Amphitheatre Rules

If you're not going to read the rest of the post (and I assume you won't, but you should), here is the TL;DR version:

1. When you wear our guild tag, you represent all of us. If you make us look bad by your actions or decisions, you will be removed from a position where it matters to us.
2. While we're all people who love funny jokes and good times, offending people intentionally is not okay. It's harassment, and you will be removed.
3. We have absolutely no tolerance for OOC drama and will act accordingly if you start such, either in the guild or outside of it.

For those of you that want to know our in-depth rules on specific topics, here are some of the topics covered below, in the order they are covered in.

Harassment and Bullying
IC/OOC Issues
RP Conduct
ERP and Adult Stories
Guild Chat Conduct
Ventrillo Conduct
Forum Conduct
Lore Stance

Harassment and Bullying

Let me be very clear here: We do not ever, have not ever, and will not ever tolerate any form of bullying or harassment.

This includes:
Stalking
Backstabbing
Blackmail
Threats
Incessant Whining
Rumor-Spreading
Bigotry (ESPECIALLY towards gender or sexual orientation issues)
Legit Racism (We use common sense and discretion)

As for what constitutes harassment or bullying? In addition to the above, here is what we mean by them:

ha·rass
a : exhaust, fatigue
b : to annoy persistently
: to create an unpleasant or hostile situation for especially by uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct

bul·ly
plural bullies
a : a blustering browbeating or overbearing person; especially : one habitually cruel to others who are weaker
bul·lied bul·ly·ing
a : to treat abusively
b : to affect by means of force or coercion

If we even suspect you of doing any of the above you will be removed and reported to Blizzard immediately, as well as to any applicable authorities outside of the game.

IC/OOC Issues

For those of you skimming this, here is what you are looking for: It's okay if your character is an asshole. It's not okay if you're one, and we will not RP with even the nicest character if the player is an asshole OOCly.


Do Not Bring IC Drama into OOC.
IC drama is a wonderful thing. We, as RPers, thrive on it. Without IC drama our stories would become dull and boring. Without IC drama our characters would not develop fully.

Let's face it, our characters' lives are not going to be sunshine and rainbows, and we don't expect them to be.

On this note, do not bring your IC drama into the OOC realm. Your character has every right to be upset about what happens in his or her life, but you do not. What you willingly RP, you bring on yourself. No one can force storyline on your character without your consent. Your character will not be killed off unless you consent to such, nor can you kill off another person's character unless they consent to such.


Characters and Players Are Seperate Entities.
What we do expect, however, is to be judged based on who we are OOCly on an OOC basis, rather than by our character's actions. Just because our character treats someone poorly IC, is an evil bastard, or is simply an offensive, vulgar prick does NOT mean that we are OOCly.

It's this mindset that we keep in how we deal with drama. You are not your character. Your character is not you. We will treat you like seperate people for guild purposes. We expect you to do the same.


OOC boundaries are to be respected.
Likewise, if you are told OOCly that someone is not okay with RPing something, please respect that. You wouldn't want your character modded for you, forced into situations you can't control, so don't do it to another. Plus, generally if someone doesn't want to RP through something, it means that doing so will ruin their story or make them very uncomfortable OOCly. It is never okay to do either of the above to someone.


OOC drama will be handled ICly as well, if you are removed for OOC reasons.
Finally, should you piss us off so terribly OOCly that we are absolutely incapable of working with you and do not wish to speak with you or RP with you again because of it, please understand that we will likely come to our own decisions regarding what we view happens to your character.

While we rarely retcon (only if it's apparent that the guild's story is threatened because of your departure, we absolutely don't want to be associated with your OOC actions, or in order to save a character from being rendered completely unplayable) we also will likely not kill off your character in our storyline. They will simply stop showing up to drill and disappear from our storyline in this manner.

If you do not like this method of dealing with loose ends, please find another guild or simply don't cause OOC shit of that caliber. We aren't tyrants, and we are willing to work with you even if you have been removed from the guild for a rule violation, but we will not put effort into saving a character's story with us when the player is someone that we have no desire to speak to or play with ever again. This is not a poor reflection of IC/OOC seperation, it's a reflection of our strong disgust with how a person OOCly acts.

Tl;dr of the above statement: OOC drama and being an asshole will trump even the most amazing RP story every single time regarding whether or not we are willing to work with you.

