A Gentle OOC

Hey Gentle Players,

Today, we have to be the bearers of some bad news. After much consideration, the mod team has decided to put AGN to a gentle rest. From the start, we have had a very active core group of players, and we have adored every minute watching you guys play. But we’ve also been hemorrhaging characters from an initial max of nearly 50 circling down to a current count of 10.

Unfortunately, 10 characters aren’t enough to support the game’s plot and play.

As both players and mods in the past, we’ve seen many people refuse to take a chance on games that don’t fit the typically DW mold out of the fear that exactly this will happen. We want to take a moment to thank all of you for taking a chance on our weird little experiment, because we recognize this was truly a strange approach to DWRP.

Because we aren’t even a fourth of the way through the story, we don’t feel we can provide a satisfying conclusion to what you’ve played so far in a closing event. However, we’re going to open up this OOC post for questions. Ask us what you’d like to know about the future, and we’ll tell you how things might have panned out.

We also want to give some shoutouts. They’re too long and numerous for Plurk, so we invite you to head to the OOC post.

Again, you all took a chance on us and a strange game that didn’t fit into DW’s common settings, plots, and playstyles, and we cannot thank you enough for the stories you let us read. We will not remove journals from the game comms. Anyone who wants to continue to use the game communities as a sandbox are welcome to do so, today, tomorrow, or a year from now.

Allairavar would like to give a special shoutout to all of the Strangers (and their fantastic players) who came to him and offered to help defend the city. Mordred (Steve), Bucky (Cat), Daylight (Melly), Lalli (Elia), and Takame (Bon), and more! He is also most appreciative of all of the Strangers that didn't dodge practice :3 Aithne (Silent) - ya ran off after him when he said no, but you're all right in Al's eyes.

Verim, despite preferring to spend most of his time making eyes at Fay, definitely noticed the Strangers. Listing all of the ones that supported Queen would take up so much space, but he certainly noticed. Piper (Shira) ran the risk of adoption from him (sorry, Piper). Calvin (Leigh) along with the others who contributed to the conversation about the trial earned respect from Verim for not only bringing ideas to the table but also for being willing to adapt those ideas to the unique needs of the landen and the Blood.

Caleb: Your posts were always a joy to read, and between you and Molly, you were a big driving force in encouraging the canon-blind mods to give Critical Role a good listen (and we’re now hooked).

Cassandra: Coming from one of the old favorite fandoms of the mods, we got a kick whenever we saw her pop up on the TDM. It was a true shame our time and opportunities with her were so short.

Daylight: Your enthusiastic optimism was a bright spot for the NPCs of Fay’s Court. Fay especially appreciated how much you wanted to make things good and right. The Guilds will never forget the unique technology you provided to them.

Emil: We loved watching Emil teach magic in and around the city. We would have loved to continue watching him change the world in Draega as he learned more about his Jewel—and Lalli’s, too.

Guts: Guts was such an asset: to the court and to the game. We know you were on hiatus so this is a sad post to come back to, but we wholeheartedly enjoyed your presence in our little weird corner and so pleased that had fun with us.

Haein: What a unique character. What a crazy character. Haein came in with such an icy attitude, and we only started to see that ice melt. His willingness to speak plainly was such a value to Fay and her Court. People willing to speak hard truths are rare and precious in a world like Draega.

Jaime: Jaime’s addition to the Game of Thrones cast was one that we were excited about. His presence during the caravan event was incredibly helpful and great to bounce off of him. We loved giving him that horse and the interactions that did, and could have, ensued.

Jon: While you were here, you bridged a gap between landen and Blood and Stranger that no one else could have bridged by virtue of your vampiric nature. Though you struggled, you would have found acceptance among the Blood.

Katniss: Her righteous anger on behalf of the landens were so interesting to read and helped bring to forefront what a complicated and volatile city Draega was. Her inner fire was always a great asset to her and in this game, it was no acception.

Leo: You were always a delight! The Guilds never knew quite what to make of you, except that they wanted to be you. You scared Niall, and one day you would have found in him as powerful a rival as an ally.

Molly: Your support of the Queen and righteous anger towards those who harmed the innocent brought a strong sense of justice to Draega. Landens and Blood alike would have started to look toward Molly as a moral compass—for better or worse.

Mordred: The mod team loved you, Mordred. Your brash and headstrong approach to problem solving put you in a difficult place in Draega, and we only just started to see the effects of that. Surely, the Queen’s Court would have rallied around you to offer what support they could.

Percy: Our biggest regret is that you were gone so soon. Percy’s sense of justice and his singular reaction to Fay brought us great delight. Fay!Mod especially loved Percy, and we wish we could have shown him an ocean in need of revitalization.

