************************************************************* ---------------------- Information from the mail header ----------------------- Sender: Forever Knight TV show Poster: "Susan M. Garrett" Subject: FACTIONS: Explanation of Wars ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************** When the Forkni-L list was first beginning, it was very obvious that people had favorite characters, but nobody really did anything about it. The followers of LaCroix were always a crafty and devious lot and tended to play pranks on other list members. A particular Nick fan, Sharon Scott of Texas, once foolishly admitted to the list that she had a phobia about frogs. Of course two of the LaCroix fans jumped on that immediately and sent Sharon gifts of chocolate frogs in the mail (actually supplied by Val King in one instance). Sharon replied that the two (Laurie and Karin) were so cruel that they must be cousins . . . . And so the Cousins were born. They started referring to LaCroix as 'Uncle,' which most people on the list now do out of habit. Since the Cousins had a name, the other groups quickly formed ranks: Ravens/Ravenettes --followers of Janette and the Raven. Nat-Pack--followers of Natalie FoDs (Friends of Don)--the Schanke fans. Knighties--followers of Nick. Die-Hards--the people who would not be forced to choose. There are also several other groups: Graces--Followers of Grace, Nat's friend and assistant. FOSiLs--Friends of Sidney Lambert (Nat's cat). Cohen-heads--Fans of Captain Cohen Mercenaries--Recent additions who will follow anyone for chocolate Archivist's Assistants--Fans of a non-canon character, Dorian, from my FK fiction. Not to mention fans of Miklos (Mikies) and the Stonetree fans (I know of a few names for you guys, but what's the final verdict?), and a whole bunch of other people I've been making pins for. About January two years ago, just before the first Dead of Winter (FK) convention in Boston, Sharon Scott (Scottie) wrote a short fiction post about having received a green Christmas card from a Cousin and fearing it was a frog, having called Nick to protect her and have the bomb squad open it. That gave then-Assistant-List-owner Cousin Laurie an opening. The Cousins declared war on the other groups in the form of a round robin story. Various members of groups attacked members of other groups through fiction. Eventually, a truce was called by a consortium comprised of members from all the other groups, known as the Wicked Warren. A second war occurred in July because Cousin Laurie decided she didn't want to be a Cousin anymore and defected to the Ravenettes. This started a mass series of defections and ran with a subplot about Nick withholding LaCroix's fan mail so he couldn't corrupt any more followers, which finally ended with temporarily foiling LaCroix's attempt to produce an alternate second season. The third war began with Cousin Laurie trying to prove to LaCroix that she a true and faithful cousin by torturing Sharon and I (a Nat-Packer and a Ravenette) during a real-time trip to Great Adventure amusement park. Things escalated when Cousin Karin arranged to have Dorian (the archivist of the vampires and a character I created--he takes down all the histories of the vampires and finks to the Enforcers when someone's broken the Code), interview me because my fiction was too close to the truth. Nick got it into his fool head to kidnap me to save me and then all hell broke loose. The war ended with a vampire summit at three horror pubs in New York and a warning to watch out for a group called the 'Nightstalkers,' who want to end vampire interaction in human affairs. The fourth war was scheduled by Jennise and Karin--LaCroix bought out the third season rights to FK and filmed an episode (which was effectively written by the warring factions and 'edited' by Karin and Jennise). List-members were invited to the 'screening.' Wars are generally not scheduled and occur sporadically on the fiction list. Hostilities are of a fictional nature and are not meant personally, although they can sometimes spill over into reality--as in Scottie's presentation of a box of toffees to Cousin Laurie at T. Trek that contained a load a plastic cockroaches. When wars are held, the daily war posts may range from two posts to sixty posts, most about the size of a short story. In addition, affiliation leaders (who usually end up handling the characters whereabouts so they don't show up in the same place at the same time), produce this huge private e-mail list which keeps them in contact with the other leaders as to what general plots and plans are brewing and also in contact with the group followers, for help and instruction. People who don't want to follow the war at all usually set to nomail on the fiction list--although Lisa and Jaye devised a new way to screen out the posts. All war posts must begin WAR: and instructions are given so that people who don't want to receive war posts won't get them. Other people go to digest and receive one to four collections of posts for the day (this is primarily for readers and not participants). Participants find it impossible to keep up with the war unless they can get the posts as they arrive and make their plans accordingly. Also, this is NOT role-playing. People are exactly who they are in real life, with the exception of a few people who were turned into vampires during previous wars and that sort of thing. You can, of course, make small allowances like giving yourself a mythical laptop or a better car (there were a LOT of cars destroyed in the first war), or a cousin in another state. You can even take advantage of really odd and strange things if the use of it is particularly clever. The purpose of the war is to meet