Defines consent, Consent Sheets, sensitive themes, permanent consequences, boundary-related IC/OOC separation, withdrawal of consent and administrative review.
Introduction
BOOK VII
Player Boundaries & Sensitive Content
Roleplay May Challenge The Character, Never The Player
Book VII is the primary authority for Consent Sheets, sensitive themes, permanent consequences, consent withdrawal and boundary-related disputes.
CORE PRINCIPLE
Consent must be informed, voluntary and ongoing
Silence is not agreement. Previous consent does not automatically apply to a new scene, and a player may stop further sensitive content when their boundary changes.
01
The Foundation
BOUNDARIES
Informed
Players should understand the sensitive content and consequence before agreeing to it.
CONSENT
Voluntary
No one should be pressured, punished or guilted into accepting a boundary they do not want.
ONGOING
Changeable
Consent can be clarified or withdrawn as a scene changes; player wellbeing comes first.
RELATED BOOKS
Zero-tolerance rules still apply
Content prohibited in Book I remains prohibited regardless of consent. Consent cannot override a zero-tolerance community rule.
CHAPTER I — Consent Philosophy
CHAPTER I
Consent Philosophy
Trust Makes Darker Stories Possible
Trust Makes Darker Stories Possible. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.
01
Consent Standards
01.01
Respect different limits
Players may have different boundaries around violence, captivity, romance, psychological themes and permanent consequences. Those differences do not require justification.
01.02
Silence is not consent
If permission is required, the absence of an objection is not enough.
01.03
Consent must be voluntary
Do not pressure, guilt, bargain with or punish someone OOC for refusing a theme or consequence.
01.04
Consent is specific
Agreement to one subject or level of severity does not automatically include a more intense or different one.
01.05
Consent remains ongoing
Check again when a scene changes significantly in tone, severity or intended consequence.
01.06
Player wellbeing outranks scene completion
When a genuine boundary issue arises, protecting the player comes before preserving uninterrupted immersion.
Ash & Blood Principle
Clear boundaries do not weaken mature roleplay. They create the trust required to explore it.
CHAPTER II — Consent Sheets
CHAPTER II
Consent Sheets
Clear Expectations Before Sensitive Roleplay
Clear Expectations Before Sensitive Roleplay. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.
02
Consent Sheet Procedure
02.01
Maintain an accurate Consent Sheet
Keep your Discord Consent Sheet current so other players can understand your limits.
02.02
Review the other player's sheet first
Before sensitive or permanent content, check the relevant boundaries instead of assuming.
02.03
Ask when anything is unclear
An incomplete, ambiguous or conditional entry requires direct OOC clarification before proceeding.
02.04
Previous scenes do not create permanent consent
A theme accepted yesterday may be declined today or allowed only under different conditions.
02.05
Every participant shares responsibility
Initiators should check boundaries; participants should keep their sheet current and communicate changes.
ASK FIRST
Conditional consent
When a sheet says a subject is allowed only under certain conditions, confirm those conditions rather than interpreting them yourself.
CHAPTER III — Restricted & Consent-Based Content
CHAPTER III
Restricted & Consent-Based Content
Mature Themes Require Mature Communication
The following themes are not automatically prohibited, but require explicit consent where applicable and must remain within all other server rules.
03
Sensitive Content Standards
Quick Reference
Explicit consent required
- Permanent injury or maiming.
- Branding or permanent disfigurement.
- Forced slavery or long-term captivity.
- Graphic torture or extreme violence.
- Sexual roleplay.
- Severe psychological abuse intended as lasting character impact.
- Permanent Character Death.
Never acceptable
- Ignoring listed boundaries.
- Continuing after consent is withdrawn.
- Pressuring someone to agree.
- Treating prior consent as permanent.
- Using technicalities to bypass consent.
03.01
Escalation requires fresh confirmation
If a scene moves from an accepted theme into something substantially more severe, pause long enough to confirm the new boundary.
03.02
Fade to Black is always available
Players may request Fade to Black (FTB) for sensitive material even when the underlying theme is otherwise permitted.
03.03
FTB does not automatically erase agreed IC consequences
If the participants already agreed on the narrative outcome, using a less graphic presentation does not cancel that outcome unless they agree to change it.
CROSS-REFERENCE
Detailed captivity and PK mechanics
Book III controls captivity durations, injury systems and PK eligibility. Book VII controls whether the sensitive content itself is within the player's boundaries.
CHAPTER IV — Permanent Consequences
CHAPTER IV
Permanent Consequences
Lasting Changes Need Greater Care
Lasting Changes Need Greater Care. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.
