Playing any UD race

Things to remember

Rule number one is Roleplay. If you are a monster, you are expected to roleplay a monster. Not a cutesy, friendly pet. A monster.

From DM Watchtower:

"UD players on the surface - The first rule of the server dictates that you roleplay at all times. If you want to play a kobold, your expected to act like a monster, not a reasonable, pragmatic halfling with scales.

Surfacers - RP monsters as monsters (within reason and while maintain the Be nice rule) and report slip ups."

"I will happily squash any friendly monsters I see. If you begin in the Underdark as a part of a society that hates and fears everything sunlight touches, it would be a long, strained, unlikely road to take in order to be friendly. I will expect every monster I see to act like what they are... Ugly, angry, bitter creatures born and raised to hate the surface. That's how Arelith monsters start, that's how I expect them to react."

Cordor is Mordor for you

Prancing about too close to a city full of people who hate you is suicidal, and the DMs will be happy to prove that point. This is valid for all surface settlements.

From DM Watchtower:

"Oh, and it doesn't matter if you're invisible or disguised - a monster who was raised in the Underdark, a place where surfacers are both feared and reviled, would not take the risk of entering a settlement full of folks who want him dead, regardless of the protections he's put up for himself. Unless both your Intelligence and Wisdom score rate below 4 or 5, your character would know better."

From DM Qizzia:

"About playing kobolds and other outcasts: There is a reason that they start out in Urblexis Grond. You are a monster! Read, understand and follow the IG information on the Public Note at the gates in Northern Outskirts. The marksmen, the Cordor Guards, the Cordor Elite Guards are there to enforce the public note. Ignoring that, has a name: Metagaming.

There were, repeat were, a certain time, namely shortly after Urblexis Grond was made, that the Cordor Council issued a very few exceptions for old chars that existed at that time. I don't think that they exist anymore, and I don't know of any documents for new outcasts being allowed into Cordor."

*looks* can recognize your race

Even when you are covered in cloths from head to toe and quiet, *looks* command is valid and legal way to recognize your race. It could be the way you behave, the way you smell, your accent, your clothing and many other things.

-disguise is the way to make your race or identity hidden. Only that way you can claim your Drow to be an Elf and get away with it.

Kill on Sight (KOS)

"KOS is not a server rule. IT is a shadow rule that some players erroneously think is in place. No player race, not even monster ones have any KOS rules on them.

KOS is a IC concept. It MUST be RP'd like anything else. I wish people would understand this and stop shouting for KOS that has no busines being a server rule."

Black Wendigo

From Jjjerm

(Server policy confirmed and enforced by DMs.)

Monster races

Here's the thing: when you play a monster race, expect to be treated as a monster race. Every civilized town for RP purposes can be considered to have a number of residents. If you got an ooc warning about hanging around a populated surface town if you are an underdarker, thank your lucky stars because the IC interaction would be: "look, a monster, everyone kill it." and then having the entire local militia attack until you all died. In fact, if you're playing a monster race, we're permitting it based on the understanding that you will react in just this way...avoiding towns upon fear of death.

Goblins, Kobolds, Drow, Orogs, etc, are considered a "Monster Race". Part of the RP of being allowed (note the very careful phrasing) to continue to play a monster race is rping as if you are a monster, an unwelcome member in traditional surface society. If you can't do that, there's absolutely no rule that says I can't delete your character for bastardizing the role play of the entire server. In fact, ask around, I will do it without hesitation or remorse if I feel as if in any way your rp is corrupting the vision of RP for the server.

Bottom line is, it's ok to agree to disagree on the principle, just so there is an understanding that if/when we catch it, the consequences will be severe. Up to and including permanent removal of the character and/or player permanently, in extreme or repetitive instances.

Jjjerm

The Definitive Drow Policy, and why

Let me clarify the policy on Drow, because there seems to be a little bit of confusion. I'll also explain a bit on why this stance is in effect. I understand and respect that there are many different opinions on the issue, but here is policy, and the reason for it (implemented, by the way, after many, many painfully detrimental interactions).

The "DROW READ THIS" sign in the entry way clearly explains that on Arelith, Drow and Surfacer interactions are limited to hostile. That means, as correctly quoted, it is my expectation that any interaction between Drow and surfacers will not include "tea and crumpets". I don't want you to be a wanker about it OOC, certainly, but IN CHARACTER, you have typically got to react to drow as you would an extremely dangerous hostile enemy (they are).

Would you sit an Ancient Red Dragon down, and discuss the weather, or bake a pie, etc etc? No, and remember, in Faerun, mothers scare their children into obedience with admonitions of "if you don't eat your vegetables, the Drow will take you away in the night!" and other such pleasantries. You can pretty much assume that everyone who is living with an intelligence over 6 knows about the Drow (even if it's not a FULL understanding, more of a "boogeyman" type thing).

Ok, here you go...the OFFICIAL ARELITH POLICY on Drow is, "Role Play".

The drow are hostile, a feared and deadly opponent...feared even more so than many other hostile opponents, because a dragon will only eat you, but a Drow might let you live...but in a way that death would be preferable. Since we're a nice, close knit community, many times a player, when seeing another player who is a Drow, will give it the same courtesy as if it were a surface player. I understand this, and like to encourage good gamesmanship between folks, but it's not role playing according to the environment.

