9.12.2005

Tentative Torchbearer Table (of Contents)

So, I am struggling with a small puzzle here with Torchbearer; how to organise the book? Here is one possibility, but I welcome discussion of it; I am not totally certain in it.

  1. Story: From Water Does All Life Begin. A story of the Scarlet Lark setting. This sets the mood of languid, lush, watery excess of the setting. Subsections of the rules-chapters are separated by SL vignettes no longer than a page, as well, even when the chapter-introductory fiction is non-SL in nature. Approximately half of the vignettes should feature Feneng or Blackbird Lantern; the rest are excerpts from fictional literature of the setting, in the manner of Nobilis.
  2. Step-by-step How To Play; this presents the game rules in a condensed, but not simplified, fashion, suited to just grab the book and learn as you go. Probably does not contain any interspersed vignettes, for ease-of-use.
  3. Story: ??? Not something of the Scarlet Lark setting. Lighthearted, impression of dryness and scarcity, for strength of contrast.
  4. The rules of the game in long form, including some designer's notes and discussion of emergent properties.
  5. Story: Red Saffron. A story of the Scarlet Lark setting, featuring Feneng.
  6. Scarlet Lark resources, including:
    1. Sample characters, of varying extremeness. Naturally the recurring characters of the fiction are represented, either here or in the next subsection.
    2. Sample Torches, at least one of which was once a character.
    3. Bites of setting material, in encyclopedic rather than narrative form. These should give an impression of interconnection but confusion; they contain repeating motifs but also contain contradictions and outright impossible situations.
    4. A note about the special properties of the setting materials and their use in play.
  7. Story: ??? Not something of the Scarlet Lark setting. Dark, impression of savagery and ill-temper, for contrast.
  8. Designer bling, including a list of inspirations and Other Cool Games, acknowledgements and dedication.
  9. Story: ??? Something with Blackbird Lantern; should make reference to the water temple in FWDALB and Feneng of RS. A story of the Scarlet Lark setting.
  10. Appendices: copyable materials and a "cheat sheet" rules summary which has page references to the two larger rules sections.

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