Introduction

I've decided to create a blog that is dedicated to the more technical aspects of my writing as well as updates on my research/development of my ideas (as well as possible rants). Primarily this will deal with two subjects, 'The Shattered Child', my Numenera campaign and a new setting for the Cypher System called under the working title of 'Venicia', hence the name of the blog.

My Numenera campaign The Shattered Child is something that I've been writing in both terms of campaign structure for play sessions, and translating it into a narrative. This goes in part with my PhD thesis I am researching before submission Ludological Mechanisms.Its turned into a pretty weighty blog with over forty thousand words at the time I'm writing. There are two conscious choices I made with it. Firstly, no speech. Unfortunately I've found that speech has only been useful if it was from an NPC as they normally function as plot development, while PC interactions can vary from casual to strategically and most take up the word count. Secondly retroactive continuity with action for the sake of narrative interest. My players decide the action that unfolds and react to situations that derive from them. Although the campaign is narrative driven and I have tried to implement a Schrödinger's Gun approach, allowing a constant flexibility while keeping within a narrative universe. It also allows for greater player agency while still delivering on what I believe to be an important factor, suspension of disbelief. Coming from my academic background, I'm primarily a storyteller.

On that note this brings in 'Venicia'. Although it is still in very early development it is using the research I have been collecting for my thesis and putting it into action. I'm currently studying and extracting elements from Italo Calvino's 'Italian Folklore' and '101 Arabian Nights'. I'll be exploring both schools of narrative and magic's to blend them together into something I can work with. I can generally say it can be described as gunpowder, clock punk and mystics. It implements an alternative history where the Mongols never sieged Baghdad and the Knights Templar never went on their crusades in the East. I won't give you much more than that I'm still working on it, but there will be elements from Italian folklore, Arabic Mythology and perhaps a small part of Arthurian legend. I am determined to make it as true to its origins as possible, limiting the translations that change or diffuse meaning. This setting will be partially urban, set in eighteenth century Venice and so, in part, the history and sociology of the original Venice will also be included. The three 'nouns' of the Cypher System are currently 'Bastion' 'Astrologist' and 'Marauder'. It's a weighty task and heavily research based.

In my mind's eye I can see a courtesan, holding an exotic and intricately ornate machine in his palm. He turns a few cogs and puts a key into the machine and a roar of flame bursts forth in the form of a jinn, manacled by chains and cogs. It speaks in a foreign tongue before the courtesan is shot in the back. The machine falls from his grasp as he falls to floor in a pool of his blood. The jinn returns to the machine as it falls into the water. As it hits the bed of the canal, a gondola casts dappled shadows down from the surface as a clawed hand reaches up from the silt and grabs hold of it. The inner parts of the machine glowing red in the murky waters.

This may provide some useful tips on how I play RPGs and how I develop my narratives but this is advice only, players, games, situations and GM's vary and my way of playing is probably alien to some and may not work with the game you are in. I've chosen Numenera and the Cypher System because of its exploration and narrative focus, its easily accessible rule set  and the sheer creativity of the Monte Cook Games team. If you haven't checked them out do so.

I think that's long enough, thanks for reading all the way through and I will catch you next time.

/Drew