Remote Collaboration
Participants would create characters based on cues they took from other videos, or after reading the setting guide and rules on the discord. They could create a bio and add it to a registry if they wanted to, even use the provided channels to collaborate and coordinate with each other, but that was optional. Anyone who understood the prompt and was respectful could play.
Interaction between characters took place largely through TikTok videos, particularly utilizing TikTok's duet feature- putting a creator's video side-by-side with another's, allowing participants to interact with each other's story and even add to it in a meaningful way. This allowed for innovations such as Rabbit Hole workers creating "treatment" videos that any character could duet and incorporate into their story, resulting in no shortage of play opportunities.
Participants also sent each other footage and edited it together to create the illusion that characters were in the same physical space. Some even created drawings or animatics of their characters instead of filming themselves and contributed to the story that way. Some chose to participate through text-based roleplay. All were welcome.
Interaction between characters took place largely through TikTok videos, particularly utilizing TikTok's duet feature- putting a creator's video side-by-side with another's, allowing participants to interact with each other's story and even add to it in a meaningful way. This allowed for innovations such as Rabbit Hole workers creating "treatment" videos that any character could duet and incorporate into their story, resulting in no shortage of play opportunities.
Participants also sent each other footage and edited it together to create the illusion that characters were in the same physical space. Some even created drawings or animatics of their characters instead of filming themselves and contributed to the story that way. Some chose to participate through text-based roleplay. All were welcome.
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Duplicate Characters
Because Asunderland included thousands of participants, there needed to be a baked-in allowance for multiple participants wanting to play the same character.
In the Rabbit Hole, the lab that resides under the dystopian Emerald City, "troublesome" characters are Repurposed; given a serial number and coded with programed versions of themselves, so that they may better serve the City. Every "model" is slightly different. This allows for multiple versions of the same character to exist as different models of the same program. For example, Aalis/AA1i5 (played by Azrai) may be the first/oldest "Alice" model, but she isn't the only one. There are even duplicate character inspirations within the story leaders.
Of course, as per the nature of places like Neverland, Oz and Wonderland, people find themselves stumbling in from other worlds as well- even alternate worlds. With these pieces of lore in place, no participant has to worry about the character they want to play being "taken."
In the Rabbit Hole, the lab that resides under the dystopian Emerald City, "troublesome" characters are Repurposed; given a serial number and coded with programed versions of themselves, so that they may better serve the City. Every "model" is slightly different. This allows for multiple versions of the same character to exist as different models of the same program. For example, Aalis/AA1i5 (played by Azrai) may be the first/oldest "Alice" model, but she isn't the only one. There are even duplicate character inspirations within the story leaders.
Of course, as per the nature of places like Neverland, Oz and Wonderland, people find themselves stumbling in from other worlds as well- even alternate worlds. With these pieces of lore in place, no participant has to worry about the character they want to play being "taken."
Asunderland Community Guidelines
What you will see here are the rules set by Azrai and their team to foster a community that facilitates effective collaborative storytelling, as well as consideration and safety for others.
Azrai later elaborated on best practices for collaborative storytelling in a guide that you can find below.
Azrai later elaborated on best practices for collaborative storytelling in a guide that you can find below.
The original rules graphic created for the launch of Asunderland's discord
The Rules
Rule One
Play whatever Fairytale, folklore or children’s story character you want! You can choose to be a different version of the same character if you see someone is already playing a character with the same inspiration. But don’t be afraid to look through old fairytales and find a character that is less saturated in the tag!
Rule Two
Give your character limitations! No gods, no all-powerful beings. Collaborative storytelling is a different animal, and any godlike characters should be regulated to central storytellers in order to keep the world and the story from unravelling in a way that ISN’T fun.
Rule Three
Respect Boundaries! Avoid making a character whose entire concept is dependent on a connection to another player. Our inspiration fairytales are intertwined, but make your character your own! If you pitch a connection story to another player (whether that is by making videos and tagging them, duets, messages etc) and they don’t engage with it, give them space and explore your other options!
