Month: August 2015

Behind the Scenes: The Data

callistomanager

No, the letters aren’t ready to read yet, but I do have something that you can look at: the complete data visualization of the letters sent during the game. Well, almost complete: if a letter was mistakenly not sent to the moderator, and was forwarded later, it usually doesn’t show up in this. Out of character messages are also not displayed.

The visualization is interactive. Click on the names of the characters to toggle displaying them–I suggest turning the moderator off if you just want to see communications between the players. Drag the handles on the timeline to filter by day. Hovering over things will usually display more information.

(The code for this is at https://github.com/ikarth/arktikos)

Final Cycle: End of Year 116

The fire dies down as Selethen Varzakk’s caravan settles in for the long night, their stories concluded. There will be another journey tomorrow, more tales to tell. But those will be other stories around a different fire. This night, and these stories are now as silent as the stars that shine down on the ruins of a tower that watches over the level sands.

That concludes the game. Letters sent after this will be considered part of the epilogue. There will be a few more posts to sum up some behind-the-scenes thoughts, after a short break, and I’m working on the book. Thanks to everyone who participated!

The Forges of Aksu

An excerpt from The Anglo-American Cyclopaedia, volume II:

This refined method of processing the ore lead to greatly increased efficiency. The folk traditions credit this discovery to Jivamitra, following his poisoning. What is indisputable is that the trade relations between Kucha and Chayi were greatly strengthened around this time period.

Turmoil in Aksu

Except from a letter written by an herbalist of Aksu:

Apparently, the peace could not last forever: bandits killed many Eonic settlers recently, which only inflamed the tensions we had thought extinguished. It seems to spawn further violence: I treated one of the locals who had gone out to look at the site. He was attacked by someone with a black dagger, which left a nasty greenish wound.

The worst news was that some students from Niya were killed on the road. A very sad thing. They are at present unidentified, but their relatives in Niya will presumably be able to recognize the bodies.

I write in utmost respect,

Zhe Kesh

Continued Discoveries at Chayi

From Miran Cache #25: 

…I have several sources of information. The religious order conducting the excavation was almost eager to share with me the many things they have discovered. Mostly mundane items pertaining to the obscure Kusinne rituals of this region. Household shrine items and the like.

They wouldn’t let me enter the excavations themselves, which seem to be unusually active even they they are supposedly leaving soon. They almost seem to be constructing new tunnels.

Secondly, I have befriended a blind girl of the local Vamto clan, who is very knowledgeable about the local people and has supplied me with much casual gossip, only a fraction of which is relevant. But it makes the locals much less suspicious of me, and gives me forewarning against them.

Faithful to the Adjudicators,

Aspandhat

Bandit Attack Near Aksu

A band of bandits have raided a settlement of Symness followers outside Aksu, leaving it devistated. The bandits attacked at dawn, their spears glinting in the light of the rising sun. They killed many, but left the camp unburned and partially intact.

End Game Moderation Notes

We’ve moved into the end game. Expect that I’ll be a little more aggressive about getting things into the news and extrapolating from events in motion.

Also, at this point there are no limits on how many letters you can send. Send as many as you like to whomever you want.

I’ll pay particular attention to letters sent to players who haven’t posted in a few weeks: if you happen to ask someone for something that’s within their narrative authority and I think will move the game along, the result may show up in the news at my discretion. (If you want a say, write the response yourself, or let me know that you’re planning to. If you’ve sent a letter in the past month, this probably doesn’t mean you.)

Once this cycle concludes next Friday, you’ll have a chance to write some epilogue letters, from any point in the timeline (past or future) to wrap up. Write as many of these as you like.