PPC Manual

The PPC Manual is an informational guide to the PPC published by the Board of Department Heads for the edification of all agents. It has had at least two editions, though the existence of the first is dubious. Being written by Flowers, its perspective and tone are a little odd at times.

It should not be confused with the PPC Handbook, though it is sometimes referred to as one. The difference is that the Handbook is an unofficial reference that was written by agents, for agents.

First Edition

The original Manual may have been three volumes each the size of a world-class dictionary, or it may have been a single thick paperback that weighed 200 pounds. Then again, it may have been a booklet that could fit into the back pocket of a pair of jeans. It may not have actually existed, but a few particularly resourceful agents were able to get their hands on a copy anyway c. 2002-2003 HST. Certainly, no copies of it exist today, but a little is known of its contents.

Contents

Agent Jasper, who received a three-volume Manual, observed that the first volume contained an eye-popping explanation of the PPC, including "mystic travel to other places, not to mention elaborate circuitry," fanfiction, and Mary Sues.

There was also a thick section with all the rules, directives, and regulations. This is likely to be the source of Regulation 5c, "no pets," as cited by Agent Acacia. Around the same time, Acacia also mentioned in a review that she didn't think Upstairs would let Agent Jasper take her mini on a mission.

An unspecified volume or volumes of Jasper's Manual explained the use of PPC equipment.

Agent Architeuthis corroberates that her Manual contained an explanation of Mary Sues, their attributes, and a list of chargeable items to look for when evaluating a fic.

Agent Aria's paperback Manual included the following rule about staying hidden on page 320, paragraph four: "Unlike canon characters, Mary Sues can see PPC agents. Because of this, it is essential to stay out of eyesight and earshot of all Mary Sues." It also explained concepts such as bit characters, charging the Sue, and how to use a remote activator.

The following snippets of text from the booklet-sized Manual are courtesy of Agent Saphie Ellings of the Department of Bad Parody, Troll Division:

• PPC Headquarters was founded in . . . to protect fandoms from the scourge of badfic . . . using devices called remote activators to go into bad stories and repair the damage they do to canon . . .
• split into many departments and divisions, and covering many fandoms . . . Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter fandoms are highly afflicted . . .
• Mary Sue division . . . Intelligence . . . Makes-Things makes things, and creates many devices and useful gadgets . . .
• Heads of Departments . . . Sunflower Official . . . Wisteria . . . Kelp . . .
• PPC Headquarters is not liable for an agent's death or mental breakdown . . .
• welcome to the PPC, the career of a lifetime . . . .

Second Edition

The second edition is an eleven-volume tome, claimed to be down from twelve. Its content (such as a blurb written by the Wisteria) dates its publication c. 2006 HST, prior to Crashing Down.

PDF copies of the second edition were equipped standard on all consoles in early October, 2006. Physical copies were also available.

Status

The PPC Manual: Second Edition is archived here, at PPC: The Lost Tales.

While browsing, you may notice that some sections are devoid of content. This is because the project was started in 2006 in Real World time, way way back lo these many years ago before we had a wiki. Then, in late 2007, we got a wiki, and the Manual was surpassed before it was ever completed. The project leaders (hS and Neshomeh) are still around, but have turned their attentions to the wiki other things.

Contents

The following is a list of the Manual's books and chapters, indicating their status of Complete or Incomplete.

