I bring tidings of plots and plans and juicy intrigue~
We here on the staff (aka me and the boss lady) have been chewing over ways we can offer more opportunities to dive in and really get involved in board-wide plots. There's nothing like a good party, of course, but we want to create dynamic and various ways for everyone to feel interconnected with one another and the KLverse at large. We're also considering ways to shake up and invigorate the tried and true things, as well.
For example, the big to do that is Midwinter. Always a blast, but sometimes it can get overwhelming to find what you're looking for in the crowd(ed group threads). Or you may find a single conversation eclipsing other opportunities. So, when next the Longest Night rolls around, we're thinking we might try holding it as a special forum instead of a thread. For the most part.
This is what we have in mind: One group thread for the WQ and SP pageant, where those who wish to post a one-off reactionary response can. But. Instead of a chaotic group party thread in each venue, all those meet-cutes, meet-ups, dates, and dalliances get their own threads. This way you don't have to worry about squeeeeezing everything into the main thread, digging through pages of other chars conversations, or deciding what one scene to play out for the night. Mary Jo Balm Adept wants a dance with that sultry Jasmine AND to have a chat with her sweet, shy Alyssum bestie? Make a thread for both (maybe noting the differing times of evening =P), et voila!~
But that new twist on an old favorite is far from all we have in mind, folks!
Besides big fancy fetes and festivals, we've engaged in board plots before in different ways over the years with varying success. Some ideas work, others don't. Some fell flat because of bad timing or real life stuff. We aim for the to be layers to the world of KL with multiple categories of board plots.
Let's take a look, shall we?
EVENTS
The big flashy extravaganzas we all know and love. MW parties, spring festivals, royal weddings, and more galore. There's always opportunity for events that get a variety of characters involved. Besides the annual masquerade and whatever personal events might draw a larger crowd than one-on-one, new opportunities are always coming up.
Society Functions: mixers for eligible nobles, Lord Self-Important's birthday, hall of games night, royal theatre production, concert in the hall of Eisheth's harp, etc
Private Occasions: weddings/receptions, fetes, dinner parties, or any generally interpersonal event a char may have with a handful or more guests
Public Arena: feast days and festivals, horse faires, tourneys, market hubbub, and so on
BACKGROUND SETTING
It's easy to get caught up in the way the denizens of KL interact with one another, how they respond to each other and what (or whom) everyone else is doing, but like us here in rl, they also contend with the very world around them. These would be factors that are present in the background of everyday life in the KLverse to engage with or not as you like. Sand in the sandbox. Maybe it's just reaching for a weather event as a topic of smalltalk, or perhaps there's trouble brewing on the border that may offer a hook for intricate plots.
Environmental: Natural phenomenon is something that affects everyone. We've previously had a harsh summer drought that had lasting and rebounding impact, but there's a wide range of matters our characters may notice or respond to. Droughts, floods (maybe due to an exceptionally rainy season), pests and blights, famine or plenty, illness going around (not everything has to be a plague, could be every other person seems to have that pesky stomach bug). Again, these might simply be topic of conversation, or a devastating crop loss, or however you want to play with it.
Current Events: Not everything going on in the background is of natural origin. What are the state of things in Terre d'Ange? What are relations like with the neighbors? Any wars or aggression brewing? Perhaps an uneasy alliance is in the works. Or an influx of visitors from distant shores have the City of Elua buzzing. Maybe the markets are bursting with goods from a recent trade delegation. All threads in the fabric of our backdrop.
INTERACTIVE
These will be plots that, perhaps stemming from a background current event, create scenes and consequences that involve various characters and narratives. For example, say there are rumors of border trouble. If this caught the interest of players who wanted to make of it more than background flavor, it might turn into a board-wide plot with multiple threads. Or it might be more personal issue of hostilities happening on/around someone's provincial holdings. Ripple effects.
Another example, one that was attempted in the past that we're considering revisiting - a killer on the loose. This would get people involved in that we would ask if players wanted to volunteer characters (including NPCs or bucket characters specifically made for the purpose) to feed to our villain. Given a factor of anonymity, there would be a mystery for chars and players alike to wonder at and try to solve. This could lead to an investigation, a revelation or confrontation, and eventually a resolution. Justice? Escape? A befittingly tragic end?
On the subject of crime, there are other dastardly deeds afoot in the world, and the rumor mill is always churning. Muggings and thievery, bastards and devilry. Any number of things might be implemented to put a more interactive touch on the intertwined happenings in the City of Elua and beyond.
~Final Notes~
Often these categories will overlap. Something that might be interactive or a big event to one character—or class thereof—might be what others note around the proverbial water cooler. Or a detail that would be of little note to some characters could be devastatingly personal to others.
The idea isn't to make things overcomplicated or flood the board with constant participation heavy events, but rather to provide a variety of hooks and happenings to make the world feel more vibrant and alive. To help our community feel more connected to one another's stories.
And this is absolutely a community endeavor! Thoughts, suggestions, comments, critiques, etc—always welcome! Whenever we try something new, or put a new spin on the way we do things, the idea is to keep things fresh and fun for everyone. So, we always want to remain in conversation with y'all and open to feedback. We make KL what it is together <3
One last thing and I'll stop rambling, promise =P
As a way of disseminating these morsels, I'm thinking of creating a something of a semi-in world announcements subforum. Consider it a bulletin board - flyers in Elua's square, royal decrees, hawkers, and what have you bringin the news to the denizens of TdA. Perhaps update it at regular intervals, adding new tidbits and giving more detail on recent or ongoing events. Monthly? Biweekly? Seasonal? We can discuss and adjust the details as we go to make sure things are working for everyone. Scrap what doesn't work, rethink anything that needs attention, etc.
Same goes for the ideas themselves. We want this to be an open, ongoing discussion where new ideas are always welcome, and we can figure out together what works or doesn't. Everything doesn't need to land perfectly. Sometimes a world detail is momentous, sometimes it isn't, but it all counts towards that living canvas. We may also occasionally have polls to gauge interest or decide details for specific notions. Like, for one, whether everyone would be interested or comfortable with an anonymous serial killer plot.
And with that, I've gone on FAR long enough. Let's hear from y'all!