people, to get to know the other people on the list a little better, and to help them to get to know you. There are some pretty standard rules and regs and these are usually posted when a war is declared. If you're interested in participating in any future wars, my best advice is to actually download and read parts of the previous wars, if not the whole thing. They can be hysterically amusing at times (like Don B's final assault against LaCroix in the first war, or the repercussions of Cousin John having stolen Liz's rabbit, Hazel, in the second war). ---------------------- Information from the mail header ----------------------- Sender: Forever Knight TV show Poster: "Sharon S. Scott" Subject: Re: Factions: Explanation of Wars ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just one correction to Susan's post--it was actually Karin Welss and Margaret Newman who I accused of being so mean they must be cousins. They'd both tortured me with fr*g-related items in the space of a couple of days. *They* came up with the idea that they were long-lost cousins in search of their Uncle LaCroix. It's strange and wonderful, I know, but there it is. Scottie scotts@baylor.edu or sss44@aol.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How to Play By Susan Garrett Read This! The FK Wars are round robin fan fiction. Which means that a basic plot is started and then other people add written parts to the story. Anyone may participate in the war, if they follow certain rules and guidelines, the first among which is that this is all for fun and not a serious attack. In fact, this is probably the only place in fandom where a "war" is not a "war" and doesn't mean tons of flaming e-mail scorching fiber optics. The point of the wars is to learn about each other while creating a slightly odd, cracking good story (like how Cousin Margaret became the Barney-Bride). Last year's Dead of Winter convention in Boston was a meeting of old friends who'd just met--we knew each other and made fast friendships because of what we'd learned about each other from the war. Important All participants (especially new ones) should read at least some of the previous wars before playing. This will give you an idea of how the round robin happens, how you interact with it, how it comes together at the end, and what has happened before. We are not kidding. Read them! Or at least read the summary posts for War #2. Occasionally, stuff happens, which is why we have at least three vampires and one Enforcer in our midst, from previous wars. Please be aware that we ask that all incoming players play themselves - don't show up as vampires, superpowered mutants, etc., or plan on turning yourself into same. Kick back and be you. People will like you. Trust me. Please don't post messages to the list saying `I'm in' or `Use me.' If you want to be in, simply post your opening story. If you want to be used but don't have the time or wherewithal to write for yourself, contact the person who appears to be heading up one of the groups. If you don't have an affiliation, it's safest to hang with the Die-Hards. They have laser defenses (read the last war!). How to Play 1. If you're a member of a group, contact the person who seems to be leading your group with any ideas for posting you might have before you post. This saves lots of heartache later on and will give you some idea of what your group is trying to accomplish during the war. 2. Follow the threads of the story that's been posted. Please don't introduce major new threads or ideas to the story without contacting someone in your group first. And if anyone shows up with the Abarat this time out, I'm going to hurt them. (Sorry, joke from the last war--said you should read it). 3. No fair pulling in players who haven't posted an opening story and put themselves into play. For example, during the last war, Cousin John kidnapped Beth's rabbit, Hazel. This meant that John was open to attack and potential rabbit rescuers. 4. If you have questions, please e-mail an individual, not the list. The list is for fiction and occasional bits of nonsense like this, to clarify posts (especially for those people who forget to sign them ahem), or clear up problems. If you have questions and you don't know who to send them to, send them to the FORKNI-L list. Someone over there will help you. 5. Send private e-mail. Send lots of private e-mail. Talk to the other people in your group. Make friends/try to subvert (same thing for a Cousin) people in other groups. Make plans and follow through on them. Ask for help. Offer help. 6. Very Important-all war posts must have WAR: as the beginning of the subject. This will protect people who don't want to play from having to deal with this nonsense. 7. When you post, we ask that you include a title for your post, your name, and maybe a time or general date for when the action happens (this makes it easier for people to follow the war and who later collect it and organize it . . . as well as those of us who work with systems that take years to post something *grumble*). 