Getting There

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it."
-C.S. Lewis

The Gamescape is…somewhere. Where exactly is up to speculation, rumor, and myth. All that is known is that people from Reality end up in the Gamescape through The Transference. What is commonly believed, however, is that the Gamescape can only be found by Geeks. The definition of Geek has changed a bit since D&D started a revolultion, but the heart and soul of the tradition remains intact.

Geeks

Not everyone is a Geek. Not every Geek is alike. While there is no proof of someone being Transfered to the Gamescape that was not in some way a Geek, there are legends that tell of non-stereotypical Gamers arriving and changing the face of the Dorklands. In the modern age the concept of Gaming has become even more popular in the real world, opening up the definition of Geek to atypical archetypes and introducing new characters that had previously been speculative. In some cases there have risen powerful Dork Lords that would have otherwise never have truly embraced or become a Geek to the level they reached in the Gamescape.

The Transference

Before they come to the Gamescape a Geek is no different from any other Nerdling that reads this or any other RPG. While it is more often for a Geek to find his way to the Gamescape after becoming something of a paragon in the Gaming community, it is not uncommon for a Geek to discover his role in the world of Gamers after arrived.

What happens first is simple: The Gamer finds a book. A traditional, 8.5" x 11" book is typical. It is always used, and comes wrapped in brown paper from a brown paper bag. The way the Geek might find this book varies on their lifestyle and social status. While a shut-in Geek, who is afraid of social encounter, might find the book in an online auction, another Geek might find the book in his favorite Game Store, tucked away neatly in the used section. Still others have come to find the book in more mysterious ways; having it appear in their backpack, or it being sold to them by a mysterious stranger. Hardcore traditional Geeks might think they're buying a supplemental guide to their favorite game. Indie Geeks might end up discovering a rare copy of a little-known tome in some rare, odd-shaped format.

What happens next is more complicated: The Gamer reads the book, which is written as a manual of the Start that they are inevitably going to find their way to. The final chapter, being written for GameMasters, is an ellaborate ritual, ceremony, or series of actions that allow them to open a portal, find a train, or cast a spell with the intention of entering the Gamescape. Once completed, these instructions color the first arrival of the Nerdling as he is reborn into the world called The Gamescape.

The Plot Hook

One consistancy in the Gamescape, especially true for those who arrive at one of the Five Traditional Starts, is the Plot Hook. This is the mysterious working in of their character to an ongoing story that starts the moment they arrive in the Gamescape.

It should be noted that without a fellow traveller, or the appearance of another Geek, the Gamescape appears as overwhelmingly real. It is not uncommon for a gleeful Nerdling to think that the world they have come to is in fact limited to the Start they arrived at, and no different from their own. Once they meet another Geek, or Dork Lord for that matter, they begin to realize that this is not just a magical faery land, but something …different.

The first Plot Hook that a Nerdling is given can be anything. It might last the course of several sessions, the rest of their life, or be ended before the close of that gaming session.


On the Gamescape and the Five Starts
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