As we prepare for an event that involves a lot of zed, the staff at Dystopia Rising New York (DRNY) wanted to go over our local Grave Mind, and how it works. While we strive to match our Grave Mind lore with the network as a whole, each chapter runs the Mortis Amaranthine (the formal term for the Grave Mind) a bit differently, and we want to make sure everyone has accurate expectations.
The Grave Mind Doesn’t Care About You…
…Or anyone else.
With hundreds of storytellers across dozens of chapters, sometimes Grave Mind lore gets a little muddled. We stick very closely to the concept of the Grave Mind as described in the rule book: it’s a conceptual state of being, not a place or an individual. There’s no ego or intentions involved in scenes that occur “in” the Grave Mind - just your character’s perceptions of the world’s natural processes. That means that when the Grave Mind “does” something, it’s really just a consequence of previous actions, like a chemical reaction.
Weird Shit Happens in the Grave Mind
Things don’t always work “right” in the Gravemind. The skills and items you have work as prescribed in the rules and blueprints, but beyond that, when you enter a Grave Mind scene, be prepared for the storyteller to throw you a curve ball. Sometimes local items interact oddly, or there are additional effects or consequences beyond the rules. But remember, we do this for game play or dramatic effect, and not as part of an ongoing narrative.
What does this mean? If you’re in a Grave Mind scene and another player wants to enter, we’ll find a way to make it happen. If things are going poorly and we want to help you out, we’ll make something up. We might add something to give you a jump scare or a surprise. What we won’t do is justify a plot or event as “Grave Mind bullshit”; for story purposes, we try to play skills and items as close as possible to the rule book.
If you do see something weird, ask the storyteller after the scene. They’ll explain to you what happened, if it’s a deviation, and why. Remember, these are almost always one-off events (i.e. pulling a silent observer into a Grave Mind scene to help out a bunch of players with low Resolve) as opposed to a local mechanic.
Grave-Diving Has Consequences
You all like to go grave-diving. That’s awesome… we have fun when you use skills and abilities to explore the Grave Mind, and we hope you do to. But remember: actions have consequences. The more you go into the Grave Mind (i.e. “fuck around”) the more the metaphorical open wounds you leave behind will fester and spit out strange zed (i.e. “find out”). We do this for two reasons: first, we want to run a horror game, and in a horror game, actions have negative side effects. Second, we want to make sure the Grave Mind remains a strange and alien experience, and not a regular point of interaction.
You’re likely going to experience some consequences at our next event. Remember, the point is not to single out other characters as scapegoats or stop using Grave Mind-related skills and abilities. Instead, remember that the world of Dystopia Rising is a scary place, and get ready to be scared by new and interesting threats.