Bloodchild — The Preserve
Play by post · All
A play-by-post drama set in Octavia Butler's Bloodchild. One human household, one alien patron, and a debt that comes due. Slow, written, character-driven.
About this game
Setting. Humans — Terrans — live inside the Preserve, a walled settlement on a world that was never theirs. The Tlic who rule it offer land, protection, and long life. In exchange, Terran men carry Tlic eggs. It is a bargain, not a kindness, and everyone in your house has made their peace with it differently. What this is. A short, contained story. Free-form narrative; no dice, no character sheet, no system. If you can write a paragraph, you can play. Tone. Intimate, tense, uncomfortable. Butler called it her pregnant man story — it's about consent under power, love that coexists with ownership, and a body that isn't entirely yours. Content. Body horror, graphic medical imagery, forced-pregnancy themes, insects, blood. We'll set lines and veils before the first post and you can veto anything at any time, no explanation needed.
House rules
1. Post as a character, not as yourself. Use the character picker. Out-of-character talk goes in the OOC room or in brackets. 2. Cadence. No hard deadline. If you'll be quiet more than a few days, drop a line in OOC so I don't sit waiting. I'll do the same. 3. Length. A paragraph or two is the sweet spot. Don't write a wall, don't write "ok". 4. Rooms. Scenes live in their own room. If a scene splits — you go outside, someone stays in the kitchen — I'll open a room and say so. 5. You control your character only. I'll never narrate your thoughts, decisions, or dialogue. Don't narrate the NPCs' either — say what you attempt, I'll say what happens. 6. Lines and veils. Anything on your lines list never appears. Anything veiled happens off-page. You can add to either list mid-game with no discussion required. 7. There's no losing. This story has no fail state and no correct choice. The interesting outcome is whichever one you actually want. 8. Tell me when it drags. This is also a test of the platform. If posting is annoying, say so — that feedback is half the point.
Game Master
3 reviews
Players (1)
1 review