Pierce Tondry
Mar 8th, 2004, 01:56:31 PM
The Harbingers of Shadow RPing Group FAQ
Introduction
The Harbingers of Shadow's existence is completely unknown to the galaxy at large. Though some of its individual members may have been encountered in the past, their association as a group has yet to be demonstrated. Whispers speak of a power that has arisen on the planet Jomark, but since that planet's population has yet to advance to a technological level that permits interstellar communication, no one can be sure of the rumor's accuracy.
The planet Jomark:
Jomark first recieves mention in the Expanded Universe book "Dark Force Rising" by Timothy Zahn. It is a human-habitable world populated by the survivors of a crashed interstellar transport. Their technology did not last forever, and so eventually they were forced to resort to more primitive tools for survival.
The Dark Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth took up residence in a grand castle that had been abandoned as part of a plot to capture and twist the mind of Luke Skywalker. Eventually, C'baoth was defeated elsewhere and it was felt the planet was best left to develop on its own, since the original survivors of the crash were long dead and Jomark's current inhabitants neither knew nor cared about the Galactic Republic. Traces of the Dark Side linger from C'baoth's brief stay in the castle, but they manifest themselves in a general uneasiness that keeps people away from it.
The arrival of the Harbingers of Shadow:
Years after C'baoth's death, a faction of Dark Jedi known as the Black Hand collapsed under the disagreements of its members. One of its older members, an alien dwarf named Hobgoblin, remained on the Black Hand's stronghold at Vjun for a time following the break, though only those apprentices who remained with him have any idea what he was up to. Hob was spotted travelling in the galaxy at large, and so it can be assumed that he was stirring Dark Side mischief, as is his wont.
The actual truth of the matter is far different, and more insidious. There exist in the galaxy Force-sensitives with an incredibly rare talent- the ability to foresee future events. Some of these are found and trained by the Jedi to realize their potential; still others are similarly educated by the Sith Order on Corellia, or by other factions. However, there remains still a vast pool of Force-sensitives to be tapped. Using his own powers of prediction, Hobgoblin has sought out those with the gift of Foresight, using his mental powers to dominate their will and subject them to his control.
In most cases.
The Prophets:
Gathering people with the gift of foretelling the future enhances that talent. With a small covy of such under Hob's control, one would expect that his thirst for knowledge be satisfied.
One would expect wrong. Hob is older and wiser than the galaxy is aware, and he understands how easily the best-laid plans can fail. Thus, certain people with the power of Foresight he has taken it upon himself to train, and he cultivates loyalty with these, both to enhance their powers and to have them watch his back. They are known as the Prophet sect, and generally their talents fall into the ranks of mental disciplines.
The Guardians:
Foresight is a rare find indeed. Even after years of searching, Hob has managed to come up with less than twenty whose wills he has subjugated, and fewer than that have been trained in the ways of Prophets. There is a great need to protect this collective, and so Hob has also begun a sect of Guardians for that purpose.
Guardians are meat shields- they are expected to die to protect the Prophets if necessary. Such an occurrence is unlikely, as Guardians are trained in the ways of Jedi/Sith combat upon inclusion into the Guardian sect. They are physically strong and mentally creative. They do not possess the sheer intellect and wisdom the Prophets are educated in, however they are learned enough to surpass the average sentient in capabilities.
Joining the group:
This group and its concept were developed and fleshed out by Evil Hobgoblin, SWFans forums. They were not designed to copy any SW literature that I am aware of, nor were they based upon any other existing RolePlay group I am aware of.
That being the case, Hobgoblin (myself) decides who comes and goes, which character concepts fit the group and which do not, and which RPers mesh well with the other members. My goal is to create an interesting and unique faction that will add spice to the RPing community, not detract from it. Therefore:
I have the right, at any time, to restrict access to the group's forums for violations of the SWFans.Net FAQ and report said violations to the board staff.
I reserve the right to refuse to accept any petition for entry on the grounds that it does not meet my criteria for In Character acceptance.
I reserve the right to deny a petition for entry on the grounds of previously observed behavior or recorded offenses against the members of SWFans forums.
