What is the Archive?

The Archive is a collective memory shared by all Dreams. The Archive is kept in a place called the Aether, which can be accessed through any web terminal. All Dreams can write to the Archive or post to the Aether.

When you go on a Dream Walk, cast Astral Magic, or do something which should be a part of the game's story, you should post it to the archive. In some ways, things to not "count" unless they are archived as part of the Dreaming's collective memory.

Before you go on a Dream Walk, you should make sure somebody in the party agrees to archive the adventure. You get a point of resonance for the archive of any Dream Walk you've been on. Be sure to tag your archive entry with the names of each player involved. (hint: all tags must be one word. The name "Jeffery Lyons" will appear as two tags: "Jeffery" and "Lyons". Instead, use "JefferyLyons")

It helps to have a notepad and camera handy at all times during live play. If you are taking a photo or video of gameplay, people shouldn't attack you or interfere with you. Even monsters will ignore you so that you can be an impartial observer and get a good shot. You may not use this custom defensively - if monsters are about to tear you limb from limb, you can't (necessarily) save yourself just by pulling out a camera.

Good Archiving

You should endeavor to make your archival posts interesting and fun to read. Your posts will be richer if you use photos, video, and well written text. Archival posts should demonstrate to others what is fun or cool about this game.

A good archival entry builds narrative. Think about each archival post as a chapter of the game's story. It's okay to report on things like tension or cooperation between characters, philosophical discussions, or even gossip. Other players and archivists will latch onto these particles and build more narrative from them.

Even if you are not the one writing the post, you should endeavor to do things which will make you stand out in the Archive. While your experience your character's personal story, your are a character in other people's stories. So make your performance memorable!

What to Archive

At the very minimum, an archival entry should describe what happened. You don't need to write long, flowery prose. It's okay to list events and attendees in bullet points. Another simple form of archiving is to snap a photo with your cell phone, and then e-mail it to the address listed at the bottom of the photo uploader page.

You may also archive your character's personal thoughts or reactions to things.

Resonance

Typically, only the Archive of Dream Walks grants you resonance. Things like Astral Magic must be archived in order to "count", but they do not give you resonance.

Resonance can be awarded by game staff members for exceptional contributions to the Archive.