Microbloggers of the Lost Island

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Express your Identity

Bonus XP

You’re an . . . accountant? Shipwright? Ninja? A witch of the Far Lands?

What are you, anyway?

Choose a hashtag based on what you identify as, e.g.

#accountancy

#shipwright stuff

#nin nin nin!

#witch

You can earn 2 bonus XP towards this quest (up to a maximum of 2/post and 6/couplet) by making a STORY or IC post with that hashtag. This indicates that whatever you’ve just done is related to that thing!

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Uncertain Ground

Major Goals

You can claim 5 XP towards this quest when:

You encounter something unexpected, and freeze up in terror.

On a different occasion, you overcome a great fear.

You post a “what was I thinking?” kind of post about your coming here.

You can earn each bonus once, for a total of 15 XP.

Quest Flavor

1/chapter, you can earn a bonus XP towards this quest when you:

approach something and test whether it’s dangerous.

have trouble meeting basic needs.

see something inexplicable in the distance.

have a mysterious, often recurring, dream or dream-like or supernatural experience.

you find or make something useful.

comfort yourself with a temporary reassertion of normalcy.

post about not being sure what you’re seeing.

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Morality Blogging

Bonus XP

You have a dogmatic perspective on correct and incorrect behavior.

You can earn 2 bonus XP towards this quest (up to a maximum of 2/post and 6/couplet)  by posting a new theory about how to encourage a moral virtue in oneself—e.g., how to be more honest, or how to be more brave, or how to be more “good.”

More generally, you can earn the XP from posting any theory related to the general subject of the quest.

This quest is about coming up with new theories, not new goofy things to say, so your character has to take it seriously—which is not to say they have to believe it, but they have to think it’s at least worth the time to come up with and share.

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Strange Tales

Major Goals

You can claim 5 XP towards this quest when:

You find hidden treasure after a fall.

There’s a terrible storm.

You ride a magical animal.

You can earn each bonus once, for a total of 15 XP.

Quest Flavor

1/chapter, you can earn a bonus XP towards this quest when:

you come across two animals fighting

you share shelter from the rain with something

sharing food with an animal

you’re recognized by someone

you see something unusual in the sky

you encounter a great force of nature

you dream of encountering something dreadful

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A Troubled Time

Bonus XP

You gave in to despair. Perhaps you are even now climbing out of it and perhaps you are not.

Either way, it’s something you just have to live with, day by day.

Pick something to blog about that helps mark the days, ideally something that you blog about when feeling particularly empty but not too despairing to post. Something that doesn’t take much work from you to post.

Do you . . .

blog pictures of leaves?

blog little moments from your life?

blog about how long you exercised?

blog quotes from a book you brought?

blog pictures of clouds?

blog about your mood on a given day? or

something else?

Pick a tag for this.

You can earn 2 bonus XP towards this quest (up to a maximum of 2/post and 6/couplet) by blogging appropriate stuff under that tag.

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Life on the Island

Major Goals

You can claim 5 XP towards this quest when:

You make a home in a dangerous part of the setting.

You discover the bones of a dragon.

You allow yourself to lose sight of how dangerous the place is and enjoy yourself.

You can earn each bonus once, for a total of 15 XP.

Quest Flavor

1/chapter, you can earn a bonus XP towards this quest when you:

post about the weather conditions.

post about your daily chores.

play with an animal or minor spirit.

discuss philosophy.

make hypotheses about the magic of the island.

see wonders and criticize or deconstruct them.

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Magic’s Price

Bonus XP

You have a dogmatic perspective on magical powers. They’re a threat to the soul. They’re a corruption risk. They lead people away from the true and beautiful things.

You can earn 2 bonus XP towards this quest (up to a maximum of 2/post and 6/couplet) by posting a new theory about how someone’s powers might corrupt them.

. . . or, more generally, any theory related to the subject of the quest.

This quest is about coming up with new theories, not new goofy things to say, so your character has to take it seriously—which is not to say they have to believe it, but they have to think it’s at least worth the time to come up with and share.

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Playing with Corruption

Major Goals

You can claim 5 XP towards this quest when:

Your Corruptor tries to shake your convictions, but winds up strengthening them instead.

Your Corruptor attempts to claim the moral high ground. 

You lure the Corruptor into theological or metaphysical debate.

One of the other players reveals that their PC interacted with the Corruptor long ago, or their PC interacts with it now.

You can earn up to three of these bonuses, once each, for a total of up to 15 XP.

Quest Flavor

1/chapter, you can earn a bonus XP towards this quest when:

you find entertaining new ways to get rid of the minions it offers you.

you spend a peaceful interval in your corruptor’s Chapel

you explore, finding something neat, scary, or beautiful in your corruptor’s Chapel

you refine your theories about the corruptor’s wickedness.

you shake off the influence of the corruptor’s voice, power, or dreams

you allow your corruptor or their minions to make themselves useful.

you boast about your resistance to corruption.

you explain why you’re not using the powers or minions of your corruptor even though they’d be helpful right now.

