Kushiels Legacy

No board would be complete without a FAQ! This is always a work in progress, so check back now and then to see if anything has been added/changed/deleted, etc.

Q. What is "Kushiel's Legacy?"
A. "Kushiel's Legacy" is a series of books by Jacqueline Carey. They center around the d'Angelines, a race of people descended from Angels. Our roleplay is based on this world, though set in the future with our own characters and some creative license mixed in. You can learn more here.

Q. What do you mean by "roleplaying?"
A. A roleplaying game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative through a process of structured decision-making or character development. For our purposes, this is done interactively, in a series of posts with the other players (or by oneself, on occasion).

Q. There are a lot of terms on the board, what does ______ mean?
A. Here are some definitions of the most common terms you will find on the board:

• Godmodding - this is widely considered the cardinal sin of roleplaying. It is the act of "playing God," or controlling the actions of the other characters. In a roleplay, you can only control what your own character does, not those of the other players. Nor does your character have the power to know what you know, so a part of Godmodding is having your character know things that he or she could not possibly know. Some examples of Godmodding can be found here.
• NPC - non-player character. These are characters that are peripheral, such as a shopkeeper or servant, whose actions you control in addition to those of your own character. These characters do not have regular players as such, nor bios, etc.
• PC - player character. These are the characters on the board that are played by the regular players.
• Canon - the term canon is used to apply to anything that is part of the books. For example, the Courcels are a canon family, because they are a family that was in the books.
• Mods - an abbreviation of the word "moderators" aka our friendly staff!
• PM - private message, our in-board message system
• CB - chatbox, also known as cbox

Q. Ok, I'm in! Now how do I get started?
A. First things first, read the Rules. Make sure you post that you've read and agreed to them! The next step is to register, which you can do by clicking the "register" button on the top right of the page and following the prompts. Make sure you register with your player name, not a nickname, because that is the name people will see you as! Next, check out the Guide and Bio Format. If you still need help, contact an Admin (Janet or Merle, names to the left, click to PM).

Q. What kind of characters can I create?
A. There are several different types of characters you can create here at Kushiel's Legacy:

• Nobility - Probably the most common, these characters are the height of D'angeline society. The ranks are (from highest to lowest): Duc/Duchesse, Marquis/Marquisse, Comte/Comtesse, Vicomte/Vicomtess, Baron/Baronne, Chevaliers. The lower ranks are the most common, with the highest ones being the rarest.
• Adept - Adepts are the courtesans of Kushiel's Legacy. They belong to one of the Houses of the Night Court, and must meet the canon for their chosen House. You can learn more about the Night Court here.
• Priest/Priestesses - There are several orders of priests/priestesses in Terre d'Ange, and your character may belong to any of them. Please be mindful of the canon of the Priesthood that you choose! Check here for more information on Elua's Companions and the different orders of priesthood.
• Cassiline - A Cassiline is a priest of Cassiel, though this priesthood differs enough from the others that sometimes the fact that it is a priesthood is overlooked. The Cassilines are a martial order, and are celibate. For more detailed information on the Cassiline order, check here.
• Military - Your character can be a member of Terre d'Ange's army, either in the City Guard, the Palace Guard, or simply a soldier waiting for his or her next assignment.
• Citizen - The backbone of society, citizens can be anything from shopkeepers to fortune tellers and everything in between! Though not as privileged as the wealthy, the average citizen of Terre d'Ange has many possibilities open to them!

Q. Now that I have a character posted, how do I find someone to RP with?
A. There are a few things you can do to get started:

• Find a thread that is tagged "open" and join in!
• Start your own thread and tag it as "open" and post about it in the Open Threads forum.
• PM players and ask them if they are interested in threads with your character.
• Create a Tract here and list your characters. This gives people a place to read who you have available and to offer up thread ideas.

Those are the best/easiest ways to get started. Don't be afraid to jump into an Open thread, the designation "open" means that the thread originator wants people to join in!

