The Sacred Light
A roleplay experience like no other.
Welcome to our World!
The animals of TSL are highly intelligent and advanced, capable of standing upright and utilizing their paws much like hands. You may see human-like terminology used; hands and feet instead of paws, or hair or skin instead of fur. They're knowledgeable about their world — scavenging the remnants of the nearby humans to use this manmade technology to advance themselves as a society. They have marriages, holidays, religion, science, laws, and a political hierarchy. They accommodate their disabled, and they take care of one another and work together to overcome the adversities they face.
The cats, foxes, and other animals of the guilds are well versed in medical alchemy, able to preform rudimentary surgeries, and build structures and cellars to house their herbs and food long-term. They use fires to smoke meat and keep warm in the damp sub-tropical Atlantic Canadian winters. The animals of TSL replicate the cultural knowledge of the Mi'kmaw.
The highly emotionally intelligent Ursalis rabbits (who are invasive to the region; and have escaped their humans to live a life of greater purpose) have conquered their prey instinct to become akin to the very predators they live amongst. They are hunter-gatherers, smoking meats to trade with the cats and foxes, and tending to complex gardens to sustain them through the winters.
An eldritch enemy.
TSL's main antagonist is a powerful non-living spiritual entity which controls the natural order. When this natural order is disrupted, this negative spiritual entity becomes too abundant, causing famine and violence.
A developing society.
TSL hosts Project campaigns where members can work together to engineer and build new structures and new technology to help further the Estuarians in their pursuit of technology! This helps with survival, quality of life, and overall happiness; which helps their souls fend off the Unholy Dark.
Acquire great power.
The animal people of the Estuary and it's surrounding world can take advantage of the Sacred Light and the Unholy Dark within their souls; these spiritual energies can give them unfathomable power, or bring them a horrible demise. Complete trials to level up your Path to acquire the powers of the spiritual realm!
Stress free activity checks.
With one activity check every four months which is completed by naturally participating, TSLers have more time to focus on forging their unique characters, and participating in fun events to get to know their fellow server members! Roleplay is about having fun, not about the stress of meeting deadlines. We're here to escape reality, not recreate it!
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© The Sacred Light. All rights reserved.
‘The Sacred Light’ is the ineffable entity which represents the positive side of the universal spiritual balance that is sometimes called ‘Shimmers’ by the Guilds. It clings to the souls of those who are kind and open with their love, though it seldom shows itself physically.When it interferes with mortals’ affairs, it does so through Sacred Prophets or specific spiritual sites. One of said sites is the Pool of Spirits: an immense pool of liquid light hidden away from the greedy hands of humanity. Local creatures often make pilgrimage to its location in the Highlands. Some animals who are tossed into its depths get their afflictions healed, while others sink to the bottom. Items containing the DNA of the deceased are sometimes tossed into the pool in hopes that they’ll be revived. They feel no ill will if they are not, understanding that they cannot dictate or judge the intentions of a non-sentient, positive force being that is incomprehensible to mortal creatures.
Current Sacred Prophet of the Guilds, Nimbuswatcher of Birch Guild, in his 'true' form of Enlightenment.
[Drawn by kingofheretics]
A piece of art inspired by the horrors of being infected by the Unholy Dark.
[Drawn by Cameil]
‘The Unholy Dark’ is the entity which opposes the Sacred Light and represents the negative side of the universal spiritual balance. This is sometimes called ‘shadows’ by the Guilds. It clings to the souls of those suffering from grief, depression, and other mental ailments. Historical manifestations of Shadows have been called Demons by mankind, and its influence has caused fully black animals to be perceived as unlucky due to their resemblance to shrouds.Due to the harmful influence of humanity on the planet Earth, the balance has been thrown off in favor of the Unholy Dark, causing it to over-manifest as disease, famine, and agony. The Shadows, being a non-sentient negative force, cannot control what they do or who they target.The influence of the Shadows can manifest in two ways: Possession, where the Dark grips one’s soul, and Infection, where it grips one’s body. Too much Possession causes the physical form to become blackened like the void, called a shroud, a horrifying appearance which causes ‘petrification’, a paralysis in those who see it. Some have discovered how to correctly make use of this power, so it is not always a death sentence.Infection, on the other hand, is the fatal result of the negative interference of the spiritual into the physical body. Although it has many sources, the most common ones are long periods of illness, shroud bites, or ingesting shrouded material.
The Factions
GUILD - The advanced animal colonies which dominate a larger portion of the Estuary. Once predominantly made up of feral cats, they are now home to cats, bobcats, foxes, and some mustelids like mink and martens. They are highly civilized and advanced, having access to tools and fire. They are very friendly, adaptable, and are known for their open-mindedness.URSALIS - The rabbit colony which lives in the recently demolished former Trailer Park. They craft spear tips with broken pottery and broken glass, and worship the black bear. These rabbits are ‘uncanny’ and look head-on as if they’re predatory animals, using their blind spot in the centre of their vision to intimidate enemies. ‘The hunter becomes the hunted’.REALM - The large regional ‘kingdoms’ which the bobcats divide their allegiance too. They are run by a Mortal Prophet who is called the ‘Monarch’ and have a complex territory structure to protect the vulnerable but maintain their territorial and independent nature.OVERGROWTH - The highly adept hares which live in an underground city. They trade herbs and resources in exchange for not being hunted by their typical predators, and control the political and socioeconomic structure of the entire Estuary through a treaty called the Overgrowth Alliance.
Server Roles
OWNER - The founder and owner of TSL. They take care of the website UX and UI, all of the design elements for the server, and organize all events. As well as general administrative duties, their role is also to distribute assignments and tasks among the staff members and keep track of the personal status of server members, such as mental health, workload, and interpersonal concerns, which may effect their ability to do activity checks or participate in expectations if they have a high rank.GODMIN - Originally a joke used for Modmins who co-own the server, the term ‘Godmin’ eventually stuck. Godmins are designated specific tasks as well as assisting some of the Owner’s workload, particularly the emotional workload.MODMIN - ‘Moderator Administrator’. The general admins of the server, who are assigned specific responsibilities, as well as helping with chat moderation.SUBMOD - ‘Subordinate Moderator’. The Modmins in training, or staff who want to assist but cannot bare the load of a full Modmin. Their tasks typically include data entry and information tracking.
