As I am a man who is known as much for his scrupulous honesty in the telling of his tales as for his amazing adventures around, across and in some cases through the circumference of the globe, I am constantly asked by my friends why I should wish to put my name--an old and most distinguished name: according to my family records there was a Munchausen stowed away upon the Ark--to a game for the telling of extraordinary tales and unlikely anecdotes.

The answer is simple. My reputation, and with it the retelling of several of my astounding adventures, have spread throughout the civilized world, across oceans, to deepest Afrique and farthest Nippon, to the twin worlds of the Sun and the Moon and the strange peoples who live there, and even into France. Therefore, wherever I travel I find myself constantly prevailed upon to tell these stories, which requests I never refuse, being a man of noble breeding.

I shall begin to describe the game presently, but first I must remind you of one important fact. This is a game of telling stories...but, while the stories you tell are fictions, my adventures are true in every detail.

Now pass the cognac. No, clockwise, you oaf.


It is the eighteenth century. A group of nobles are gathered in a location where there is a good stock of wine, and pass the long evening by entertaining each other with tales of their travels and surprising adventures. Little respect is paid to historical details, scientific facts or the bounds of credibility.

You are about to partake in a multi-player storytelling game, based upon The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, written by the Baron Munchausen himself (whose noble personage is so ably illustrated above by Gustave Doré), but "transcribed and edited" by James Wallis of Hogshead Publishing. The rulebook, though slim, is immensely entertaining, and so much of my presentation of the rules, including the sage words of the Baron, is taken, condensed and paraphrased from said rulebook that you should consider it as essentially all directly quoted, except for any errors which are mine alone. Indeed, every word spoken by the Baron is completely true, barring three, they being "Helen," "amontillado," and "Tuesday."

But I digress.

The gameplay is simple: every player creates a character and, in turn, shall be prompted by the Baron (whom I, most humbly, shall undertake to portray), to tell a story on a particular theme. The other players will have an opportunity to interrupt the storyteller with objections or elaborations to points of their story and, when all the players have finished their astounding tales, a vote is taken as to which story was the favorite. The prize? Why, glory for family, crown and country, of course!


I have had to adopt the mechanics of the game for online play (indeed, it can even be played as a drinking game!), but I think they are fairly straightforward.

Character Generation

Write, or ask your companion to write, your name, with the prefix "Baron"--or "Count," "Lord," "Duke" or whatsoever honorific is appropriate. If you are of foreign extraction, you may instead with to use a title such as "Graaf," "Don," "Sultan," "Sheikh," "Amir," or, as I gather is the fashion in the Americas, "Chief Executive Officer." In this age of universal suffrage, now that they have finally won the right they have gainsaid for generations, we must not forget the frailer sex too: "Baroness, "Countess" and so forth are equally permissible. If you must.

That is all that is necessary. You may, if you wish, add a single picture so that your storytelling companions might envisage you across the virtual divide. Beneath this, write whatsoever takes your fancy. You may also add your biography, which while superfluous may in itself provide some diverting entertainment while the drinks are being poured, and may perhaps influence your story. I have found it most useful for recording the calling-addresses and pedigree of any young ladies who catch my eye during the evening.

Gameplay

Once all the players have joined the party (with applications to end on Tuesday the 13th), they will be randomly sorted in the order in which they will tell their story. Only one player will be telling their story at a time, though other players have an opportunity to interact, as I shall in due course describe. Every player will be given an exact date on which to begin their story, which will consist of three rounds.

Every player will also be given a number of tokens--the exact number determined by the total number of players. The game can be played with at least three, but as many as twenty. If more than twenty people wish to sign up, then we will put aside the playing of the game, pool our purses, hire some mercenaries and plan an invasion of Belgium.