RP Conduct

Metagaming
Metagaming can be defined as any out of character action made by a player's character which makes use of knowledge that the character is not meant to be aware of. This applies to things such as plot devices, names, professions, allegiances, backstory and future plans, among others. Essentially, you can not use your own OOC knowledge ICly.

God Modding/Moding
This refers to trying to exert extreme control over the plot and other characters. Usually it takes place in fighting, when one player emotes both action and the effects on another player's character, or continually voids logical consequences to actions (dodging repeatedly, shielding oneself near-permanently, 'downplaying' injuries).

It can also mean forcing a concept that is not typically accepted into a story. (Hey! I'm a dragon! You have to acknowledge me or you're godmodding by ignoring me rofllololol!) This goes back to our lore stance of RPing what is probable and not just what is possible, thereby avoiding the situation in the first place.

The above things are common marks of a terrible RPer and are not to be done. You will be called out on it each and every time you do so. If you do not have an excuse and it becomes a repeated offense, you may be subject to removal from the event or even the guild, as per our first rule up at the top post.

ERP and Adult Stories

First, because this needs to be made perfectly clear:
We are not an ERP-oriented guild.
We do not ERP in guild chat.
We do not ERP at guild events; There are no orgies.
We do not parade any ERP we do partake in (privately) in public channels. People who do are removed from the guild.
Our characters are not defined by dom/sub, master/slave, or sexual orientation.
We will never be an ERP-oriented guild.


With that out of the way, let's move on to where we stand as a guild that thrives on what many would view as questionable story.

Our characters are adults, and not ones with exceptional morals. They swear, they drink, they fight, they gamble, they screw. If you're not old enough or mature enough to handle that, you likely shouldn't be a part of this guild. ERP, in the sense of characters having sex (not two players cybering), whether RP'd out in detail or implied, is acceptable. While most will do it for development purposes and with boundaries that will be respected over the course of their roleplaying experiences, and some people ERP in order to get their rocks off IRL.

Here's the thing with that, though. Quite frankly, it's absolutely none of anyone else's business what two consenting adults agree to RP out on their consenting adult characters.

So, on the subject of both ERP and adult (rated R) stories? If you're a part of the crusade against otherwise skilled RPers because they partake in story that you find offensive, find another guild and/or someone who cares.

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

On a related topic : If you are not of the age of consent in the state in which you live, or you RP with someone who is not of the age of consent in their state, ERP should not happen in any regard. ERPing with someone who is underage can be considered soliciting a minor, if chat-room cybering is any example. Know that if we find out you are knowingly ERPing with someone under the age of consent, we will report you to both Blizzard and the applicable authorities outside of Blizzard. You will be removed from the guild.

Curious whether or not you're the age of consent?
The most common age is 16 (and we do not take members under 16 years of age). However, just in case and for curiousity's sake, here's a list of the ages of consent in most states and a few other countries to boot.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Guild Chat Conduct

We allow pretty much anything to be said in guild chat, within reason. The taboos are plain and simple.

Don't be a bigot.
Don't be an elitist.
Don't cause or continue drama.
Don't spread rumors about other players or guilds.
Don't bring your RL issues into the game.
Keep in mind that you never know who is in the chat, and who you might offend.

That's pretty much it. A good rule of thumb is to never put anything you don't want spread around the server in chat; screencaps can sink you faster than a missile to a yacht.

Ventrillo Conduct

There are different rules for different channels.

Public Channels:
The Tavern - The tavern channel most assuredly will provide the most tavern-like atmosphere this side of Loch Modan. Obnoxious men, filthy jokes, people talking about offensive subjects at an entirely too-loud volume, and even the occasional drunken antics are regulars in this channel. Anyone and any topic is welcome, but please go in knowing that there is a large chance you're going to leave offended in some form or another.
The Study - The study is a quieter alternative to the above. It is a public channel as well, as such anyone is welcome at any time. People within this channel generally are not feeling up to the noise or conversation tastes rampant in 'The Tavern', and as such it is asked that you respect that these people likely either have a headache or are talking about something a bit more serious.


Private Channels:
Anything under 'The Private Chambers' is a private channel, meaning that you should not join it unless you are explicitly invited. Just because they are not passworded does not mean that you should treat them any differently. They are there to provide an outlet for more sensitive conversations, as a result these channels are not moderated and have no rules. If you wish to join a conversation in there that you have not been invited into, please use common courtesy and initiate a private chat with one of the users within it to ask if you can join first.

