CoIA -- Rules

IC & OOC Rules

Court Law: The Celestial Mandates

These are the rules of the Court of Infinite Ages by which all are expected to abide. Refusing to follow these rules are a means by which offenders may be prosecuted (that is, characters may be punished).

I. Shirk not your appointed Courtly duties.
Whether Agent, Minister, Councillor, or Elder, each member of the Court has appointed duties. Regardless of whatever other responsibilites the courtier has, his appointed tasks must be performed with utmost devotion. Being devoted to Court duties does not mean one cannot devote one's self to other tasks! Slackers should get their act together or quit before they are dishonored and punished.
II. Guard the Wheel of Ages and suffer not a saboteur.
At least partially the responsibility of every single creature in the world, this Mandate simply means that servants of the Yama Kings and other demons must be fought at every turn. If evil had its way, the Wheel would just stop at the Sixth Age and never turn again.
III. Permit none to violate the sacred places.
This refers primarily to Dragon Nests, but it also refers to the rare few gates into the spirit worlds and dragon lines.
IV. Do not presume to instruct your cousins in their appointed Courtly duties.
The last thing a multi-shen Court needs is hengeyokai and chi'n ta (or any other combination thereof) trying to tell each other how to do their respective tasks. Offering suggestions is one thing, demanding is another, and invites bloodshed. This Mandate also suggests that each Clan is to respect each other's boundaries. If the Hengeyokai Clan is holding the equivelent of a moot, that typically means no one else is invited!
V. Honor the land and its breathing ghosts.
This means that the territory that the Court controls or influences is to be kept free of pollutants at all costs. Hand-in-hand with respecting the land comes revering the spirits who thrive for it just beyond the Wall. Though much of this aspect falls into the hands of the Ministry of the Fabric, all are expected to at least pay lip service to the spirits of Yang, and to a lesser degree, the spirits of Yin.
VI. Honor one another and respect man and beast.
Taking Mandate #4 a step further, Courtmates are expected to respect each other with all that the term suggests. They do not have to like each other. Rivalries happen and ancient feuds between the shen races cannot be expected to go away overnight. But they must treat each other with proper respect. Otherwise, they aren't a Court of all, but an amalgam of slanty-eyed Sunset People.
VII. Honor the elders and ancestors.
Though this refers in part to the High Elders of the Court, it also refers to all elders in general. Respect of age and experience is a tradition of Asian culture and it will not be abandoned. Ancestors refers to forebears; their spirits should be shown the proper obeisance so that the honor of the family remains forever. This refers to largely one's personal ancestors but it also notes that those who have died in service to the Court should also be honored regularly.

Court Policies

The following are meant as general policies and behavioral guidelines in and out of the Court. In many ways, they are extensions of the Celestial Mandates. Violators of these policies will not be tried as intently unless violating one of these policies violates the Mandates at the same time. Due to the policies and Mandates' similarities, however, this will often be the case, so rebel-hearted folks beware. Court life isn't for adolescent shen. Most of these rules are common sense, so practical and taken for granted that it seems almost offensive to post them. But one would be surprised...

1. Attendance to all official Court meetings is mandatory without permitted absence from one's respective Councillor (or High Elders in the case of an absentee Councillor). Emergency allowances will be granted on a case-by-case scenario (life happens!).

2. All members are expected to attend Court with proper hygiene and dress.

3. In Court sessions, members are to be addressed properly: Agent so-and-so, Minister so-and-so, Councillor so-and-so, Elder so-and-so, Ambassador so-and-so.

4. Members of the Court are to defend themselves as non-lethally possible against all other Little Asians and other selected groups. Aggressive outsiders are to be dealt with in the manner of the greatest judiciousness.

5. Attacks on outsiders in Little Asia, or Subtle Thunders (Technocrats) at any time, are not allowed without permission. Akuma may be attacked but the attack should be to subdue so the akuma may be interrogated. Kin-jin are considered akuma by their very nature and may be dealt with in this manner. Caution is recommended in any event.

