Defines hostile roleplay, PvP declaration and procedure, dungeon aggression zones, combat restrictions, safe zones, mercenaries, consequences, injuries, captivity, permadeath and structural raid tiers.

Introduction

BOOK III
Raiding Guidelines & Conflict Etiquette
Violence Must Create Story, Not Replace It

Book III is the primary authority for hostile roleplay, PvP declarations, combat procedure, safe zones, injuries, captivity, permadeath, mercenary violence and structural raids.

CORE PRINCIPLE
Conflict requires purpose
Every act of violence must have believable in-character reasoning and visible escalation. Mechanical victory alone never creates a right to excessive punishment, destruction or permanent death.
01
The Foundation

CONFLICT
Escalation
Violence follows believable motive, visible hostility and a fair opportunity to respond.
PVP
Fair Procedure
Declarations, participation limits and mechanical restrictions keep conflict readable and fair.
CONSEQUENCE
Proportional Outcomes
Injury, captivity, PK and raids should create future roleplay rather than erase it.
RELATED BOOKS
Related books
Character agency and emotes › Book II. Follower management › Book IV. Robbery and theft › Book V. Consent for sensitive consequences › Book VII.

CHAPTER I — Conflict Foundations & Declaration

CHAPTER I
Conflict Foundations & Declaration
Threaten First, Fight Second

Threaten First, Fight Second. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

01
Conflict Foundations

01.01
Every conflict needs an IC reason
Betrayal, territory, blood feuds, serious debts, political rivalry, religious conflict or comparable established motives may justify escalation. Boredom, loot-seeking and OOC grudges do not.
01.02
Minor friction does not justify lethal escalation
A single insult, minor disagreement or trivial slight is not enough by itself to justify serious violence.
01.03
Visible escalation is required
Warnings, confrontations, failed negotiations or a documented hostile history should exist before mechanical combat begins.
01.04
Aggression-on-sight is restricted to designated situations
Outside an active approved raid, a designated dungeon, or another rule that explicitly creates an exception, hostility still requires the normal escalation described above.
02
Dungeon Aggression Zones

01.05
All vanilla and modded dungeons are aggression-on-sight zones
Entering a dungeon creates a standing in-character reason for hostility. Characters may contest treasure, valuable loot, prisoners, escape routes or other dungeon objectives without needing a prior personal feud.
01.06
/pvp intent is mandatory in every PvP encounter
Every PvP encounter must begin with /pvp intent, including inside dungeons, during spontaneous encounters and in any other aggression-enabled area. A dungeon removes the need for prior personal escalation; it never removes the declaration procedure.
01.07
Dungeon intent must still state a clear objective
State what you want and why you are threatening the other party. Examples include ordering them away from treasure, demanding surrender, contesting a relic or attempting capture or enslavement. The target must still receive the normal opportunity to respond through the PvP system.
01.08
Use /pvp intent for hostile declaration
The intent must clearly state the hostile action, believable motivation and a reasonable demand or objective.
01.09
Give a reasonable opportunity to respond
The target must have time to understand the demand and choose to comply, negotiate, surrender, flee or refuse.
01.10
Demands must be achievable and relevant
Do not issue impossible, purely humiliating or intentionally unreasonable demands merely to force combat.
DUNGEON RULE OF THUMB
Treasure creates natural conflict
Dungeons are dangerous, competitive spaces filled with valuable resources and loot. Players may reasonably fight over those rewards, attempt to drive rivals away, capture defeated enemies or pursue other believable dungeon objectives. /pvp intent is still required before any mechanical attack.
PROHIBITED
Manufactured conflict
Provoking people solely to create PvP, following them while searching for an excuse to attack, baiting rule violations or using OOC dislike as IC motivation may be treated as Fail-RP.

