We're so happy you're joining us here on Nocturne! We've striven to build a game that is intuitive and easy to immerse yourself in as you experience in-game events that feel as organic as the writing you share with others. Nocturne is a bit more complex than some other sites, with a lot of nuances, but we've given you the tools to make that easier along the way. Features such as rolling puppy litters, creating and managing pack pages, or re-activating shelved characters is entirely up to you, as the user. We hope this starter guide will not only give you an idea of what we're about, but also help set you up for success on Nocturne.

Fun Tip: Nocturne's default theme is a hint of twilight, and much of our site and events will coincide with twilight or night time. This is because we want to playfully embody the meaning of the word itself - A work of art or instrumental composition which is indicative of the night.

What is Nocturne?

Nocturne is a play-by-post forum role-playing game that allows wolves and coyotes as characters. There is no clear setting or real-world locale, as it takes place in a fantasy world that is inspired by different areas of the Pacific North West and other parts of the world these canines can be found. All actions, plots, and stories on Nocturne are created by the characters interacting in this realistic fantasy world, driven by you, the writers.

Let us reiterate that Nocturne is also a game where anything good or bad can happen to your character. If you do not like the idea of this, then Nocturne is not the environment for you and we recommend you check out some of our wonderful affiliates. We strive for a variety of subjects in writing which range from fluff, love, family, action, violence, sexual themes, and potentially torture or death. Literally anything can happen here. You, as a player and writer on Nocturne, must be ok with and accept this in order be a member.

Does that mean I need to read distressing subjects?
Absolutely not! Players are also required to tag all posts and threads if they may contain distressing content. Which means you, the user, are only subjected to things that you choose to read. If something is marked with a label that is distressing to you, you need only close the thread and move on. You can also request your thread partner(s) fade to black instead - don't be afraid to start a conversation!

Getting Started

Required Reading: The first step is of course to do all of the required reading. Ensure you have read our Terms of Service, Rules, and Privacy Policy. We also ask that you check the page Is Nocturne Right for You? to help establish if you'd be a good fit for the site.

Familiarize Yourself: You should also check out our Locale Information, Setting and Game Map so that you are familiar with the world that our game takes place in.

Create Your Character: We've also provided some guides for setting up characters which includes our Wolf Guide, Wolf Creation Guide, and Wolf Marking Guide. These pages can help you figure out your character. We also have a Character Generator if a randomized character appeals to you.

The required fields for new profiles are: First name, birth year, birth subseason, gender, species (just wolf or coyote is fine, or you can list the subspecies), all physical attributes and appearance, and at least a short-form personality.

Submit Your Character: If you feel like you want to proceed and you've made a character that you're ready to write with, then you can submit the character for review directly from their edit page at the very bottom by clicking "submit for review." This will automatically post your character in our New Arrivals board for mods to review and accept. If we find anything that needs updated, we'll shoot you a message directly on the site. Please, only click to submit for review after your character is complete or they may be denied until you have filled in all required areas.

Abbreviations, Terms, Phrases

You may see a variety of abbreviations, terms, or phrases that might be new to you, most especially if you are new to writing in an environment such as Nocturne. To help guide you through this, we have created a little glossary to help all our members with jumping in from the start and communicating well with one another.

IC | Refers to in-character events, posts, boards, threads, or really anything that happens in-character. In-character content is what we're all about!

OOC | This stands for out-of-character and are things that are said or done which are not directly reflective of in-character. It can include conversations in the discord, or anything in one of our OOC boards. Keep in mind that OOC conversations should not affect IC thoughts, actions, or feelings.

Plotting | Plotting is planning of events or happenings for future posts or threads. We have strict rules on plotting and ask that you check the Plotting Guide.

Tag | Tagging means you are notifying others, or being notified, of new posts in threads so that there's awareness someone else's turn is up. There's two types of tagging: tagging the player directly, or tagging a troupe/pack. This is typically done in the discord. You may get automatic site-wide tags in the form of notifications or messages if you are opted in to that.

Lonely Threads | These are threads that have no replies and we encourage you to respond to them if your character is within reasonable range. We should all be writing with each other as a whole.

[AW] or All Welcome | Indicates that a thread is open to anyone to join! It doesn't matter how many posts there are in the thread, or how many contributors. If it has "AW" you are welcome to join!

[P] or Private | Tells us that a thread is private and only intended for those marked in the subtitles or in the note at the top of the thread. This is often used for pack threads or intimate moments.

[M] or Mature | Caution! This is a sign to read notes at the top of the thread or to check for content warning tags on the posts inside the thread, because there is likely mature content that may be disturbing to some readers. For more info on this, check out Content Warnings.