Introduction
BOOK III
Raiding Guidelines & Conflict Rules
Every Battle Begins With A Story
Conflict is one of the defining aspects of life within the Exiled Lands. Rivalries form, kingdoms clash, and wars reshape the world around them. Every act of violence should exist to create meaningful roleplay rather than replace it.
This book establishes the complete rules governing hostile roleplay, player versus player combat, raiding, injuries, captivity, and permanent character death. Every mechanic exists to support immersive storytelling while ensuring that every conflict remains fair, believable, and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Before drawing your weapon, remember one simple principle:
Conflict
Learn how conflict begins, escalates naturally, and transitions into mechanical PvP.
Raiding
Understand raid tiers, structural limitations, defender rights, and administrative requirements.
Consequences
Master injuries, captivity, recovery, and permanent character death regulations.
- Roleplay must always precede mechanical combat.
- Every escalation requires believable in-character reasoning.
- Victories should create future roleplay, not remove it.
- Respect your opponents both in and out of character.
✖ Poor Conflict
- Attacking without proper escalation.
- Using mechanics to bypass roleplay.
- Seeking PvP solely for personal gain.
- Ignoring the consequences of conflict.
✔ Good Conflict
- Escalate naturally through roleplay.
- Fight with clear narrative purpose.
- Accept victory and defeat with maturity.
- Create stories that continue after the battle.
- Conflict Foundations
- PvP Initiation & Escalation
- PvP Declaration System
- Combat Rules & Restrictions
- Safe Zones & Protected Areas
- Consequences, Injuries & Captivity
- Player Kill (PK)
- Raid Tiers
- Mercenary Contracts
CHAPTER I — Conflict Foundations
CHAPTER I
Conflict Foundations
Every Conflict Requires Purpose
Hostile roleplay must always be driven by believable in-character motivations. Violence is never a substitute for roleplay, nor should it exist for entertainment, mechanical advantage or personal gain. Every act of aggression should be the natural consequence of an unfolding story that other players can understand and participate in.
Before initiating conflict, ask yourself a simple question: "Why is my character willing to risk injury or death?" If that question cannot be answered through established roleplay, then the conflict has not yet earned the right to become violent.
Valid Drivers
Betrayal, territorial disputes, blood feuds, political rivalries, unpaid debts, religious differences, revenge for significant in-character actions or other believable motivations supported through roleplay.
Escalation
Threats, confrontations, failed negotiations or an established history of hostility should exist before violence becomes a believable outcome.
Self-Preservation
Characters should value their own lives and avoid reckless, suicidal or irrational behavior unless exceptional circumstances justify those actions through roleplay.
Conflict should emerge naturally from roleplay, not be deliberately manufactured to force PvP, provoke administrative action or create an excuse to attack another player. Players are expected to pursue believable stories rather than searching for technical justifications to begin combat.
✔ Appropriate Conduct
- Attempting diplomacy before violence.
- Allowing disputes to escalate naturally.
- Respecting opportunities to de-escalate.
- Fighting only when the story supports it.
✖ Manufactured Conflict
- Provoking players solely to start PvP.
- Following others while looking for excuses to attack.
- Attempting to bait rule violations.
- Creating hostility purely for mechanical advantage.
- Every conflict must have believable in-character motivation.
- Conflict should escalate naturally before combat begins.
- Characters should value their own lives.
- Never manufacture conflict simply to create PvP.
- Attack on Sight (AoS) is prohibited outside approved raid windows.
✖ Invalid Conflict
- Attacking because you're bored.
- Starting fights for loot or mechanical rewards.
- Using OOC grudges as IC motivation.
- Escalating a minor disagreement directly into violence.
- Provoking players solely to justify PvP.
✔ Valid Conflict
- Long-standing rivalries between characters.
- Political, territorial or religious disputes.
- Retaliation for significant in-character actions.
- Conflicts supported by meaningful roleplay escalation.
- Violence used as a believable last resort.
Every PvP encounter must follow a visible and believable escalation before mechanical combat begins. Staff may invalidate encounters that cannot demonstrate sufficient in-character motivation, escalation or narrative context.
Conflict should always be pursued with the intention of creating meaningful stories rather than securing mechanical victories. Players who deliberately manufacture hostility, exploit technicalities or repeatedly seek unnecessary violence may be found in violation of the spirit of these rules even if no single action appears to break them in isolation.
Habitual random violence, reckless suicide charges, repeated unjustified aggression and persistent attempts to manufacture conflict may all be treated as Fail-RP and may result in administrative action.
CHAPTER II — PvP Declaration & Escalation
CHAPTER II
PvP Declaration & Escalation
Violence Must Always Be Declared
Mechanical PvP may only begin after a proper declaration has been made. Every player involved should clearly understand why the conflict is occurring, what is being demanded and what options are available before combat begins. A declaration exists to create meaningful roleplay, not to bypass it.
Players must always be given a reasonable opportunity to comply, negotiate, surrender or refuse before violence begins. Combat should represent the failure of diplomacy, not its replacement.
PvP Intent
Clearly communicate your hostile intent, explain why the conflict is occurring and state what outcome or demand you expect before initiating combat.
Ultimatum
Every declaration must present a reasonable demand and provide sufficient time for the opposing party to comply, negotiate or reject it.
Countdown
Combat may begin only after every participating player has selected their PvP stance and the official countdown has started.
- /pvp intent — Declare your hostile action, motivation and demand.
- /pvp surrender — Accept defeat and immediately proceed to the consequence phase.
- /pvp join — Join one side of the declared conflict.
- /pvp flee — Withdraw from the confrontation before combat begins.
- /pvp abstain — Remain a non-participant and do not interfere with the conflict.
- /pvp start — Begin the official 10-second countdown once every participant has selected their stance.
A declaration should create a genuine decision for the opposing party. Players must have a realistic opportunity to understand the demand and choose how to respond. Declarations intended only to satisfy a technical requirement before immediately attacking undermine the purpose of the system and may be invalidated by staff.
✖ Invalid Declaration
- Attacking without warning.
- Silent ambushes outside approved raids.
- Issuing impossible, unreasonable or purely humiliating demands.
- Beginning combat before the other party can respond.
- Using declarations as a formality to immediately start PvP.
✔ Proper Declaration
- State your hostile intent clearly.
- Provide a believable in-character reason.
- Issue a reasonable demand or ultimatum.
- Allow time for the opposing party to choose how to respond.
- Begin combat only after the declaration process is complete.
Attack on Sight (AoS) is prohibited. Every PvP encounter must follow the server's declaration system unless it occurs during an active, staff-approved raid or another rule explicitly provides an exception.
A valid /pvp intent must include a clear hostile intention, believable in-character motivation and a reasonable demand or objective. Players should always be given a genuine opportunity to comply, negotiate, surrender or refuse before combat begins.
