Club Rules
Please read through the club rules carefully before applying for membership through the join form. There are quite a few of them to read through, but they are there to ensure that your experience in 'The Ranges of Ballybran' is a good one.
Please read through the club rules carefully before applying for membership through the join form. There are quite a few of them to read through, but they are there to ensure that your experience in 'The Ranges of Ballybran' is a good one.
3.0.0. Posting
1.0.0. General
1.0.1. As we are playing in an alternate timeline set before the books, none of Anne McCaffrey's characters may be mentioned or played.
1.0.2. Nothing created in relation to 'The Ranges of Ballybran' may be put to commercial use. The club works solely on a non-commercial basis. This is a rule stated by Anne McCaffrey and as such may not be negotiated.
1.0.3. The main part of our roleplay takes place on Ballybran and its surrounding moons. It is permissable for members to post off-world for non-Ballybran residents travelling to Ballybran or crystal singers on leave, but it is not expected for them to roleplay on these worlds for the duration of their membership. Those members whose new personas have not yet joined the Heptite Guild or are on off-planet leave are requested to have their personas make their way to Shankill Moonbase by the second RL month of their having the persona so they can interact in the main club setting.
1.0.4. The club is maintained by the Board of Directors (BoD) which includes the club owner as a permanent member and other club members who have been elected by club members into various roles.
1.0.5. It is expected that members have read at least 'Crystal Singer' so as to be familiar with the setting in which we play.
1.0.6. This is a PG-13 club - while it is understood that personas would have relationships of a sexual nature, the club operates a 'fade-to-black' policy before scenes become too explicit and therefore unacceptable for viewing by a PG-13 readership.
2.0.0. Personas
2.0.1. All personas must be humanoid. No non-humanoids would be permitted to land on Ballybran.
2.0.2. Club personas may have permanent residence either on Ballybran itself (see 'rule 2.4.' for further details) or Shankill moonbase.
2.0.3. New members may join with either a level 3 or level 4 persona (see 'Rank 2.2.1.' for details).
2.0.5. When creating a persona, please try not to follow stereotypes that seem to be inescapable in online roleplay (i.e. the green eyed redhead with a fiery temper). It is also advised that you try not to create someone who is perfect at everything - it is often the flaws in personas that make them all the more engaging. Also, it is noted in the books that true blond hair is very rare and that red hair is even more so. Personas with these hair colours will be allowed only rarely.
2.1.0. Types of characters.
2.1.1. There are four different types of persona in the club: PCs, oNPCs, fNPCs and rNPCs.
2.1.2. PCs and oNPCs can only be written by the members who own them, unless the owning member has given permission to another member for them to write for those personas. RNPCs and fNPCs can be written by all club members (although please keep an eye on posts containing them so that those personas don't end up in two places at once).
2.1.3. A player character (PC) is your main persona. You must have at least one active PC, and be current on posting requirements to apply for new PCs.
2.1.4. An owned NPC (oNPC) is a supporting persona that you use often. It can be either an NPC who has featured in 12 posts or a former PC, again having featured in 12 posts. ONPCs do not have to fulfil a posting requirement but do need to have a persona sheet on the website.
2.1.5. Free NPCs (fNPC) and reserved NPCs (rNPC) are NPCs who belong to the club in general and as such anyone may write them. It is possible for club members to adopt fNPCs, but rNPCs are unadoptable and therefore always intended for general club usage.
2.2.0. Rank.
2.2.1. Persona types are split into different levels, with some of those levels only being available as a reward to members who have posted consistantly and well. The levels are as follows:
(Lv 1 and 2 need BoD approval)
Lv 1 - Guildmaster, Deputy Guildmaster, Heads of Department.
Lv 2 - Crystal singer: black crystal, Assistant to Head of Department.
Lv 3 - Crystal singer: all other crystal, new applicants' instructor, persona with Milekey transition.
Lv 4 - All other personel
2.2.2. A member is limited to a total of 3 level 1 or 2 personas and 5 level 3 personas without having to appeal to the BoD to increase this number. They can have as many level 4 personas as they are able to fulfil posting requirements for.
