: I just have a few questions that mostly stem from not participating in WWS 1, but also from ADHD, which makes me feel that I may have missed some things. These are not vital to the plot, just background information.

Where in the Subetaverse is Squirrely's? Is it here on Subeta, or another world. I know that it is on this side of the Nexus, but that's all. I know that Lucien takes Protectors from Squirrely's to The Wayward Squirrel, I just need to build this world again in my mind.

Where is the Wayward Squirrel now, is it still above the Gearworks Goose on the Borderlands? I thought I read that it was somehow stabilized now, does that mean it is now grounded, like on a foundation? I was under the impression that the Wayward Squirrel was somehow moved to Chrystania in close proximity to the Goose.

Where, in relation to the Gooses it Ellak City? Is it on the same world? I understand that we don't have to worry about transportation to the city, Lucien will help out with that one, I just want to visualize the distance or terrain, what type of journey it might be.

Forgive me it you have already answered this, I'm just trying to get things sorted in my wee little mind.

Due to Frieda's question above, I'm going to try to explain the world of the Wayward Squirrel once more. Perhaps this year, I can do as better job of clarifying, since this seems to be something folks have a hard time envisioning.

First of all, about the "Subetaverse." All the Wayward Squirrel adventures take place only in the Subeta that we, as players, share and create player-run events within. WS has never been, nor has it ever pretended to be any form of official part of Subeta. The lands of Subeta appear in the Subetapedia, of which WS has NO part. It is simply a player-run event, nothing more!

Now, as to Squirrely McGee's Offtime Saloon (Squirrely's). This place was created to allow players to meet and chat when the event is not running. It is on a floating asteroid somewhere in a space nexus in a quite nebulous location, and is reached by desires of the heart or air/shuttle travel. It is nowhere near the Wayward Squirrel, but its distance in light years is still to be measured correctly.

The Wayward Squirrel was only floating above the Borderlands (considerably south of the central crossroads) for WS3. It has stabilized and returned to the crossroads, where it materializes into solidity once a year, like a more punctual and consistent Brigadoon. The crossroads are exactly that. All roads converge there. However, the joining of those lands is also linked by time.

Since Crystania is "out of time-sync" with the traditional lands of classic RPG fantasy, it was unknown to the Wayward Squirrel staff, until the villain of WS2 managed to reach the inn though the Clockwork Tunnel. Thorson and Hayao have managed to create a bell operated route across realities through that tunnel, and it was enhanced by magic to hold firm.

Crystania is its own land, in its own world, one that has many kingdoms. In the desert lands on the eastern borders of that world, lies Ellak city, and it's a loooong way from Crystania, although it is on the same worldscape. Since the Far East lands are also hidden by design, Sinhae and the lands around it cannot be reached by normal means, but rely on created portals.

The central issue in all of this is that, unlike such constructs as Pern, Discworld, or even Panem, the world of WS is shaped by the events and the players. The events are not shaped by the world, which would happen in a "novel" type work of fiction.

For example, the Clockwork Tunnel that appeared in the classic high fantasy WS1 sparked player desires and led to requests for Steampunk. Thus, Crystania was born for WS2, and the world reflected a steampunk city with all the trappings. Then, players had a dual discussion about a Firefly world, while others wanted more faerie. So, WS3 became a fusion of a Sidhe War on the borders of Urban Fantasy and lands of Faerie.

From the creation of him in WS2, Tanaka has been the swoon worthy hero. There was just no stopping him, and players have written fan smails and submitted plot turns, all wanting to know more about this man of mystery. So, here we are in Ellak City, searching for a portal into Sinhae.

I think building on the input of players is one of the strongest components of the enduring popularity of WS. It's important to participants to see that they help build the next adventure. So I am tasked with making "worlds collide" and pieces fit into a patchwork landscape that's fun for all.

It's my pleasure to do this. Each adventure continues, and is also stand-alone. We live in the moments and wherever they take us. :D

Hope this helps!!

I love getting to add to a story. ^.^ And you handle our input so well...that is, the good input. The nasty input goes out the window and good riddance. But who'd ever be truly unkind?

Thanks much; this has helped immensely.

: Thanks for clarifying, I really appreciate your exposition.

This helped me a lot, thank you very very much! :D

I love that players have helped shape so much of the worlds that we enter and interact with. This is so much fun and super amazing!!!

The explanation helped a lot, thanks!

Since the judges felt a lot of you are struggling with "period" as well as location for WS4, they felt, as do I, that we should give you some help in that regard.

While WS has never been ancient, it has never been 21st Century Modern either. It sort of floats, back and forth in time where there is a lot of fusion of periods that otherwise wouldn't exist together, much as Atebus and Shengui Guo exist alongside Centropolis, Delphi, and Peka Park. This sort of fusion makes for all sorts of fantasy adventures, but, when the venue is outside areas of familiarity, it gets harder to pin down.

This leads to such things as mixing Renaissance, which would be great if we head into Falkor, with Eastern looks, or filings an appeal with examples of extremely modern "Asian inspired" fashions where details and accessories are thrown to the winds. This style isn't going to work in Sinhae, which has its own set of challenges.