04
Permanent Outcomes
04.01
Permanent consequences require explicit consent
Permanent scarring, branding, disfigurement, loss of a limb, permanent blindness, long-term enslavement and comparable irreversible changes may not be imposed casually.
04.02
Permanent changes stay part of the character
Once accepted and completed, lasting injuries and marks should be portrayed consistently in future roleplay.
04.03
Do not use permanent consequences as OOC revenge
The purpose must be narrative, not personal punishment.
04.04
Offer meaningful alternatives when consent is declined
Ransom, temporary injury, imprisonment or another proportionate outcome can continue the story without forcing a permanent change.
04.05
PK has its own eligibility rules
Permanent death requires consent or the approved procedure in Book III. Consent alone does not remove the need to follow any required PK process.
STORY FIRST
Permanent does not mean story-ending
Except for PK, a lasting consequence should create new adaptation, relationships and future roleplay rather than remove the character from participation.
CHAPTER V — OOC & IC Separation Around Boundaries
CHAPTER V
OOC & IC Separation Around Boundaries
Consent Is A Player Decision
Consent Is A Player Decision. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.
05
Boundary Separation
05.01
Do not turn IC pressure into OOC pressure
A threatening character may coerce another character in fiction. The player behind that character must remain free to decline restricted content.
05.02
OOC refusal is not IC cowardice
Do not punish a character merely because the player declined a sensitive theme outside the game.
05.03
Do not retaliate for boundary choices
Refusing consent, changing a Consent Sheet or reporting a consent concern may not become IC justification for hostility.
05.04
Keep personal emotions separate
If OOC frustration is affecting judgment, step away and use the dispute process rather than carrying it into roleplay.
05.05
IC consequences still need IC reasons
Political goals, betrayal, ideology and survival may motivate consequences. Personal OOC dislike may not.
CROSS-REFERENCE
General IC/OOC rules
Book I contains the server-wide communication and metagaming rules. This chapter only addresses IC/OOC separation as it relates to consent and personal boundaries.
CHAPTER VI — When Consent Is Withdrawn
CHAPTER VI
When Consent Is Withdrawn
Pause First, Discuss Second
Pause First, Discuss Second. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.
06
Withdrawal Procedure
06.01
Stop progressing the sensitive content immediately
When consent is withdrawn, pause before adding further restricted actions or consequences.
06.02
Move the discussion OOC
Clarify what changed and whether the scene can continue in another form.
06.03
Do not argue the player back into the scene
No guilt, ridicule, threats, social pressure or “the story is too important” arguments.
06.04
No explanation is required
A player may explain what became uncomfortable if they wish, but they are not required to justify the boundary.
06.05
Do not retaliate afterward
Withdrawing consent may not produce OOC hostility or retaliatory IC targeting.
06.06
Withdrawal stops future content, not necessarily completed history
A player can always stop further participation in sensitive material. Consent should not be manipulated solely to retroactively erase a consequence that was already knowingly agreed and completed; genuine disputes should be referred to staff.
IMPORTANT
Scene continuity exception
Book I normally asks players to finish a scene before disputing ordinary rules. Consent withdrawal is different: pause immediately.
CHAPTER VII — Consent Violations & Administrative Review
CHAPTER VII
Consent Violations & Administrative Review
Boundary Disputes Become OOC Matters
Boundary Disputes Become OOC Matters. These rules explain how that standard applies in play.
07
Consent Violation Review
07.01
Ignoring a boundary is a consent violation
Knowingly continuing beyond another player's established limit is not an IC dispute.
07.02
Pressuring consent is a violation
Coercion, guilt or retaliation used to obtain agreement undermines valid consent.
07.03
Bypassing Consent Sheets is a violation
Do not exploit ambiguity or technical wording to avoid checking a required boundary.
07.04
Pause and preserve evidence
When a serious consent dispute occurs, stop the sensitive scene and preserve relevant chat, screenshots or other evidence.
07.05
Use the official ticket process
Book VIII governs evidence submission, investigation, corrective action and appeals.
07.06
False or manipulated consent reports are also misconduct
Do not fabricate conversations, edit context deceptively or knowingly misrepresent what was agreed.
ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
Administrative review seeks facts
Staff may review chat logs, screenshots, tickets and other available evidence to determine what was communicated and when. The question is whether the boundary rules were followed, not which narrative outcome was more interesting.
Ash & Blood Principle
Great stories may challenge characters deeply. Trust is what allows the players behind them to keep telling those stories together.