noxabellus'

Anamnesis:

The Eidolon Tapestries

Socialization

The Social Arena is not a physical place; it is a formal state of focused, non-violent conflict between two or more agents. An agent enters this state when its Goal is directly opposed by another, and it chooses a social, rather than a physical, path to resolution. This section details the core mechanics of interpersonal interaction. It defines the universal, turn-based system that governs how all sapient agents resolve non-violent conflicts. This system is the engine of politics, commerce, and ideology within any Tapestry.

Contents

For the player, this system is experienced through the diegetic Social Arena Interface.

For NPCs, it is a core function of their cognitive loop, a structured process for achieving their social goals.

Turn-Based System

Once initiated, the Social Arena operates as a turn-based exchange. This ensures a clear, legible flow of action and reaction, allowing for deep strategic play.

  1. Initiative: The agent that initiates the interaction typically takes the first turn.
  2. The Turn: On its turn, an agent can perform one or more social “actions” from its available toolbox.
  3. The Response: The other participants observe the action, update their internal state based on their own cognitive appraisal, and then take their turn to respond.
  4. Resolution: The Arena state persists until one of three conditions is met:
    • Agreement: A mutual understanding is reached, and the conflict is resolved.
    • Stalemate: One or more parties disengage, ending the interaction without resolution. This may damage the relationship.
    • Escalation: The social conflict fails, and one party chooses to escalate to the Physical Arena of Violence.

Social Genome

The social genome is a dual-layered system based on Social Tags, that defines an agent’s social identity through two distinct but interrelated sources: Innate Tags and Perceived Tags. This allows us to codify the first layer of the complex interplay between an agent’s authentic self and the subjective perceptions of others; the conflict between one’s own Psyche and the ways its Vessel is perceived.

Social Needs

The Social Needs models each agent’s internal social drives as a dynamic balance between competing desires: the need for authenticity (to be seen as one’s true self), the need for exposure protection (to remain hidden or guarded), and the need for obfuscation (to control or manipulate social narratives); as well as needs modeling perspectives on the dynamics of Consent. These needs shape an agent’s social personality, influence their vulnerabilities, and determine how they engage in the Social Arena. The interplay of these drives creates nuanced, emergent social behaviors, making every interaction a negotiation between honesty, self-protection, and deception.

Cultural Role Framework

Social identity in ATET is a dynamic interplay between an agent’s internal self and the roles their society provides. The Social Roles provide the master system that governs this interaction. Every Faction defines its culture through a list of Social Role Schemas, which are the blueprints for identities like gender, class, and profession. An agent’s personal journey is a constant negotiation with these cultural expectations, driven by an internal Resonance Check that measures how well a performed role aligns with their authentic Psyche.

Social Rules

The Tradition system defines how Beliefs are transformed into resilient, collective realities within a Faction. It details the mechanics by which groups canonize texts, establish priesthoods, create rituals, and enforce orthodoxy, shaping both group identity and individual experience. Tradition is a dynamic force in the Social Arena, providing powerful tools for unity and cohesion, but also introducing vulnerabilities and the potential for dissent, heresy, and the creation of new factions.

The Consent system governs the rules of engagement in the Social Arena, ensuring that all parties are willing participants in the interaction. It establishes the boundaries of acceptable behavior, defining what constitutes a valid action and what is considered a violation of social norms. Consent is not just a passive agreement; it is an active, ongoing process that can be revoked at any time, leading to potential disengagement or escalation.

Social Toolbox

The key to this system is its unified nature. Agents have a “toolbox” of three core social verbs they can seamlessly pivot between during their turn. A single turn might involve an act of conversation, followed by a trade offer, in an attempt to build a complex argument.

  • Conversation: The exchange of information, belief, and emotion. This is the tool for persuasion, intimidation, and understanding. It is the primary way agents attempt to alter the internal, cognitive state of one another.

  • Trading: The exchange of physical goods. This is the tool of material incentive, used to resolve conflicts over resources or to sweeten a deal. It is governed by the principles of subjective value.

  • Negotiation: The exchange of formal promises. This is the tool for creating binding, systemic agreements, from simple contracts to the founding of entire factions. It is the verb of social construction.

These three verbs are not separate game modes. They are the core actions of the Social Arena, each with its own mechanics and strategic implications. An agent can fluidly transition between them, using conversation to set up a trade, or negotiation to formalize an agreement reached through dialogue. These actions are governed by Anatomy, Facets, and Cognition. They also have a direct correlation with the agent’s Needs. All of these factors should effect the presentation of the actions within the Subjective Interface, in aesthetically-intuitive ways.

Courtship

The process of forming deep interpersonal bonds is a high-stakes application of the Social Arena. Courtship is governed by a two-stage Attraction as Appraisal system, where an agent’s logical mind vets a potential partner against its beliefs and experiences, while its subconscious soul performs a Resonance Check for that intangible “chemistry” that can defy all logic. This creates a nuanced and psychologically grounded model for desire and attraction.

Relationships

A formal Relationship is a persistent Agreement forged through Negotiation. Its health, stability, and narrative consequences are determined by its Consent Integrity—a measure of the willingness of all parties. This ethical engine allows for the emergent creation of the full spectrum of bonds, from joyful and enthusiastic partnerships built on trust to brittle and resentful unions born of coercion, ensuring that every relationship has a tangible and believable impact on the agents involved.