Staff may invalidate declarations that are misleading, intentionally confusing, designed solely to satisfy a technical requirement or that transition into combat so quickly that the opposing party is denied a meaningful opportunity to respond.
CHAPTER III — Combat Rules & Restrictions
CHAPTER III
Combat Rules & Restrictions
Fair Combat Creates Better Stories
Once combat begins, every participant is expected to act fairly and consistently with the established roleplay. Mechanical advantages should never replace good storytelling or create situations that are impossible for others to reasonably respond to.
Players remain responsible for their actions throughout the encounter. Combat does not suspend roleplay, nor does it remove the consequences that follow. Every battle should feel like another chapter in an ongoing story rather than a separate competitive event.
Stay In Character
Continue roleplaying naturally before, during and after combat. PvP is part of the story, not separate from it. Your emotions, dialogue and decisions should remain believable even while fighting.
Fair Play
Do not abuse mechanics, bugs or technical loopholes to gain an unfair advantage. Victory earned through exploits undermines both the fight and the story surrounding it.
Accept Outcomes
Once combat ends, all involved players must respect the resulting consequences and continue the story accordingly. Winning the fight is only the beginning of what happens next.
- Fight only after a valid PvP declaration.
- Do not exploit bugs, glitches or unintended mechanics.
- Do not interrupt conflicts after choosing /pvp abstain.
- Respect the outcome of every encounter and proceed to the consequence phase when appropriate.
- Continue roleplaying throughout the encounter instead of focusing solely on mechanics.
A successful combat encounter is not determined solely by who remains standing. Both victory and defeat should create opportunities for future roleplay. Winning does not grant permission to humiliate opponents unnecessarily, while losing should never be treated as the end of your character's story.
Whether you emerge victorious or defeated, remain respectful, roleplay the outcome honestly and transition naturally into the consequence phase. The events that follow the battle are often more memorable than the battle itself.
✔ Good Combat Conduct
- Fight within the established rules.
- Respect every participant's roleplay.
- Roleplay injuries and consequences honestly.
- Accept both victory and defeat gracefully.
- Continue the story after combat concludes.
✖ Poor Combat Conduct
- Using exploits or unintended mechanics.
- Ignoring the declaration process.
- Interfering after abstaining from the conflict.
- Refusing to acknowledge the outcome of combat.
- Treating combat as a competition instead of collaborative storytelling.
Battles create turning points, not conclusions. Defeat may lead to imprisonment, revenge, political negotiations or unexpected alliances, while victory may bring responsibility, new enemies and lasting consequences. Focus on what the conflict creates rather than simply who won.
The most memorable wars are remembered because of the stories they produced after the fighting ended, not because of a single mechanical victory.
- Combat never replaces roleplay.
- Respect both your opponents and the outcome.
- Winning should create new stories, not end existing ones.
- Defeat is an opportunity for character development, not a personal failure.
- Fight fairly, roleplay honestly and continue the narrative after every battle.
- Follow the declaration system.
- Remain in character throughout combat.
- Never exploit mechanics for advantage.
- Accept victory and defeat with maturity.
- Let every battle create future roleplay.
CHAPTER IV — Safe Zones & Protected Areas
CHAPTER IV
Safe Zones & Protected Areas
Places Where Conflict Ends
Safe Zones exist to encourage trade, diplomacy and civilian roleplay. These areas are heavily protected by in-character authorities and may never be manipulated to avoid consequences or create unfair combat situations. They are intended to serve as neutral spaces where stories can develop without the constant threat of violence.
Entering a Safe Zone does not erase an ongoing conflict. Players are expected to resolve disputes outside protected jurisdictions rather than exploiting their boundaries. Conflict may pause within a Safe Zone, but it does not simply disappear because one party crossed an invisible border.
Protected Areas
Major cities, caravan routes and protected events are designated Safe Zones where PvP is prohibited and civilian roleplay is encouraged.
No Baiting
Never provoke another player into attacking inside a Safe Zone to trigger guards, exploit protection or avoid legitimate consequences.
Jurisdiction
Conflicts must leave protected territory completely before combat may begin. Local authorities and guards control these areas, making open violence unrealistic.
Safe Zones are not intended to shield players from conflict forever. Their purpose is to create locations where merchants may trade, diplomats may negotiate, travelers may gather information and communities may interact without every disagreement immediately escalating into violence.
These locations help maintain a living world where politics, commerce and social interaction are just as important as warfare. Respecting them allows stories to develop naturally before conflict eventually returns to the battlefield.
- Major hubs such as Sanctuary Fortress and Al-Zarah.
- World Caravan and Main City Caravan routes.
- Official server events unless the host explicitly permits PvP.
- Other designated Safe Zones established by the administration.
Players may not repeatedly move between protected and unprotected territory to gain a mechanical advantage. Stepping across a Safe Zone boundary to avoid attacks, reset a confrontation or provoke pursuit before immediately returning to protection undermines both realism and fair play.
If your character intends to fight, withdraw, surrender or negotiate, do so consistently. Safe Zone borders should never become part of the combat strategy.
✖ Prohibited
- Baiting players into combat inside Safe Zones.
- Crossing Safe Zone borders to avoid consequences.
- Starting PvP inside caravan protection areas.
- Fighting inside protected cities or official events.
- Using guards or protected boundaries as combat tools.
✔ Expected
- Move conflicts outside protected jurisdictions.
- Respect guards and civilian roleplay.
- Keep caravan routes safe for trade.
- Allow diplomacy and commerce to flourish inside Safe Zones.
- Allow events to proceed without disruption unless PvP has been authorized.
Safe Zones represent places where civilization temporarily overcomes violence. Rival kingdoms may negotiate treaties, merchants may conduct business and ordinary citizens may live without constant fear of attack. Respecting these spaces strengthens the world and encourages roleplay beyond warfare.
While old grudges and rivalries may continue inside a Safe Zone through conversation, intimidation or diplomacy, mechanical violence must always remain outside its protected jurisdiction unless explicit administrative or event permission states otherwise.
- Safe Zones pause violence, they do not erase conflict.
- Resolve combat outside protected jurisdictions.
- Never exploit Safe Zone borders or guards.
- Use these locations to encourage diplomacy, trade and civilian roleplay.
- Respect every protected event unless PvP has been explicitly authorized.
- Safe Zones exist for diplomacy, trade and civilian roleplay.
- Do not initiate PvP within protected areas.
- Never exploit Safe Zone borders.
- Respect guards, protected events and caravan routes.
- Continue your conflict outside protected jurisdictions.
CHAPTER V — Consequences, Injuries & Captivity
CHAPTER V
Consequences, Injuries & Captivity
Every Scar Tells a Story
Victory is not measured solely by defeating another character. Every conflict should leave meaningful narrative consequences that create new opportunities for roleplay. Injuries, illnesses, curses and captivity are intended to expand a character's story, never to permanently remove them from play.
