TheNexusProject

The City of a Million Lice

Also known as the River Harlot’s Legs and a hundred other, less complimentary, names, Nexus is the centre for trade and commerce in Creation. While the Imperial City may well be wealthier, that wealth is concentrated within the hands of the Scarlet Dynasty, while in Nexus, millions of talents of jade and silver change hands every single day. It is a chaotic and confusing place, a city with many rules but few laws, where an ignoble death lurks around every corner.

This is a collaborative wiki-project, along similar lines to the Lexicon_Of_Elder_Days or WhirlwindBrushMethod, whereby the wikizens will add details to the insane city that is the centrepiece of so many Exalted chronicles. The goal of the Nexus Project is not to map the city; if anything, this will make it even more confusing and unmappable, since there will (hopefully) be many contributors. (However, if you don't feel like trying to search this confusing list of neighbourhoods, there is an /Index that will allow you to try to find something specific.)

The Rules

The rules of the Nexus Project are meant to encourage creativity and the interlinking of entries of the various contributors.

• An entry can be about almost anything – you can add a district, a street, a building, a god, or even just a person. Anything and everything is fair game in Nexus. You can write an original entry, or you can fill in an incomplete entry - a list of entries that need to be written is available under /UnwrittenLinks.
• Each entry should have a link to it placed within the district page most appropriate to it. It's considered polite to put links on district pages as a minor edit.
• Each entry will comprise three parts: the piece itself, a pair of rumours regarding the subject of the piece, and a secret about it (or them). The author should also sign the entry.
• Each entry should contain between two and four links to other entries in the Nexus Project, some of which should be already written and some unwritten. You must include at least one of each. It would be awesome if you added your unwritten links to /UnwrittenLinks when finished (politely using a minor edit).
• Linking back to a piece you have already written is acceptable, but it is considered BadForm to complete an open link from a piece you yourself wrote.
• On dibs: You can call dibs on an unwritten entry by making a note of your dib (include your username and the date on which you are making the dib) on its page, before you write it. A dib only last for 48 hours, so if you do dib on an entry, make sure you write it quickly. After 48 hours, all bets are off.
• Once you are done with your entry, you are encouraged to add it to the /Index (once again, politely using a minor edit). This is a good idea because the Index is the only real way to find specific items in the Nexus Project, and if you're in the Index, then your work will get much more exposure. If you don't add your entry, no one else will.

• Template to get you started is TheNexusProjectTemplate

The Districts of Nexus

The city of Nexus is more than the sum of its districts, but it is within these districts that Nexus is born anew every day. The Council of Entities recognises five main districts for the purposes of tax collection and other payments, but there are dozens of smaller regions, some of which are barely recognised outside of their neighbourhood while others are known across the city – for good or bad reasons.

This map is an attempt to make the city's layout clearer.

Major Districts

/Bastion

The well-to-do and well-connected of Nexus reside within; any others would do better to stay out.

/Cinnabar

The cultural and military centre of the city, Cinnabar lines the river and floods regularly.

/Firewander

The epitome of urban nightmare, the Wyld zone at its heart still spits out horrors to plague the city.

/Nexus

The commercial and entepreneurial centre of Nexus, more silver pieces change hands here in a day than there are stars in the night sky.

/Nighthammer

The noise of forges, smithies and other manufacturing processes resound night and day throughout the streets of Nighthammer.

Minor Districts

/Ashtown

A burned-out collection of ruins, populated by criminals and worse. Moxiane

/Brookside

Impossible to access save by boat, Brookside is an island of calm within the chaos of Nexus.

/Dungtown

If Firewander is an urban nightmare, then Dungtown is an urban cesspool.

/SentinelsHill

Originally a series of guard outposts, Sentinel’s Hill has become a vibrant residential district in its own right. (/Firewander)

/Tellnaught

Once part of Firewander, the inhabitants of Tellnaught cleaned themselves up and walled the gangs out. (/Firewander)

/TheUnderground

The city under the city, and the people / places / things that call it home. (Changes) Dreaming Nymph

Nexus Bites

/Incunabulum

The ever-changing rules of Nexus, updated almost continuously as the Council of Entities issues edicts.

