FAQ

Section I: Adding New Content

I Was Looking Through Your Cgen For (A) because I had an idea for (B) and I was wondering if (C) was available on this game. I didn’t see it in any of your documents and it’s important to my (D) concept. Can you put it in for me?

Bluntly the answer is no, and it’s nothing personal. We get asked this quite abit. It’s a reality of a mush based on the D20 system that, no matter how many things we approve or include into the game, we’re always going to miss the mark for a particular players interests or ideas or concepts. It’s frankly impossible to keep up on the D20 system and each potential offering out there from WotC’s books, let alone outside sources. That said, we do occasionally release updates, and attempt to feed the game new content and new ideas now and again. However, even when doing this we’ll often be asked a question like this. Our answer is a simple one: We ask that you work with what is available in character generation. To continue to add in new things at the request of each player that passes our way would create a disastrous scenario in the long run. The game system just isn’t flexible like that and every new addition has to be made available for all players, not just the one requesting it. Be it feats, prcs, items or even spells, we ask that our players simply work with the available ones that we have. Given the sheer volume of that, for the most part you should be able to make due.

How do You Handle House Rules, RAW vs RAI, Minmaxing, etc.?

As Emblem is not by nature a PvP game, a game oriented towards minmaxing due to our diverse population, nor a Tabletop, some of our interpretations may appear somewhat different than expected. We generally have a specific reason for what we do.

Alterations to a ruleset in a community like Tenebrae's also come with the caveat of personal responsibility. Often referred to in part as a "giving a fair shake," in our sense it has broader implications. That is, while within a Tabletop setting, the DM may be willing to "up the ante" for a particular player, in our case we are not. This is first because of the broader changes it would imply for the MU, and secondly because it is not the intent of the game. In other words, each of us has a personal responsibility to act within consideration of our fellow players and of the game as a whole. This may also explain why staff is so cautious when allowing some features and not others.

What we have on Tenebrae is, we hope, a system of trust and community. We trust the options we provide to not be abused, though likewise we must be cautious when offering them because of Tenebrae's different needs and design (to beat a dead horse: we are not Tabletop). In a sense then, adding to house rules in some cases is the very last thing we want to do.

Because Tenebrae is a community, we also trust that ideas for alterations to things like house rules and clarifications be presented in a polite manner that is considerate of others and that they be discussed in the same way (additional content has often had its own FAQ). Staff, like the rest of us, are human. We take getting snarked at as well as anyone else. Continued snarks unfortunately result in proposals being more likely to be ignored--and that's just human nature saying, "oh, so and so is just complaining again." A good analogy to this is the fable of the boy and the wolf--these are not new traits. As humans, we naturally begin to tune these out over time, or believe less that that horn really is sounding.

Conversations that become too heated may be a signal that it is time to shift topics for a while, and let even a day or so pass before drifting back to it. Even Paizo once threatened to shut down a playtest because of behavior; within a community, how we treat one another, especially with heated topics such as a favorite hobby can engender, becomes important.

So what this comes down to? We're based on a system of trust, and community. Don't abuse it, keep the nature of the game in mind, and respect your fellow players and staffers. We are not a minmax, Tabletop, or PvP game, and rather than "upping the ante" for one person, we intend to focus on the whole of the game and the benefit to its community.

In summary:

• We are not a PvP or minmaxing game. We have a diverse playerbase, and so minmaxing would just throw this out of whack.
• We are a RAI, not a RAW game as Pathfinder is a complex system with many fiddly portions.
• Attempts to use RAW for minmaxing may be considered a breach of policy (see: Pun Pun).
• When requesting a clarification, include a concise, clear statement as well as a disclaimer. You're welcome to include relevant quotations from developers; do not include pages of theorycraft.
• Be respectful of others, and work with your DM.

Section II: Applications and Characters

What Is Required Before I Get A Character?

Character generation is open at the login screen. We do not require prior registration to create a character. However, we do require that you take some time to go over our Theme Documents and our Policy Files before you create a character and enter chargen. Chargen can be an involved process but if you have taken the time out to assimilate world information then many more options will be open to you.