CHAPTER II — PvP Procedure & Combat Restrictions

CHAPTER II
PvP Procedure & Combat Restrictions
Once Declared, The Encounter Has Structure

Once Declared, The Encounter Has Structure. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

03
PvP Command Sequence

/pvp intent
PurposeDeclare hostility, motivation and demand.
/pvp surrender
PurposeAccept defeat and move to consequences.
/pvp join
PurposeJoin one side if you were present at declaration.
/pvp flee
PurposeAttempt to withdraw before combat.
/pvp abstain
PurposeRemain uninvolved and do not interfere.
/pvp start
PurposeBegin the official 10-second countdown after all stances are chosen.
02.01
Targets cannot abstain
A character directly targeted by a valid /pvp intent must choose an applicable response. Abstain is for uninvolved third parties.
02.02
Declaration freezes the immediate scene
Once /pvp intent is issued, involved characters stop repositioning while stances are selected.
02.03
Only present players may join
Only characters already within immediate, visible roleplay proximity at declaration may use /pvp join. Reinforcements may not run in afterward.
02.04
The 10-second countdown locks participants
After /pvp start, combat is limited to the declared participants.
02.05
Flee is a pursuit, not automatic escape
If pursuers catch and damage the fleeing character, combat begins. If distance, line of sight or terrain separates the parties for 5 continuous minutes, the pursuit ends.
02.06
Joining commits you to the encounter
A participant who joins may fight or attempt to flee, but may not use a Safe Zone or clan base as a mechanical escape.
02.07
No combat logging
Disconnecting or deliberately closing the client during active PvP or pursuit is prohibited.
02.08
No terrain or water abuse
Do not exploit swimming, unreachable terrain, mesh geometry, building edges or inaccessible doors to avoid defeat, heal safely or deny pursuit.
02.09
Visible weapons matter
Large unconcealable weapons such as swords, axes, maces, spears and bows must be visibly equipped before the declaration. Daggers and claws are exempt.
02.10
Healing is limited
A character may use a maximum of 20 Aloe Potions during one PvP encounter.
02.11
Followers do not participate in PvP
Thralls, pets and other followers may not be used as PvP assistants. Standard mounted PvP is permitted. Follower settings and supernatural companions are governed by Book IV.
POST-PVP
Consequence deadline
After a player is downed, the victorious side should apply an official narrative consequence promptly. If no consequence is applied within 15 minutes after the fight ends, the defeated player may apply a Minor Injury to themselves and disengage.

CHAPTER III — Safe Zones, Third Parties & Mercenaries

CHAPTER III
Safe Zones, Third Parties & Mercenaries
Protected Space Is Not A Combat Mechanic

Protected Space Is Not A Combat Mechanic. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

04
Safe Zones

03.01
No PvP in designated Safe Zones
Sanctuary Fortress, Al-Zarah, World Caravans, Main City Caravans and designated protected areas prohibit mechanical PvP.
03.02
Player-clan caravans are not automatic Safe Zones
Only server-designated caravan protection is covered by the Safe Zone rule.
03.03
Official events are protected by default
Server-announced events are Safe Zones unless the host or Administration explicitly authorizes PvP.
03.04
Do not bait protected authorities
Do not provoke another player into attacking within a Safe Zone to trigger guards or gain protection.
03.05
Do not border-abuse
Moving repeatedly across a Safe Zone boundary to reset, avoid or manipulate an ongoing conflict is prohibited.
05
Third Parties & Mercenaries

03.06
No late third-party interference
Once the PvP countdown concludes, spectators and uninvolved players may not enter the fight or interfere with the consequence phase.
03.07
Mercenaries cannot start a new conflict
A mercenary contract may support an established conflict or direct self-defense. It may not create violence against a target with no prior qualifying escalation.
03.08
Mercenary violence requires a direct hostile foundation
The target must have committed at least one documented hostile physical act against the employer or their faction, such as a serious assault, capture or raid. Rumor, politics or dislike alone is insufficient.
03.09
Targeted mercenary action requires staff approval
Open an official ticket before executing a targeted mercenary operation. The mercenary group must stay within the approved scope.
03.10
Mercenaries do not bypass raid rules
Contracts cannot bypass raid cooldowns, attacker limits, loot limits or tier requirements. Shell or alt clans may not be used to disguise the employer's involvement.
REMEMBER
Safe Zones pause violence, not consequences
Entering protected territory does not erase the conflict. Resolve it later outside protected jurisdiction rather than using the boundary as a shield.

