OtherWorlds: Changes & Upcoming

[st_aff]

 

The OtherWorlds are meant to happen once a month or so. Obviously, that hasn't been happening. This post attempts to address that lack and several others that have arisen over the course of play: namely, conflict and a sense of purpose.

 

Going forward, we propose the following.

 

1. At least every other month, there will be one free-form OtherWorld with the same level of detail as the Halloween Town post (they can have more detail, like Songrun if we or anyone else want to do so). Any player with an idea for one these worlds can write it up (like the Halloween Town post) and submit it to the mods at any time. The more worlds we have, the more often we can make them available to play in. If we don't have any submissions, we'll make one up.

 

2. At least once every other month, we will revisit the same world as part of an ongoing story in that world. The stakes in this type of OtherWorlds story will be high, like survival of a population kind of high. We aim to give the characters something to do that matters, a reason to keep going out into these worlds that aren't home, and something to care about beyond themselves. While it will never be explicitly stated that the characters have been brought to the Inn in order to participate in this type of ongoing story, certainly we expect that some of the characters will come to believe that.

 

How will this work?
 

1. The wiki will have a page for this world that will be maintained by the mods and added to whenever we visit it. Players will be encouraged to add information as well.
2. There will be no backbone plot logs or "main group" of characters doing the plot. Rather the events will be constructed in such a way that you can decide how to participate and affect the events.
3. For each visit to that world, there will be one status post that informs you what is going on in that world. Anyone who wants to play and participate in the plot events may do so, either in the status gathering post or in individual threads/logs.
4. When we return to the world (and the characters won't know when or if that will happen), the storyline in that world will have advanced some number of days, and characters returning to the world will be recognized by NPCs.

 

For example: a large, peaceful farming community nestles near the foothills of high mountains inhabited by fearsome beasts. In the past, the wall around the town and the local lord have been able to protect the people. Recently, a savage band of orcs has begun raiding the town.

 

On trip 1, we arrive in the middle of an attack by a large number of orcs and their allies. We're able to fight off this incursion, and we're in the town long enough to start improving their defenses.

 

On trip 2, the farming community has built up their walls and created patrols, but the orc attacks have intensified. They no longer return to the mountains but are camping right up against the walls and raiding any trade caravans that come in. We fight them off again, and learn that the orcs are being chased out of the mountains by giants who have claimed the mountains for themselves. The orcs agree to ally with the farming community to protect them from marauding giants.

 

On trip 3, we arrive to discover the town has been burnt to the ground, and the few remaining people tell us that all of the able-bodied were taken by the giants to mine for precious metals deep beneath the mountains. We're only there long enough to heal the wounded, and see about possible alliances with other affected areas.

 

On trip 4, guided by their faith that we'll return, the coalition we'd started to build has firmed up, been capturing and interrogating the dwarven overseers of the giant mines, and have tried to infiltrate their ranks. We assess the data, plan and begin an attack -- and then we're gone.

 

On trip 5, we arrive in the midst of a heated battle. With many casualties, we're able to win, and not only free the slaves, but win the mine for the farming town. We're given titles and lands…but we eventually fade into legend, a band of semi-divine heroes from a world called Madonna, who save those who are good and pray.

 

And sooner or later, we visit another world in crisis. We may not always win, but it will always matter that we were there.

 

Since this is your world as much as ours, we invite your input. Let us know what you think. If there are no substantial objections, we'll begin an overarching story arc called Asphodel Station in mid-November, and the characters second visit would be after the new year.