Plot Glossary
MILESTONE - A milestone is when a character's path reaches multiples of five (5, 10, 15, etc.) Milestones always have an effect on the character, be it a buff or debuff. This term is only used out-of-character.PATHS - The sets of predetermined spiritual fates that your character can follow depending on their actions- particularly in trials. A starting path is randomly rolled for each character when they are approved. We cannot tell you what causes a character to go down a specific path, as it is up to members to find this out and track it themselves. Lots of traits are already known, so feel free to ask other members on what path traits they know of. This term is only used out-of-character.MORTAL / SACRED / UNHOLY PROPHET - The varying beings which absorb great power to control the natural spiritual entities of TSL's world!GUILDER - A member of a guild, 'that fox is a guilder'.URSALIC - Meaning of the Ursalis, 'that rabbit is Ursalic'.PROVIDERS - An adult member of the Guilds or the Ursalis, who provides for their faction through hunting, protecting, or healing.VILLAGE - The home densite of each of the Estuary factions.SHIMMER PATH - A path to a fate characterized by having the mind touched by the Sacred Light. It is brought on by (redacted). There is not enough public information about this path. This term is only used out-of-character.SHADOW PATH - A path to a fate characterized by having the mind touched by the Unholy Dark. Publicly known traits to cause Shadow Path include depression, grief, and fear of the unholy dark. This term is only used out-of-character.MIRACLE PATH - A path to a fate characterized by having the body touched by the Sacred Light. It is brought on by (redacted). There is not enough public information about this path. This term is only used out-of-character.ANNIHILATION PATH - A path to a fate characterized by having the body touched by the Unholy Dark. It is brought on by physical interaction with the Unholy Dark, most frequently through biting a shroud or being bitten by a shroud, or through excessive physical harm like chronic illness. This term is only used out-of-character.ENLIGHTENMENT and VEILS - To be enlightened is to be on Shimmer Path. To be Veiled is to obtain a cloak of the sacred light by advancing to a high path level. In character, enlightenment is a term defined by ‘being spiritually touched by the sacred light’.POSSESSION and SHROUDS - To be possessed is to be on Shadow Path. To be Shrouded is to obtain a cloak of the unholy dark by advancing to a high path level and not dying from the side effects. In character, possession is a term defined by ‘being spiritually touched by the unholy dark’.INFECTION and THE DAMNED - To be infected is to be on Annihilation Path. To be Damned is (redacted). In character, infection is a term defined by ‘being physically touched by the unholy dark’.GRACED and THE DEVOTED - To be graced is to be on Miracle Path. To be Devoted is (redacted). In character, graced has not been used yet, and it is not yet fully understood.
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Maple Guild is a colony of great determination, and while their providers are strong bodied, they are some of the most kind and playful cats in the Estuary; the sugar maple reflecting their sweet personalities.Though trouble is afoot, as many cats are not satisfied with the Overseer’s work or contribution as the protector of the Guilds. Many are beginning to see the flaws in Maple Guild’s reliance on Wyvernfire. Some have begun to seriously doubt Copperlight’s skill as a seer as well, due to previous seers being unreliable, and the history of corruption and betrayal within the guild from many years past has elder felines in the colony looking towards Hemlock Guild.
Aspen Guild is a colony of witty speed and open hunting, their providers are built to run through the untamed grassland and with the focus not to lose track of their quick-moving prey. They are the most skilled at disappearing into the tall grass of the abandoned meadowland, appearing on top of their enemies long before they’ve been scented or seen.Aspen Guild has been victim to many young deaths, so they are protective over their herbs, and protective over both sprout and sapling. They have an extremely close relationship with Hemlock Guild, and it’s not unusual to find Hemlock Guild cats hunting in their territory, or Aspen Guild cats hunting in Hemlock Guild. Some patriotic cats in the Guild hate this reliance on Phoenixlight’s protection.
Birch Guild cats are incredibly clever with their paws, crafty in their ways of catching shellfish and grabbing fish from the bogs and rivers. While they aren’t strong enough to fight the ocean waves, they are very capable swimmers. The fur of Birch Guilders must be thick to combat the constant dampness of their territory and the frequent fog.While they still battle against the frustrations of nature, this Guild remains untouchable. Their territory making them nearly inaccessible to predators. This also means the cats in this Guild may often come off as unaware or aloof to others, as they’re somewhat cut-off from the struggles of the others. They enjoy their peaceful lifestyle, and avoid drama or gossip to maintain their little corner of paradise.
Hemlock Guild cats are hunters of the trees, and lurkers of the roots. They are incredibly flexible and move like snakes in the undergrowth. They are masters of stealth, and know how to disappear into the world around them.Hemlock is the largest and most powerful of the five Guilds, and trouble lurks deep in the darkest corners of the Estuary. Other cats envy their strength and the privileges they have with two shrouds among their ranks, and some are profoundly upset by their Seer having so much influence and control over the entire Estuary, as he is the founder of the guilds.
The Ursalis are a warren of highly intelligent, clever, and invasive domestic rabbits that have fled mankind to make a name for themselves in the wild world. They’re protective, courageous, and crafty.The Ursalis have recently moved into the abandoned flats of concrete and gardens which used to be home to several hundred mobile homes, formerly known as the ‘Trailer Park’, they have renamed it The Grid due to the grid-like pattern the drive ways, concrete pads, and roads left behind. The Ursalis are trying to get closer to the Guilds and the Concord, but are still unsure, having always viewed cats and foxes as predators. With no Ursa in power, they’ll need to pick a new leader before they can take on the challenge of becoming allies with these other complex factions.
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© The Sacred Light. All rights reserved.
Guild Ranks
High Ranks
Seerkeeper, Overseer, and Underseer
> - The Mortal Prophet, Sacred Prophet, and Unholy Prophet respectively. Their jobs are to oversee the guilds and keep them safe from the corresponding forces; the Seerkeeper protects the Guilds from living forces, the Overseer maintains the Guilds’ positive spiritual force, and the Underseer maintains the Guilds’ negative spiritual force. They often help other groups or people outside of the guilds. The Seerkeeper also oversees the development and progress of the Estuary as a growing civillised nation.Seer
> - The leader of a Guild. They have the highest authority, and are immortal. They are typically benevolent, and their immortality may be stripped if they act wrongfully in the eyes of the Seerkeeper. The Seerkeeper can demote wrongful Seers, but Seers can also die if attacked by shrouds, as their immortality, granted by Sacred power, can be countered by Unholy power. They have the -light suffix to signify their loyalty and dedication to the Sacred Light.Regents
> - There are Sentry Regents and Courser Regents. Sentry Regents lead and command the sentries and their saplings according to their Seer. While they would lead the lines in war, for the most part, they actually manage diplomacy and communicating with other animals in the guilds to maintain borders and a friendly disposition. The Courser Regent command the coursers and their saplings according to their Seer, and bare the largest emotional weight of hunting and gathering for the guild.Keeper
> - The highly advanced healers of the Guilds. They are able to form complex medications and complete dangerous surgeries such as amputations. They understand bacteria, and keep their dens strictly sterile. They also tend to the fire in the centre of the villages, and often brew teas within leftover human pottery to share with their guildmates.
Providers
Sentry
> - The guards and patrollers of the guilds. Due to the immense size of Guild territories, sentries work on a detailed rotation schedule and are changed out daily make sure no one sentry is repeatedly assigned to just nights or days. They are free to do courser duties as long as they have accomplished their sentry tasks for the day. Both sentries and coursers are expected to know how to fight, just less-so in skill for coursers.Courser
> - The hunters and gatherers of the guilds. Coursers have the most difficult tasks, and it’s not easy to ignore that sentries have it easier sometimes. Coursers may hunt or they may also utilize trap setting with bait. They track the migrations and prey populations to ensure they are not overhunting. They are free to do sentry duties as long as they have accomplished their courser tasks for the day. Both sentries and coursers are expected to know how to hunt, just less-so in skill for sentries.Sapling
> - Providers in training for either sentry, courser, or keeper. Saplings can change ranks mid-training if they decide the rank they chose isn’t working out for them, but it does extend their training period by a few months.___Sentry saplings use the -root suffix.