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A Brave Face

Bonus XP

You’re trying to put on a brave face when dealing with your personal troubles and negative messages from others. And that’s not a bad thing!

... but it is a hard thing.

Pick a status associated with the brave face, e.g.,

#OK

#at peace or

#happy

When you make a post with that status, you have to roll Self-Care to see if you’re really handling the situation with poise and grace—optionally editing or following up on the post if you fail.

You can earn 2 bonus XP towards this quest (to a maximum of 2/post and 6/couplet) by using that status anyway.

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Spirits and Animals

Major Goals

You can claim 5 XP towards this quest when:

You get into an online fight with another PC.

You flee from a wicked spirit.

You risk getting hurt to protect something.

You can earn each bonus once each, up to a total of 15 XP.

Quest Flavor

1/chapter, you can earn a bonus XP towards this quest when you:

post snippets about an animal or spirit you’ve met in the Great Forest.

post snippets about your interactions with such an animal or spirit.

post about having tea or drinks with a spirit.

post about how you deal with some personal health issue.

pick at some metaphorical scab—some long-term problem or conflict.

discuss whether life is meaningful/valuable with somebody.

discuss theories about the Far Lands and the metaphysics of the world.

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“Unbelievable”

Bonus XP

Your life is kind of unfair. You’re used to it. You’re resigned to it. But that doesn’t mean you won’t call it out!

Pick one of the following hashtags to represent that mood of resignation:

#unbelievable

#really? REALLY?

#heavy sigh

When bad things happen, when you receive a negative message, whatever—you can earn 2 bonus XP (up to a maximum of 2/post and 6/couplet) by tagging the STORY post where they happen, or your IC reply, with that tag. Or, you can say something evocative of that tag in character!

Variations of the tag work as well.

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Unwanted Burdens

You are not good at taking care of things. You can’t even keep plants alive. . . . but now you’ve gotten stuck with this admittedly adorable sidekick or pet.

A monster? A creature of the underworld? The Weapon? Some other PC? You’ve sort of adopted them, not that you’d ever admit it. You like to complain about them online, but you’re protective of them, too.

Major Goals

You can claim 5 XP towards this quest when:

you’ve decided to shoulder a difficult burden;

you’ve come up with and committed to a plan to deal with such a burden;

you’ve defended the quest sidekick/pet against some threat.

You can earn each bonus once, for a total of 15 XP.

  Quest Flavor

1/chapter, you can earn a bonus XP towards this quest through:

the quest sidekick/pet getting into goofy trouble

complaining about being stuck with responsibility for the quest sidekick/pet

chores involving voluntarily taking care of, or helping, the quest sidekick/pet

research into, or foreshadowing about, the quest sidekick/pet

talking with people about strange monsters and horrors

talking with somebody about the functioning and deep structure of the world.

talking with somebody about death.

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XP Actions

The fifteen circumstances where you can roll an XP Action are as follows:

Communication

Meaningful Communication: . . . when you’re having that

Need—Spotted!: . . . when you’ve identified someone’s needs

Request: . . . when you want to make a request

Strong Feelings: . . . when you feel something strongly.

Distress

Anger/Judgment: . . . when you’re feeling angry/judgmental.

Stress: . . . when your world is out of order.

Unmet Needs: . . . when you have unmet needs

Other Reactions

Not Up For This: . . . when you’re just not up for empathy/NVC right now.

Acting in the World

Definitive: . . . when you’re taking a big step or risk

Exploration: . . . when you’re exploring something

Pleasant Work: . . . when you’re doing something ordinary in the world

Readiness: . . . when there’s no time to communicate, and you must use force

There’s More Here: . . . when you might be able to learn more about something

Trouble: . . . when you’re in trouble!

Unpleasant Work: . . . when you’re doing something because you “have to.”

Being Introduced for Active Playtest

Attention: . . . when your attention is caught by someone’s adventures.

Divergence: . . . when something’s different where you are, or is about to be.

Resources: . . . now and then.

So if your character is feeling bad, take a moment to figure out whether you’re feeling angry or judgmental, or if you have unmet needs, or if your world is out of order. If you’re just chatting, keep an eye out for meaningful communication, spotting people’s needs, making requests, and strong feelings. If you’re not up for NVC stuff, but that’s a purely in-character feeling, you might try the Not Up For This action and see where it leads you!

Meanwhile, the last seven actions are there for your adventures on the island. When you’re playing through those adventures with a GM, or making them up, keep an eye out for opportunities to learn more about something in the world, take a big step or risk, do something ordinary, be in trouble, explore, or do something because you “have to.” And if you might need to use force—well, check whether you really need to use force! There’s an action for that, if you really do.