/Glossary

Slang, nicknames, insults and turns of language peculiar to Nexus.

Other

/Index

An easier way to find specific things in the NexusProject.

/UnwrittenLinks

A list of links from existent entries that need to be filled in.

/OldComments

Where old comments go when they die...

By contributor

• Shataina/NexusProject

Comments

OK. Here's an idea I had. The Nexus Project is well on its way to reaching 100 entries (big yay). I had the idea of, when that occurs, placing a 24-hour hiatus on adding any new entries to give me time to capture all the text and turn it into the Nexus Digest, a PDF containing everything written thus far. It would lose the linkiness, obviously, but it'd be useful away from your computer & at the game table - which is a major part of the reason I started this in the first place. I would, of course, want permission from every contributor before their entries would be included (any comments would not be in the final document).

So, what do you say? - super-production guy Moxiane

Hey, can I get editor credit? I have my career to think of .... Okay, anyway. I have no problem with this personally. Suggestion: if it's gonna be a physical document, maybe you should try to get everyone's real name on it.
~ Shataina

The real names thing is a good idea, but the big century is still c. 30 entries away, so I have a little time yet. - patient Moxiane

Sounds like a fine idea. Just maybe put something up on Recent Changes or somewhere announcing it when we hit 100, or some of us *looks innocent* might forget. -Okensha

I had planned to - as well as putting a big sign displaying the hiatus on the main & index pages for the 24 hours in question. It'll probably take me less than 24 hours, to be honest, since once I've grabbed the text I'm done, but better safe than sorry. - never a Boy Scout Moxiane

I'm fine with it...after all, wasn't the whole point that everyone could see and use them? - Hulen

Sounds good to me. As far as real names go though, I'm not totally sure I want people to be able to assocate me with some of the stuff I've written... (cough /TheAvenueOfEnigmaticPhilosophy cough) I'll put my name up on my page at some point probably.
--BrilliantRain

I think it'd be cool to get this all in PDF form. Feel free to include anything I post in that. Oh, and about the inter-linkedness - can't PDFs have hyperlinks to other parts of the same file? It'd probably be a hassle to code, but it would be really handy for people like me who would be using the file on a laptop. If you want my real name, though, you'll have to ask again when you're getting the actual product ready... I don't like to share it that much. -Everyl

Sure, use my entries. I'll need your firstborn son though. -- OhJames

So, where is it? Haven't hear a word about since you nicked all the text a while back. I'm assuming it's hard work, and I'm not expecting you to have finished it by now, as I imagine you do have a life. Just curious as to where you are on this. -ipsi

And as a completely random aside, someone should get a bunch of Planescape fans together and do a project like this for Sigil. So much of the material that's already here could be ported to the City of Doors almost without conversion, it's scary to think of what people would come up with if they were deliberately writing for a setting that diverse... -Everyl again

I think it's a great idea to make a PDF out of it. It would be great though, when we were able to include pictures, maps or the like to illustrate the entries (I'd like to do at least some of the maps; my drawings are simply not worth the effort). I personally would be happy, when it would look like a real Exalted Product (but we should at least be carefull with the Copyright). Something I've got in mind; as the Nexus Project is helping me, as a GM, a lot and is also working fine, why not make a Imperial City Project thereafter? I think the capital of the Dragonblooded host is lacking information so far. Jiba

A few things: First, it's great that new people are joining in on the Nexus Project. I've been taking a break myself due to creative energies being focussed elsewhere, but I plan to get back to detailing some of the insanity that is Nexus, so a big "Welcome!" to all of the new contributors.

Secondly: While I hate to be a hardass the Nexus Project has rules, (given above so I'm not going to repeat them here). The occasional stretching of them is fine (five links rather than four, simply because you couldn't decide which one to kill, for example), but of late it's been happening more and more. Two rumours and one secret is the standard, and although adding a third or fourth rumour (or even a second secret) is fine (Nexus operates on rumours and secrets, after all), but I think that seventeen is not only taking it too far, it's buying it breakfast. The creativity is great, just... reign it in a little - if nothing else, the potential PDF should have a mostly consistent format to it.