8. Please don't `back date' too many posts. You may see some of these as group leaders try to cover for errors in timing or contradictions, but it really frazzles the people who have to collect these things later. You are Confused. Well, of course you are. Rules are nasty things. So just watch what happens when the war starts. When you feel comfortable, jump in. We'll catch you. Or just sit back and keep watching ********************************************************* "WAR 101" or "So you wanna be in a FK War?" Hello all. Since I offered, publically, to be a resource for those seeking general information on the niceties of participating in an FK war, I have received _lots_ of questions from people that aren't covered specifically in Susan's classic Info post. Hence, I have taken it upon myself (in all due humility--really! :-) to create my own info post, covering the most common questions I've been getting and giving my own personal opinion and advice on getting the most out of a war. (I realize that I am, comparatively, quite the war newbie myself and I would appreciate feedback, suggestions, (outright denials? ) from those with senior status.) THINGS TO KNOW: * Post it right! * Any war posts go on the _fiction_ list, and should begin with "WAR:" (three letters in caps and a colon) so that those who are set no-WAR will be spared all our nonsense. (Be aware that some mailers change the colon to a dash on the way out. Make sure that yours does not!) Any *discussion* should, as always, go to the main FORKNI-L list, but, before posting, do two things: ask yourself "does this *really* need to be posted, or can I do in via private email somehow?" and, if you do post it, put "war" in the header so people can avoid it if they want. (The exception is for calling "dibs" on a story part...see below.) * Have a big mailbox! * (Or at least check it often.) A war generates a *huge* number of postings per day, particularly at the begining and the end. If you're gonna participate, you really need to keep up on the reading--so realize ahead of time what that's gonna involve! (One possibility is to go digest on the other lists--this can help keep life more manageable! :-) * Need little or no sleep. * Only 1/2 kidding here, guys. Being in a war requires a rather immense investment of time for the duration. If you're new, consider sitting back for the first week or so and figuring out what's up and what you can actually handle trying to do. * (Private) e-mail is your _friend_! * I mean it. *Really!* Wars are formed, played, broken, and won behind the scenes. Contact the War Leader of your faction so that you can get in on the email loop and know what's up. (If you don't have a faction, talk to the Die-Hards...consider becoming one at least for the War so you're not left out completely ...the Die-Hards specialize in indecision, right, guys? :-) * Collaborate with others. * Another quote from a vet: "The best part of the War is writing stuff WITH people you've never met and barely know. I know that's half the fun *I* had last time." I agree completely! My best net friendships are with people I met through war plotting the last time around. In addition, the best war plots...uh...I mean "stories" are always those that are coordinated behind the scenes--both before and during their posting. Try to collaborate with other people. Start your own email loop! Just keep connected! * Be flexible. * Things change during a war...sometimes at alarming speed. Be sure that any post you're planning much in advance can be adapted to the situation at hand. The War Mistress will let us know what's up when the war is declared, and you'll need to fit yourself into the stories as they unfold. * FK Wars are _not_ particularly gory. * To my knowledge, _no one_ has ever been "killed" (or even seriously injured) in an FK War. (O.K. Karen and Jennise...but they didn't _stay_ dead...and that was before they realized they'd have to spend 4+ more wars in the shadows ducking garlic ;-))) As a rule, property suffers, _dignity_ frequently bites the big one! , but bodily injury is slight. (Oh, and keep your paws off the Caddie...destroying "that d*mned car" in a spectacular fashion is Susan Garrett's turf .) * Get permission! * Ask permission (privately!) before using someone in your post. _Especially_ do not drag in someone who has not entered the war without their express permisiion. Realize, however, that by agreeing to enter the war, you've opened yourself up to everyone involved (and they to you). * No killing! (Or bringing over! ;-) * That's the extreme case, of course. The rule is that you can't do anything _permanent_ to someone else without their permission. Whatever you do has to be temporary and/or reversible. In the same vein respect other people's caveats (i.e. "You can use my apartment, but don't do anything permanent" or "I'm too busy to write myself in, but you can use me as long as you warn me first and don't do anything permanent"). Remember, ...someday *you* may need to post your own caveat! :-) * Respect "dibs." * That means *two* things. If someone publically calls "dibs" on the continuation of a story, respect that. It *also* means don't call dibs unless you really _need_ it and cough up the next installment so that others can jump in again *as soon as humanly possible*! Don't tie up a story for everyone, or you're likely to lose your dibs...and rightly so. 24 hours is about a reasonable limit. ('Dib' calls may be posted to FKFIC-L.) IMPORTANT WAYS TO NOT LOOK LIKE A CLUELESS NEWBIE!!! * Don't write your trip to Toronto unless we're going to care! * (A change from past wars, but a real necessity.) Don't write yourself arriving in TO (or wherever) just for the sake of doing so. If something critical or entertaining is happening to you along the way, o.k.