Uptimes in Palimpsest are shared dream visions set within the surreal structure of the House of Fame. To learn more about this setting, have a look at the House of Fame entry on the Wiki.
Palimpsest Uptimes will be held at Corpus Christi College Auditorium on Tuesday evenings each week from 19:00 to 22:00. For more on timings and locations, please see When and Where.
Before the game (but after the ballot), we will have a character creation session. This is entirely optional but a great opportunity to meet the GM team, get a solid feel for the game, and meet other players!
During Uptimes you will be live-action roleplaying your character in real time. What this means is that, for the most part, everything that you act out is something that your character is actually doing - whether that's chatting, dancing, plotting in a corner, or making a proposal.
Roleplay in Society Games is almost always non-physical, and any form of physical contact requires OC consent beforehand. Props and costumes ('physrep') are completely optional, though encouraged if you are willing!
If you know that you're likely to miss a session, please let the GMs know in advance so that we can plan around your absence and let other players know that you won't be there. You'll still be able to write a turnsheet (see Downtimes and Turnsheets) if you miss an Uptime.
GMs will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have for them during Uptime, but please be aware that we may be busy with other players or even need to consult our notes/the other GMs before we can give you an answer.
Calls refer to certain words or gestures made out of character (OC) which affect the game. Calls can be used to communicate information, start, stop, or pause the game, or for safety purposes. Here is a list of these calls:
The OC Gesture is used by players and GMs to show that they are temporarily dropping out of character. This can be used for essentially any reason from asking a question OC, passing through a space without people thinking your character is there, or to laugh at something your character wouldn't find funny. GMs might also use the OC Gesture to listen into conversations which their characters are not present for, only GMs should use the gesture for this purpose.
In order to make the OC Gesture, simply point up to the ceiling with your index and middle finger. Demonstrations of this call will be provided at the start of every uptime, so don't panic if you need further clarification!
This is used by GMs to announce the beginning of the session, or resuming after a time freeze, to announce that it is time to switch into character.
This is used by GMs to interrupt roleplaying during session, so we can describe something going on that we wouldn't be able to adequately act out.
This is used by the GMs to announce the end of the session and that it is time to drop out of character.
Safety Calls exist to help ensure everyone is comfortable at all times. They are used out of character in order to manage in character interactions.
You do not have to use these. If you prefer to simply talk things out using the OC gesture that is completely acceptable, but it is crucial that all players know these three calls. These calls will be gone over at the start of every uptime, so don't panic if they slip your mind!
If a safety call is used, nobody involved in the interaction should ask why it was used. Players may choose to explain, but they are not required to and should not feel pressured to at any point during the game.
Here is a list of these safety calls:
This call is used when you are okay with the current interaction continuing but need the intensity of the situation to be decreased.
This call can be used to simply remove yourself from a conversation. Your character is no longer there and has never been there.
This call is used when you want a conversation to stop completely. When this call is made, the current topic of conversation will be dropped and moved on from.
After the game has concluded, a casual debrief session will be held where GMs and players talk through the events of the game, explain all their secrets, and generally tie up loose ends. Each player gives a short presentation about their character(s)—you can talk about their backstory, what they did in the game, your inspirations in creating them, or anything else you like. You'll be able to take questions as well.
Each GM will also give a presentation where they talk about their NPCs, as well as the plot of the game in general. Again, you'll get the opportunity to ask us anything you like about the game.
Each player and GM will also get their own debrief channel on the game's Discord server, to allow for more discussion after the debrief session, as well as the sharing of artwork and writing.