After every PvP encounter or dice conflict, the Consequence Phase begins. During this period, outside parties may not interfere with captures, injuries or other narrative outcomes until the scene has naturally concluded. The conflict itself may be over, but its consequences have only just begun.
Narrative First
Every consequence should enrich both characters, encourage future interactions and create opportunities for entirely new stories.
Realistic Severity
Consequences should always reflect what actually occurred during the scene. Neither side should exaggerate or diminish what happened.
Player Agency
Characters should always retain meaningful opportunities to recover, negotiate, resist or continue their story unless an official Character Permadeath request has been approved.
Consequences are not intended to punish players for losing a conflict. Instead, they serve as the bridge between one story and the next. A broken arm may require finding a healer, imprisonment may begin a ransom negotiation, a lingering curse may send a character searching for forgotten knowledge, and humiliation may spark a lifelong rivalry.
The best consequences create more roleplay than the battle itself. Whenever possible, choose outcomes that encourage future interaction rather than bringing a storyline to an abrupt conclusion.
- Narrative Depth, every consequence should create future roleplay instead of ending it.
- Hyborian Realism, outcomes should remain believable within the world's low-fantasy setting.
- Player Agency, affected characters should always retain opportunities to recover, adapt, negotiate or seek revenge.
- Reversibility, consequences should remain reversible unless an official Character Permadeath request has been approved.
- Proportional Severity, injuries and penalties should accurately reflect the events that produced them.
⚔ Injury Tiers & PvP Restrictions
Every injury immediately affects how a character should realistically behave. As the severity of an injury increases, so do the limitations placed upon future combat. Characters are expected to roleplay these limitations honestly until recovery has been completed.
| Tier | Offensive | Defensive | Flee | Surrender | Roleplay Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ Minor | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Visible pain, bruising, limping or other minor impairment. |
| 2️⃣ Moderate | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | The character should prioritize escape, negotiation or surrender. Continuing to fight despite serious injuries is considered Fail-RP. |
| 3️⃣ Severe / Critical | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | The character is physically compromised and should avoid all dangerous situations until meaningful recovery has occurred. |
🔁 Stacking Injuries
Consequences should generally increase by only one severity tier at a time. Escalating directly from healthy or lightly injured to catastrophic wounds requires exceptional narrative justification and administrative review.
✔ Administrative Review
Staff may adjust unrealistic consequences that significantly exaggerate or underestimate the events that actually occurred during the encounter.
Physical wounds are not the only consequences a character may carry. Witnessing horrific events, surviving near death or enduring prolonged captivity may reasonably affect a character emotionally as well.
- Fear or hesitation during future conflicts.
- Hatred toward a rival faction.
- Grief following the loss of companions.
- Paranoia after betrayal.
- Nightmares, anxiety or lingering trauma.
These effects are not mechanically enforced, but roleplaying believable emotional consequences often creates some of the most memorable character development on the server.
Consequences should never be viewed as punishment for losing. They exist to move stories forward. Every injury, curse or period of captivity should create opportunities for recovery, diplomacy, revenge, healing or personal growth rather than removing a character from active roleplay.
Characters are expected to roleplay their injuries honestly until they have naturally recovered. Simply waiting for a timer to expire is not enough; meaningful recovery should become part of the story itself.
CHAPTER V • PART II
Physical Wounds, Afflictions & Curses
Recovery Is Part of the Story
Recovery should never be treated as a simple countdown timer. The healing process itself is an opportunity for meaningful roleplay, allowing healers, alchemists, priests and companions to participate in your character's journey back to health.
Players are expected to portray the effects of their wounds honestly throughout their recovery. A character with broken ribs should not behave as though completely unharmed simply because combat has ended. Lasting consequences create believable characters and make victories feel meaningful.
Recovery
Healing should involve roleplay whenever possible. Medical treatment, rest and assistance from others create opportunities for collaborative storytelling.
Honest Portrayal
Continue portraying pain, weakness and physical limitations until your recovery period has naturally concluded.
Character Growth
Major injuries often change a character's outlook, confidence and future decisions. Allow your experiences to shape who your character becomes.
🩸 Physical Wounds
| Severity | Examples | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Bruises | Shield impacts, blunt strikes, light falls or minor impacts. | 4 Hours • 1 Hour with treatment. |
| Minor Wounds | Small cuts, cracked ribs, burns or shallow weapon wounds. | 8 Hours • 2 Hours when properly treated. |
| Moderate Wounds | Deep lacerations, fractures, spear wounds or concussions. | 24 Hours • 8 Hours with skilled medical care. |
| Severe Wounds | Major fractures, heavy punctures, prolonged unconsciousness or temporary blindness. | 48 Hours • Requires an official Staff recovery ticket. |
| Critical Wounds | Lost limbs, permanent blindness, crushing injuries or catastrophic burns. | 96 Hours • Requires a Healer & Alchemist recovery ticket and may leave permanent scars or disabilities. |
Not every wound heals without leaving a mark. Characters are encouraged to retain scars, slight limps, damaged eyesight or other cosmetic reminders of major conflicts whenever they feel appropriate. These lasting reminders help create unique, recognizable characters whose appearance reflects their history.
Critical injuries may grant the victorious party eligibility to pursue a Character Permadeath request if the situation satisfies the server's PK requirements.
☠ Afflictions
| Severity | Examples | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Mild fever, dizziness, rashes or hangover effects. | 8 Hours • 2 Hours with basic remedies. |
| Moderate | Food poisoning, infections, hallucinations or numbness. | 48 Hours • 12 Hours with specialized medicine. |
| Severe | Plagues, venom, extreme fatigue or constant hallucinations. | 72 Hours • Requires an active Healer ticket. |
| Critical | Rotting flesh, irreversible poison, organ failure or profound madness. | Persists until cured through rare alchemy, divine intervention or powerful sorcery with a Healer & Alchemist ticket. |
🔮 Curses
| Severity | Examples | Removal |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Nightmares, shadowy visions or supernatural chills. | 8 Hours or a simple ritual or religious offering. |
| Moderate | Blackouts, trembling, weakness on sacred ground or regional restrictions. | 48 Hours • Requires a registered Priest or Sorcerer ticket. |
| Severe | Bleeding eyes, violent whispers, uncontrollable rage or aversion to iron. | 72 Hours • Requires a major ritual or rare relic. |
| Critical | Possession, unnatural transformation, divine death marks or complete loss of free will. | Permanent until resolved through an approved narrative quest or direct administrative approval. |
- Recovery should be roleplayed, not simply waited out.
- Continue portraying your injuries until they have naturally healed.
- Scars and lasting changes can become part of your character's identity.
- Healing creates opportunities for healers, priests, alchemists and allies to participate in your story.
- Consequences should deepen your character rather than prevent you from playing them.
- Roleplay every wound honestly.
- Respect recovery periods.
- Seek treatment through roleplay whenever possible.
