Listen close, youngsters. I'm going to tell you a story about a place called the Dreamscape.
It's a multiverse of universes created by those living in it.
Not by intent, no-- by dreams, hopes, nightmares is the Dreamscape spun.
Those who live in the Dreamscape are known as Jumpers. The Dreamscape Jumpers are those who we believe create the Dreamscape and all of the worlds in it. They're pulled in from their own worlds, which are many and diverse.
Some Jumpers wonder whether their worlds ever actually existed once they are in the Dreamscape for a while. Jumpers one day end up in one of these “consensual realities” known as Dreamscape Realms. They are there with a purpose. They complete or fail it, then are Jumped to another Realm.
Some Jumpers are more skilled at Jumping than others, usually the experienced ones. Some have learned how to find other Jumpers, and some have even learned how to find specific Jumpers. They often travel as companions.
At some point, a team of Jumpers became very skilled at finding each other, and certain Dreamscape Realms before they went “Under the Horizon"... before they died. Those Jumpers banded together and found a place between realms that they called the Nexus. It would be a place that Jumpers could learn to go, where they could be taught to find Realms that they had been to before. A place where they could find friends again, find purpose in their questing.
Well... you're all Jumpers. And this is the Nexus. Welcome to the key to controlling your life again.
You're welcome.
Some time ago I expressed a desire for a more dynamic, mutable online roleplaying environment. Perhaps a more episodic one. I wanted something that could hold diverse characters and enviroments. The answer came to me in the form of an old roleplaying template I created for the Big Eyes, Small Mouth anime roleplaying system, the “Dreamscape Jumpers". The environment allowed for nearly anything, and I realized that things spawned from that particular RP paradigm would make for an excellent chatroom (or series thereof).
The Nexus was the result.
The Nexus would be, ideally, a series of html-based chats (probably similar to http://www.wodnyc.net's excellent chat RP paradigm). There would be moderation and a die roller, but no 'official' numbered rules for character creation (at least not initially) and ST-run scenes would probably use 'on the fly' rules until we get more strangers into the RP.
In short, rules will be developed as they become necessary.
There would be certain established rooms (such as The Nexus and The Aqua Vitae, perhaps) and more could be made as time goes by. There would also be a number of dynamic rooms for uncharted or less established Dreamscape Realms. NPCs and “Dreams” could be run by designated STs but also by players unless they are asked not to do so.
Right now, I think that the most important thing is to see whether getting the chat up and running on cheri is a possibility.
This page will soon be the home to what few character creation guidelines I wish to have and probably to established characters and NPCs.
Nexus Character Creation Guidelines
Dreamscape Nexus Roster
Comments:
Though it wouldn't serve for an RP environment like the one described here, I think that Dog Eared Designs' Primetime Adventures (http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html) would be an ideal system for a Dreamscape Jumpers tabletop campaign. Maybe I'll get you a copy for Christmas... ~SabreCat