CHAPTER IV — Consequences, Injuries & Recovery

CHAPTER IV
Consequences, Injuries & Recovery
Every Scar Should Create More Story

Every Scar Should Create More Story. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

06
Consequence Framework

04.01
The consequence phase begins when conflict ends
Outside parties may not interfere with captures, injuries or other immediate narrative outcomes until the scene naturally concludes.
04.02
Consequences must be proportional
Do not exaggerate a minor scuffle into catastrophic injury or minimize severe violence into a scratch. Staff may correct unrealistic outcomes.
04.03
Increase injury severity gradually
Consequences should normally rise by only one injury tier at a time. A jump to catastrophic injury requires exceptional justification and may be reviewed.
Minor Injury
Offensive PvPNo
Defensive PvPYes
FleeYes
SurrenderYes
RoleplayVisible pain or impairment.
Moderate Injury
Offensive PvPNo
Defensive PvPNo
FleeYes
SurrenderYes
RoleplayPrioritize escape, negotiation or surrender.
Severe / Critical
Offensive PvPNo
Defensive PvPNo
FleeNo
SurrenderYes
RoleplayAvoid dangerous situations until meaningful recovery.
07
Physical Wounds

Bruises
Recovery4 hours
With treatment1 hour
Minor Wounds
Recovery8 hours
With treatment2 hours
Moderate Wounds
Recovery24 hours
With skilled care8 hours
Severe Wounds
Recovery48 hours
RequirementStaff recovery ticket
Critical Wounds
Recovery96 hours
RequirementHealer + Alchemist recovery ticket
08
Afflictions & Curses

Minor Affliction
Recovery8 hours
With remedies2 hours
Moderate Affliction
Recovery48 hours
With specialist medicine12 hours
Severe Affliction
Recovery72 hours
RequirementActive Healer ticket
Critical Affliction
RecoveryUntil cured
RequirementHealer + Alchemist ticket
Minor Curse
Recovery8 hours
AlternativeMinor ritual or offering
Moderate Curse
Recovery48 hours
RequirementRegistered Priest or Sorcerer ticket
Severe Curse
Recovery72 hours
RequirementMajor ritual or rare relic
Critical Curse
RecoveryPermanent until resolved
RequirementApproved narrative quest or direct admin approval
RECOVERY
Recovery is part of the story
Continue portraying pain, weakness and limitation until recovery is complete. Treatment by healers, priests or alchemists should create roleplay rather than simply shorten a timer.

CHAPTER V — Captivity & Slavery

CHAPTER V
Captivity & Slavery
A Prisoner Must Remain A Participant

A Prisoner Must Remain A Participant. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

09
Captivity Framework

Short-Term Captivity
Duration48 hours or less
ConsentNot required when it directly follows valid PvP or a raid
Long-Term Captivity
DurationLonger than 48 hours
ConsentExplicit OOC consent required
Critical Captivity
ExamplesPermanent enslavement, ritual sacrifice, irreversible identity loss
RequirementWritten mutual consent or direct PK-related administrative approval
05.01
Captivity must remain interactive
Captives should regularly receive opportunities to speak, negotiate, resist, escape or otherwise participate.
05.02
Use believable restraints
Impossible bindings, unavoidable powergaming and inescapable scenarios are prohibited.
05.03
Captives must also participate in good faith
Respect believable restraints and injuries, engage with the scene and attempt escape only when a realistic opportunity exists.
05.04
Do not warehouse players
If captors cannot provide meaningful interaction, they should release the captive, transfer custody or conclude the storyline.
05.05
Sixty-minute inactivity rule
If a captive receives no meaningful roleplay for 60 consecutive minutes while at least one captor involved remains online, the captive may open a staff ticket with timestamps requesting narrative release.
Clan Size 1–3
Maximum overnight captives1 player captive
Clan Size 4+
Maximum overnight captives3 player captives
CLARIFICATION
NPC slaves are separate
The overnight captive cap applies only to player characters captured through PvP or raids. Decorative or economy-obtained NPC slaves are not included.
RELATED BOOKS
Consent still governs sensitive content
Captivity duration is not permission for restricted themes. Book VII controls sexual content, graphic torture, permanent harm and other consent-sensitive material.

