Wizard Wednesday Recap, 2022-12-21

A still from The Night Before Wizmas, by Leif Dojang and Tania del Rio.

A video by Leif Dojang and Tania del Rio was used as the opening for this Wizard Wednesday (after some "Snoopy music"). Elf loved it so much that he wanted to play it for everyone.

Cult Content Shout-outs

Bisonic released this image of the Welcome screen for the private alpha build that was made available to members of Magic Machine.

We started with some additional Cult Content shout-outs as well.

• ColorMaster Studios released a Christmas Card NFT in collaboration with Tad. It includes so many Wizards and Warriors, and Elf enjoyed that he could recognize so many of them while looking at this card.
• Magic Machine also sent out a Wizmas Card, illustrated by Tania del Rio.
• And MeepleDad put a Christmas Card in the Treasure Trove boxes. (also illustrated by Tania!)
• And TheOneWhoRings is sending out a Christmas Card!
• MM also announced that it was Bearsnake's birthday today!
• Belial Attacker of Wizards also came up and said "Merry Wizmas" (maybe, don't quote me on that)!

Runiverse Game - Year-end Update

Madotsuki of Bisonic and Magus Wazir of Magic Machine meet in the private Runiverse alpha build. Both started out as passionate members of the Forgotten Runes community. (December 2022)

Bisonic released this short clip of a battle scene from the private alpha experienced by members of Magic Machine.

Next, Tanilo Errazuriz, the Creative Lead from Bisonic Games, came up. Yesterday, MM played the latest alpha version of the Runiverse game. MM felt it was good for Tanilo to come up and give general updates.

Tanilo: We wanted to push for an alpha build to showcase the basic systems in the game by end of year, and we did that. It gives you a good overview of the core game loops, and provides an idea of what it will be like to play. Next year (probably in January), Wizard-holders and active community members will be able to participate in a newer alpha build to give further feedback. For now, there are a lot of player feedback indications that are missing, so we wanted to restrict it to a smaller group. However, it’s been promising that a lot of the level designers have already leveled their characters up to level 15 (the current max for the alpha). And even Magus Wazir is already at level 9!

Elf: My favorite thing about the alpha was the art - the team is really doing great, especially with the monster designs and animations. Bearsnake: All of us got to sign up, create our account, and walk around with generic characters and play some of the games. It was cool to see it start to come together. This is definitely not a simple game to start with, and I’m impressed in where it has gotten already.

Bisonic released a short gif illustrating the accomplishments for the Runiverse game in 2022, as well its the high-level plans for the game in 2023.

Tanilo: In this alpha build, you can create an account, & then create a generic wizard - in a later build holders will be able to connect their in-game wizard to their NFT Wizard. We want to showcase the new player experience. Then, Alberto is a tutorial character that teaches you about the systems:

• Gathering resources in the world map. Land plot owners will have a special form of this.
• Combat: Party up with other players and go into combat. It already has an MMO feel - and includes PvP as well.

ZayLaSoul: Is there any way to have our FRWC characters be NPCs in the game?

Tanilo: The Runiverse game is set 1000 years in the future from the TV show and original MM story IP. We wanted to justify that there are many more wizards in the world. Rifts in the world are going to open, and these rifts will bring stories of the past with them. These rifts could include NPCs or Book of Lore stories that come into the world. There are still some details that need to be determined, but that's the plan.

Ledger, a market leader in cryptocurrency "hard wallets", announced a limited edition Nano X model, featuring The Sacred Keymaster from the Forgotten Runes Wizard's Cult collection.

Our plans for next year: By the end of the year, we want to have an open beta running. First, we want to release a white paper appropriate for a wide audience, including non-crypto natives. Then, we want to have an early community mint that will provide benefits in the game. We will have a closed beta for the FRWC NFT holders, then a large public land sale, and then the open beta. The beta should include all the major wizard cities so you can walk around in them. (Elf: We need the Yellow Wizard pool also!) Our team is located around the world, across multiple continents. What happened is that although at first team members thought of it as an “NFT game, maybe not a REAL game,” the focus has changed to making “a great game with an NFT tie-in”. We are making sure the economy of the game isn’t built on crypto. It doesn’t depend on NFTs or crypto coins, but it still allows for true player ownership of unique game assets.

Tad: Would it be possible to make Runiverse art assets public for the community to play with? Tanilo: Need to talk with marketing to make sure whether we can.

Young: What is the relationship between the Runiverse game and the Battle for Goblintown? Elf: The Runiverse game map will include Goblintown the location, but otherwise they aren’t related. Dotta: The Battle for Goblintown is a more limited, on-chain PvP degen boardgame for crypto natives. Will launch in late January. P2E style, may or may not fizzle out. The Runiverse game is an MMORPG that is for a wider audience.

Ledger Announces Forgotten Runes Collab

ZayLaSoul: Should I buy the Sacred Keymaster Ledger to get in-game Battle for Goblintown resources, or just put the funds directly toward in-game resources?

Elf: That question is a great transition for us to discuss this awesome Ledger/FRWC tie-in that Bearsnake arranged for us. Only Deadfellaz & Jen Stark have done this type of collab with Ledger before. When deciding what to put on the Ledger, I decided on the Keymaster. Hard wallets are like Sacred Keys. If you think about cryptocurrency, it’s an alternative to fiat currency. Especially the US dollar, which has the Eye of Providence on the bills. And the Keymaster is literally using it as his head. The crypto community is kinda conspiracy minded, for better or for worse. Bearsnake wanted this to appeal to people outside the Cult, so that people who shop on the Ledger market will hopefully want it regardless. Reilly Brown (current Forgotten Runes comic book illustrator) made the Keymaster illustration that appears on the Ledger.

