Defines character creation, starting conditions, adult presentation, heritage, skills, wealth, lore compliance, progression, retirement, alternate characters, rerolls and shelving.

Introduction

BOOK VI
Creating Believable Characters
Every Legend Begins As A Prisoner

Book VI governs character creation, starting status, physical presentation, heritage, skills, wealth, lore compliance, progression, retirement, alternate characters and rerolls.

CORE PRINCIPLE
Great characters are built, not declared
Your backstory explains who you were. Your roleplay determines who you become inside the Exiled Lands.
01
The Foundation

CHARACTER
Begin Grounded
Arrive as a believable human exile with strengths, flaws and room to develop.
LORE
Fit The Hyborian Age
Background, heritage and presentation should belong naturally within the setting.
PROGRESSION
Earn What Comes Next
Skills, wealth, influence and reputation should be built through actual roleplay.
RELATED BOOKS
Related books
Once approved, consistency and development are governed by Book II. PK rerolls also follow Book III. Sensitive character material must comply with Book VII.

CHAPTER I — Character Philosophy

CHAPTER I
Character Philosophy
Create A Person With Somewhere To Go

Create A Person With Somewhere To Go. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

01
Character Foundations

01.01
Begin grounded
Create a believable human being with strengths, weaknesses, fears, ambitions and room to change.
01.02
Do not begin as a legend
Characters should not arrive as world-famous heroes, unbeatable champions or figures whose past accomplishments solve every future problem.
01.03
Flaws should matter
A flaw should create real difficulty or character tension rather than exist only as decorative flavor.
01.04
Goals should generate roleplay
Choose ambitions that require relationships, risk, compromise and interaction with other characters.
01.05
Trauma does not excuse disruption
A tragic or unstable character still has to function in collaborative roleplay and follow community rules.
01.06
Do not create OOC-targeted villains
A character may not be designed specifically to target, infiltrate or retaliate against a player or faction based on OOC knowledge or grievance.
01.07
Server-impacting villain arcs may require review
Concepts intended from creation to heavily destabilize major factions or the wider server should be discussed with staff before launch.

CHAPTER II — Starting Conditions

CHAPTER II
Starting Conditions
Every Exile Begins Beneath The Bracelet

Every Exile Begins Beneath The Bracelet. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

02
Starting Standards

02.01
Every character starts as a condemned prisoner
Former rank, wealth and connections do not create authority inside the Exiled Lands.
02.02
No starting political influence or recognized reputation
Trust, titles and command must be earned after arrival.
02.03
No private army, retainers or hidden support network
Followers and organizations must be acquired through server systems and roleplay.
02.04
No hidden Exiled Lands fortune
Starting resources are limited to what the current server system provides.
02.05
The bracelet cannot be bypassed by backstory
No secret ritual, bloodline, blessing or prophecy makes the character immune to the bracelet's server-established effects.
02.06
Bracelet effects are server canon
The bracelet suppresses sorcery and prevents pregnancy unless a staff-driven storyline explicitly establishes an exception.
STARTING STANDARD
Equal footing
Your pre-exile life may shape knowledge and personality. It does not grant wealth, followers, authority or exceptional mechanical power after arrival.

CHAPTER III — Age & Physical Presentation

CHAPTER III
Age & Physical Presentation
Every Character Must Clearly Present As An Adult

Every Character Must Clearly Present As An Adult. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

03
Adult Presentation

03.01
Characters must be clearly adult
Appearance, concept, proportions and behavior must not create a child-presenting character.
03.02
No 'ancient being in a child's body' workaround
A stated adult age does not override an intentionally underage visual presentation.
03.03
Appearance should fit the setting
Use grounded Hyborian clothing, scars, tattoos, hairstyles and cultural details rather than designs that resemble unrelated fantasy or modern settings.
03.04
Dress should fit current circumstances
A new exile should not visually present as a wealthy monarch or decorated ruler unless later roleplay earns that position.
03.05
Staff may require redesign
If a character's presentation creates reasonable doubt about adulthood or clearly conflicts with the server setting, redesign may be required before continued play.
ZERO TOLERANCE
Sensitive-content boundary
Any sexual or romantic content involving a character presented as underage is prohibited under Book I regardless of stated age.