- Allow major injuries to influence your character's future.
- Recovery is part of the story, not a pause between stories.
CHAPTER V • PART III
Captivity & Slavery
Captivity Should Create Stories, Not End Them
Captivity is intended to create meaningful interactions between players rather than remove someone from roleplay. A prisoner should remain an active participant in the narrative, while captors are expected to provide engaging scenes instead of simply storing characters away until a timer expires.
Whether imprisonment lasts minutes or days, both sides share responsibility for creating an enjoyable experience. Negotiations, interrogations, escape attempts, political bargains and rescue missions often become some of the server's most memorable stories.
⛓ Types of Captivity
| Category | Description | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Short-Term Captivity | Interrogation, legal detention, ransom, transportation or other temporary imprisonment lasting 48 hours or less. | No prior OOC consent is required when it directly results from legitimate PvP or a valid raid. |
| Long-Term Captivity | Extended imprisonment, forced labor or prolonged slavery lasting longer than 48 hours. | Requires the explicit OOC consent of the captured player. |
| Critical Captivity | Permanent enslavement, ritual sacrifice, complete psychological breaking or irreversible loss of identity. | Requires mutual written OOC consent or direct administrative approval through a Character PK ticket. |
Interactive Roleplay
Captives should regularly receive opportunities to speak, negotiate, resist, escape or otherwise participate in the ongoing story.
Reasonable Restraints
Restraints should remain believable and appropriate for the situation. Impossible bindings, unavoidable powergaming or inescapable scenarios are not permitted.
Shared Responsibility
Both captors and captives contribute to the quality of the storyline. Cooperation creates better roleplay than constant resistance or needless hostility.
Being captured does not remove your responsibility to roleplay. While your character should naturally seek freedom when believable opportunities arise, they should also acknowledge reasonable restraints and participate in the ongoing narrative.
- Respect believable restraints and injuries.
- Do not intentionally derail captivity scenes.
- Attempt escape only when realistic opportunities exist.
- Engage with interrogations, negotiations and conversations.
- Continue developing your character while imprisoned.
Captivity must remain an active roleplay experience. If captors are unable to provide meaningful interaction, they should release the captive, transfer custody or conclude the storyline instead of leaving another player inactive.
If a captive receives no meaningful roleplay for 60 consecutive minutes while at least one captor involved in the imprisonment remains online, they may open a staff ticket with supporting timestamps requesting an immediate narrative release.
👥 Clan Captive Limits
| Clan Size | Maximum Overnight Captives | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 Members | 1 Player Captive | Applies only to player captives captured through PvP or raids. |
| 4+ Members | 3 Player Captives | Additional captives must be released, transferred or sold through roleplay. |
These limits apply exclusively to player characters captured during PvP or raids. Decorative or economy-purchased NPC slaves obtained through server systems are not affected.
- Captivity should always remain interactive.
- Respect believable restraints and injuries.
- Captors should provide meaningful roleplay.
- Captives should remain active participants in the story.
- Every imprisonment should lead to future roleplay rather than simply delaying gameplay.
- Captivity is collaborative storytelling.
- Provide meaningful interaction throughout imprisonment.
- Respect realistic restraints and opportunities.
- Extended captivity requires consent where specified.
- The goal is to create memorable stories for everyone involved.
Captivity should always produce memorable roleplay for both sides. Using imprisonment to sideline another player, deny them interaction or intentionally waste their playtime is considered an abuse of the consequence system and may result in administrative action.
The greatest stories rarely end when a character is captured. They begin there. Rescues, escapes, alliances, betrayals and negotiations often become defining moments for everyone involved. Approach captivity as the start of a new chapter rather than the end of one.
CHAPTER VI — Permadeath
CHAPTER VI
Permadeath
The Final Chapter of a Character's Story
Permadeath, commonly referred to as Player Kill (PK), represents the permanent conclusion of a character's journey. It exists to provide meaningful narrative closure to long-running conflicts, not to reward victory in combat or punish defeat.
A character should never die because they lost a single fight. A proper PK is the culmination of sustained roleplay, repeated escalation, meaningful consequences, and a conflict that has reached a natural point where no peaceful resolution remains.
Narrative Climax
Permadeath exists to conclude major stories after significant roleplay, never to resolve minor disagreements.
Fairness
Every permanent death must be supported by documented escalation and administrative review or mutual agreement.
Roleplay First
Mechanical victory alone never grants the right to permanently remove another character.
- Conflict ≠ Death. Losing a fight, exchanging insults, stealing property or participating in a single isolated incident never justifies permanently killing another character.
- Long-Term Buildup. Permanent death must be supported by a documented history of serious conflict, repeated escalation, critical consequences or prolonged roleplay.
- The Right to Align. The first time a character faces possible execution, the aggressor must provide a reasonable in-character alternative to death whenever appropriate, such as exile, ransom, sworn fealty or political submission.
Permadeath is never intended to function as a punishment mechanic. It exists solely to provide satisfying narrative conclusions after extensive roleplay, meaningful escalation and proper administrative oversight.
CHAPTER VI • PART II
When Does a Character Become Eligible for PK?
A Permanent Death Must Be Earned Through Story
One of the most common misconceptions surrounding Player Kill is that victory in combat grants ownership over another player's character. It does not.
Winning a fight, defeating someone during a raid, or capturing them after battle does not automatically create the right to permanently execute them. A character becomes eligible for PK only after the conflict has reached a point where the story has naturally exhausted every reasonable alternative.
A PK Should Feel Inevitable
Imagine reading the final chapter of a novel.
The reader should understand exactly why the conflict reached this point. Months of betrayals, broken promises, wars, revenge, political struggles and failed negotiations should naturally lead everyone involved toward one unavoidable conclusion.
If staff members reviewing a PK ticket can reasonably ask "Why didn't either side simply imprison them?" or "Why wasn't exile, ransom or surrender sufficient?", then the conflict likely has not reached the threshold for permanent death.
Examples of Valid PK Escalation
🩸 Ritual Sacrifice
A cult repeatedly kidnaps innocent travelers for dark rituals. After numerous investigations, rescues and battles, the cult leader finally captures another victim and prepares a public sacrifice despite multiple previous opportunities to abandon the practice.
The conflict has continuously escalated through severe violence and repeated offenses. If the leader is eventually defeated, a PK request would represent the natural conclusion of that storyline.
⚔ Endless Blood Feud
Two clans have spent weeks raiding one another, murdering retainers, destroying diplomatic agreements and repeatedly violating negotiated peace.
Every peaceful solution has already failed through roleplay. The eventual execution of one faction's leader becomes the climax of an already established war rather than an impulsive decision made after a single battle.
🔗 Repeated Atrocities
A character repeatedly performs unconsented torture, enslaves prisoners despite prior intervention, ignores previous consequences, and continues committing increasingly severe acts of brutality.