___Courser saplings use the -twig suffix.
___Keeper Saplings use the -seed suffix.
Villagers
Sprout
> - A kitten between 0-3 months who is learning about life in the guilds, exploring with supervision, and deciding on the rank they choose to study.Atriarch
> - The gender neutral version of Patriarch/Matriarch. Atriarchs are cats over 180 months old who have retired from their duties. In TSL, characters are not allowed to retire due to disabilities, and characters live far longer due to access to advanced medicine, bacteria theory, and surgical procedures. Cats can live up to 25 years in TSL!
Ursalis Ranks
High Ranks
Ursa
> - The leader and highest authority of the Ursalis. They are responsible for maintaining the health and welfare of the group; coordinating the Bear ranks, and arranging accommodations for the sick and disabled. They also provide spiritual and moral guidance to their followers. The Ursa does not travel without protection, and are extremely courageous and have a very strong faith which they share with their followers through rituals and ceremonies.Bear Tooth
> - The lead rank of the Tooths, and the one responsible for large defence plans. They coordinate attacks on local predators, determine the location of pitfall traps, and protect the Ursa with their life. They designate their Tooths to patrolling the boundaries in small groups, taking turns on rotation so rabbits can take time to eat regularly. The Bear Tooth also mitigates any in-field communication with friendly species or redirects them to the Ursa.Bear Claw
> - The lead rank of the Claws. While following the instructions of the Ursa to coordinate the claws’ day to day work, they also utilise their own insight to designate tasks appropriately. They’re in charge of monitoring other Estuary factions, keeping the Ursa updated on the state of these other groups, and ensuring the Ursalis have long term food security.Bear Paw
> - The lead rank of the Paws; the master healer. Paws are fairly independent, but they can seek out assistance from the Bear Paw when they need insight or advice. The Bear Paw is the most skilled at surgical procedures. They are in charge of planning herb gathering patrols for the Paws, and also in charge of keeping the other ranks informed on what herbs to look out while patrolling or eating in the abandoned Trailer Park.
Providers
Tooth
> - The Tooth’s act as the Ursalis’ guards. They focus on securing the territory by patrolling and placing spears in the ground like pikes, and deterring any predator threats, typically from coyotes, bobcats, mink, stoats, and owls. They also protect and watch over all of the other ranks when they are travelling outside of the village to eat. They typically carry spearheadsClaw
> - The scouts and gatherers of the Ursalis. They accumulate information, find better grazing grounds for the warren, and secure dried food such as grasses and berries for overwintering. They are extremely fast, and more skilled at dodging predators, making them excellent for locating dangerous animals and informing the Tooths so they can counter and defeat the enemy.Paw
> - Paws are healers, emotional and physical. Outside of healing those who are wounded, and tending to the mental health of their comrades, Paws gather complex or potentially dangerous herbs. They mix detailed poultices, but unlike the other factions, the Ursalis can’t safely maintain a fire, so they cannot brew teas. Paws need to know their poisons, as some rabbits whose breeds doom them to a painful death would rather reach the Great Meadow sooner. Paws are also responsible for raising serious mental health concerns up to the Bear Paw, or even the Ursa.
Villagers
Ears
> - The elderly or disabled. They continue to perform the duties of their previous adult rank at their own pace if they choose to, as well as taking care of small tasks around the warren. Rabbits will start to retire around 8-10 years old, depending on their health, life experiences, and whether they were born to humans and vaccinated. We suggest reading the detailed description of ranks if you intend on making a disabled Ursalis rabbit.Fluffs
> - Fluffs are the kits of the Ursalis. They are blind, deaf and hairless until about two weeks old, after which they can start to interact with the world outside their nest. Tufts are raised communally, although the parents still act as the primary caregivers. Despite the stereotypes often painted in media, rabbits pair bond, and bucks help raise the young alongside the doe.Cats can live up to 25 years in TSL!
Base Stats
Members can complete monthly challenges or participate in plot events to obtain stat points, which they can allocate to Strength, Agility, Fortitude, Dexterity, Perception, and Intelligence. Upon reaching a certain level of your skill branch, you can unlock one of three attributes of that skill branch.Based on your character's rank/age, they receive the following starting points which you can distribute how you please.
Sprouts / Fluffs - 5 points
Saplings / Tufts - 10 points
Providers - 20 points
Keepers / Regents / Bears - 30 points
Ursa - 30 points
Seers - 50 points
Strength
✨ Offense: Biting, clawing, and brute-force attacks on enemies.✨ Takedown: Taking down larger prey, called Tier 3 prey.✨ Carrying Capacity: Any character can carry one item of a reasonable amount; so if they are gathering herbs, they can only gather one type of herb. Increasing your carrying capacity allows you to gather multiple different items of a reasonable amount during projects, events, or general roleplaying. You can also purchase satchels from the shop to carry even more items!
Agility
✨ Strike Count: How many attacks per attack.✨ Dodge: Dodge enemy attacks.✨ Reflexes: Catching fast-moving prey or objects.
Fortitude
✨ Health: How many health points your character has.✨ Resistance: Resistance to injuries or illness.✨ Thorns: Reflecting attack damage to an attacker.
Dexterity
✨ Trapping: Setting traps for prey.✨ Medical Precision: Performing surgeries and suturing.✨ Artistry: Item and decor crafting, as well as fur styling.
Perception
✨ Stealth: Ability to stay unseen and unheard.✨ Speech: Charisma, manipulation, and the ability to lie.✨ Resolve: Resistance to manipulation and lying.
Intelligence
✨ Knowledge: Wisdom about prey, predators, and medicine.✨ Discoveries: Engineering new ideas and executing them.✨ Tracking: Finding people or prey.
