The Christmas Season Winddown

[Blackguard]

Team,

The Christmas 1677-78 season was to be 12 days in game length.  That short period of time has taken well over two years of real time to advance.  Though we have taken spurts to accelerate it, the end of the season always seems to be a month or two away.

Hard Stop

We have decided to try and put a hard stop on the end of the season to be March 1st (in the Northern Hemisphere and March 2nd Down Under).  That gives us less than two weeks to tie up existing threads and resolve new ones.

Recess and the Xmas Gift

We are thinking of granting a Christmas boon to each character, along the lines of what the player has indicated they might like in their communications with us.  It might be receipt of a conversation piece.  It could be an introduction to an important person.  For those working on a mystery, it could be a clue in the off season that will help the character move forward more quickly in solving the riddle.  It might be financial or moral support from a family member or friend.  If you have not shared your ideas about possible boons, then feel free to do so.  All determinations will be made by the moderation team.  It may be that you get something different than what you want.  It is possible that some characters will get multiple things during the recess as a result of plots they have advanced during the season.  The Xmas Gift is a bonus that is in addition to any boons or challenges earned as a result of your roleplaying during the season.

How Long will the Recess Be?

The court will reconvene April 1, 1678.  Thus, most characters have three months to travel or do other tasks to add color for the new season.  The new season will be in London and will last a few game weeks most likely.

What Do I Do to Describe My Recess?

Ask questions of the mods.  Float ideas by us.  Once you get a sense that what you intend is not unacceptable, you can either draft a post that summarizes the rest of the winter for the character, or do a series of in character CD posts.  One could draft an in character letter, for example, to a character's most trusted friend or family member dated at the end of March that describes what they did since the end of the Christmas court.

Wait, I Still Have Stuff to Do This Season

Wrap up your existing threads and chat with the mods about what you would like to squeeze in the last day or two of the season.  If it is something that can be started and finished in two weeks or a small number of posts by a moderator, you will likely get the green light to start the post.  The other resolution is to speak with us about doing a series of CD posts that describe events that did not need moderation.

If there are any general questions, please post them here as replies.

[Blackguard]

Friday is almost here.  For those of you yet to submit recess summaries, please do so ASAP.  It will cover what your character is doing for January - March 31, 1678.  This is especially important if you would like something significant to happen during the recess.

We expect to take several days to reorient the website, so there may be no posting other than general updates.  In the meantime think about what you want your character's first post in the new season to be.

[Caroline Despanay]

I do have one question which I need an answer for in order to complete my summary. Caroline got Lord Langdon's permission to visit young Frances within the fortnight so she would definitely want to do so. So does it happen? And how does their conversation go? Caroline would want to hear it from Frances that she is alright now and doesn't need her help anymore. And does it sound authentic?

Oops, that's more than one question, sorry.

[Blackguard]

Yes it happens.  I'll let Hope mention the reaction of Frances.  Go ahead with the rest of your recess planning.

[Caroline Despanay]

OK, thanks.