How Do I Get A Character?

All characters may be pregenerated by going to the login screen and following the directions there. At that point, you may login to the game and then proceed to enter character generation. There are help files throughout all of the chargen rooms that will walk you through the process and make it as painless as possible. Once you have completed all aspects of chargen, you will then be told to set your characters background. Upon review and approval, you may then enter play as that character.

How Long Do Applications Take?

Applications typically take within 48 hrs for approval. Often, staff are able to attend to them faster then that but our official turn around time is always going to be 48 hrs. Meaning, if you do not receive a word on your application within that length of time, you can feel free to inquire from staff as to the status of your character. Anything less then 48 hrs and we ask you refrain from asking about your application.

What Is Required Of Character Backgrounds?

This question is asked quite a lot. Generally, we are not looking for novels but we require a minimum of at least three paragraphs. The more detailed your background is, the better, but we understand that not everyone has the same knack for writing character histories as others. Nevertheless, the more you put into your background, the more you will get out of the game. We do have several things that we look for, including a basic mention of theme. Here are some suggestions based on those things. For a little more help, check out About Backgrounds.

• Give an indication of your characters personality, philosophy and approach to life.

What Sort Of Things Are Unapprovable?

In addition to things that can be gleaned from the above statement, there are some things that simply will not be approved.

• Characters that seem to have no goal or purpose other then to antagonize other players.

• Remember to justify everything unusual. Some things to justify are:
  • Languages you do not normally have available due to your race and place of origin.
  • High range stats. (14 through racial max.), especially in areas your race is not particularly noted for.

• Characters that have min-maxed stats but with little personality or development to them.

• Evil PCs are not approvable.

• Brooding, loner, angst-ridden PCs are not approvable.

• Victims of rape, sexual assault and other things that are ‘out of genre’ for the average D&D setting.

• Under Aged Characters of Any Race.

How do I get a Forum/Wiki Account?

Forum accounts are obtainable by sending a +request to staff.

Forum accounts must use a name of one of your current PCs as their display. This is so others know who they are talking with.

How Do I Describe My Character?

We expect the game to follow basic mush etiquette when it comes to character descriptions and lengths. As a point of suggestion, try to avoid lengthy prose and flowery language and also try and avoid putting ‘stats’ in your description if you can. It is better to ‘describe’ a charismatic person then simply putting ‘Charisma 18’ at the bottom of your description. Make sure your stats justify your appearance and vice versa. A character with only a 10 or a 12 strength is unlikely to be a ‘Epic proportioned mountain of rage’ anymore then someone with 16 constitution is going to look ‘pale and sickly and weak of body.’ We do look for some degree of consistency and logic among stats and character concepts. As a note, having a high charisma does not mean your character must be dashingly attractive. Some of the most charismatic individuals in history have been only average looking, if that, but the power of their voice and the strength of their personalities won millions over.

Also refrain from putting language such as "perky breasts" in your description: it will just get you laughed at, and isn't something appropriate for this game. There are games out there for that sort of thing: this isn't one of them.

What @Names Are Appropriate?

Names stolen from obvious sources such as popular works of fiction and art will be denied. On that same note, ‘joke names’ will also be rejected. As part of the games general theme and mood, we do sometimes allow variations on mythological names, provided those names are more obscure then the more known members of those stories or pantheons. When in doubt, you should resort to using typical fantasy names. There are very many name generators on the internet that could be used to produce fantasy names in case you’re not good at coming up with your own names. We also like to see names reflective of the culture in tone and style. For example; if your character is from Stormgarde then Scandinavian type names are appropriate. If your character is from Veyshan then Middle Eastern names are appropriate. Contact theme staff if you have questions on appropriate names. As a note, for code reasons we prefer people to use one word names for their @names although your +finger can contain your full profile.

What Are The Policies on Alternate Characters?

You're allowed as many alts as you believe you can manage or reasonably maintain.

There are no other restrictions or clauses on this save for basic Alt Interaction Rules (ie; don’t do it).

Is There An Idlenuke?

