'Souls RPG

Souls has a lot of information. It's a side effect of having been a consistently active community for nearly two decades. This thread seeks to explain the game and guidelines. Please don't be intimidated! Trust us when we say reading this will allow things to go much more smoothly for you. :)

Required Reading

1. The Rules. No getting around this one.  While we don't expect you to commit these to memory, give them a read. You may benefit from browsing them when you first arrive, and reading them again later.
   
2. The Plot. In order to play in our world, you should have an understanding of what our world is. This contains information relevant to the setting and basic premise of the game.
   
3. Joining Information. This provides the most important info about joining up at 'Souls. Pay careful attention as this is where you'll find our joining application!
   

Highly Recommended Reads

1. The Roleplay Guide.  If you're brand new to roleplaying, we recommend you start here -- pay attention to the articles marked "Beginner" articles. Certain portions of the RP Guide will also be highlighted below. There are six sections: characters, behaviour, werewolves, 'Soulsverse, writing, and misc. It includes information about the setting, how to create a character, and helpful grammar rules.
   
2. Luperci Basics @ the RP Guide. 'Souls features a unique werewolf, the Luperci, and this page covers many of the basics of the Luperci. The Physiology and Lifestyle pages provide more information. If you'd rather not play a Luperci, you can always join as a non-Luperci wolf, and there is the option of becoming a Luperci later.
   
3. Joining Thread Archives. If you browse a few of these, you will better understand how the joining process works! Here are some specific examples:
   • Joining Example.  This shows a normal joining application and provides tips as to how to present your profile or roleplaying examples.
     
4. Writing @ the RP Guide. It is good to remember that 'Souls is, at its core, a writing community. As such, writing well is important to us. We welcome writers of all skill levels, but if you're a beginner, you should definitely check out this page!
   

Core Concepts

1. Our roleplaying is done in third-person (he, she; not I), in the past tense (walked, howled; not walks, howls), and most of our posts are between 200-800 words (2-5 paragraphs). Reply times generally range from less than a day to roughly a week; however, members are encouraged to write what is comfortable for their own pace and ability.
   
   
2. Our werewolves are not traditional werewolves with a human phase. Through a viral mutation, wolves that are Luperci have the ability to shift to a humanoid two-legged form. Luperci can shift at any time they please, and they do not require the full moon or even night to facilitate shifting.
   • Luperci DO NOT have a human form!
     
3. Game time is equal to real time: one real day is one 'Souls day, one real year is one 'Souls year. Our world is set today at the current time.
   
4. Humans died out in 1988. As such, your character's history cannot include humans.
   • Humans died in 1988, but 'Souls is set in the present day and time (e.g. if it's 2021 in real life, it's 2021 in the game).
     
   • We measure character ages in actual years. If your character was born on September 3, 2009, and it is September 4, 2010, your character is one (1) year old. Check the RP Guide for an age/maturity chart.
     
5. After you join, you must post within five days of being accepted, or you will be removed! Following that, one post every three weeks is necessary to keep your membership at this site. Failure to meet this bare minimum will result in removal. If you are removed for inactivity, you are welcome to join again. No hard feelings! We never delete accounts, so you can even rejoin as the same character.
   

Here is a quick list of items you should double-check before joining:

1. Registration?
   • Does your characters' name match your username? If your wolf is named Azrael, your username should also be Azrael.
     
   • Is your username properly capitalized and spaced? Make sure it's John Smith and not JohnSmith, JOHN SMITH, jOhN SmItH, etc.
     
   
   
2. Reading?
   • Did you read over the Rules? You don't have to be able to recite them, but read them at least once.
     
   • Did you read over the Plot? So you understand that this game takes place several decades after humans have died off, right?
     
   • Did you read over the Joining Information? You'll probably have to stay on this page, as our joining application is located here. You need this part!
     
   
   
3. Joining Application
   • You remembered to grab it from the Joining page, right?
     
   • Have you written at least two paragraphs (~ 200 words) for your character's Appearance, Biography, AND Personality profile sections?
     
   
   
4. Writing?
   • Do you understand how our roleplaying is done? Remember: third-person (he, she; not I), in the past tense (walked, howled; not walks, howls).
     
   
   
5. Character Details and Development
   • The joining application is the bare minimum, but you might benefit from fleshing your character out a little more. The more you're sure of, the more you can write! Some roleplayers benefit from allowing their characters to develop as they play, but others work better with a detailed profile! Remember, your profile needs to be updated periodically, too! Your character should be dynamic and develop as you roleplay them.
     

Did you get all that? What, you want to read about even more awesome tips and tricks that will make your 'Souls experience even better?

1. Tips, Hints, Questions, and Help
   Check out the Questions & Help forum if you'd like tips about your character, hints or critique of your writing, or anything else you need help with. The people who run this forum are awesomely helpful! They will pair up with you and help you if you're confused about how things work. We don't mind answering questions and we love to see fresh faces in our community, so we'll do the best we can to help you get settled in here.
   
2. Observe!
   You may find it easier to figure out what's going on if you simply look around and watch what others are doing for a while. Read other people's roleplaying threads to get an idea of how our system works. There is an archive of in character threads you can browse. Join our Discord server and get a feel for what the community is like.
   
3. Introduce Yourself
   Feel free to make an introduction post in the Shenanigans forum! Introduce yourself and let us know you're new to the game, and we'll make you feel quite welcome. :)
   
4. Profiles
   You can update your profile through the User Control Panel. It's a good idea to keep this filled out with a basic idea about your character so others can quickly refer to his or her appearance, personality, and so forth. On the flip side, you can always look at someone's forum profile to get more information about their character!
   
5. Graphics?
   If you need graphics for your character — an avatar, a signature, a posting table — feel free to post a request in the Requests subforum. 'Souls has tons of talented graphics-makers, many of whom would be more than willing to lend a hand should you require their services. All you have to do is ask!
   
6. Character Images
   If you know how to work a graphics program and can color, there are free lineart avatars provided by Kiri. If you have the cash to burn, there are artists who would be very willing to draw your character up for you.
   
7. Pre-Created Characters
   You can always check out the Open Character list if you don't feel up to making a character on your own. Others have added their characters' family or other creations to this list, and often these characters have some set characteristics or requirements. The good part is, though, most of them have some history with another 'Souls character, meaning you'll already have roleplaying possibilities set up for you!
   
8. Tag your threads!
   AW for "all welcome" ("open" threads, anyone can join). Remember to tag your threads with AW if you want random players to join -- unmarked threads are assumed private by most players. P for "private" (the thread is meant for one person). Please don't post in threads marked for another person. Other thread tags can be found here!
   
9. Mature Threads
   Some roleplayers enjoy threads of a spicier nature, and that's fine. However, all threads that contain mature content must be properly marked. Please see this post and make sure to mark all mature threads. On the flip side, if you do not wish to view such material, the tags can help you avoid viewing it, so pay close attention!
   
10. Open Threads
    Looking for some more threads? The Open Threads has some lonely ones that need replies! Check them out -- you don't have to ask to join any of these threads!
    
11. General Resources
    There's an extensive list of resources compiled over a few places! You can find all sorts of things, from wolf generators to free lineart to coding shells. Beware, some of the resources require an advanced knowledge of coding or graphics programs for best results!
    
12. Wanna help 'Souls?
    Advertise, advertise! You can wear any of the pride badges and other various images, too! Spread the word to your friends.