The Master's Lair, which is the private channel for the GM, is reserved explicitly for his private use. They should never be used by anyone other than those bearing the [Luke] or [Snazz] tag unless they are specifically brought into said channel.


Purpose-Specific Channels:
The Colesseum - This channel is used for members participating in PvP in the game. It is there for that use and that use only; if you are not PvPing please stay out of this channel unless otherwise directed. Keep your volume to a minimum and keep in mind that this is a channel for communication, not conversation.
The Hunting Party - This channel is used for members participating in PvE in the game. It is there for that use and that use only; if you are not PvEing please stay out of this channel unless otherwise directed. Keep your volume to a minimum and keep in mind that this is a channel for communication, not conversation.
AFK - If you need to briefly afk but don't want to drop vent, or if you are listening to music, please drop into this channel. It's muted.
Other Channels - Channels for use in other situations such as while playing other games.

With all channels, if you are told to stop doing something or to drop a subject by anyone bearing a [Luke] or a [Snazz] tag next to their name, please note that if you do not stop you will likely have your ass banned.

Forum Conduct

All posts made on our forums must be safe for work. This means no nudity, no pictures depicting violence or offensive subject matter, and keeping swearing to a professional minimum. We, as a community, have many outlets that we can use to discuss things among ourselves. It is important to keep in mind that forums are readable by people not in our guild, are google-able, will be brought up with searches for the guild or specific characters, and are not designed as a place for venting.

If you are unsure of whether or not what you are posting is appropriate, consider whether or not your parents or boss would be offended upon finding your words.

The following topics will see you banned from the forums and have in-game consequences such as removal:
Religion
Politics
LGBT issues
Race stereotyping
Calling out or referencing specific people in a negative manner
Negative references to other guilds*
Posting RL information belonging to another player (including names, email, and battletags)

*This does not include screenshots of drama, plain explanations, or issues regarding cross-guild events. If you start mouthing off about <X Guild> being full of assholes, or <Y Guild> being a lore-raping cesspit that needs to be chased off the server? That's not okay.

Lore Stance

One might ask what a lore stance is, why it exists, and why we are publishing ours in so visible a place. Here are the answers to those questions:

A lore stance is a policy that an individual, group, or guild may take in regards to what they are willing to accept within their storylines.

Lore stances exist to defuse drama before it happens. Not everyone agrees on lore, and it is not fair to expect people who disagree with what your character is/is doing to roleplay with you.

We are publishing our lore stance in a public place because we wish to inform potential members, allies, and even simply those curious about what we roleplay exactly where we stand and what we are willing to do.

Without further ado, our lore stance:

We of Amphitheatre believe that we follow Blizzard's lore regarding most aspects of the game, and adhere to what Blizzard defined as being acceptable in their designed world.

We believe that player characters should play concepts that are probable, not just possible.

We believe that members of the Horde (such as Sin'dorei, even 'purified' ones) belong in the lands of the Horde and are also enemies of the Alliance. As such they would be kill on sight in any Alliance, including Stormwind. This also goes for mixed-blood whose appearance hints at Horde lineage. Player characters are not likely to have the documents and escorts necessary to secure passage through enemy territories.

Furthermore, on the mentioned subject, Sin'dorei are not purified from fel taint, not even through the Light. There are no documented cases of a Light-blessed elf being cured of taint, even among the most powerful paladins (such as Lady Liadrin).

Ebon Knights are dead and are not capable of biological reproduction after being risen.

Neither Ebon Knights nor Forsaken are fatally injured by healing spells. Nature magics would not harm them, and the Light would merely hurt them. There are lore cases where risen paladins have been capable of wielding the Light, and while they are in considerable pain while doing so they also do not melt nor turn into charred corpses. The Light can be used offensively against any living or undead creature.

Demons and San'layn are affiliated with the Burning Legion and the Scourge, respectively. They will be treated as enemies when their race/status is made known. This includes half bloods.

A paladin does not lose the ability to lose the Light by doing an evil deed, they lose the Light when they lose faith that what they are doing is justified. So long as they believe that their actions are for the greater good they will maintain their use of the Light. This is shown in both the Scarlets and in Arthas' fall as a paladin.

Dragons and dragonsworn are not only improbable but are also concepts that employ heavy use of godmodding on a regular basis in order to function. As such, we will not acknowledge any dragon or dragon-like characters, and do not expect our characters to treat yours as anything but insane.

If you have further questions on what we believe regarding particular subjects of lore, please do not hesitate to contact us ingame!