• Roleplay comes before winning.
• Rules exist to improve stories, not prevent them.
• Always choose the option that creates better roleplay.
• If a rule has multiple interpretations, never exploit the one that benefits you unfairly.

No rulebook can account for every possible situation that may occur during roleplay.

If you ever find yourself asking, "The rules don't explicitly forbid this, so can I do it?", you are likely approaching the situation incorrectly. Instead, ask whether your decision contributes positively to the roleplay experience of everyone involved.

• Story and realism always come before game mechanics.
• Create opportunities for others rather than obstacles.
• Roleplay is collaborative, not competitive.
• Everyone deserves an enjoyable experience.
• Fairness is always more important than victory.

Every player contributes to the same living world. Great roleplay is created by sharing the spotlight, supporting one another's stories and allowing meaningful successes, failures and consequences to shape future interactions. Even your rivals are collaborators helping to tell your character's story.

No rulebook can account for every possible situation. When a situation is not explicitly covered, choose the option that best supports fair, believable and collaborative roleplay rather than the one that provides the greatest personal advantage.

Staff will always interpret the rules according to their spirit and intended purpose. Deliberately relying on technical loopholes or literal wording to gain an unfair advantage is considered contrary to the philosophy of Ash & Blood, even if the exact situation is not specifically described elsewhere in the handbook.

• Roleplay before mechanics.
• Story before victory.
• Share the spotlight.
• Create opportunities for others.
• Respect every player's experience and time.
• Follow both the letter and the spirit of the rules.

🤖 AI Generated Responses

AI tools may never be used to generate live roleplay replies during active scenes. Your character's dialogue, reactions and decisions should always originate from you rather than an automated language model.

Grammar correction, spelling assistance and proofreading software remain permitted, provided those tools simply improve the readability of text that you have already written yourself.

All in-character (IC) roleplay must be conducted in English. Players are expected to write using reasonably clear grammar, punctuation and sentence structure to maintain readability and support collaborative storytelling. Perfection is not required, but a genuine effort should always be made.

While in-game, players are expected to remain in character whenever possible. Any out-of-character communication must be clearly identified using ((double parentheses)) or the appropriate OOC communication channels.

Local OOC messages should be limited to brief necessities such as stepping away from the keyboard or resolving immediate technical issues. Extended conversations should always be moved to the appropriate OOC channel.

Unless clearly marked as out-of-character, all speech, actions and interactions are presumed to be entirely in-character and may be treated as such by everyone present.

• Speak and act as your character whenever possible.
• Separate character knowledge from player knowledge.
• Allow your character to make believable mistakes.
• Remain consistent with your established personality and experiences.
• Accept the consequences of your character's choices.

Your character should remain consistent with the personality, beliefs, relationships and experiences they have established through roleplay. Characters are expected to grow naturally over time, but meaningful change should be earned through events, consequences and long-term development rather than appearing suddenly whenever it becomes convenient.

Knowing something as a player does not mean your character knows it. Unless your character learns information through roleplay, they must behave as though they are genuinely unaware of it.

Likewise, your character may not selectively forget events, relationships or experiences simply because remembering them would place them at a disadvantage. Character knowledge should remain consistent throughout your roleplay unless memory loss itself has become a legitimate part of the story.

Remaining in character means consistently portraying the individual you have created, even when doing so leads to failure, hardship or difficult decisions.

• Think like your character.
• Use only character knowledge.
• Remain consistent with your established character.
• Allow growth to happen naturally through roleplay.
• Never ignore previous roleplay because it becomes inconvenient.
• Never allow OOC information to influence IC actions.

• Keep OOC chat brief and only when necessary.
• Resolve OOC issues outside active roleplay whenever possible.
• Return to roleplay immediately once the issue is resolved.
• Never use OOC communication to influence an ongoing IC scene.

Out-of-character communication must never be used to negotiate, pressure or manipulate the outcome of an in-character situation. Once a scene has begun, players are expected to resolve it through roleplay and the server's established systems rather than private OOC agreements or requests for favorable treatment.

Disagreements should almost never stop an active roleplay scene. Continue the roleplay whenever reasonably possible, collect evidence if necessary and contact staff after the scene has concluded.

Attempting to pause a scene simply because the situation is no longer favorable, or because you wish to negotiate a different outcome through OOC discussion, is not an acceptable reason to interrupt roleplay.

• Staff instructions.
• Serious rule violations requiring immediate intervention.
• Technical issues preventing the scene from continuing.
• Situations involving player safety or harassment.

• Keep OOC communication to a minimum.
• Never negotiate IC outcomes through OOC.
• Never argue during active roleplay.
• Finish the scene before reporting issues whenever possible.
• Only interrupt roleplay when absolutely necessary.

• Remain respectful at all times.
• Attack the character, never the player.
• Accept defeat with maturity.
• Treat new and veteran players equally.

The best roleplayers understand that every memorable rivalry is created by two people working together. Winning a conflict is temporary, but leaving another player excited to roleplay with you again is what builds a healthy community.

Do not retaliate against another player because of previous disagreements, reports or personal issues outside of roleplay. Character actions must always have a legitimate in-character reason.

If an interaction leaves you frustrated, take a break or contact staff if necessary. Personal disagreements should never become the foundation for future in-character actions.

