Adventurer's Guild [AGSA] Adventurer's Guild Sky Archipelago - OOC Room

[Way]

Sure! Stick it in a quest report somewhere and we can make it canon.

I like the idea of "butterflies have a notoriously poor connection" and the further out you get, the less reliable it becomes and gets increasingly garbled. Perhaps 50% of the things that you say in the butterfly simply doesn't transmit (EDIT: or maybe it sometimes transmits at unpredictable speeds, ranging from minutes to days for a message to transmit, so not guaranteed to be real-time), and so essentially there's a lot of dropped packets and a lot of things that each individual might have missed. I'm also fascinated by the idea that butterflies <-> dreams, and perhaps inaccurate things get spewed by butterflies on occasion. For instance, the butterfly may occasionally "mistranslate" red as blue, and butterflies are known to occasionally spew gibberish words/phrases even when no one is talking into them.

Example:

• Person A (speaking into their butterfly) says: "Hello, dear friend. Isn't the weather absolutely gorgeous today?"
• Person B (listening to their butterfly) might hear: "Good morning my friend. Is today's weather particularly good?"

In other words, it's similar, but not perfectly identical!

From a lore perspective, wouldn't it be creepy if butterflies really were dead spirits (like @Bochi mentioned), and frankly everyone was just talking through ghosts...

Anyways! I'm okay with whichever direction you want to take it!

I'm not as fond of clear cut mechanical explanations for butterflies, in part because this would definitively put them in the "machine" category (which introduces the social/political issues you mentioned if they are as reliable as computers). Personally, I sort of favor the idea that everyone's butterfly can be different (meaning that manifests in different ways and doesn't have strict rules), but simultaneously functions as erratically and inconsistently as a form of supernatural phenomena.

In computer science terms, I guess I'm proposing that butterflies could be non-deterministic. Sometimes, a butterfly might say 1+1=2, but on another day it might say 1+1=14, meaning you can't rely on a butterfly to always produce the same output with a given input, which would drastically limit their functional utility.

I had also headcanoned that the butterflies were strictly connected to the Queen in some unique way, so it wouldn't be easy to replicate. Furthermore, for some reason only guild members have them (but not all the citizens of the Archipelago), meaning they are most likely quantity limited. Perhaps the Queen can only maintain a certain number of connections, or maybe the butterflies really are dead souls, and the guild only has a limited number to give out.

Hmmm....ah, this is pretty inspiring. I now have a reasonably solid in-universe explanation for them butterflies and certain lore/details for them, based on these guidelines, that should be true to the spirit of their existence and broad enough to not restrict butterfly headcanons. It'll take some time to cook up as a small story.

There are still a few things that aren't addressed yet in this post, like why only adventurers in particular (considering anyone can become one) get butterflies, but my explanation should be able to address this!

You're overthinking it, geez... >.>

The butterflies can't be used as drones because they can't see AFAIK... Like... Just communication devices.

And well, they depend on Queen's Magic and stuff, so it's probably only widespread between adventurers, not everyone in the world.

And lastly... Remember that you shouldn't make major structural changes to the game, so no sudden renaissance... >.>

*feels like this post is kinda pointless now that Ohko already replied, but figured I'd give my 2 cents anyways*

Don't worry, no need to explain- the secret fact that you the queen and don't want to bother with such repercussions by only giving them to adventurers is safe with me!
Though why wouldn't they be able to see?! Being a blind butterfly is just unfortunate xD

And hey, I'm not saying that I necessarily want to force one, just that if you play it straight there should logically be one, which is a bit of an issue since this RP is still mainly a worldbuilding exercise (imho) xD

 

[Way]

@Tessa_Renalds
Also, I'll be unable to reply today, since I need to write that explanation down, as it potentially relates to why Frixio's brother can't be contacted. I could provide more generic possibilities of why, but I prefer to be thorough xD

Sorry for the trouble!

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

I think this idea is cool too!

Part this depends on how widespread you want the butterflies to be. Would many of the new places in the world also use butterflies? Personally, I would be inclined to say that every civilization might have its own preferred communication method. Many different systems of magic co-exist in this universe (so there's no "superior" magic system), which intrinsically makes the setting complicated -- and each method might have its advantages and disadvantages.

