Hey friends!
So, I wanted to give a quick (and I think, exciting) update about interactivity and performing magic going forward.
There is now an account called “Magiq” (Hi @Magiq!) which is not a character but is instead the manifestation of magic on the forum and in-world. It will operate similarly to the old Book of Briars account, though it won’t be confirming guesses with “likes” it will instead reveal, via private message, the conclusions, benefits… and consequences of the magiq you perform going forward.
So, for example, you may choose to create and perform a scrying spell to gain insight into clues. @Magiq would then respond to those (or some of those) who performed the spell with information of what happened, information that is then up to you to turn into a narrative post that you share with your fellow magimystics.
Say you used a spell during your race against the Devoted and needed to know for sure that there was something hidden in Central Park before sending Cole. You’d perform the spell of your choice, and at some point, some or all of those who performed the spell would receive a pm from @Magiq, with anything from a series of words, a cryptic description of what you saw, or maybe just gibberish. Because Magiq has some surprises up its sleeve. Surprises that may benefit or hinder magic users depending on both choices and chance.
It’s a wild and dangerous time for us all, and magic will now begin to reflect that.
What I could REALLY use from you all going forward, is just continue to make sure that magic practice is scheduled and planned in a way that it’s clear on the forum when you’re going to cast, who’s casting, and what the hoped-for result will be, so that appropriate responses are ready and don’t break immersion or narrative continuity.
Why don’t we try this to help @Magiq keep track of everything, especially given all the spells being prepped right now…
If/when you perform magic outside of the forum, pm @Magiq with a description confirming your casting. Maybe the items/objects you used, and what you said… give a basic description or really get into it creatively.
That way @Magiq knows when something’s been cast, and by whom.
ALSO, I’m JUST now realizing that there may be times when @Magiq is aware that spellcasting is imminent but not yet cast, and because of any number of scheduling or timing issues the account may need to provide you the results of your casting prior to your casting so that you have the necessary information after you cast.
(For example, it might be bedtime for AGP staff when someone in another timezone is casting and we want to be sure they have their results ready to maintain the magic and wonder.)
I hope this doesn’t break immersion. If you know you’re going to cast soon and receive a message from @Magiq, feel free to not check that message until you’ve cast, so as not to break the immersion, but know that there are still the possibilities of surprises and special benefits or consequences.
OMG, I just created @Magiq as a logistical way to have more immersive spellcasting but it’s turned into this really cool RPG/Creative Writing thing and I’m obsessed with the stuff you spell casters are creating!!!
Honestly I’m loving the response so far. I would love to see more video diary entries and art and photos like this, it’s been amazing to see how it has changed the Secret Society atmosphere in just a couple days.
FYI, and my favorite part about how @Magiq will play into the overall narrative… events will be affected by how you come to them, if you investigated clues versus used magic to solve them (which is not to say using magic is the lesser of the two options, only that the outcomes may be different), how successful your casting was, how quickly or slowly you attacked the challenge, etc.
So, for example, the AG clues that were revealed to you by your Living Spirit casting might not now 100% correlate to the reveals in her journal. You may be reading different entries based on how and when you solved the clues that led you to them, and how successful your casting was (the random rolling during your spell)! Haaaaaaaaaaaa It adds more to the “what could have happened?” nature of all of this. You will learn everything you need to, but not necessarily everything. Like a Choose Your Own Adventure, you leave some things on pages you didn’t choose, hidden behind the choices you made or didn’t make.
I can’t tell you how excited I am about this, and all the chances I have to punish you allow your choices to more richly shape your experience.
You darn kids and your new fangled magiq. Shakes fist Back in my day we did things the hard way with piles of maps, scribbled on note paper and a mountain of broken pencils. Non of this fancy shmancy maigq making everything easy and quick. Shuffles around in slippers
You think the dream spell was bad? @Augustus_Octavian how many different models of the time donut did you make before we figured out what we were doing? not to mention the tetrahedron. Thank goodness I wasn’t here for that. I would have gone mad. I’ll take ominous pms over mysterious papercraft any day. not really. I’m in too deep to hate any of the puzzles and do enjoy paper, but still.
I think you’ve mistaken me for @Robert or @Viviane. Both incredible compliments! I actually made zero time donut models, because I can’t even wrap a Christmas gift, never mind full on puzzle paper crafting.
Crap. Idk I had this mental image of you fiddling with wierd paper things while at work and took that to mean you must have been on the papercraft team. Please do not be offended, correct people.
, CJ, this is amazing! I’m really excited about this!
It adds more to the “what could have happened?” nature of all of this. You will learn everything you need to, but not necessarily everything. Like a Choose Your Own Adventure, you leave some things on pages you didn’t choose, hidden behind the choices you made or didn’t make.