I don’t have a problem with your crossing the streams a little—making a request of an NPC, in your adventures in the world, or doing the unpleasant work of replying to someone’s post—but I’m not expecting you to do so until you’re familiar with the actions.

You can earn up to 2 XP per chapter from XP Actions.

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Meaningful Communication

You’re engaged in meaningful communication with someone.

At such a time you may roll your Communication or your Mystery. Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” lures you into saying something thoughtless.

On failure, you feel an impulse to share a secret or otherwise make yourself vulnerable.

On success, you can earn an XP if:

You attempt to reflect someone else’s feelings. Paraphrase what you’ve understood from them, and ask if that’s correct. They’ll either give you an honest answer, or write [HONESTY IMPOSSIBLE] before replying.

You ask someone else to paraphrase what they understand you to be saying—to reflect it back to you. They’ll do so, prefacing it with [HONESTY IMPOSSIBLE] if they can’t do this honestly IC.

On triples, in addition to the XP, the conversation is really good. It’s energizing. You can open a Mystery Issue.

Quadruples and quintuples represent transformative, incredible experiences—you feel like this conversation is life-changing, like it’s full of rich insight. You also receive the benefits of a triple.

Issues

Mystery builds towards a great discovery.

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Need Spotted

You’ve identified a need behind something you’re saying or something someone else is saying.

At such a time you may roll your Communication or your (in) Over your Head to put that into words.

Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” means that you fumble. You say something wrong—and can open a Complex Issue.

On failure, you feel an impulse to indicate that you’re paying attention to this/listening (which may wind up overriding the impulse to talk about the need itself.)

On success, you can earn an XP if you:

Paraphrase their needs, and then ask whether you’ve identified those needs correctly, or

Describe the needs behind your feelings, and, then, make a request.

It’s not obligatory, but success motivates your target to respond empathetically—to give you a bit of information, or to seriously consider the request.

On triples, in addition to the XP, there’s an abstract sense (shared by all participants in the conversation) that the needs you’ve articulated are important. You can open an (in) Over your Head Issue. 

Quadruples and quintuples represent a truly insightful moment—in addition to the XP and possible (in) Over your Head,

if you’re identifying someone else’s needs, you can talk to their player for a few minutes about their character’s needs—basically, their player can help you find something really insightful to say. 

if you’re making a request of someone, they probably feel like they really understand you.

Issues

(in) Over your Head takes you into, and then magnificently out of, trouble. Complex is the story of a worry or obsession that gets out of control.

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Request

You want something from someone. Maybe it’s feedback—you want to know how they feel about what you’ve said or what they think about what you’ve said. Maybe it’s a request.

At such a time, you can roll Hero or the more appropriate of Self-Care and Communication.

Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” means that you ask them, or make a firm plan to ask them (if they’re not there). Then you feel this sudden burst of terror—you’re afraid of what they might say! Describe OOC what they could say that would totally wreck you. Then, ideally, go and post in another conversation thread or about something else while you wait for an answer. . . .

On failure, go ahead and make your request. (Or not!)

On success, you can earn an XP if you put yourself in a frame of mind where:

you want an honest answer to a question, or

you want help with something, but only if it can be given “willingly and compassionately”

It’s expected but not required that you follow this up by actually asking them for that, or making a firm plan to do so.

On triples, the frame of mind you find is good. It feels solid. Strong. In addition to the XP, you can open a Hero Issue.

Quadruples and quintuples give you a sense of a cosmic force moving underneath the surfaces of things—a private vision of yourself or the world that makes you feel like whatever the answer is, it’s going to be OK. They otherwise work as a triple.

Issues

Hero is a standard heroic story, building to a confrontation with a great threat.

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Strong Feelings

You have a strong feeling. Maybe it’s enjoyment of a sunset. Maybe it’s pain. Maybe it’s a troublesome emotion like jealousy.

At such a time, you may roll Something to Deal With or the more appropriate of Introspection or Communication.

Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” pushes you to deny the feeling and its importance. You can open a storyline about that denial by starting a Complex Issue.

On failure, you have an impulse to post about the emotion, but have trouble talking about it directly—maybe you can’t put it into words, or maybe you don’t want to, so you talk around it or wrestle with it or make an image or an [image] post.

On success, you can earn an XP by:

taking a moment in STORY, or a few minutes away from a chain of IC posts, to observe what others are saying or doing that’s enriching or not enriching your life,

saying or emoting what you’re feeling, or

announcing your pain—nakedly and without blame

Triples work the same way, but you feel exceptionally articulate and insightful. In addition to the XP, you can open a Something to Deal With Issue.

Quadruples and quintuples give you a sense of a cosmic force moving underneath the surfaces of things—a private vision of yourself or the world that transfixes you. Whether or not you take the actions above, you’ll gain an XP and can open a Something to Deal With Issue.