We've got some XP! We've hit our first Stretch Goal!
ACHIEVED! - At $35,000 in Funding – Terra Surge Reference Screen – A three-panel Storyguide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a game set in the virtual world of Terra Surge will be created and offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tiers for +$25.
I will create a new Add On in the Kickstarter system for the Terra Surge Reference Screen, and you'll be able to add it to any pledges that contain the hardcover book for +$25.
Now, let's see what our next level ups could bring...
At $38,000 in Funding – Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Opportunity – A Trinity Continuum: Anima-themed Kickstarter Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
At $41,000 in Funding – Trinity Continuum: Anima Cascade VTT Token Pack– Digital assets will be created to support online play for Anima games set within the 2084 city of Cascade. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
Well, online assets just make sense for this game, don't they? Let's keep this momentum rolling, gather more XP, and see if we can't unlock these Stretch Goals and reveal some more!
#TrinityContinuumAnima
Gone, Not Gone part one
over 2 years ago
– Sat, Nov 20, 2021 at 08:05:13 AM
Gone, Not Gone
“You’ve changed.”
Dinah’s gaze didn’t shift one iota. She eyed me with the stillness and patience of a viper. It only highlighted the point: it used to be that D’s hyperkinetic eyes would dart over everything, a kid in a candy store of visual stimulation.
Here in the mall, it was glaring. Holo ads danced by in dazzling neons, the sashay of dozens of scenesters decked in the latest blazing fashions, gossip in every corner of human perception, conveyed and relayed and spawned in the real-time, fleshspace vibrance. Nothing on the thrill of logging in, but Dinah always liked reality a little bit better than Terra Surge. It was something I loved about her. One among a million other things.
“Yes, Frey. I’ve grown up.”
“That… I mean, we all change, just—”
“I’ve outgrown you.”
She rose in a fluid motion, tapping her long, pale nails against the synthinoleum of the food court table as though to punctuate an ending. She turned without another word and blended into the midday lunch crowd.
It’s not that I’m rich. I’m not. Nor are my parents. Rich is a relative term compared to what once was, or so my teachers tell me. But we’re well set and comfortable, and from a point of view, that’s wealth enough. Enough that I don’t know what hunger is like unless it’s as Ezrek. Enough that I don’t worry about bills unless it’s Ferah. Enough that I’m not lonely unless...
The Glass folds into my view, icy cool and hyper-rez and clearer than my flesh eyesight, and the world I like better than the real reveals itself in blazing glory. They tell you free-to-play is just as good as Premium, but they’re lying: the clarity is faster, and there’s no ads. The game is all game, only game, all the time. All my time, now, or may as well be. I’m ahead in classes, and I’m really, really sick of the real for the moment. No one is going to fuss if I just sink into Terra Surge and let go for a little mental health holiday for a day. Or week. Or month.
It’s as near as a thought, and the selection of self is as simple as my own impulse, and the game logs me right in, like putting on a pair of pants without thinking. Right now, though… I don’t know who I want to be. I stare into the mirror, and I see the many faces of myself.
Ezrek. Human. Tousled black hair, shabby brown rags, a tattered leather satchel. Constantly searching eyes. Ezrek is my Boundless character, a taste of fictional poverty I made as part of a psyche paper on the effects of poverty as an avenue to crime by necessity. He’s poor and a pickpocket, but since the paper was turned in, I’ve slowly found myself playing him more since he made friends with Tack for one of his assassinations. It’s not how I usually play, but Tack is legendary, and getting to hang out with him has been a real treat. Of course, I got the idea for the paper from the class I took just to be closer to…
Nevermind.
Ferah is my Veer Mage. Lavender plumage, light desert clothing, spellduster gloves and a satchel full of alchemical reagents. It’s been a minute since I logged in as her, but she’s attuned
to the Black Opal Spire and has Chronomancy, and I’ve been using it to help the supposed Hydromancer hopefuls trying to unlock the Labradorite Spire. There’s community, there, and a goal to focus on, but I look at the face of Ferah, and I don’t think I ever noticed it before, but she looks so much like…
No. Not now. I know I don’t have to see her face, but I’d be her, and that’s just too much right now.
Karol. My first. Human, and looking in this mirror is just like looking in a real one, except there’s a little dust from the road, a little scarring from their battles. A Muse, but dressed for action, whether it’s blades in the dungeons of Prayer Hill or the courtly intrigue in Broken Promise. I left off investigating post-death dungeons near Midnight Point with Dinah and some explorers looking for secret techs in the afterlife. That’s deep, risky, fun…
I see the alerts.
Ashkei has divorced Karol.
My breath hitches, and the Glass almost distorts. Without a conscious choice, I’m pulled into Ezrek.