This applies to out-of-character interactions as well. If someone indicates that they don't want to engage with something, whether by blocking someone, saying they'd like to disengage, or even continued silence/avoidance, we take that as a "no."
Attempting to push those boundaries by continuously contacting a person after these signals have been given is considered harassment here. We have a zero-tolerance policy for this behavior, as many of us have only seen it escalate. People behaving this way will most likely be removed from this space. This community is largely incredibly supportive, creative and kind. Let's keep each other safe as well.
This applies to out-of-character interactions as well. If someone indicates that they don't want to engage with something, whether by blocking someone, saying they'd like to disengage, or even continued silence/avoidance, we take that as a "no."
Attempting to push those boundaries by continuously contacting a person after these signals have been given is considered harassment here. We have a zero-tolerance policy for this behavior, as many of us have only seen it escalate. People behaving this way will most likely be removed from this space. This community is largely incredibly supportive, creative and kind. Let's keep each other safe as well.
Rule Four
CHECK IT BEFORE YOU WRECK IT.
Communicate with each other about story elements you’d like to play out! Do not ambush someone with a major plot twist if they will be directly effected by it. This goes for romance, character death, betrayals, explicit content etc. If you LIKE surprises, that’s wonderful! Just say so when someone checks in with you. However, that is not the assumed default. We want people to be able to curate the type of stories they interact with. This way nobody gets backed into a corner where they feel trapped or uncomfortable.
Communicate with each other about story elements you’d like to play out! Do not ambush someone with a major plot twist if they will be directly effected by it. This goes for romance, character death, betrayals, explicit content etc. If you LIKE surprises, that’s wonderful! Just say so when someone checks in with you. However, that is not the assumed default. We want people to be able to curate the type of stories they interact with. This way nobody gets backed into a corner where they feel trapped or uncomfortable.
Rule Five
We are here to have fun and explore our art and storytelling. We respect and uplift each other. If anyone is found harassing anyone else, or committing any kind of non-consensual abuse based on sexuality, gender, neurodivergence, race, disability, or other out-of-character physical attributes, they will be quickly and quietly removed from this space. ANY in-characer bullying must be consensual and should be discussed beforehand.
Rule Six
This adventure is recommended for ages 16 and up. Sexually explicit content should be kept to direct messages or private spaces unless otherwise stated by an administrator.
Now have fun, overthrow a totalitarian capitalist regime, and make your art!
Now have fun, overthrow a totalitarian capitalist regime, and make your art!
Azrai's Collaborative Storytelling Guide (for TikTok)
Asunderland is a different type of tag than it’s predecessors on TikTok. Tags before it, while wonderful fun, have run into a wide variety of problems as everyone participating learns about what works and what doesn’t. Which is great! We get to learn from our past experiences. Things unfold the way they have partly because collaborative storytelling is an entirely different animal than writing a story for a reader, text roleplay, playing a video game, or any situation where it’s just one author or a couple participants with any agency.
Here, your story is just as dependent on the decisions of other people as it is dependent on your own choices. This tag is not about ‘winning,’ it’s not about being the most popular, or the most powerful, or having the most control- it’s about telling a good story. It’s about creating a valuable experience as a community. These guidelines can help us with that.
The rules we’ve written for this tag are entirely in place to avoid the pitfalls of other tags and experiences, and to be considerate of other participants. However, rather than attempt to micro-manage characters and abilities, I’m writing up these guidelines so that you all can be empowered to make your own decisions about what will work well in a collaborative adventure.
I’ve been larping and participating in collaborative storytelling since 2013, everything from organizing, to writing, and helping to run them. I’ve been covering immersive events on YouTube since 2016, spanning 6 different countries and counting. I’m going to share some of what I’ve learned about what works and what doesn’t. So here are some tenants that we use in order to play well with others, and to help make sure we all can contribute to the story in a meaningful way.
These are ALL just guidelines, and many can be subverted if it’s done in a way that is still mindful of other participant’s experience.