Skill Trees
Strength Disciplines
| Offense | Takedown |
|---|---|
| Includes claw or bite attacks | To take down Tier 3 prey |
| Carrying Capacity |
|---|
| Any character can carry one item of a reasonable amount; so if they are gathering herbs, they can only gather one type of herb. Increasing your carrying capacity allows you to gather multiple different items of a reasonable amount during projects, events, or general roleplaying. You can also purchase satchels from the shop to carry even more items! |
| Level | Offense | Takedown | Carrying Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | 5p: +3 to attack rolls | 5p: +3 to takedown rolls | 3p: +1 items when gathering |
| [ 2 ] | 10p: +5 to attack rolls | 10p: +5 to takedown rolls | 5p: +2 items when gathering |
| [ 3 ] | 15p: +7 to attack rolls | 15p: +7 to takedown rolls | 10p: +3 items when gathering |
Agility Disciplines
| Level | Strike Count | Dodge | Reflexes |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | 5p: 25% chance of 2 strikes per attack | 5p: +3 to dodge rolls | 3p: +3 to rolls to catch flying prey, catch fast prey, or grab ahold of moving objects |
| [ 2 ] | 10p: 50% chance of 2 strikes per attack | 10p: +5 to dodge rolls | 5p: +5 to rolls to catch flying prey, catch fast prey, or grab ahold of moving objects |
| [ 3 ] | 15p: 75% chance of 2 strikes per attack | 15p: +7 to dodge rolls | 10p: +7 to rolls to catch flying prey, catch fast prey, or grab ahold of moving objects |
Fortitude Disciplines
| Level | Health | Resistance | Thorns |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | 5p: +10 to base health | 5p: Resistance to Tier 1 diseases and injuries | 3p: 25% chance of reflecting 25% of an attack’s damage |
| [ 2 ] | 10p: +20 to base health | 15p: Resistance to Tier 2 disease and injuries | 5p: 25% chance of reflecting 50% of an attack’s damage |
| [ 3 ] | 15p: +30 to base health | 25p: Resistance to Tier 3 diseases and Injuries | 10p: 50% chance of reflecting 50% of an attack’s damage |
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diseases / Injuries | Ring Rot, Fog Fever & minor infected wounds | Grey Mouth, major infected wounds | Rabies, limb amputation, Bloodlung |
Dexterity Disciplines
| Level | Trapping | Medical Precision | Artistry |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | 5p: Able to use Tier 1 traps | 5p: Able to clean and suture small gashes (such as attacks from other cats) | 5p: Able to craft small jewelry like earrings, small items like bowls, and/or style fur |
| [ 2 ] | 10p: Able to use Tier 2 traps | 15p: Able to clean and suture large life-threatening wounds (such as attacks from bobcats) | 10p: Able to craft jewelry like necklaces and bracelets, items like small bags |
| [ 3 ] | 15p: Able to use Tier 3 traps | 25p: Able to perform amputations and life-saving surgeries (within the limits of their reality) | 20p: Able to craft cloaks, minor clothing garments, and spears |
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traps | Snares, deadfall traps | Pitfall traps, small fish corral | Tunnel traps, net traps |
Perception Disciplines
| Level | Stealth | Speech | Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | 5p: +3 to Stealth Checks | 5p: +3 to Speech Checks | 5p: Needs a roll of 15 or higher for a speech check to pass on them |
| [ 2 ] | 10p: +5 to Stealth Checks | 10p: +5 to Speech Checks | 10p: Needs a roll of 20 or higher for a speech check to pass on them |
| [ 3 ] | 15p: +7 to Stealth Checks | 15p: +7 to Speech Checks | 15p: Needs a roll of 25 or higher for a speech check to pass on them |
| Stealth | Speech | Resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Stalking prey eavesdropping | Convincing, manipulating, or lying | Resisting manipulation or lies |
Intelligence Disciplines
| Level | Knowledge | Discoveries | Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1 ] | 5p: +3 to intellect checks related to prey/predator knowledge, or herb uses | 5p: +3 to new discoveries | 5p: +3 to tracking checks |
| [ 2 ] | 10p: +5 to intellect checks related to prey/predator knowledge, or herb uses | 10p: +5 to new discoveries | 10p: +5 to tracking checks |
| [ 3 ] | 15p: +7 to intellect checks related to prey/predator knowledge, or herb uses | 15p: +7 to new discoveries | 15p: +7 to tracking checks |
| Discoveries | Tracking |
|---|---|
| Inventing new cures, new food recipes, or new inventions | Locating prey or enemies |
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© The Sacred Light. All rights reserved.
January 2012 ★
The Beginning:A large group of cats abandon their corrupt clans in the United Kingdom, travelling for many months, utilising boat and train to find a land as they were guided by StarClan. They finally find a home, and settle down in a land called Paradise Valley, in Alberta, Canada. Phoenixflight chooses the leaders of each clan. He originally chose a different cat to lead SolarClan, but StarClan rejected his choice and chose him to lead SolarClan instead. However, the clans’ other chosen leader did not believe StarClan chose Phoenixflight, as they saw him as corrupt, and therefore all assumed he only had one life.
The leaders were as following:
- SolarClan (Maple Guild) - Phoenixstar
- StellarClan (Aspen Guild) - Sootstar
- LunarClan (Birch Guild) - Talonstar
- EclipseClan (Hemlock Guild) - Snowstar
Sootstar and Talonstar were only leaders until April 2012, where the two of them abandoned the new clans of Paradise Valley as they regretted their decision to leave their old homes. Sunstar becomes the leader of StellarClan, and Halfstar becomes the leader of LunarClan.
★ June/July 2012
The Scarlet War:Phoenixstar takes his kittens, Wyvernkit and Scorchkit, to a gathering, as he deems it strange that kittens and elders could not go to gatherings. Being that he founded these clans, he felt he had the right to choose the new Warrior Code, which included his desire to allow weaned kittens to attend gatherings. EclipseClan’s high ranks are viscerally against this, and their medicine cat makes the critical error of confiding in a warrior who was close to Phoenixstar’s brother, Dragonsong. Dragonsong reveals to Phoenixstar that Snowstar and his deputy Plumefur were planning on raiding SolarClan and killing Wyvernkit and Scorchkit. Phoenixstar responds by starting a war and raiding EclipseClan, declaring Snowstar unfit to lead and attempting to usurp him for betrayal. StellarClan decides to side with EclipseClan. LunarClan, however, only chooses to shelter refugee EclipseClanners, as Halfstar believes Phoenixstar would not act this way without motive.
The war ends during a gathering in June 2012, where Phoenixstar, in his rage, declares the clans will all have to become one clan under him seeing as they are unable to keep leaders and are unable to obey the code. Phoenixstar kills Halfstar who attempts to subdue him, but she rises again and strikes back, taking out the gloating SolarClan leader. As it’s assumed Phoenixstar has no lives, the cats begin to panic as their founder is deceased. However, Phoenixstar rises again and forfeits the war. This unfortunately paints the SolarClan leader as a ‘villain’ in the eyes of many for several years to come. Even now, as the Seer of Hemlock Guild, Phoenixlight still has to battle this incorrect interpretation of his identity.
The casualties were as follows:
- SolarClan (Maple Guild) - 8 Deaths
- StellarClan (Aspen Guild) - 0 Deaths
- LunarClan (Birch Guild) - 0 Deaths
- EclipseClan (Hemlock Guild) - 14 Deaths
February/March 2013 ★
The Shadow Contagion:A horrible plague strikes Paradise Valley in five symptomatic stages. This plague is unknown to the clans, though it was a disease that once killed their loved ones when they lived in the Origin Clans in the United Kingdom. It sweeps away a third of the cats, and kills the prey and predators as well. EclipseClan and StellarClan were hit the worst, but SolarClan was not hit as hard. Though they did not know at the time, the plague was a famine as a result of the new Unholy Prophet, Frecklepaw, being unable to contain the sheer volume of spiritual darkness in the valley from its predecessors. Wyvernfire, the Mortal Prophet, identifies it as a spiritual disease, and takes time educating the clans on the Unholy Dark and the Sacred Light. He and the new Sacred Prophet, Wishseeker, work together to cure the entire valley. Wyvernfire is revered as a God from that point on, and still is seen as such in the modern Estuary. The disease was identified as shadow possession to the clans.
The casualties were as follows:
- SolarClan (Maple Guild) - 6 Deaths
- StellarClan (Aspen Guild) - 11 Deaths
- LunarClan (Birch Guild) - 9 Deaths
- EclipseClan (Hemlock Guild) - 16 Deaths
★ March 2014
The Fall of Halfstar:A mysterious StarClan cat comes to Phoenixstar in his dreams and tells him if he doesn’t kill Halfstar, she will kill his son, the Mortal Prophet. Afraid for the life of his son, and for the safety of the clans, as they needed their prophet to fight against the Shadows, he ‘raids’ LunarClan camp and kills Halfstar. Nobody else in LunarClan is killed aside from a small LunarClanner who tried to stop Phoenixstar. The effort was extremely coordinated, SolarClanners held down and stopped LunarClanners from stopping Phoenixstar, so he could achieve his mission without hurting anyone else. Halfstar was succeeded by Brookstar.
