Magic Machine posted about their presence at New York ComicCon, where tens of thousands of comics were given away (between 25-35K, based on various statements from MM). October 2022.
Magic Machine opened by talking about some updates. Dotta shouted out the whole team, and what they are working on. Bearsnake and LachnessMonsta are focused on community outreach, while TheOneWhoRings and Kneeshaw are working on the P2E game engine, built on Godot. Niski is working on smart contracts and the API server. Dotta is still hands on as well with contract development, and some test contracts were just deployed today.
Dotta said that the Halloween event is the most complex ever for the Forgotten Runes project. Previously, the Beasts event was the most complicated, with multiple phases & collections involved. However, Dotta claimed that the P2E game in development will be even more complex.
Elf highlighted an article from NFT Now, and he believes it’s one of the best summary articles to date on the Forgotten Runes project. It’s a great introduction to share with new people. Dotta also did an interview with lorepunk for the Punks Post.
Next, a Bearcave update. Bearsnake said that he enjoyed New York Comic-Con, where almost 25,000 FRWC comic books were handed out. He enjoyed directly interacting with people while handing out some comics. He also met with comic book artists and distributors. Bearsnake mentioned that McWazir’s visors exist in real life, and there will be a challenge taking place soon if you want one, where there will be an opportunity to shape the menu of McWazir’s.
Merchandise update: There is a new t-shirt design that will be released soon, along with some additional Fall-themed items in a “capsule drop”. It will be announced & available for purchase on Halloween. Dotta said there will NOT be any NFTs included in this merch capsule.
Q&A
TV asked about the BAYC SEC investigation, and whether it affects the royalty distribution goals of FRWC. Dotta said that Magic Machine shares the same lawyers as BAYC (Fenwick). The main reason the House of Wizards DAO has taken so long to be set up is to be extra cautious on the advice of this counsel. Binary Star (the royalties project) will allow you to get paid if someone licenses your FRWC IP (you must KYC to participate).
Elf confirms the inspiration for the Runiverse map. The Runiverse is Earth, but far in the future, and the continents have once again converged into a supercontinent similar to Pangaea. (October 2022)Nahuua received a birthday shoutout, and asked about whether Mutant Apes are included in the Halloween event. Elf clarified that only full Bored Apes can participate.
Halloween event questions came up. Lore presence does not affect trick/treat probabilities. Individual character traits affecting probabilities were a “no comment/TBD”.
Qeshmar asked about tax implications for the Runiverse game, including for any minors who might play. Magic Machine wasn’t sure, except that it will vary based on where the player is physically located.
Sharon asked about the team’s favorite Halloween costumes. Dotta liked a Ninja Turtle costume he had as a kid. Bearsnake’s was a giant shark stuffed animal that got hollowed out into a costume. Jitcy said Cat in the Hat (from Doctor Suess). Elf said Super Mario.
Event news: Bearsnake revealed that Elf and he may go to a crypto event in Miami in November; there won’t be a big FRWC event at that time, but a meetup would be possible with Cult members in attendance.
People asked about cucumdog-themed treats in the Halloween event. Elf said that cucumdog is a Cult community original, so it would be a bit strange for Magic Machine to start including them in official drops.
Elf Reveals the Origins of the Runiverse
Elf recapped his feelings to date, about his reluctance to reveal core lore story points. He had preferred to release the info through official media. But given the parabolic rate of Cult Elf confirms the inspiration for the Runiverse map. The Runiverse is Earth, but far in the future, and the continents have once again converged into a supercontinent similar to Pangaea. (October 2022)Content creation, Elf has decided to divulge more meta-lore, in multiple installments. Elf also plans to work on more Wizzypedia entries after Halloween.
An owner of multiple cryptopunks, 17MILE was one of the members of that community who enjoyed the Forgotten Punks community-made collection. (October 2022)
Today, he talked about the creation of the Runiverse and the timelines involved. It’s recommended to listen to the Twitter or Youtube recordings to catch all the details and nuances (starts at 28:15 of the Twitter recording).
First off, the Runiverse is a reflection of the IRL physical world. And not just a mirror reflection; it is a real place that exists in our collective brains, and in the annex of our collective brains (the internet/metaverse). Elf referenced Ray Kurzweil’s theory of the technological singularity, which Ray predicts will happen in 2045. This theory states that the rate of technological advances will go parabolic at that point. Primarily, AI and quantum computing will accomplish this. Robotics, genetics, nanotech, etc. will also help. The only way for humanity to survive is to merge our biological intelligence with artificial intelligence. We can speculate about the timing and the exact tech involved, but it could very well happen at some point.
As we express our NFT characters in the Book of Lore and the metaverse, we are preparing for this merging of the virtual and physical worlds, and at some point we can truly become our wizards in our immortal and immutable digital skins. Time is a quantum ouroboros, it’s a wheel or circle, not a straight line. The Runiverse has a mix of old and new technologies because of this, and we have chronomancers in the Runiverse. Elf speculates that the Runiverse is Planet Earth, 1-2K years in the future.
The Wizards are looking back at us through the blockchain to the past. They look at our technology with curiosity, similar to how we look at ancient civilizations, and wonder about what was lost, because they did not have a form of immutable mark-making. The land on the Runiverse map aligns with Planet Earth, when Earth was a super-continent called Pangaea. You might find ancient monuments in the desert. And Wizards may see these same monuments, and wonder if and when they might arise again.
Elf stopped there for now, but plans some more lore drop sessions for future Wizard Wednesdays this year!
The ongoing "Dennys vs. McWazirs" meme war was an early example of community interaction and hybridization of content from Magic Machine. (October 2022)
Cult Content Shoutouts
The Forgotten Punks drop went extremely well - the 1K supply minted out in minutes. Even Elf and Dotta expected to have more time to mint and didn’t get to mint one, although secondary sales have also been brisk and allowed more fans to acquire one.
Lorepunk and Madotsuki reminded us about the Runiverse Campfire Stories contest. Based on feedback, winning entries can get an illustration of any of their FRWC characters - it doesn’t have to be related to the story itself.