Grand Battle Introduction/FAQ/Planning Thread

[Pinary]

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• None.

Welcome to the planning thread for the Grand Battles!

This thread will be used as a general notice board for inter-battle scheming, subplots, metaplots, whatever.

Previously, all planning was done on IRC, and it was difficult to get ahold of people. Here, all the information anyone would need will be out in the open.

This thread will serve more as a notice board than a discussion board, primarily to reduce clutter. Post in this thread to give me updates on anything that has happened between battles, which other authors may want to know about, or if your Grandmaster has done something inter-battle-related. If you want to get into some in-depth scheming, please join us in #grandbattle.

Please note, to assist me in keeping this post up-to-date, if you want an update added, please provide links to the relevant posts. It'll make things a lot easier on me. Thanks!

This thread will also serve as a place for the writers of various Grandmasters to post any Grandmaster scheming they were otherwise unable to fit into their round transitions. However, the last thing any of us want is for this thread to turn into a Grandmaster Roleplay thread, so I'll be letting you all use your judgement as to what is appropriate and what is not, just as I will. I will add each Grandmaster scheming post to the list at the bottom of this thread, and link to the individual posts as usual.

Firstly, some general FAQ:

1. What is a Grand Battle?
   
   A Grand Battle is "an elimination style fight to the death with words". Eight characters are entered, and each round one character is eliminated until there is only one left. Characters are eliminated based on their author's writing skill. Often, characters will be eliminated due to inactivity.
2. How do I join a Grand Battle?
   
   Look for an open Grand Battle thread (they are easily identifiable by their names, and you can find a list of them in this post), write up a character sheet based on what the thread's creator has specified, and post it. Your character will be reviewed and, if there are spots available/your character violates no rules, it will be accepted.
3. I want to host my own Battle.
   
   Great! Thing is, the Grand Battles are fairly organized at the moment. New hosting spots open up when a new season begins, and you should make certain to speak with Dragon Fogel first, or refer to Fogel's post below this one. Unsanctioned battles will be declared "non-canon".
4. I want to know more!
   
   That's cool! We've got more! Head on over to the Wiki to spend hours poring over everything that's ever happened in any Grand Battle, canon or non-canon, or lose yourself forever in the TV Tropes page. There's also Pinary's Stats Page, which has up-to-date stats for all the Grand Battles.

LIST OF GRAND BATTLES

IF A GRAND BATTLE IS INCLUDED IN THIS LIST, IT IS CANON.

Currently Open Battles:

• None, currently

Currently Running Battles:

Season One:

• 102. The Grand Battle II [GB2] (Final Round)
• 105. Intense Struggle [IS] (Round 5)
• 106. The Battle Majestic [BM] (Round 3)
• 108. The Savage Brawl [SB] (Round 4)

Season Two:

• 201. The Grand Battle Season Two [GBS2] (Round 4)
• 202. Inexorable Altercation [IA] (Round 3)
• 203. The Battle Royale S2 [BRS2] (Round 3)
• 204. The Gradual Massacre [GM] (Round 4)
• 205. Intense Struggle Season 2 [ISS2] (Round 3)
• 206. The Phenomenal Fracas [PF] (Round 3)
• 207. The Fatal Conflict [FC] (Round 2)
• 208. The Great Belligerency [GBe] (Round 3)

Season Three:

• 301. The Grand Battle Season Three [GBS3] (Round 2)
• 302. The Spectacular Exhibition [SE] (Round 1)
• 303. The Relentless Slaughter [RS] (Round 1)
• 304. The Petty Squabble [PS] (Round 1)
• 305. The Glorious Championship [GC] (Round 2)
• 306. The Vivacious Deadlock [VD] (Round 1)
• 307. The Wretched Rite [WR] (Round 1)

[*]308. The Fearsome Encounter [FE] (Round 1)[/list]

Completed Battles:

• 101. The Grand Battle [GB]
• 103. The Battle Royale [BR]
• 104. Pitched Combat [PC]
• 107. Epic Clash [EC]

CURRENT METAPLOTS

ALL METAPLOTS EXCEPT ALL-STARS ARE OPTIONAL. IF YOU WIN A BATTLE YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED INTO ALL-STARS. EVERYTHING ELSE IS ENTIRELY OPTIONAL.

