[ Memento Mori ]

Have you ever had a question about rules that everyone else seems to know but you? Are you a new player, overwhelmed with information and can't seem to find the answer to the question you're looking for?

There's a solution for you! Whether you're human or vampire, we all call Venexia home. And the same goes for the Venexia Forums. This is related to pretty much anything about anything in ANY SGS region, but you can click on the specialised boards for a topic which may be of interest to you.

http://forum.socionex.com/forum/


On a related note, this post will turn into a FAQ for new players and old, issues noted in the game and for generally informative things! So turn in your questions, ask them, and feel free to make suggestions, or post in the comments questions you hear often. Or feel free to IM Panda Xstar, Anita Seljan, or Rebecca Eponym for concerns, private complaints, or even help, any time, so we can post your question (Name withheld of course) to benefit others who may not have the ability to ask. .

Stay Amazing Dreamers and writers :)

"I want to fight!"

"I want to feel the thrill of the chase!"

"I don't want to be alone."

"I want to find my place..."

What is your niche in this forgotten city?

Fear not, gentle reader, we will explore the roads less taken, the ways to maneuver the common ones.

Writer's note: Please pay attention to where it is stated that it is from an official Venexia notecard (These are in RED,) and where it is the writer's notes. The writer's notes in BLUE are not official from Kora and Baal and should be discussed in our Group Chat or with Grace, Anita or Rebecca if you aren't sure or have questions. Discussion is always welcome.

Combat and Weapons of Humans

This is not complicated, despite what your "favorite" vampire may have told you.


Prey - Prey only weapons


Neutral - Any weapon

From the Venexia Notecard: Allowed Human Weapons List:



Here is a list of allowed weapons that human players can wear Visibly on their Avatar
Vampires cannot challenge these weapons when being worn by humans
These may be considered work tools and ignored, even though some may in reality look rather more than that.
We may add more in a the next few weeks.


All low Damage weapons, 
Broom (coming soon) 
Sword Cane
Wolfshead cane
Dual Claven
Dual Daggers
Hunting knife
Woodsmans Axe  Coming Soon
Hidden Cuff Knife coming soon
Harpoon
War Hammer (considered to be a normal large hammer or mallet)


If you are wearing a non-scripted weapon for show then the guidline is that it should either be a tool of some kind, like a hammer or rake. Or it shoudl be small enough not to cause concern I.e, a small knife.


Other weapons may be owned and used in combat according to the human Combat rules
But should be either hidden while on the streets or disguised in some way.
You may also wear the weapins and take your chances, maybe hiding them when a vampire appears.
Or you may wear them defiantly. But if challenged you are obliged to either Remove them or run!


---------------------------~--~---~--~--------------------------

Writer's notes, not from a notecard:

If you see at the bottom, it says you may wear them defiantly. However, there are unspoken rules regarding this. If a vampire asks you to remove the weapon, and you do not, prepare for a beat-down (If they catch you!) You are not obligated OOCly to remove the weapon if they are demanding in an OOC(Out of Character) way. But be prepared for a hurting once you are caught IC! It is their IC(In Character) right to punish you for carrying/not hiding a regular weapon which is not on the above list. 



From the To Bite or Not to Bite notecard at the Venexia entrance:



Human Combat.


Please note that Vampire Stamina is at max 1200 and human at 900 this is to simulate the extra strength of the Vampire, so theoretically the Vampire has an extremely good chance of  winning any encounter.
This has to be, if you don’t like it don’t play Human.
Although the option for warrior mode is still enabled for Humans please do not use it. You should have no use of it. 

Weapons


I really do not want to see Humans dressed like Ninjas with weapons sticking out all over them.
Paesani can own a low damage weapon and wear it without any trouble.
They may use this weapon in defence should they decided to run from any Vampire who attempts to feed from them
Paesani can own normal damage weapons but if they wear them they will be treated with suspicion by all Vampires, and can be openly questioned in the street. Even asked to remove the Weapon in RP.
Please understand the logic of this from a role play perspective.
You are an oppressed race in a City full of arrogant hungry Vampires. There is no way they would allow the oppressed people to carry dangerous weapons openly in the streets.
Simply imagine Venexia as any occupied country during WW2 and imagine what would happen to the oppressed villager walking around with a machine gun sticking out of his belt if spotted by the Gestapo



Roleplay for Humans


From the Appearance notecard at the Venexia entrance:

Setting and dress code.


