IC
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Contents
I. Introduction
II. Rules & Regulations
III. Application Form
I
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Hello, all!
Welcome to the October Banquet, a suitably cliché diplomatic event that I've been putting off for two entire years. Just based on the name and outline alone, you can probably make a fair assumption as to what the Banquet will incur, but I'll go through it for the sake of being transparent anyway.
The idea is simple – the October Banquet is a diplomatic event centred around the interactions between national leaders and influential figures, who have been invited to the annual event under some diplomatic pretext. Essentially, it's a stately event aimed at experimenting with some court-based roleplay scenarios and the finer points of roleplay and national interaction – as well as, of course, an opportunity for me to actually produce something that I'm compelled to finish.
The Banquet takes place in the Palace of Ruuskindär, the royal residence situated in the middle of Vovaya Kronor, the Tyrnican capital. Just upriver from the Tyrnican Rechtzuhör, the Palace offers a commanding position on an exceptional property filled with gardens, groves and alcoves of all sorts – the ideal backdrop for scheming or, alternatively, a quiet stroll by the waterfront. Of course, it's not all restricted to the Palace – guests are free to roam wherever they may choose within Vovaya or beyond.
It all takes place – in-character, at least – across the 29th, 30th and 31st of October. The first day is naturally the opening phase, when guests are introduced and expected to "meet the figures," both those of Tyrnica and of other visiting nations. Such events, however, cannot take up the entire day, so the rest of the 29th is devoted to exploring and acquainting oneself with the surrounds. The 30th of October is the mainstay of the event, consisting of touring, socialising and other miscellaneous events followed by the Banquet itself in the evening. The 31st is almost identical to the previous day, but is ended with a fashionable ball rather than a feast. Guests are expected to begin filtering away the next morning, but there's no real rush and it'd be acceptable for everybody to stick around for a while longer if they wish.
As you can see, I've planned only the most basic of itineraries, since I'd prefer the loosest possible setup in order to allow for the most freedom afforded in the actual roleplay. Even if the roleplay is limited to just a few people, I'd like to have as much fun as possible and look towards creating some lasting connections between players who otherwise might never have interacted with each other.
II
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Even though I tried to play it off as an event in which you can run wild, there are certainly a few rules to ensure that this doesn't become a spam-filled mess of misconduct and tears.
– The most important part of a good roleplay, in my opinion, is decent grammar and formatting. It's perfectly alright if there's an occasional typo or a short post because somebody didn't leave you with a whole lot of content to respond to, but I'm not going to accept one-liner posts composed in some sort of gibberish speech. I'd prefer it if posts were at least two paragraphs long, and I'll be including an RP sample section a little bit further down in the application anyway.
– I'm not going to be allowing any metagaming, godmodding or over-the-top powergaming in this thread. Unless you're a notoriously bad writer, you shouldn't really have many problems with this one since it's just basic common courtesy. Don't control other characters or give OOC knowledge to your characters, and – please, for the love of God, do not waltz in parading around an ultimate Mary Sue and expect it to go unnoticed.
– Don't stab and murder and brawl with other characters. It's a peaceful thread, not a warzone, so if you were going to consider invading with spec-ops forces and trying to kill everyone, then it's probably best to move on. If two nations agree to killing off or wounding a character out of the public eye of the Banquet for dramatic purposes, though, then just try to let me know first. Similarly, don't arrive carrying a full arsenal of weaponry. Ceremonial melee weapons or a couple of pistols carried by guards are acceptable, but not a submachine gun.
– This thread is human-only, and modern-tech. If you don't know what these mean and if you fit into the right parameters, then go check out this thread here. If you're unsure, then post an application anyway – I'll look at everything on a case-by-case basis, not a blanket.
– Don't bring your entire parliamentary cabinet, or the brother-in-law of your monarch's cousin's best friend. It's supposed to be a VIP event, and while your Minister for Regional Development may be a great guy, nobody is going to want to speak to him when your head of state is standing a few metres to his right. On the same note, don't bring a surplus of security. You've got to show trust in the nation you're visiting, so rocking up with fifteen guards in tow is going to look pretty sketchy.
I think that's it for the rules, but I might add more depending on what I
III
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Here's the part that really matters – the application. Now, if you haven't read the rest of the thread and just skipped straight down thinking that you'll be able to wing it, then I heavily advise you to go back up to the start of the post and actually take it in, since I'm not going to be particularly lenient with people who choose to ignore the rules.
Assuming you've done that, I'll go into a little bit of detail on the application and then you can fill it out and be on your way. The first section is pretty simple. Just tell me the full and short forms of your in-character nation name, then tell me the names of your head of state and head of government.
The second section isn't too complicated either – just list those who will be attending and go into a bit of detail regarding who they are and what they've done, followed by a little bit of information on what security and accompanying weaponry you'll be dragging along. Remember, don't overdo it for either of these sections.
As for the accomodation, you'll have a few choices. Your nation's attending guests can choose to reside within a private suite in the main building of the Palace, affording easy accessibility to the main event at the cost of space, or they can make use of one of the many spacious villas on the palace grounds, which can vary in distance from the central building. Another option is to rent a hotel in the city centre, which allows for an easier experience of the capital itself but results in a loss of quick travel to the Palace. It doesn't really matter which one you select, but just think about the logistics of fitting several people into a small apartment.
The third and final section of the application is the out-of-character stuff. If I don't know you, I'm going to need a roleplay sample to show that you won't barge into the thread having no idea of what you're doing. However, if you don't have one that accurately represents your roleplay ability, then don't fret – just telegram me, and I'll write up a prompt that you can respond to.
The factbook section is completely optional; I like to read about other people's nations, and in an event that I'm hosting, I feel it would be prudent to take on the attitude of my monarch and gather as much information about visiting nations as possible. If you've got a factbook or an IIWiki page that you'd like me to see, feel free to link it and I'll have a bit of a skim and I'll see if I can fit any references in during my posts.
The last prompt is exactly what it sounds like. If there's anything else you'd like me to know about your plans for roleplaying in the October Banquet, then you can use that or just telegram me with any extra information, like late arrivals, early departures or plans for intrigue, drama and spectacle.
Well, I'm pretty sure that's it. Go ahead and fill out the application, post it and I'll get back to everybody as soon as possible (if anyone actually signs up). I'll try to post the in-character thread by the 29th and we can go from there.