6. Consorting with any Kin-jin is forbidden. This is perhaps the most inviolate of all Courtly policies.

7. Consorting with any akuma or the Subtle Thunders is forbidden.

8. No visitors to the Yamahasu Pagoda without expressed permission of the High Elders.

9. No discussing the Court with outsiders without permission from the Councillors or High Elders.

10. The Rule of Shade (the Veil) must remain inviolate. This is not the Middle Kingdom, and superstition holds less sway. Unenlightened hunters must not be invited to trouble the Court. This is one of the most important policies.

Legal Procedures

The accused is brought before a special review board that consists of the entire Council (unless the accused is a Councillor, of course). Acting in the interest of the Court, not the individual, the Council must review the accused's case. The accused may have another speak for her. The accuser(s) must likewise be present to speak about their allegations. Witnesses are not only favorable, at least one is absolutely mandatory. All are subjected to various truth-testing measures to preserve the integrity of the Court, personal honor notwithstanding! Only the Court matters and those of honor would understand this. The Council is charged to review all sides of the issue. The final judgement is made in private vote. The two High Elders may vote as well. The High Elders have one special power in legal reviews. They may, if they acting in concert, veto the Council's judgement regardless of the vote. This shouldn't happen too often, of course, and would only occur ostensibly if the Council has voted with clearly poor wisdom. Once the vote is made, the selected foreman of the Council special review board (this alternates each case) presents the verdict to the accused and accusing parties. The High Elders then pronounce sentence (if the accused is determined to be guilty). Sentences vary from mild to severe, from imprisonment (which typically includes mandatory meditation and reflection and thus most prison sentences are to be kept short) to death. The Hengeyokai Clan may offer appropiate Rites and other shen may offer alternatives. But the punishment always fits the crime.

OOC Standards of the ULAG
(Unmoderated Little Asia Game)

The ULAG (Unmoderated Little Asia Game) is comprised of the CoIA Troupe and any recognized Fringe Troupes.

Isolation
Although the Unmoderated Little Asia Game uses the same setting as the Moderated Little Asia Game and "Necropolis", it is not the same "game world". No other troupe will be recognized as part of the same "universe". It is our belief based on a great deal of experience and observation that "crossing over" usually results in OOC clashes and this results in a devolution of the entire game. To prevent this, official cross-overs (as defined by troupe to troupe, not theme game to theme game) will not be accepted except in the most unusual and special considerations. This is the troupe's official policy. However, individual players may "cross-over" unofficially at any time they please. The restrictions and consequences, however, rest entirely on the players -- not the ULAG Storytellers or the troupe at whole. Thus it is that any player can play their character in the Necropolis Shadows Bar, pick a fight with a willing player character from some other unmoderated or moderated troupe, and reap the benefits -- or consequences -- on his own accord.
Game Rules Usage
The policy of the ULAG in regards to game edition usage is an acceptance of both 2nd edition or Revised. The ULAG understands that many players prefer 2nd edition, but also recognize that others prefer Revised. Both can and are used in conjunction with little difficulty. The only time rule clashes may truly come up is during an official plotline -- but then the Storyteller has final call anyway. This easygoing approach to rules usage is due wholly to the unmatched maturity and camaraderie of this troupe.
"Automatic" Experience Gain
In the ULAG troupe, all characters may acquire 1 XP/week. Doing so requires at least one hour of play-time outside of Storyteller-run plots that week.

However, players may gain an additional 1 XP/month by posting in fair description how their characters carry out their Courtly duties. This post should be made at least once a month to the appropiate e-mailing list. Agents and Ministers generally post to the Ministry mailing lists while Councillors and Elders post to the Council mailing list. The post should consist of whatever fancies the player's mind -- creativity is the key here, and it need not be something actually played out -- as far as fulfilling the character's duties are concerned. This may also include an IC (in character) report to one's respective Minister or Councillor. Longer and well-thought out posts may qualify the character to 2 XP instead of 1.