When multiple Critical Consequences have already occurred and every opportunity for redemption has been exhausted, permanent execution may become narratively appropriate.
Situations That Are NOT Enough
❌ Invalid Reasons
- Winning a single PvP encounter.
- Being insulted once.
- Having property stolen.
- Losing an argument.
- Being embarrassed publicly.
- Wanting revenge immediately after defeat.
- Disliking another character.
✔ Appropriate Foundations
- Long-term documented escalation.
- Repeated severe consequences.
- Critical injuries or equivalent narrative stakes.
- Broken treaties and failed diplomacy.
- Documented history showing no realistic path toward peace.
- A conflict that has naturally reached its conclusion.
Remember
A Player Kill ticket is never asking, "Can I kill this character?"
It is asking,
"Has this story naturally reached the point where death is the only believable ending?"
That distinction is what separates meaningful storytelling from simple PvP victory.
CHAPTER VI • PART III
The Right to Align
Death Should Never Be The First Choice
Ash & Blood is built around collaborative storytelling. While death is an accepted part of the Hyborian world, it should almost never be the immediate answer to a defeated enemy.
Before pursuing permanent execution, the aggressor is expected to offer the defeated character a believable opportunity to continue their story. Whether they accept or reject that opportunity is entirely up to them, but they should first be presented with a meaningful choice.
A difficult choice can shape a story for months."
Why This Rule Exists
Execution permanently removes a character from the world.
Exile creates political consequences. Ransom creates economic consequences. Submission creates social consequences. A sworn oath creates future obligations.
Whenever possible, these outcomes generate significantly more roleplay than immediate death. Entire wars, alliances and rivalries have historically emerged because one side chose mercy over execution.
Examples of Reasonable Alternatives
🏴 Permanent Exile
The defeated character is ordered to leave a city, kingdom or territory forever. Returning later may itself become valid escalation for future conflict.
💰 Heavy Ransom
Release is granted only after significant payment, valuable property or political concessions are provided by allies or family.
⚔ Sworn Fealty
The defeated individual survives by publicly swearing loyalty, accepting humiliation and becoming politically indebted to their former enemy.
📜 Binding Agreement
A written treaty, oath or negotiated settlement may permanently resolve the conflict while leaving lasting consequences if broken later.
When Can Death Become Justified?
Sometimes every peaceful alternative has already failed.
Perhaps the character repeatedly violates every treaty they sign. Perhaps they escape captivity over and over again. Perhaps they continue committing atrocities despite numerous opportunities to stop.
Eventually, the story may reach a point where every believable solution has already been attempted. At that stage, execution is no longer an act of revenge. It becomes the final consequence of the character's own decisions.
An Example
Imagine a notorious raider responsible for years of attacks against neighboring settlements.
He is captured once and released after paying a ransom.
Months later he returns, breaks his oath and burns another village.
He is defeated again, but this time accepts exile instead of execution.
Only weeks later he crosses the border, murders the governor who spared him and resumes the war.
At this point the story has demonstrated that mercy, diplomacy and negotiation have all failed. A PK ticket is no longer being requested because somebody won a fight. It is being requested because every reasonable alternative has already been exhausted.
The Right to Align exists to encourage richer stories, not to protect characters from consequences. Offering exile, ransom, fealty or another meaningful alternative gives the defeated player an opportunity to shape how their story continues. If they repeatedly reject every opportunity to change course, the path toward permanent death becomes far easier to justify during administrative review.
CHAPTER VI • PART IV
The Two-Way Street
Every Sword Carries Equal Consequences
"If you seek another character's permanent death,
you willingly place your own character's life upon the same scale."
Perhaps the single most important principle of Ash & Blood's PK system is that Permadeath is never one-sided.
Requesting permission to permanently execute another character is an enormous narrative escalation. By taking that step, you acknowledge that your own character is accepting exactly the same level of risk.
This principle exists for one simple reason:
Nobody should begin a life-or-death conflict believing that only the other side has something to lose.
How It Works
Imagine your clan has finally gathered enough evidence and roleplay to justify filing a PK ticket against a long-time rival.
The ticket is approved. The raid is organized. The assault begins.
Everything is prepared for your rival's final defeat...
...except the battle does not unfold the way you expected.
Your force is defeated. Your leader is captured instead.
At that exact moment, the narrative justification reverses.
The Rule
If you open a PK ticket against another character, launch the approved operation, and ultimately lose the conflict, the opposing side immediately gains valid narrative justification to pursue your character's permanent execution instead.
Why This Rule Exists
🛡 Prevents Reckless PK Attempts
Players cannot casually request someone's permanent death simply because they believe victory is guaranteed. Every attempt carries genuine personal risk.
⚖ Creates Equal Stakes
Both factions enter the final confrontation knowing that the outcome may permanently change either side's story.
📖 Rewards Good Storytelling
The final battle becomes the climax of months of roleplay rather than a mechanical exercise where only one outcome truly matters.
A Narrative Example
A kingdom gathers overwhelming evidence against a notorious rebel leader after months of raids, assassinations and political sabotage.
Staff approves a PK ticket.
Confident in their numbers, the kingdom launches the final assault to end the rebellion forever.
Instead, the defenders successfully repel the invasion. The king is captured. Several nobles surrender. The invading army collapses.
At that point, the rebels are no longer simply defending themselves.
The king willingly accepted the possibility of permanent death the moment he initiated the final operation. Because the approved PK attempt failed, the rebels now possess the same narrative legitimacy to seek his execution that the kingdom originally sought against theirs.
Think Before You Escalate
Filing a PK ticket is not simply requesting permission to end someone else's story.
It is declaring that your own character is prepared to accept the exact same consequence if fate turns against them.
Only characters who truly believe there is no other path left should ever choose to walk through that door.
Permadeath is designed to create meaningful finales, not guaranteed victories. Once a PK conflict begins, both sides stand to lose everything. That mutual risk is what gives the final confrontation its narrative weight.
CHAPTER VI • PART V
Administrative Review & PK Procedure
Every Permanent Death Must Be Verified
Because a Player Kill permanently removes months, and sometimes years, of character development, it is one of the very few actions on the server that cannot happen spontaneously.
Unlike ordinary PvP, injuries or imprisonment, a PK must first pass through an administrative review. This process exists to ensure that every permanent death is supported by genuine roleplay rather than emotion, personal frustration or a single unfortunate battle.
Why Staff Become Involved
Staff are not deciding whether your story is interesting enough.
Their responsibility is much simpler:
- Was there enough long-term escalation?
- Were consequences properly applied throughout the conflict?
- Were previous opportunities for diplomacy, surrender or alignment reasonably offered?
- Does permanent death represent the natural conclusion of the story?
- Were the server rules followed throughout the conflict?
The PK Process
Conflict Builds Naturally
The conflict develops over time through roleplay. Raids, political disputes, betrayals, injuries, captivity and other consequences gradually raise the stakes.