This community is incredibly enthusiastic, considerate and thoughtful- we trust you to make decisions with each other in mind as well as yourselves. We will step in if we see someone being a disruptive force, but your stories are your own. Learn what you can here and implement it as best you can, you’re a good group of people and I can’t wait to see what you do with a bigger tool box!
Here, your story is just as dependent on the decisions of other people as it is dependent on your own choices. This tag is not about ‘winning,’ it’s not about being the most popular, or the most powerful, or having the most control- it’s about telling a good story. It’s about creating a valuable experience as a community. These guidelines can help us with that.
The rules we’ve written for this tag are entirely in place to avoid the pitfalls of other tags and experiences, and to be considerate of other participants. However, rather than attempt to micro-manage characters and abilities, I’m writing up these guidelines so that you all can be empowered to make your own decisions about what will work well in a collaborative adventure.
I’ve been larping and participating in collaborative storytelling since 2013, everything from organizing, to writing, and helping to run them. I’ve been covering immersive events on YouTube since 2016, spanning 6 different countries and counting. I’m going to share some of what I’ve learned about what works and what doesn’t. So here are some tenants that we use in order to play well with others, and to help make sure we all can contribute to the story in a meaningful way.
These are ALL just guidelines, and many can be subverted if it’s done in a way that is still mindful of other participant’s experience.
This community is incredibly enthusiastic, considerate and thoughtful- we trust you to make decisions with each other in mind as well as yourselves. We will step in if we see someone being a disruptive force, but your stories are your own. Learn what you can here and implement it as best you can, you’re a good group of people and I can’t wait to see what you do with a bigger tool box!
Communication and Consent
This SHOULD be topic number one in any collaborative storytelling community. Communication and consent can be the difference between a communal epic saga and a potentially traumatizing disaster that several people never want to speak of again. I wish I were kidding, but I’ve seen it go both ways. Below you will find notes on best practices.
Making Content for other creators
Making Content For Other Creators
On TikTok in particular, we make videos of our characters encountering others as a way to pitch our involvement to each other. This is kind of a wonderful function, because the other creator doesn’t have to interact with it if they don’t want to, and it allows us to reach out in a way that is less pressuring. Often these ‘pitches’ are how we incorporate new people into the story, seeing new ideas and relationships we like. A good practice for that is to say it’s inspired by the creator, tag them, don’t pressure them, and be sensitive/responsible about subject matter (see below).
Generally, we love seeing ideas!
However, nobody should feel like they have to interact with something that makes them uncomfortable or derails their story.
If you’d like to be involved in someone else’s plot, it’s more likely to work out well for everyone if you know what story they are telling. It’s wise to discuss how to contribute to it together- otherwise we might only accomplish showing up and co-opting someone else’s story.
For example: If a character has been kidnapped and you make videos about rescuing them without talking to them about it, there are generally two outcomes:
1. They abandon elements of their story they had been building up to in order to incorporate what you’ve brought, which could derail their work and intent, or...
2. For whatever reason, they can’t incorporate your work and you’ve gone to quite a lot of effort for nothing. Both can be resolved with a short conversation.
Asking allows someone to either incorporate your ideas smoothly, or save you the effort so that you can focus elsewhere.
There are of course times when a creator is LOOKING for people to involve themselves, like an open pitch. As creators it’s a good idea to let people know when this is the case, so that others don’t worry about stepping onto an existing plan.
(I haven’t seen this in this tag yet, but since I’ve seen it in others I’ll say: of course, do NOT make comments and pressure the creator in an attempt to override their own canon in their own story. For example, once the theoretical aforementioned kidnapping victim is discovered or rescued, don’t make comments like “Um, you’ve already been broken out. You might wanna check.” Wildly inappropriate, but again, I haven’t seen it in this community.)
