Backstage: Guide to the BE AddVenture Backstage

Unending BE - episode 131660

The Backstage area of the BE AddVenture is a game within a game, outside the various fictional realities of the BE AddVenture at large. This is a place to shelve unwanted or unutilized characters; a place to let characters from various mutually exclusive realities meet, interact, and hobnob; a place from which new threads utilizing previously unwanted characters may be spun off; a place for Authors to drop in, kick back, and wreak mayhem -- and generally a place in which to celebrate the metaliterary character of the AddVenture, have fun, and do kinky sex.

The Backstage started out as option 5 in episode 128156, a D-Girls episode by the High Commander in which he wrote Princess Jasmine out of her own reality. Of course, something had to happen to her, and one of HC's thoughts was that "Jasmine awakens backstage at the BEA. 'So, you finally got sent here too?' a voice asks."

How could I resist? I wrote the ensuing episode (128162), in which she got to meet my own Uncle Sid creation, a character already hip to the various levels of unreality of the AddVenture. He explained some of it to her, and then I booted her back out into her own thread. Backstage, and Sid's place in it, had been born!

At that time, Sid was a character virtually unused by anyone but me, and the AddVenture was lousy with his incomplete threads. (It still is.) Having established him in a new setting, I felt obligated to actually get him there. And so, in option 4 of episode 129636, I offered him the job. Originally I envisioned making the Backstage "backstage" in truth -- something to be played out in the Orphan episodes. So it was that orphan episode 119 became the first "official" episode in the Backstage sequence. (128162, or rather, its child episode and duplicate 128192, since I had neglected to make the parent backlinkable, was subsequently integrated in at a later point.) Unfortunately, running the saga only through the Orphans would have necessitated writing the whole story backwards -- every subsequent link would have had to be a backlink, and you can only backlink to an episode that already exists. I didn't have the patience to do this, and I'm sure other authors wouldn't have appreciated being so limited! Alas, the "backstage" character of the Backstage therefore had itself to remain a fiction...

In episode 119, Sid is already established in his job as keeper of the Backstage, and finds his first visitors are authors finishing up a segment of the "Lord of the Remotes" storyline. The Backstage had been originated as a place where characters would get shelved, so right off the bat I violated my own rule! The story continued as a single thread with one-choice options, for three more episodes, and then started branching, often into previously established threads that seemed to offer new possibilities. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible to follow the Backstage story in reverse from most subsequent episodes -- sooner or later you'll always run into an "official" parent of the Backstage thread you're tracing that isn't itself a segment in the Backstage saga. However, by starting with episode 119 (or better yet, 129636) and jumping forward, you should be able to experience the complete saga.

It has been my goal to eventually gather all branches of the saga back into a single thread, though other authors have had their own notions, on that, and I got in trouble with one of them at one point for trying to do so. Since then I have purposely let some of the threads "escape" to placate authors of that ilk. To my mind, after they "get away" they're no longer part of the saga. Feel free to disagree. Ideally, the Backstage saga works as follows:

1. All episodes should be linkable, as the ability to backlink is half the point of the game.
2. Each episode should have only one child continuing the Backstage saga itself. Other options may be provided as departure points back into the larger AddVenture for characters (or authors) temporarily visiting Backstage, or to provide reference material (like this episode!), or to give an account of events glossed over in the main thread of the saga (as "Flower 5" did in relation to the current main thread, "Flower 4"). All such subsidiary threads should eventually link back to the main one.
3. Some characters in the Backstage are permanent, and should be left there. Currently established "permanent" Backstage characters are Dr. Sidney James Russell and his wives, the amazons Credensa and Sendula. (For more information on these and other characters see below, under Characters.)
4. The main thread should focus on Dr. Sidney James Russell, keeper of the Backstage. Subsidiary threads can focus on the deeds of other characters.
5. Other characters should be brought into the Backstage by being written out of their home threads. (See the end of the guide, below, for how to do this.)
6. Characters should be taken out of the Backstage via a second option out of the Backstage episode from which they depart. (Unless they are killed Backstage, like the ferrets were -- then, why bother?)
7. An author (which should be yourself -- never take on the persona of another author without that author's permission) should be brought into the Backstage out of nowhere, unless previously established in the BE AddVenture as a character, in which case the author should be brought over in the same fashion as a character.
8. An author should be taken out of the Backstage by disappearing into nowhere, not by an option leading out. (Unless, again, the author has been established as a character that may be played by others in the AddVenture.)

Let's move on to the "bible" for this little subworld, shall we?

The Host Characters (Backstage Either Permanently or Semi-permanently).

1. Dr. Sidney James Russell (Uncle Sid), keeper of the Backstage, and your host there. A mad scientist by trade, he's middle-aged, somewhat out of shape, and a slovenly dresser. He's the uncle of James Robert Russell, main character of the BE AddVenture. He was created by yours truly.

2 and 3. Credensa Deslippa Ingrat Odsaan (Credensa) and Sendula Oraspa Meglut Turamion (Sendula), Sid's wives, assistants, and protectors. They're busty, muscular, amazons with platinum blond hair who customarily go around naked and are almost never without their spears. Due to events earlier in the saga, their spearpoints are now rumored to have BE effects on anyone pierced by them. Regardless of any rumors, they remain deadly weapons. Credensa and Sendula originated in an imaginary horror/porno B-movie called "Amazon Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" (title courtesy F-Cup Fitzgerald), alternatively known as "Cannibal Woman in the Avocado Jungle of Death!" (per The Box The Game Came In -- but our amazons aren't cannibals). They were created by Dabbler, who wrote the extant episodes from the movie. For more background, see Dabbler's episode 125430 and its children. (Alas, our heroines only survive in the thread that takes them Backstage...)

