Universalis 1

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Story so far: link

Players (listed in turn order): EvilCat, Neonwhite, GiacomoArt, davina_small

Components

• Characters
• Locations
• Props

Tenets

• Naval adventure.
• Lovecraft-esque horror. (Details, 2)
• Pseudo-historic setting of Elizabethan time. (Details)
• Moral choice between sin and virtue.
• No supernatural facts or components can be introduced into the game until there are 3 or 4 characters marked with "sympathetic" trait. (Details)

• No interrupts.
• Try to challenge only such details and/or in such way that preceding text wouldn't have to be overwritten.
• If a player doesn't act on his turn for a day, the next player can take the turn for free, or any other player can take it for 1.
• Refresh rate for each scene based on the number of players who get refreshed: 12 for 2, 8 for 3, 6 for 4, 5 for 5 or more.
• When newly created Components are introduced to the Scene, Events describing their discovery are free.

Scene #2: During the Storm

Framed by EvilCat

Components palette:

the Caribbean Sea	Storm - {{#replace:sinister, supernatural, violent, heavy rain (x2), howling winds, monstrous waves|, | - }}	Spanish galleon - {{#replace:cannons, huge|, | - }}	Pirate sloop - {{#replace:cannons, agile|, | - }}
Master component: armed sailor - {{#replace:melee weapon, wheellock pistol|, | - }}		Galleon's crew - {{#replace:armed sailors, crew|, | - }}	Sloop's crew - {{#replace:armed sailors, crew, experienced, great teamwork|, | - }}
Sharks - {{#replace:a slew|, | - }}	Will Bowyer, seadog - {{#replace:armed sailor, experienced navigator|, | - }}	Ship's boys #1 and #2

Scene #3: Separated

Framed by GiacomoArt.

Components palette:

Tropical beach - {{#replace:along an inlet, clear blue sky, littered with flotsam|, | - }}	Nicole Tissot, pirate queen - {{#replace:French, red hair, cruel, off-hand dagger, strong spirit, sympathetic character, sore, tired, thirsty|, | - }}	Santiago, former prisoner - {{#replace:recently betrayed, nightmare and sense of foreboding, has saber, has wineskin|, | - }}	Coconut palms - {{#replace:a patch|, | - }}
Coconut thief crab - {{#replace:large, holds a coconut|, | - }}	Barrel

Scene #4: Isle of Teeth

Starting coin count: EvilCat - 12, NeonWhite - 25 GiacomoArt - 12, davina (currently inactive) - 25 .

Framed by NeonWhite.

Meanwhile, a couple of miles away, Will Bowyer was having trouble convincing his men to moor the small rowboat in the quiet inlet.“Curse you blasted cowards! I don’t care if this is the cursed home of Lucifer and his host of Demons. You will follow orders and land this boat or I’ll drown each and every one of you like the rats you are!”

Uttering “Deus, adiuva nos!” (God, help us!) and with many fearful signs-of-the-cross, the crew pull hard against the waves, maneuver the boat up to the rocks and secure the bowline. The men clamber out and take stock of the lush island surroundings.

Will pointed to the high cliffs overlooking the ocean to the East. “We’ll make for that outcropping, tend a watch fire and wait for rescue. A couple of days at most by my estimation and we’ll see another merchant ship. Don’t you lads worry yerselves. Those stories are naught but wives-tales told to frighten children.”

As he lead his small band of men into the forest, Will sought to reassure himself. He too had heard the sinister tales about the “Isle of Teeth”, named for the vicious reefs and rocks lurking just below sea level on most sides of the island. All of his considerable skill had been needed to safely pilot the boat through those teeth on on to dry land. The stories were superstition and fear and easily dismissed in the bright light of day, but a small doubt gnawed away in his mind.

The sun rose high in the sky as the men forged further inland, seeking a clear path around to the top of the cliffs. They moved in single-file, at times struggling against the close vegetation.

Alano had been having trouble keeping up all morning. The gash in his thigh ached and the strip of cloth he had wrapped around it was now soaked with the deep crimson colour of his blood. Will pursued a relentless pace and Alano fell farther and farther behind…

---

Framing:

• Location: Isle of Teeth 1
• Time: Present (0 coins)

• Will and his men arrive on the island 1
• They head inland in search of a route to the high ground 1
• Alano starts to fall behind the rest of the group 1

• Will Bowyer (1 to introduce)
• Men (1 to introduce)
• Small rowboat 1
• Alano, wounded 2
• The Isle of Teeth 3
  • Sinister reputation
  • Reefs and rocks surrounding

New coin count for Neonwhite: 25 - 12 = 13 left

Neonwhite 12:08, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

Replies

Reply under this header, please.

GiacomoArt

Bleah. All the things I want to do are going to take more coins than I've got. I'll forfeit the one coin left from my bid and end the scene. So with a refresh rate of 8 for three players, that'll bring us to...

EvilCat: 12

GiacomoArt: 12

NeonWhite: 25

For framing the next scene, I'll bid 5 coins.

--GiacomoArt 04:32, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

NeonWhite

My bid is 9 coins to frame the next scene.

I must say it felt odd initially to have the scene end so abruptly, but after a moment's reflection I guess it works fine. We can always recall the scene later if we so wish. Interesting to see this mechanic at work - it feels very movie like! Interested to hear your thoughts on whether Santiago's introduction was strictly part of scene 3, or whether it was really a cut away to a separate scene which then merged/caught up to scene 3. I'm not suggesting anything be changed, but just trying to get a feel for how things ought to flow.

Regarding the site, Cat, would it be possible to have a separate place for comments and game moves. Also, when bidding to frame the next scene, it is hard to avoid seeing the previous bids once one goes into edit. I had to decide the number of coins I wanted to bid and only then click 'edit'. I suppose this is workable as long as we remember to decide our bid beforehand.

Neonwhite 09:42, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

EvilCat

I bid !3 Coins!. The scene goes to Neon %)

I'm all for cinematic scene flow, abrupt scene endings worry me a little too. We probably should use Complications more. Are you ready for them? Anyway, the scene is in your hands %) Also, wikis have a built-in discussion page mechanism, see tabs above.

EvilCat 10:15, 19 April 2009 (UTC)