All-Stars
Grand Battles are organized into Seasons, with eight Battles per Season. The winners from each Battle will be sponsored by their Battle's Grandmaster in an All-Stars Battle, which signals the end of that season. Each season will produce one final winner. Seasons One, Two and Three currently underway. Five more Seasons are tentatively planned, and there is a possibility of an All-Stars All-Stars, where the winners from each Season's All-Stars Battle compete in one final game.

• Current Participants:
  • Season One
    
    • Eximo Pulvis [GB]
    • Whit O'Donal [BR]
    • Eemp, Right, and Rong [PC]
    • Thomas Packston [EC]
  • Season Two
    • None.

The Network
A loosely organized system of various Grand Battle contestents which have, through various means, discovered a way to contact each other. Ostensibly, its purpose is to overthrow the Grandmasters.

• Current Participants:
  • Hand Of Silver [SB] - The organizer of The Network, is using its members to achieve his own goals. Has so far been working behind the scenes, with the help of his sister.
    
  • "Amy" [GBe] - Hoss's sister, and the only other member that knows the Network's true purpose. Also prefers to work behind the scenes.
    
  • Vandrel Reinhardt [GBe] - The public face of the Network. Has sent out a message into the Multiverse, with "Amy"'s help, to search for other contacts. Has heard all replies listed below, and sent out another message. Included in the message (however you want it to be delivered) are plans which will allow characters to "boost the signal" of their multiversal communication methods. Essentially, they will hear messages more clearly, and possibly be able to receive and transmit messages to and from other characters in the Network.
    
  • Xadrez (through the Ovoid) [GBS2] - has heard Reinhardt's full message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Riko [PF] - has heard a portion of Reinhardt's message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard. Received Vandrel Reinhardt's second message, and sent a reply back.
    
  • Syvex [PF] - has heard a portion of Reinhardt's message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Magog (formerly Vexmagog) [BM] - has heard Reinhardt's full message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Will Haven [IA] - has been unknowingly affected by Reinhardt's message, but has not received it.
    
  • The Controller [GM] - has communicated directly with "Amy", posing as "Sir Arnold Scarlet", before Reinhardt's message was sent. Communicated with "Amy" again, still posing as "Sir Arnold Scarlet", to inform her of the multiversal interference surrounding the battles.
    
  • Scott Williams [FC] - received a snippet of Reinhardt's message but was too distracted to realize it wasn't just interference.
    
  • OTTO and O'rlyath [IA] - received Reinhardt's full message but have not replied.
    
  • Reudic Otsaceae [ISS2] - has heard Reinhardt's full message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Karen [ISS2] - has heard Reinhardt's full message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Jeremy Brackett [BRS2] - has heard a portion of Reinhardt's message, but has not replied.
    
  • Thomas Packston [EC] - has heard Reinhardt's full message, and has sent a reply back, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Titan, Pick Yer Poison's S3 character, has sent a preemptive reply, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Blank, Aryogaton's S3 character, has sent a preemptive reply, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Nalyg, Razaran, and Kanpeki, Anomaly's S3 character, has sent a preemptive reply, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Brian Perator, Plumfinder's S3 character, has sent a preemptive reply, which Vandrel Reinhardt has heard.
    
  • Red [SE] - has heard a portion of Reinhardt's second message, and has sent a reply back.
    
  • Balance [GBe] - is blackmailing Riko into breaking the Network down from the inside.
    
  • Simphonia [FC] - has heard a portion of Reinhardt's second message, and has sent a reply back.
    
