Notable Dates

• Applications: Open indefinitely
  
• Leadership Applications: Due May 31
  
• Test Drive Meme: Previously! Tracking the post for new top-level comments strongly encouraged.
  
• CR Meme: Someday, maybe

Remember to put all plots and events on the 9:47 Calendar! Once your plot request is approved this should be your next stop. Please help us keep this up to date.

New Rewards

We're going to get around to refreshing the AC Rewards list at some point soon, but first we have a bigger change: we're expanding our IC rewards system to include Riftwatch Improvements. These rewards are improvements to the fortress, supplies, etc., that will become available to the entire organization when the reward is purchased. These improvements will become feasible as a result of Riftwatch's reputation and access to resources improving through its work.

The main currency used to buy these rewards is plot reports. When you post a report, whether from a war table mission, mod plot, or player plot, you can also submit it to count toward a particular Improvement goal. Some Improvements will also have unique requirements, such as reports for plots based in particular locations or incorporating particular topics, to help explain how Riftwatch is coming by the connections and resources that will make these Improvements possible, and which we hope may provide inspiration to explore other parts of the world. And for those of you sitting on piles of AC points you don't know what to do with, we will also be accepting points toward Riftwatch Improvements, at a rate of 100 points = 1 plot report. Yes, that is a lot. Some of you are point dragons.

Once enough plot reports (or bundles of 100 AC points) have been submitted for a given goal, the Improvement will be announced and implemented.

The preliminary list of Riftwatch Improvements is now available here on the AC Rewards page, and we'll begin accepting plots and points toward goals immediately. Plot points are retroactive to the beginning of the year. If you've posted a report for a plot run in 2021, you can put it toward an Improvement. For the sake of sanity, we're not going back earlier than that.

Leadership Requirements

We're now starting the second quarter of 2021 for leadership requirements, which will run May/June/July. If you play a Division Head, Project Leader, or other IC leadership role please make sure to complete the appropriate requirements, and ideally start planning to do so as soon as possible so that things don't get jammed up at the end of the month.


April Early May: Orzammar
The Orzammar mod plot is a little later than we'd hoped, but will be posted this week. In addition to the usual open log post with some prompts focused on exploring the setting and its current atmosphere, we also have a few opportunities for more focused plot engagement.

Closed Plots: First, we have sign-ups for a handful of plots focused on tugging various dangling plot threads. Blurbs describing each of them are below, and sign ups can be submitted here. Please make sure to get your sign-ups in by end of day (EST) on Tuesday, May 4.

• An Offer They Can Refuse: This team will be tasked with forging connections with Carta contacts and securing their information and assistance with some Riftwatch business both here in Orzammar and in hopes of building a working relationship going forward. Despite it being, you know, the Carta, this will emphasize negotiation and diplomacy more than combat/spying.
  
  
• Better Dead Than Red: This team will be assigned to work with a team of dwarven scholars and scientists to investigate the extent of the red lyrium infiltration into the lyrium mines and assist them in installing a series of cleansing runes to try to prevent its spread. Nerdy researchers and people capable of fending off the usual Deep Roads hazards will both be useful.
  
  
• Precious Cargo: This team will be given the opportunity to learn more about working with golems in combat, and in the process will find themselves in a position to make a big decision. The team will need nerds, but especially nerds who know and care about military tactics and can weigh the pros and cons of a particular fighting force.
  
  
• The Fall of the House of Dace: This team will be investigating House Dace, whose symbol was on the dwarven chest found in the Temple of Dumat, to try to identify any potential ties to the Venatori and learn what connection dwarves have to the Gates. A mixture of glad-handing and subterfuge will probably be useful.

Chosen Speakers: Second, we're trying something new this modplot. Riftwatch has been invited to speak at the Assembly and answer questions regarding red lyrium and Corypheus's connection to darkspawn. Obviously the entire organization can't appear and each say their piece. So we're going to allow the Diplomacy and Research division heads to ICly choose who will represent Riftwatch to the Assembly. They can each choose three people (and are allowed to choose themselves, if that'd be IC). These will be purely IC decisions, so there are no sign ups. Characters may be ordered to participate and will need to work out whether to accept or how to get out of it ICly, but OOCly, you're welcome to make up a reason for your character to be unavailable if you'd prefer.

Players of characters who are tapped to speak won't need to prepare speeches or anything like that—the actual appearance at the Assembly isn't going to be played out. But we may ask players to provide us with some info on the general gist of their character's statement and how they'd respond to a few scenarios, so we can incorporate that into the outcome of the votes on Bhelen's proposals for flavor purposes. We may provide a bit more info about their interactions with the locals to complicate things and add some color to RP.

We're trying this out as a way to be a little more realistic about the control DHs would have over subordinates' involvement—for better or for worse, with personal biases and grudges or without them—as a way to allow for conflict/CR growth opportunities and let them have a bit more control over the character and direction of their division's work. But our primary mod plots will always be randomly selected so everyone has an equal chance to participate, no matter who they've pissed off, so don't worry about this becoming the standard for everything.

Random Roommates: Finally, characters who go to Orzammar will be put up in shared quarters, so we're going to randomize room assignments for anybody who wants them. (Division Heads and Project Leaders excepted, as they'll be housed separately.) Sign-ups for that are below as well.

Late May/Early June: Surprise

We're still intending to run back-to-back mod plots, but since this one is running a little late, it's possible that we may shift the next one back slightly also into early June, particularly given that we're both traveling during the Memorial Day holiday at the end of the month. This is just a heads up about that for scheduling purposes.

This next installment of the mod plot will remain a secret until it's posted because it isn't something characters will have any IC warning about. As we said previously, while Orzammar is focused on digging deeper into some of the weird magic and mysteries Riftwatch has been encountering along with the dwarven politics of the Assembly, the next mod plot will focus more on the armed conflict side of things. So if the Orzammar mod plot appears a bit heavy on research and diplomacy vibes, with very little punching and sneaking involved, know that balance will be restored with the next plot.

IC Leader Updates

No new appointments this month, but there are still a number of other leadership roles currently available. If you're interested, you can apply here. Applications are evaluated at the end of each month.