Explanation:

The Game Rules:

1. You are Responsible for the Actions of Your Characters at All Times!
   
   • The actions of the characters are, and always will be, the responsibility of the persons that created them.
     
   • Signing into a character that is not yours without permission is considered hacking and will be punished as such.
   
   
2. What the Deputies (Admins) Say is Law!
   
   • Their decisions are final, there is no parole or appeal possible.
     
   • If you dislike how they rule, you have the right to stop playing this mud.
     
   • It is unlawful to lie to a deputy or otherwise hinder any deputy investigation.
   
   
3. You Must Treat Others with Respect!
   
   • You must treat all players with respect at all times. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated, whether in-character or out-of-character.
   • Harassment is defined by how it is received: if a player feels harassed, targeted, or intimidated, then harassment has occurred, regardless of intent. Claiming ignorance or lack of malicious intent is not a defense.
   Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
   • Abusive, insulting, or demeaning language, offensive slang, acrimony, or personal attacks.
   • Spamming, flooding channels, or repeated unwanted messages.
   • Passive-aggressive remarks, mockery, or deliberate provocation.
   • Attempting to isolate a player by discouraging others from interacting with them, pressuring them to leave groups, scenes, or the game, or creating an unwelcoming environment.
   • Attempting to remove or exclude characters other than your own from plotlines, scenes, or shared narratives without player consent, including hijacking stories, forcing outcomes, or disregarding collaborative storytelling.
   • Repeatedly overriding, dismissing, or invalidating another player's contributions, ideas, or character agency.
   • Using multiple alts in ways that ruin a person's ability to enjoy their character.
   • Coercion, manipulation, guilt-tripping, or threats (explicit or implied) to control another player's behavior.
   • Any behavior or language intended to hurt, intimidate, silence, or drive another player away.
   • All players are required to follow the rules of Netiquette. Communication-written or otherwise-must remain respectful and constructive.
   • Violations of this rule may result in warnings, punishment rooms, removal from scenes or plotlines, temporary suspension, frogging/jackassing, or permanent removal from the game, at deputy discretion.
   
   Claiming it was all IC when the behavior has escalated enough that the other party is uncomfortable or a deputy has witnessed it is not a valid excuse. If it can be misinterpreted as being OOCly motivated or is a frequent enough act that it is noticeable, then saying it is only in-character will not be a valid excuse, and will not be accepted as one. "It's what my character would do!" has no meaning if the other person feels you are using your characters to bully them or push them out of an rp, so before doing something and planning to use that phrase or similar to back up your decision to proceed with whatever course of action, keep this in mind.
   
   
4. If you are involved in an RP, you cannot dicemaiden or dicemister.
   
   • Bias can be perceived as favoring your own alts, which undermines fairness and trust in the RP.
   • Refraining from DMing scenes you are personally involved in protects your impartiality and prevents others from questioning your intent.
   • Always ask before acting as a DM in a scene, and confirm that none of your alts are involved in that RP to ensure fairness.
   • Respect others' wishes if they prefer not to have a dicemaiden or dicemister present. Not every scene requires a DM or dice rolls. If you are concerned about fairness, petition a deputy.
   • Failure to follow this rule will result in a jackass or frog at first. Continued disregard may lead to being kicked for a period of time, affecting both the involved character and your DMing character.
   • If a player feels as though you are being unfair, they have the right to request a different dicemaiden or dicemister.
   
   
5. You Must Not Hack into the MUD.
   
   • Attempting to break/hack into the MUD and failing also falls under this header.
     
   • Attempting to break/hack into the MUD "just for fun" or "because I was bored" or "to see if I could" also fall under this header.
     
   • Just saying that you are going to hack into the mud, or have hacked into the mud when you really haven't also fall under this heading.
     
   • Breaking this rule is grounds for IMMEDIATE BANISHMENT from the game!
   
   
6. You Must Not Intentionally Break Things in Game.
   
   • This includes things like breaking shops on purpose (selling too much to a shopkeeper NPC or buying everything in the shop so that it is empty), exploiting commands that mess up rooms if you find one, and other similar offenses, as determined by the deputy team.
   • This also includes threats to do so.
   