Piper: You jumped into this scary setup, with a determination to understand both the landen and Blood and help heal the wide schism between them. Her insights and willingness inspired the Court as well.

Rhus: We truly enjoyed your efforts to create a serum to help grow the crops. Though you didn’t get a chance to see it in game, that would have played out as helping significantly. Fewer people would have died of starvation, and Draega would have had something unique to trade with other cities.

Sansa: Watching Sansa work to overcome her past and carve her own place in Draega was a true delight for us. She was always so quick to help out whenever and wherever she could; she truly engrained herself into the everyone’s hearts.

Takame: Like Jon, you were a unique fixture in Draega. At first, the Blood considered you a curiosity. You reminded them of what their legends said they were. Your stoic determination to do good showed them what they could be.

Tyrion: True to canon’s form, you always managed to ask the right questions at the right time. We were truly looking forward to you manipulating the politics of Draega, keeping the mods enthralled and on our toes.

Wanda: If there was a place to explore the interplay of power and how it was perceived, this was a good one. We hope we gave Wanda some interesting things to try as we enjoyed reading her during her short time with us.

Zita: Your heart for helping others never went unnoticed. In all situations, you were the among the first into the fray to lend assistance, even when you were tired or scared. Both landen and Blood trusted you as a healers—and as a Healers.

We’ve called out a number of characters in this post who had already made a large impact on Draega, but we loved to read threads from each and every one of you. We all spent late nights and early mornings reading your tags and delighting in the unique ways you and your characters chose to interact with the world of Terreille. Thank you again for taking a chance on AGN and for giving us 5 excellent months.

Remember, you’re welcome to ask questions about the fate of the world and your characters below, and we’ll be around to answer them.

Though all the scars are healing
you’re always biting back
You know the struggle's real
I lie down then you attack ( Read more... )

This month, we're going to roll the plotting and intro post into one spot. There is a top-level just for new players here.

The morning that comes with the new Strangers’ arrival is an ominous one. Somber mood becomes stark, horrifying reality soon enough. In the night, a coven of Black Widows sneaked into Draega and broke a young witch who had the potential to be a good, strong Queen. The Blood are reeling, shocked and stunned by this egregious attack on a child.

While the Guilds and the Ebon Council use this as an opportunity to attack Fayura for her inability to defend the city, Fayura reaches out to the Strangers and requests they help her find the coven who attacked the young girl. To do this, she sends them out into the city, where tangled webs the coven wove in the night ensnare their minds and cause them to live through dark memories and terrible visions. Characters can be trapped in the web and acting out the memories, break into the web to free someone else, or try to change the course of the memory. As always, if you would like to take a prompt in another direction, you are welcome to do so.

PLEASE BE AWARE: The prompts featuring tangled webs are laden with triggering content. Each prompt has a trigger warning beside the header so that you are aware of the content inside the prompt. Most of the triggering content is not described in detail, and in many cases is only alluded to or described in passing.

You can read the full event here. The post is currently locked for responses and will open at 8PM EST on the 18th. Take this time to talk to each other about what you’re interested in doing and accomplishing in this event.

Questions should be asked here. For this event, Queen Fayura will be available to answer questions. Some of the NPCs may utilize the Farcasters, so keep an eye on the network as well. As always, you may drive the cityfolk as you please.

Some additional information…



After this event…

And I know when it cuts deep down
through your chest into your soul
that's how you know that's how
I know I feel it in my bones ( Read more... )

Another month comes and goes.

This month, Strangers arrive peacefully and are expected when they arrive. Alas, the Queen's Residence is still in chaos, and there's much afoot. The Strangers have arrived just in time for a six day festival that coincides with the spring equinox and the beginning of the planting season around Draega.

You can read the full event here. The post is currently locked for responses and will open at 8PM EST on the 21st. Take this time to talk to each other about what you're interested in doing and accomplishing in this event.

Questions should be asked here. For this event, Strangers have the chance to run into all major NPCs except for Queen Fayura. As such, please use the top-levels below to hash out plans with the NPCs. You don't need to do this, however! NPCs may crash your threads just because. As always, you may drive the cityfolk as you please.

Some additional information…



After this event…

Welcome to A Gentle Night! We're excited to have you here and can't wait to kick off our next event with an OOC plotting post on Tuesday the 19th. New characters will have officially arrived as of the event post.

Take this time to say hello and introduce yourselves to each other. Feel free to use the form below. Decide whether or not you want to keep your TDM threads canon with other characters who were accepted.