I think lore wise, there should probably be a reasonable explanation why not everyone on the Archipelago has a butterfly. Only adventurers who are part of the guild have one (civilians aren't given one), so my natural inference would be that there's only a limited number of butterflies that Sky Archipelago can employ at a time.

If you want, I can explain it with details as to why they are only few that only adventurers have them but basing them out of them being either biological(nature made) or mechanical(human made).

If its biological, one way is that there's only one logical question is that its basically a colony of some sort where there's a queen who can only give birth to only a few butterflies in each cycle and it was discovered by an adventurer rather than the queen. But if the queen discovered it first, it would mean that she once had it given to nobles as a way to communicate with her nobility however lost contact with them during the event and decided to give the butterflies to the adventurers as a way to communicated in the outside of the kingdom. That way, we can explain that the queen relies on having adventurers to gather information locations and warnings to any events such that she could plan more ways in case it could harm her kingdom or something like that.

Artificially, she could make those butterflies through alchemy however deemed it too expensive to make and while she could give it to nobles, she could also have adventurers carry them as well since they gather information and listen in to current updates around her kingdom.

 

[BouncyCactus]

*I dont know who to quote T_T*

I think that we could craft some kind of an over arching plot point for a veerryyyyy long term. Like, why is the Queen the ruler, not a King, if she do not make any public appearance, or being every so secretive with even it in the ruling class. Is there something that prevented her for doing so? What kind of power does she have that keeps her in powers? Why does the Queen only provided Butterflies for adventurers, but not the guards? The nobilities?

What I have in mind for her is, and let me know if ya like my idea, or it is too much, but what if her magic leave her bedridden, or be very sickly in exchange for a very powerful kind of magic, and the butterfly being one of it? Maybe her magic, or some kind of Royal-exclusive bloodline magic, is what's keep Sky Archipelago floating, and by extension, making her and the royal family an irreplaceable figure? Maybe the Queen can listened in on the butterflies, and used them as her own secretive information collecting source, as adventurers tend to know thing nobles don'ts, and exposed to thing civilians don't?
We could go a step further that SA is the Queen dormant, and that is why when getting far enough away from SA, the butterfly will looses their connection with other???

Anyway, those are just my two cents, and seems a little too world changing, so don't take it to heat if ya don't like it, or conflicted with what ever ya have in mind.

 

[Bochi]

Here's another: the butterfly is the physical manifestation of (fighting) spirit.

 

[2021]

My character *cough* he isn’t from one of my series 100% *cough*


A ego weapon with the ability to use magic. Name Basil, and he was human till he was trapped in the brick he is residing in.

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

*I dont know who to quote T_T*

I think that we could craft some kind of an over arching plot point for a veerryyyyy long term. Like, why is the Queen the ruler, not a King, if she do not make any public appearance, or being every so secretive with even it in the ruling class. Is there something that prevented her for doing so? What kind of power does she have that keeps her in powers? Why does the Queen only provided Butterflies for adventurers, but not the guards? The nobilities?

What I have in mind for her is, and let me know if ya like my idea, or it is too much, but what if her magic leave her bedridden, or be very sickly in exchange for a very powerful kind of magic, and the butterfly being one of it? Maybe her magic, or some kind of Royal-exclusive bloodline magic, is what's keep Sky Archipelago floating, and by extension, making her and the royal family an irreplaceable figure? Maybe the Queen can listened in on the butterflies, and used them as her own secretive information collecting source, as adventurers tend to know thing nobles don'ts, and exposed to thing civilians don't?
We could go a step further that SA is the Queen dormant, and that is why when getting far enough away from SA, the butterfly will looses their connection with other???

Anyway, those are just my two cents, and seems a little too world changing, so don't take it to heat if ya don't like it, or conflicted with what ever ya have in mind.

Well, we could create the queen through the NPC in each of their POV. Such as...

'The queen is kinda mysterious but a good person.'

'The queen is a bit eccentric but always puts the safety of her people in mind'

'Due to defending us after the event, she is currently bedridden and unable to be seen'.

something like that you know.

Here's another: the butterfly is the physical manifestation of (fighting) spirit.

Does that mean mine doesn't work at all? (My character isn't even a combatant at all)

It is more plausible that butterflies are only made through mana that comes from being adventurers(or life energy from the adventurers). It takes a bit from the adventurer's lifespan and forms a bond with each butterfly and we can explain it that every adventurer has abundant energy to own a butterfly such that they only provide them life and communication through thoughts.