Generally speaking, If you don’t have time to communicate with the others involved, then you don’t have time to be involved. At least, not in a way that will effect and derail others. In the context of TikTok It’s also especially important to communicate if you have a bigger following than the other party/parties you’re collaborating with- only because your version of events will likely be what the majority of people see, making it easier for you to derail the original storyteller’s intent, even accidentally. Much as I’d like to say follower counts don’t matter, it is a component of a power dynamic that we can’t ignore when we’re talking about consent.
Generally, we love seeing ideas!
However, nobody should feel like they have to interact with something that makes them uncomfortable or derails their story.
If you’d like to be involved in someone else’s plot, it’s more likely to work out well for everyone if you know what story they are telling. It’s wise to discuss how to contribute to it together- otherwise we might only accomplish showing up and co-opting someone else’s story.
For example: If a character has been kidnapped and you make videos about rescuing them without talking to them about it, there are generally two outcomes:
1. They abandon elements of their story they had been building up to in order to incorporate what you’ve brought, which could derail their work and intent, or...
2. For whatever reason, they can’t incorporate your work and you’ve gone to quite a lot of effort for nothing. Both can be resolved with a short conversation.
Asking allows someone to either incorporate your ideas smoothly, or save you the effort so that you can focus elsewhere.
There are of course times when a creator is LOOKING for people to involve themselves, like an open pitch. As creators it’s a good idea to let people know when this is the case, so that others don’t worry about stepping onto an existing plan.
(I haven’t seen this in this tag yet, but since I’ve seen it in others I’ll say: of course, do NOT make comments and pressure the creator in an attempt to override their own canon in their own story. For example, once the theoretical aforementioned kidnapping victim is discovered or rescued, don’t make comments like “Um, you’ve already been broken out. You might wanna check.” Wildly inappropriate, but again, I haven’t seen it in this community.)
Generally speaking, If you don’t have time to communicate with the others involved, then you don’t have time to be involved. At least, not in a way that will effect and derail others. In the context of TikTok It’s also especially important to communicate if you have a bigger following than the other party/parties you’re collaborating with- only because your version of events will likely be what the majority of people see, making it easier for you to derail the original storyteller’s intent, even accidentally. Much as I’d like to say follower counts don’t matter, it is a component of a power dynamic that we can’t ignore when we’re talking about consent.
being sensitive with subject matter
Being Sensitive With Subject Matter
We don’t “surprise” people with large plot twists/developments that personally involve their characters, or with obviously triggering subject matter.
The rule is “check it before you wreck it,” because those kinds of surprises sometimes aren’t surprises at all- they’re ambushes. We communicate beforehand. The environment will provide you with plenty of challenges, but you decide how the environment effects you. We want everyone to also be able to choose what subject matter they interact with, within reason. Many are trying to explore and manage trauma responsibly, and the stories I run will be safe places to do that.
A good practice is to look at themes that are already being explored, whether in a personal or overall plot line, and ask before delving into themes the other party hasn’t established that they want to explore. For example, in the canon Asunderland story lines we ARE actively exploring:
-Classism
-Ableism
-Frankenstein-esque body horror
-Psychological torture
-Late-stage totalitarian capitalism
-Duality as a result of trauma and reprogramming
-Loss in an apocalyptic setting
-Abuse cycles and recovery
-Brainwashing
So you can safely assume that people participating in this story are prepared to interact with these themes. Communication is still key, because we don’t want to get gratuitous, but these are some existing story parameters to work with. Kind of like how people participating in the mafia tag are likely prepared to deal with depictions of gun violence, but you’d hopefully still check before you made a video pointing a gun at someone’s specific character.
Then there are themes that the central canon story line has purposefully avoided, and would more likely be inappropriate and possibly alarming to target anyone with:
-Sexual assault/sexual violence /sexually explicit content
-Racial violence Gendered violence (“Violence” here encompassing verbalized and emotional abuse as well.)
Every person and personal story is different. What is okay with one person may not be okay with another. Check it before you wreck it.