Finally: Please, please, please, please, please update the indices, both written and unwritten, it makes life a lot easier for people who want to find things and/or write for the Nexus Project. - stern but fair Moxiane

For some reason, it never occurred to me that there would be a problem with writing more than the rules said. I mean, I can see not wanting to go crazy and make things too long or have every third word be a link, but for a long, detailed entry, it might be kind of difficult to limit oneself to 4 links. If, say, you're writing about the proprietor of an [establishment] that is on a [street] that was hard-hit by the [Great Nexus Fire], you're down three of your allowable links right there - and you might not even have your unwritten link, yet. I guess it just seems natural to me that, as the Project grows, there will be more and more links, since there are more and more things to link to. In other cases, it might be difficult to keep the rumors and secrets down - The Purple Mouse has two secrets largely because the entry that spawned it, The Golden Bull, already implied one of them, but I wanted it to have a secret that wasn't just the Bull's secret from another perspective. If it bothers you that much, though, I'll try to keep things in line a little better in the future. -Everyl

Two things. I kind of liked the millions of rumours on that one entry, but hey .... I find that if you're tempted to put in lots of rumours, you can generally easily write them into the text of the entry itself instead. Secondly, Moxiane, I'm not sure you ever noticed ... someone, I forget who, suggested that we limit the number of phantoms but not the number of backlinks. Why is it so important to you to limit backlinks? As Everyl notes, just locating your entry in time and space can use up links on its own. I remember when I was writing /LadyFrost I originally kept it to four total links, but it seemed so silly (and later people started breaking that rule so often) that I went and put in some extra links later -- because the links I'd failed to include were links like "Ishira's shop is on /TheStreetOfQueens", etc. Anyway, I guess my point here is that I don't quite get how including lots of backlinks in an entry can hurt the NexusProject, especially when so many links are kind of banal, and it seems as though they definitely help interweave. Not trying to challenge your authority or anything (such as it is on such an anarchist thing as a wiki) -- I just want to understand your rationale.
~ Shataina

Hrm... OK. There are actually a few reasons for the original restriction on link in entries, how many of these are still valid, I don't know, but I'll put them out here where they can be commented upon. Firstly, it was a practical consideration for the early days of the NexusProject - back when I started it I wanted there to be more "phantom" links than backlinks, simply to provide more fodder for people to work on. Secondly, one of the things that I dislike about large gamelines is the large amount of interdependency between books (something that is beginning to happen with Exalted, but I mind less since I have the complete line ^_^) and part of the reason for this project was to provide quick and easy seeds, links or ideas for other people running games in Nexus - making entries heavily dependent on what has come before makes that harder (and yes, I'm aware of the contradiction with the stated purpose of the Project, hence the restriction on links). Finally, someone, I forget who, said around here that placing artificial constraints on creativity is a good way to stimulate it - this is something I believe to be true, and is part of the reason I often choose the less-obvious subjects for phantom links in my entries (also it stops me getting disappointed when an entry doesn't match my pre-conceptions, since I try to avoid having any).

Ack, that was a long ramble... Anyway, there you go. The first reason is not as valid as it once was, I'll grant, but the other two still feel like they apply. Since the wiki is, as you said, more than a little anarchic, and the only authority I have over the NexusProject is that which comes from being its originator, so if people decide to completely ignore the rules I'll not throw too much of a hissy fit. *grins* - talking and talking Moxiane

Ah, I understand now. Actually, good call. I always felt that one of the unfortunate side effects of, for example, the Lexicon was the vaguely artificial interdependency of the entries, especially the later ones; it kind of imparts a narrowness of focus to the entire project that doesn't quite make sense. And this project is so much more open-ended than the Lexicon that over-interdepency isn't required. So, in short, I agree. I think it was actually me who said the artificial constraints thing, but I could have just thought it.
~ Shataina

And with the addition of the /RedstoneTheatre the Nexus Project is placed on temporary hiatus so that text-grabbing can occur without fear of interruption! Well done everyone involved. This shouldn't be more than a day in length, and probably somewhat less. - beaming Moxiane