Or, our characters have each butterflies since the adventurers guild have a technology to create a butterfly but unable to give it to anyone due to the fact that it requires a powerful contract that bonds an adventurer and the butterfly. The butterfly acts as a guild card which if an adventurer were to die, the butterfly dies as well, it could also be use by others to tell which adventurer it is living or dead through a marker to locate any nearby adventurers. Because of how rare a butterfly is made and how its uses aren't to be abused by others, the queen decide that its best that adventurers should only have a butterfly since they can utilize it better than the natives here.

 

[Bochi]

Well, we could create the queen through the NPC in each of their POV. Such as...

'The queen is kinda mysterious but a good person.'

'The queen is a bit eccentric but always puts the safety of her people in mind'

'Due to defending us after the event, she is currently bedridden and unable to be seen'.

something like that you know.


Does that mean mine doesn't work at all? (My character isn't even a combatant at all)

It is more plausible that butterflies are only made through mana that comes from being adventurers(or life energy from the adventurers). It takes a bit from the adventurer's lifespan and forms a bond with each butterfly and we can explain it that every adventurer has abundant energy to own a butterfly such that they only provide them life and communication through thoughts.

Or, our characters have each butterflies since the adventurers guild have a technology to create a butterfly but unable to give it to anyone due to the fact that it requires a powerful contract that bonds an adventurer and the butterfly. The butterfly acts as a guild card which if an adventurer were to die, the butterfly dies as well, it could also be use by others to tell which adventurer it is living or dead through a marker to locate any nearby adventurers. Because of how rare a butterfly is made and how its uses aren't to be abused by others, the queen decide that its best that adventurers should only have a butterfly since they can utilize it better than the natives here.

Or, we go with the setting that gives everyone the most amount of freedom: Butterflies are mysterious creatures drawn to certain people. Tah-dah.

 

[Ddraig]

Or, we go with the setting that gives everyone the most amount of freedom: Butterflies are mysterious creatures drawn to certain people. Tah-dah.

How about we just go with multiple interpretations. That or we can just go and select the amount of info our char has about it,

• Butterflies are mysterious creatures that the guild gives to adventurers.
• Butterflies are mysterious creatures created(?) by the Queen in limited quantities that the guild gives to adventurers.
• Butterflies are mysterious creatures created(?) by the Queen in limited quantities that the guild gives to adventurers. They are unreliable yet instant method of communication and stop working the further you are from the queen (or the islands or something)
• Point 3 + Arcadia's bond idea

All of them are compatible with one another giving quite a bit of freedom.

Also I was thinking, is the "Queen" necessarily human or humanlike? Having a literal giant Butterfly/Insect as the Queen would be kinda cool.

 

[fyrre]

I'll try and get my chapter out today, it's my last day of school.

 

[AliceShiki]

Though why wouldn't they be able to see?! Being a blind butterfly is just unfortunate xD

Are they even alive though? *tilts head*

I mostly thought of them as a thingy made of pure mana, not as a living being.

 

[Tessa_Renalds]

@Tessa_Renalds
Also, I'll be unable to reply today, since I need to write that explanation down, as it potentially relates to why Frixio's brother can't be contacted. I could provide more generic possibilities of why, but I prefer to be thorough xD

Sorry for the trouble!

All good! I don’t mind the wait at all! It sounds like an interesting concept for the ButterflyCh, in my opinion. I do like that the butterflies can all be different and unique depending on their user as well.

 

[ohko]

Or, we go with the setting that gives everyone the most amount of freedom: Butterflies are mysterious creatures drawn to certain people. Tah-dah.

How about we just go with multiple interpretations. That or we can just go and select the amount of info our char has about it,

• Butterflies are mysterious creatures that the guild gives to adventurers.
• Butterflies are mysterious creatures created(?) by the Queen in limited quantities that the guild gives to adventurers.
• Butterflies are mysterious creatures created(?) by the Queen in limited quantities that the guild gives to adventurers. They are unreliable yet instant method of communication and stop working the further you are from the queen (or the islands or something)
• Point 3 + Arcadia's bond idea

All of them are compatible with one another giving quite a bit of freedom.

