TEXT: detritus
  a character creation game that makes you clean your room // © 2019 fenced forest media / blake s. 
   
  YOU WILL NEED 
   
  One moderately-to-severely messy room. Messier is better. Do not deliberately mess up a room in order to do this activity. Works best 
  with a lived-in room that has a lot of things in it. (If you don’t have a messy room to clean, skip to the Items list, write down 20 items 
  you want to associate with your new character, and roll 1d20 to determine which questions they will map to. On a repeat roll, choose 
  one from questions 21-23 to answer.) 
   
   
  TO PLAY 
   
  First, be sure you have a preliminary idea of what game, genre, or context your character is being created for, and keep that in mind as 
  you proceed. Print the character sheet on the following page before beginning, but do not read it, and do not read the list of items. 
  Alternatively, you may hand write the questions and answers. 
   
  On a day when you are able, at a time of day when you are at your best, you are going to clean your messy room. 
   
  Light some incense, smoke a bowl or have a drink, put on some music or a podcast, meditate, put on certain clothes -- whatever you 
  do to center yourself when you do housework. 
   
  As you clean the room, set aside any small, common objects you find out of place. Do not put them away immediately; rather, place 
  them in a container of their own to the side. Objects that are unusual, unique, or hard to describe can be ignored, or included if you 
  don't mind your imagination having a bit more work to do. Things which might normally be thrown away should also be included. 
  Gather as many different types of things as you can; ideally you’ll want at least twenty. 
   
  Finish cleaning and organizing until your space is one you are satisfied with. 
   
  When you've finished cleaning, refer to your container of assorted items. Pull each out, one at a time, in no particular order, and 
  arrange them in a line. Group like with like (all pens together, all forks together, etc). 
   
  Each item or set of items will be used to answer one of up to twenty-three questions. Check each item against the list on the 
  worksheet to determine its best fitting meaning. Read these like tarot cards, they need be taken neither literally nor linearly. 
  In turning the item into an answer, consider its physical qualities. Skim through all possibilities before determining an item is not on the 
  list. If an item does not appear on the list, answer the question with the next item. Set the unlisted item aside until the end. When you 
  run out of items on the list, use the unlisted items as inspiration to answer questions that have not been answered, or to inspire new 
  facts about the character being created if the questions have been fully exhausted. If you do not have enough items to answer all the 
  questions, answer the remaining ones on your own. If you have more items than questions, write meanings for them on the back, if you 
  like. You can use these later to flesh out your character during play. 
   
  If you really, really, really wanna roll dice, you can use a d20 to determine the order of the questions, choosing from 21-23 on a repeat. 
  You don't need to roll dice. But it can be fun. (If you picked from the list instead of cleaning a room, you do need to roll dice.) 
   
  Your completed worksheet will be a profile of a character which can then be used within your chosen system’s character creation 
  process. Keep it with your in-game documents, or allow your GM to pull themes from it for your character’s story arc. 
   
  And? Your room is clean. Gotcha. 
   
  I recommend ritually showering and recentering after doing this exercise. Drink water and get something to eat. 
   
   
  
   
         date:  _____________  
         player:  ___________ 
         character name:  
         ___________________ 
         pronouns: ____ / ____ 
         system:  ___________ 
   
   
  1.
  Who or what is this character’s closest companion, most 
  trusted ally, or most essential possession? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  2.
  What do they spend a lot of time doing or thinking about? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  3.
  What parts of common life are they especially averse to? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  4.
  What is the meaning or story of their name? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  5.
  What have they lost and seek to avenge, regain, or replace? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  6.
  What is their purpose in life, in their own eyes? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  7.
  What is their signature tool, technique, or weapon? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  8.
  How do they feel about romance and sexuality? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  9.
  What is a less important or hidden interest they have? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  10. What impression does their appearance give off? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  11. How would this person like to be thought of by others? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  12. How is this person thought of by others? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  13. What places of marginalization & privilege do they occupy? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  14. What is their family like? Their hometown? 
  ___________________________________________________ 
  Finish any question you didn’t have room for either below or on the back. 
  Draw your character here! 
   
