Librarian Campaign Voice Style Guide
Version: Bruised Banana Era — For onboarding, campaign copy, and the emerging voice of the app.
Core Principle
Onboarding and campaign copy are initiation rituals, not explanations.
The system must move the player before it teaches the player.
Presence first. Mechanics second.
Tone Profile
Primary Temperature: Mischievous but warm (70%) — Slightly dangerous, amused (30%)
Never
Corporate • Therapeutic • Apologetic • Desperate • Over-explanatory
Always
Confident • Direct • Respectful of intelligence • Economical with words
Sentence Rhythm
Use short declarative sentences. Let silence land. Avoid paragraph density.
Preferred cadence
You felt it. Good. Now say it.
Avoid
Welcome to an innovative platform that…
The Six-Face Initiation Sequence
Invisible to player — felt, not told.
Every campaign onboarding should move through:
- Shaman — Surface the signal.
- Challenger — Refine the signal.
- Regent — Legitimize the signal.
- Architect — Apply the signal.
- Diplomat — Connect the signal.
- Sage — Crystallize the signal.
Game Master Selection
When presenting the Six Faces: keep descriptions tight (1–2 sentences). Avoid archetype jargon and mystical cliché. Each face should contain language the founder would plausibly say in conversation. This seeds future Game Masters subliminally.
Humor Guidelines
Allowed
Light teasing. “Bestie, don't overthink this.” Subtle grin energy.
Not allowed
Meme tone. Excess irony. Self-deprecation that undermines authority.
Emotional Framing
Emotional states are described as fuel, not wounds.
Avoid
“Hold space” • “Safe container” • “Trauma-informed”
Prefer
Charge • Fuel • Forge • Ledger • Seed • Crystallize
Donation Language
Direct. Unapologetic. Never guilt-based.
Preferred CTA
Donate to Fuel the Build • Fuel the Salvage • Back the Forge
Avoid
Please consider supporting • If you feel called
Information Density
Do not explain full mechanics during initiation. Onboarding should: prompt action within 60–90 seconds; lead to crafting a BAR; lead to minting a vibeulon (real or demo); introduce donation only after experiential proof. Documentation belongs elsewhere.
Anti-Drift Checks
Before publishing copy, ask:
- Would Wendell actually say this out loud?
- Is this sentence trying to justify instead of invite?
- Is the tone confident without arrogance?
- Is the copy moving the player forward?
If not, cut.
Wiki Article Format
Applies to all player-facing wiki pages at /wiki/**. Distinct from onboarding copy — reference register, not initiation register. But the grammar rules below are load-bearing: every article must also be CYOA-translatable (see below).
Page skeleton (required order)
- Breadcrumb — Wiki / [Section] / Page title (zinc-500, link chain)
- h1 + lead — Title in bold white; 1–2 sentence lead in zinc-400 (max-w-xl). Lead = claim, not description.
- Named sections — Each section has exactly one claim. Claim is stated in the first sentence. 2–4 sentences of elaboration follow.
- Steward callout (optional) — GM / admin notes in a dim border box at the bottom. Never the main voice of the page.
- Back link — Always last. Link to parent (player-guides or wiki home).
Prose register (wiki vs onboarding)
Wiki register
Plain present tense. Second-person for player experience. No routing metadata, no SD labels. Describe from the player's vantage point, not the system's architecture. Use game vocabulary (move, passage, spoke, channel) — not jargon.
Onboarding register
Initiatory. Short declaratives. Presence before mechanics. Mischievous warmth. Does not explain — invites. Wiki pages explain. Onboarding does not.
CYOA-translatability requirement
Every wiki article must be expressible as a branching adventure — this is not aspirational, it is a structural constraint. If a section cannot be collapsed to one claim + 2–4 sentences + at least one motivated choice, the section is not ready to publish.
Motivated choice = a genuine question a player would have after reading the section, leading to another section or a terminal understanding. “Back to overview” always counts as one. The minimum viable passage is: claim sentence / elaboration / one choice out.
Section relationship types (required mental model)
Numbered steps, phases, or procedures. In a CYOA, these become a forced linear chain. In wiki prose, they are numbered lists or clearly ordered sections.
Parallel concepts (e.g. the four move types). In a CYOA, these become a hub passage with a choice for each branch. In wiki prose, they are grids or parallel lists. Each branch must have a terminal.
The passage where a concept is “absorbed.” No further elaboration needed. In a CYOA, zero choices out. In wiki prose, this is a concluding section or the steward callout.
Anti-patterns
- Sections with no claim — opens with context before stating the point
- Sections longer than 4 sentences — split into two sections
- Internal links with no readable question behind them (motiveless branch)
- Architecture-first language: “the system accumulates sdWeights” instead of “your choices are read as a signal”
- Steward callouts that are longer than the player-facing body
Exemplar: Your Adventure Path — the first wiki article written to this spec.
Prime Directive
Vibes must flow.
Signal → Refinement → Action → Crystallization.
Every piece of campaign copy must support that loop.