In the first round, I will choose randomly from approximately two hundred storytelling prompts and ask the player to tell us their story. Exempli gratia:

"My dear Baroness, tell us how a portrait of Henry VIII saved you from attack by lions."

or

"How was it, your Grace, that you became King of Mkolo-Mbeleland?"

or even

"Tell us the tale, Prime Minister, of your involvement in the Royal Society's scheme to extract sunlight from cucumbers."

The player then begins to write the first half of their story. This should be at least 8 lines long, but no more than 30. The player must not conclude their story, but leave it unfinished for the moment--preferably with a dramatic cliffhanger that will whet our appetites for what is to come. Each player should try to outdo the previous storyteller, with a story that is bigger, wilder and brings more glory upon themselves. Stories should be told in the first person.

In the second part, other players will have the opportunity to ask questions of their own of the storyteller, to either ask for an elaboration:

"I'll wager, Viscount, that beyond the door you mentioned was an entire dragoon of fusiliers waiting in ambush,"

or

"Is it not true, Lord, that the Empress was not impressed with your gift of two giraffes and ordered you out of her bedchamber immediately?"

Or they may object to part of the story, as follows:

"But Cardinal, at the time of which you speak the Colossus of Rhodes had been a fallen ruin for fifty years, so you could not have possibly climbed it!"

or

"But my Lady, it is well known that the Empress has a hatred of giraffes after her lap-dog was eaten by one!"

Or any of a thousand thousand other possiblilities.

This is where the tokens come in. For every token a player has, they may make one interruption. If more than one person wishes to interrupt, the first person to do so takes precedence, and any others who may post an interruption afterwards shall recant, with a sincere apology and with no loss of a token. These elaborations or objections should be considered in the spirit of friendly competition--a true storyteller relishes such challenges--rather than as a malicious attempt to trip up their fellows. The only interruption that is not allowed is "But weren't you killed?" or anything else suggesting that the storyteller should have died, because the response to that has to be, "No."

(It goes without saying, though I shall say it for those of you who are dull-witted, weak of sight or French, that my adventures are of unquestionable veracity, and to say otherwise is to call me a liar and a charlatan, and sirrah, if you do I shall take you outside and give you such a show of swordsmanship that will dazzle you so greatly that you will be blinded by its sparks for a month. I am a nobleman, and I am not to be trifled with.)

Once an objection or elaboration has been proposed, the storyteller, incorporating the interruption into their narrative, finishes their tale. As before, this should be at least 8 lines but no more than 30. In my experience a good tale should be no longer; for beyond that the listeners begin to grow bored and listless and talk among themselves and throw bread rolls and play at dice or cards and call for musicians and dance upon the table and seduce the hostess and distribute seditious or revolutionary literature and plot Asiatic landwars, and other such distractions as might put the finest racounteur off his stride--particularly if he has designs on the hostess himself. The storyteller should therefore bring his tale to its natural conclusion at its proper length, and in a way that brings the greatest enjoyment and astonishment to his listeners. At this point the tale is done, the audience should respond with a few hearty "Huzzah!"s and exclamations of, "By my oath, Baron, that is the most remarkable story I have ever heard, and I drink to it! More wine!" which is always pleasing.

Once the usual toasts have been drunk (to the story, the storyteller, the host, the monarch, the most attractive woman present, the second most attractive woman present, the most attractive woman in the story, absent friends, et cetera), then I shall turn to the next player in line and the process begins once more.

This is how I envision the timetable: Once presented with their story prompt, the player has one day to post the first half of their story. Every player will know ahead of time when they will be asked for their story. Then, there will be one day for interruptions. If no player comes forward with an interruption, I shall offer one myself. The player has one day to post the conclusion of their story. Finally, there will be one day for some freeform camaraderie. I chose this for two reasons: first, to try and mirror the spontaneity of the in-person game (stories should be as little-rehearsed as possible), as well as to keep the pace of the game flowing briskly. If a player finds this absolutely unreasonable, I can allow some leeway; or, if a player is scheduled to tell their story at a particularly inconvenient time, they might trade with one of their fellows. I would rather have people join the game than drop out or pass it by because of real-life constraints, but brisk play is the spirit of the game.