-- but otherwise make your means of arrival a throw-away line in a later post and write yourself in when you've actually got something to say. (Trust me... after seemingly endless "I got a petsitter, charged a plane ticket, packed, got on the plane, and arrived in TO" posts... your self-restraint will be much appreciated! :-) * Participate in the war as *yourself*--only better * Don't bring in characters from other universes. Don't give yourself super (or even vampiric) powers. Don't make yourself a sudden multimillionaire or best buddies with the head of the CIA. Think of yourself as basically limited in terms of "things you could do if you could really be as brave/quick-thinking/clever/sneaky/ resourceful in real life as you always are wishing you could be." Think of it as though all of us are playing a fun, casual sandlot ball game with each other. If you show up in your brand shiny new authentic major-league uniform with your big-$, regulation glove and your fancy ball autographed by Babe Ruth... what's going to happen? Everyone else is going to take one look at you and go..."uh...yeah...right." You're gonna feel awkward [or you should! ], we're gonna feel awkward, it's completely unneccesary, and it basically just messes with the spirit of a friendly little game. (Yes, exceptions have happened in past wars, but they are few and far between and are best done with skill by experienced warriors. Maybe in your next War.... ) So don't show up with a million in your pocket...or a laser gun...or a letter of safe passage from the Pope or something. If you need money, find a way to get it--beg it from your favorite vampire (and make us believe you'd get it _and_ end up alive afterwards!) or find a way to barter something else--make a deal, make several, team up.... and this brings us to one of the deepest, darkest secrets of an FK war : * The point is really _not_ who wins. * This time think of it as a giant treasure hunt. Yes, of course, everyone wants to be first back with everything and to claim the glory and the prize. But if you're just in it to race through and beat everyone else, you're really missing the whole point. The race is just to give everyone a goal and a purpose. The *real* fun is in hunting down all the weird and crazy junk you need--in being creative, and resourceful, and maybe doing a little clever sabatoge of your best friends' team ...*not* in blindly racing through just to be first. [o.k...that's the last contribution by Dianne, Empress of Analogies ...I _promise_ :-] Finally, realize that in some senses you're coming in on part X of a *very* long extended story. There are plenty of people who have been participating since War 1 or 2 here. The best way to know what's going on is, of course, to read up on all the old wars. If you can't, at least read *one* of them. And whatever you do, try not to step on the toes of those who really do know better. Dianne (who is entirely responsible for content, but with thanks to Diane E. and Cousin Deborah for assistance and suggestions :-) Dianne la Mercenaire... -*- -*-"We must be powerful, beautiful, and without regret."-*- **************************************************************** Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 10:36:47 -0500 Sender: Forever Knight TV show Poster: "Gaylin J. Walli" Subject: The Wars That Have Happened Some people asked me to post this here for the new people on the list and those people who haven't been in a fiction war. This is from the FK Fiction Bibliography I maintain: FK Wars The FK Wars are round robin fan fiction. A basic plotline is introduced and then other people add parts to the story. In the words of author Susan Garrett "The point of the wars is to learn about each other while creating a slightly odd, cracking good story." This is one case where a war really isn't a war, but a series of stories, usually practical fiction jokes, played on willing participants in the war. Currently, five wars have occurred. An unofficial sixth war started with the impending cancellation of FK: FKWARS I: A Call to Arms FKWARS II: Application Forthcoming FKWARS III: All Things Fun FKWARS IV: Coup D'Etat FKWARS V: Chess FKWARS VI: And This Time, It's Personal. [in progress, title unofficial] The titles for the first five fiction wars listed here were all taken from the subject line of the first OFFICIAL post (always sent by the person sponsoring the war). Technically War VI isn't a war, but so many people on the list have started calling it such, that I'm loathe to argue with them. Questions? Comments? Wafer thin mint? Jasmine, gjwalli@mtu.edu, Faithful Ravenette ************************************************************* Sender: Forever Knight TV show Poster: vicki jean merriman Subject: Re: Confused about Wars/Etc This has probably been answered, but, briefly, wars are fictional round robin things where we each play ourselves (perhaps slightly idealized versions of ourselves, but _definitely_ ourselves). Then we cause trouble for other factions (even the Knighties cause trouble, and the Nat-packers were the _start_ of the last war). It is a duel, lunge, defend, counter... etc. etc. all really in good fun. You shouldn't take anything _too_ seriously. I think it was Susan Garrett who said "In a War, an attack is the most sincere gesture of affection" or something like that. However, there is also a LOT of organization that goes on behind the scenes in e-mail so that the posts won't contradict each other. You need to work within a framework of sorts. The framework is extremely loose, but it does exist and needs to be adhered to. The best fun is trying to sort out posts that were all posted within a few minutes of each other. Despite apparent contradictions, we can work these things out. It is a lot of work, but great fun. I will probably have to skip the next war due to real time constraints and will definitely miss it. > Does the war take place on the FKFIC list? Will martial arts come in handy? > How about marital arts? Inquiring minds and all that jazz. If you know martial arts in real life, you can use them in the War, but you shouldn't really make yourself a black belt if you've never had a course in it. You could, arguably, boost yourself from being a brown or red belt to a black belt, though. |---- Vicki Merriman - vmerrima@indiana.edu *******************************************************************