Loxley's Labs - a separate project including many Forgotten Runes characters - released this visual of their artwork in December 2022.

Bearsnake: To answer Zay’s question - we don’t yet know the scale of the resources airdropped by the Ledger purchase. Dotta: We need to balance rewarding the holders vs. giving outsiders a chance to really play and have a shot at success. I have no idea how the marketplace will value these Battle for Goblintown in-game tokens. It’s meant to be a fun game. So if you are a Wizard-holder already, don’t buy the Ledger just for the airdrop. But the Ledger is limited-edition and cool, so buy it for that reason, if you wish.

Magic Machine and Community Announcements

• Elf: The custom Ledger is part of Wizmas, but we have another surprise. Soon, you will be able to get your last-minute Wizmas Wishes in. This will be released tomorrow or the next day. Expect it to be Gigas-sized. Not a token, just for fun. Bearsnake: Just think about what to ask for. Dotta: When you go to Wizmas, be ready for a “bag of presents”.
• Regarding BlackSand Pony Racing: Elf talked to Legatus today to get the latest info. And he wanted to shout-out Munchkin the Tactical, owned by MattDWrecker, who is in first place in the tournament. Mala's pony is in the 2nd place. And nifty_miner's pony is in 3rd place. In the Ether Cup, you can get bonus points for playing Runes games. A 4th race in the Cup will start on January 1st. Elf's pony is in 28th place. Not impressive, but Josh the Blind (Dotta’s pony) is in 51st place...
• Elf: Recently the MM team got to play another game. Follow the Twitter account Loxley Labs. That’s all I can tell you for now. Some mind-blowing things going on over there.

Community Q&A

• Nard asked: "When will the Cult Chillzone (music, food, familiars-and-pets, memes) section get a shout-out?" Elf: Everybody already knows and loves Soda the Dog.
• Slim: Why does a person not drown when you breathe in steam? Dotta: there are caves with 50 foot crystals, which form bridges! But it’s so hot and steamy down there, you will die. Not sure if it’s due to drowning or burning. You must wear a special suit to survive when you go there. Bearsnake: I'm more scared of the permafrost melting. I just don’t want to die from an ice age mammoth virus.
• What kind of holidays are in the Runiverse? Elf: Halloween & Wizmas are holidays in the Runiverse. Like the real world, there are countless cultures & holidays. And even one holiday, like Christmas, is expressed in many different ways around the world.
• Emma: Any big plans for new lore next year? Elf: Show & comic are making progress. We want more Youtube videos. MeepleDad recently compiled all the hat lore into one clip, and I want a video component to that.
• Giveahoot: What Runiverse places or themes are you most excited to share? Elf: No time! Please ask again next WW.
• Note: We also had to skip "Dotta's DeFi" this week due to time constraints.

Colormaster Studios and Tad, among other contributors, created this large Christmas illustration featuring a multitude of Wizards and Warriors from the community.

On the Question of Goats

Smolprotecc: Why is the devil represented by the goat?

Elf: The Black Goat is a powerful symbol for me, representing a disruptive figure. When you disrupt, the old order is quick to demonize that figure. They don’t want a change, since they are sitting at the top. They don’t want the black goats to “lead the youth astray.” For example, the feudal lords of medieval times wanted the peasant youths to accept serfdom & not get new ideas. All of us can build this new world. Join the Black Goat & I’ll teach you some magic tricks in the wood.

Dotta: I would guess that Milton’s Paradise Lost might have been where the goat was associated with the devil. I don’t think the Bible describes the devil in this way, it’s extra-biblical. Goats are associated with sacrifice; we know that you can negotiate with reality by trading off something you want today for a better future. Practice discipline by not eating that food or spending that money. So livestock gets associated with sacrifice aka negotiating with a higher power. Baphomet is a old depiction of this character.

Elf: The Greek god Pan was depicted as a goat. But it was re-appropriated by the Romans when Christianity got spread through their Empire. I could go really deep into this topic, maybe we’ll dive more into it later, thanks for the question.

The Most Magical Thing About the Cult

To finish off, Elf wanted to talk about the most magical thing about the Cult.

Elf: There’s a type of message I get once in a while. A random Cult member says something like, “I’m not creative or artistic, but I love creating things for the Cult.” MehsterBrown and chemicalimbalace have said things like this. I love this about “non-artists” creating things.

The German Artist Joseph Beuys was a conceptual artist in the 70s. His central ideas were aligned with what’s gong on in the Cult. The artist is like a magician or a shaman. Beuys liked to wear a hat, akin to a Wizard. And he said everyone is an artist. Even if you don’t have skill in the traditional methods of creating art, you have creative potential. As long as you are speaking your truth, in earnestness, you will create something original and compelling. Boyce also talks about a society that realizes its creative potential, and becomes a new world, a social sculpture. We must build a social organism that is a work of art. We can build an artwork of future social order. We are using art to build a new world. Is that not a collaborative legendarium?

Finally, Elf asked Belial Attacker of Wizards to provide any final Wizmas wishes he wanted. Belial provide a low-pitched utterance that was unintelligible to the scribe (perhaps anti-Wizard measures were employed).