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Game Information
- Premise, Guidelines, and Player Application Form. Please note that currently applications are closed.
- FAQ.
- Current players, with links to character write-ups. (See comment threads as well, as some characters were revised.)
- Preliminaries on how to play, introductions, etc.
- Guidelines for character RP (rather than main move) posts.
- Game Wiki [external link]
- Move Recaps [tagged] are available for some more recent moves.
- Worldbuilding Questions and Discussion.
- Hexarchate/heptarchate timeline.
- Map of the h*archate ca. Revenant Gun
Fun & Games
[Optional activities just for the heck of it!]
- Generalized Art Post #1 for character art, illustrations, etc.
- Generalized Art Post #2.
- Generalized Art Post #3.
- Character Quizzes.
- Hexarchate Jokes.
- Objects and interior decoration.
- RPG RPG #1 (an RPG within an RPG, inspired by D&D).
- RPG RPG #2.
Other
- DW tech support [members only]
a farewell
May. 17th, 2020 09:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yhleeI'm sorry for the abruptness of the previous two posts. For personal reasons, I need to make a clean break from the game. I am stepping down as GM of the game and admin of this community, effective immediately.
ursula (zuhrovet) will continue to have admin status as before, and can add more admins as needed.
If someone else wants to take up the GM mantle, that's fine, but I will no longer be in any way involved in the game. If the players want to continue it, I hope people can do so in a way that makes them happy.
One administrative note: I can no longer offer support for the Game wiki, as that was maintained by a friend of mine as a favor to me, and I can't guarantee how long the wiki will remain available although we'll leave it up for now. It's been known to break in the past for technical reasons beyond my ken, so if you have information there that you want to preserve, I advise making a copy of it sooner rather than later.
Thank you all for three years of stories--that's a great run for any campaign!
ursula (zuhrovet) will continue to have admin status as before, and can add more admins as needed.If someone else wants to take up the GM mantle, that's fine, but I will no longer be in any way involved in the game. If the players want to continue it, I hope people can do so in a way that makes them happy.
One administrative note: I can no longer offer support for the Game wiki, as that was maintained by a friend of mine as a favor to me, and I can't guarantee how long the wiki will remain available although we'll leave it up for now. It's been known to break in the past for technical reasons beyond my ken, so if you have information there that you want to preserve, I advise making a copy of it sooner rather than later.
Thank you all for three years of stories--that's a great run for any campaign!
PSA: announcement
Apr. 16th, 2020 10:40 pmyhleeThis game is on hiatus indefinitely, effective immediately. Please disregard the previous post.
PSA: announcement
Apr. 16th, 2020 01:33 amyhleeEDIT: This game is on hiatus indefinitely. Please disregard the below.
This game is canceled effective immediately. I will be deleting both this comm and the associated wiki by the end of May. Please save anything that you wish to preserve before then.
Thank you for all the stories, and happy gaming elsewhere.
Thank you for all the stories, and happy gaming elsewhere.
Chapter 3.4: Breaking down the base
Mar. 23rd, 2020 08:34 amzuhrovetAs the meeting ends, the team members move to their assigned tasks.
Dar, Deyna, Seyli and Sulen collect some heavy-duty servitors and begin transferring supplies to the Cantata.
Alaric, Reshad, Shess, and the Cantata's drone prepare to remove the harness from Ankat's moth, The Sedulous Eel.
Back on the Cantata, Sasha goes to her office and starts remotely wiping memory nodes on the base's grid. Jedao is in the Communications/Gunnery room, controlling the weapons. Xiulan acts as his backup. Remi has been instructed to look for patterns or causes of the missing interstellar signals.
Meanwhile, Hana and Eddox look after the mothlings, perhaps joined by Mafyyil, who for some reason has not received clear instructions. Gerae and Ione divide their attention between the mothlings and the nest of pseudo-dragons.
[Welcome to a new move!
I know that things are stressful and uncertain for all of us right now. Please don't fret if you suddenly find yourself with less or more free time than usual--we will adjust! If you would like to give your character a node of peace where they drink tea and admire baby aliens for the next while, this can be arranged. Conversely, if you want a plotty distraction, we will bring you one!
My own focus is unreliable of late, but I'll work on a recap of the previous move as I can.]
