Alternate Characters
On Red Sun Rising, there is an alt cap - but it's defined as being a 'soft' one. After you have accumulated five alts, you are still allowed to request more, though these will not be so readily accepted. The wizards will consider your newer alt(s) on the criteria of how active you are with your current ones, and you will be asked to give a good reason as to why you desire another character. The concept may be denied, but you can always save it and make your request again at a later date.
Metagaming (using IC knowledge of one character to the gain of a different character) is not allowed.
Building
Building is restricted to staffers for the time being. Requesting a builder bit means anything that you build must be approved by the wizards before construction begins, and then again after it is built. Don't be surprised if something you wish to build is not allowed onto the grid after it has been built, and please don't take offense if such an instance comes about. It's not to inconvenience you, it's simply that the item you've constructed doesn't appear to the wizards to be a plausible place on the MUCK.
Combat and Consent
One should always be considerate of the unknown. In saying this, it is meant that although your character may be quite capable of accomplishing a task against another character, such as swinging at them or grabbing them, it's not always a sure thing just because your character is so capable. The individual you're aiming at could be just that small bit faster, or have absolutely dumb luck and stumble out of the way at just the right moment. You should always pose anything that is directed at another in a way that suggests an ATTEMPT, but not an automatic success. Such as instead of typing 'Shetani seizes Jahazi in his jaws.' you would type 'Shetani snaps at Jahazi with his jaws.' And then wait to see if Jahazi allows the contact or not. This also adds a new level to the roleplay experience, by generating an element of interaction that otherwise wouldn't exist.
Always remember that no one is perfect. Even the mightiest of creatures have their bad days, or things they aren't good at. Don't assume your character is able to avoid any damage when in a fight, for example. It will quickly earn you a bad reputation. That isn't to say you should accept all attempts at attacking your character, but that they shouldn't always dodge everything successfully.
If you're ever confused or uncertain of a situation in a roleplay, ask a staffer. They're always available to assist and clarify in confusing situations.
Groups
@groups include lion prides, lion coalitions, cheetah coalitions, meerkat mobs, hyena clans, wild dog packs, herbivore herds, etc. They come into being when five or more characters of the same species (usually) get together through RP and decide to stay together. They do not come into being when a player comes up with a really “cool” idea for a pride or clan, and then posts it to the forum. All official @group listings must:
a) conform to the societal standards listed on Red Sun Rising’s website
b) fill out the following form and email it to moc.liamg|kcumirahalak#moc.liamg|kcumirahalak
If you want to create a @group that does not conform to Red Sun Rising’s species-specific societal standards, or want to create a @group consisting of species that don’t have a standard, please email moc.liamg|kcumirahalak#moc.liamg|kcumirahalak with a brief outline of what you want to do – and we’ll talk. Inactive @groups will be purged from the official listing after three months of inactivity.
Name:
Leader:
Members:
Species Involved:
1) Please state why you are submitting this @group for consideration.
2) Summarize the @group's IC creation.
3) Summarize the @group's IC past.
4) Summarize this @group's IC intentions or goals.
5) Please mention any prior affiliations(allies and enemies) with other @groups, character cliques, or NPC creations.
6) Summarize in three parts, three quick plot ideas on how this @group will interact with other @groups and contribute to the surrounding IC area and general roleplay ability of the game.
Harassment
Red Sun Rising is a venue for players from all over the world to come and roleplay happily and comfortably. If anyone is feeling that they are no longer happy with the environment on our MUCK due to harassment, we would like for them to let the staff know immediately. Staff takes harassment very seriously, and will not tolerate any situations where players feel threatened by others present on the MUCK. Should you feel you've been harassed, keep a log of the incident and present it to a staff member as soon as you can, mentioning the time and date somewhere in the log, even if it's to simply type 'time' in the MUCK window to generate a timestamp.
To specify, a harassment is any unwanted advance that makes the other individual uneasy. Some examples are (but are not limited to) constantly requesting roleplay when they have answered with no several times before, constantly requesting characters to be mates, constantly nagging someone about something they find embarrassing, insisting that someone speak with you about something that they would rather not speak to you about.
