Angel/Demon/Supernatural/World FAQ
I will probably have to make a post in the Wiki about this as well or link to it here. However, I know that we have a lot of new people. Some are trying to grapple with playing a native for the first time. I thought I'd help by creating a Guide/FAQ for each type of native.
If you have any question about any of the types, please comment here with them. I will add them to the FAQ. Additionally, if you have seen or written anything in canon that contradicts one of these answers, please comment as well. These answers are subject to change and several could be up to debate, especially the answer to the first.
Angel FAQ
1. What can my angel get away with?
This is a question that has been debated in chat in the past. I don't think that we ever reached a sufficient conclusion, but I will tell you all how I see this force that works to 'stop angels from doing bad'.
The force is not fair. It does not account for the details of the situation. For instance, if an angel is lying to save someone, it will still hurt them as any lie would. If a guardian kills an innocent person who was trying to hurt their ward, they will lose their wings regardless. The problem is that innocence includes a wide range of people. Anyone that has not killed, raped, or tortured anyone will be considered innocent in the eyes of this force. It's why if you have an angel that does kill often, you have to be incredibly careful with how you play them.
The force also works very directly, I feel. The killing has to be done by the angel's own direct actions for it to make them fall. They have to be pulling the trigger or doing the strangling. I am uncertain of whether or not hiring someone to kill another person would count. I'm leaning towards not, which opens a giant can of worms of course.
2. What is the deal with this lying thing?
Many angels have developed ways of suppressing the pain that comes with lying so they can get away with most lies. In general, the bigger the lie, the more it hurts to tell. If it's a white lie, it may barely sting. Most angels feel this pain in their head. Remember, the angel has to know they're lying for it to count. This isn't an easy way to figure out the truths of the world by shouting statements out and seeing which causes pain.
If they have no idea that what they're saying is a lie, they won't feel any pain. This is not to say that they have to be consciously aware of the lie before it comes out of their mouth. If they know somewhere in their brain that the statement is untrue, it'll hurt them. Sometimes they can exaggerate, use sarcasm, or joke around without that being painful.
3. Can angels blush? What does the body temperature mean for me when I play them?
Despite having white blood, they can blush. We have worked out the theory that the blood is actually red until it leaves the skin/hits the outside air.
As for the body temperature, this has been debated as well. In my opinion, it works like human body temperatures do. We have to maintain a certain temperature. Angels and demons have more protections set in place that help them maintain their temperatures easier than humans do. However, in extremely hot weather, angels will sweat more than demons. In extremely cold weather, demons will shiver more than angels. Both sweating and shivering are a method of getting the body temperature back where it should be, but again, I think that they can maintain their body temperature better than humans... or else angels would be sweating buckets and demons would be unable to stand from the shivering.
4. What angel should I start with?
You can start with any type of angel that you like. However, the hardest angel to play is angel of vengeance, and I never recommend it for beginners. If you're really interested in this type, try to read back through the threads of the few angels of vengeance that we've had in game. Annabell Durham (Jo), The Unnamed Angel, and Robin Rice are the ones that come immediately to mind. Children Angels can be hard to play as well since ordinary humans are invisible to them, and we don't have many children characters for them to do their calling with.
5. How does my angels calling work?
I'm going to be saying this a lot in the FAQ, but the feelings that a calling create are specific to the individual. There are feelings that are intense enough to often feel like need in every case. The individuals can choose to embrace their calling or attempt to deny/avoid it. No one can avoid their calling permanently. Many guardians will not find their wards for hundreds of years. Many angels of death will manage to not see a death for a long, long time, but eventually, it will catch up to them all.
Eventually, the very act of denying that calling can cause a mind to break. However, completely embracing the calling can have the same effect. There comes the snapping point, because every angel is both an individual and that calling. There is often a divide between the two, which is why only certain callings have angels that survive to become Firsts.
Archangels are easy to play, and they're definitely more common than all the other types so they're a good place to start as well.
6. When my guardian angel finds his/her ward, what happens?
They meet the gaze of their ward, and the effect is immediate. The feeling is different for everyone, but they will know automatically what they've found, and it's a feeling that they cannot ignore. The guardian cannot be far from their ward. It is physically uncomfortable and then at greater distances, it is physically painful for them to be so. They could never be farther than a city apart from one another.