August 2014 ★
The Relentless Tide:Halfstar delivers Phoenixstar an omen a day too late, telling him a thousand rivers would kill everyone he loves. He awakens to water in SolarClan camp; a dislodged beaver dam up the river near their camp causes a flash flood. Phoenixstar is only able to save about two thirds of the clan, everyone else drowns, dies of injuries, or dies later due to related illness like pneumonia.
★ June 2016
Phoenixstar's Exile:Phoenixstar decides his existence is a plague to his clan, and his possession makes him dangerous, so he exiles himself and names his deputy Dustface to Duststar. Around this time, Frecklepoppy, the Shadow Prophet, succumbs to her power, and dies tragically from her own shroud.
November 2016 ★
The Journey West:The clans were still dealing with Shadows haunting them and infecting their loved ones, especially in Frecklepoppy’s absence, so Wyvernfire declares they need to move out of the valley because it was too ‘poisoned’ by the humans who once lived there. None of the clans argue. They journey eastward to the Pacific coast of Northern British Columbia, naming their new home Paradise Bay.
★ January 2017
The Return of Phoenixstar:In January, Phoenixstar, with the help of StarClan, finds the clans now settled by the ocean to the west. He determines Duststar is fine to lead his former clan. However, he finds EclipseClan with only eight cats left in their entire population. He’s mortified by the potential that one of the clans he founded could disappear forever. He learns his former mate, Hearthfire, is leading EclipseClan under the name Hearthstar. Phoenixstar joins EclipseClan under his warrior name, Phoenixflight, in hopes of regaining her affection and infiltrating her ranks. He does so successfully. Phoenixflight successfully throws Hearthstar into the sea after gaining her trust, knowing that she cannot swim. He suspects she will return to the surface after each life is lost, but she does not. A search begins to find her, as the other clans assume she’s missing.
Phoenixflight goes to the Moon Hollow to request that he be made EclipseClan’s leader and he is given back the ninth life that he lost to Halfstar, they also inform him that Hearthfire was a false leader and only had one life. He decides to see if he can find her body along the bay, and he finds her rotting waterlogged carcass beneath the cliffs of StellarClan during low tide, unable to bring her all back, he brings her skull with fur still attached so the clan could tell it was still her. He delivers this skull to EclipseClan and informs them she was a false leader who had been planning to destroy their ranks. Phoenixstar demotes Minteye, Hearthfire’s deputy, and promotes Cloakedmask to become his deputy. EclipseClan barely retaliates, too tired to keep fighting against years of corrupt leadership.
While some cats fear Phoenixstar’s return as a leader, all of the leaders of the other clans are relieved to have someone competent in control of EclipseClan.
June 2017 ★
The Rift Raids:Hearthfire had been several months pregnant, and from StarClan she claims they were Phoenixstar’s. This is impossible as he cannot have kittens. Wishseeker Startouches the kittens so that Phoenixstar can raise them as his own children anyway. When Duststar disappears mysteriously and his deputy Tigerrift becomes Riftstar, she plots to kidnap and steal Phoenixstar’s daughters, Hopekit and Truthkit, as she disagreed with Hearthfire’s execution and saw Phoenixstar as a monster who was unfit to lead and unfit to father. SolarClan still follows Phoenixstar, displeased with her leadership. Riftstar plans a raid when Phoenixstar’s daughters are about four months old. When she raids the clan however, over half of her warriors betray her, either leaving the battle entirely, or joining EclipseClan.
Seeing as Riftstar’s children, who were apprentices at the time, were at the raid, Phoenixstar refused to fight, remembering when Wyvernfire had to watch Halfstar take one of Phoenixstar’s lives at the end of the Scarlet war. Riftstar mercilessly takes one of Phoenixstar’s lives as he stands there, refusing to hit her back, and simply takes her attacks. Frozenstar and Leopardstar manage to arrive at the raid to back EclipseClan and witness this happening. SolarClan stops obeying Riftstar entirely after this, only following Wyvernfire, Phoenixstar’s son and the Mortal Prophet, as they see him as their true leader’s next of kin.
★ August 2018
Return of the Shadows:Horrifying fires hit British Columbia throughout 2017, and while they haven’t hit Paradise Bay yet, the impact is horrifying. Cats develop breathing and lung problems from the sheer volume of smoke in the air, nobody can seem to escape the deplorable air quality. All throughout 2017, and into the winter of 2018, the clans struggle with decreasing prey numbers due to the ‘landlocking’ that the fires have caused, isolating them. No new cats come to and join the clans during this time, as the dead land around them keeps them trapped among themselves. Finally, in summer 2018, the fires begin again, and start to creep up on Paradise Bay. The negativity from the struggles of the last year, Wishseeker dying from shadow infection, and the only surviving prophet struggling with the distraction of raising his children, cause an overabundance of the unholy dark like never seen before.
The clans are overwhelmed with sickness and depression, and as the fires hit the eastern slopes of the territory, the unholy dark pierces the veil of reality, ripping into the plane of the living and manifesting as real physical entities. There is no time to prepare, there is no warning, as the fire creeps up on the evacuating SolarClan, the shadows in all their horrendous eldritch forms tear through the flames, trying desperately to find a host. Wyvernfire was left alone to fight them and defend his clan with his life, but SolarClan is devastated, losing almost their entire clan in a matter of minutes. When the unholy dark abominations try to find a host in the living world, they unintentionally rip the actual particles of living beings apart, as they are trying to connect to the soul but are in a flesh form. They shred right through each cat, and every other animal they encounter, frantically trying to find a host so that they themselves do not dissipate and become nothingness.
The surviving members of SolarClan flee and live with LunarClan for the remaining two months that the clans live at Paradise Bay. Eventually, that same night, the unholy dark hits EclipseClan, who had more warning to escape, and only lose a few stragglers. StellarClan is also hit, but the physical abominations cannot fit into their cave camp, and instead slam themselves into the earth, unable to understand why they cannot move through the soil to reach their hosts. LunarClan is surrounded by water, which sweeps the abominations away, so they are safe. While SolarClan and EclipseClan live with them, Frozenstar, Phoenixstar, and Wyvernfire team up to distract the unholy dark creatures while StellarClan escapes. However, Causticstar is not fast enough, and the shadow beings tear through her instantly, killing her deputy as well, and leaving only her medicine cat, Coldblister, to lead her clan.
The casualties are as follows:
- SolarClan (Maple Guild) - 21 Deaths
- StellarClan (Aspen Guild) - 8 Deaths
- LunarClan (Birch Guild) - 1 Death
- EclipseClan (Hemlock Guild) - 4 Deaths
January 2019 ★
Discovery of the Estuary:After the unholy dark abominations dissipate or all get swept away, the clans headed east, with Phoenixstar leading EclipseClan and SolarClan, and Frozenstar leading LunarClan and StellarClan. SolarClan’s leader Riftstar abandoned the clan during the journey, leaving them leaderless, and StellarClan’s only surviving high rank Coldblister is a medicine cat and feels unfit to lead. While boarding the Canadian Pacific Railway to head east, like Frozenstar and Phoenixstar had done years ago to find Paradise Valley, a single young SolarClanner dies as he jumps for the train too early and is lost beneath the wheels. Other than this, there are no casualties during the journey east. An elderly cat named Shepherd is met at one of the train yards, and he agrees to help them go as far east as Canada would allow, so long as they give his followers a safe home among their numbers.
