ROLE PLAY PRE-REQUISISTES IN THE CIRCLE
1. The Guidelines
When you join the clan, you merge your RP with its and abide by its rules, responsibilities and guidelines. Therefore, you would be expected to follow the premises laid down in the Covenant and follow the Commandments. In addition, each Clan Rank has an IC description which you must keep in mind while role-playing.
2. Intra-Clan Relations
Clans are meant to be fun- a place where you meet other people and interact with them. Your clan mates become your best friends and extend the most aid and support to your character when the need comes. With their help, you learn more about the world then if you tried to do it alone. They are also the people you are most likely to RP with.
However, it is also your responsibility to reciprocate the help that they offer. People are here to enjoy themselves and not to help you. Remember that most people in the Clan have been interacting together for quite some time before you came along, and its upto you to find space for yourself in their midst. Take an interest in them, and they will take an interest in you. Don't give up, if you are making real attempts to be nice to people and are genuinely interested in them, people WILL notice.
3. Inter-Clan relations
We are a chaotic good clan. This means that we are on one hand opposed to the force of darkness and evil, while on the other, also find the so-called 'law' restrictive as it interferes with individual freedom. Only too often, we have seen the letter of the law being used to cover acts of iniquity. We believe in morality, not the dry following of the letter of the law. As a result, we are not in formal alliance with any clan, although we are opposed to all those forces that follow the path of evil. This, however, does not prevent us from rendering informal support to any cause that could defeat our common enemy.
Keep this in mind while RPing any sort of scenario with other clans or its members. If that other clan happens to be one our traditional enemies, refer to the section on conflict below. RP scenarios of wars and such have an unfortunate tendency of getting out of hand and involving people you had not anticipated. It does not mean, however, that you cannot initiate/take part in RP with other clans, just that you would need to use your discretion when you do so and not drag the Clan into something it doesn't want to be involved with.
4. Alternate characters.
The Circle accepts alternate characters (two clanned alts for persons with under level 100 Characters and 3 for those above 100. Lorekeepers do not enter the calculation). However, players would be expected to keep the identities of each character separate. Sharing of information obtained on a previous character with others will not be tolerated, as would offering services on one character and carrying them out with another.
5. The Officers (High Council) and the Council
The High Council consists of the three mortal leaders of the Clan (the Pendragon and his Jarl and Prophet, as well as the Clan Immortals). The Council, in contrast refers to the High Council along with the Lorekeepers. Most Clan decisions are taken by the Mortal leaders of the Clan with the immortals offering primarily guidance and support. Thus, decisions on promotions and inductions are taken jointly by the MORTAL clan leadership.
From an IC point of view, you might consider the Pendragon to be your High King (indeed it is the old Celtic title of King Arthur), the Jarl (Old Saxon for Earl) to be his Warlord and the Prophet his principal advisor and counselor. Treat them accordingly.
6. Deity and Archangel
In Character, the Deity is the divine manifestation of the spirit of the Flames, the living embodiment of the Clan. She is its Goddess and Divine Guardian and must be treated with the reverence and respect due to her standing. Having said that, however, she does not like (indeed abhors) abject groveling on the part of her followers for even the lowest Clansman of the Circle is worthy of respect. Independence of mind and spirit, loyalty to the Brotherhood are qualities she values most. Young and old, rich and poor, you are all her children.
You may want to know that she is no involved directly with Clan activities, relying on the Council to act for her. After all, how often does the Lord God step down from heaven to personally intervene when you are stuck in a busy intersection and pray for the traffic to clear? As the saying goes, God (or Goddess) works in mysterious ways. At the same time, there is a two-fold OOC argument for this hands-off approach. Firstly, the Clan is designed to player enjoyment and this can be best achieved by letting players run it themselves. Secondly, your elusive Deity's time zone is roughly 10:30 hours ahead of system time (translated: she is online during the graveyard shift. Just because you don't see her, doesn't mean she isn't there).
The Archangel of the Circle of Fire sits high in the heavens ensuring the spark of light burns bright in the darkest hours. Driven by her words, the Archangel is determined to spread the teachings of Kleothera and protect those who follow the light. The Archangel is not only sworn to protect the clan but also do everything in their power to carry out the requests of our Goddess. The members of the Circle are more than capable of conquering all those that stand in their paths, but the black hearted can expect fire to lash from the heavens if the need would arise. The Archangel will stop at nothing to ensure the flame survives.
7. Conflict
One of the basic premises on which the Circle is based is tolerance. We respect others' opinions, even though they might conflict with our own, as long as their actions don't harm anyone. This should reflect in our interactions with other players. Avoid conflict as much as possible. "He started it first" (even if true) would not be an acceptable excuse for a slanging match on OOC, Chat or one of the boards. If conflict does become inevitable, try to behave like a mature adult. Don't sink to their level.