• Characters may hate each other.
• Players should never hate each other.
• Strong roleplay never requires personal hostility.
• Every great rival is also your storytelling partner.

• Respect every player.
• Keep conflict between characters.
• Practice good sportsmanship.
• Never harass or retaliate OOC.
• Leave every scene with mutual respect.

• Always roleplay with honest intent.
• Do not exploit loopholes or unclear wording.
• Accept setbacks that naturally result from roleplay.
• Contribute to scenes instead of controlling them.

Rules are interpreted according to their intended purpose, not their exact wording. Deliberately exploiting loopholes, omissions or technicalities is considered bad faith roleplay and may still result in administrative action.

Your character discovers an unlocked gate because another player forgot to close it. Instead of immediately exploiting the mistake, consider whether doing so creates believable roleplay or simply takes advantage of an oversight. Good faith means choosing the better story over the easier victory. ®

• Roleplay honestly.
• Never exploit loopholes.
• Accept meaningful consequences.
• Choose the better story, not the easier victory.

• Remain calm and respectful.
• Continue the roleplay whenever reasonably possible.
• Record evidence before opening a report.
• Accept the final decision made by staff.

Do not quote rules, argue interpretations or attempt to enforce the rulebook during an active roleplay scene. Allow the scene to conclude, then let staff review the evidence if necessary. ©

• Staff cannot fix missing evidence.
• Remain factual, not emotional.
• Do not involve uninvolved players.
• One report is enough. Avoid duplicate tickets.

• Finish the roleplay first.
• Gather evidence.
• Report calmly and honestly.
• Respect the final staff decision.

⚖ Administrative Response

Violations listed within this section are not treated as ordinary rule infractions. Due to their severity, they may result in immediate disciplinary action up to and including permanent removal from the Ash & Blood community without prior warning.

Administrative responses are determined after reviewing the available evidence, surrounding circumstances and the overall safety of the community.

Using roleplay as an excuse to harass, insult, intimidate or deliberately target another player is never permitted. Staff will always distinguish legitimate character conflict from unacceptable player behavior.

Repeated unwanted contact, stalking players across Discord or other platforms, encouraging others to target someone, or continuing unwanted interactions after being asked to stop constitutes harassment regardless of whether roleplay is used as a justification.

• Insulting a rival character during roleplay is acceptable.
• Insulting the player behind that character is not.
• Declaring war on a clan is roleplay.
• Following someone across platforms to continue an argument is harassment.
• Encouraging other players to harass, isolate or repeatedly target someone is harassment.

• Respect every player.
• Harassment is never acceptable.
• Respect every player's privacy and personal boundaries.
• Zero tolerance violations may result in immediate removal.

• Finish the roleplay whenever reasonably possible.
• Collect screenshots or video evidence.
• Write an objective description.
• Report only what you personally witnessed.

Rule disagreements should never interrupt an active roleplay scene unless another chapter of this handbook explicitly requires immediate staff intervention. If you believe a rule has been broken, continue the scene whenever reasonably possible, preserve the evidence and submit a report afterward.

Players may not pause a scene, invalidate another player's actions or attempt to enforce the rules themselves. Determining whether a violation occurred is the responsibility of the Administration Team after reviewing all available evidence.

Likewise, avoid publicly arguing about the rules or attempting to moderate other players during active roleplay. If clarification is genuinely necessary, resolve it privately or through the appropriate staff channels after the scene has concluded.

Staff investigate reports as neutral fact-finders. Their responsibility is to determine what occurred based on the available evidence, not to advocate for either party.

📋 What To Include In A Report

• A clear explanation of what occurred.
• The names of everyone directly involved.
• Relevant screenshots or video recordings whenever available.
• The approximate time the incident occurred.
• Any additional context that may assist the investigation.

Knowingly submitting false, fabricated or intentionally misleading evidence, withholding important context or abusing the reporting system will result in disciplinary action. Reports exist to protect the community, not to settle personal disputes.

A report that intentionally omits critical information can be just as misleading as one that contains fabricated evidence.

• Staff investigate evidence, not emotions.
• Be honest, even if it weakens your report.
• Do not discuss active investigations publicly.
• One complete report is better than several incomplete ones.

• Finish the scene first whenever possible.
• Submit complete and truthful evidence.
• Allow staff to determine whether a rule was broken.
• Never abuse the reporting system.

• Every report is reviewed individually.
• Context always matters.
• The spirit of the rules takes priority over literal wording.
• Staff may intervene whenever necessary to protect the server, preserve fair roleplay or address situations not explicitly covered by the written rules.
• Not every situation can be covered by written rules.
• Players may respectfully request clarification or appeal a decision through the appropriate staff channels, but repeated attempts to reopen closed cases may themselves become a disciplinary issue.

Once a report has been reviewed and a final decision has been issued, the case is considered closed. Repeatedly arguing the same decision, attempting to pressure staff or encouraging others to reopen resolved cases may itself become a disciplinary issue.

• Staff are here to facilitate roleplay, not participate in disputes.
• Rules cannot replace common sense.
• Respectful feedback is always welcome.
• The goal of every decision is a healthier community.

• Prioritize roleplay over mechanics.
• Remain in character whenever possible.
• Respect every player.
• Resolve disputes calmly.
• Report violations honestly.
• Follow both the letter and spirit of the rules.
• Help create stories others will remember.