Below in a spoiler is a series of links, which, if you are the curious purist type, make for good watching. We tried to keep them short and entertaining. The last three are particularly valuable for differences in style for those "lost in Sinhae." You may get some helpful things you can use from them, but they are strictly optional! (You can always keep writing protests and appeals. :D)

If you take time to watch, please enjoy and here's hoping your HAs will all be worth maximum points!

Thank you very much for the clarifications! 👍 (The Korean version of Scarlet Heart really caught me! u)

You and me both! I've seen the Chinese one, and lots of folks love it, but I always felt bit detached from it. I'm really looking forward to seeing this new version.

Yaaay! :D Oh, I've never seen the Chinese version o: I'm looking forward to seeing the Korean one, too! high fives ✋

Those people dress funny....not enough goggles, brass or copper or top hats or steam powered weapons.

( yes, little weasel-girls can be trolls )

( giggle )

Mmh, I sadly can´t view most of them, the movies are not approved here in Germany. I am still thinking Myra with her Bingsu Buns, chopsticks, modern (Korean) Hanbok and back bow isn´s looking like in a Viennese ballroom. No, she wouldn´t wear that there, she has taste...... :-) She would wear a gala ball gown for such a jamboree, with artful coiffured hair and bling-bling all over, LOL

She probably would, but I am hazarding a guess that the judges eyes were drawn, as mine were, directly to the belt, which took it into a crossover look. Also, I can't see a Hanbok in there anywhere, and I think the comment was that it would be equally at home in both places.

Oh? The belt is bound to the dress which is a modern style of (Korean) hanbok (even when called tassel) yet I think that depends on standards. :-) Not all hanboks have this v-neck and plain belts. I looked up more modern styles in the net yet perhaps, they were all wrong and more some kind of fantasy.

However, I didn´t want to complain about judging, I only couldn´t see her with this outfit in a VIENNA ballroom and Myra also wouldn´t take her flute with her which was a detail of disguising her being a Danhak. :-) Since this new and interesting land wasn´t laid out in detail before our eyes, I assume everyone has different ideas concerning clothing.

I am so so happy, I really love the event and the weeks before were all of pleasant anticipation. I hope you´ll do it for many years and I can´t thank you enough for all your creativity and work and patience with so many people playing. ^-^ I wouldn´t mind writing along all year! <3

I'm familiar with modern hanboks, and I think they're beautiful. And a lot are crossovers.

As to the rest, gosh, I'm just out of things to say, except I don't think even a full 400 page book of details on everything would be enough to satisfy everyone.

Thanks for your final paragraph. :)

Then I definitely went for a crossover one, LOL. Ah, Myra isn´t worried, she is more into herbs than clothes, LOL

And nooooo! It´s wonderful that it isn´t described fully and there is room for fantasy! It´s like a fairy tale, a story told before sleeping, and if you tell it to different people, their thoughts during falling asleep would certainly differ. <3

After I posted the last costumes, I got an smail saying how helpful it would have been if we'd known that before time! Okay, can do! Down the road, like in the next chapter, there will be a need for the perfect Sinhae Warang costume, as well as various other "good for battle" looks.

It's not easy to get a good Sinhaen armor look from standard stuff, so I see pieces and layering in your futures. The nice thing about creating some of these looks is that, if things go as they seem to be trending at this point, you will be able to merge a lot of them into Crystanian, Falkorian, and Sidhe looks for WS5. (Right now, it's heading for an amazing "big fusion" adventure, at least from your input and the ideas I already had.)

So here are some links, both realistic and fantastic, which might give you some ideas. The first three are realistic, so only watch if you're interested in that sort of stuff. The last two--well, I'd watch those. They're too much fantasy fun to miss!

The "Reals":

9 BC--Great for layered plating, "barbarian" costumes, and early Turkish tribe influences. (Koguyo was the largest of kingdoms in the Three Kingdom period, which would evolve into Goryeo. The Xianbei were Mongolian, and had conquered a lot of open territory. the Yuri king of Koguyo was helped in a decisive battle by Turkish tribe allies, different metal style with more fur trims. The Senbei tribe of the Xianbei were mostly in leathers of varying types, also with fur.

Hey, didn't the Romans use these formations, too?

392-395 AD--Yep they're still at it, this time fighting the Khitan to rescue 10,000 hostages of Koguryeo. The style of armor has markedly evolved, and mounts are armored as well. As always, the peasants are getting the worst of it.

Dead Peasants Can't Talk

PS The Chinese and the Koreans are still arguing about whether Korguryeo was part of China, or part of the early Goryeo empire. Makes for lively debates, 'cause empires are like that. :D

This last is a naval battle, first of three that decimated Japanese forces, and devastated Korea, all proving Hideyoshi was not a nice guy. Great for costumes pieces both sides, and a very different look, since were in 1592.

Invasions only work if you win!

The Fantasy Looks:

Okay, and now the fun stuff from an upcoming Chinese production called Ice Fantasy. Really good for female looks not converted from male styles. Have fun with these, and get good ideas!

Everybody's doing the fire & ice thing

Okay, how many die in this one?

There should be things for every class in these last ones. Get some ideas, and take what you need, or don't watch. ;)

Ooh, excellent stuff here. Also pointy-eared and tilty-eyed, my gosh. They make better elves than Legolas from the movies!

So very true and it's wonderful that we each get to have our very own lovely world pictured in our mind's eye. :)