8. Realism
Arguably the most important characteristic of RP is realism- a believable, consistent personality and behavior of the character sustained over time. Please put in some thought into your person and try to stick to what you have created (at least most of the time). Once you decided you are a dense troll, remain dense- don't suddenly break in and out of episodes of intellectual brilliance. If you are a distrustful dwarf with an elf-hate complex, react the same to everyone (at least until you decide a person has done enough to win your trust).
At the same time, there is nothing more irritating then supermen who start with unrealistic stories and proceed to ignore all subsequent attempts to bring them down to earth. Assorted level 15 Princesses, Paladins prophesized to free the lands from tyranny, and young monks who surpass their teachers by the time they are 14 years of age fall in this category. If you want to start a Clan RP scenario and are afraid that you might be overstepping the bounds, talk to one of the Officers.
9. Responsibility
Clansmen are expected to take their membership seriously. Having a plethora of alternate characters between whom you move, may be acceptable elsewhere, but not here. It would also not be the best clan to polish your arena skills or ceaselessly delete to try out new class and race combinations. You are expected to get involved, take interest and seize initiative, not sit and wait for direct orders. It is YOUR clan, act accordingly.
10. Flexibility
Some degree of flexibility is essential while RPing, especially for a Clan RP event. Now if one has to collect a group of ten or so people at the same time and RP, it is logical that one should have a scenario or script according to which things are supposed to unfold. However, one should at the same time also provide sufficient opening for introducing changes in one's RP based on the inputs given by other people and the direction in which the flow of the story is progressing. Having a fixed, cast in iron RP scenario, especially one that is enacted through notes, prevents any actual interaction taking place and takes away half the fun. The final product may not be exactly what you planned, but will be something that people enjoy nonetheless. And yes, thinking on your feet and making things up as you go along can be fun too!
Role Play In The Clan
1. Clan channel
This is strictly IC. If you feel the need to make OOC remarks, prefix them with OOC. However, keep such talk to the bare essential minimum. Constant and avoidable OOC chatter may become a basis for outcasting.
2. The Circle of Fire Board
This is the place where important Clan announcements, IC or otherwise, are put. It is also the place where Clan Members are invited to post stories of their adventures or other IC stories. This could involve you alone (for example, your latest hunting trip) or a chain of unfolding events (someone?s abduction and subsequent rescue seems to be an evergreen classic).
Having said that, there is more to RP than writing pretty, well-written but close ended stories. Interact with people IC. Real-time, live RP is perhaps more valuable than notes in pretty colors. RP scenarios planned in advance and, even more so, the adventures of isolated individuals may lack spontaneity and at times make it next to impossible for others to get involved. Try to get other RPers involved, leave scope for them to fit in and leave space for the plot to evolve.
3. Clan events and Quests
The Circle holds regular RP/IC events in which players get a chance to come together and interact. A continuous plot or chain of events unfolds over the preceding week culminating in a RP scenario being enacted live. However, at least 5 people should be present at the time of the quest to get it underway.
The responsibility of sustaining the weeklong RP atmosphere (both ?live? and notes) lies with the players. The scenario is traditionally decided upon by a volunteer from the Clan. It could be an invasion, a request for military aid from someone in need, help in locating a lost item, a poetry contest - anything. Think of something realistic and IC and note the High Council or talk to them. If there is a conceivable way of fitting that within the evolving Clan RP history, what you want to happen will happen.
Most persons who attended one of these events, seem to want to participate in a few more. The companionship of a large section of the clan who are engaged in a common activity seems to have value in its own right. However, attending them is also an essential prerequisite for promotions and may result in other benefits.
Every player participating in the event will receive a token. When a certain number of these are accumulated, they may be traded for something useful. Please note that these tokens are NOT transferable and have zero resale value and track is being kept of how many each person is receiving.
4. Quests for promotion or clan equipment
Before a CoF member is promoted he is asked by the Pendragon to undergo a quest to prove his worth. This is usually a task that is of above average difficulty for the person concerned, but one that is not impossible. Completing it would require knowledge of DS geography, intelligence and (if the need arises) combat skills. The nature of the task may at times be encrypted in a riddle.
The Clan has special lvl 60, 80 and 100 equipment which is given only after a quest is completed. This is given either by the Pendragon or Jarl. Unlike the quests for promotion, which are given out when the person is deemed worthy, level is the only criterion for the item quest.
5. Story of the Month Contest
As previously mentioned, the life stories submitted by the players are put together and displayed in the Book of Lives in the Scriptorium. Similarly, the reputations are recited by the Bard Taliesin. Best story and reputation submitted during a 30 days period is eligible for an award. However, only those stories will be short listed which have also been submitted to the Clan website.