CHAPTER VI — Permadeath (PK)

CHAPTER VI
Permadeath (PK)
The Final Chapter Must Be Earned

The Final Chapter Must Be Earned. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

10
PK Requirements

06.01
A single victory never grants PK
Winning a fight, raid or capture does not automatically create the right to permanently kill another character.
06.02
PK requires long-term escalation
The conflict should show sustained serious escalation, repeated consequences, failed diplomacy or a documented pattern that has exhausted reasonable alternatives.
06.03
Grave cultural or religious betrayal may establish PK grounds
A character who knowingly causes serious harm to their own people, culture or professed faith through betrayal may become a valid PK target for members of the betrayed group. This may include leaking critical information to enemies, unjustifiably attacking one's own people, or deliberately damaging or desecrating altars and shrines of one's own faith.
06.04
Association alone is not enough
A friendship, romance, trade relationship or association with another culture or faith does not by itself justify PK. The relationship must contribute to meaningful betrayal, material harm or hostile action against the character's own people or faith.
06.05
The Right to Align applies
The first time execution becomes a possibility, offer a meaningful alternative where appropriate, such as exile, ransom, fealty, submission or a binding agreement.
06.06
PK needs mutual agreement or staff approval
Permanent death requires either explicit mutual OOC agreement or formal approval through a PK ticket before the execution occurs.
06.07
PK tickets must tell the whole story
Include the conflict summary, major escalations, previous consequences, relevant evidence and why peaceful alternatives are no longer believable.
06.08
PK is a two-way street
If you open an approved PK action against another character and your side loses the final operation, the opposing side gains valid narrative justification to pursue your character's permanent execution.
PK EXAMPLES
Cultural and religious betrayal
Example 1 › A Hyperborean repeatedly attacks Hyperboreans without legitimate justification and deliberately damages shrines belonging to their own faith. Other Hyperboreans or followers of that faith may use this documented betrayal as PK justification.

Example 2 › A Mitran forms a relationship with a Stygian and then uses that relationship to leak information, aid hostile action or cause serious harm to Mitrans. The betrayal and resulting harm may create PK grounds for followers of Mitra. The relationship by itself does not.
NOT SUFFICIENT
What is not enough
A single insult, one theft, one lost battle, embarrassment, immediate revenge, simple dislike, or a cross-cultural or cross-faith relationship by itself is not sufficient PK justification.
FRESH START
After an approved PK
The player receives a free reroll. The new character may not rejoin the same clan, reclaim the dead character's buildings, inherit their possessions or immediately continue the old revenge plot. Character-generation rules continue in Book VI.

CHAPTER VII — The Structural Raid System

CHAPTER VII
The Structural Raid System
The Objective Determines the Tier

The Objective Determines the Tier. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

11
Raid Foundations

07.01
Raids must use the tier system
Unauthorized structural attacks are griefing. Tier I follows its standing rules; Tier II and Tier III require prior staff approval.
07.02
At least one defender must be online
A structural raid may begin only while at least one member of the defending faction is actively online unless Administration explicitly approves otherwise.
07.03
Attackers may exceed defenders by no more than two
A larger imbalance requires explicit approval.
07.04
No mid-raid tier escalation
A group may not increase its raid tier during the operation without new approval where required.
07.05
Use realistic infiltration
Defensive walls higher than two foundations may not be bypassed mechanically without believable scaling methods such as ladders, ropes or siege equipment.
12
Raid Tiers

Tier I › Skirmish
ApprovalNo ticket required
Scale1–2 attackers
PurposeFocused rescue, disruption, retaliation or light perimeter objective
Loot25% of up to 2 resource types OR 1 weapon + 1 armor piece per attacker
SiegeNo siege tools or explosives
Repeat targetNot within 48 hours
Tier II › Warband
ApprovalMandatory staff ticket
Scale3–7 attackers
PurposeStrategic military objective
LootUp to 50% of 3 resource types + max 2 weapons and 2 armor pieces total
SiegeOnly if explicitly approved
Target cooldown72 hours
Tier III › Siege
ApprovalMandatory approval + active oversight
Scale7–12 attackers
PurposeCapital, stronghold or server-impacting campaign
Loot / damageDefined in the approved ticket
OutcomeMay include conquest, tribute, relocation or political surrender
07.06
Damage must serve the objective
Destroy only what is necessary to achieve the approved purpose. Decorative or civilian structures unrelated to the operation should remain intact.
07.07
Raid loot never overrides specialist theft rules without approval
If an operation is actually a covert theft rather than a structural raid, use Book V. Tier II and III strategic loot must match the approved ticket.
07.08
Victory must leave future roleplay
Even major sieges should leave enough world and agency for rebuilding, diplomacy, resistance or new political arrangements.
Ash & Blood Principle
The greatest raid is remembered for what changed afterward, not for how much rubble it created.