Dar, Deyna, Seyli and Sulen collect some heavy-duty servitors and begin transferring supplies to the Cantata.
Alaric, Reshad, Shess, and the Cantata's drone prepare to remove the harness from Ankat's moth, The Sedulous Eel.
Back on the Cantata, Sasha goes to her office and starts remotely wiping memory nodes on the base's grid. Jedao is in the Communications/Gunnery room, controlling the weapons. Xiulan acts as his backup. Remi has been instructed to look for patterns or causes of the missing interstellar signals.
Meanwhile, Hana and Eddox look after the mothlings, perhaps joined by Mafyyil, who for some reason has not received clear instructions. Gerae and Ione divide their attention between the mothlings and the nest of pseudo-dragons.
[Welcome to a new move!
I know that things are stressful and uncertain for all of us right now. Please don't fret if you suddenly find yourself with less or more free time than usual--we will adjust! If you would like to give your character a node of peace where they drink tea and admire baby aliens for the next while, this can be arranged. Conversely, if you want a plotty distraction, we will bring you one!
My own focus is unreliable of late, but I'll work on a recap of the previous move as I can.]
yhleeDue to circumstances that you have probably figured out, I am not in fact traveling over the coming week, having canceled my travel plans, and am at home, able to GM and respond to moves. :p The latest active thread is this one in Chapter 3.2 where planning is going on; I reckon the next move can go out after basic plans have been settled to y'all's satisfaction.
fun & games: sorting characters
Mar. 4th, 2020 08:42 pmyhleeYou probably have an idea of what h*archate faction matches your character. But what about their Hogwarts House? Or D&D alignment? Or Myers-Brigg type? Tell us here!
(can you tell I'm procrastinating on responses to the current move, which I will get to soon--I have a house guest so things have been a bit hectic)
(can you tell I'm procrastinating on responses to the current move, which I will get to soon--I have a house guest so things have been a bit hectic)
partial 3.2 recap
Mar. 2nd, 2020 09:12 pmzuhrovetI have been chewing away at the Move 3.2 Recap. It's not finished yet, but the current version includes lots of plot-relevant material, and the table of contents is a pretty good guide for who talked to whom.
PSA: out of town next week
Mar. 2nd, 2020 12:43 amyhleeHeads-up that I will be out of town (more like out of the country?!) for a week, from Friday, March 6 through Saturday, March 14. I will be on a cruise [1] and I am informed that the internet will be (a) super duper expensive (b) super duper unreliable. So the game is likely to be on semi-hiatus during that week since I can't guarantee being online. I'll try to leave some sort of fun-and-games activity post for that week as an optional thing for people who are so inclined.
[1] JoCo Cruise! It should be fun. Or more accurately, work for me (I'm on some panels and am giving a workshop on worldbuilding using TV Tropes), fun for my husband. XD
[1] JoCo Cruise! It should be fun. Or more accurately, work for me (I'm on some panels and am giving a workshop on worldbuilding using TV Tropes), fun for my husband. XD
yhleeSorry for delays in catching up on responses--I've been having migraines, and while I do have meds for the migraines, the meds...knock me out for 24 hours. I will respond when I'm able, and apologies for the inconvenience.
Chapter 3.3: a belated meeting
Feb. 23rd, 2020 04:20 pmyhleeAt 0800 local time, Ashari sends out a notice that everyone [= all the PCs and associated NPCs] should assemble for a planning meeting at 0830 in Conference Room A (the ballroom from last night).
At the same time, Ashari specifically messages Dar and asks her to set out a quick breakfast for the meeting, "nothing elaborate necessary, sorry about the short notice." [Dar is free to argue with this over the messaging system.]
Ashari will be in Conference Room A at 08,00 themself, pacing around and muttering and looking agitated, for anyone who shows up early. Among the early birds are Gerae, who keeps checking a nanny-cam app on his slate that keeps an eye on Fluffy and the baby Vraselian pseudo-dragons, and Istradez, who is looking around wistfully for non-sweet food.
ETA:
When most of the group has assembled, Ashari, still clearly ill at ease, says abruptly, "Some of you may be aware of the staggering emptiness of this timeline. I have decided that we need to evacuate, and soon, even though it means abandoning the base. Discuss."