The rule is “check it before you wreck it,” because those kinds of surprises sometimes aren’t surprises at all- they’re ambushes. We communicate beforehand. The environment will provide you with plenty of challenges, but you decide how the environment effects you. We want everyone to also be able to choose what subject matter they interact with, within reason. Many are trying to explore and manage trauma responsibly, and the stories I run will be safe places to do that.
A good practice is to look at themes that are already being explored, whether in a personal or overall plot line, and ask before delving into themes the other party hasn’t established that they want to explore. For example, in the canon Asunderland story lines we ARE actively exploring:
-Classism
-Ableism
-Frankenstein-esque body horror
-Psychological torture
-Late-stage totalitarian capitalism
-Duality as a result of trauma and reprogramming
-Loss in an apocalyptic setting
-Abuse cycles and recovery
-Brainwashing
So you can safely assume that people participating in this story are prepared to interact with these themes. Communication is still key, because we don’t want to get gratuitous, but these are some existing story parameters to work with. Kind of like how people participating in the mafia tag are likely prepared to deal with depictions of gun violence, but you’d hopefully still check before you made a video pointing a gun at someone’s specific character.
Then there are themes that the central canon story line has purposefully avoided, and would more likely be inappropriate and possibly alarming to target anyone with:
-Sexual assault/sexual violence /sexually explicit content
-Racial violence Gendered violence (“Violence” here encompassing verbalized and emotional abuse as well.)
Every person and personal story is different. What is okay with one person may not be okay with another. Check it before you wreck it.
character bleed
Character Bleed
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Original characters, especially in stories like Asunderland,are often tied to real-life experiences of the creators.
This makes consent especially important. Character bleed is very real, and derailing or endangering these stories for others can have a greater impact than we anticipate. Here is a video essay I made specifically about character bleed: |
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Roleplay Tips And Guidelines
"Yes and" and "yes but"
"Yes, And" And "Yes, But"
These are ideas taken and modified from improv acting.
The idea is that stories will have nowhere to go if ideas are shut down rather than built upon. This doesn’t mean you have to say yes to every idea that is presented to you, there are definitely some ideas that need to be reconsidered. It does mean that building upon decisions builds the world. For example, if someone comes to you and tries to heal you, but perhaps you don’t want to be healed, you have options other than shutting it down. You could say, “I survive but healing was hastily done so I have a permanent injury,” or “Your spell worked perfectly but I have a curse that interacted badly with it,” or even “It worked, and I’m haunted now.” Whenever you can, try to build! You choose how things effect you in this world, but do try to let them effect you. As long as you’re comfortable of course!
The idea is that stories will have nowhere to go if ideas are shut down rather than built upon. This doesn’t mean you have to say yes to every idea that is presented to you, there are definitely some ideas that need to be reconsidered. It does mean that building upon decisions builds the world. For example, if someone comes to you and tries to heal you, but perhaps you don’t want to be healed, you have options other than shutting it down. You could say, “I survive but healing was hastily done so I have a permanent injury,” or “Your spell worked perfectly but I have a curse that interacted badly with it,” or even “It worked, and I’m haunted now.” Whenever you can, try to build! You choose how things effect you in this world, but do try to let them effect you. As long as you’re comfortable of course!
opt-in plotlines
Opt-In Plotlines
Try to make your storylines opt-in. Meaning, unless you are an arbiter of the main plot or have checked with them, make sure your story isn’t unavoidable and disruptive to others. For example: Saying that your character is bringing in an army and completely overtaking an area of the map. Unless you’ve checked with everyone involved and you know you’re not derailing main storyline, these plots tend to be fatiguing and they eclipse stories already in play because they’re almost impossible to avoid.
So rather than saying you have an army and are taking over something completely, we’d suggest saying you’re making raids and starting skirmishes in specific places. That way people can choose to put themselves in a position to interact with it.