There is no strict RP time setting for the City.
Vampires are very poor time keepers, as time has so little meaning to them.
How long is it since the great Plague that changed things so much?
No one is really sure.
It could be years, it could be hundreds of years, many Vampires have certainly aged and grown rich in the time Venexia has been under their control.
From a game play perspective the period is almost anything before industrial Victorian.
We say this as we do not really want to drift to far into late Victorian steam punk look.
Renaissance to 18th century could be good. Obviously the Masqurades of Venice can throw up many ideas. In Venexia it is like a permanent Carnival look. And Venetian Masks can be worn almost any time.
And this goes for dress within the sim.
 It is dark and gothic, past, antiqued, dusty and well aged.
Basically if the whole sim looked like a Gothic interpretation of Venetian fashion through the ages we would be well pleased. Dream on J
What it definitely is not is contemporary or futuristic.
No actual count Draculas please and sorry, no wings.
We do not allow flying in the sim, but you can get our Leonardo glider to use if you wish to official fly around.
We also do not allow jump or speed enhancers as we have a Magic skill that will perform that function as you progress through your magic training in the sim.


As Explained in the notes, Vampires use looks and appearance as a means of domination, so please take some time on your Characters and gain some visual charisma.


Humans should think along the same lines as far as timelines goes. There dress should reflect their chosen path in society.
Upper-class should look rather tattered now, maybe like they did after a year or so of the French revolution.
Lower classes should chose a more peasant look possibly.
Blood Gaunts can have a wale of a time  working out the look of a renaissance drug addict or some such concoction.


Please if you are asked to change or update your look then do so without argument.
If in doubt please check with Coven Leaders or admins before wasting money on a look that does not suit the sim.
From the Human Groups notecard at the Venexia entrance:




Paesani  / Free Blood


Of course those at the lower end of society, the Paesani, had no choice. No inherited riches came to their aid to lessen the attacks from the blood lust of the Chosen.  They were called Free Blood, because any Vampire may at any time feed upon them freely, even capture them and keep them as blood slaves.
In these days the choice is not so harsh, but many still refuse to pander to the laws of the Chosen, and attempt to live what they feel is a freer existence. But for this small freedom, they pay the price of living as prey, hunted by the Chosen, and they unwittingly play into the hands of those amongst the Chosen who long for the thrill of the hunt.
The Paesani is not protected by Court laws and has no means to register complaints to the Court.
Please note, this does not mean they are outside role play rules!
They tend to only be allowed to do menial jobs and cannot own business.
Note from the Writer: (This is not true for The Slaughtered Lamb, as Grace and Anita are Paesani and own it. The same goes for Menja, who owns the Fish stall. But these are the exception to the rule.)



From the To Bite or Not to Bite notecard at the Venexia entrance:


All humans agree to be food for vampires.
They can make it hard for the Vampire, but in no way can refuse to be bitten.
If you really have a thing about Vampires and want to wipe them from the face of the earth, Join the Vordensian Sabat as a Vampire.
Whatever you do, don’t argue the toss with me about why humans should be allowed to kill Vampires.
I don’t need it.




All humans can choose Prey or Neutral mode
All Modes require role play
There is no “forced Capture” you are always in control.
Prey does not in any way mean you have to go along with sexual game play.
However if you do not wish to be captured or hunted or bitten excessively then why not consider a safer path through life here and Join the Borghesia.




Prey: means you are pretty much up for being chased captured and enslaved in the usual Capture role play fashion, you like the idea of being hunted by Vampires and the RP of  being captured and bitten in the streets and alleys of Venexia.
Neutral: means you may still be open to capture but you are far more likely to demand lengthy RP and storylines to go along with the possible capture, but you still agree to the bite if RP evolves that way.
Neutral does not mean:  I can be a human who can avoid Vampires and play my own human game as the local store owner oblivious the world around me .
This is a Vampire sim full of hungry Vampires.


