Welcome to Toivoa
A Living World of Collaborative Storytelling
Toivoa is an original fantasy storytelling universe created by GM Eric, creator and Narrative Director of GM Eric's Gaming Experiences, LLC.
Unlike traditional campaign settings, Toivoa is a persistent, evolving world where multiple groups of adventurers inhabit the same reality simultaneously. Every victory, failure, alliance, discovery, war, and catastrophe has the potential to reshape the world for everyone else.
The world is not static…it remembers.
What Makes Toivoa Different?
Most tabletop roleplaying campaigns exist in isolation. A single group goes on adventures, their story concludes, and the world effectively resets for another group elsewhere.
Toivoa was built differently.
Every campaign takes place within the same living world-state. Actions taken by one group may influence politics, economies, religions, wars, factions, and even the opportunities available to players in completely different campaigns.
A kingdom saved by one party may become a destination for another. A villain defeated in one story may leave a power vacuum felt across the continent. A relic discovered by one group may become the center of a future conflict years later.
Every story matters.
A Six-Year Collaborative Narrative Experiment
Since 2020, Toivoa has hosted dozens of campaigns and story arcs spanning thousands of hours of live storytelling. What began as a campaign setting has evolved into a collaborative narrative universe shared by hundreds of participants.
Today, multiple active parties explore different corners of the world, each contributing to its ongoing history. No two groups experience the same version of Toivoa.
The world changes constantly.
The Philosophy Behind Toivoa
At its heart, Toivoa is built around a simple idea:
Stories matter most when people help create them.
The setting exists as a collaborative artistic space where players become active contributors to a living narrative rather than passive consumers of a predetermined story.
Every player character leaves a mark. Every decision creates consequences. Every story becomes part of a larger tapestry.
Storytelling Through Technology
To support this vision, proprietary tools and systems have been developed to make collaborative storytelling more engaging, more accessible, and more inclusive.
These include:
Shared-world narrative tracking systems
Live audience-facing gameplay displays
Dynamic storytelling visualizations
Custom avatar-based player representation
Privacy-focused participation tools
These systems allow participants to engage with storytelling regardless of geographic location while maintaining control over personal privacy.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Not everyone is comfortable appearing on camera.
Many participants work in professions where privacy matters.
Some are military personnel.
Some are business owners.
Some are public-facing professionals.
Toivoa's custom avatar system allows participants to contribute fully to collaborative storytelling while remaining private and secure.
The focus remains where it belongs:
On the story.
The World
Toivoa is a world of:
ancient mysteries
fallen civilizations
heroic sacrifice
political intrigue
exploration
wonder
hope
Its name comes from the Finnish word:
Toivoa
Meaning:
Hope
Even in the darkest stories, hope endures.
Current Productions
The world of Toivoa is currently explored through multiple active campaigns, each occupying a unique place within the broader setting and timeline.
Every campaign contributes to the evolving history of the world.
Every story matters.
About the Creator
GM Eric is an interactive storytelling artist, narrative designer, creative technologist, and professional Game Master who has facilitated thousands of hours of collaborative storytelling.
Through Toivoa, GM Eric explores new approaches to community-driven narrative experiences, blending worldbuilding, performance, technology, education, and collaborative authorship into a single living artistic work.