This way we don’t have full on wars every two weeks, we don’t get burned out, and we can all choose what to interact with. This tag has the benefit of central storytellers and plot keepers who will help provide and pace the major conflict. This way there is no need for people to constantly raise the stakes themselves to keep things exiting. This is also wise for more personal story elements. If you’re going to do something that people around you will not be able to avoid or opt out of, talk to them first. If you want to kill your character, talk to the people playing their closest relationships first. If you want to create something that will potentially effect many people, limit the conditions so that people can choose whether or not they encounter it.
So rather than saying you have an army and are taking over something completely, we’d suggest saying you’re making raids and starting skirmishes in specific places. That way people can choose to put themselves in a position to interact with it.
This way we don’t have full on wars every two weeks, we don’t get burned out, and we can all choose what to interact with. This tag has the benefit of central storytellers and plot keepers who will help provide and pace the major conflict. This way there is no need for people to constantly raise the stakes themselves to keep things exiting. This is also wise for more personal story elements. If you’re going to do something that people around you will not be able to avoid or opt out of, talk to them first. If you want to kill your character, talk to the people playing their closest relationships first. If you want to create something that will potentially effect many people, limit the conditions so that people can choose whether or not they encounter it.
play to lift
Play To Lift
All of this is pretend.
What exists in this story only exists because we collectively agree that it does. Because of that, and the “yes,and/yes,but” idea, we have a lot of power.
It’s up to us to sort of “hype each other up”- if someone is playing a scoundrel, it’s important that we reinforce that idea to integrate them into the world.
If someone is playing a beautiful princess or a powerful government official, it matters that we treat them that way.
It can be tempting to show that our own characters are unique or badass in some way by disparaging the reputation of another character. The “He’s not so tough,” attitude. This works in stories that are written for an audience, because only the author can truly take away that character’s toughness or authority. But in collaborative storytelling, we have to agree about something for it to be real. So instead of “He’s not so tough,” in a collaborative adventure we might adjust to something like, “He’s terrifying, but I have to fight him anyways.” That reinforces the other participant while still communicating your character’s bravery.
Of course, if the ‘tough’ character’s story IS that they’re not actually that tough, that’s when we can play that up. We’re here to support each other!
What exists in this story only exists because we collectively agree that it does. Because of that, and the “yes,and/yes,but” idea, we have a lot of power.
It’s up to us to sort of “hype each other up”- if someone is playing a scoundrel, it’s important that we reinforce that idea to integrate them into the world.
If someone is playing a beautiful princess or a powerful government official, it matters that we treat them that way.
It can be tempting to show that our own characters are unique or badass in some way by disparaging the reputation of another character. The “He’s not so tough,” attitude. This works in stories that are written for an audience, because only the author can truly take away that character’s toughness or authority. But in collaborative storytelling, we have to agree about something for it to be real. So instead of “He’s not so tough,” in a collaborative adventure we might adjust to something like, “He’s terrifying, but I have to fight him anyways.” That reinforces the other participant while still communicating your character’s bravery.
Of course, if the ‘tough’ character’s story IS that they’re not actually that tough, that’s when we can play that up. We’re here to support each other!
play to "lose"
Play To "Lose"
This can sound scary, but what it really means is that there is no “winning” in collaborative storytelling, because it’s not strictly a game. The goal is to create something meaningful together, so there is no real losing either. It’s really about letting things effect you. If there’s no conflict, if there’s no challenge, then there’s no real story. Generally speaking, it’s a characters vulnerabilities that make them compelling. Some people could name all of Superman’s powers, but EVERYONE knows his weakness, and feel real tension when someone brings Kryptonite into a scene.
It’s also about sharing the spotlight. “Powergamers” are frequently said to be insufferable to roleplay with, and that’s not unjustified. Which brings us to the next point...
sharing the power is sharing the plot
Sharing The Power Is Sharing The Plot
If you can do everything yourself, it’s not a collaborative story.
This is part of the reason we have the “no gods” rule. In a collaborative story, we have to need each other. Even if you’re an authority figure- teamwork is far more compelling and satisfying than one person solving many problems.