The Emblem of Ea attempts to maintain a steady 90 day policy on nuking of idle characters. Any character 90 days idle that is approved is at risk for an idle nuking during the next nuking sweep.

For characters that are not out of chargen the duration is 30 days.

Players who are taking extended leave of absences must contact admin with arrangements for the protection of their characters. Simply posting about it is not enough. Once contact is made, your character(s) will be placed in the vacation room to be protected from idle nuking.

How Can I Retire a Character?

Occasionally the need to try something new comes up and you feel as if you want to quietly retire your character.

We do allow rollovers, though these generally only benefit you if the rolled over character is 5th level or higher. For more, see the section on rollovers.

How is Character Death Handled?

Character death can be jarring and unfortunate. However it is a reality of the D&D system and an integral part of the notion of adventure and risk. Generally, it is not a big deal: the act of returning someone to life (not unlife) is not considered an evil act. The strength of magic available also tends to ensure that recovery is a relatively quick process.

An important part of the D&D system are ways to return to life following death and this game does not restrict those options from players.

That said, sometimes a player may see the death of a character as an opportunity to move on and try something else. In such an event, the mush does provide a rollover option. See the section on rollovers.

Can I Gather XP and Treasure, and Not Level?

This goes against the spirit of the game, so you are asked to level as soon as you are able to do so. If you are in a scene at the time, just speak with the DM. They may ask you to wait until the end of the scene or plot.

How is Rollover Handled?

The rollover policy is as follows:

• A character rolled over from an ingame death awards its level -1.
• A character rolled over without any precipitating events awards at -2.

PCs created from rollover are subject to the following guidelines:

• If a PC was over halfway through its level at rollover, the new PC will be set at the halfway point.
• New PCs will be given appropriate treasure and loot for their level. This includes any half-levels.
• At least 85 percent of treasure and loot must be spent at creation.
• At any time, levels may be split between one or more new, unrelated PCs.
• Levels may not be added to established PCs.
• PCs crafted from rollover levels must be new PCs, and unrelated to the deceased/retired PC in any way.

We hope these policies will be more straightforward, and inline with expectations here on Tenebrae. The upper level policy is changed because we recognize that rolling over a higher-level PC can be somewhat difficult, and that the greatest number of scenes will always be among the greatest number of people, after all. And, well, when you get down to it, there are only 20 levels. Where are you going to go after 20?

If a character is rolled over, and the new concept does not work out, we do allow either regenning the new character, or potentially bringing back the old one, if the new PC has not been played extensively.

However, doing so too many times will likely result in staff stepping in.

What is Shelving?

Shelving is an alternative to rollover. In effect, you place one PC on a "shelf" and roll a new one. Unlike rollover, this leaves the old PC in existence. In effect, you may "swap" between PCs, but with a minimum time limit between exchanges. While one PC exists, the other is assumed to be in a far-away land, basketweaving. These two, linked PCs will be referred to as the "Original" and "Derivative" characters.

Shelving follows these guidelines:

• The Original and Derivative PCs are considered to be linked
• Derivative PCs may not benefit from rollover, nor may they be used to generate other PCs in any way
• Each Original PC may only ever have one Derivative (we are still deciding if they can benefit from rollover, once deciding to Shelve; feedback welcome)
• After first creating the "Derivative" character, you have 2 weeks to decide to keep them. If you do not, you may not attempt to "Shelve" for 30 days.
• You may swap between these PCs up to once every 60 days
• Derivative PCs start 1 Tier lower, with a 3 level minimum difference below the Original
• When you swap, the time/date is marked in each +sheet, and you are immediately dropped from any queues, legwork, and so forth for that time period. The exception are LOOT queues. The Shelved PC is preserved, until you are ready again.

What Races Are Okay On The Emblem of Ea?

The Emblem of Ea uses a pre-generated list of races that can be freely selected in chargen. Some of these races have been taken from The Core Rulebook and other races are House Races created to represent the theme. Most of the races have had minor modifications made to them to better reflect our overall theme setting. Our official list of races are available on the races page of this wiki.

What Classes are Okay On The Emblem of Ea?

Further detail can be found on the Classes page.

