The VR Legacy Continues
- Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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Here's a bit of editorial guidance on gender-specific pronouns, and how to use them when writing about doppelgangers:
1) If a doppelganger is in its natural form, or has assumed an identity other than its imago (= its favorite stolen identity, like Bloodsworth for Roja), or if the DM simply hasn't bothered to make up an imago for it, it's referred to as an "it" in OOC text.
2) If a doppelganger is operating wholly under the direction of its Clay (= its "inhuman monster" personality), it's an "it" OOC as well, regardless of its guise. This also applies in-character, during social interactions among doppelgangers that take place away from human witnesses (i.e. they call each other "it" in private).
3) If a doppelganger is in its imago form, and its imago personality is in the forefront, it's a "he" or "she", be it in-character or otherwise. Role-assumption in the case of an imago runs that deep.
4) Crazy doppelgangers who lose track of what they really are take on the appropriate gender, for purposes of all pronouns. Fellow dopps will still refer to the insane one as "it", rather than humor its delusion.
5) Juvenile doppelgangers are always "he" or "she" until their Wakening, when their true nature asserts itself. Their "child-face" identity retains a gender until they abandon their juvenile guise entirely, so a young dopp who tries to continue in its old life is called "he" or "she" while it's playing that role.
6) Doppelgangers who've permanently lost the ability to change shape eventually take on the gender of the form they're stuck in. This isn't immediate, however; dopps who haven't yet resigned themselves to their "crippled" status (like the PoM's prisoners from SotK) are still "it".
7) In-character "flavor text" in which a doppelganger is present, but has not yet been exposed as a dopp, should use "he" or "she" until such time as its true nature is discovered by the non-doppelgangers around it. No need to give away a nasty surprise too soon, after all.
8 ) Non-doppelgangers should always refer to doppelgangers as "it", or as he/she in quotation marks (e.g. "It was then that I realized 'she' was a monster, and 'her' feelings for me, naught but a cruel lie...."), once they know the truth. This is how the human mind subconsciously distances itself from the alien, particularly if the human in question feels betrayed by the dopps' deceptions.
9) Sodo is always a "he", no matter what form he assumes. Sodo's personality (gender included) is about the only thing the Paridon darklord has to cling to for stability in his life, so he always thinks of himself as a male, and compels his underlings to refer to him that way as well.
---
If anyone has questions about these guidelines, or if any of them need clarification, please post your queries here where others can see them.
(Heh. For once, a "pronoun/gender question" came up about a game-book, that wasn't about being 'politically correct'! Who woulda thunk it? )
1) If a doppelganger is in its natural form, or has assumed an identity other than its imago (= its favorite stolen identity, like Bloodsworth for Roja), or if the DM simply hasn't bothered to make up an imago for it, it's referred to as an "it" in OOC text.
2) If a doppelganger is operating wholly under the direction of its Clay (= its "inhuman monster" personality), it's an "it" OOC as well, regardless of its guise. This also applies in-character, during social interactions among doppelgangers that take place away from human witnesses (i.e. they call each other "it" in private).
3) If a doppelganger is in its imago form, and its imago personality is in the forefront, it's a "he" or "she", be it in-character or otherwise. Role-assumption in the case of an imago runs that deep.
4) Crazy doppelgangers who lose track of what they really are take on the appropriate gender, for purposes of all pronouns. Fellow dopps will still refer to the insane one as "it", rather than humor its delusion.
5) Juvenile doppelgangers are always "he" or "she" until their Wakening, when their true nature asserts itself. Their "child-face" identity retains a gender until they abandon their juvenile guise entirely, so a young dopp who tries to continue in its old life is called "he" or "she" while it's playing that role.
6) Doppelgangers who've permanently lost the ability to change shape eventually take on the gender of the form they're stuck in. This isn't immediate, however; dopps who haven't yet resigned themselves to their "crippled" status (like the PoM's prisoners from SotK) are still "it".
7) In-character "flavor text" in which a doppelganger is present, but has not yet been exposed as a dopp, should use "he" or "she" until such time as its true nature is discovered by the non-doppelgangers around it. No need to give away a nasty surprise too soon, after all.
8 ) Non-doppelgangers should always refer to doppelgangers as "it", or as he/she in quotation marks (e.g. "It was then that I realized 'she' was a monster, and 'her' feelings for me, naught but a cruel lie...."), once they know the truth. This is how the human mind subconsciously distances itself from the alien, particularly if the human in question feels betrayed by the dopps' deceptions.