Those found guilty of harassment will be given one and only one second chance. A second offense will be a ban from the MUCK for a year. We don't take harassment lightly. End of story.
Just as well, those who accuse someone of harassment who has been proven innocent will be treated the same as someone who has committed the act, themselves. Don't claim a harassment that never happened. If you think you've been harassed, but aren't sure if the staff would think so, report it anyway, under the gesture that you are uncomfortable with the situation. We won't say you're wrong, but it could simply be a misunderstanding that needs to be clarified.
Magic
In terms of anything, there is only one form of "magic" found in Red Sun Rising; divination. "Divination" is a technique by which information is made known through non-traditional means, i.e. rather than asking about someone, the diviner learns the information desired out of "thin air". Typically, some sort of medium is necessary for the divination, such as looking into a clear, still pool of water, interpreting the alignment of the stars, and so on. The only "standardized" medium is used by hyena shamans, who have both a strong and old magic tradition, where they scatter the entrails of a dead animal and then divine information based on the pattern formed.
Another type of pseudo-magic is the laying of curses; striking a subject with one malady or another. The method by which a curse is laid differs depending on the individual's belief structure, but there are some standards to go by. For example, a lion who wishes to lay a curse will typically go looking for a soul wandering the desert, and will promise to vouch for them before Shujaa if they will do a favor for them first. A meerkat will travel to the Shadowlands and ask the evil spirits there to plague someone in exchange for something, either a service or something material (like the gall bladder of a serpent or some other equally distasteful and dangerous item). A hyena who is a witch will curse ("cast a spell" or "bewitch") someone simply by thinking about it, either on purpose or accidentally (if they don't know they are a witch), or by secretly asking one of their ancestor spirits or even a mzukabaya ("evil spirit"), although asking ancestors such a thing is disrespectful and despicable, and asking mizukabaya is outrightly dangerous. Just as a curse can be placed, they can also be removed by similar means (finding a lost soul, asking Mthama or beseeching a shaman).
The final form of pseudo-magic is herbal healing. Certain plants, roots and herbs possess notable healing properties, either along or when mixed together, with saliva, mud, etc. The actual mixtures tend to be esoteric in nature and are only known to hyena shaman, who have a practiced tradition, or more generally to "medicine-makers", who rely on a combination of practiced learning and sharp intuition to get it right. A member of any species can be a medicine-maker, but by the same token, not just anyone can be a medicine-maker; the gift manifests itself only in a few. Additionally, they must possess some way of mixing the ingredients, either themselves or with help from an assistant. While there is no magical cure-all, these mixtures are nevertheless effective in treating poison, disease, fighting infections and even bolstering the healing process, making it possible to partially recover from otherwise permanent injuries. Note, however, that because of their rarity, such individuals are more or less free to ask for whatever they want in return for their services.
If you apply for a magical character of ANY species, you must include their "powers" or method in the background/history section of your application. Failure to inform staff that you are applying for a character with magical abilities may result in your character being locked out of the game until we can clear things up with you.
Mythology
One of the unique aspects of Red Sun Rising is its reliance on mythology. For the most part, the mythology is original and inspired by African tribes, featuring a plethora of tricksters, gods and divine beings. Because beliefs vary from species to species, there is no one “true” interpretation – and because there are simply so many species living in the Kalahari, it is impossible for Red Sun Rising to provide a belief system for every one. We do, however, have belief systems for Kalahari desert lions, meerkats, wild dogs and hyenas, and players will be expected to more or less adhere to what has been written about them (the exception to this rule, of course, are atheists/nonbelievers).
If playing an animal that does not have a defined belief system, players are free to come up with their own “religion” and apply it to that character if they so desire. This does not, however, make it the official belief system of that character’s species; just because one cheetah believes in a divine mongoose prophet does not mean that ALL cheetahs believe in a divine mongoose prophet.
Occasionally, staff will add to the list of “official” belief systems, depending on how popular a particular species is becoming. Don’t worry; if we decide to standardize the belief system of a species, then characters of that species who were created before the standardization will not be expected to conform to it.
If you are brave and would like to volunteer to write up a particular belief system for a particular species, please fill out the form found on Red Sun Rising’s website, or contact a member of staff.