When all are done with their stories, there should be a moment of pause. Sit back in your chair and permit the serving girl or pot-boy to recharge your glass. Think on the stories you have heard, and decide in your own mind which was the best. If you are of a scholarly bent you may wish to debate the matter with your companions, making reference to Aristotle's Ars Poetica and the recent critical works of the poet Dryden. Or if not, then not. 'Tis of no importance.

In common parlance, you shall each vote for a winner. At this point the game is over. Should the majority of the company wish, and not be so out of pocket or in its cups that it cannot continue, another round of the game may be played. The victor of the previous round shall commence the play, with the order of the following players once again being random.

I hope to rekindle the spark of adventurousness in the soul of man--and the occasional rare woman--which has become so dampened of late by lumpen pursuits such as theatre-going, novel-reading and the playing of whist. Cease using the fruits of the imaginations of others; instead use the visions of great achievements that my game has placed in your mouth to spur yourself onwards to great thoughts, great deeds and great actions. You too, my friends, have the capacity within you to experience adventures as great as my own, if only you have the ambition to raise your sights high enough.

--Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, the Baron von Munchausen, this year 1798


What he said.

--Fluid, November 2007

Heh, hilarious prompt.

Name and Title:Duchess Miranda Cottington
Short bio: The good duchess is the youngest child of six of Duke Cottington, himself a youngest son. Seeing that there was no chance of inheriting the duchy Miranda set out to become a famed swordswoman across Europe, Asia and Western America. While accomplishing this with much flair and cavalier wit the good duke's predecessors, all four of them came to unfortuante ends. Same with her brothers,a lthough they were in slightly more suspicious circumstances. So Miranda became the duchess of Cottington and has been ever since.
Pic: coming soon

((I'm going to try this,and probably make a fool of myself,lol))
Name:Duchess Catherine Franstin-Margerit
Short bio:The duchess was born to the Duke and Duchess Franstin,it was said that when she was born here was a mighty thunderstorm,such as had never been seen before in England,prompting the birth astrologer to say that she would be a strong willed child.Indeed this came to be,as she often was quite stubborn as to what happened in her life.She is currently married to the Duke of Conwall.
Pic:http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/...etrapaudrq7.jpg

OH-EM-GEE, Fluid, you are a freaking literary GENIUS! First your sim story, now this? *throws cookies at Fluid in celebration* I don't think I could ever write as well as all that (at least not in that fun, witty, aristocratic style) but I'll see what I can whip up. ^_^

Name: Lady Eolyn O'Daly
Biography: Born to Lord Seamas and Lady Deirdre O'Daly of Ulster, Ireland, Eolyn was the second of four children--two boys and two girls. Since her older brother would become Lord of the castle and Ulster, she was left to become whatever she wanted. Eolyn would eventually dabble in many different things, even sometimes disguising herself as a peasant to learn the more "base" trades, and traveled throughout the world as often as possible. Her favorite hobbies are silversmithing, fencing, and cultivating bonsai.

annachibi, pinkgirl4real, FurryPanda--great apps, all! I'm glad there's some interest here, and hope to see some more.

And don't feel you have to worry about making a fool of yourself--this is just some storytelling amongst friends, not a cutthroat competition for the last space in that fancy-pants anthology. (The really fancy one--you know the one I mean.)

I love this idea, and I’m so glad you posted it! I think I’m going to STINK at this, as I usually write in a more realistic way, but I think this has great potential to be totally hilarious, and so I throw my hat into the ring. I’m thankful that historical facts don’t matter as I’m rather clueless to that. Anyhow, here it goes.

