The Social Season aims to give each player a tailored arc over the course of the three sessions, managed through close collaboration and communication between player and GM. Rather than having a central main plot, the game has various smaller plots which Player Characters can choose to engage with as well as their own personal story. The timescale of the game may be short, but there is ample opportunity for character growth and to make an impact on the world and the people within it. Although Player Characters do not have the power to overthrow their leaders, wage a war, or remove the social conventions that bind them, this game hopes to show that the change that occurs in a character’s life over the course of a few months can still be deeply meaningful and significant.

Players may find the game more rewarding if they have an idea of their character’s overarching plot or the main themes they wish to explore through this game at the point of character creation, although it is also a valid choice to wait and see how the other characters and plots of the game shape your character’s story.

There are thousands of different possible characters who could populate this setting, but the affluent Regency society they live in means that there are certain themes which are likely to touch them all.

This game is primarily concerned with members of the Ton and the struggles they face within their social circles. Although areas like political reform or the moral implications of characters being extremely wealthy when others in society struggle with poverty are certainly interesting and important, they are not the focus of this game. The politics page clarifies more how these topics will be handled, but please ask the GM if you are unsure.

Characters will likely have strong (although not necessarily loving) ties with their close family. A person’s behaviour reflects on their family name, and for the wealthy families attending the season’s balls, reputation is everything. Although these relationships often come with high expectations and stern conversations that would be considered impolite in public, they may be a person’s most valuable allies in a crisis. Family is usually watching – judging, even – and they may not have kind words to say.

Family is also a key source of duty and responsibility for some. The head of a family or the chaperone for younger relatives at a ball may feel huge pressure to ensure that their loved ones go on to lead happy and successful lives. Sometimes this sense of duty goes too far, leading people to prioritise their family over their own wellbeing or set themselves impossibly high expectations to fulfil.

Attending the character creation session or using the 'character-links' channel on the Discord server can enable you to form familial links with other potential Player Characters, or you may choose to have NPCs as your character's family (backstory NPCs are less likely to appear in Uptime though, as this depends on crew numbers).

The main purpose of the balls thrown during the social season is for young people to find their future spouses (although this will not be the goal of every character attending the ball), so it is a significant theme of this game. Many couples will meet and marry during the social season after a period of courtship both at balls and around the Ton. Although marriages often occur for practical reasons, such as to improve a family’s finances or form ties with influential members of society, some young people still hold out hope for a true love match.

For some characters, this game hopes to capture the excitement of falling in love, perhaps with someone you would least expect. For others, it may involve sacrificing romantic happiness for the sake of another goal and the conflict between passion and duty. These are only a couple of examples of how romance could be explored in this setting designed to manufacture marriages, and players are encouraged to be creative in how they approach this theme.

More information about the timeline of marriage proposals can be found throughout this page, and details of romantic etiquette and the institution of marriage in this setting are described here.

The Ton is full of secrets, and when a secret is uncovered it could have devastating consequences. Characters may lie about their relationships, their wealth or even their identity, living on a knife-edge for fear of the consequences of being unmasked. Uncovering another person’s secret gives powerful leverage over them, so if you wish to engage in illicit behaviour… don’t get caught.

There is always someone who would benefit from bringing another person down, and some characters may actively seek out or manufacture gossip that would harm the reputation of others. Serious scandals are rare and life-changing, but less significant scandals occur far more regularly. Players are encouraged to check in with each other (or ask the GM to do so) if their character is planning to cause a large scandal for another, to ensure that it is a fun experience for everyone to roleplay.

Characters, both at balls and in wider society, may commit crimes ranging in severity from pickpocketing to murder. The high stakes involved in matters of extreme wealth and significant reputation can lead members of the Ton to desperation, and crime may feel like their best, or only, solution. Not everyone may be as they seem, perhaps even masquerading under a false identity to infiltrate high society.

Despite the serious nature of some of these crimes, they will not be handled in a gritty, violent or gory way in this game. Instead, crime creates mysteries and secrets to be discovered as well as providing characters with an extra set of problem-solving tools. If a character’s actions would make them unplayable, the GM will provide OC warning to the player. More examples of crime in this setting can be found on this page, and crime is one of the skills a character can specialise in.

The social season presents many difficulties to members of the Ton – putting them under intense pressure, introducing them to others who challenge their viewpoints, and throwing obstacles in the way of their goals – but they may emerge better for it. Player Characters may begin the game as very flawed people, but the 6 months that pass in-character provide ample opportunities for learning and growth. Characters are encouraged to end the game differently from how they started it, having achieved some goal or changed themselves for the better. Some may instead prefer to play a villain, and the GM will work with them to give their character a satisfying ending, since it may not be possible for their character to achieve their goals if they would diminish other players' experience of the game.

It is expected that there will be PvP conflict in The Social Season as Player Characters may deceive, commit crime or sabotage others. Similarly, Non-Player Characters may engage in these behaviours.

There will not be fighting during sessions – a slap or punch at a ball would be scandalous and is the maximum that is permitted in Uptimes. If you wish to initiate any in-character physical conflict with another character, you must obtain OC consent from the player and inform the GM beforehand – such behaviour will have consequences for your character, although the GM will let you know if it would make them unplayable. Out-of-character physical conflict is of course prohibited.

Although fighting is not tolerated during sessions, characters may participate in a duel in Downtimes, either through emails or Turnsheets. During a duel, two people meet at dawn in a secluded location (each accompanied by a friend, known as their 'second', as well as a doctor) and each decides whether they will come to a non-violent agreement, shoot at the other or fire into the air. Duels are technically illegal, so if there is only one survivor, they must either flee the country or ensure the events are not revealed – maintaining secrecy in this matter is not too difficult. OC permission should be sought before challenging another Player Character to a duel, and due to the dangerous nature of duels, this could result in character death (only with the player’s consent).

This setting is inspired by Regency London, but differs in many significant ways from the reality of history. Players are encouraged not to be overly restricted by what is historically accurate – as long as the world is plausible and consistent, sacrifices of accuracy can be made for the sake of a more enjoyable game. Please keep this within reason though, and consult the GM if you are unsure about anything (your character cannot have a mobile phone!) The family, politics and CAT Policy pages give more detail on the main differences between the game's setting and real life. It is particularly important to bear in mind that the CAT Policy bans many themes that were present in real history.