   
7. You Must Not Cheat or Steal.
   
   • Cheating will not be tolerated.
     
   • Do not exploit a bug. Report it instead.
     
   • This includes exploiting a quest solution or part of a quest.
   • Do not try to cheat on dice rolls.
   • Do not take items from player's homes. This is stealing unless you have permission from the person who 'owns' that property.
   • Do not take items from any shrine in game or religious space.
   • Do not take items from the shrine north from the Grove.
   • Do not help characters of yours with other characters of yours.
   • Understand that this is a limited list, but the Deputy Team has the right to review something you have done to see if it qualifies as cheating, but is not listed.
   
   
8. You Must Not Give Out Quest Solutions.
   
   • If a fellow player is stuck on a quest it is allowed to give them small hints.
     It is also allowed for multiple players who do not know the solution to combine their efforts in a particular quest.
   
   
9. Hit Quit Every Time You Leave the Game.
   
   • If you don't and try to log in at a later time, the computer may indicate that another session is still active.
     
   • It is rude to leave people talking to a husk.
     
   • This is more a Guideline than a solid black-and-white rule, but still punishable if excessively or abusively committed.
   
   
10. You Must Respect the Work of Others.
    
    • This is a story being written by many.
      
    • Many have come before you. Many will come after.
      
    • Do not copy, hinder, ridicule, or otherwise harass the stories, roleplaying, or ideas of others.
      
    • Keep your criticizing to yourself.
      
    • When asked for it, be constructive.
      
    • Having a similar name or appearance happens; having the same back-story does not.
      
    • Do not use the creative material of another player without their permission.
    
    
11. You Are NOT to Divulge Confidences!
    
    • Do not share the real name, personal information, Out-of-Character (ooc) opinion or Alternate Characters (Alts) of any other player of this game. If they wish this information to be shared, they will do so themselves.
      
    • If you wish this information to be shared, do so at your own risk.
    
    
12. You Must NOT Fully Ignore Deputies!
    
    • Deputies need to be able to interact freely with the players, especially if an issue comes up that needs to be mediated or addressed.
    
    
13. Do Not Log Onto More than Two Characters at a Time.
    
    • In order to log on as two different characters, you must use two different browsers. While we do allow multiplaying, only two characters are allowed at any point in time.
    
    
14. You Must Not Threaten.
    
    • Threats of real life harm against yourself or others, either in game or out of game, are grounds for punishment. This punishment could result in immediate and permanent banishment from the game depending on the severity. As always, such will be handled on a case by case basis at the discretion of the deputies.
    
    
15. Cybering is allowed, but we have some guidelines.
    
    • Consent: All actions involving another player's character must be consensual out of character. Players must communicate and agree on any actions taken against their characters.
    • In-Character Roleplay: All sexual roleplay must be portrayed as consensual. Non-consensual scenarios, including depictions of rape, are strictly prohibited. While characters may reference such experiences in their backstories, the explicit portrayal of these acts is not permitted, and should never be written out or roleplayed. Child characters are not permitted to have this in their back stories.
    • Trigger Awareness: Players must be mindful of their in-character interactions. Be cautious when discussing sensitive topics, as certain themes may trigger discomfort for other players.
    • Age Requirement: All participants engaging in sexual roleplay must be eighteen years of age or older, both the player and their character. Ignoring this is especially a bannable offense, and we will enforce it.
    • No Child Character Should Ever Be Naked: Even shifters. This has made several people uncomfortable in the past and gets reported a lot. Characters found doing this will be frogged or jackassed immediately.
    • Distance: All roleplays of an intimate nature must be conducted at a significant distance away from The Road. This rule is in place to ensure privacy and comfort for all participants and to minimize any potential disruptions or unwanted attention. It is also to ensure that new players or characters cannot easily stumble across a roleplay that may make them uncomfortable.
    • Enforcement: Adherence to these guidelines is mandatory. Violations may result in a ban from the game.
    • Addendum: Also trying to brand someone's character as preferring underage characters or calling them such is not allowed, simply due to the fact that you never know what could be a trigger for another player..
      