From the Human food and work notecard at the Venexia entrance:



Human food and Work


All Humans except Blood Gaunts each standard food, bread meat etc.
You will of course need to earn money to buy this food.


Most human jobs within Venexia are within the Vampire run guilds
When you sign up for these Guild jobs you will get paid the current rate 
( for more on this the note on Money)
You will therefore be in the employ of the Vampire Sabat to whom the guild belongs and should role play your position as their employee, doing as you are requested to do by them.


There are a few other positions. such as the bar tender jobs in the Inns, the Doctor and Pharmacist, which are not run by Vampires. However you should always consider that  these positions are under the rule of the Vampire Court and not independent ventures.


Humans can make money in other ways as well :


You can sell your blood by visiting the Pharmacy and using the Blood letting chair there.
You can become Pregnant and get paid for your time. For more on this See the Pregnancy Note. 
You might also be turned to a Blood Gaunt in which case you will sell your blood for money paid by Vampires who feed from you.


From the Owned Humans, Can I eat them? notecard at the Venexia entrance:

Ok one last time and then I am done with humans for a month or so :)

Question:
I am Paesani and I am owned having been captured, so can I be bitten, am I still food?

Smells like trying to avoid the bite to me.
I have know cases of people trying to avoid the game by getting owned.
Also it is bad form for a Vampire to deprive all the other Vampires of their rightful share of the food stock.
So
Answer:
Owned Paesani must be accompanied by their owner if they do not wish to be considered as food.
Any unaccompanied Paesani may be treated in the normal fashion for feeding.
Pointing to the meter and saying, look its in my meter, will of course be ignored by any decent role player.
However, should the owner arrive on the scene before feeding begins then the Vampire wishing to feed should leave.
I hope I do not have to remind players that TPing into RP is not allowed.
If you are the owner, then your entrance must be from at least around the block out of visibility to the incident.
Scenarios  like this need not be a cause for conflict, although they can be if the players wishes
If you have left your property unattended then it is not the Vampire who wishes to feed who is to blame.
Take care of what is yours and there should be no great problems.

I hope I need not remind people that  Paesani who are not open to feeding are not really contributing a great deal to the RP in the sim, this goes for all Humans. 
Being bitten is not this annoying thing that happens while you are trying to roleplay, it IS what your role play is based upon. You ARE food. Your game is to explore what that means in a world like this.
Or you can get pregnant, then you are pretty much bite proof for 40 days :)



From the Pregnancy notecard at the Venexia entrance:



Pregnacy

Please Note!
WE do not in any way shape or form allow or encourage any forms of role played sexual or sadistic perversions related to pregnancy, child birth or infants.
I hope we all have that crystal clear right from the outset.
Anyone indulging in such practices will be banned.
Anyone who has had bad experiences with RL pregnancy should stay a million miles from this side of the game.
We take no responsibility for those who become involved in possibly dangerous emotional games. BEWARE!

The Birds and the Bees.

We have for a long time considered pregnancy as a meter based option in SGS.
Finally we have decided to implement it, as we believe that it adds yet another interesting angle for mature RP within our Sims.

RP Venexia

Due to Plague and the initial over zealous feeding of some quarters of vampire society, the Human blood stocks at this time are very low.
 It was therefore decreed by the Elders that Human females should be encouraged to breed and replenish the stocks.
The following laws were passed to encourage the breeding program.

1). Confirmed pregnant Females are to be paid G$50 Upon regular visits to the Doctors.
Go doctor
He puts in group
Sign up the work register
You given an apointment
Take apointment to gynocologist chair
!0 g for each apointment.

2). After 3 months of pregnancy a Female can no longer be used to feed.
Vampires feeding from over three months pregnant females will be heavily fined
Human males who in any way endanger the pregnancy cycle or birth of the child will Turned to blood Gaunts. ( please note that any attack by either Vampires or humans on a pregnant female should be carefully arranged and controlled RP stories. They must have a well defined reason, and both players should be prepared to follow through with lengthy consequences, which may well involve the destruction of the attacking character. Any hint of  random perverse or sadistic activities will be dealt with harshly)

3).  After giving birth a Female will once more enter the food chain and must wait at least 1 Moon (4Weeks) before becoming pregnant again.