Most guardians and wards have an emotional connection as well. They can sense when something is off with their ward. They can sense and feel severe emotional reactions and physical pain from their ward. The connection is only one-way. When the guardian is hurting, the ward will not feel it too.
1. What demon should I start off with?
I don't believe that there's any demon that's harder to play than any other, but I think a behemoth would be a good way to start off. They function much like a shapeshifter so their calling is not one they have to continuously fight if they're a generally good person who doesn't want to give into their calling. In that case, they turn into a monster, that they can't control in emotional/dangerous situations but can work to control.
2. Can demons blush? What about their body temperature?
Despite having black blood, they can blush. We have worked out the theory that the blood is actually red until it leaves the skin/hits the outside air.
As for the body temperature, this has been debated as well. In my opinion, it works like human body temperatures do. We have to maintain a certain temperature. Angels and demons have more protections set in place that help them maintain their temperatures easier than humans do. However, in extremely hot weather, angels will sweat more than demons and humans. In extremely cold weather, demons will shiver more than angels and humans. Angels can still feel cold. Demons can still feel hot. Both sweating and shivering are a method of getting the body temperature back where it should be, but again, I think that they can maintain their body temperature better than humans... or else angels would be sweating buckets and demons would be unable to stand from the shivering.
3. How does my demon's calling work?
I'm going to be saying this a lot in the FAQ, but the feelings that a calling create are specific to the individual. For all demons, there are feelings that are intense enough to often feel like need. The individuals can choose to embrace their calling or attempt to deny/avoid it. No one can avoid their calling permanently. Many charuns will not find their first mark for hundreds of years by avoiding gazes. Many glays can resist the temptation to push emotion onto others.
The calling works differently. Glayses in the past have given emotions to others by the use of the written word or by a mental pushing. There are many different options. If you want to do something out of the norm with your demon in how their calling works, be sure to include it in the application. Mods can tell you if it would be plausible or not.
Eventually, the very act of denying that calling can cause a mind to break. However, completely embracing the calling can have the same effect. There comes the snapping point, because every demon is both an individual and that calling. There is sometimes a divide between the two, and the divide can cause conflict with their relationships with others and within themselves.
4. If I play a demon, do they have to be evil/bad?
No, not at all. They are basically humans with callings that drive them to doing bad things. They can resist it. They can be inherently good and feel guilt/grief over what they've done. We have had several demons that are not evil, that fight their calling as best they can, and that try to do good and positive things.
In fact, it is an incredibly interesting thing to play. A demon who has to fight those dark urges/needs.
5. When my charun finds their mark, how does that work?
It's an overwhelming feeling. Depending on whether or not they embrace their calling, it could be a good or bad feeling. Even those who don't embrace their feeling, they will likely feel desire to kill that they don't want to feel.
Every charun works differently. However, most charuns like to drag the killing out, even for the ones that embrace the calling. They don't necessarily feel pleasure in the pain that their mark feels unless that pain is what can lead to their eventual death. A cut on the arm would not make them feel helpless glee, but emotional pain that can make the mark suicidal or a deep injury that could lead to dying would definitely make them feel that glee, whether or not they want to.
If they stumble upon their mark in a severely injured state, they will have a hard (near impossible) time resisting killing them.
1. Can I only choose one of the supernaturals listed in the wiki?
No, we have had many supernaturals who are not on the list. There was one that could affect memories and another that did empathy through playing music. Because supernatural humans are made by the Rift, which is undefinable, there are limitless possibilities.
Simply, run your idea by the mods.
2. How do the mages' magic work?
Once again, it is different for every individual. Some mage's need to say a few words (lyrics, something rhyming, what have you) to do their magic or to do stronger/more focused magic. Others can do magic wordlessly by concentrating.
General World FAQ
1. How do the journals work?
You cannot permanently lose your journal. Every supernatural, angel, demon, and wanderer gets one upon becoming supernatural/angel/demon/wanderer. If the character destroys it or lose it, it reappears by their head after they've slept. This journal connects them to the supernatural network. They can write entries to the public or to specific people or groups by writing a Locked at the top of the entry. Your character's name will appear beside their entry or beside their comment.
