Outer Sanctum A Call to Adventure: The Outer Sanctum

[JamesMartin]

⠀⠀⠀The Outer Sanctum News Scroll⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ (Mobile Users Turn Phone Sideways for Best View) ⫸ Prologue ⫸ Chapter One: Enter the Narrator ⫸ Chapter Two: What is and What is Not ⫸ Chapter Three: What is to be Gained ⫸ Chapter Four: A Heartfelt Thanks​ I come to you today, dear Dwellers, with a tale.​ ⫸ Prologue In the murky and distant past of 2018, three admins, 'young' and naive, conceived of a project that (I swear) seemed simple at the time. "What if, in addition to being a place for collaborative writing, the Sanctum embarked collectively on the building of our own world?"​ A world that members could not just contribute to, but a world they could use for their own stories. Where members actively shape the long-term destiny of the people, places, and even the world itself. A world where they were free to forge alliances or enmities, to help towns or burn them to the ground; to be a saviour in the world... or a name cursed through all eternity. That was six years ago. In that time, a lot has changed. The site has expanded beyond anything those admins had ever hoped, it has changed the way it looks and is structured—but despite several false starts, and the help from staff and a large number of members, the project had never materialized. I say 'had,' because two years ago I was politely browbeat into resurrecting our dead ambitions. Through discussion, planning and collaboration we (let's be real, that word is doing a lot of heavy lifting in my case) created the new forums and started planning out the story for this world. It has taken an immense amount of work—written, creative and artistic—by a number of people, both on-staff and on-site, but we have finally reached the point where this project is almost ready to go. ⫸ Chapter One: Enter the Narrator Many of you have, by this point, met @The Narrator. Cryptic wall posts, appearances in chat—perhaps you even followed the profile to a hidden part of the forum, where stories were already being spun. Well, it is time to unveil this mystery—The Narrator is your guide on the paths through the Outer Sanctum, a guide collectively controlled by staff to tell you all you might need to know of the characters, factions, beasts and world in which you will find yourselves. In time, The Narrator will be the game master in a series of sanctioned stories that will allow you, our members, to decide the fate of this world. The Narrator will grant new awards, provide you with some insight regarding the impact of your actions, but could also shine a spotlight on new questions. ⫸ Chapter Two: What is and What is Not The Outer Sanctum is a place unlike anywhere else on our forums. Of course, those old parts shall remain untouched and unchanged for those who do not desire to venture forth. But for those who do, to those whom adventure calls, they shall enter a world in which they embody characters of their own, interact with other characters, forge relationships and alliances—or perhaps, shatter them. They shall help shape the world, a place of infinite possibilities, where an unknown and ancient enemy has started to take root, poisoning the lands and minds of those it has come across. But this may not matter to you. Perhaps you have your own aspirations? Perhaps you wish to rise through the ranks of secret organizations, claim political power or strike out on your own. Anything is possible in this world we present to you—assuming you can imagine it. ⫸ Chapter Three: What is to be Gained Some eagle-eyed sleuths have already spotted a handful of people with the 'Jumbled Beginnings' badge, and there might just be time to get one yet, but once the portal to the Outer Sanctum opens, these badges will no longer be achievable. They will be a window into the past, always remembered yet equally beyond reach. But there are more badges to be found! Creating a character and setting foot out in the world will award the first badge on your journey, but there are others. Hidden. Some will be easy to achieve. Some will be challenging. One can only be achieved by making the greatest sacrifice of all. There will be quests that give out unique badges, as well as events. Alongside the new artwork for new badges, we have worked to develop a "canonical" theme for your Outer Sanctum experience. You know and love it as Aether. Be sure to give it a look, see if perhaps it inspires you to take a leap. Set off on the long and winding path, out into the world. See what happens when you follow your heart and perhaps, you might find more than you ever expected. But beware—in-game, your actions might have major impacts on the story. You may be rewarded with information, treasure or just a sense of accomplishment, but... you might find your reward more than you bargained for. ⫸ Chapter Four: A Heartfelt Thanks Over the years there have been many ideas, and while we have chosen a specific direction to travel in, it was a direction made possible by everyone who came before this. To all of you, who have touched this project and given ideas over the years, we thank you! This is merely the first note in a long symphony, but the composition has been a years-long process. For those of you who wish to help write it, I welcome you. And for those of you who do not, thank you for reading—and for helping make this site a place where such a project is possible. - Your Outer Sanctum Staff ​

 

[Angel of Mercy]

I like this, but I'm curious how one gets to the Outer Sanctum from the main site without following the trail of bread crumbs left behind by the Narrator. Is there a process to follow to participate, or does one simply just jump in?

 

[The Narrator]

Right now, breadcrumbs can be followed or you can participate in one of the "pre-release stories".

The Outer Sanctum is currently hidden from users, but will be on the main Inner Sanctum page once it officially is released (we expect this to be within a month).

Once the Outer Sanctum is open to all users, you can make a character and jump into the world when the character is approved (this will be explained shortly).

 

[Angel of Mercy]

Right now, breadcrumbs can be followed or you can participate in one of the "pre-release stories".

I assume these are indicated with the [Plot] indicator?

 

[The Narrator]

That's right!

 

[Angel of Mercy]

One last question, then I will let you get back to work. Can multiple players participate in the same plot (existing ones), or are they more designed for one on one style RPing? If I ever get a friend, could we both participate together in the same plotline?

 

[The Narrator]

There will be two types of RP initially:

1. Stories (which are functionally the same as any RP on the site except that it happens in a specific place and time). These can be solo pieces, two-person stories, or larger stories like the Holiday Party or Road Trip. They are largely unstructured and can be anything from slice of life to horror to anything in-between. These stories may have impacts on the broader world or have NPCs show up in them, etc. But, in the majority of cases, they will just be people telling the stories that they want to tell.

2. Sanctioned Stories are much closer to what you might consider a D&D campaign to look like. There is active participation by the Narrator in these stories and they are more structured and guided. They offer rewards to players (in-game benefits, badges, etc.), but are also more dangerous and could potentially even result in the death of your character.

Great rewards to those who take the greatest risks.

 

[Angel of Mercy]

So the sanctioned stories would be the [Plot] stories? And the number of players for these could vary depending on the plot?

 

[The Narrator]

Basically, yes.

 

[Shiress]

The stories you mentioned above -Do these stories have pre-arranged plot lines, or are the players free to openly plot whatever they want as long as they remain within the lore of this new world? Am I understanding this or do I have it all wrong lol

 

[The Narrator]

The player can choose the general tenor of the story (slice of life, horror, action, political intrigue, etc.) and will be able to largely choose who they will play (within some reasonable limits). They will choose what the character does, how they react to things, etc., though they may not (depending on the circumstances and the needs of the story) have full control over that character's ultimate fate (though this is occasionally allowed depending on the circumstances).

In a sense, there's sort of a general "construct" of a story, and within that construct almost anything goes.

 

[Shiress]

Thank you!

One last thing: Can anyone potentially participate in one of the pre-release stories, or are they reserved for the more veteran players on the site? I just noticed that most of the players writing in them have lots of posts and points under their belts, and I wondered if there are limitations to who can join a pre-release story—like having to have written a certain amount or been active for a certain time- If not, how do you "sign up?"

 

[The Narrator]

Any interested party can click on the feather in my signature and we can talk about it.

 

[Shiress]

stares at feather

lol thank you for the information