A PK Ticket Is Submitted
Before anyone attempts the execution, the requesting party opens a staff ticket summarizing the entire conflict.
Evidence Is Reviewed
Staff review the escalation, previous consequences, chat logs and available evidence to determine whether the conflict has legitimately reached a point where permanent death is appropriate.
Final Resolution
Only after approval or mutual player agreement may the final confrontation proceed under the PK rules.
✔ A Strong PK Ticket Usually Contains
- A complete summary of the conflict.
- Major events that escalated the story.
- Evidence of previous consequences.
- Relevant screenshots or logs.
- A clear explanation of why peaceful resolution is no longer believable.
✖ A Weak PK Request
- "They killed me yesterday."
- "We won the raid."
- "They're annoying."
- "They deserve it."
- "We've always hated each other."
None of these explain why permanent death has become the only believable outcome.
Think of Staff as Historians
A useful way to understand the review process is to imagine that staff are historians reading the final chapter of an ongoing war.
They were not present for every conversation, betrayal or battle, so your ticket should tell the complete story.
When they finish reading, the conclusion should feel obvious.
"Of course it ended this way."
If the reviewers instead ask themselves, "Why couldn't these characters simply continue roleplaying?", then the conflict probably has not yet reached its natural ending.
Every approved PK should feel like the conclusion of a long novel rather than the result of a single fight. Administrative review exists to protect the integrity of every player's story while ensuring that permanent death remains one of the rarest and most meaningful consequences on the server.
CHAPTER VI • EPILOGUE
After a Character's Death
Beginning Again Without Looking Back
"A new character is not the next chapter of the old one.
It is the first page of an entirely different book."
Eventually, every story reaches its conclusion.
Some characters retire peacefully. Others disappear into the wilderness. Others meet their end beneath a battlefield banner or on an executioner's block.
When a Player Kill has been completed, that character's story is over. Their victories, enemies, friendships, ambitions and unfinished business remain behind with them.
The purpose of this policy is not to punish players for losing. Instead, it protects the integrity of the world by ensuring that death carries genuine narrative weight.
What Happens Next?
✔ You Receive a Free Reroll
Once a PK has been completed, the player receives a free character reroll. This allows them to immediately begin a completely new story without paying the normal reroll cost of 25 Silver Links.
✖ Your Previous Story Does Not Continue
The new character does not inherit the life, influence or unfinished conflicts of the character that died.
A Fresh Start Means Exactly That
Creating a new character after a PK is intentionally designed to prevent metagaming and preserve narrative continuity.
Although you are the same player, your new character enters the world as a completely different individual with their own ambitions, relationships and future.
| Your New Character May NOT... | Reason |
|---|---|
| Rejoin the same clan. | Prevents old conflicts from immediately continuing through a replacement character. |
| Reclaim the previous character's buildings. | A dead character's property remains part of their concluded story. |
| Inherit their former equipment or possessions. | Death should carry meaningful consequences instead of functioning as a reset button. |
| Immediately pursue revenge for the previous character. | The new character has no knowledge of, or personal connection to, those events. |
Why These Restrictions Matter
Imagine defeating a notorious warlord after months of political intrigue, military campaigns and countless battles.
The very next day, the same player creates the warlord's "long-lost brother," joins the exact same kingdom, inherits the same castle, wears the same armor and immediately declares revenge.
Nothing meaningful was actually lost.
The previous story effectively continued under a different name, making the permanent death feel meaningless for everyone involved.
The Spirit of the Rule
Every character deserves to leave behind a lasting legacy.
Some will be remembered as kings. Others as tyrants. Others as martyrs, explorers, scholars or villains.
Their stories should be allowed to end with dignity rather than immediately being replaced by a nearly identical successor created solely to continue the same conflict.
By separating old stories from new ones, every generation of characters gains the opportunity to shape the world in their own unique way.
A Player Kill does not end a player's journey on Ash & Blood.
It simply closes one legend...
...so that another can begin.
CHAPTER VII — The Structural Raid System
CHAPTER VII
The Structural Raid System
Where Wars Are Won Through Story, Not Destruction
Structural raids represent the highest form of organized conflict available on Ash & Blood. Unlike ordinary PvP encounters, raids are capable of changing the political landscape of the world, shifting territorial control, rescuing prisoners, toppling rival powers and permanently shaping the history of entire factions. Every raid should feel like a significant chapter within an ongoing story, never an excuse to destroy another player's work for mechanical advantage.
Settlements often require hundreds of hours of planning, construction and collaborative roleplay to create. Behind every wall stand homes, marketplaces, temples, barracks, workshops and countless stories shared between players. Because of that investment, structural warfare is governed by one of the most comprehensive systems on the server, balancing meaningful risk with the long-term health of the roleplay environment.
Victory should never be measured solely by broken walls or stolen resources. A successful campaign creates political consequences, rivalries, negotiations, prisoner exchanges, territorial disputes and future adventures that continue long after the battle itself has ended. Likewise, defeat should challenge a faction without removing its ability to remain part of the world's evolving narrative.
not for the buildings it destroys."
🏰 Settlements Are Stories
A settlement is far more than a collection of structures. It represents the identity of a clan, its history, achievements, alliances and the countless roleplay moments that have taken place within its walls.
Every gate breached and every tower damaged should therefore serve a meaningful narrative purpose. Structural warfare is not designed to erase another group's creativity, but to create memorable conflicts that leave both factions with new opportunities for roleplay.
The greatest wars are remembered not because a fortress fell, but because of the heroes, betrayals, sacrifices and political consequences that followed.
The Philosophy Behind Every Raid
Narrative First
Every raid must exist because of an ongoing story. Rescue missions, territorial disputes, political rivalries, religious conflicts and military campaigns are all believable reasons for warfare. Random destruction is not.
Proportionality
The greater the destruction being requested, the greater the narrative justification expected. Minor disputes should not immediately escalate into kingdom-shattering sieges. Every level of warfare should match the stakes of the story.
Fair Conflict
The raid system exists to provide structured, enjoyable conflict for both attackers and defenders. Success should come through preparation, leadership and roleplay rather than exploiting mechanics or overwhelming another group unfairly.
Escalation
Raids should represent the natural escalation of an existing conflict. Diplomacy, negotiations, border disputes, rivalries and smaller confrontations should normally lead to structural warfare rather than having settlements attacked without meaningful narrative development.
Expected Conduct
Every participant in a structural raid shares responsibility for creating a memorable experience. Whether attacking or defending, players should focus on believable military objectives, respect the approved limitations of the operation and continue the story after the battle has concluded.
✔ Every Raider Is Expected To...
- Use the official raid system for every structural attack.
- Pursue believable military and narrative objectives.
- Respect the approved raid tier and every limitation attached to it.
- Keep structural damage proportional to the approved operation.