Lord Boris Hogarth –
It doesn’t need to be stated that Boris is the son of an insanely rich man. (But I said it anyway.) His own mother being far too “busy” to be bothered with raising him, he grew under the care of a rather naughty nanny. The young Boris spent his days doing whatever he pleased. In many ways he is still much like that young lad. He is bored very easily and relieves such boredom with mischief. Boris loves travelling the globe and flirting with women. A bit full of himself, he always manages to come out of a pile of **** smelling like a dozen roses.

How many people do we need before we begin, Fluid?
And could we start RPing now, just some light conversation to pass the time while we wait for the rest of our esteemed guests to arrive? I'd like to see how we all get to the same location from the various parts of the world. ^_^

Name: Lady Elizabeth Danning
Bio: Elizabeth (or Eliza, as she likes to be called) had no mother. She was left on her father's doorstep, and seeing as he was far to busy to care for her, she grew up surrounded by tutors and nannies. She was treated very cruelly by these people, and is not afraid to stand up for herself. She has beauty, smarts, and cunning, (not to mention a taste in men!) and has used it to get to many places. Including certain men's beds.

Picture: Soon

Oooh nice app geeway!

Shenanigans, GeeWayrocks--welcome aboard!

annachibi, you only need three people to play the game, and we already have five (six, including me), so we're good to go. I figure to begin on this Tuesday the 13th, which is one week after I first posted.

I have no problems with some freeform RP before the official game begins, but if you could wait a bit, I'll make an "official" post to open it up. It'll be soon--I only have a moment now, and will need at least three moments to get something worthy together.

((OOC: oooh, something "worthy?" This ought to be good. Can't wait for this to start; looks like a lot of fun.))

All righty! I look forward to that, then. ^_^

((Opening up for some pre-game freeforming. Keep in mind that, once the game begins on 11/12, freeforming will be restricted while a player is telling their story.))

The guest list of the wedding of Lord Walter Kennicot, the Fifteenth Earl of Nearer Farthing, to one Portuguese noblewoman with the eloquent, if cumbersome, autograph of Beatriz Flávia Rosana Gabriela Violeta da Orquídea was of such enormity that, in order to print the prodigious number of invitations required, the stationery firm of Messrs. Davies and Clarke, Ltd., of 37 Jardin St., London, denuded several forests in Wales and Scotland, driving firewood prices there higher than had been recorded since the Very Long Winter of 1586. It was well known that the young Lord Kennicot wanted more for money than for love, and as the Lady da Orquídea was Vizcondeza of a large fraction of Portugal it was for him a profitable merger; what the Vizcondeza gained was a matter of speculation, though certain lascivious sonnets penned by one of Kennicot's former lovers suggested a lewd, if plausible, explanation.

In any event, it was certain that such a gathering of notables, dignitaries, luminaries and persons of peerage had never before been assembled in Lisbon as for that joyous celebration. Every room in every inn and common-house from the Gulf of Cádiz to the Pyrenees was spoken for; unscrupulous hotelkeepers charged as much as three maravedis for hayloft accomodations.

The ceremony lasted from midmorning until well past afternoon tea, and while all present agreed it was as splendid a commemoration as was appropriate to extol, it brought about more dry throats and unanimated stares than sacramental awe. It was thus that, with the final Amens fading away with the last strings of smoke from the ceremonial incense-swingers, the guests made their way to the gardens, and to the tables of vittles and spirits of seemingly endless variety, to partake of the fine food, the finer drink, and the finest company....

It was after the ceremony itself as Duchess Catherine and her husband Louie walked into the garden hand in hand,with louie holding a strong grip on catherine's hand,Louie was known for his wild jealousy and he had once had a man executed for merely talking to his wife.Catherine,bless her soul,had heard none of this for it was a well hidden secret for which she must not know lest her husband be tainted in her eyes.As they entered the gardens,catherine was taken in by it's sheer beauty,one which was to rival any other in the world.They had known the groom from previous business relations and had been obligated to be here though Louie would rather be somewhere else.They were about to make their way to the tables when they came across the Baron Manchausen (tell me if i should change it),Catherine curtsied and Louie greeted him as was customary.Louie took the priority of starting a conversation,"Well,good afternoon to you Baron,i must say this is an exquisite garden".