Yup! Anyone writing an explanation for how their butterfly works should probably expect that other players might have quite different butterfly headcanons, so this is a subject matter where nobody should presume that they know how all butterflies work. In fact, it's probably better to maintain a fairly ambiguous/mysterious state -- in the sense that many people might have various theories about how the butterflies work, but it has never been confirmed by the Queen. Furthermore, butterflies can differ from individual to individual.

Well, we could create the queen through the NPC in each of their POV. Such as...

'The queen is kinda mysterious but a good person.'

'The queen is a bit eccentric but always puts the safety of her people in mind'

'Due to defending us after the event, she is currently bedridden and unable to be seen'.

something like that you know.

Also I was thinking, is the "Queen" necessarily human or humanlike? Having a literal giant Butterfly/Insect as the Queen would be kinda cool.

There queen's identity is a secret, so there are probably very few NPCs who can even provide descriptions of what the queen is like~

In fact, nobody should "reveal" the queen's identity in any of their stories without making sure most of the other players of this game are okay with it first. The the short premise provided in the Registration Page is canon, and that premise shouldn't be altered (i.e. causing Sky Harbor to split apart into fragments so it is no longer the largest island / revealing the Queen's identity to the public) without confirming everyone is okay with it first.

As before, it's always okay to theorize or spread rumors about the Queen's identity, or even encounter someone who you think is the Queen. However, it can't be confirmed -- they might be an imposter (or a body double) -- so some degree of mysterious/ambiguous-ness should be maintained.

*I dont know who to quote T_T*

I think that we could craft some kind of an over arching plot point for a veerryyyyy long term. Like, why is the Queen the ruler, not a King, if she do not make any public appearance, or being every so secretive with even it in the ruling class. Is there something that prevented her for doing so? What kind of power does she have that keeps her in powers? Why does the Queen only provided Butterflies for adventurers, but not the guards? The nobilities?

What I have in mind for her is, and let me know if ya like my idea, or it is too much, but what if her magic leave her bedridden, or be very sickly in exchange for a very powerful kind of magic, and the butterfly being one of it? Maybe her magic, or some kind of Royal-exclusive bloodline magic, is what's keep Sky Archipelago floating, and by extension, making her and the royal family an irreplaceable figure? Maybe the Queen can listened in on the butterflies, and used them as her own secretive information collecting source, as adventurers tend to know thing nobles don'ts, and exposed to thing civilians don't?
We could go a step further that SA is the Queen dormant, and that is why when getting far enough away from SA, the butterfly will looses their connection with other???

Anyway, those are just my two cents, and seems a little too world changing, so don't take it to heat if ya don't like it, or conflicted with what ever ya have in mind.

Big plots are fun and overarching to do, and I encourage it!

To keep things long term, I still think it's better to keep the Queen's identity ambiguous until the community agrees to reveal it. We can do a poll or something that that point.

Until then, there are plenty of opportunities to develop conspiracy theories or other peculiar plots without explicitly revealing the Queen's identity (i.e. quests that the Queen sponsors without showing her face). Or the rumor mill.

 

[Vanus]

My headcanon for butterfly queen is that she's actually Hestia and the butterflies can only be work if there is some kind of "fireplace" whether that be an actual fireplace or a campfire nearby. :P

 

[Vanus]

Wait is there teleportation points on the archipelago I've forgotten.

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

Wait is there teleportation points on the archipelago I've forgotten.

There are, but some are broken with the whole earthquake thing.

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

It's done, it's finally done. My first quest...

7442 words, 9 chapters.

I'm sorry, whoever will appraise it.

 

[fyrre]

It's done, it's finally done. My first quest...

7442 words, 9 chapters.

I'm sorry, whoever will appraise it.

Oh my god, the dedication! I couldn't even type that much, congratulations on finishing it all!

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

Oh my god, the dedication! I couldn't even type that much, congratulations on finishing it! all

It's not dedication, this report just started growing bigger and bigger because of a literal derail I did that is 100% not because of my shoujo webtoon obsession...

 

[fyrre]

It's not dedication, this report just started growing bigger and bigger because of a literal derail I did that is 100% not because of my shoujo webtoon obsession...

Still, that's pretty impressive! Shoujo webtoons can be good when the female lead isn't some crybaby who needs saving half the time, but nevertheless good!