4. Alvin Jens Russell, the infant son of a variant version of Uncle Sid and D-Girl Princess Jasmine (herself a hitherto frequent if involuntary visitor Backstage). Adoptive son of the main version of Uncle Sid and his wives. Jasmine named him in honor of her true love Aladdin and the Genie. Alvin may not ultimately prove a permanent resident Backstage. He was created by Dabbler.

5. Mirage, cat-headed D-Villainess and former nemesis to Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, currently exiled Backstage as punishment for one too many trips to the curse well. Her will is totally subject to that of Uncle Sid and (by his fiat) Sid's wives. Currently serving as the wet-nurse for baby Alvin! She almost certainly will not prove a permanent resident Backstage, but for now, we're stuck with her. Created by Disney, which means we could get in serious doo-doo for screwing around with her like this...

6. The Old Wizard. Dunno what his name is. Formerly (and in other threads, currently) the proprietor of 'Spells R Us', a traveling magic shop. As such, he's been the instigator of a shitload of transformation and transgender stories, both in and out of the BE AddVenture. In at least one thread he was once a variant version of Uncle Sid. He currently tends bar Backstage, I don't know why. He's not supposed to slip anything funny into the drinks, but you know what they say about old dogs... Actually, he hasn't shown up Backstage yet, but he will. Created way before the BE AddVenture by I don't remember who.

7. Deja Voodoo. Yours truly, author by trade, a 'voiceless presence' Backstage that sometimes speaks to Sid and others, as well as being Sid's boss and creator. Not resident Backstage, but a frequent visitor. To be written only by me, Dabbler, or by special permission. Kindly respect my wishes in this. Uncle Sid has a jaundiced view of me, which he frequently expresses. Feel free to do the same, through him, but only if you want to get him in trouble...

8. Dabbler. Another author and frequent visitor Backstage. I like this guy. He writes neat stuff. To be written only by him, unless he grants a special dispensation.

Visiting Characters and Authors.

Could be anyone. If you think I'm going to try to index even those who've appeared so far, you're nuts! Go to Adama for that!

The Setting.

The Backstage consists primarily of a long, high room, about fifty yards wide by a quarter-mile long. Its ceiling is lost in mist and distance, though there apparently is one, as there's no weather Backstage. The whole Backstage is lit from an unknown source to the brightness of a cloudy day, which dims to that of a moonlit night for a seasonally variable period paralleling that of true night.

The focal point of the Backstage is the middle area, equidistant between its two ends. Along one side there is a long bank of computers known as the Computer Cluster (though they're set up in two long, parallel rows facing the wall, not actually clustered). These can serve either as actual computers or windows into the BE AddVenture at large. Between these and the wall are an immense number of storage boxes, containing Remotes, magical artifacts from (or for) "Spells R Us," and other paraphernalia from the AddVenture, most if not all defective, or they wouldn't have been shelved.

Near the wall opposite the cluster is the Russell family's living area, consisting of an office and sleeping area for Sid, in addition to his mad doctor lab, a kitchen area, and (more towards the center of the room) a dining area, with a large dining room table. The sleeping area is curtained off, as he not only sleeps but has sex there, and witnesses are not invariably welcome...

Along the same wall are doors to a more extensive residential area in which Sendula, Credensa, Alvin and Mirage live when not on duty. These rooms are private and almost always locked. Non-residents are not welcome there. Other doors in this wall lead to various storage closets, toilet facilities, and guest rooms for shelved characters.

The ends of the main Backstage room beyond this central area have not hitherto been explored, though if you go one way you will undoubtedly reach Ye Olde Wizzard's Bar, Grille and Flophouse, and if you try the opposite direction you may find a forbidding structure known only as the Hotel...

You may wonder why Sid seems to live mainly in the main room. He does so because he's the focal point of the Backstage. Shelved characters and visiting authors invariably appear in his vicinity, so he is, in a sense, almost always on duty. Feeling his family is entitled to more privacy, he his provided them with their separate, albeit connected, residence. To preserve that privacy, he rarely intrudes, as at any moment a new character might appear next to him... Mealtimes are the only periods in which all members of the Russell household are certain to be together in the main room, though various members of it are usually to be found there. Either Sendula or Credensa is certain to be with Sid at all times, and both of them at mealtimes. They do shifts. They're very, very competent in protecting Sid, so if you're smart you don't mess with them. You could end up dead, BE'd, or (if possible) worse...

How to Bring in a Character Backstage (and Send That Character Back to the BE AddVenture at Large).

This is most easily done by:

1. finding a thread containing a character you want to use;
2. writing a continuation to the main Backstage thread in which that character shows up (always remembering to make the episode linkable)
3. note down the number of the episode you've just created (you'll need it);
4. writing a continuation episode of the home thread in which your character either mysteriously disappears or is stated to have been shelved, providing at least two options -- one in which the action of the thread can continue without the shelved character, and one backlinking to the Backstage episode you previously created in which your shelved character appears there.

1. >This just takes you back to the parent episode, so we can move on...

Fri Mar 2 16:57:19 2001

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