In most cases, the journal is text-based. Be sure to make a note of it when you app if you're using a different type of journal for your character. Because they are all text based, this means that voice posts, video posts, and posts that contain videos or links are not possible.
If you have any question about any of the types, please comment here with them. I will add them to the FAQ. Additionally, if you have seen or written anything in canon that contradicts one of these answers, please comment as well. These answers are subject to change and several could be up to debate, especially the answer to the first.
Angel FAQ
1. What can my angel get away with?
This is a question that has been debated in chat in the past. I don't think that we ever reached a sufficient conclusion, but I will tell you all how I see this force that works to 'stop angels from doing bad'.
The force is not fair. It does not account for the details of the situation. For instance, if an angel is lying to save someone, it will still hurt them as any lie would. If a guardian kills an innocent person who was trying to hurt their ward, they will lose their wings regardless. The problem is that innocence includes a wide range of people. Anyone that has not killed, raped, or tortured anyone will be considered innocent in the eyes of this force. It's why if you have an angel that does kill often, you have to be incredibly careful with how you play them.
The force also works very directly, I feel. The killing has to be done by the angel's own direct actions for it to make them fall. They have to be pulling the trigger or doing the strangling. I am uncertain of whether or not hiring someone to kill another person would count. I'm leaning towards not, which opens a giant can of worms of course.
2. What is the deal with this lying thing?
Many angels have developed ways of suppressing the pain that comes with lying so they can get away with most lies. In general, the bigger the lie, the more it hurts to tell. If it's a white lie, it may barely sting. Most angels feel this pain in their head. Remember, the angel has to know they're lying for it to count. This isn't an easy way to figure out the truths of the world by shouting statements out and seeing which causes pain.
If they have no idea that what they're saying is a lie, they won't feel any pain. This is not to say that they have to be consciously aware of the lie before it comes out of their mouth. If they know somewhere in their brain that the statement is untrue, it'll hurt them. Sometimes they can exaggerate, use sarcasm, or joke around without that being painful.
3. Can angels blush? What does the body temperature mean for me when I play them?
Despite having white blood, they can blush. We have worked out the theory that the blood is actually red until it leaves the skin/hits the outside air.
As for the body temperature, this has been debated as well. In my opinion, it works like human body temperatures do. We have to maintain a certain temperature. Angels and demons have more protections set in place that help them maintain their temperatures easier than humans do. However, in extremely hot weather, angels will sweat more than demons. In extremely cold weather, demons will shiver more than angels. Both sweating and shivering are a method of getting the body temperature back where it should be, but again, I think that they can maintain their body temperature better than humans... or else angels would be sweating buckets and demons would be unable to stand from the shivering.
4. What angel should I start with?
You can start with any type of angel that you like. However, the hardest angel to play is angel of vengeance, and I never recommend it for beginners. If you're really interested in this type, try to read back through the threads of the few angels of vengeance that we've had in game. Annabell Durham (Jo), The Unnamed Angel, and Robin Rice are the ones that come immediately to mind. Children Angels can be hard to play as well since ordinary humans are invisible to them, and we don't have many children characters for them to do their calling with.
5. How does my angels calling work?
I'm going to be saying this a lot in the FAQ, but the feelings that a calling create are specific to the individual. There are feelings that are intense enough to often feel like need in every case. The individuals can choose to embrace their calling or attempt to deny/avoid it. No one can avoid their calling permanently. Many guardians will not find their wards for hundreds of years. Many angels of death will manage to not see a death for a long, long time, but eventually, it will catch up to them all.
Eventually, the very act of denying that calling can cause a mind to break. However, completely embracing the calling can have the same effect. There comes the snapping point, because every angel is both an individual and that calling. There is often a divide between the two, which is why only certain callings have angels that survive to become Firsts.
Archangels are easy to play, and they're definitely more common than all the other types so they're a good place to start as well.
6. When my guardian angel finds his/her ward, what happens?
They meet the gaze of their ward, and the effect is immediate. The feeling is different for everyone, but they will know automatically what they've found, and it's a feeling that they cannot ignore. The guardian cannot be far from their ward. It is physically uncomfortable and then at greater distances, it is physically painful for them to be so. They could never be farther than a city apart from one another.