  15. What tropes does this character fall into? 
  _______________________________________ 
  16. What tropes does this character subvert? 
  _______________________________________ 
  17. What phase of life are they in? 
  _______________________________________ 
  18. What are they afraid of? 
  _______________________________________ 
  19. What shameful secret do they carry? 
  _______________________________________ 
  20. What were they unfairly blamed for? 
  _______________________________________ 
  21. What are they best at? 
  _______________________________________ 
  22. What is their most serious flaw? 
  _______________________________________ 
  23. What do they do for a living? 
  _______________________________________ 
  © 2019 fenced forest media
  . 
   
  
  ITEMS AND THEIR MEANINGS 
   
   
  Adapters or chargers 
  a home base. a familiar place or person which gives power. restoration. rest. sleep. a hostel. a station. 
   
  Art objects 
  derive meaning from the object itself. 
   
  Art supplies 
  the means or act of creation. a creator. a creative discipline. 
   
  Bandaids 
  first aid. healing. attention to the needs of others. a quick fix. 
   
  Batteries 
  a second wind. a gift which makes the difference between life and death. the help of others. 
   
  Beads 
  instead of one thing, come up with a list of several different things. choose based on what the beads' colors remind you of. 
   
  Bobby pins 
  difficult solutions. rigidity. functionality. picking a lock. 
   
  Body jewelry 
  self-determination. a decorated individual. performance and pageantry. 
   
  Bones 
  a sibyl. a destroyer. meat. the end. 
   
  Books 
  a wizard or scholar. a library or librarian. books. old knowledge. reading and writing. 
   
  Bottle caps 
  a poor substitute. a street currency. a weighted flipping coin. a crooked gambler. pandora's box. 
   
  Bottle or can openers 
  bottles, empty. bottles, full. enjoyment and the potential for enjoyment. a letting out. potions. spirits. 
   
  Bracelets 
  shackles or claims. displaying one’s wealth. self-decoration. celebration. a clanging. 
   
  Bread tags 
  whatever kept it together is gone now, having been thought unimportant. in that absence, everything falls. 
   
  Broken pieces of things 
  broken pieces of things. 
   
  Business cards 
  a stranger with an opportunity for you. an offer of help. a referral. 
  
  Cables or cords 
  important connections. the ties that feed with power. 
   
  Candles or wax 
  what is left after the fire. a hardening, softenable. a derivation, returnable. 
   
  Candy 
  sugarspun dreams and sugarcoated lies, sick from so much of it. 
   
  Chopsticks 
  versatility. poise. control. precision. a stake for a vampire. 
   
  Chip clips, other clamps or clips 
  a valve. airtight. occlusion. a tightening. conservation. a person who abhors waste. 
   
  Cigarettes or weed 
  an interstitial moment. a quick break. a soothing habit. psychoactive plants. smoking. a smoker. 
   
  Cleaning tools 
  covering up. cleaning up. tidiness, cleanliness. fixing mistakes. removing evidence. a housekeeper. a tidy person. 
   
  Clothing or accessories 
  essentials. outfits. wardrobe. fashion. a well-dressed person. 
   
  Coffee or bar items 
  productivity. morning writing. a scholarly, creative, or official type of person. 
   
  Coins 
  money, but not a lot. minimum wage. tips. grunt work. a person without much. 
   
  Combs or brushes 
  hair. self-maintenance. a nice appearance. daily care. a well-groomed and stylish person. 
   
  Condoms 
  sex. a sexual partner. protection. armor. 
   
  Containers 
  organization. compartmentalization. secrets that ought to stay kept. things in their places. a stranger taking over. 
   
  Cooking implements 
  home cooked meals. comfort. welcomeness. a gracious host. 
   
  Corks 
  a secret let loose. a seal broken. something released which cannot be returned. potions. a bottled spirit. 
   
  Corkscrews 
  wine. vineyards. vines. grapes. removal by force. a vintner. a sommelier. 
   
  Crystals 
  elemental forces. magical resonance. the aura. an energy worker. 
  