- Treat defenders as fellow storytellers rather than obstacles.
- Continue roleplay after victory instead of treating the raid as the end of the conflict.
✖ Serious Rule Violations
- Launching unauthorized structural raids.
- Beginning Tier II or Tier III raids without staff approval.
- Increasing the approved raid tier after combat has begun.
- Exceeding the structural damage or loot limits granted by staff.
- Using raids purely to grief, harass or eliminate another faction's progress.
- Ignoring the narrative purpose of the approved operation.
🤝 Respect Your Opponent
Every raid involves two groups of players investing their time to create a shared story. Respectful communication, good sportsmanship and fair play are expected before, during and after every operation.
Winning should create new roleplay opportunities rather than attempting to remove another faction from the world entirely.
General Raid Regulations
Regardless of scale, every structural raid on Ash & Blood follows a common set of universal regulations. These rules exist to preserve fairness, encourage believable warfare and ensure that every operation remains enjoyable for everyone involved.
🧗 Realistic Infiltration
Defensive walls exist for a reason and cannot simply be ignored through game mechanics.
Players may not bypass fortifications exceeding two foundations in height unless they visibly roleplay a believable method of scaling them, such as ladders, climbing ropes, siege towers or other approved equipment.
Mechanically climbing over major fortifications without accompanying roleplay is considered powergaming and may invalidate the raid.
🛡 Defender Requirements
A structural raid may only begin while at least one member of the defending faction is actively online.
Offline raiding is prohibited unless explicit administrative permission has been granted for a specific narrative purpose.
Attackers should never outnumber defenders by more than two participants unless otherwise authorized during ticket approval.
Defenders are never required to fight to the last person. Tactical withdrawals, negotiated surrender, strategic retreats and abandoning a position are all valid roleplay outcomes when they better serve the ongoing narrative.
⚠ Universal Raid Limitations
- Tier II and Tier III raids always require prior staff approval.
- No approved raid ticket means no structural raid.
- Raid classifications may never be increased once combat has begun.
- Structural damage must always remain within the limits established during approval.
- Loot permissions may never exceed the approved raid plan.
- Unauthorized structural attacks are treated as griefing.
⚔ Victory Beyond Destruction
Destroying buildings should rarely be the primary objective of a successful raid. Political leverage, captured prisoners, recovered allies, seized supplies, diplomatic concessions and territorial influence often produce far richer stories than unnecessary devastation.
Whenever possible, factions are encouraged to pursue objectives that allow both sides to continue developing the conflict rather than ending it through excessive destruction.
How the Raid System Works
Not every conflict deserves the same level of destruction. A covert rescue mission should never carry the same consequences as a military campaign intended to overthrow an enemy kingdom. For that reason, Ash & Blood classifies every structural raid according to its narrative importance, military objectives and expected consequences.
Every approved raid belongs to one of three official raid tiers. Each tier determines the maximum level of structural damage permitted, the administrative approval required and the overall scale of the operation.
The chosen tier should always represent the smallest amount of force necessary to accomplish the story being told. Escalating conflict responsibly helps preserve settlements while allowing wars to evolve naturally over time.
⚔ Every War Begins Somewhere
Most wars begin with diplomacy breaking down, border incidents, stolen property, political disputes, religious disagreements or isolated acts of violence. Rarely does a believable conflict begin with the complete destruction of a fortress.
The raid system reflects this natural progression by encouraging conflicts to grow gradually. Smaller raids establish momentum, victories create consequences, and those consequences may eventually justify larger military campaigns if neither side can resolve their differences peacefully.
Choosing the correct raid tier is therefore more than a mechanical requirement, it reflects how far the conflict has progressed within the world's ongoing narrative.
🟢 Tier I
Skirmish Raid
Small-scale operations involving limited military objectives, prisoner rescues, retaliation, infiltration and localized structural damage.
🟡 Tier II
Warband Raid
Organized military assaults targeting strategic structures, valuable resources, prisoners or significant positions of military importance.
🔴 Tier III
Siege Raid
The highest form of organized warfare, capable of reshaping kingdoms, territories, alliances and the political balance of the server.
📖 Example
A faction discovers that one of its members has been captured and imprisoned inside an enemy settlement.
Rather than immediately launching an attack, the faction leaders evaluate the scale of the operation, determine the appropriate raid tier, submit the required ticket if necessary, receive administrative approval and organize a force that complies with the approved participant limits.
During the operation, the attackers focus on recovering their captured ally instead of causing unnecessary destruction. The defenders organize a response, negotiations may take place and the battle develops naturally through roleplay.
Whether the rescue succeeds or fails, both factions leave with new rivalries, political consequences and reasons for future conflict, allowing the story to continue rather than ending with needless devastation.
- Raids exist to create memorable wars, not destroy creativity.
- Always choose the smallest raid tier capable of achieving your objective.
- Respect the investment other players have made in their settlements.
- Military victories should create future stories rather than end existing ones.
- The greatest wars are remembered for their consequences, not their rubble.
🟢 Tier I — Skirmish Raid
Tier I represents the smallest level of structural conflict available on Ash & Blood. These raids are intended for localized military operations where the objective is focused and limited rather than the complete defeat of another faction.
A Tier I raid should resemble a daring infiltration, a prisoner rescue, a retaliatory strike or a brief assault against a specific objective. While combat may be fierce, the long-term impact on the defending settlement should remain relatively minor.
Because Tier I serves as the foundation of the raid system, it does not require prior staff approval provided every requirement outlined within this chapter is followed. Players are nevertheless expected to remain fully accountable for respecting its limitations.
🎯 Appropriate Objectives
- Rescuing captured allies.
- Recovering stolen property or important supplies.
- Conducting a retaliatory strike following previous hostilities.
- Sabotaging a limited defensive position.
- Demonstrating military strength without beginning a full-scale war.
- Advancing an ongoing rivalry through controlled escalation.
✔ Tier I Allows
- Limited structural damage necessary to complete the objective.
- Breaking a small number of defensive pieces to gain entry.
- Brief engagements focused on a clearly defined military goal.
- Capturing or rescuing prisoners when supported by roleplay.
- Withdrawing once the objective has been completed.
✖ Tier I Does Not Allow
- Large-scale destruction of settlements.
- Flattening defensive walls or multiple buildings.
- Destroying infrastructure unrelated to the objective.
- Attempting to cripple another faction's ability to roleplay.
- Escalating into siege-level warfare without administrative approval.
⚖ Proportional Force
Players should only destroy what is reasonably necessary to accomplish the approved objective. If a single breached gate, damaged wall or broken barricade allows the operation to continue, additional destruction should not occur simply because it is mechanically possible.
The purpose of Tier I is to tell the story of a successful operation, not to leave a settlement in ruins.
📖 Example
A clan discovers that an important diplomat has been captured and confined within a border outpost. A small strike force launches a surprise assault, breaches a single gate, defeats the defenders guarding the prison and escapes with the captive before reinforcements arrive.