How Does Advancement Work?

Once you have gained enough experience to level, you may enter the advancement room by simply typing +advance. The Advancement room has extensive help files in it to aid you in your progression through your levels. Multiclassing must be pre-approved before you +advance, and the same goes for all Prestige Classes. PrCs must be approved at least 2 levels ahead of time, multiclassing 1.

How Do I Multiclass?

Multiclassing is part and parcel of the D&D and D20 system. We expect people to do it and in fact, you can leave character generation having done it. Because of this, our Multiclassing system is fairly simple. Just spend 3 RPPs, and send in a +request to staff at a minimum of one level ahead. Multiclass does not cost RPPs during chargen.

From that point forward you must then spend a full level roleplaying the ins and outs of this new class, preferably by finding an IC trainer or otherwise justifying how you came across the knowledge necessary to step into your new class. In addition to this, for some classes, staff may approach you with additional tasks you need to complete or conditions you need to satisfy, for the sake of IC realism and game balance. Once these things have been satisfied, you may level into your new class.

How Do I Get A Prestige Class?

Prestige Classes sometimes involve a lot of outside work beyond simply leveling and meeting the necessary pre-requisites. We recognize that Prestige Classes are a great appeal to the D20 system but gaining a Prestige Class is not like a simple multiclass. There may be situations of needing to join special orders, passing certain tests and in general meeting the needs in an IC fashion for what boils down to an elite and very focused path for your character.

As a result, whenever you decide that you would like to angle for a Prestige Class, you need to submit a request to our Request Queue no more then two levels prior to the level that would allow you to step into the class. This gives staff members ample time to consider your request, adjust code if need be, and, if necessary, make arrangements for what you need to accomplish ICly in order to meet the class. The only other thing to do is to spend 3 RPPs, representing your RP towards that PrC.

What is the Melon Sorc?

The melon-sorc came about because of the trope's tendency to describe themselves with attributes beginning in water- and ending in -elon. It's since become an informal drinking game, and also our name for a long-standing trope. Melon-sorcs tend to be or possess most of the following: Sorceress, Follower of the goddess of love, CG or NG alignment, Elven race of some type (often dark elf), Considerable amount of description dedicated to tight, clinging clothing and generous curves, Heart-shaped face framed by long hair, Youthful looks on a slender frame, Upturned nose, The character speaks in a gentle whisper with eyes downcast, The character possesses almond-shaped eyes, The character is a lesbian who also likes men, The character is innocent of wrongdoing and is misunderstood (if a dark elf or half-dark elf), and lastly, The character is often but not always played by a guy, and may or may not possess a pouty expression.

It is a trope that has become facepalm-worthy in its own right. This isn't an invitation to try and "prove the trope wrong." We'd rather see more diverse, and more interesting characters, instead, as the trope itself is kind of creepy!

Section III: Conduct

Please see our Behaviour Policy.

Section IV: General Roleplay and Plots

What Are Plots And How Do I Get Into Them?

While the Mush is a social community and a persistent roleplay world, Plots take things back to their tabletop roots but gathering together a group of players with a Dungeon Master and taking these players through a series of events much like a tabletop game would. Some Plots are self-contained adventures and other Plots are massive Mush-Wide events that gradually help the story of the game world unfold. You can get into Plots a number of different ways. The easiest and the most encouraged way is by simply roleplaying. Your roleplay will introduce you to other PCs, NPCs and circumstances and events that drive the game world. Dungeon Masters will also bring plots to Roleplayers that can be as simple as caravan escorts or as complicated as scouting out the lair of a rumored dragon. In addition to this, we have an ingame bboard that is autoscanned on your character's connection that is used to pre-announce plots run by either Dungeon Masters or Players. Plots announced on this board can be signed up for in advance but preferential treatment is given to players that are already active and on the grid as opposed to players who are logged on but possibly idling or Out Of Character.

Note that around level 7 or so, there is a "shift" in plots. Plots become more involved, and place more emphasis on legwork and roleplay rather than "simply happening." This is just due to the nature of the game, and to allow you time to adjust and shift into the game world.