  Dead insects 
  ghosts and skeletons. quick lives. unwanted creatures. the casualties. 
   
  Deodorant 
  propriety. a poker face. good grooming. a covered stench. concealing one’s nature. 
   
  Dice 
  the whim of fate. an unfair thing to befall you. an unearned success. a critical failure. 
   
  Disks, cassettes or cartridges 
  a story within a story, a game within a game. escapism. characters. a pocket world. an album. a game designer. a composer. 
   
  Dryer sheets 
  the person or thing that provides the small pleasant touches. 
   
  Earbuds 
  internal life of the mind. music. a podcast. a whispered-in ear. 
   
  Earrings 
  opulence, nobility, royalty, someone who acts like royalty 
   
  Erasers 
  a mistake that can be taken back. forgiveness. covering one’s tracks. 
   
  Feathers 
  the archer. the fletcher. the poor bird. 
   
  Food crumbs 
  take what you can, it isn’t much. a trail left for the lost. 
   
  Forks 
  a stabbing crudeness. to seize by force. eating. 
   
  Fur or hair 
  the lining of a nest. fibers. traces. evidence. 
   
  Game tokens or minis 
  strategy. positioning. tactics. war as play. 
   
  Gardening supplies 
  subsistence. connection to the earth. gardening. a garden. crops. fresh produce. a gardener. a farmer. a farm. 
   
  Gum or breath mints 
  flavor. intensity. sensation. taste. 
   
  Hair clips 
  setup. holding fast. standing one’s ground. staying firm. a stubborn person. 
   
  Hair ties 
  utility. sport. work. restraint. a binding. a professional person. 
  
  Incense 
  prayer. offering. ritual. a ritualist, cleric, or religious leader. 
   
  Jewelry findings or broken jewelry 
  traveling merchant. junk shop. jewelry making. a jewelry crafter. 
   
  Keys 
  workspace at home. a home base. familiarity. stewardship. a groundskeeper or janitor. 
   
  Keychains or lanyards 
  personal belongings one carries. keeping track. important things. keys. a manager. an event organizer. 
   
  Knives or other weapons 
  knives. the tarot suit of swords. combat. violence. bloodshed. a person willing to kill. a person who has killed. a murder. 
   
  Lids to things 
  diplomatic solutions. keeping something from rotting. a quiet or secretive person. 
   
  Lighters 
  fire. inspiration. heat. light. a limited source. 
   
  Lip balm 
  balm. the love of others. a softness. a girl. 
   
  Lotion 
  responsibility in care. tender handling. a caregiver. the mom friend. 
   
  Lozenges 
  take medicine and push on. a troubled singer. sickness. the throat. 
   
  Magnets 
  polarity. attraction to the opposite. revulsion to the like. a relationship of complementary opposing forces. 
   
  Makeup or nail polish 
  theatre and dance and fashion. queerness most bright and fantastic. femininity for all. a peacock. 
   
  Makeup brushes 
  refinement of skill. detail. glamour. an exceedingly put-together person. 
   
  Medical equipment, syringes, medications 
  medicine. medical care. severe injury or illness. chronic illness or disability. a pharmacist, clinician, nurse, or doctor. 
   
  Nails 
  self-defense. weapons. claws. scratching an itch. 
   
  Necklaces 
  ornament. pomp. keeping something close to one’s heart. a lover. 
   
  Needles (sewing, knitting) 
  piercing. a pinprick. a needle. sewing. a sleeping curse. 
  
  Noodles 
  starvation. dereliction. decay. abandonment. forgetting. a forgotten or abandoned person. a starving person. 
   
  Paper 
  a blank slate of unseen source. pieces of information. a collector of data. 
   
  Paper clips 
  malleability. grouping. material. metal. an office. 
   
  Pencils 
  art. drawings. drawing. an artist. an architect or designer. 
   
  Pens 
  writing. poetry. fiction. a poet. a novelist. 
   
  Perfume 
  scent and memory. overpowered. recognition. perfume. a parfumier. 
   
  Pet supplies 
  an animal. a pet. a service animal. a talking animal. 
   
