When it comes to the subject of plotting on Nocturne, we have some pretty strict rules for it. Because we function in an open-world sandbox system where all interactions are meant to be written out and organic, it is important that OOC conversations, thoughts, or desires do not affect in-character events or decisions. There are only these exceptions:

• You are bringing in a character and want to coordinate with others who are also bringing in a character with you OR you are bringing in a character who may already know characters in-game.
• You want to gauge ideas on a pack or sub area and want to talk out how the idea might work.
• You may request a thread with someone if your characters are near one another; but you cannot determine what events will happen in the thread.

These conversations should be centered around the mechanics of how the situation works and not about specifics that happen in-character. You may gauge interest in a pack that is entirely based around types of fish, for example; the characters still have to go through the process of planning, recruiting, finding a home territory, etc. Maybe you're bringing in a character with a friend. The two of you can establish history together, things they'd know about one another, and what their common goals are. Beyond this, everything must be figured out in-character.

Plotting Specifics

Other than site events that may happen from time to time, there is no over-arching plot on Nocturne. This means the site's plot as a whole and all happenings in-character are built by you, the players. Due to this it is important that our plotting guidelines are followed:

• Follow plotting rules and the limitations above.
• Do not meta-game. Meta-gaming is using knowledge that your character would not otherwise have.
  • Example: Your character cannot respond to the thoughts of others, only to what they are presented with outwardly.
• Do not plan out threads or interactions or skip important events to achieve a goal. When a thread is started, that begins that interaction and it should play out based on how players write back and forth - that's the fun in the system. You don't know the outcome.
• Follow the guides below on what is or isn't acceptable, and how to off-screen or assume specific information.

Breaking It Down

Acceptable Plotting:

• Your character is entering the region and needs to know how their life relates to others they already know.
• You want to gauge ideas on a pack or sub area and want others' thoughts.
• You want a thread and request one with another person with characters in the same area as your own.
• You write out each interaction with your characters how they would interact rather than focusing on the outcome you want.
• You may ship two characters but you don't force it in-character if it wouldn't make sense. Shipping is only hypothetical.
• You create backstories or lore for characters you put up for adoption, especially in relation to your own character.
• You can establish an outcome for threads out of character only if the thread has been mostly played out, such as assuming a medic is going to store the herbs they gather.
• You and a friend are bringing in two characters together who have never been in the game. They are allowed to be mates and you build their backgrounds together.

Unacceptable Plotting:

• You can't plan out events (either in your head or with someone else) and then have those events happen IC without actually playing them out. These outcomes must be built through roleplay, not planned ahead of time.
  • Example: You and another player agree OOC that your characters should become mates, have a litter, and lead a pack together, but your characters haven’t even met IC yet.
  • Example 2: You and another player ship two characters who might not naturally work out IC, but you decide they’re now mates and deeply in love, even though there hasn’t been enough development between them.
• You cannot write backstories for adoptables, and then extensively plan out how things work in-game, such as navigating them straight to their family, having them already know the area, or planning who they interact with ahead of time. Adoptables start out the same as any other character, they just have background knowledge they can use later, based on their lore.
• You cannot pretend that anything specific happened without it being written out (such as saying your character discovered a new area).
• It isn't acceptable to place your character in an area that would not make sense, such as spawning them at specific locations that are too far from their previous location. Their travel from one location to another needs to make sense.
  • Additionally, all characters entering the game that are not born in-character must enter along the edge of the map, and typically enter through the desert biomes.
• You also cannot have your characters gain knowledge they have not learned IC or knowledge which cannot be off-screened (see below).

Off-Screen Interactions and Assumptions

Since our characters do eventually make friends, find mates, and live in packs, there are some everyday details that can reasonably be assumed or shared. This is different than OOC plotting because it is using information that was built IC and which would logically be available to your character.

Things that should always be played out:

• Meeting wolves for the first time.
• Building alliances or declaring enemies for characters or packs.
• Picking a mate, having children, choosing a territory, or other large milestones.
• Imperative information such as threats, travel plans, specific locations of wolves / landmarks, or anything else that might change the current storyline.
• Information that has not been disclosed to your character. If your character has not been told about Sally calling Bob a turd, then your character simply cannot know.
• Discovering new locations or landmarks.
• Fights or arguments that may alter the flow of the story.
• Building of relationships in general - friendships, love, angst, and hate all take time.
• Off-screen groups that are not pre-made packs entering for the first time. So you can't off-screen that a group of characters already in-game are suddenly in a troupe or pack.
• The locations of pack caches, stashes, or dens without being part of the pack (or infiltrating their territory to find it).
• Specifics of how or why pack member ranks changed if you aren't part of the pack.
• Specifics on other events if your character wasn't present such as death, illness, birth, mating, learning a new skill, or any other details without writing it out.
• Conspiring for or against wolves should always be in-character only.
• Any other information about a pack, wolf, location, etc. where your character simply would not have that knowledge.
• ANY details that would be plot-changing must be written out even if it is between pack members or mates. This means any information that is big and affects how things play out IC.

Things that can be safely off-screened:

• Hunting, if you choose.
• Spars, training, fights.
• Any actions which would lead to building or improving skills.
• Knowledge of birth within a pack your character belongs to.
• Knowledge of pack members, who's coming and going, habits, and dynamics of packs your character lives with.
• Basic knowledge of your character's mate (or wolves they spend a lot of time with), their usual actions, their general wellbeing.
• Things wolves can smell on others or in their environment, such as a wolf scenting when another is ill, pregnant, recently ate, or where they've been in general.
• A character telling another individual they live with or interact with regularly that they will be away or leaving for a time. You can communicate this OOC by giving assumptions to relevant players, especially if your character is marked as NPC. This can include where they are going, if they are present but won't be posting, what their habits are if they are around but you can't post, etc.
• Finding dead bodies with permission of the player of the deceased character.

Some Further Examples For Clarity

• George and Nancy are mates and live together. Nancy recently learned that the pack to the north of them expanded their borders. It is logical that George also knows this.
• George and Nancy are mates and live together. George learns that the pack to the south is planning war against the pack to the north. George and Nancy must talk about this in-character in order for Nancy to learn this information.
• Penny is an herbalist / medic for a pack and has gathered some herbs. The herbs she gathered can be off-screen, and what she does with them can be off-screen, since herbs do not largely affect the plot.
  • Exception: Penny needs a very specific herb to treat someone and doesn't have it. She or another wolf must go and find it on-screen and it cannot be plotted or assumed.
• Kate is wanting to get better at hunting so she's been practicing a lot. This must be written on screen only because she is trying to boost a skill.
• Bert's post mentions they went hunting and brought back food even though there's no hunting thread. This is fine. OR Bert hunted in a thread and was successful; it can now be assumed that he took it home.
• Lacey wants to know where a pack's stash is so that she can steal some food. She must enter the pack's territory to find it, or learn this information from someone who already knows.
• Martin found a pack and wants to join them. He takes time to get to know them and asks to join. This is appropriate. Martin cannot appear and be part of the pack without these steps.
• Gertrude is pregnant and needs to give birth. She needs to find or dig a den and give birth in-character in a written out post. It cannot be assumed off screen.