From time to time, staff will be using the “official” gods, spirits and trickster figures in MUCK-wide plots. It is also worth noting that while even though every species’ religious interpretations are very different, they are all able to co-exist on a very basic level for the purposes of storytelling.
Names
Being on the African continent, Red Sun Rising wishes to keep a certain consistency on the basis of naming your characters. This includes, but is not limited to using African naming resources. You are free to make up fictional names, provided that they fit the theme presented by those of Africa. However, those who wish to have more substance behind naming a character may wish to look at one of many naming tools; this is only a short list of common resources such as dictionaries and name lists, and by no means is one restricted to them. From here, you may find, inspire, or compile a proper name, or even use these links to assist you in further explorations of naming.
Do NOT name your character after a character from an anime, video game, book or movie.
http://research.yale.edu/cgi-bin/swahili/main.cgi
http://africanlanguages.com/swahili/
http://www.babylon.com/dictionary/2254/English-Swahili-Online-Dictionary.html
http://www.swagga.com/name.htm
http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/afr.php
http://www.20000-names.com/female_african_names.htm
http://www.20000-names.com/male_african_names.htm
http://www.babynology.com/african_babynames.html
http://www.weddingvendors.com/baby-names/origin/african/
Realism
Even though Red Sun Rising is based heavily on its mythology, we do ask our players to maintain a certain level of realism within the game. This may be a "talking animal" MUCK, but it isn't a cartoon; plots may deal with mature themes such as murder, kidnapping and sacrifice. On the subject of sex, we require that you read our blurb devoted to the subject, and be aware that outright TS is forbidden on our game.
The MUCK allow lots of freedom when it comes to character design. White animals (as long as they aren't albinos) are perfectly acceptable - as long as they occur in the wild. So are animals with melanistic (black) traits. We only ask that you stay away from designs that are too outlandish or jarring; that means no neon green tigers, no creatures with wings that don't have them in real life, etc. Use your best discretion when it comes to markings; in other words, please no hearts instead of spots. For an example of what we're looking for, take a look at the rabbits from the film version of Watership Down. Each has a unique design, but each design is natural enough that it looks as though it might be able to occur in the wild.
If you're playing a primate, your character is welcome to carry a stick or use primitive tools. If not, consider @requesting a primate if you want to be able to do such things. Paws are not hands, after all; they do not have thumbs, they cannot pick things up, and they cannot use tools or build things. Jewelry in the traditional sense is not allowed, but it would be feasible for a lion to have feathers woven into his mane if he can coerce a primate into doing the task for him.
Restricted Species
Because Red Sun Rising takes place in the Kalahari Desert, the game only allows species that are found naturally in the area. Unfortunately, this means no: Ethiopian wolves, striped hyenas, lemurs or fossas. Just because an animal is native to Africa does not mean that you will be able to play it. Be sure you look it up.
Kalahari Desert lions are one of the most popular species on Red Sun Rising, but they're also the most restricted. Every player is allowed one lion character (male or female) to begin with; after playing on the game for a minimum of three months, they are allowed to apply for second.
A player may only apply for a marozi/leopon if someone is advertising a litter; in other words, marozi will only come into existence on the MUCK if a player of a lion and a player of a leopard decide they want their characters to get together. There are no such restrictions on other hybrids, such as the zedonk.
Extinct species are generally restricted as well; the two exceptions to this rule are the quagga and the Kalahari elephant.
Tinysex
The administration of Red Sun Rising frowns upon tinysex because, over the internet, there's no way to know if your partner has reached the age of consent. You can ask, but there's always a chance that you'll be lied to, which can lead to legal complications and - in some cases - criminal charges.
We ask that you refrain from engaging in explicit sexual roleplay on Red Sun Rising for the above reasons. Because the game often deals with adult themes, it is perfectly acceptable to allude to sexual acts or describe them using 'soft' language if they are vital to character or plot development. Please, no smut.
Our game's rating may vary between PG-13 and R, but even R-rated movies don't feature hardcore sex. If you're looking for that sort of thing, please go elsewhere. Anyone found to be violating this rule will be dealt with however administration deems appropriate.
It is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE to page or solicit someone for TS.