1. So You've Decided to Become a PPC Agent (Incomplete)
   1. Welcome to the PPC! [Welcoming remarks from the Flowers] (Complete)
   2. Expanding that Acronym [Who we are and what we do] (Incomplete)
   3. History of the Protectors [From the first agents to the present] (Complete)
   4. Be Mad, It Helps [The mental state of the agents and why it exists] (Complete)
   5. Placement and Training [Yes, in that order] (Complete)
2. Plotholes and Flowers – Surviving HQ (Complete)
   1. Shades of Grey [The nature of HQ] (Complete)
   2. It's Run By What? [The Flowers, why they're here, and the organisation of the PPC] (Complete)
   3. Where Am I? [A list of useful locations in HQ] (Complete)
   4. How Do I Get There? [Navigating HQ] (Complete)
   5. "There's this Guy in My Response Centre..." [How to survive your new partner] (Complete)
   6. "Mr. Rogers! Mr. Rogers!" [How to avoid being killed by your fellow agents] (Complete)
3. Department of What, Now? (Incomplete)
   1. What We Mean by Department [The difference between Department and Division] (Complete)
   2. Department of What, Now? [Tables of Departments, heads, and emblems] (Complete)
   3. Action [Extended descriptions of the Action Departments] (Incomplete)
   4. Infrastructure [Extended descriptions of the Infrastructure Departments] (Incomplete)
   5. Charge Lists and What to Include [General and Department-specific] (Incomplete)
4. So We Were Stupid Enough to Give You a Weapon (Incomplete)
   1. You Are Not a Mary-Sue, You Cannot Aim [Weapons training and why it is necessary] (Complete)
   2. Shape-Shifting in Style [Disguises and why we use them] (Complete)
   3. "My Bowstring Just Snapped!" [Creative assassinations] (Incomplete)
   4. Borrowed Weapons [The use and misuse of 'Sueish weapons] (Incomplete)
   5. No Need for a Graveyard [On the disposal of bodies] (Incomplete)
   6. All Those Other Gizmos [Other PPC technology] (Incomplete)
5. How to Spot a Mary-Sue (Incomplete)
   1. So, What the Heck is a Mary-Sue, Anyway? [Defining characteristics] (Complete)
   2. "Arms and Legs and Everything" [Beauty is overrated] (Incomplete)
   3. "OMG teh ANGST!!1" [Her sad story] (Incomplete)
   4. "Phenomenal Cosmic Power!" [She can't do that!] (Incomplete)
   5. It's On Your Console for a Reason [On the assignment of missions] (Incomplete)
   6. "Why Won't She Die?" [Types of 'Sues and how to kill them] (Incomplete)
6. Bad Slash and Male Pregnancies – Yes, They Can Happen (Complete)
   1. Not All Slash is Bad Slash [Tolerating slash even though it's not your thing] (Complete)
   2. Some of It, However, Is [How to spot bad slash] (Complete)
   3. Canon? AU? Ambiguous? [How OOC do the characters need to be for it to work] (Complete)
   4. Sex Scenes and How to Survive Them [Not your grade school sex-ed class] (Complete)
   5. Not Biologically Possible [M-preg and disposing of foetuses] (Complete)
   6. Why AU Can't Get You Out of Everything [When AU goes too far] (Complete)
   7. Removing the Author's Influence over the Canons [Exorcising the 'Sue spirit] (Complete)
   8. Tying Up Loose Ends [It's not over 'til it's over] (Complete)
7. Fandoms (Incomplete)
   1. Where You Might Be Swept Off To [A list of covered fandoms] (Incomplete)
   2. The Elder Days – Tolkienverse [Brief Canon summary, common mistakes, and other useful information] (Incomplete)
   3. Modern Magic – Potterverse [Ditto] (Incomplete)
   4. The High Seas – Pirates of the Caribbean [Ditto] (Incomplete)
   5. (Insert Major Fandoms Here) [Ditto] (Incomplete)
   6. The Canon Library [Source material and where to find it] (Complete)
8. Canon and What Not to Do With It (Incomplete)
   1. Home from Home [The downfalls of spending lots of time in Canon] (Incomplete)
   2. Anachronism [Don't leave a mess when you leave] (Complete)
   3. He's Cute, but Leave Him Alone [Lust Objects and how not to glomp them] (Complete)
   4. Fire and Water – Wholesale Devastation [Please don't destroy the Canon] (Incomplete)
   5. Don't Try This at Home [Story collapses and other end-of-the-world scenarios] (Incomplete)
9. Cause and Effect – What Will Happen if You Break the Rules (Incomplete)
   1. We Hope Never to See You in Our Offices [Why breaking the rules is a bad plan] (Complete)
   2. Minor Offences [Don't annoy us, or else] (Incomplete)
   3. Major Offences [You wouldn't like us when we're angry] (Incomplete)
   4. "You Left Legolas Where?!" [When there are no words] (Incomplete)
10. Time and Space – We Are Not Alone (Incomplete)
    1. The Legacy of Miss Cam [The nature and a list of OFUs] (Incomplete)
    2. A First Time for Everything – OFUM [About OFUM] (Incomplete)
    3. Exchange Program – Other OFUs [About HFA and others] (Incomplete)
    4. "It's Not Spelt Like That!" [Minis and what to do with them] (Incomplete)
    5. We Are Not Alone [Other trans-dimensional organisations] (Incomplete)
11. Retirement, Pay, Holidays, and Benefits (Complete)
    1. Retirement, Pay, Holidays, and Benefits [It's not that we don't want to] (Complete)

External Links

• The PPC Manual: Second Edition at PPC: The Lost Tales.