[Please feel free to continue/wrap up threads from the previous move, Ch. 3.2. I will be responding to some threads there shortly.]
[Jedao's report to Sasha and Reshad will be forthcoming in a comment to this post shortly, once I remove a certain catten from my desk.]
At the same time, Ashari specifically messages Dar and asks her to set out a quick breakfast for the meeting, "nothing elaborate necessary, sorry about the short notice." [Dar is free to argue with this over the messaging system.]
Ashari will be in Conference Room A at 08,00 themself, pacing around and muttering and looking agitated, for anyone who shows up early. Among the early birds are Gerae, who keeps checking a nanny-cam app on his slate that keeps an eye on Fluffy and the baby Vraselian pseudo-dragons, and Istradez, who is looking around wistfully for non-sweet food.
ETA:
When most of the group has assembled, Ashari, still clearly ill at ease, says abruptly, "Some of you may be aware of the staggering emptiness of this timeline. I have decided that we need to evacuate, and soon, even though it means abandoning the base. Discuss."
[Please feel free to continue/wrap up threads from the previous move, Ch. 3.2. I will be responding to some threads there shortly.]
[Jedao's report to Sasha and Reshad will be forthcoming in a comment to this post shortly, once I remove a certain catten from my desk.]
[admin] a GM affirmation
Feb. 13th, 2020 11:36 amyhleeThe GM (Yoon Ha Lee)
I attest that the characters and settings in hexarchate-rpg are not canonical Machineries of Empire characters or settings. Although I may use or modify characters or settings created by players within hexarchate-rpg, the characters that players create will remain their own. I am not entitled to any credit or income associated with player-created characters beyond the game itself. Any similarities between my professional writing and hexarchate-rpg player characters or character-created settings are coincidental.
--YHL
For players:
I recognize that the characters and settings in hexarchate-rpg are not canonical Machineries of Empire characters or settings. Participation in hexarchate-rpg does not entitle me to any credit or income associated with Machineries of Empire beyond hexarchate-rpg itself. I recognize that characters or settings that I create within hexarchate-rpg may be used or modified within hexarchate-rpg by other players or the GM (Yoon Ha Lee), but characters I create will remain my own. Any similarities between my professional writing and Machineries of Empire are coincidental.
(You can also find this agreement in the profile.)
I attest that the characters and settings in hexarchate-rpg are not canonical Machineries of Empire characters or settings. Although I may use or modify characters or settings created by players within hexarchate-rpg, the characters that players create will remain their own. I am not entitled to any credit or income associated with player-created characters beyond the game itself. Any similarities between my professional writing and hexarchate-rpg player characters or character-created settings are coincidental.
--YHL
For players:
I recognize that the characters and settings in hexarchate-rpg are not canonical Machineries of Empire characters or settings. Participation in hexarchate-rpg does not entitle me to any credit or income associated with Machineries of Empire beyond hexarchate-rpg itself. I recognize that characters or settings that I create within hexarchate-rpg may be used or modified within hexarchate-rpg by other players or the GM (Yoon Ha Lee), but characters I create will remain my own. Any similarities between my professional writing and Machineries of Empire are coincidental.
(You can also find this agreement in the profile.)
chapter 3.1 recap
Feb. 1st, 2020 08:04 pmzuhrovetHere is a full recap of Chapter 3.1, complete with the traditional pseudo-Shuos-analyst notes on team-building.
recap in progress
Jan. 29th, 2020 08:52 pmzuhrovetI've started a recap of Chapter 3.1 on the wiki. There are lots of comments on this move, so it will take me a while to finish! But there's already enough to get some sense of what other characters were up to at the beginning of the party, if you're wondering about the shape of Chapter 3 thus far.
GM note re: signifiers
Jan. 19th, 2020 08:47 pmyhleePOLICY CHANGE, effective immediately: If you need an additional signifier for game purposes, please run them by me first. Otherwise please stick to the ones that are already in use (list here).
In general, signifiers are stable/global indications of gestalt personality. They shouldn't usually be changing mid-scene unless the character is in crisis; they're not mood rings, they're closer to your Myers-Brigg type. Variable signifiers are a partial exception and even then, characters should be cycling between a small number of known signifiers.