What Is Legwork?

See our Legwork Guide.

What Is A Dungeon Master Plot?

Plots usually take one of several forms. The first and foremost version are Dungeon Master Scenes. Dungeon Masters are the designated staff members on the game that are charged with helping the game develop in terms of roleplay. They are given the authority and commission to go into the game world and create scenarios for the players to participate in. Sometimes these scenarios involve many different events and scenes that can be threaded together by the involved players to tell one complete story. Sometimes the scenes are ‘One-Shots’ or more short-term.

Dungeon Master plots do not work with exclusive groups like a Tabletop Game might, although some Dungeon Master Plots may appeal more to one particular type of character over another. All in all we have a diverse group of DM’s who enjoy running a diverse selection of plots so at any given point in time, anything from dealing with a Mountain Giant wandering through to secret societies plotting takeover.

How Many Plots May I Be In At Once?

In terms of actual overarching story lines, there is no limit. The size of a game and the activity of the player base may cause some players to find themselves investigating several things at once or involved in different story lines. You should make sure you are involved in things in a realistic and IC fashion and that you are investigating things that truly spark your interests as opposed to doing it just because you would like to be in a plot.

As far as individual scenes go, we generally prefer players to only be in one scene at a time. While we do allow alts, we expect players to give their full attention to whatever scene they are in and to also allow other players who may also be looking for plots, opportunities to get into them. Thus, if you are a player and you get yourself a Dungeon Master Plot and then you hear about a Player Run Plot starting up or another Dungeon Master Plot beginning, you may not send an alternate character to that plot. You are already in a plot and to take up another space elsewhere using an alternate is unnecessary and unfair to players who aren’t in any plots at all.

If you are in a plot in progress with one character and a Dungeon Master ‘decides’ to spring a plot on a group of players elsewhere on the game grid and you just happen to be there, you are not obligated to leave your roleplay. It was the choice of the Dungeon Master to also involve you in that scene. However, our Dungeon Masters do take care with this sort of thing and so this occurrence is not common. Sometimes players who have not received a plot or who aren’t in one already may be asked to participate, leaving your alt as a result.

What Is A Player Run Plot?

The second type of plot is known as a Player Run Plot or a PRP for short. Tenebrae has a system of trust that allows any willing and capable player the ability to run a Player Run Plot without having to get the plot idea pre-approved. Player Run Plots are not meant to be complicated scenarios or scenes on the scale of what Dungeon Masters sometimes deal with. There are some occasional exceptions to that. In order for this system to work well some basic restrictions are laid down. Please see the policy on PrPs for further details.

Where Can Player Run Plots Be Run At?

Player Run Plots should normally be run in a Plot Room. We provide several of these and they can be re- described freely by the plot runner. They also contain timestops that can be used to track initiatives for players and for non player characters. These timestops do not give the running DM access to any information about player characters. It is up for the plot participants to provide this information. Remember the key ‘conduct’ issue of ‘trust’. We expect all players to be honest with plot runners and with one another in regards to equipment, hit points and other relevant things.

What Type Of Monsters May Not Be Used In A Player Run Plot?

Please see our policy on PrPs for further details.

Do Player Run Plots Have Lasting Impact On The Grid?

Player Run Plots are meant to be quick one-shot encounters and situations meant to give player characters an opportunity to roleplay, meet one another, brush up on their skills and engage in D&D like activities when Dungeon Masters are not available to run their own plots. They are not grand sweeping epics nor do they involve major events on the game grid. Thus their lasting impact on the game grid is usually limited to the interactions between individual characters and the use of their resources in order to complete the plot. That said, admin do pay attention to plot events and to the behavior of players both in plots and outside of plots and things on the grid will reflect this. Player Run Plots are not excuses to go on rampages raiding villages and merchant carts. If you do, your characters may become wanted, there may be NPCs seeking retribution and staff may step in to remind you that IC actions do have Consequences.

What Are Death Consent Plots?