During the journey, the group passes many groups and recruits a huge number of followers. They disembark from the train in eastern Quebec, and travel the remaining way on foot. They discover the Estuary along the eastern coast and claim it as their own home, learning from the local Coalition that former clans used to live there; StellarClan and LunarClan end up settling their villages in two of the former clans’ camps. The clans become guilds, under these new names:
- SolarClan becomes Maple Guild, and is lead by Flamelight
- StellarClan becomes Aspen Guild, and is lead by Coldlight
- LunarClan becomes Birch Guild, and is lead by Frozenlight
- EclipseClan becomes Hemlock Guild, and is lead by Phoenixlight
★ March 2020
The Coalition Torment:A local colony of lawless cats called the Coalition are terrified of the Guilds, having been poorly treated by the clans that lived there prior to the Guilds. They start attacking and recruiting any housecats or stray cats in the region, and the guilds don’t fail to notice this. The guilds start offering their homes and ranks to these strays and housecats to give them somewhere safe to live, some structure to follow, and a sense of community. Many of the outsiders take up the offer, and are the modern guilds’ first non-clan members. However, as guild cats begin dying at the paws of a Coalitioner, Wyvernfire can’t continue to ignore them, and he decides to confront the Coalition.
He discovers quickly that Brielle, the daughter of the Coalition’s leader, and the head of their hunters, was plagued by some malformed variant of shadow infection that he had never seen before. She wasn’t mentally present, but every single cat in the Coalition was infected or possessed to some extent, and Wyvernfire knew this poor cat was suffering, though their leader was determined to protect and preserve his child. Wyvernfire gets Phoenixlight and Sealight involved, and they determine very quickly that Brielle is the cause of the Guild murders and they decide to ‘raid’ the Coalition to put her out of her misery and establish a moral rule over the Coalition.
This goes decently, Brielle only manages to bite Phoenixlight, who cannot be infected, and he manages to execute her cleanly so she can be buried by her family. The Coalition’s leader, Omenus, declares war on the guilds, but this doesn’t do anything as the Coalition is relieved Brielle would no longer have random outbursts and kill them.
July 2020 ★
The Birth of Alder Guild:Wyvernfire is killed suddenly, and nobody can understand how or why, as it’s not possible to kill the Mortal Prophet. Flamestar finds out in secrecy who the killer is, and steps down from his Seer position in fear that he is next. He names Copperdawn his successor, and they become Copperstar. Wraithvale, Wyvernfire’s daughter and the keeper, refuses to let anyone bury her father’s body, and convinces sentry Swanstrike that Wyvernfire wasn’t actually dead and they need to take him to the Sacred Light in the mountains. She proves this by showing that he’s still breathing, and more in comatose than deceased. They take his body to the Sacred Light in the mountains, and throw him in.
He returns from the Pool of Spirits, as the local cats called it, completely fine, as if nothing had happened, and returns to his clan with his daughter and clanmate in tow. Wyvernfire also brings with him Brielle and Baltazar; Brielle had been revived by the Sacred Light and was laying low until she felt comfortable returning home to the Coalition. After seeing the power that the Guilds had with this incredible light, and Brielle returning healthy and happy, the Coalition begins to doubt their Commander, Omenus. Baltazar and the Shaman, Rafaela, form a secret alliance called the Alder Alliance, which was a plan that, if and when the Coalition became a Guild, the tree they claimed would be the alder tree.
Some other members included Ashenspirit, Bravesoul, and Chivegrowl. Valorheart, an Aspen Guilder who had been Startouched, was killed only a few weeks earlier, but then Startouched once again by Wishseeker since Wyvernfire deemed his death unfair and untimely (as the Sacred Prophet was still functional in the afterlife; prophet power is not bound by physical bodies). Valorheart told Wyvernfire who killed him and Wyvernfire decided to take Valorheart to confront the Coalitioner that executed him. Ghost, a Coalition battler, was confronted in the Northern Camp.
Omenus had deeply loved all of CoastClan’s refugees (refer to Cliffthorn’s history for the history of the clans that lived in the Estuary before the Guilds), including Valorheart and Bravesoul, and was personally offended by Ghost’s actions and betrayal. Omenus decided to execute Ghost himself, but failed, and Ghost mortally wounded Omenus instead. A Coalition battler named Obsidianclaw held Ghost down while Baltazar finished executing him, and then they immediately tended to Omenus. Omenus said he wanted his Coalition to become a guild and follow the honour and charitable life of the guilds, and then passed away.
On July 31st, 2020, Wyvernfire declared the Coalition the fifth and final guild, Alder Guild.
★ February 2021
A Difficult Winter:The hardest winter the guilds have ever seen strikes the Estuary. Aspen Guild loses several kittens, and Maple Guild barely survives starvation. Birch Guild struggles to battle fog fever through the entire season, and Alder Guild is struggling to fit into their new culture and roles. Hemlock Guild, however, is unaffected, and spends their winter tending to the other guilds to help them pull through the winter. During this time, Frecklepoppy, once the unholy prophet, is Startouched by Wishseeker.
The Guilds are still missing a sacred prophet among the living, but Wishseeker can still do her job as the sacred prophet in the Rested. The living Seerkeeper, Wyvernfire, and his freshly revived Underseer, Frecklepoppy, do a good job of maintaining the possession and infection rates of the Estuary and keeping the cats sane through the
harsh winter season.
June 2021 ★
Reclaim the River:A massive group of beavers takes over the river between Maple Guild and Hemlock Guild, flooding the northern side of both Guilds and suffocating their fish numbers for hunting. The guilds team up in five teams, one per guild, of their strongest fighters. During the fight, two of the beavers are revealed to be shrouded, and have to be killed carefully to avoid infection. One of them, as killed by Phoenixlight, leaks it’s shroud into the ground. Obsidianclaw, not wanting this to taint the land, decides to bare the brunt of the the possession and adapts a shroud, being revealed to be the individual who killed Wyvernfire a year earlier.
Nobody seems to mind this, as Wyvernfire has forgiven him, and everyone is glad to have yet another powerful shroud like Frecklepoppy on the Guilds’ side. Some guilds to this day still envy Hemlock Guild, as they have two shrouds among their ranks.
★ August 2021
Final Death:Wishseeker, who has lived peacefully in the Restless since her death many years ago, continues to serve as Sacred Prophet from the afterlife. One day, Wyvernfire is unable to find her. After some time, he is able to contact The Entity, the God of their world, who confirms her soul has been killed. This not only confirms the Estuary colonies have no Shimmer Prophet to protect them, but also confirms there is death after death. Maple Guild is grief-stricken, and
vows revenge.
November 2021 ★
The Alder Massacre:In October 2021, an Alder Guild patrol is attacked by two bobcats while trying to recruit an outsider named Moriarty from the Trailer Park. Havichirp, an Alder Guild courser, and Moriarty, the outsider, are both killed. Chivegrowl, Fadedwhisper, and Ruddyrook manage to escape. A few weeks later, an eerie silence lingers over Alder Guild’s villages. Yowls are heard, and the bodies of Calderaclimb, Deltadive, and Maarbelly are thrown over the thorny walls of the village and their blood sprays across the cats as they flop sloppily onto the earth with sickening plops. Alder Guild is in shock at first, but as five bobcats rain down from the trees above, the guild quickly kicks into fighting gear.