  Photos 
  photographs. photography. a photographer. pictures. portraits. illustrations. likenesses. faces. visual representation. 
   
  Pills 
  chronic illness. medical conditions. a chronically ill person. palliatives. pharmacy. 
   
  Pins or buttons 
  use the pictures or text on the buttons to determine a set of answers. 
   
  Pipes 
  daydreaming. an afternoon break. sitting by the fire. watching a sunset. a grandparent. 
   
  Plant parts (not food) 
  herbs. tea. plants. a witch. 
   
  Razors 
  sharp separation. severing. clearing. cutting. a barber. a surgeon. 
   
  Religious or ritual items 
  prayer. divine intervention. a person of faith. 
   
  Ribbons or bows 
  pastels. frills. softness. pretty things. a young child. 
   
  Rings 
  promises. worth. a wedding. a handfasting. 
   
  Rubber bands 
  a slingshot. tension. fastening. gathering. a revolutionary leader. 
  
  Safety pins 
  punk. DIY. mitigated danger. someone with an edge. 
   
  Scissors 
  schism. separation. divisive events. a sharply polarizing figure. 
   
  Screws or bolts 
  an integral part. a load-bearing connection. counterclockwise. clockwise. an engineer. 
   
  Seashells 
  the beach. the sea. seafood. fishing. a fisher. a merperson. 
   
  Seasoning or sauce packets 
  spices. food. flavor. a cook. 
   
  Seeds 
  gardens. cultivation. potential. a secret kept. pregnancy or germination. a baby. 
   
  Shot Glasses 
  drinking. a great party. a night out. bars. a heavy drinker. 
   
  Soap or shampoo 
  ritual cleansing. deep cleaning. hygiene. upkeep. a bath. 
   
  Spoons 
  energy. disability. ability. capacity. measurement. 
   
  Sporks 
  versatility at the expense of dignity. someone who tries to be everything and ends up not doing much. 
   
  Sports or fitness items 
  brute strength. fitness. sports. martial arts. a fighter or athlete. a strong person. 
   
  Stamps 
  credentials. invoices. the mail. labeling. accountancy. a clerk. 
   
  Staples 
  security. fastening. a circus or sideshow performer. a carpenter. 
   
  Stickers 
  make your indelible mark, little one. 
   
  Stones 
  rigidity. hardness. weight. ancient history. fossils. gems. an archaeologist. a paleontologist. a geologist. a gemologist. 
   
  Straws 
  selectivity. a pipeline. a steady stream. advantage. a simple machine. a merchant. a restaurant. 
   
  String or thread 
  ties. ligature. knots. strings. to tie. to sew. to mend. 
  
  Sunglasses 
  summer, warmth, protection, bluster. 
   
  Tacks 
  caltrops. notices. display. a comfortable living space. a dangerous tool. 
   
  Tampons or pads 
  blood. puberty. birth. pregnancy. a month. a cycle. dysphoria. 
   
  Tape 
  tight binding. romance. marriage. adoption. attachment.  
   
  Tea 
  meditation. contemplation. ritual. repose. a quiet day reading. study. 
   
  Ticket stubs 
  sentimentality. memories of good times past. concerts. dating. friendships. theatre. music. a fan or performer. 
   
  Toothbrushes 
  mornings. evenings. maintenance. health. the teeth and mouth. a dentist. 
   
  Toothpicks or floss 
  deep and thorough criticism. calling the unspoken into the light. extirpating the rotten. aerating the soil. 
   
  Tweezers 
  perfectionism. aesthetics. nitpicking. obsession and compulsion. 
   
  Twist ties 
  tension. torsion. wire. flexibility. a seal. 
   
  Tools 
  utility. appropriateness. things that work. tools. 
   
  USB drives 
  reference. a library. knowledge. information.  
   
  Washers or nuts 
  a steadying thing. a necessary part. that which holds firm. they who hold another firm. 
   
  Watches or compasses 
  time. direction. flashy wealth. reliability. glamorous adventure. a dapper lesbian. 
   
  Wet wipes 
  preparedness. gear. grooming. cleaning. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/LARP [multi]/Detritus.pdf