsummer, the Unseelie gain ascendancy and their power waxes from that time until Midwinter where they will fight again and the Seelie will take power back.
You are free to join either side, but if you fight with the Unseelie, your Seelie hosts will look at you funny and probably not want to deal with you. Also, Do Not bring iron with you into battle. That’s the one thing that’s unequivocally considered a war crime.
When all is said and done, the Queen will marry the Holly King and Big Damn Fight will go Big Damn Party.
Loot or "Can I bring it back with me?"
Can it fit through the door and will it only affect you and yours? Yes. If you want something bigger either in physical size or scope, check with the mods. We want to say yes, we really do.
Credit or "Hey, don't I recognize some of these ideas?"
There are many versions of the fairy realm that beg, borrow, and steal from each other. To give credit where credit is due, this would not be possible without--
- In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
- Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom by Ted Naifeh
- The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
- The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
- Summer Knight by Jim Butcher