This is the Mod Journal for Graves Hall and Beyond the Graves.

Both games are a collaborative creation. This journal is the rosetta stone of the games, the home of our creative ideas, the place where players can keep up to date with the world which is ever changing.

When I make changes to the mod journal that affect many characters I try to mention it in the OOC community.

That being said: Dear Players,

Please feel free to comment here any time on changes you'd like to see, things you think are missing, or things you don't agree with. Even if it is not explicitly stated you always have the option to comment on a post (or here) to begin a discussion. The mod journal is a tool for all of us to keep up to date and stay on a similar page.

All contents of this journal are copyright of the Gravelings (the active players of the game) 2007 onward.

We all know about the Graves Hall Society and it's members. But we haven't much discussed other societies that function within the larger culture.

( Social and Magical Societies )

We've been handling sex and pregnancy on a case by case basis in the game so far. So let's open up the discussion further. This is what I (and some of you who've spoken with me) have been thinking:

( Magical Prophylactics )

( The Compendium of Aylasian Holidays )

This is what we have so far for Aylasian Holidays. This list could be added to with player input.

This is definitely player knowledge and NOT character knowledge.

Because of the surplus of magic AND the fertility spell cast on Isadore, ALL mages can have children at a younger age.

The phenomenon will start cropping up more and more as the young mothers start seeking prenatal care and eventually it'll get press coverage.

My thinking is that the fertility spell (cast by the mystery NPC) broke the universal law about fertility which became compounded by the surplus of magic around New Meridian. The result is that the one, very pointed spell expanded and altered the world so that now mages can have children younger (the cusp I would say is 18-19). I don't know what other ramifications this might have yet (considering that mages will be giving birth before their magical gifts are fully realized and before they've had a real chance to discover them). I can already see Salem Academy building a daycare wing to help their young parents get through school.

This applies more specifically to Beyond the Graves since Cam and Kat are definitely unstuck in time.

( Time Travel is Risky Business )

( The B.P. )

This plot has mostly played out, though it's still possible to have a character who suffers from some effects of the B.P. (if they caught it before Elliot disappeared).

I've been working on this new overarching plot idea for a bit now, sort of letting it stew in my brain. It's been 300 years in the making actually. And it works into both Graves and Beyond.

It explains why some of the weirder stuff has been happening.

( Essentially put: )


So. What does this all mean for the game?

Your characters could quite possibly develop a new, peculiar type of magic. Among other possibilities: this extra magic is affecting how things work, making things that were improbable more possible. It's not only affecting mages but magic itself. There are a multitude of ways this could be played out.

It's not necessarily all inclusive, but if you have a character who needs something interesting to happen to them this might be the plot to jump on. It's up to you how you want to play it, however it won't be explainable. While your characters will know something weird is happening they won't know why or how. So if you want, hop on the crazy train.

Things got a little kooky with our families when we started making Beyond. So we made some family trees. They're twisted.

( Graves Kids )

( Elliot the Whore )

( The Branches are twisting together )

-Siblings are color coded (each color is one family of siblings; makes it a little easier to tell what your looking at). A sibling that is half colored is only half sibling (Enki of course is an adopted sibling).
-The blue line above Enki means he was adopted.
-The dashed, pink line means a love-affair that ended.
-The dotted blue line means that they weren't in a relationship, but they decided to have a kid together.

This is a seriously complicated family tree. Almost everyone else has their own, separate and easy to understand tree (re: except Elliot).

( Safe Dating )

This is something I've discussed with a few players off the record. I figured anyone could weigh in if they wanted.

( It is possible for magic to be renounced or bound. )

It has been addressed absentmindedly before now, the subject of technology and how some things have developed on a parallel with our world and how some things have not (as in cars and roller disco). For all technical purposes Aylasian time runs parallel to our own.

The development of technology in Aylasia has been spotty because most things can be accomplished with magic, without the need for modern technology. Here's what I was thinking and please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments:

( Random Bits of Technology )

For lack of a better description, it’s Ibiza, Mardi Gras, Spring Break and Cancun at sundown ALL ROLLED INTO ONE.

Isla Partei is located way way north of New Meridian, and is a tropical island in the ocean.

( Come to the Island of Party )

The Omnibus Club is located in New Meridian, somewhere between Parliament and Silk Road. It is a tall building, several stories in fact.

Each of the floors has a specific theme that caters to a certain crowd. These floors are often being altered to suit the needs of the ever-changing club going crowds.

For Ohana and Oharu's party some of the floors that will be available (since they've rented the whole club):
- A roller-discotheque
- A bubble club (the kind where they pour bubbles on the dance floor)
- A classy restaurant (probably on the top floor)
- A rock club (with a variety of bands playing, probably Ohana's favorites)
- A lounge (which is decidedly for Oharu, laid back with jazzy music tinkling in the background)
- A dance club

( Welcome to Vegas )

This location is only usable in Beyond the Graves.

Faeries in Aylasia came from "Faerie" to settle at one point. They lost touch with their ancestors and developed in different ways. Over time they lost some abilities, changed some abilities, added some new ones, retained old ones. You get the picture. Both types of faerie magic will be listed here.

Of note: Faerie has been spelled fairly consistently, but we each have our own variations of the shortened form: fey or fae. Either is fine and could be excused by region, or family tradition.

Something else important to note: while Faeries outside of Aylasia have the seelie and unseelie courts, those lines have long since blurred in Aylasia and there is no distinction or court in existence.

( From the realm of Aylasia )

( From the realm of Faerie )