(OOC: Fluid, you ought to write a book!!)

Lady Eolyn had not yet visited Portugal in her travels, and so when the invitation to this particular wedding arrived, she did not disregard it as she did most others. She did not know the groom directly, but was acquainted with a cousin of his.
After the ceremony, Eolyn made her way to the lovely garden, enjoying the myriad of colors and the pleasant smells. As she turned a corner, however, she saw a unique-looking man, whom she recognized as the famous Baron Munchausen, and could not resist striking up a conversation with him. A couple was talking to him as well, whom she did not know. She walked up to them and made a slight bow to each in turn.
"Failte, hello, Baron, I have heard much about you!" She turned to Catherine and Louie, "I am Eolyn O'Daly, from Ireland. I do not believe we have met?"

((OOC: Oh my goodness gracious Fluid! I shall never be able to keep up with the caliber you put out! Lol ))

Boris lifted another glass off the finely polished tray. In all honesty he wasn’t sure how he got to this wedding, and he wasn’t so sure the bride was really a long lost cousin, thrice times removed as he had been told. The only reason he came was the promise of free spirits, and high ones too. He walked among the crowd, eaves dropping on conversations as he did. He had a witty walk to him as he swayed ever so slightly. He was always listening for a good conversation to insert himself into.

((OOC: Sorry, not very creative or long, takes me a bit to get into a character.))

Miranda glided from the wedding ceremony into the gardens and grabbed the tallest decanter she could find. "Parties are so stifling," she thought to herself. The crowd was overwhelmingly large, Miranda wondered idly why she even bothered coming to the wedidng ceremony. As she sipped her brandy she recalled: the estate was only an easy day's ride from her duchy, it would have been rude not to go. And damn did the lord have some good brandy.

She strolled around, occasionally exchanging greetings with other local nobles, until she saw the infamous Baron Munchausen. Upon seeing the august personage, she navigated through the crowd to the baron himself and the small group of people exchanging courtesies with him. Confidentally she approached and inserted herself into the group.
((aproachable))

Miranda was rather bemused to discover that no one around the baron was talking, so she merely nursed her brandy. Glancing down she wondered if what she considered, "nursing" might be more akin to "chugging." She decided that it didnt matter given the lovely lights making everything blurry anyway,a nd was about to go top off ehr drink when a blond woman approached the group looking just as bored as Miranda was. Reluctantly Miranda decided to wait, to see if this woman was at all interesting.

When two other women approached the group, Eolyn turned to see if she recognized them. She didn't know the blonde, but she had heard of Miranda and her remarkable swordsmanship. Eolyn smiled at her.
"Duchess Cottington, failte, I am Eolyn O'Daly; it is wonderful to make your acquaintance! I have heard much about your skill with the sword. Perhaps we could match blades some time?"

Miranda was about to leave off to go look for some more of Lord Walter Kennicot's excellent brandy, when one of the people near Munchausen, a woman with brown hair, approached her and said, "Duchess Cottington, failte, I am Eolyn O'Daly; it is wonderful to make your acquaintance! I have heard much about your skill with the sword. Perhaps we could match blades some time?"

Miranda smiled faintly and answered, "I was unaware my reputation had so proceeded me. A pleasure to meet you Eolyn, I may call you Eolyn can't I, and of course I would be delighted to spar with you on some occasion. I guess from your accent that you are Irish? Lovely country."
With that, Miranda flagged down a passing waiter, who watched curiously as the slight duchess grabbed an almost overflowing pint of brandy.

"Certainly you may call me Eolyn, if I may call you Miranda? And indeed, I am Irish. I am quite partial to my home country, as most of my people are."
Eolyn watched as Miranda took yet another drink, and was reminded of her own thirst. She alleviated the waiter of a second glass and began to sip it lightly, eyeing the Duchess and her alcohol.
"If I may be so bold, I must say that you drink like an Irishman," she jested, grinning from ear to ear.