Most guardians and wards have an emotional connection as well. They can sense when something is off with their ward. They can sense and feel severe emotional reactions and physical pain from their ward. The connection is only one-way. When the guardian is hurting, the ward will not feel it too.
1. What demon should I start off with?
I don't believe that there's any demon that's harder to play than any other, but I think a behemoth would be a good way to start off. They function much like a shapeshifter so their calling is not one they have to continuously fight if they're a generally good person who doesn't want to give into their calling. In that case, they turn into a monster, that they can't control in emotional/dangerous situations but can work to control.
2. Can demons blush? What about their body temperature?
Despite having black blood, they can blush. We have worked out the theory that the blood is actually red until it leaves the skin/hits the outside air.
As for the body temperature, this has been debated as well. In my opinion, it works like human body temperatures do. We have to maintain a certain temperature. Angels and demons have more protections set in place that help them maintain their temperatures easier than humans do. However, in extremely hot weather, angels will sweat more than demons and humans. In extremely cold weather, demons will shiver more than angels and humans. Angels can still feel cold. Demons can still feel hot. Both sweating and shivering are a method of getting the body temperature back where it should be, but again, I think that they can maintain their body temperature better than humans... or else angels would be sweating buckets and demons would be unable to stand from the shivering.
3. How does my demon's calling work?
I'm going to be saying this a lot in the FAQ, but the feelings that a calling create are specific to the individual. For all demons, there are feelings that are intense enough to often feel like need. The individuals can choose to embrace their calling or attempt to deny/avoid it. No one can avoid their calling permanently. Many charuns will not find their first mark for hundreds of years by avoiding gazes. Many glays can resist the temptation to push emotion onto others.
The calling works differently. Glayses in the past have given emotions to others by the use of the written word or by a mental pushing. There are many different options. If you want to do something out of the norm with your demon in how their calling works, be sure to include it in the application. Mods can tell you if it would be plausible or not.
Eventually, the very act of denying that calling can cause a mind to break. However, completely embracing the calling can have the same effect. There comes the snapping point, because every demon is both an individual and that calling. There is sometimes a divide between the two, and the divide can cause conflict with their relationships with others and within themselves.
4. If I play a demon, do they have to be evil/bad?
No, not at all. They are basically humans with callings that drive them to doing bad things. They can resist it. They can be inherently good and feel guilt/grief over what they've done. We have had several demons that are not evil, that fight their calling as best they can, and that try to do good and positive things.
In fact, it is an incredibly interesting thing to play. A demon who has to fight those dark urges/needs.
5. When my charun finds their mark, how does that work?
It's an overwhelming feeling. Depending on whether or not they embrace their calling, it could be a good or bad feeling. Even those who don't embrace their feeling, they will likely feel desire to kill that they don't want to feel.
Every charun works differently. However, most charuns like to drag the killing out, even for the ones that embrace the calling. They don't necessarily feel pleasure in the pain that their mark feels unless that pain is what can lead to their eventual death. A cut on the arm would not make them feel helpless glee, but emotional pain that can make the mark suicidal or a deep injury that could lead to dying would definitely make them feel that glee, whether or not they want to.
If they stumble upon their mark in a severely injured state, they will have a hard (near impossible) time resisting killing them.
1. Can I only choose one of the supernaturals listed in the wiki?
No, we have had many supernaturals who are not on the list. There was one that could affect memories and another that did empathy through playing music. Because supernatural humans are made by the Rift, which is undefinable, there are limitless possibilities.
Simply, run your idea by the mods.
2. How do the mages' magic work?
Once again, it is different for every individual. Some mage's need to say a few words (lyrics, something rhyming, what have you) to do their magic or to do stronger/more focused magic. Others can do magic wordlessly by concentrating.
General World FAQ
1. How do the journals work?
You cannot permanently lose your journal. Every supernatural, angel, demon, and wanderer gets one upon becoming supernatural/angel/demon/wanderer. If the character destroys it or lose it, it reappears by their head after they've slept. This journal connects them to the supernatural network. They can write entries to the public or to specific people or groups by writing a Locked at the top of the entry. Your character's name will appear beside their entry or beside their comment.
In most cases, the journal is text-based. Be sure to make a note of it when you app if you're using a different type of journal for your character. Because they are all text based, this means that voice posts, video posts, and posts that contain videos or links are not possible.