EDIT: A signifier equivalence chart used to be on the page with the list, incorporating signifiers invented by people from outside the game without my knowledge or approval. I have deleted the list; please don't add it back. Only signifiers invented by players and approved for play should be considered eligible for use.
In general, signifiers are stable/global indications of gestalt personality. They shouldn't usually be changing mid-scene unless the character is in crisis; they're not mood rings, they're closer to your Myers-Brigg type. Variable signifiers are a partial exception and even then, characters should be cycling between a small number of known signifiers.
EDIT: A signifier equivalence chart used to be on the page with the list, incorporating signifiers invented by people from outside the game without my knowledge or approval. I have deleted the list; please don't add it back. Only signifiers invented by players and approved for play should be considered eligible for use.
zuhrovetSasha has distributed flutes of sparkling water and small glasses filled with a clear liquor. She finds a clear place to stand near the edge of the party--Jedao and Alaric are to her left, the cluster of people around the mothlings falls at about 3π/8--and signals the grid to adjust the light so that she is highlighted and the other partygoers are very slightly in shadow. She asks the grid for a ringing sound and waits for people to quiet. Her voice slightly amplified by the grid, she says, "Welcome, everyone. We have a unique combination of expertise, on the Cantata. I'm glad that you are here." (It's a formal situation, so she uses the plural 'you'.) "While we are gathered, let us toast to the success of the rebellion."
Sasha waits for an answering murmur, then raises her own glass and knocks it back. The liquor tastes like snow and homesickness; but these are her people now. A slight gesture of her left hand makes illumination linger on Jedao for a moment, before the room lights return to normal.
Sasha sees Remi trying to explain that shot glasses are not for mothlings, and grins in genuine amusement.
[We have some really fascinating conversations running in the previous move. I don't want to cut them off, but please put new threads here!
Also, an out-of-character public service announcement: Remi is a youthful, apparently non-sociopathic version of Kujen, plucked from an earlier timeline. He has not yet interacted with Jedao.]
Sasha waits for an answering murmur, then raises her own glass and knocks it back. The liquor tastes like snow and homesickness; but these are her people now. A slight gesture of her left hand makes illumination linger on Jedao for a moment, before the room lights return to normal.
Sasha sees Remi trying to explain that shot glasses are not for mothlings, and grins in genuine amusement.
[We have some really fascinating conversations running in the previous move. I don't want to cut them off, but please put new threads here!
Also, an out-of-character public service announcement: Remi is a youthful, apparently non-sociopathic version of Kujen, plucked from an earlier timeline. He has not yet interacted with Jedao.]
Chapter 3.1: The party begins
Jan. 9th, 2020 04:56 pmyhleeEDIT: The base is sited in the year 951, in a very odd timeline that has NO h*archate. Supplies have to be brought in via rift from other timelines. Thread here.
Ashari's new base features variable layout, which has been put to use in creating an extravagant ballroom. Tables to one side boast a variety of foods, drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and the occasional euphoric drugs. Candlevines glow blue and violet, and flower arrangements interspersed with fantastic sculptures of lace-woven wire adorn the tables. The arrangements mean various sarcastic things, if you're familiar with the Andan petal language.
Music plays softly enough not to overwhelm conversation, loudly enough to set a mood complementing the low-key lighting.
Remi is one of the first arrivals from the Cantata, shepherding the mothlings. Because he's a Nirai, he has a slate and is taking notes, although he is happy enough to talk to anyone who approaches him.
The kitchen is currently adjacent to the ballroom. Ashari's voice can be heard, raised in some kind of argument with...a caterer?
Ashari's new base features variable layout, which has been put to use in creating an extravagant ballroom. Tables to one side boast a variety of foods, drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and the occasional euphoric drugs. Candlevines glow blue and violet, and flower arrangements interspersed with fantastic sculptures of lace-woven wire adorn the tables. The arrangements mean various sarcastic things, if you're familiar with the Andan petal language.
Music plays softly enough not to overwhelm conversation, loudly enough to set a mood complementing the low-key lighting.
Remi is one of the first arrivals from the Cantata, shepherding the mothlings. Because he's a Nirai, he has a slate and is taking notes, although he is happy enough to talk to anyone who approaches him.
The kitchen is currently adjacent to the ballroom. Ashari's voice can be heard, raised in some kind of argument with...a caterer?