This month, you may receive influence for Vigilanden Justice, Warm Front, and Poisoned Gnature. Remember, this is only applicable to canon TDM threads. Influence is contingent on how your character interacted with the prompt. Go to the Influence Page and follow the example if you wish to submit a thread for influence or reputation.

<div style="font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:300"><strong>Player Handle</strong>: <strong>Character(s)</strong>: <strong>Character Summary</strong>: Give us your punchiest character summary. Hook us on your muse. For example, we might say of Loren... "Buttoned up pencil pusher with over four years of accrued vacation time. Would send an illusion of himself on a date before attending in person. Purple Dusk to Green." <strong>Short-term plans</strong>: What would you like your character to get up to in Draega at the start? <strong>Long-term goals</strong>: Whether it's instigating another landen uprising, making your Offering, or something as banal as opening a bakery. <strong>TDM threads</strong>: Do you want to keep TDM threads as canon? <strong>Anything else</strong>:

Oh we were comin' around You threw me back down
You had my trust in your hands You gave it up again ( Read more... )

A month has passed in the real world and in the game world, and that means it's once again time for something to go hideously wrong.

This month, Strangers arrive peacefully. They sleep through the night, and wake to a household that did not expect more of them. They have the day to grow acclimated to Draega. It's not enough time, but the Guilds and the Council don't care about anyone's comfort but their own. In the early evening, some of the Blood sabotage the power plant northwest of the city. At the same time, a group of angry landens confronts Councilwoman Vera while she's out with her family.

You can read the full event here. The post is currently locked for responses and will open at 8PM EST on the 21st. Take this time to talk to each other about what you're interested in doing and accomplishing in this event.

Questions should be asked here. Strangers are welcome to speak with Loren or Allairavar after breakfast. You may request a thread using our NPC request form. Comment to the appropriate character's top-level. For events like this, simply let us know which of your prompts you'd like the NPC to respond to. You may drive the power plant workers and cityfolk as you please.

Some additional information…


How will these threads impact influence? Don't worry about that for now. Let your character do what they think is right in these situations. Influence for January will be posted next week when we change over influence jobs for the month. The results of character actions in this event will become apparent in March.

After this event…

Welcome to A Gentle Night! We're excited to have you here and can't wait to kick off our next event with an OOC plotting post on Tuesday the 19th. New characters will have officially arrived as of the event post.

Take this time to say hello and introduce yourselves to each other. Feel free to use the form below. Decide whether or not you want to keep your TDM threads canon with other characters who were accepted.

This month, you may receive influence for Hot Under the Collard Greens and Revenge, Served Stinky. For Terrible Two(hundred)s, you may earn reputation with either Loren or Grejor, depending on how you solved the problem. Remember, this is only applicable to canon TDM threads. Influence is contingent on how your character interacted with the prompt. Go to the Influence Page and follow the example if you wish to submit a thread for influence or reputation.

<div style="font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:300"><strong>Player Handle</strong>: <strong>Character(s)</strong>: <strong>Character Summary</strong>: Give us your punchiest character summary. Hook us on your muse. For example, we might say of Loren... "Buttoned up pencil pusher with over four years of accrued vacation time. Would send an illusion of himself on a date before attending in person. Purple Dusk to Green." <strong>Short-term plans</strong>: What would you like your character to get up to in Draega at the start? <strong>Long-term goals</strong>: Whether it's instigating another landen uprising, making your Offering, or something as banal as opening a bakery. <strong>TDM threads</strong>: Do you want to keep TDM threads as canon? <strong>Anything else</strong>:

I know dust grows even when there is a breeze
Can't move, can't grow When you've fallen on your knees ( Read more... )

JEWEL MEME
It's our first meme! Per player suggestion, it's about your Jewels! Tell us all about how your character wears their Jewel. Is it in an armband? A necklace? Have they set it in a belt? Is that Jewel proudly displayed, or has the character made an attempt to hide it?

In canon, a Jewel is large enough to be cut into both a pendant and a ring—the traditional way the Blood wear their Jewels. What that means is, like so many other things, a little unclear. Who knows if the Jewel is initially big enough to be the statement in a statement necklace or large enough to double as a 33 carat brass knuckle ring. What we're saying here? Go wild.

Not sure where to start? Here're what Councilman Grejor Shamael's Jewels look like:


Show us your bling, Strangers!

Activity Check: February 2019

TO PASS AC
If your character was accepted the previous month, fill out the check-in form.