Although minor structural damage occurs during the rescue, the settlement remains largely intact. The conflict continues through diplomacy, retaliation and future military operations rather than ending with unnecessary destruction.
- No staff approval is required for a standard Tier I raid.
- Objectives must remain small, focused and narratively justified.
- Destroy only what is necessary to complete the operation.
- Winning means achieving the objective, not maximizing destruction.
🟡 Tier II — Warband Raid
Tier II represents organized military warfare between established factions. These operations are considerably larger than Tier I raids and are intended to resolve major strategic objectives rather than isolated incidents. Because of the increased scale and potential for lasting consequences, every Tier II raid requires prior administrative approval.
Warband raids often involve prolonged planning, intelligence gathering, logistical preparation and diplomatic escalation before armies ever march. By the time a conflict reaches this level, both factions should already possess a clear narrative justification for engaging in open warfare.
Although greater structural damage is permitted, Tier II remains focused on achieving military objectives rather than inflicting maximum destruction. Commanders should always pursue the least destructive solution capable of accomplishing their goals.
🎯 Appropriate Objectives
- Capturing strategically valuable settlements.
- Destroying military infrastructure supporting an ongoing war.
- Recovering multiple prisoners or important political figures.
- Seizing valuable resources or supply depots.
- Breaking enemy fortifications during an organized military campaign.
- Responding to continued escalation after previous conflicts.
✔ Tier II Allows
- Targeted destruction of strategic defensive structures.
- Breaching multiple sections of fortified walls if required.
- Limited demolition of military buildings supporting the objective.
- Organized assaults involving larger coordinated forces.
- Strategic looting only when specifically approved within the raid ticket.
✖ Tier II Does Not Allow
- Indiscriminate destruction of civilian structures.
- Flattening an entire settlement simply because victory was achieved.
- Destroying decorative or roleplay builds unrelated to the conflict.
- Ignoring the limitations established during staff approval.
- Using the raid as an excuse to permanently cripple another faction.
🏛 Strategic Warfare
At this stage, commanders should begin thinking beyond individual battles. Occupying defensive positions, controlling supply routes, negotiating surrender terms and forcing political concessions often create more memorable stories than simply destroying structures.
A successful Tier II raid should weaken an opponent's military position while leaving enough intact for the conflict to continue through diplomacy, retaliation or future campaigns.
📖 Example
Two neighboring kingdoms have spent several weeks fighting over control of a strategic mountain pass. After negotiations fail and several smaller skirmishes occur, one kingdom receives approval for a Tier II raid targeting the enemy's border fortress.
The attackers breach the outer walls, capture the garrison commander, destroy several military defenses and withdraw after securing the pass. Homes, markets and civilian districts remain untouched because they are unrelated to the military objective.
The defeated faction retains its settlement, but loses a strategically valuable position, creating opportunities for diplomacy, revenge or future campaigns rather than ending the war outright.
- Tier II always requires prior staff approval.
- Designed for organized military campaigns and strategic objectives.
- Only approved military targets may be damaged.
- Political and territorial victories are more valuable than unnecessary destruction.
🔴 Tier III — Siege Raid
Tier III represents the highest level of organized warfare available on Ash & Blood. These campaigns are rare, carefully supervised and reserved for conflicts capable of reshaping kingdoms, alliances and the political landscape of the server.
A siege is not simply a larger raid. It is the culmination of an extended narrative involving diplomacy, escalating hostilities, previous military engagements and failed attempts to resolve the conflict through lesser means. By the time a war reaches this stage, every participant should understand that the outcome will have lasting consequences for the world around them.
Because of the scale involved, every Tier III operation requires comprehensive staff review before approval. Administrative oversight ensures that objectives remain fair, destruction remains proportional and the resulting story benefits the wider community rather than only the factions directly involved.
🎯 Appropriate Objectives
- Conquering a capital or major stronghold.
- Ending a prolonged military campaign.
- Overthrowing a ruling faction or kingdom.
- Capturing strategically vital territory.
- Destroying major military infrastructure approved during the raid review.
- Resolving server-wide conflicts with significant political consequences.
✔ Tier III Allows
- Major assaults against heavily fortified settlements.
- Extensive structural damage approved through the raid ticket.
- Large coordinated armies operating under administrative supervision.
- Territorial conquest and significant political consequences.
- Strategic objectives capable of permanently changing the world's history.
✖ Tier III Does Not Allow
- Destroying structures outside the approved scope of the siege.
- Using victory as justification for griefing defeated players.
- Eliminating another faction's ability to continue roleplaying.
- Ignoring staff instructions issued during the operation.
- Turning a narrative siege into indiscriminate destruction.
🏰 The Aftermath Matters
The conclusion of a siege should mark the beginning of a new chapter rather than the end of another faction's story. Victorious armies may claim territory, demand tribute, negotiate surrender, install new leadership or establish political influence, but they are expected to leave room for continued roleplay.
Likewise, defeated factions should embrace the consequences of their loss through diplomacy, rebuilding, resistance movements or shifting alliances instead of viewing defeat as the end of their participation.
The greatest sieges leave behind legends, rivalries and new political realities, not abandoned settlements.
📖 Example
After months of political tension, border wars and failed negotiations, two kingdoms enter open war. Multiple Tier I and Tier II engagements have already occurred, diplomacy has collapsed and both sides recognize that only a decisive campaign will settle the conflict.
Following administrative approval, the invading army launches a full siege against the enemy capital. Defensive walls are breached, military installations are destroyed and the ruling council is forced to surrender after an extended battle.
Although the victors seize control of the city, they preserve enough of the settlement for rebuilding efforts, political negotiations and future resistance movements, allowing the world's story to continue long after the siege has ended.
- Tier III is reserved for exceptional, server-impacting conflicts.
- Comprehensive staff approval is always required.
- Political objectives should take priority over excessive destruction.
- Even the largest victories should create opportunities for future roleplay.
- The end of a siege should become the beginning of the next chapter in the world's history.
Choosing the Appropriate Raid Tier
Before launching any structural operation, faction leaders should carefully consider the scale of the conflict they wish to portray. The objective should always determine the raid tier, never the amount of destruction players hope to cause.
📋 Ask Yourself
- What is the actual objective of this operation?
- Can that objective be achieved with a lower raid tier?
- Has the conflict naturally escalated to justify greater destruction?
- Will the outcome create meaningful roleplay for both factions?
- Does the planned damage remain proportional to the story being told?
The Structural Raid System exists to protect one of Ash & Blood's greatest strengths: the stories created by its community. Every wall breached, fortress conquered and kingdom defeated should enrich the world rather than diminish it. Fight memorable wars, respect your opponents, embrace both victory and defeat, and always remember that the greatest legends are written by the stories left behind, not by the rubble beneath them.