      
16. You Must Never Log On as a Character that Doesn't Belong to You.
    
    Why This Matters
    • Logging in as someone else's character is unfair to the people you interact with. Players deserve to know who they are roleplaying with-not just the character being portrayed. Using another person's character can also be a way to bypass ignores or blocks, which is not acceptable.
    • Additionally, not knowing who is behind a character can create uncomfortable or unsafe situations for others and may negatively impact their well-being.
    • You are not required to disclose your alternate accounts nor is anyone else. However, if it is discovered through investigation that you are playing as someone's character that does not belong to you, penalties will apply.
    Game Rules and Cheating
    • By the game's standards, this behavior may be considered cheating. Different characters may have access to different commands or abilities, and using them improperly can violate game rules. Any form of cheating can result in disciplinary action.
    Consequences
    • Anyone found doing this may face serious penalties, including: Being frogged, Being jackassed, Being name-banned.
    • These punishments may apply to both: The character you logged into with permission and your most commonly played alt at the time of discovery. The person who gave you access to their character may also be at risk for punishment.
    Reporting and Community Impact
    • This behavior is often noticed and reported, usually because it makes others uncomfortable. Everyone has the right to know who they are roleplaying with, especially if certain players negatively affect their enjoyment of the game.
    • Transparency protects the community and helps ensure a safe, fair, and enjoyable roleplay environment for everyone.
    
    
17. Self-Interaction Limits for Player Alts.
    
    • Players may allow their own characters to interact freely for minor, low-impact scenes.
    • For major or plot-significant situations, self-interaction is restricted. A major event is any action that advances or alters a plot, affects another player's character or storyline, is intended for documentation on the wiki, or creates notable consequences within game.
    • Requirement: A one-on-one roleplay between your own alts is considered a story, not an RP, and will not be recognized as valid unless at least one additional player participates or someone is dicemaidening or dicemistering for you.
    • Each player may initiate up to three major self-interactions per calendar year. After reaching this limit, they may not create additional major self-interaction events until the next year. If you are unsure what is considered a major self-interaction, contact someone on The Deputy Team.
    • Limit how many of your characters are in a plot to only two, to keep things from getting too triangular. If you are running a plotline, you may do more as long as the characters progress the story instead of stifling it, in addition to having no real stakes for any of your characters.
    • Same-player alts cannot pass plot-important information between one another either on screen, off screen, or via mudmail.
    • Dual-alts in a plot can only be initiated by another person. Example: You have a healer and a knight. Your Knight is investigating a case. The victim is allowed to go to your healer. You can even recommend your healer alt to the victim, making it their choice to go or not. You MAY NOT bring your healer into the same RP at the same time as your Knight, with or without the victim present. You may not have your knight "inform" your healer of the victim and the case without the victim or another character that is not your own informing the healer of the victim and case. Other players deserve a chance to interact in things as well, so this rule stands to ensure other people also get an opportunity to participate.
    • This does not count for arcs in which the characters could be construed as NPCs or not intended to have permanence. If you need clarification on this, feel free to ask.
    • If you violate this rule using off-screen interactions between your characters, you will be considered as having violated the metagaming rule as well, and be frogged/jackassed accordingly.
    
    Clarifications:
    • A major event still counts toward the yearly limit even if it was not roleplayed in real time, as long as it meaningfully affects a plot involving other players.
    • Players may not use "this happened offscreen" to bypass the rule; if it was not roleplayed, it is not considered to have occurred.
    • Minor self-interactions remain allowed as long as they do not drive plots or create significant consequences.
    
    
18. You should not Metagame.
    This is a firm rule, moving forward. A full definition of what is considered metagaming as well as punishments can be found here: Metagaming.
    
    
19. Ignorance of these written rules is no excuse.
    
    • Changes to these rules are at the discretion of the creator and his Deputies.

Punishment Methods:

The following are punishment methods that the Deputy Team has at their disposal. Depending on the severity of your crime, any number of these could apply to your specific offense(s).

• Punishment Room - We can put you in a room that you cannot leave for any duration of time that we wish.
• We can kick your character from the game for any amount of time that we wish.
• We can jackass or frog your character, rendering your character unable to do anything until they've completed the punishment's terms.
• We can temporarily ban the offending character.
• We can banish you permanently from the game.