We're ready for the game to begin! This is the schedule for the storytellers:

1. Baron Munchausen (Fluid) Tuesday, November 13

2. Duchess Catherine Franstin-Margerit (pinkgirl4real) Saturday, November 17

3. Lord Boris Hogarth (Shenanigans) Wednesday, November 21

4. Lady Elizabeth Danning (GeeWayrocks) Sunday, November 25

5. Duchess Miranda Cottington (FurryPanda) Thursday, November 29

6. Lady Eolyn O'Daly (annachibi) Monday, December 3

These are the days upon which you will begin your story. If the pace moves along more quickly, players can start their stories early, but no player has to begin their story before their assigned date. Also, if those of you with assigned dates smack dab at Thanksgiving need some leeway, we can deal with that, too.

Remember the guidelines for playing:

1. On the first day, the player submits the first part of their story--8 to 30 lines long.
2. Once the first part has been posted, another player will propose an interruption to the story. Each player has one token--in other words, each player can make only one interruption!
3. The player incorporates the interruption into their narrative, and concludes their tale--another 8 to 30 lines. This also should be done in one day.
4. Once the story is concluded, there will be freeform roleplay (if desired) until the next player is scheduled to begin.

I, as the Baron, will begin; but, as the host of the game, my story won't be in the running for the most favorite story.

Your story should be told in the first person. Any text not directly part of your story--such as third person framing or introduction--does not contribute towards your max/min line count.

These rules seem straightforward to me, but please--if you have any questions, either ask them OOC here or PM me. I want everyone to have fun!

The Baron Munchausen was at his element at the grand luncheon. Truly, the preceeding nuptial ceremony produced such a soporific atomosphere that it was a wonder some of the more young and more elderly of the guests found any strength to keep themselves upright in their pews. The feast that followed more than made up for any suffering that came before.

As he walked from table to table, he found himself in the company of a small group of nobles--nothing unusual, for the Baron was by this point accustomed to the modicum of celebrity which followed him. He noted with some pleasure that several of his newfound companions were ladies--the Duke of Cornwall's wife, Catherine Franstin-Margerit, a woman with the authority of an auspiciously astrological birth to back up her headstrong behavior; Lady Eolyn O'Daly from Ireland, who pursued interesting and diverse hobbies; Lady Elizabeth Danning, with a reputation for cunning as sharp as her fine appearance; and Miranda, Duchess of Cottington, whose flair for swordsmanship overshadowed a suspicious wake of corpses. Along the way their company was joined by one Lord Boris Hogarth, a mischevious aristocrat with a tendency to create scandals, but always escape them.

Following the path of least resistance amidst the overcrowded lawns, the company found itself in the shade of a wide gazebo, fortified with several bottles of some of Lord Kennicot's finest tokay. The Baron, pouring a glass for each of his newfound friends, held up his own glass, sunlight filtering through the amber liquid and spreading golden shards across the faces of the company.

"A toast," he began, "to the wedding of Lord Walter Kennicot and the supremely estimable Vicondeza Beatriz Flávia Rosana Gabriela Violeta da Orquídea. May their love endure, their fortunes prosper, and--may I never be accused of self-interest--may their wine cellar never be empty!"

The company raised their glasses, adding their hearty salute to the Baron's. Savoring the fine liquid, he set his glass down before him. "This wine," he said, "is of such a remarkable and unique vintage, that it reminds me of another wine I once had. That was during my adventure to Neptune, when I claimed the entire planet for the British Empire and for our King."

"I have never heard that tale before, my dear Baron!" exclaimed Lady O'Daly.

The Baron rose and bowed in the direction of Lady O'Daly. "In that case, my dear Lady, I shall relate the story to you, and to our newfound company of friends. Unless, of course, there are any objections...? No? In that case, I shall begin...."