Woohoo! I knew we had to be getting close, we've been getting several new posts a day lately. Out of curiosity, is the final PDF going to be hyperlinked, or would that take too much code-slogging? -Everyl

It probably could be hyperlinked, if'n I knew how to do that. :) At present, I just want the raw text sitting on my 'puter where I can play with it. When that's done, then I can think about having fun with the text. - Moxiane

I'm kinda curious: How are you going to format it? Depending on that answer, I'd almost be tempted to put the whole thing into LaTeX, which could make it a fair bit easier, and would make it a whole lot easier to, say, make indicies and whatnot. Not sure how much work you want to put into this thing, but I believe I could probably make a fairly nice LaTeX file out of that (Which will turn into a PDF, don't worry :D). But don't hold me to that - I don't have that much experience with LaTeX - ipsi

I too have a bit of experiance with LaTeX, a bit of looking around indicated that you can turn the LaTeX links into PDF bookmarks, so that might be a way to get hyperlinking in(which would be quite cool). here is link to one way to do it. The example worked for me, although YMMV. I'll look into it a bit more. I'll try to help here if possible. -FlowsLikeBits

It's worth noting that inclusion of the hyperref package seems to automatically hyperlink the table of contents. I'll have a look when I get home to see how I can work it. Moxiane, if I could grab like the first chapter or something, I'll see what I can do with LaTeX when I get home, in terms of how far down the links will extend. (i.e. Will it link down to the subsections and subsub, etc?) From there, I think I could probably bookmark it. Also, LaTeX does not like pictures, at least, not in this version. -ipsi

Not to toot my own horn, but I think we'd have a better product if I had time to edit the last few entries first. I think I've only got like 8 left, I'll try to get them done by tomorrow.
~ Shataina

That's OK, I'll just leave your entries 'til later. I am unlikely to be able to grab them all before tomorrow morning (my time), due to other engagements. - Moxiane

Actually, I meant other peoples' entries. Mine are fine.
~ Shataina, arrogantly but honestly

And now I wish that I had written up that bookstore idea I had while I had the chance. Ah well, I wasn't really ready and I'll keep thinking about it. BrilliantRain

Bookstore now complete and replete with pratchettness. Go visit /AzureGlassBooks. --BrilliantRain

Well, this is already presumed (since there is a new entry since), but it's worth saying - hiatus is done, you may now return to your regular posting. My apologies for not posting the fact earlier, but grabbing all of that text took valuable RE4 time away from me. ^_^ (Just beat that bastard, yeah!) Also, at present I am busy sorting the text into districts and deleting all of the stuff that doesn't belong in a PDF product (comments & wiki-links, mostly). As an aside, based on what is already there and what will be added by way of making it something readable I expect it to approach 65000 words (as MS Word counts them, at any rate).

After organisation is done, then I'll get into the nitty-gritty of fiddling around with links and stuff (although part of me likes the idea of two versions, one for screen with active links and one for print without). - triumphant Moxiane

After playing around with LaTeX, I think it would be perfect for this, and would be reasonably easy to do. Why am I harping on about this? I dunno, but it just seems like a good idea. It'd take no effort at all, really, and doing hyperlinks and whatnot would be easy as pie. Course, might be a different matter if you want pictures. -ipsi

I would apprecate it if you kept my first comment on the /DagonAcademy entry in the .pdf, as it is a part of the joke. --BrilliantRain

I have a question. I understand the rule that says something like "if you created the blank link, then you can't fill it in." However, what if you want to create an entry about some little bit of nexania that you created but didn't create as a link? For example, what if the guy who first came up with Icefire Jasmine wanted to create an entry about her? Or what if I wanted to create an entry about Read Child, even though I created the one entry that refers to her(/AzureGlassBooks), although she currently doesn't have a link? would this kind of thing be allowed?
--BrilliantRain

That would depend entirely on how much of a rules-lawyer you want to be. - bemused Moxiane

I'm going to take that as incentive to bend the rules a little. That makes me a happy boy. - Paladinltd

It really wasn't intended that way. Bending the rules because you need to is fine, bending the rules because you just want to is less so. It the difference between the letter and the spirit of the law, really. - wagging finger Moxiane