    
• Characters whose authors have expressed interest in joining:
  • Geoff Wilson [BRS2] - Possibly through Jeremy Brackett [BRS2]
• Current Plans:
  • I (slipsicle) have made my GBe post, in which Reinhardt's and "Amy" hear your characters' replies. Reinhardt sends out another message, and "Amy" includes plans for your characters to boost their multiversal signals. How they go about it is up to you.
  • A period of acclimatization will follow, while Hand Of Silver works to discover a better method for communicating across the multiverse, an event which I am still a few posts away from (read: a few to several months). Until then, characters are free to send and receive messages to and from other characters, receive Reinhardt's second message, or generally prepare in whatever way you feel most appropriate.
  • Of note: To clear up some confusion, the additional information provided in Reinhardt's second message will allow your characters to send messages which may be received by other characters. Essentially, it is similar to multiversal "messages in a bottle"; you don't know who will get the message, or when, but you know someone will get it eventually. And maybe they'll find a way to reply.

The Grandmasters
A group of god-like beings, and the organizers of the Grand Battles. They are territorial, and prone to bickering, backstabbing, and general schemery.

• The Monitor warned The Director about a possible danger from a contestant in The Director's Battle, the original Grand Battle.
• The Overseer gave The Composer a suggestion for Round Six of her battle, The Battle Royale.
• The Executor helped The Cultivator set up her Battle, The Savage Brawl.
• The Composer prompted The Observer into beginning Season 2, and into creating The Grand Battle Season 2.
• The Composer took control of The Eccentric's Battle - formerly the Delicious Engagement, now the Battle Royale Season 2.
• The Controller and The Monitor discussed a possible entrant for a future Battle, and reviewed planned arenas for one of The Monitor's two Battles.
• The Wordsmith sent The Controller a note, seeming to warn that a pursuer was closing in.
• The Wordsmith narrated The Monitor's launching of Intense Struggle Season 2.
• The Organizer invited The Composer and Talis for a discussion on "Collusion, scheming, and general conniving of all natures."
• The Prestidigitator convinced The Redeemer to run The Fatal Conflict before he could rewrite the 'Rules of Death'.
• The Composer requested the assistence of The Prestidigitator in dealing with The Eccentric, and is now in his debt.
• The Monitor provided the setting for Round 4 of The Cultivator's Battle.
• The Composer is currently dealing with The Eccentric's repeated attempts to regain control of his Battle.
• The Composer and Talis discussed the worthiness of certain Grandmasters.
• The Organizer and The Composer discussed the end of Pitched Combat, The Observer, and other Grandmasters in general.

Miscellaneous Inter-Battle Metaplots

• The Overseer briefly appeared to Vexmagog in Round Three of The Battle Majestic.
• Two mysterious strangers, one with no name and the other named Minotaurus, have influenced events in the The Great Belligerency and The Fatal Conflict.

[Pinary]

Reserved, just in case.

[Dragon Fogel]

I am going to note that I have one slot available for Season 3 hosting at the moment. If there are a lot of requests to host battles, I may start doubling up hosts.

The current schedule for Season 3 battles is as follows:
-1. Dragon Fogel
-2. cyber95
-3. Anomaly
-4. Not The Author
-5. MrGuy
-6. engineclock
-7. bobthepen
-8. Pinary

Ixcalibur had a reserved slot, but then he disappeared.

I am open to allowing co-hosts if there's a lot of interest in running battles this season. So feel free to contact me if you're interested in hosting despite the full roster; I'll see what I can do.

If there are any changes to the schedule, I will edit this post.

In addition, a note for players this coming season:

There is a limit of three battles per player in Season 3. So keep that in mind as you're signing up!

[bobthepen]

Man DF. Slap me in that spot.

[Wojjan]

I am totally for bob hosting a battle!

WOOOO BOB EVERYONE LOVES YOU

[Gentleman of Dread]

Oh wow, an Index Thread for Grand Battles.

Also Love Bob!

[Baphomet]

So if someone wanted to post an interaction between two grandmasters that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with either of the battles that they are hosting (but perhaps has consequences for all-stars), would that go here?