It was a massacre, dubbed The Alder Massacre both in character and out of character. This would mark the beginning of the war on the Acadian Realm bobcats and their monarch Divinity, which would not end until August 2023. Around the same time, several other guilds were struck by the Acadian Realm and lost members of their own, including the retired Birch Guild Seer, Frozenshield.
The following characters died:
- Aspen Guild - Tatterwings
- Birch Guild - Frozenshield, Nimbletwig, Midgemaw
- Hemlock Guild - Flutterfire
- Alder Guild - Osias, Mariana, Calderaclimb, Deltadive, Pollux, Jackalbriar, Cheddarmoon, Rustpoppy, Strand, Saptooth, Cadarsu, Maarbelly, Sharpwillow
- Acadian Realm - Behemoth
★ May 2022
The Tarot Events:In a coordinated attack, the Acadian Realm bobcats strike every guild, one after another, killing entire patrols in graceful assaults. There was so little bloodshed, as the cats could hardly defend themselves against the bobcats.
The casualties were as follows:
- Maple Guild - Riddleweaver, Patchfern, Emberstorm, Sheepflight, Typhoonroot
- Aspen Guild - Wildrose, Mouseglow, Baytwig
- Birch Guild - Axolotlmoth, Winterthorn, Perrennialwhisper
- Hemlock Guild - Snapdragon, Sandspirit, Hydrahaunt, Balladtwig
- Alder Guild - Melora, Spirithunter, Sparrowtwig
December 2022 ★
An Accusation and a Trial:Cliffthorn, a startouched member of Alder Guild, and the former leader of the extinct CoastClan, is accused by Phoenixlight for killing the Shimmer Prophet, Wishseeker, during Cliffthorn’s time in the Rested. Cliffthorn deflects Phoenixlight’s accusation by claiming he killed Lichenwhisker. Maple Guild immediately sides with Phoenixlight and Hemlock Guild, believing Cliffthorn to be the killer of their precious Sacred Prophet.
Cliffthorn was on ‘trial’ until June 2023, unable to leave Alder Guild, and battling with the discrimination of his guildmates as they assumed the worst about him. During the following 2023 winter, the weather was quite poor, and gave the Guilders a break from their battles with the Acadian Realm, as the bobcats weren’t good at traversing deep snow.
★ June 9th, 2023
The New Prophet:A Summer Solstace Conclave is held in June as it is every year, and Wyvernfire finally comes forward with the verdict on Cliffthorn. He confirms Cliffthorn killed Wishseeker, however, he is not to blame and is not guilty. Cats are confused why Wyvernfire would defend Cliffthorn, who killed the Sacred Prophet that was also Wyvernfire’s mate, however, Wyvernfire immediately draws the guilds’ (and the attending Highland Realm bobcats and Overgrowth hares) attention to Nimbuswatcher, the Keeper of Birch Guild.
Wyvernfire declares Nimbuswatcher is the new Sacred Prophet, and Nimbuswatcher agrees to take this role, sacrificing his position as Keeper to become the spiritual healer of the entire Estuary. Cliffthorn is free to resume his life, Nimbuswatcher ascends to the prophet power, and the guilds rejoice and celebrate as all is well, at least, for
a little while.
August 10th, 2023 ★
The Final Battle:The Acadian Realm finally pours down on the guilds. One bobcat per patrol, killing countless Guild cats, but quickly being overwhelmed by the strength of the Guilds which were prepared for an attack thanks to the informed words of their Seerkeeper; the daughter of Divinity had warned Wyvernfire in advance about the attack. This is why the patrols were organised and spread out at the same times, to reduce the Acadian bobcats’ numbers as much as possible. The villages were never even touched, where the vulnerable lay completely unaware of the fights breaking out aside from yowling in the distance.
Divinity forfeited to Wyvernfire and the Highland Realm Monarch, Eminence. She stated her Warden, Harbinger, had stolen her Realm from her, and she wanted the war to end. They accepted her forfeit, and Divinity joined the battle against her own Realm. After the battle, the Acadian Realm was restored to its former post-corruption glory, naming Venus the Curen, and Goliath the Warden, and keeping Divinity as the Monarch.
The casualties were as follows:
- Maple Guild - Dogwillow, Jackdawflame, Polartusk, Canarysong, Ceruleanmask
- Aspen Guild - Sealight, Lindenhaze, Alyssumsea, Buttonbloom, Ternfur
- Birch Guild - Longwhisker, Lillyfrond, Coyotesprint, Hyacinthbloom, Chimefeather, Valewisp, Peregrinepath, Driftscar, Bearchant
- Hemlock Guild - Silentecho, Stumprunner, Gloamnettle, Gravelgale, Marigoldgaze, Woolwander, Waningmoon, Jayflicker
- Alder Guild - Lavenderslip, Vokun, Obelia, Nuria, Rafaela, Shellstream
- Acadian Realm - Cobalt, Riptide, Acid, Harbinger
★ Ongoing
Present Time:The Guilds now live in relative peace. With the Ursalis moving closer to them, and the Concord forming, they’re excited to welcome these newcomers into their lives. The Guilds are ready and prepared for a long winter, with their cellars filled with jerky, dried berries, and cured herbs.
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Step One
Get Verified!
If you don’t send us a roleplay sample that meets our literacy standards, you will not be able to enter the server. You must be verified and accepted into the server within five days of joining or you will be kicked from the server. You can rejoin and try again at any time! However, you only get one attempt at sending a sample. Make sure you meet the following requirements:- Samples must contain both dialogue and narration.
- Samples cannot be a link or a Google Doc.
- Samples must be in third-person.
- Try to keep your tense consistent.
- Don’t use italics (*) outside of thoughts or emphasis. You’re free to use bold (**) on dialogue.
- Changing one character’s pronouns in the same sentence doesn’t work well when there’s no context like there typically is with roleplay samples; we suggest for the sake of clarity, please don’t change a single character’s pronouns multiple times in one sentence.
- The longer the sample, the longer the time to be approved, which means you might get kicked before we can actually read your sample. If we only require 50 words per roleplay post, so why would you send us 500 words in your sample? Keep it short and efficient to quickly show your literacy skills!
Step Two
Pick Your Faction!
In order to become a member of TSL you must create a character! Each species is unique with their own factions, own cultures, and a different set of species guidelines based on their culture and real-world biology. Once you have chosen your faction and species, you can make sure the rank you picked for your character is open simply by asking @Modmins in the #questions channel on Discord.You can’t try out for any high ranks until you have at least one pre-existing character.
Make sure you have read all of these info pages:
#Faction Ranks
#Stats
#Our Lore
#Activity Checks
#Character Guidelines (on Discord!)TSL is over ten years old, and our lore can can be overwhelming, so be sure to take things like the History page or the Terminology at your own pace! Feel free to ask us if you have any questions, but keep in mind we can’t answer most questions around paths, as you will need to answer these yourself through roleplay and plot discovery.
Step Three
Submit Your Character!