I was largely just curious as I had an idea for something interesting relating to Read Child's name, but I didn't want to work on expanding the idea untill I knew what the consensus was. I am going to assume that it is ok for me to come up with more brothels for /TheAvenueOfEnigmaticPhilosophy, as they are tied somewhat to the street and that rule could be contorted to preclude me writing any of those. --BrilliantRain

The only difficulty with creating links for stuff that were not links originally is that if they are refrenced in a couple places(your Icefire Jasmine example is good here), all those places won't turn into links to it. (This should be a pretty simple search operation however). -FlowsLikeBits,who is annoyed by inconsistent linking, but will get over it

That reminds me, does anyone besides me want Icefire Jasmine? She has become so prevelant in the Nexus Project that its inevitable that someone write a link about her. I was hoping that someone would be me, but if someone else wants her... - Paladinltd

I am personally of the opinion that leaving some things (or people, or places) to be defined only indirectly is elegant and fun and rewards the careful reader. *shrug* IJ has been mentioned enough times that IMO there would be very little in the entry that couldn't be inferred or guessed. This is also the reason why I try to avoid creating phantom links that are very closely related to the thing I'm writing about (the meme of creating a link for the owner of the place you just wrote is a particularly egregious example of this) since it doesn't give the writer as much room to work in as a link that was added en passant, so to speak.

That said, I won't (and can't) ban people from writing links or entries however they like, so if you really want to write Icefire Jasmine you should feel free, but I personally like the idea of her being a very prominent person, yet one who is always on the sidelines as far as the Project is concerned. - expounding opinions Moxiane

I agree. I like the idea of some major players not having their own pages. If you want to write more about IJ, you could always write, say, her daughter's page, or her Daiklaive's page. -- Xarak

Icefire Jasmine's daiklave? Hmmmmmmm....... --BrilliantRain

I also happen to agree and I was actually a bit dissapointed when someone finally filled out /TheGreatNexusFire. I was also quite immpressed as I didn't think it was possible. --BrilliantRain

For the record, there are currently 16(!) refrences to her. I couldn't figure out a simple way to find the earliest page either. Personally, I think haveing a spectrum of phantom links, some wide open(mostly) and some more defined is probably good --FlowsLikeBits, who agree's that TO much definition is bad of coure

Since the general consensus so far is against it I humbly withdraw my request - Paladinltd

Also I see your point, it is better to have her on the sidelines - Paladinltd

For those who are interested in how the Nexus Digest is proceeding the answer is slowly. >_< Unfortunately I have been suffering from a nasty bout of RSI recently which has been restricting how much I can really use the computer. I am on the case, however. - grimacing Moxiane

Cool. Sucks about the RSI thing, hope that gets better \ goes away \ can be ignored :D - ipsi

This is the first time I've seen this page, and considering the fact that half of my troupe reached Nexus last session I couldn't have found it at a better time. One question I have: is there anything here devoted to the Undercity, or is that something that's generally covered within individual districts? - notsoangrydave

I think it's mostly covered by /TheUnderground district --BrilliantRain

OK. The first draft of the Nexus Digest PDF is now ready (finally!) for examination and editation. Anyone who wishes to be involved in this process can reach me at gmail (the address should be obvious). I want it gone over with a fine-toothed comb, any and all mistakes are to be located and firmly humiliated (in a seperate report, natch). Suggestions for different formatting choices or ways of doing things are welcomed. This is my first attempt at this sort of thing, after all. Also, if anyone is at least interested in donating art for it - I won't say no. ^_^ - triumphant Moxiane

Moxaine is there anyway you could upload it to the internet as a version 0.1 or something. (^__^) - KSlash

So, should we make any changes to this to bring anything more into line with the Nexus info in the new scavenger lands book? --BriliantRain

With regards to This map, I have trouble conceiving one of the trade centers of a region probably about twice as big as the USA as being a paltry approximate 13 miles long and seven wide. New York City, the closest real world analog that springs to mind, has a metropolitan area of 6,720 square miles. Just a thought. - Han'ya