The Manual › A Living World

The World Moves On

People you aren't with keep pursuing their own goals. Come back after a few days and things may have changed.

The people in your story have their own wants. When they aren't in the scene with you, they keep working towards them as time passes.

  • A short wait gives them a little progress; a skip of a day or more gives them a lot.
  • Rivals and factions work through their plans in stages. If a gang is planning a raid and gets to the final stage before you step in, the raid happens whether you're there or not.
  • When someone achieves their goal off-screen, the narrator brings the consequences into your next scene: a rival has the promotion, a debt collector has found your lodgings, a friend has left town.

Making it work for you

  • Keep track of who wants what in your Directory.
  • Skipping time is never free. If someone is plotting against you, a week's rest may give them the week they needed. See Time & the Clock.
  • To stop someone, you may need leverage over them: see Social Puzzles & Leverage.

See also

Last updated 2026-10-08