Remaining in the group:
Though I will try to motivate other RPers, train those characters I accept as apprentices, and generally provide interesting RPs for the group to participate in, it is ultimately the burden of the individual to meet their own standards for fun in RP. I cannot be around all the time, and am frequently forced away from posting to accommodate work and college. I therefore encourage any member of the HoS to be proactive in the creation, training, and roleplaying of their characters. Self-training threads are permitted, so long as they are run by me first, and the same holds true for character developments or unique powers and weapons. Furthermore:
Any member who wishes to leave the group for OOC or IRL reasons may do so, as long as they notify me or a Group Moderator as to why first.
Any member who wishes to leave the group for IC reasons may do so pending consultation with me on appropriate IC outcomes of such a departure.
Any member who develops problems with myself or with a Group Moderator are encouraged to discuss the issues with the person in question and reach an amiable conclusion.
Participation:
As previously mentioned, I cannot be on the boards RPing all the time. I do not mind if a person is forced to drop RPing suddenly and abruptly in favor of accomplishing a more important goal. However simply being absent from RPing without prior notification may result in private forum access and group membership being revoked. If a person returns at a future time with a good reason for their extended absence, I will likely reinstate them if they wish it as I am only a heartless and cruel monster IC.
Group Moderators:
At this time, the group has three moderators: myself, Zasz Grimm, and Jibrielle Abunai. Both Zasz and Jibrielle I have known for years, therefore they have my trust when it comes to making decisions for the group. If one of them asks you to do or to stop something in a Moderator capacity (such as spamming, trolling, flaming, swearing, etc), you are advised to do it. You may protest one of their rulings to me as I reserve the right to have final say in all decisions regarding the group and it's members, however it is unlikely I will reverse a ruling without a.) a good reason and b.) explaining said reason to both the individual and the Moderator in question.
This FAQ:
I reserve the right to change or alter the FAQ as I deem necessary, so long as such changes fall within the guidelines of the SWFans.net forums FAQs. Also, any part of this FAQ that is contradicted by the SWFans.net forums FAQs is subjected to being changed to suit the SWFans.net FAQ as they are the guidelines for general board usage which all members, myself included, must agree to.
I am just not likely to alter the FAQ once it is finished, short of something unexpected arising. I am a lazy sod when it comes to official things. ^_^
This concludes the group FAQ.
Introduction
The Harbingers of Shadow's existence is completely unknown to the galaxy at large. Though some of its individual members may have been encountered in the past, their association as a group has yet to be demonstrated. Whispers speak of a power that has arisen on the planet Jomark, but since that planet's population has yet to advance to a technological level that permits interstellar communication, no one can be sure of the rumor's accuracy.
The planet Jomark:
Jomark first recieves mention in the Expanded Universe book "Dark Force Rising" by Timothy Zahn. It is a human-habitable world populated by the survivors of a crashed interstellar transport. Their technology did not last forever, and so eventually they were forced to resort to more primitive tools for survival.
The Dark Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth took up residence in a grand castle that had been abandoned as part of a plot to capture and twist the mind of Luke Skywalker. Eventually, C'baoth was defeated elsewhere and it was felt the planet was best left to develop on its own, since the original survivors of the crash were long dead and Jomark's current inhabitants neither knew nor cared about the Galactic Republic. Traces of the Dark Side linger from C'baoth's brief stay in the castle, but they manifest themselves in a general uneasiness that keeps people away from it.
The arrival of the Harbingers of Shadow:
Years after C'baoth's death, a faction of Dark Jedi known as the Black Hand collapsed under the disagreements of its members. One of its older members, an alien dwarf named Hobgoblin, remained on the Black Hand's stronghold at Vjun for a time following the break, though only those apprentices who remained with him have any idea what he was up to. Hob was spotted travelling in the galaxy at large, and so it can be assumed that he was stirring Dark Side mischief, as is his wont.
The actual truth of the matter is far different, and more insidious. There exist in the galaxy Force-sensitives with an incredibly rare talent- the ability to foresee future events. Some of these are found and trained by the Jedi to realize their potential; still others are similarly educated by the Sith Order on Corellia, or by other factions. However, there remains still a vast pool of Force-sensitives to be tapped. Using his own powers of prediction, Hobgoblin has sought out those with the gift of Foresight, using his mental powers to dominate their will and subject them to his control.
In most cases.