[Dragon Fogel]

Man DF. Slap me in that spot.

Done.

And hello, Gentleman of Dread. Didn't realize you'd signed up here.

[Gentleman of Dread]

Yeah, I decided to expand places where I can write and this is a pretty awesome place to do so ^^

[Wojjan]

Maybe a little mention on #grandbattle on esper would fit in there?

[Dragon Fogel]

Oh, hey. It occurs to me that there's something I haven't brought up regarding the next season, so I may as well mention it here.

Each player may enter at most three battles in Season 3.

[Valter]

Could I be sent a PM when the sign-ups start opening? I try to look in this forum whenever I can, but I'm not actively participating in anything here right now, so it's pretty easy to forget.

[Lankie]

Nice to know season three is relatively close, been itching to get my grand battle on ever since Maxwell's death. This time I'm legitimately planning a character instead of bringing the first thing that comes to mind holy ship!

Also for Grand Master MetaPlottery:

The Prestidigitator convinced The Redeemer to run The Fatal Conflict before he could rewrite the 'Rules of Death'.

[slipsicle]

Also for Grand Master MetaPlottery:

The Prestidigitator convinced The Redeemer to run The Fatal Conflict before he could rewrite the 'Rules of Death'.

Added.

Oh, hey. It occurs to me that there's something I haven't brought up regarding the next season, so I may as well mention it here.

Each player may enter at most three battles in Season 3.

I think you should edit this into your first post, the one just below mine. I added a link to that post in the FAQ, so whenever new info on each Season comes up, you can just put it in that post for people to see.

Maybe a little mention on #grandbattle on esper would fit in there?

There's a link that takes you straight to #grandbattle already in there.

So if someone wanted to post an interaction between two grandmasters that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with either of the battles that they are hosting (but perhaps has consequences for all-stars), would that go here?

Hmm... that's a good question. At the moment, Grandmasters only do stuff during Round Transitions, which is kinda good because it keeps their exposure down. I might have to hear what other people think about this idea before I say anything about it.

[Schazer]

Don't forget that the Wordsmith narrated the Monitor's launching of ISS2.

[slipsicle]

Don't forget that the Wordsmith narrated the Monitor's launching of ISS2.

Added.

[Pick Yer Poison]

Snippets of future conversations were requested, so without further ado:

"Identify."
"Titan."
"Irrelevant."
"Yes."
"Searching."
"Family."
"Irrelevant."
"Caution."

All of this is said in a deep, almost-monotone robotic voice.

[bobthepen]

Woo! My dream of hosting a battle in 2013 will finally come true!

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Also

Man DF. Slap me in that spot.

Has some other connotations I didn't think of when I wrote it.

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[Schazer]

The Organizer invites the Composer and Talis for "Collusion, scheming, and general conniving of all natures."

The fact he's not all that great at it is so weirdly adorable

[slipsicle]

The Organizer invites the Composer and Talis for "Collusion, scheming, and general conniving of all natures."

The fact he's not all that great at it is so weirdly adorable

Added.

[Schazer]

Oh yeah! Could we mention inactive characters that are up for adoption for a round?

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I'm totally not trying to weasel out of writing for my two adoptees. I swear.

[slipsicle]

If anyone knows of any characters that still need adoption, put them here, and I'll add them to the first post. At the moment I don't think I'm going to keep track of the ones that have already been adopted; everyone who needs to know likely already does.

[gloomyMoron]

PYP Linked me here, but I ain't putting anything up for adoption. Well there is Ix's character, Crimson, from Great Machine but that's a non-canon. I am not putting Reudic up. >.< I'm still writing for him/it.

[slipsicle]

Added a "Characters up for Adoption" section at the top of the OP. Will be edited as characters become available/are taken.

[ASBusinessMagnet]

One INSANELY IMPORTANT question that should be in the FAQ NOW;

Did the idea of "Grand Battles" originate in MSPA Fora / its community or did they come from another forum / community?