Death Consent Plots are special plots run, by players, that have the full weight of possible death or permanent alterations to your character upon them. Normally Prps are not death consent. But a Death Consent PrP is a special PrP that is. Not every player is allowed to run a DC plot. A player must demonstrate an awareness of the game, as well as game rules, before one of their PrPs will be approved to be run as Death Consent. Each Death Consent PrP must be approved by a supervising admin.

What Type Of Plots Are Forbidden? What Are Some Penalties for Breaching PrP Conduct Rules?

PrPs that deal with major theme areas and that attempt to alter theme are forbidden. In addition, PrPs that deal with areas that could be considered breach of conduct are also forbidden. "Circle Running" is also forbidden. Failure to comply by PrP rules will bring down the hand of staff upon you. Intentional breaking of the rules can have dire consequences ranging from being forbidden to running PrPs for a time, to exclusion from other PrPs and staff plots to even enforced breaks from the game.

Also, while relationships are a thing, we try to keep the primary spotlight on adventure. So, you are welcome to develop your romantic relationships on the side. Plots whose sole focus are "the starry shine of my lover's manful chin" are just not rewardable with game mechanics. A relationship can be mentioned as an aside to a larger arc, but we ask it not be the focus. Also, staff doesn't really need to read about manly chins. Really. Please don't.

I Never Get Plots!

Our advice here is to check +events regularly, as well as to look into running events, yourself. Typically, there is at least one +event per day, sometimes two. If these are not at a time that is good for you, there are often others in your situation who might like to get together with you. If this is the case, feel free to approach staff and other players. We will help as best we are able, and offer generous rewards for running and storytelling. In addition, events such as Meetups or Noncombat PrPs require little to no systems knowledge.

Making demands of staff or plot runners though, is impolite, and please check your own number of scenes (or ask staff to check for you) as well. Sometimes it can be easy to forget how many you've been in, or the number of opportunities that had been presented, when real life gets busy, and so on.

We're all here to have a good time, after all!

Do I Have to Include Others in My RP? What about Private Scenes and Rooms?

Although you may reasonably request "we're involved in a story at this time, and cannot accept additional roleplayers" all rooms are public spaces. This includes Plot Rooms. Plot Rooms may be used temporarily for focused roleplay, but we ask that it not be a habit. For example, the conclusion of a Small Story, a major IC/climactic event, or temporary travel outside of Alexandros are all appropriate uses. The ongoing RP tied to a Small Story would not be, or excluding RP to a small group of friends would not be. For extended travel outside of Alexandros tied to a plot, GMs will set up an area off of the RP Nexus.

Likewise, we ask that others not use derogatory terms such as "lemmings," yet also request others be polite when joining in roleplay.

Section V: General Policies

What Are Queues, +requests, +myjobs, etc.?

These are all a means of referring to the same thing. Queues are the staffs way of organizing player requests in a fashion that they can be attended to in an organized fashion. There are many different things players need during the day to day affairs of the Mush. When things are needed from staff, versus going directly to a staff member it is best to submit it to the queues so the right staff member can get their hands on it. Also it is less stress for an individual staff member since the work load gets spread around. Typing +help request can access the ingame help file. There are several queues.

How Do I Purchase Magic Items And Other Related Things?

We strongly encourage players to go to one another for the purchasing of magic items and the enchanting of items. The game has an installed bulletin board known as The Bazaar that is used for the express purpose of players posting items they have for sale. Furthermore, other bulletin boards can have rumors posted on them regarding PCs who will perform work for other PCs ICly. As much as possible this sort of thing should be handled ICly but there are some cases where they cannot be. If there is an item on the grid that you would like to purchase and a vendor does not have the item in their list or the vendor does not have the item installed, you should send a request into the Request Queue. A staffer will handle this request and approach you regarding the item.

Other than these rules, most 'common' items, such as staves, scrolls, or wands, may be purchased from a DM before the start of a scene.

What About Ropes, Bedrolls, Lanterns, Holy Symbols And Other Misc. Gear?

Emblem of Ea does not enforce these type of items. They are considered prop items and misc. gear that can be roleplayed as being in your possession if you are the type to carry such gear. Other items such as toolkits, or sunrods can be purchased through vendors.