Q. What if I have a problem with another player?
A. We really encourage people to work out their problems with each other, we're all adults here, but sometimes that just isn't possible. In that case, please speak to a member of the management (Janet or Merle) and we will do our best to resolve the issue. Sometimes we feel passionately about our characters, but keep in mind that this is first and foremost a game and a place to have fun. If it's not fun, something isn't working, and we want to do what we can to keep that from happening. I can't promise that we can make everything sunshine and unicorns, but we'll do what we can to fix any problems that arise!

Q. I'm (any age younger than 18), but I'm mature for my age! Can I join?
A. Unfortunately, due to the adult nature of the site, we need people to be 18 or over. It's not a matter of maturity, it is simply that this site has some issues that require one to be an adult to participate.

Q. I'm having technical problems, what do I do?
A. Please PM either Janet or Merle with the details of the error or problem. If you can't, catch one of us on IM or email (the only time it is acceptable to PM/IM/Email a mod about modly stuff on a non-modly account) and let us know the problem.

Q. How do Random Events work?
A. Random Events are simple details that are posted randomly in a thread by a moderator. You can choose to have your character react to it, or ignore it, whatever you decide. This is simply a fun way to add a bit of spontaneity to the board, and as a player, your level of participation is up to you!

Q. What are the rules for character avatars and signatures?
A. There are only a few rules regarding avatars and signatures:

• The biggest the avatar can be is 200x300, and the biggest a signature can be is 250x600px.
• You cannot use an avatar that is currently in use. Avatars are posted here so please check when you make a new character.
• Because of the adult nature of the site, pictures in bios may contain nudity - but there are restrictions on the type and extent of nudity which can be found in the rules. Avatars and signatures must not contain nudity, in order to keep the site reasonably SFW.
• Please ensure that your pictures (whether avatars or signatures) are not garish or contain flashing images.

Once again, if any of your questions have not been answered, please PM a staff member for help!

Also known as the Night Court, the thirteen Houses of Mont Nuit in the City of Elua, this is where reside the most elite of the Servants of Naamah.

Each House has its own canon and motto, based upon what they believe is the reason Naamah lay with the King of Persis. Each House is run by a Dowayne, the highest-ranking adept, and then a Second. The Dowayne holds the office until death or retirement, and then the Second steps in.

Most adepts enter their Houses in early childhood, usually born into them but they can also be bought or adopted into them. At the age of ten, the Dowayne decides whether they will remain in the House of the House they were reared in, or have their marque sold to another House that would better suited for them. That birthday there is a celebration with watered wine and the ceremonial breaking of a honey-cake, which is shared by the adepts of one's House. It as a grand occasion and rite of passage wherein the child moves out of the nursery and in with the fosterlings, who have already begun to learn of Naamah's mysteries.

The official apprenticeship begins at thirteen, when the children begin learning about the arts of sensuality and seduction, the way their House perceives them. There is another ceremony at each House's temple to Naamah wherein a priest or priestess of Naamah performs the ceremony.

An adept's instruction then begins with a Showing, where they witness a sexual rite between two adepts, as initiation into the arts and mysteries. A Showing is a sacred ceremony, open to any adepts of the house who wish to see it. After this they learn the great texts including: Trois Mille Joies, the Ecstatica, the Journey of Naamah, and Emmeline of Eisande's Log of Seven Hundred Kisses.

Adepts are considered adults at the age of sixteen. When an adept is of age, the Dowayne will start taking offers into consideration for their debut - usually netting a higher virgin price for the most anticipated young initiates. Very occasionally an auction will take place, but it is not a regular occurrence. Once the first assignation is completed the adept will begin to start paying off their debt to the house and begin earning money towards making their marque.

The marque is a tattoo covering the back from the base of the spine to the top of the neck. It is said that Naamah scratched the backs of all her patrons and that the resulting scars never faded; thus the tattoo is done in homage. Each house has its own design which all of its members wear. Money for the marque is earned when a patron gives a gift (usually of money) that is not of the fee paid to the house but freely given to the adept. This is generally placed in a statue of two cupped hands. Each statue is a personal one chosen by the adept.

When an adept has completed her or his marque, he or she is free to leave the House or to remain and tithe a portion of their profits to the House. The Dowayne must awknowledge an adept's marque before it can be considered complete.