Raids on the surface? SURE! Please do! It will remind everyone as to why to fear you. Want to hang out, and shoot the breeze in the nomad? Die, scum. Drow are deadly, fierce, scary enemies. Act that way. Basically, if you're playing a Drow, don't be a wuss. If you were a wuss, they would have already killed you at birth back home in the underdark (Drow aren't known for their tolerance). Be prepared for me to assist in this RP by killing you at birth (deleting your Drow character) if you are going for tea and crumpets on the surface.

FOR CLARIFICATION: I don't expect any player, under normal circumstances, to immediately bash another players corpse. Usually after death, either surfacer or drow, players (being the nice folks they are) will usually transport the killed player to an area a bit away, and raise them. I'm totally ok with that. That is officially an unoffical way of not being a jerk to another player. If I see a tea and crumpets session going on in the nomad though...please be understanding if I start the bashing festivities.

The reason that we're such sticklers about the whole drow to surfacer interaction bit is because without us being sticklers about it, the quality of the server as a whole is affected detrimentally. Trust me...I've seen 3 Drizz'ts (literally) in one day before. Would that make Arelith a cool place?

Let me explain something. I care about individuals, but my primary concern is to the server as a whole. There was a time, when Drow would come hang out in Cordor, hang out, shoot the breeze, eat tea and crumpets, etc. Initially, we tried to let the players use their discretion on this, but in the end, it was being detrimental to the server. Anything that is detrimental to the server will draw my ire.

In some of the q and a post I read, some folks were bashing me about the ruling on Drow/surfacer interactions. I completely respect everyones right to their opinion. Note that I will also not allow Elvis, Frodo, or King Arthur to be played on this server, BECAUSE IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE RP OF THE SERVER AS A WHOLE. Sorry, Elvis (and any player who wanted to play him).

Is this interfering with the individuals right to choose their own role play? Yes. Do I care? No. Reason? Because I am concerned with server quality more than individual rights. You may define any of my actions, and judge them, by the simple standards of "is this action being beneficial or detrimental to the server overall?". Or, as Spock said, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few".

While I fully respect anyones right to disagree with me on this, you must also respect that this is something that we have decided is beneficial to the RP of the server overall, and you'll be expected to abide within those rules. If not, there are a lot of other servers out there who have less strict rules (and quality of role play) that you are welcome to join. Here's a key bit, that a lot of folks don't get until after they've tried it (I'm going to put this in caps because it's so true): WITHOUT THE RULES WHICH SOME MAY FEEL ARE UNFAIR, THERE IS A LOWERING IN THE QUALITY OF THE SERVER OVERALL. Truth.

Try it. Go be Drizz't, and hang out with the other 20 ((OMGZ3rz u r so kewl, u r drizz't too!)) on a server that allows it, and come back later and tell us of the quality of RP there.

Here you go, the bottom line: Drow are DEADLY. If you act differently to a PC, because it's a PC, then you are breaking rule 1, Role Play. This applies to a Drow or a Surfacer. If you're a Drow...don't be a sissy, you are a terror, an imminent force of death, pain, and fear. Act so. If you're a surfacer, know that a Drow is infinitely worse than any other foe. Kill it, or run. If you don't...if the Drow kills you, consider yourself lucky. (read up on this if you don't believe me)

Don't get me wrong. Drizz't was a great character, as an individual. Salvatore is one of my favorite authors, in fact. But when taken on a large scale, particularly in regards to the server, wannabe drizz'ts are detrimental (see above).

Any Drow that chooses to follow the Drizz't path, go touch the portals in Cordor, and hang out with his good friend Surfacers....may God have mercy on your soul, because I will surely have none.

Jjjerm

Tips for Drow

As Drow believe, the strong and cunning survive, and the weak are culled. Also, understand, the appearances of polite civilization are maintained to a degree, these are the internal thoughts motivating Drow. Well, female clerics, specifically in the above example guidelines.

Here's my best sum up of Drow life, a few facts to remember. HONESTLY, if you get these down, the little glitches in understanding the current player enforced and devised ranking system won't generally phase you. It's far more important to follow the intent than the letter of the law, most times.

1. As a low level drow, assume that any female that didn't arrive after you is your superior until you know differently. Every male is your servant, UNLESS he is claimed by a higher ranking female or has some type of political pull. Sometimes good to find out in advance, you don't want to make enemies aware of you until you can assume your rightful place (see point 2).

2. Every female that is your superior is standing in your rightful place, and is unfairly flaunting her wealth and power at you. She's probably doing it out of spite, you should kill her if you can get away with it. You are better than them all, but you cannot act obviously or without cunning subtlety or the Houses will tear your heart out on Lloth's altar.

3. Your friends are expendable tools for your own elevation to power. Your enemies even more so.

4. Lloth favors you, you are Her most loyal servant. All others are only pretending to gain power. One of the many paths to power is to root out these heretics, and take their stuff, in the name of Lloth. Make sure that you can't be associated with their downfall, unless it increases your position of power.

5. Stupid drow have short life spans. Be cunning, be subtle, and even though you may direct the knife that stabs in darkness, if there is a risk involved make sure that it is found in another's hand if it all goes sour. Every one of those scheming hussies who unfairly holds position/rank over you is constantly plotting your downfall, you're pretty sure of it.

Oh, and also #6, and the most important: Don't show your Drow face on the surface and not expect issues. Daylight is anathema, and as far as going into a surfacer town....just don't.

Jjjerm