A physical reference sheet is required, please check below Step Three to see our guidelines on physical reference sheets, and how you can go about acquiring one if you’re unable to draw it yourself.TSL Blank Application Template
- Make a copy of this document and fill in your character's information in each field.You must use Google Docs. Applications submitted using Toyhouse or Google Slides will be rejected.TSL’s application template is not optional. You can add extra information, but you cannot change the layout of the application as it is. If caught doing this, you won’t be allowed to roleplay or submit activity checks until the error is repaired.Here are some rules about applications:
- If you use a pageless format, or use cells to block information, you are required to supply a link to a separate linear application so that mobile users can read your applications. Pageless and cell blocks make it hard to read on some mobile devices.
- Do not use any fonts under the ‘Display’ or ‘Handwriting’ sections.
- Light background with dark text only.If your application has errors, you will be given a list of the errors and you will need to fix them! You have to submit an application within two weeks of having your roleplay sample approved and receiving your ‘Wanderer’ role.
Physical Application Guidelines
- Art may not be stylised in a way that it makes the character look like they might have purchasable mutations (overgrown fangs).- Art must be a side view that shows the markings. Other views are acceptable if the character is one solid colour (this will not work for foxes unless they are albino/melanistic).- Art may not be lineless or shaded.- While we are pretty flexible with markings and marking shapes within individual species, we have a few specific requirements; no light-on-dark tabbies (black base coat with grey stripes on top), and keep in mind a majority of fox colours will require purchased morph slots. Of course, the markings of your character must only pertain to that species; no tabby rabbits, no brindle foxes, etc.- If you’re reusing art for a cat’s reference sheet, and the sheet contains Warriors terminology or symbolism, they will be rejected.- Scars heal and fur grows back. If your character has a scar over their eye somehow deep enough to have no fur grow back, the eye would be gone.
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Drawing a Reference SheetYou can draw yourself your own character reference sheet, however, it must be digital as we have to be able to colourpick the colours accurately. Do not stylize the artwork. Your character cannot be depicted with hair, overgrown fangs, lion-like manes, etc, unless they actually have these mutations purchased and added to them prior to them being created. Your artwork must be accurate, and colours must be realistic and desaturated. If you are wondering if your character design is valid, just give us a shout in the #questions channel!You can also commission an artist, or use gifted or requested art. You cannot use any art that is not your legal property. If your reference sheet is ‘Warriors’ based and has Warriors terminology on it, we will reject it.
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Using a Creator or PicrewSince the reference sheet has to be a side-view full body so we can see the character’s markings accurately, famous Picrews such as Harvestbrook or Felidaze are strictly prohibited. Here are the Picrews and Character Creators approved by TSL’s staff team which you can use:Spageddy’s Cat Maker Picrew
Raintailed’s Pixel Cat Picrew
Marq’s Cat Maker Picrew
littlehungryartist’s Feral Cat Picrew
parcidinonyx’s Cat Maker Picrew
Neikoish’s Cat Maker (Flash Emulated)
Kamirah’s Kitten Maker (Flash Emulated)
Kamirah’s Kitten Creator (Flash Emulated)
Kaylink’s Fox Maker (Flash Emulated)
Perianardocyl’s Wolf/Fox Maker (Flash Emulated)
Kamirah’s Fox Maker (Flash Emulated)
Twai’s Bunny Creator (Flash Emulated)
Twai’s Create a Bunny (Flash Emulated)Note that since shading isn’t allowed, some of these Makers/Picrews will require you to place a reference sheet request with staff to have your character redrawn accurately without shading.
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Using a PhotographAnother alternative is to supply a photograph which meets the same perimeters (full body side view, no part of the animal’s body is hidden). The photograph must be created to the actual photographer by name, the exact same way we expect drawn art to be credited. If you use Unsplash or Pexels, credit is not required but encouraged. Photographs aren’t allowed long term, so when your character is approved, you will need to post a request in the refsheet-request channel, and a staff member will be assigned to draw your character based on the photo you supplied. When it’s completed, it’s mandatory that you put this ref sheet on your application and delete the photograph. Once you leave TSL, you can no longer use the ref sheet, as this art is property of the server.This is the same if you adopt any characters from TSL staff or the server members; as soon as you leave, you surrender all rights to that character.
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© The Sacred Light. All rights reserved.
What are Projects?
Projects are a system of tasks members can complete to upgrade, expand, and benefit their Guilds and the Estuary as a whole. Some projects are to expand the village areas to accommodate actual structures, some projects may be to gather resources and cook or prep them, and some projects could be as simple as traveling beyond the Estuary to recruit newcomers or obtain knowledge.Projects typically come in 2 to 3 Tiers, the planning stage, the gathering stage, and the execution stage. Sometimes projects will skip the planning stage. Projects have a set deadline, and members must submit a designated amount of writing or art during the duration of each project to complete the project.Here is an example of how a project layout works, where we’re using building a smoking tent for smoking meats for long-term storage:
✨ Tier 1, Planning: Draw or write 3 pieces of your characters planning how to construct a smoking tent
✨ Tier 2, Gathering: Draw or write 3 pieces of your characters gathering animal pelts
✨ Tier 3, Execution: Draw or write 3 pieces of your characters building the smoking tent
If you write, you must write them doing the task. If you draw, the characters must be drawn doing the task specified for that tier as well. At least one drawing per tier must have a background. All project submissions require a minimum of 500 words OR one full body / equivalent drawing each. At least one drawn submission must also include a background. You can collaborate! One piece of art with three characters each drawn by a different artist will apply as the three pieces required as long as the collab has a background.You cannot contribute more than one piece per tier of a project. This means you must work together! If it says three pieces, three people must submit separate pieces or collaborate! You cannot draw three separate pieces to fill in for your guildmates!Upon the completion of a project you get a Project Token, you can use Project Tokens to buy advantageous items such as Sacred Feathers, Blessed Feet, or Anti-Ageing Asters. These Tokens are a reward for your activity and contribution to the future of the Estuary!
Each project submission requires a colored fullbody, or 500 words.
What are Trials?
Trials are a passive event system where members can react with art or writing to a specific prompt in-character. The reaction will acquire the character a path increase or decrease based on the reaction of the character. Once a trial has ended, characters will get a notice from staff in the respective character’s forum notifying them of the path change.Trials are posted as individual threads in the trials forum, and are left open for one month for members to write or draw their characters responding to. Each response is carefully analyzed for what path boost the character will obtain, and the notice on the character’s forum will make it much easier for members to track what actions and attributes obtain which path increases and decreases, making it possible for members to take advantage of the path system!Members still may not metagame, and staff will notice if your character is going wildly off-script to try and obtain a path advantage they otherwise would not acquire with their pre-established personality and background.
Each trial submission requires a colored fullbody, or 500 words.
Requirements
To complete an activity check, you'll need to participate in Projects! For every 5 characters you have, you have to complete one project submission (not an entire project tier or project as a whole!) every four months.1-4 Characters: 1 Project Submission
5-9 Characters: 2 Project Submissions
10+ Characters: 3 Project SubmissionsWhen you complete a project submission, staff will inform you of the project token in your character's forum. Staff will then count this towards your activity check for that period.Activity check periods:
January 1st to May 31st
May 1st to August 31st
September 1st to December 31st
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