If you character was accepted prior to the previous month, provide TWO proofs of activity. Acceptable proofs of activity are:

► A network thread (or threads) consisting of 10+ comments from your character
► A log of 5+ comments from your character
► Have posted a valid hiatus for the AC period

Check-In Only
<span style="color:#a01c39;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.1em;font-size:12px;">Player Name</span> Your player handle <span style="color:#a01c39;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.1em;font-size:12px;">Character name/Journal</span> Your character's name/character journal <span style="color:#a01c39;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.1em;font-size:12px;">Month Accepted</span> The month this character was accepted into the game.

Activity Proofs
<span style="color:#a01c39;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.1em;font-size:12px;">Player Name</span> Your player handle <span style="color:#a01c39;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.1em;font-size:12px;">Character name/Journal</span> Your character's name/character journal <span style="color:#a01c39;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.1em;font-size:12px;">Activity Proofs</span> <a href="YOUR AC PROOF LINKHERE">Proof One</a>. <a href="YOUR AC PROOF LINKHERE">Proof Two</a>

Since we just opened, everybody gets check-in this month!

Welcome to the first plotting post of A Gentle Night.

The first event of the game will see characters arriving in Draega in the wee hours of the night—and immediately suffering an attack from the Hunter Guild. The Hunter Guild loathes the Blood, and they have decided that Queen Fayura's actions must be answered with immediate and severe violence. Meanwhile, the Queen is no where to be found and the Old Town Bazaar burns.

You can read the full event here. The post is currently locked for responses and will open at 8PM EST on the 24th. Take this time to talk to each other about what you're interested in doing and accomplishing in this event.

Questions should be asked here. As both Allairavar and Loren are out and about in this event, you may request that they engage with your character using our NPC request form. Comment to the appropriate character's top-level. For events like this, simply let us know which of your prompts you'd like the NPC to respond to. Remember that members of Fayura's First Circle appear in the event and as minor NPCs can be driven by players at-will.

This is also a good time to talk to your fellow players about the jobs and activities around Draega that will allow you to gain influence this month.

After this event…

In light of the number of reserves we've received, the mod team has decided to make a few adjustments to the game rules. First among them will be a game cap for characters. We were anticipating perhaps 25 reserves in a best case scenario. We're currently sitting at 40. While we are thrilled by this response, we also want to ensure a game population that allows us to deliver an engaging and meaningful play experience to our cast.

As a result, we have decided to cap the game's character count at 60. This is tentative, and we are not opposed to raising this cap in later months should we be able to provide our players with the level of plot engagement we want to offer.

To ensure that no cast overwhelms the game, we will cap all casts at 5 characters. Canons that have multiple incarnations will be considered unique where there is no crossover between the different versions of canon. For example, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be considered separate from the comics and the various X-Men properties, but will not be considered separate from Agents of Shield or Agent Carter.

Currently, we allow players to have up to four characters in game. As of this post, that will drop to two characters. Because our overall character cap is only 60 characters, anyone apping a second character should put forth more than the minimum required AC in the month before they app that second character.

Moving forward, we will switch to rolling apps. We will honor all RNGs and reserves made prior to 10:00PM EST Tuesday, January 15th. Any additional applications will be processed in the order in which they were received until the 60 character cap is reached. Apps may be posted at any time. After this first app round, apps will be processed starting the third Thursday of every month (these dates will be posted on the application page) as we have character slots available. A list of characters in the queue will appear on the app page. The mod team will respond to the app to let you know if you're accepted, and you will have 48 hours to respond. If your app requires revisions, you will have 72 hours to confirm your continued interest by making those revisions. Failure to respond to these notifications will result in your app being rejected at the end of your 48 or 72 hours.

We will be doing away with reserves. However, the reserves page will receive a facelift shortly and be used for Jewel RNG exclusively moving forward. Rules about receiving apps with Jewels Green or darker with no associated RNG comment will not change.

The mod team understands that sometimes a character just doesn't click in a game. Shortly after this post goes live, we will update the hiatus and drops page to include a new Character Swap option. Players will have a single opportunity to swap out an apped character for a new character if the character they originally apped is not working out for them. This is available one time per player. After the swap option is used, any new character app from a current player will be processed as described above. Players who leave the game and return who previously used the Character Swap option will not receive a new one.

We will still post monthly TDMs.

Again, the mod team is thrilled by the response A Gentle Night has received! We are very excited to read all your applications and cannot wait to play with you. Because we want to deliver an immersive and meaningful story to our players, we want to implement these changes now before our character population is too large for us to manage. We do not want to sacrifice the quality of the experience we want to provide and create with our players.

If you have any question about these changes, please feel free to comment here, reach out to us via PM, or respond to our thread on plurk at agentlenight.

'Cause I have these new fears I carry with me
So you can feel stronger, you can know peace ( Read more... )