And Spellbooks? Familiars? Spell Components?

Generally we do not enforce low-cost spell components. For inexpensive and thematic items such as "bat guano," characters are assumed to gather these items in their own time. However, any more expensive component (such as a ruby worth 50g) must be purchased and paid for.

Familiars also have an enforced cost, if any. To have a familiar upon leaving chargen, simply request it as part of your application. We also ask that you stick to to the primary selection of Familiars instead of seeking many unorthodox concepts. Sometimes we will ‘substitute’ animals for you but use the same stats. Ie; you may be allowed to use the stats of an Owl but can rp it as being a different kind of bird that is close enough to an Owl in concept and power level to make it feasible.

Characters with spell books will need to purchase spells for them, usually by purchasing, finding, or trading for scrolls, and then paying the scribing cost. It is unlikely that a wizard would lend their livelihood to another person on a whim, after all!

What About Exotic Mounts?

We only allow mounts listed in our Available Animal Companions List. This may change in time. Mounts must be one size category than their rider.

How Much does Alignment Matter?

Now and then, "What is Good or Evil? Law or Chaos?" comes up. And, "How does it tie into high fantasy?"

The short answer is: OH GOD ALIGNMENT DISCUSSIONS! KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!

The slightly less short answer is: outside of "big items," we don't worry about it. Alignment is a complex issue and between the different gods and mortal ingenuity, the smaller details get pretty diverse. Whether you believe law means placing the value of others before yourself, or a strict personal discipline is up to you.

Yet, where a high fantasy game like Tenebrae and many other Dungeons and Dragons-like settings differs from the real world is that good and evil exist as actual, solid concepts. This means that, when it comes to the big picture, there's little room for interpretation as to whether or not they're good or evil. There's no wiggle room or "grey morality" on these things. It just doesn't exist.

In part, this is due to that Good and Evil are tangible forces in the world. Creatures can be made out of "Good" and "Evil" just as much as "Law" and "Chaos". That is why templates like these exist. Likewise, a Veyshanti who enslaves someone is committing an Evil act; there is no gray about it. The world around them responds to this act, and their being takes on aspects associated with Evil. Someone who perpetuates an Evil system isn't Good (though unless actively promoting evil acts, will not be considered Evil, themselves).

Acts aside from being Good or Evil, can also be associated with the gods who receive succor from them. Thul receives worship from every act of cannibalism, just as Kor soaks up acts of bloodletting and combat. The tangible existence of gods can give different actions flavor that they might otherwise not have.

Once a being aligns with Evil, meaning that they have committed enough acts that they take on an Evil alignment, or perhaps they were made of such Forces to begin with, then redemption can be nigh impossible. The world, and their actions, have marked them as an opposing force to what is Good. If redemption is possible, it is in the realm of epic tale-telling and heroism. The "reformed devil" would need to rebel against its nature, and such an act is so rare as to label any such legend fanciful. This is not to say it is not possible--but it is EPIC. For a creature crafted from Evil, such as a devil, the process could even be fatal or at the very least, require divine intervention or transformation. Epic material.

Likewise, it means that a paladin's, or inquisitor's, detect evil truly is a measure of the world around them. Something like detect evil or detect law, is a vision of the world's reality in a world of heroic fantasy such as Tenebrae. These abilities exist because such characters are asked to act on them--whether the elimination of Evil, or the uprooting of Garm's spies.

As for defining Evil, or Chaos, we as staff don't worry about the small things and certainly are not going to police them. Something like slavery--well, that is obviously going to fall into the Evil camp. The rest, we don't worry about overmuch--but other elements can make for epic tales, legends, and more in a game of heroic fantasy.

Section VI: Other MUs and Broader Community

Can I Advertise My MU Here?

A post is fine--we just require that you speak with our head staff first. This is more a means of politeness than anything else, sort of like going to a house and knocking before walking in. Also, if you advertise on Tenebrae, be aware that we may ask for an ad in return and would reasonably expect it to be granted.

What's not OK is continually advertising your MU in your +finger or spamming it in the OOC Room, and so on. This is sort of like spam mail, and no one likes that.