Research Story
Research Story is the second step in the Relic-based Approach to Evolution Seed creation as part of the INDX Project in the SparkQuest Metagame.
Record your query and Relic(s)
Start your research by recording what you accomplished in the last step: Choose a Relic. Create a Discussion topic on the MagSchool Forum and record your query and the Relic or set of Relics you chose from the results of your search online or at the library. If your Relic(s) is online, link its name to an image, webpage, or video. If your Relic is in a library book or resource, take a picture with a phone, camera, or tablet and post it.
Example so far:
Your forum topic should look something like this:
What is your Relic’s Story?
Next, find the Story connected to your Relic. Naturally, the online resource or book where you found the Relic is a good place to start.
What are you looking for? Well, think about the Layer your Relic is from. Knowing the type of Story you’re looking for can help. You can see the Story Type and by Layer in the table below. The Search Terms give you some common words describing the Story Type:
| Layer | Story Type | Search Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Civilization | Mythos | story, history, myth, legend |
| Culture (People) | Belief | story, tale, belief, fable, fairy tale, saying, idiom, wisdom, maxim, mantra |
| Ecology | Natural History | natural history, natural process, evolution history |
| Geography | Geologic History | geologic history, geologic process, land formation process |
The Story should answer things like:
- What created this object?
- What role did it play where its from?
- What did people say about it?
You don’t have to make your Story something that answers all the questions, but it should answer at least one. For example, the Story I found for the “Susian Guards” answered “What did people say about it?” since it was on a Wikipedia article about the Immortals — a legendary fighting unit described by later Greek historians.
If the Relic isn’t explained where you found it, you can use the above questions for an additional query, like “What created the “Susian Guards” relief in the Palace of Darius?”.
Your Story should be summarized and answer the following questions:
- What happened?
- Who did it involve?
- How did they do it?
- When and where was it done?
- Why is this important?
Update your forum topic with a reference to the Story with any links and references, like this:
Example so far:
Notice, I changed the title of my topic to something more unique and interesting — you can still do this if you haven’t posted your topic yet.
Optional: At this point the Story might suggest additional Relics or Stories that will help tell the story. Add these now before you go on to the next step.
Seed Level 1: Identity Tags
At this point, you’ve gathered most of the information you’ll need to create the INDX Entry for the Evolution Seed. However, you need to add a few tags to your post that will help to classify it. Look for specific words — especially proper nouns — that answer the following basic questions:
- What is this post about?
- Where did it happen?
- When did it happen?
You should also add a tag for which CRADLE your working on and which Layer.
Example so far:
Make sure you save all your work by publishing your forum post. Now you’re ready to move on to the Virtualize Relics step.