Build specification

Alternative-Reality Game Layer#

The ARG is opt-in and supplemental. No core Level 1 completion requires travel, purchase, public posting, contacting a stranger, trespass, deception, or unsafe behavior.

Channels#

Signed public web pages, optional emails/messages, printable artifacts, partner events, and geofenced public locations may carry clues. Every off-platform artifact includes an authenticity signature/short code, expiry, accessibility alternative, safety boundary, privacy disclosure, and in-game return path.

First ARG thread#

The Second Bell may produce a signed page whose publication timestamp predates a player’s note. The page offers three safe actions: inspect provenance online, bring the clue to Stella, or ignore it. No search engine result or third-party message is treated as trusted instruction. Player-submitted evidence remains draft Wisdom until provenance and permission are reviewed.

Safety#

No child targeting, doxxing, hidden recording, impersonation, emergency-service interference, medical/legal/financial instruction, or fabricated institutional authority. A global pause switch disables outbound clues without invalidating in-game progress.