9) Sodo is always a "he", no matter what form he assumes. Sodo's personality (gender included) is about the only thing the Paridon darklord has to cling to for stability in his life, so he always thinks of himself as a male, and compels his underlings to refer to him that way as well.
---
If anyone has questions about these guidelines, or if any of them need clarification, please post your queries here where others can see them.
(Heh. For once, a "pronoun/gender question" came up about a game-book, that wasn't about being 'politically correct'! Who woulda thunk it? )
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
- Undead Cabbage
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Thank you Roti, this really clears things up.
As for my end of the writing, it's coming slowly but surely.
As for my end of the writing, it's coming slowly but surely.
You mean aside from him impulsive, ambitious, and arrogant manner?9) Sodo is always a "he", no matter what form he assumes. Sodo's personality (gender included) is about the only thing the Paridon darklord has to cling to for stability in his life, so he always thinks of himself as a male, and compels his underlings to refer to him that way as well.
- Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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Well, yeah, those are also aspects of his (lack of) personality that Sodo holds to with a fair degree of consistency.Undead Cabbage wrote:You mean aside from him impulsive, ambitious, and arrogant manner?
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
- Nathan of the FoS
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- NeoTiamat
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I've been doing nitpicky little edits for a while now, and am essentially ready. Rotipher wanted to do some final ideas, but my part is finished.
Ravenloft GM: Eye of Anubis, Shattered City, and Prof. Lupescu's Traveling Ghost Show
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
- Undead Cabbage
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- CorvusCornix
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- Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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Sorry about the lack of progress-reports on my end, guys -- the start of a new semester's teaching caught up with me faster than expected , plus I'm in the process of filing my first ever promotion-application with my college -- but rest assured, I am working on the VRF:D as often as possible. I'll try to get back to each and every one of you over the next few days, to let you know what needs revising or could be elaborated upon.
FWIW, I had hoped to finish the draft of my Graben Island submission for the NS Gaz over the holidays, but personal matters came up that delayed that a bit, so I had to juggle more projects than anticipated in January. Still, I'm really close to finished with that, and will be able to focus exclusively on the Doppelganger book very soon.
The January deadline was meant for people's first drafts really, so I could see how well the sections fit together and where more information might be needed. Nathan's work since the 14th has been revising and expanding on his ideas: an option which is still open to anyone who's thought of additional material since then. Unless any of you are too busy and would prefer to leave it up to me, I'm sure I'll have things to send back to each of you for clarification and so forth.
I deeply appreciate your efforts, patience, and understanding, guys. Rest assured, this project will not be left in limbo.
FWIW, I had hoped to finish the draft of my Graben Island submission for the NS Gaz over the holidays, but personal matters came up that delayed that a bit, so I had to juggle more projects than anticipated in January. Still, I'm really close to finished with that, and will be able to focus exclusively on the Doppelganger book very soon.
The January deadline was meant for people's first drafts really, so I could see how well the sections fit together and where more information might be needed. Nathan's work since the 14th has been revising and expanding on his ideas: an option which is still open to anyone who's thought of additional material since then. Unless any of you are too busy and would prefer to leave it up to me, I'm sure I'll have things to send back to each of you for clarification and so forth.
I deeply appreciate your efforts, patience, and understanding, guys. Rest assured, this project will not be left in limbo.
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
- NeoTiamat
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Would it be out of place to ask for a progress report?
If you need some small section written or what not to finish up, I'd be glad to help.
If you need some small section written or what not to finish up, I'd be glad to help.
Ravenloft GM: Eye of Anubis, Shattered City, and Prof. Lupescu's Traveling Ghost Show
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
- Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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I may just take you up on that, NeoT. Spring Break is next week, so I'll be able to get some work done then; I'll see what I can pass on to you for revision, if you're interested. Thanks!
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
- NeoTiamat
- Evil Genius
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Spring Break already? Bah... I have to wait for two more weeks.
Still, send it over. Edits, re-writes, write-ups, whatever, I'm around.
Still, send it over. Edits, re-writes, write-ups, whatever, I'm around.
Ravenloft GM: Eye of Anubis, Shattered City, and Prof. Lupescu's Traveling Ghost Show
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
- Nathan of the FoS
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