☼ Do Humans know about supernatural beings?
The short answer is no. No supernatural race has exposed itself to the world at large, and no race has really expressed a desire to. The risks outweigh the rewards. Of course, individual members of a race may expose themselves to close friends, family, or victims, but any widespread exposure is dealt with by The Secret Congress.
☼ Can I create a hybrid character (i.e. a character with two races)?
In short, no, you cannot. We will not accept characters that are more than one race. Your character may have mixed heritage (parents of two different races), but for the purposes of this game such a child will be born either of one race or the other. The exception to this rule is Hunters. Because it is an occupation rather than a race your character may be a Hunter as well as something else.
☼ I’d like to play a character of a race that isn’t on your list. Can I?
Yes and no. We would really prefer it if you’d stick with one of the races that we offer as we think we have a little something for everyone, but if you have an idea you’re really married to please contact the mods. We will probably ask you to write up a race profile, and then we will consider adding it to the game. The more balanced the race is the better chance you stand of having it accepted.
☼ Can my [[insert race other than Human here]] be turned into a Vampire or Cursed Were?
No, only Humans can become Vampires or Cursed Weres. All other races are immune to the factor that causes these changes.
☼ What is ~stolensecrets used for?
~stolensecrets is the rumors journal for ~maligned, and it has many uses. It will be used to announce major plots; post up any member submitted rumors and gossip received for the week; put forth mod generated rumors, gossip, and bounties should they arise; and eventually host PostSecrets if members choose to participate.
☼ Who is The Secret Congress and what do they do?
The Secret Congress is a council of seven members made up of one representative from each category of beings (Angels, Demons, Faeries, Humans, Merfolk, Shapeshifters, and Vampires). Their job is to keep an eye on the supernatural world and create, enact, and enforce policy in the best interest of its continued survival as a whole. All supernatural beings inherently know when The Secret Congress has made a decision on something, and for the most part beings tend to respect its rule as law. They are not forgiving, and they are not to be trifled with. Elections are held for Secret Congress seats yearly so that abuses of power cannot occur. In addition to the seven seats there are two neutral Hunters associated with The Secret Congress who are in charge of carrying out the council’s punishments and apprehending criminals.
☼ Can I apply for one of the members of The Secret Congress?
No, for the time being The Secret Congress is mod controlled. A future plot will probably change this, but we would like to get the game established before relinquishing control of such important positions. You may, however, apply for one of the two neutral Hunters who carry out the council’s law. Please contact the mods if you are interested; 0/2 are currently in game.
☼ When did the supernatural world first sit down and decide it needed rules?
For the purposes of this game, it is safe to assume that there has been a Secret Congress issuing rules for supernatural beings in the Americas since the mid 1790s. As such, there being laws for non-humans to obey is nothing new. The original Secret Congress was formed from members of the European Secret Council, the equivalent across the pond for the Secret Congress. It has been governing the supernatural world in Europe since the fourteenth century, forming during the Renaissance. There are other governing bodies all over the world, however, some even older than the ESC.
☼ Where did the idea for a common rule for all races come from?
It is important to remember that most races have had governing bodies for much longer than the Human world, so the supernatural world cannot be considered to have ever been lawless, though some races are inherently anarchic or loners. There has been a ruling body and understood etiquette about age among Vampires since the ancient days of Mesopotamia and Egypt, and Demons and Angels have always clung to hierarchy. Weres have run in packs for thousands of years. Dragons developed a community and system of rule when they realized they were endangered. Witches have been forming covens since at least the dark ages, and Mages have almost always believed in a strong sense of bloodline. As such, a general rebellion against order is almost unheard of among supernatural beings.
☼ Can I apply for the Angels Metatron or Michael or Demons Satan or Lucifer?
No, for the time being we will not be accepting such high profile Angels and Demons into the game. They're much too busy tending to the running and administration of Heaven and Hell to spend time on Earth, nevermind kicking back in Boston, Massachusetts.
☼ Can I play a Fallen Angel with a specific name from a Biblical or other source?
No, we will not be accepting Fallen Angels with the names of any specific Angels or Demons. Most beings that could qualify for Fallen Angel status are also elsewhere classified as Demons, and that Demonic classification would take precedent. Any Angel who is named is considered to still have divine status in our game and could equally not be used as a Fallen Angel. If you would like an angelic or demonic sounding name for your Fallen Angel we recommend this generator.
☼ When does Lycanthropy set in for Cursed Weres?
In the case of Cursed Were spread Lycanthropy, the virus sets in as soon as a person is bitten, manifesting on the first full moon after the bite occurs. This makes it entirely possible for a child to become a Cursed Were. The downside to this, of course, is that they would have even less control than an average Cursed Were as children aren't known for their mental fortitude. Furthermore, as they're an incredible liability to the secret nature of the supernatural world, the Secret Congress is more likely to take custody of a child inflicted with Lycanthropy and put it into a Were-friendly home. Should the crimes be too extreme more drastic measures, such as putting the child down, might be taken, so please keep that in mind.
☼ What kinds of Weres are there? Are they only wolves?
Weres can be any type of creature, though we ask that people not get too creative or crazy with their animal choices. As a good rule of thumb they're usually creatures that are at least somewhat predatory in nature, though we will judge each concept we receive on a case by case basis. When in doubt please feel free to dropbox your idea and discuss it with the mods ahead of time.
☼ How do PBs work for Doppelgangers?
Doppelgangers are more than welcome to have multiple PBs, though we ask for sake of ease that you not hold/officially declare more than two. These two faces will be considered the forms that the Doppelganger most frequently can be found in. Random Getty pictures or the occasional incredibly obscure/unused face are also welcome for occasional use, though we ask that you try to use the main face(s) as much as possible to help players avoid confusion. Also, if your Doppelganger ever takes on the form of an in-game character make sure you clear it with that player first. Other than that, feel free to be as creative as you'd like! Just make sure that the majority of your icons are of the character's main form(s).
☼ Can I play a member of the royal family from either Faerie court?
Yes, you may make your Faerie a member of the court of your Faerie's chosen alignment. However, we do have a few guidelines that we ask all applicants to adhere to. First, we request that no one make the king or queen of either the Seelie or Unseelie courts. They will remain mod controlled NPCs indefinitely as they are much too busy for extended stays on Earth. Second, we ask that players keep the structure of the royal family vague. Please do not define how many family members of any sort a royal Faerie has, and please keep the details about family members who might eventually come into play as vague as possible unless they are advertised for on the Wanted page. Third, we ask players to keep in mind that their royal Faerie character must still submit to the rule of the Secret Congress while on Earth. There will be no exceptions to the rules and no special treatment. The Faerie king and queen of either court will not put up with disobedience in the face of the Congress' laws, and they will not save a character from punishment.