The Prophets:
Gathering people with the gift of foretelling the future enhances that talent. With a small covy of such under Hob's control, one would expect that his thirst for knowledge be satisfied.
One would expect wrong. Hob is older and wiser than the galaxy is aware, and he understands how easily the best-laid plans can fail. Thus, certain people with the power of Foresight he has taken it upon himself to train, and he cultivates loyalty with these, both to enhance their powers and to have them watch his back. They are known as the Prophet sect, and generally their talents fall into the ranks of mental disciplines.
The Guardians:
Foresight is a rare find indeed. Even after years of searching, Hob has managed to come up with less than twenty whose wills he has subjugated, and fewer than that have been trained in the ways of Prophets. There is a great need to protect this collective, and so Hob has also begun a sect of Guardians for that purpose.
Guardians are meat shields- they are expected to die to protect the Prophets if necessary. Such an occurrence is unlikely, as Guardians are trained in the ways of Jedi/Sith combat upon inclusion into the Guardian sect. They are physically strong and mentally creative. They do not possess the sheer intellect and wisdom the Prophets are educated in, however they are learned enough to surpass the average sentient in capabilities.
Joining the group:
This group and its concept were developed and fleshed out by Evil Hobgoblin, SWFans forums. They were not designed to copy any SW literature that I am aware of, nor were they based upon any other existing RolePlay group I am aware of.
That being the case, Hobgoblin (myself) decides who comes and goes, which character concepts fit the group and which do not, and which RPers mesh well with the other members. My goal is to create an interesting and unique faction that will add spice to the RPing community, not detract from it. Therefore:
I have the right, at any time, to restrict access to the group's forums for violations of the SWFans.Net FAQ and report said violations to the board staff.
I reserve the right to refuse to accept any petition for entry on the grounds that it does not meet my criteria for In Character acceptance.
I reserve the right to deny a petition for entry on the grounds of previously observed behavior or recorded offenses against the members of SWFans forums.
Remaining in the group:
Though I will try to motivate other RPers, train those characters I accept as apprentices, and generally provide interesting RPs for the group to participate in, it is ultimately the burden of the individual to meet their own standards for fun in RP. I cannot be around all the time, and am frequently forced away from posting to accommodate work and college. I therefore encourage any member of the HoS to be proactive in the creation, training, and roleplaying of their characters. Self-training threads are permitted, so long as they are run by me first, and the same holds true for character developments or unique powers and weapons. Furthermore:
Any member who wishes to leave the group for OOC or IRL reasons may do so, as long as they notify me or a Group Moderator as to why first.
Any member who wishes to leave the group for IC reasons may do so pending consultation with me on appropriate IC outcomes of such a departure.
Any member who develops problems with myself or with a Group Moderator are encouraged to discuss the issues with the person in question and reach an amiable conclusion.
Participation:
As previously mentioned, I cannot be on the boards RPing all the time. I do not mind if a person is forced to drop RPing suddenly and abruptly in favor of accomplishing a more important goal. However simply being absent from RPing without prior notification may result in private forum access and group membership being revoked. If a person returns at a future time with a good reason for their extended absence, I will likely reinstate them if they wish it as I am only a heartless and cruel monster IC.
Group Moderators:
At this time, the group has three moderators: myself, Zasz Grimm, and Jibrielle Abunai. Both Zasz and Jibrielle I have known for years, therefore they have my trust when it comes to making decisions for the group. If one of them asks you to do or to stop something in a Moderator capacity (such as spamming, trolling, flaming, swearing, etc), you are advised to do it. You may protest one of their rulings to me as I reserve the right to have final say in all decisions regarding the group and it's members, however it is unlikely I will reverse a ruling without a.) a good reason and b.) explaining said reason to both the individual and the Moderator in question.
This FAQ:
I reserve the right to change or alter the FAQ as I deem necessary, so long as such changes fall within the guidelines of the SWFans.net forums FAQs. Also, any part of this FAQ that is contradicted by the SWFans.net forums FAQs is subjected to being changed to suit the SWFans.net FAQ as they are the guidelines for general board usage which all members, myself included, must agree to.
I am just not likely to alter the FAQ once it is finished, short of something unexpected arising. I am a lazy sod when it comes to official things. ^_^
This concludes the group FAQ.