-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 307
Narrative Style Guide
This guide covers the narrative and dialogue conventions for Threadbare. It applies to the main game narrative (LoreQuests) and serves as a reference for StoryQuest contributors — though StoryQuests may choose their own voice and style.
For content rules (what themes and language are permitted), see Content Guidelines. For the game's thematic foundations, see Core Pillars.
Use three separate dots ... in dialogue, not the single Unicode ellipsis character ….
✅ Correct:
"I thought... I thought you had gone."❌ Incorrect:"I thought… I thought you had gone."
This matters because dialogue text is animated character by character in Threadbare. Three separate dots animate naturally; the single Unicode character does not.
Threadbare's world is built from the language of fabric, weaving, and storytelling. This shapes how characters speak, how places are named, and how the world is described.
The overall tone of Threadbare is warm, imaginative, and slightly whimsical — but with genuine emotional depth. The world is in real danger, and the stakes are real, but the response to that danger is creativity, connection, and care — not darkness or despair.
Think: the warmth of a good story told around a fire. The game is mildly scary in places (The Void is genuinely threatening) but never bleak or hopeless.
- Characters speak in a slightly heightened, literary register — not archaic or Shakespearean, but thoughtful and considered. They use language carefully.
- Humour is welcome and encouraged, but it should be gentle and character-driven rather than sarcastic or ironic.
- Characters do not use profanity, strong language, or innuendo.
The world's central metaphor is weaving and fabric. This should be woven (!) into names, descriptions, and dialogue naturally — not forced:
| Real-world concept | Threadbare equivalent |
|---|---|
| Breaking/falling apart | Unraveling, fraying |
| Repairing/building | Weaving, stitching, mending |
| The world / reality | The Fabric |
| Destruction / loss | The Void; being unmade |
| Cultural memory | Threads of Memory, Imagination, Spirit |
| Community / connection | The weave; the stitching of things together |
The player character. Silent in most interactions (the player projects themselves onto the StoryWeaver). When the StoryWeaver does have dialogue, keep it minimal and expressive.
Ancient, dignified, and deeply sad — the weight of all they have seen and lost is evident in how they speak. They are not cold or formal; they are tired, but still warm. They care deeply.
More informal and commercial than the Elders — they are traders and purveyors. Friendly, slightly eccentric, with a merchant's patter. They can be amusing without being clowns.
As seen in Frith Fraywalker's Letter — poetic, urgent, and defiant even in extremis. A voice that finds beauty in resistance. Uses the first person with intimacy and directness.
As seen in Observing the Unseen and When Fabric Fades — dry, precise, and increasingly unreliable as the Void consumes the authors themselves. The horror is in the gaps.
Threadbare names lean into the fabric and craft metaphor: Fray's End, the Eternal Loom, Frith Fraywalker, Bobbin Blench, Noria NeedleNest, Dr. Lint Reweaver, the Clothborne Coven.
When creating new names:
- Use craft, textile, or sewing vocabulary as a source (warp, weft, bobbin, needle, loom, thread, stitch, fray, seam, hem...)
- Combine with evocative, slightly poetic English words
- Avoid modern or anachronistic references
- Place names often reflect what has been lost or what is threatened (Frays End, Forgotten Forests, Lost Library, Song Sanctuaries)
The lore exemplars demonstrate several effective narrative forms for in-world documents. Contributors are encouraged to use these or invent their own:
| Form | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Personal letter | Frith Fraywalker's Letter | Intimate, emotional accounts; first-person perspective |
| Historical account | The Legacy of Bobbin Blench | Long-form storytelling; the slow decay of culture |
| Scientific observations | Observing the Unseen | Technical/analytical voices; systemic effects |
| Medical report | When Fabric Fades | Clinical language used to describe the uncanny |
Good Threadbare lore:
- Connects to one or more Core Pillars (Memory, Imagination, Spirit)
- Expands the world without contradicting established canon
- Has an in-world author, date, and location
- Uses the fabric/weaving metaphor naturally
- Leaves room for imagination — it doesn't over-explain
Prefer US English spellings for in-game text, dialogue, and source code:
- "Color" not "colour"
- "Traveler" not "traveller"
Exception: StoryQuests may use any language or spelling convention. Learners are encouraged to write in the language they are most comfortable with.
- Use "dialogue" when referring to in-game speech (following the DialogueManager API)
- Use "dialog" when referring to a UI dialog box
Part of Building the Game and Making a StoryQuest | See also: Visual Style Guide, Audio Style Guide, Content Guidelines