CHAPTER IV — Heritage & Social Status

CHAPTER IV
Heritage & Social Status
Heritage Shapes You, It Does Not Crown You

Heritage Shapes You, It Does Not Crown You. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

04
Heritage & Social Status

04.01
Use established Hyborian cultures
Heritage, customs, accents, faith and upbringing should draw from the setting rather than inventing a new world around the character.
04.02
Royal bloodlines and ruling dynasties are prohibited
No exiled princes, fallen queens, secret heirs, direct ruling claimants or comparable concepts.
04.03
Minor nobility requires approval
A minor noble background may be considered through a ticket when it exists as flavor and grants no automatic authority or material advantage.
04.04
Past status creates no present command
Former officers, priests, merchants or nobles arrive without their previous legal authority, troops, estates or institutions.
04.05
Recognition must be earned
Other characters are never required to obey, trust or respect your claimed background without roleplay giving them a reason.

CHAPTER V — Skills & Experience

CHAPTER V
Skills & Experience
Practical Knowledge Is Believable, Legendary Mastery Is Not

Practical Knowledge Is Believable, Legendary Mastery Is Not. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

05
Skill Standards

05.01
Background skills should fit age and profession
A sailor may know navigation and a smith may know metalwork. Expertise should remain proportionate to the life actually lived.
05.02
No legendary mastery at launch
Do not begin as an undefeated gladiator, master assassin, archmaster or 'best in the land' archetype.
05.03
Do not master many elite disciplines at once
Broad knowledge is possible, but exceptional mastery across unrelated high-level fields removes room for progression.
05.04
Rare skills need stronger justification
Uncommon professions, languages, sorcery-related knowledge and specialist disciplines should be supported by lore and any required server approval.
05.05
Mechanical skill does not automatically equal IC mastery
Player ability with the game does not by itself prove that the character is an elite fighter, artisan or scholar.
05.06
Growth continues under Book II
Once play begins, advanced abilities should be developed through visible training, experience and roleplay.

CHAPTER VI — Wealth & Resources

CHAPTER VI
Wealth & Resources
Your Fortune Begins Inside The Exiled Lands

Your Fortune Begins Inside The Exiled Lands. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

06
Wealth Standards

06.01
Pre-exile wealth does not transfer
A former merchant prince or noble may remember wealth, but cannot access hidden Exiled Lands reserves because of it.
06.02
No secret caches, estates or supply lines
Backstory cannot provide unseen stores, inherited property or off-screen deliveries unless staff explicitly creates that storyline.
06.03
Businesses and property must be earned
Shops, land, trade networks and economic influence should develop through actual server roleplay and systems.
06.04
Wealth should create story
Large fortunes should generate responsibility, rivals, trade, patronage or political consequences rather than simply removing every challenge.
CROSS-REFERENCE
Reroll exception
The paid standard reroll system in Chapter X has its own item-retention rule. Keeping permitted mechanical items does not transfer the previous character's identity, reputation, relationships or IC ownership history.

CHAPTER VII — Lore Compliance & Server Continuity

CHAPTER VII
Lore Compliance & Server Continuity
Create Within The Hyborian Age

Create Within The Hyborian Age. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

07
Lore Standards

07.01
Player characters are human
Original fantasy races and non-human player species are not permitted.
07.02
No cross-universe concepts
Elves, drow, half-orcs, anime-style entities, modern dimension travelers and similar outside-setting concepts do not belong in the server.
07.03
Do not begin as a supernatural exception
Vampires, demons, immortals, shapeshifters and other one-of-a-kind supernatural player concepts are not valid starting characters unless created by an approved server storyline.
07.04
Original people are welcome, original world history is not
Create unique personalities and local histories without inventing hidden continents, world-changing empires or canon-breaking civilizations.
07.05
Other-server accomplishments do not transfer
Roleplay from another server grants no magical progress, political influence, bracelet exception, relationship or unresolved plot on Ash & Blood without explicit administrative permission.
07.06
Reimagined concepts start fresh
You may reuse the inspiration for an old character, but their Ash & Blood story begins here.