This rule was established primarily for those players whose RL (real-life) schedules prevent them from participating in as many Storylines as they'd like. However, anyone may utilize this means to gain the "automatic" XP. Alternatively, players may acquire XP for their characters through OOC artistic expression. So long as the medium is in some way connected to one of the player's characters, XP may be awarded by the Storytellers. Artistic mediums include but are not limited to drawn pictures, sculpture, poetry, song, and short stories. In any event, the player must make his art available to the Storytellers over the Internet! Such endeavors will earn anywhere from 1-5 XP, based on effort more than talent. It's not like the ULAG Storytellers are internationally renowned art critics.

Players seeking additional XP for their characters or who otherwise wish a short cut to developing their character traits should remember the Instruction and/or Mentor Traits. Learning from a skilled tutor is how new abilities are developed more swiftly in real life, anyway.
Plotline Combat
Official plotlines may be of one of three combat "danger thresholds": lethal, non-lethal, or lethal at the Storyteller's discretion. The latter is the method Cam, the Head Storyteller, uses, since it enables the Storyteller to add the sense of chance and danger to the players' moods but not enough to frighten them into the despair of "well, I don't care what happens to my character, I can always make a new one". (As a change-over player from AD&D to White Wolf's Storytelling games, I've long since appreciated the focus on a good story as opposed to the gathering & hoarding of treasure, magic, and XP that AD&D emphasizes. Though AD&D can be fun, the purpose of the game is to excel and develop in power instead of excelling in order to develop in character. As such, the danger threshold must be lethal. In most of the Storytelling games, this is not necessarily the outlook. I know I don't make characters to be killed in some ignominous barbrawl before half the story is done, and I don't expect other players to think any differently. I want my character to survive and to discover "the self". Though this can happen with death, drama is the key term in White Wolf games, and a predominantly lethal campaign can (though not always) simply ruin that entirely.) The lead Storyteller of any plotline must define beforehand what danger threshold the plotline will be and inform any player upon request.
The Golden Rule
The Storytellers of official plotlines in the ULAG will be granted full authority as Storytellers are given in any other roleplaying medium. Their rule calls, XP awards, and in-character events will not be challenged by any other Storyteller (unless they are truly outrageous) in the troupe and definitely not by any Storytellers outside the troupe. In other words, an ULAG Storyteller may run any sort of plotline he deems appropiate, and call upon the Golden Rule. However, any player at any time may notify that Storyteller that he does not wish to participate (but notification is mandatory!) in any particular Story. This "OOC escape clause" protects the freedoms of the individual player without compromising the authority of the Storyteller. Granted, if the majority of the players initiate the "OOC escape clause", a Storyteller might want to rethink his plotline...
Storyteller Responsibility
The primary duty of all ULAG Storytellers is to run Stories, on as consistent a basis as possible. These Stories do not have to be of any specific type, regardless of the Storyteller's other affiliations (i.e., the Changeling Storyteller can run any sort of plotline he wishes, not being required to gear or specify his Story towards hsien or fae only, and can even invite non-ULAG players if he really wants). The organization of the Storytellers in the ULAG troupe is detailed here.

But in short, these individuals' duties include the aid and monitoring of individual characters' personal growth (such as running Seekings for mages and awarding Rank and Renown for shapeshifters) and the encouragement of creating in-group, internal organizations (i.e., cabals, sentai, hui t'ung, teams, circles). Though encouraging personal growth is important, it must be pontificated that running plotlines is each Storyteller's first and foremost concern! It is the belief of this troupe that without consistent and regular Story scenes, the game degrades solely into freeform roleplaying. This form of roleplay fairly unique to online roleplaying has its advantages, but is inferior to a well-run (or even poorly run) plotline. It's the difference between roleplay and roleplaying games. So far this theory has been tested with great success and the ULAG continues to thrive.

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