4). All children upon reaching the age when they are no longer in need of breast feeding by their mothers will be sent to Long Harrow, The Isle of Children, until such time as they are old enough to return and enter the food chain in Venexia.

OOC notes:

We feel Pregnancy has a valid part to play in the world of Venexia.
It fits very nicely into the general RP of Humans being farmed by Vampires, very much like a breeding program.

How it works
Any Human female player, apart from Blood Gaunts, can  register for pregnancy after 2 weeks in the sim.
Pregnancy lasts 42 game days, 6weeks RL time.

Registering for the Breeding Program

To register you must go to the doctors office and provide the Doctor with a note containing a short history of the pregnancy I.e. how it happened, father etc.
If all goes well the Doctor will pronounce you pregnant and register you in the Breeding Group.
You should of course role play this whole event.

Once in the Breeding group you should sign the work register for Breeding females
This will pay G$50 into your game account.
You should sign in for work each day.
You will also be given in your inventory an appointment card to see the Gynaecologist.

Next you should sit in the Gynaecologists chair
Each time you do this your appointments will be cleared from your inventory and you will be paid G$10 for each appointment card you have.
You will also be informed in local chat how far along in your pregnancy you are.
After 4 weeks you will be told if you are carrying 1 baby or twins.
If you are carrying twins you will receive G$20 instead of 10 each time you visit the Gynaecologist until the birth
On the 5th Week you will be told the sex of your child.
At the end of the 6th week you will give birth and will not be able to conceive again for at least 4 weeks.

Role play

It is entirely up to you how realistically you RP this pregnancy cycle, but we expect those who enter into the RP to act the part as fully as they can.
You will of course be expected not to enter into combat or any dangerous activities during your pregnancy.
Any Female discovered in combat or any activity that may cause harm to the baby will be punished.

After you give birth you may RP nursing the child as long as you wish, but please be sensible about this and realise that the laws of the land state that you must hand over your child to the authorities when it no longer feeds from its mother.
ABSOLUTLY NO CHILD AVATARS TO BE USED in RP!
Any RP should involve prim babies only.

It is possible that RP involving grown offspring may be allowed, but you must consider a reasonable period of time to elapse before your grown child returns to the sim from Long Harrow. We would say that this period should be at least 2 months real time.
This child can only return as a young adult over 18 years of age.


Note:
If for some reason you wish to not continue with the pregnancy you will need to contact a Coven leader or Admin to admit you to another Group.

Note from the Writer: 
So you made it to the bottom! There's a lot of information here. It isn't expected for you to learn it all in one night.Feel free to bookmark this page and reference it as you need to. And if you're not sure about something, as quoted on the Roleplay & Gaming SGS website (The main website for Venexia and other sims made by Baal and Kora):


http://community.socionex.com/sim-rules/roleplay-generic-guidelines/roleplay-gaming/

What we dream of is good RPers who are not arrogant and intolerant of those not so experienced and totally new, RPer’s who are prepared to show by example the benefits of good RP, but also we would like simple Game players who just want to have fun and are not so immersed in lengthy Role play scenarios, but at the same time are not stupid enough to grief those that are.


And from http://community.socionex.com/sim-rules/roleplay-generic-guidelines/

TOLERANCE

Above all, HAVE FUN!!!

Humans.. have been said as a race to be incredibly enduring and adaptable. To quote an ancient Hindu myth, "Change yourself, and you will inhabit a renovated world."


.. who are you in this renovated world?

Above all.. remember our mortality.


Are you a follower? A leader? A fighter? A seeker?

You are welcome here.

Do you dare to see the city, no, your world, with views as yet undiscovered?

Perhaps you are unsure of your place here. It is more than just "stock," "food," or "chattel."

You have rights, and responsibilities, no matter what path you take.

For those who wish to shine as diamonds in the rough, this one's for you.