For example, in order for the apocalypse to happen in Asunderland, several things had to happen:
The rebels had to turn off the power, take over the airwaves, and trigger a meltdown. Rebels had to find a way in and siege the city, the rabbit hole patients had to riot and occupy the facility worker’s attention, Project Conduit had to have taken effect on multiple people, the Jabberwock had to see what they had done to it’s friend and find it’s motivation, during the chaos someone had to go unnoticed and open the Jabberwock door to set it free, rescue missions had to be planned, led and organized.... and many more details we all contributed to.
It was so much more meaningful to watch and to participate in all of that than it would have been if one powerful entity flipped some metaphorical apocalypse switch. How you can apply this practically: Are you playing a witch? Ask others for ritual components before you help someone. Are you a general or leader? Delegate important tasks to other participants whenever possible. With a tag this big, there’s sure to be someone suited to help you tell the story you’re looking to tell.
This is part of the reason we have the “no gods” rule. In a collaborative story, we have to need each other. Even if you’re an authority figure- teamwork is far more compelling and satisfying than one person solving many problems.
For example, in order for the apocalypse to happen in Asunderland, several things had to happen:
The rebels had to turn off the power, take over the airwaves, and trigger a meltdown. Rebels had to find a way in and siege the city, the rabbit hole patients had to riot and occupy the facility worker’s attention, Project Conduit had to have taken effect on multiple people, the Jabberwock had to see what they had done to it’s friend and find it’s motivation, during the chaos someone had to go unnoticed and open the Jabberwock door to set it free, rescue missions had to be planned, led and organized.... and many more details we all contributed to.
It was so much more meaningful to watch and to participate in all of that than it would have been if one powerful entity flipped some metaphorical apocalypse switch. How you can apply this practically: Are you playing a witch? Ask others for ritual components before you help someone. Are you a general or leader? Delegate important tasks to other participants whenever possible. With a tag this big, there’s sure to be someone suited to help you tell the story you’re looking to tell.
limitations
Limitations
Another reason we limit our abilities is so that we do not become a disruptive force in other’s stories.
As we covered in the consent section, If a character is in trouble, there’s a chance the participant has a carefully planned story they want to tell to resolve the conflict. Disproportionately powerful characters swooping in to solve problems effortlessly can rob every participant of a challenge they could have bonded over or used to provide valuable story development.
The presence of gods and godlike powers actively involved in the story, even conceptually, tends to set a tone of futility for everyone who isn’t so powered. “Why should we bother trying when this character can just swoop in and solve the problem? Why should we bother fighting this powerful being if it can just squash us like a bug? Why should we orchestrate this complex story when this powerful character can swoop in and disrupt our plans?”
In a story with one author, gods and extremely powerful characters are, of course, compelling. In a story where every character is played by a participant with their own agency, too much power in one place creates a disruptive force that notably eclipses others, and so other participants tend to avoid them. In my years of collaborative storytelling, I’ve rarely if ever seen a participant playing a disproportionately powerful character who wasn’t avoided for these reasons. (Emphasis on disproportionately. This is why collaborative stories in settings like Greek mythology, where nearly every character is a god, still work- In those settings, gods are the standard and don’t throw off the power dynamic.)
So what we do, is we specialize. We limit our abilities to some niche so that we can create a meaningful community experience by reaching out and involving others for help. *This doesn’t work the same way with characters who fall more in the official NPC (non-player character) category, some examples in Asunderland being the Jabberwock and The Wizard. Their actions and contributions, their entire existences are very carefully curated to facilitate story for everyone else. This is why we cast them differently, separate from other participants.
As we covered in the consent section, If a character is in trouble, there’s a chance the participant has a carefully planned story they want to tell to resolve the conflict. Disproportionately powerful characters swooping in to solve problems effortlessly can rob every participant of a challenge they could have bonded over or used to provide valuable story development.