It’s as real as anything. Ezrek’s filters are set low, maximum immersion and permadeath. The point of Ezrek was to experience risk and desperation. The fleas itch, the horse apples stink, and the cold of rooftop water dripping down into the alley makes me shiver. My stomach grumbles, and the need to fill it provides a pleasantly distracting goal. My pouch jungles with two whole copper, enough for a cup of stale water and an old biscuit. Unless I steal, and that was the point of Ezrek.
I hesitate, remembering it was Dinah’s idea, but for the moment need outweighs origin, and I venture from the alleyway shadows.
The shouts of marketplace vendors and hawkers intermix with the chatter and clatter of traffic. A mixed group of Kum Deri and Quell players pass by, fully equipped for a quest and planning their tactics as they make their way to the stables. I still get the shivers from Quell, both because I’m not too keen on insects, and because they used to be the griefers. Dinah used to claim that accident of their being made a playable species was a huge coup of AI understanding of human psychological rehabilitation. Yeah, right…
Dinah…
I blink, looking up at the sun overhead. How long did I just stand here?
The adventurers are gone, and the market is calming down. Somewhere in the real world, players are getting off work and on Terra Surge, and I’m caught in the shuffle and shrug of the crowds. I ought to be picking pockets, but I just make my way to a vendor for a single loaf of old bread. Water is easy enough to find on your own this close to the Marshes.
While the shopkeeper wraps the suspect roll in wax paper (which I’ll save — Ezrek has to conserve every resource), a human child runs up and offers an envelope. I pay the other copper as a tip, forgetting my own poverty, and open it up as I bite down into the hard marshloaf.
Ezrek,
While my business is different from the usual, I imagine you may be in the market for some measure of profit? Meet with me, my friend, and let me tell you my enterprise over a roast and stew. Your skills have value, and I would see them rewarded if you are willing to assist me.
There’s no need for a signature. Tack is a celebrity in Synestia… in Terra Surge… and his calligraphy is distinct, his missives always printed on custom designed stock, blue silver ink on black, gold-embossed paper. He claims he found it when he started his new incarnation as a Sentient, but I think he paid for a custom design. That or some loyal fan gave it as a gift. His streams are near the top on the OpNet.
I wince at the ache in my jaw the marshloaf provides, and I smile to myself. I don’t need to be Frey right now. I really need to be Ezrek. And while I’m not interested in any of Tack’s fame rubbing off on me, he is an immersionist, always in character, and that’s just the ticket for me.
There’s no need to ask where to meet him. We’ve always had our clandestine talks in a back booth of The Gambler’s Last. It’s a short walk to the ill-famed wood structure, squeezed between two high-gable townhouses off Lasher Lane. Pressing the door open, I smell cooking Sloak with Hasberry glaze and my mouth waters. The drifting smoke of a half-dozen dirty hookahs stings my eyes, but the scent is pleasing, all the same.
Sitting at the booth is the legendary Tack. When I first met him, he was playing human, as well, but he’d made the shift to Sentient a couple months ago, and his following fanbase and personal narrative insisted his soul had simply shifted into his trademark white mask and flowing, dark red hooded cloak. It was his own headcanon, but rumor had it the Narrator AIs were already integrating this into the overall narrative of the Sentients. However, Tack refused to abuse the power he seemed to wield as an influencer, instead exploring it with his audience. It only expanded his popularity with them.
A feast for one is waiting for me. As a Sentient, Tack doesn’t need to eat, so the invitation is already a generous one. I steady myself to speak purely in character, following his lead as an empty leather glove gestures for me to sit. Ezrek doesn’t stand on formality, is a child of the streets and rough upbringing by crisis and adaptation, so I dig into the meal immediately. Players argue what Sloak tastes like, but to me it’s like pheasant cooked in spices and steak au jus. I hear Dinah in my mind. “Do you realize how many people have no idea what any of that tastes like? How many people are hungry every day?” I blanch.
Does the food not please your hungers?
Tack doesn’t have a voice. Never has. He has some kind of translator app that communicates intention from his mere expressions. You feel it as much as read it, but you never hear it. As a human, it meant you had to follow his body language closely. I was a fan of the theory that he had made the switch to Sentient because it would make that body language even more mysterious and alien.
“It’s good. Very good. Just… pains.”
Your flesh is damaged?
“More my heart.”
What is the source of your pain?
“I... my wife left me.”
I did not think you were married.
“Not this ava— I mean… another life.”
Ah. I, too, have had other lives. I am sorry for this pain.
Another gesture, this time beckoning a serving boy. I could see there was a gap between the glove and draping sleeve, with no flesh inside. Maybe I’d roll up a Sentient. What did that feel like? The boy accepted a coin, and a pitcher was left beside the glass.
What comes will need a clear head, clear focus. But it does not come tonight. Drink to pleasure. Seek a companion if it pleases you. Sleep in a soft bed upstairs. It is my pleasure to offer this. And tomorrow, if you are willing, there is work to be done, and spoils to count.
I smile at the offer and glance at the serving boy. NPC, age appropriate.
