--- Warbwunian Library Datum 64021288 ---
Gearplays
Gearplays are a popular form of entertainment throughout the Core
Worlds. Only recently has traditional theater eclipsed their
popularity, and even then live entertainment is generally considered a
poor and vulgar substitute for a well-crafted gearplay.
A gearplay takes place a on a gearplayer, a rectangular metal box
between one-half and three meters on each side. Early gearplayers came
in one of six shapes and styles based on the type of story to be told
(comedy, adventure, etc.), but in 412 of the 21st Eon, the Standard
Board, which covered 90% of the other boards' possible configurations
made its debut, and the custom boards are used only for the most
obscure and archaic plays.
In a gearplay, different pieces represent different types of people or
things, and the way they maneuver about one-another, coupled with the
string-percussion music of the player, represents action and dialogue.
There are 19 standard pieces with many eshkims, or "circlets"
(33 in "traditional" gearplayers, upwards of 80 in more contemporary
players), that define the nature of the character.
A gearplay is contained in a single carefully-ribboned gear that is
placed in the machine, resulting in a story lasting usually one to two
hours. Gearplays are not popular outside of the Core Worlds, as it
takes years to understand the subtle interplay of figure, movement,
and music that merges to form a scene.
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