The presence of gods and godlike powers actively involved in the story, even conceptually, tends to set a tone of futility for everyone who isn’t so powered. “Why should we bother trying when this character can just swoop in and solve the problem? Why should we bother fighting this powerful being if it can just squash us like a bug? Why should we orchestrate this complex story when this powerful character can swoop in and disrupt our plans?”
In a story with one author, gods and extremely powerful characters are, of course, compelling. In a story where every character is played by a participant with their own agency, too much power in one place creates a disruptive force that notably eclipses others, and so other participants tend to avoid them. In my years of collaborative storytelling, I’ve rarely if ever seen a participant playing a disproportionately powerful character who wasn’t avoided for these reasons. (Emphasis on disproportionately. This is why collaborative stories in settings like Greek mythology, where nearly every character is a god, still work- In those settings, gods are the standard and don’t throw off the power dynamic.)
So what we do, is we specialize. We limit our abilities to some niche so that we can create a meaningful community experience by reaching out and involving others for help. *This doesn’t work the same way with characters who fall more in the official NPC (non-player character) category, some examples in Asunderland being the Jabberwock and The Wizard. Their actions and contributions, their entire existences are very carefully curated to facilitate story for everyone else. This is why we cast them differently, separate from other participants.
using your powers/aptitudes
Using Your Powers/Aptitudes
We talked a lot about limitations, but now let’s acknowledge what characters CAN do.
With all these challenges, it can pack an incredible, meaningful punch when a character DOES get to flex. Of course your character has their specialties, and they should be able to exercise those. Your characters are well rounded people with skills they’ve developed and that is part of the reason they’re going to be pulled into other stories- so please do be proficient in those areas! However, if you save your “big guns” for moments when it REALLY moves the story along for everyone, it’s going to be so much more profound.
So yes, DO have fantastical abilities if you want! That includes powers. Just communicate and plan your usage of them for when it has the best storytelling impact. That will be far more appreciated than if you had played a powerhouse for the whole story.
With all these challenges, it can pack an incredible, meaningful punch when a character DOES get to flex. Of course your character has their specialties, and they should be able to exercise those. Your characters are well rounded people with skills they’ve developed and that is part of the reason they’re going to be pulled into other stories- so please do be proficient in those areas! However, if you save your “big guns” for moments when it REALLY moves the story along for everyone, it’s going to be so much more profound.
So yes, DO have fantastical abilities if you want! That includes powers. Just communicate and plan your usage of them for when it has the best storytelling impact. That will be far more appreciated than if you had played a powerhouse for the whole story.
creating play for others
Creating Play For Others
This is an extension of the concept of “play to lift.” Try to pay attention to what a participant is trying to communicate about their character, and lean into that for story ideas to involve them in. Focus less on ways your character can appear impressive to them, and instead how their character is meaningful to you. People like people who like them, and the same can be true for characters.
A little goes a long way, and too much can feel like pressure. Think of their skill set, what’s meaningful to them, and try to involve others on their terms- that is to say, without taking over their story. We make some of the most wonderful friends in these communities, let’s give ourselves the best chance of making that happen by being courteous.
When it comes to conflict, it is important that you keep factors of the conflict relevant to CHARACTERS and not participants. There should be no bullying or contestation based on traits of the participant, but rather the choices they make for their character. It can take a lot of of consideration to play a good antagonist, so let’s please treat our antagonist-players with respect. They’re doing very good work.
A little goes a long way, and too much can feel like pressure. Think of their skill set, what’s meaningful to them, and try to involve others on their terms- that is to say, without taking over their story. We make some of the most wonderful friends in these communities, let’s give ourselves the best chance of making that happen by being courteous.
When it comes to conflict, it is important that you keep factors of the conflict relevant to CHARACTERS and not participants. There should be no bullying or contestation based on traits of the participant, but rather the choices they make for their character. It can take a lot of of consideration to play a good antagonist, so let’s please treat our antagonist-players with respect. They’re doing very good work.
These are all just things to keep in mind. We want you to make your own decisions about your characters- this is just a toolbox to help you all have a good time! Have fun overthrowing a capitalist regime!