Yeah, that would be nice. Some simulated drunkenness, some simulated orgasms, a long sleep, and no hangover but what the Glass simulates tomorrow. It’s not like there’s any consequences here, right?
To be concluded tomorrow!
We're closing in on our first Stretch Goal! Let's keep it up, Cascadians!?Animaniacs!? Continuum Community! Please remember to share this campaign in your social circles and on your social media, and let's see if we can't get a Terra Surge reference screen set up as an Add On!
#TrinityContinuumAnima
Anima in Action
over 2 years ago
– Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 05:03:07 AM
Good morning, Continuum Community!
If you're just joining us, you'll want to check out the very first update - we'll be sharing the current draft manuscript over the course of this campaign. You'll be able to read the entire thing before the campaign ends and any pledges are processed. Backers can check that out <here>.
That's a great way to learn about the basics of the setting, but my favorite way to learn about the game is to see it in action!
STORYPATH SHOWCASE SESSION 0
First up, Onyx Path has started a Storypath Showcase program where they spotlight one of their Storypath system games and walk players through a Session 0 and an introductory scenario to show how the game plays.
Brand new is this Session 0 for Trinity Continuum: Anima run by Storyguide Travis Legge.
POLYHEDRON PLAYTEST
And if you're like me, you're ready to watch more Anima sessions. This time, check out the Polyhedron Podcast's Anima Actual Play featuring Storyguide Eddy Webb! The first three episodes are up for your enjoyment!
Explore more of the Trinity Continuum in these Storypath Showcase Sessions
Similar to our video up top, the Onyx Path team have put the spotlight on a few other eras within the Trinity Continuum. While the setting and games are a bit different, they're all based on the Trinity Continuum core rules and use the Storypath system set up to run in the Trinity Continuum game line.
You can see how the various eras within the Trinity Continuum fit together in this timeline graph, though it's important to remember that the Continuum contains multiple variations and can be configured in whichever way fits your game best.
The core Trinity Continuum game supposes an action-adventure setting in a variation of our modern day. Watch this Showcase to see the game in it's basic form"
Trinity Continuum: Aberrant is a game of superpowered adventure in the near-future of the Trinity Continuum. In 2018, novas — people with superhuman powers — first appeared following the explosion of a space station high above Earth. Now, 10 years later, thousands of novas have transformed the world, using their extraordinary powers to fight crime, clean up the environment, invent new technologies, and create wonders.
In Trinity Continuum: Æon, humanity has begun settling on planets circling other suns. Teleporters and the new Leviathan jump ships can take anyone across the galaxy in a few hours, so the stars are at last within our reach. However, we have found dangers as well as wonders out there, and only by working together can we overcome them and take our place on the galactic stage.
That's enough watching for the whole weekend! For sure you should read the manuscript and watch the Session 0 Storypath Showcase for Trinity Continuum: Anima, but watch the rest if you feel Inspired!
Feel free to share these videos with your group if they require some enticement to join the Trinity Continuum, and let's keep our enthusiasm and excitement rolling through the weekend and see what other new bits we can uncover! I'll be back over the weekend with some Anima-inspired fiction to help set the scene.
#TrinityContinuumAnima
#AGameWithinAGame
Downloading a Stretch Goal....
over 2 years ago
– Thu, Nov 18, 2021 at 06:04:54 PM
Hello Continuum Community,
Welcome to Cascade indeed! This has certainly been a warm welcome because...
WE DID IT!
This project has officially reached it's funding goal!
Thanks to your support, this is reality! Onyx Path will now be able to develop and create this awesome setting sourcebook for the Trinity Continuum line, exploring the possible world of 2084 and the twin settings of Cascade and Synestia.
Now that we've accomplished our primary goal and will be making this project a reality, it's time to look at what we might be able to do with some additional funding! That's right... Stretch Goal time! Let's see how we can re-shape our rewards lists and Add On options...
As we increase the overall funding and support for the project, we’re able to add additional resources to the project, expand the rewards listed, and add in new offers and opportunities. Each Stretch Goal will have a target that, once reached, will add a project to the reward list. We will continue to build on this list when we achieve these targets during the campaign. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, the image will be updated to reflect the achievement.
At $35,000 in Funding – Terra Surge Reference Screen – A three-panel Storyguide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a game set in the virtual world of Terra Surge will be created and offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tiers for +$25.
So we'll start with a classic Onyx Path stretch goal before we venture too far off the storypath. That said, now that we're really moving, I should properly suit up...
I mean, I've already got my Anima ready to go.
Let's keep the enthusiasm and excitement up and see if we can hit a Stretch Goal and maybe unveil our next one! We've still got a long way to go and many more areas of 2084 to explore, both in the physical and digital world.
#TrinityContinuumAnima
Backers-Only: TC Anima Manuscript Preview #1
over 2 years ago
– Thu, Nov 18, 2021 at 11:05:05 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