CHAPTER VIII — Character Progression & Continuity

CHAPTER VIII
Character Progression & Continuity
Your First Day Should Not Look Like Your Hundredth

Your First Day Should Not Look Like Your Hundredth. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

08
Progression Standards

08.01
Let relationships change you
Friendships, rivalries, mentors, betrayals and politics should influence future decisions.
08.02
Let failure matter
Mistakes and setbacks often create stronger development than uninterrupted success.
08.03
Major personality shifts need story
A dramatic moral, religious or behavioral change should follow meaningful events rather than convenience.
08.04
Remember major events
Wars, betrayals, injuries and alliances remain part of the character's lived history.
08.05
Do not retcon progression into existence
Training or development that never happened cannot be added retroactively to justify a new ability.
CROSS-REFERENCE
Portrayal rules continue in Book II
Book VI governs what the character may begin as. Book II governs how that character grows and remains consistent during play.

CHAPTER IX — Retirement & Narrative Closure

CHAPTER IX
Retirement & Narrative Closure
An Ending Remains Part Of The World's History

An Ending Remains Part Of The World's History. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

09
Retirement Standards

09.01
Do not retire simply to escape consequences
Imprisonment, political defeat, damaged reputation or financial hardship should normally be resolved through roleplay rather than abandonment.
09.02
Retirement does not erase previous events
Treaties, wars, relationships, debts and consequences involving the retired character remain part of server history.
09.03
New characters begin separate stories
A replacement character does not inherit memories, relationships, influence or reputation from the previous one.
09.04
Do not recreate the same character under a new name
A new character should have a distinct identity, direction and role in the world.
09.05
Learning about a former character must happen IC
The same player knowing the history does not grant that knowledge to the new character.
Ash & Blood Principle
Great endings are part of worldbuilding. Let a finished character leave a real legacy instead of immediately replacing them with a copy.

CHAPTER X — Alternate Characters, Rerolls & Shelving

CHAPTER X
Alternate Characters, Rerolls & Shelving
A New Character Must Not Become A Proxy For The Old One

A New Character Must Not Become A Proxy For The Old One. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.

10
Alternate Characters

10.01
Alternate characters are a privilege
Alt access may be denied or revoked if it is used for metagaming, rule circumvention or narrative manipulation.
10.02
Only Donators may create alternate characters
An alt must be declared to staff through a ticket before creating and playing it in game.
10.03
Alts must be genuinely distinct
Use a different identity, personality, culture and long-term narrative direction rather than cloning the same archetype or influence role.
10.04
No connection to the main character
An alt may not be related to, secretly associated with or created to continue the main character's story.
10.05
Do not join the main character's clan
The alt must remain politically and organizationally separate.
10.06
Do not benefit the main's interests
An alt may not provide intelligence, military help, trade advantages, negotiation leverage or political support that directly or indirectly benefits the main character, their clan or closely connected interests.
10.07
Do not act as a proxy
Using an alt to defend, avenge, reinforce or influence conflicts surrounding another character on the same account is alt abuse.
11
Rerolls & Shelving

10.08
Standard reroll
A standard reroll requires a ticket and costs 25 Silver Links. The rerolled character is permanently retired for the active season.
10.09
Standard reroll item retention
After paying the standard reroll fee, the player may keep the old character's permitted mechanical items. This does not transfer IC ownership, relationships, reputation or story.
10.10
Shelving
Shelving a character to play another costs 100 Silver Links and is limited to one shelved character per player per season.
10.11
Do not reroll during unresolved major conflict
Serious ongoing plots, trials, investigations or conflicts require reasonable roleplay closure before an ordinary reroll.
10.12
PK rerolls are different
An approved PK grants a free reroll, but all items and mechanical progression are lost. Book III also prohibits rejoining the same clan, reclaiming old buildings, inheriting possessions or immediately continuing the revenge plot.
FRESH START
No new character may be tied to the old one
A reroll is a new person, not a relative, agent, heir or replacement designed to inherit unfinished advantages.