2.2.3. Level 1 and 2 personas are not allowed to become oNPCs. A total of 3 of the Level 3 personas allowed per member are allowed to become oNPCs. Members are allowed an unlimited number of Level 4 oNPCs.
2.2.4. Level 1 personas can only be applied for when the BoD sends out a club-wide call for applications for the Level 1 positions open. Level 2 personas may be applied for without the need for a club-wide call but the BoD will take into consideration posting frequency when awarding such personas to members.
2.3.0. Ballybran Residents.
2.3.1. Due to the nature of the Ballybran symbiont, only crystal-singers are able to go further than Shankill Moonbase on leave the planet and then only for a limited period of time. Only guild members who have made a fairly good adjustment to the Ballybran spore would be able to journey to Shankill without adverse effect.
2.3.2. Those personas who joined the Heptite Guild in character must undergo the symbiotic transition all of Ballybran's residents experience. While it is possible for personas to undergo a Milekey transition (see 'rule 2.2.1'), please be aware it is unusual and usually the transition will be a far more difficult process very rarely ending in death.
2.3.3. As per Crystal Singer canon, all residents to Ballybran must have perfect pitch no matter what their eventual position is. They must also have passed stringent physiological and psychological tests on Shankill Moonbase during the application process. All residents on Ballybran must have sworn their acceptance of the conditions placed upon them by the Heptite Guild.
2.4.0. Crystal Singers.
2.4.1. While crystal singers are able to cut any colour of crystal, they often find themselves more drawn to certain colours or properties of colour (e.g. cutting in the darker colours). For the purposes of roleplay, at character creation crystal singers are allowed to have three colours that they have cut/are drawn to - this number may increase through the process of roleplay.
2.4.2. Each crystal singer persona is to be given a single claim either upon joining or (for singers who gained their position during roleplay) after shepherding. These claims will have colour designated randomly. A number of claims will be advertised at regular intervals for members to apply for - these will be awarded by the BoD taking into account posting history of the members and what claims they already have (we like to try to make things as fair as possible).
2.5.0. Persona Wages.
2.5.1. Though wages have no Out of Character standing for In Character actions, it is understandable that some members may require such values for roleplay purposes, either yearly salaries for auxillary staff or for individual cuts for crystal singers. If such values are required, please submit a request for such values to the BoD.
2.6.0. Persona Names.
2.6.1. Personas are not to have the same name (or have similar sounding name) to Anne McCaffrey's characters or any of the current club characters. You can check to see if your proposed persona name is allowed in the Reserved Names list.
2.6.2. No common earth names are to be permitted. What counts as a common earth name is at the discretion of the BoD.
2.6.3. For the purpose of roleplaying in this club, it is asked that personas have only a first name submitted on their persona sheet. As no name is allowed to be copied as per club rules, you do not need to worry about your persona being confused with any other. If you wish to create a surname for your persona then this is allowed but it shall not be protected as a reserved name.
3.1.0. Posting Requirements
3.1.1. Mandatory frequency of posting for each persona is dependent upon the rank level of that persona. Of course, you are more than welcome to post more frequently than the minimum requirement. Frequencies are as follows:
Level 4 - Once every three Real Life months.
Level 3 - Once every two Real Life months.
Level 2 - Once every Real Life month.
Level 1 - Twice every Real Life month.
3.1.2. Posts must be at least one word-processor page in length (assuming Times New Roman font size 12 is used) and must be sent to the list in full-post in format as opposed to round robin. Posts can be written by a single member or several (in what is known as a co-post).
3.1.3. Posts must be written in third person, past tense.
3.1.4. Posts must be sent to the list in plain text format.
3.1.5. The club storyline takes place at the ratio of two In Character months for every one Real Life month to give everyone a chance to post at least twice in one In Character month.
3.1.6. BoD members are exempt from posting requirements for Level 3 and 4 personas but must fulfil posting requirements for Level 1 and 2 personas as they are high ranking personas.
3.2.0. Posting Locations.
3.2.1. You are welcome to post off-world either as a non-Ballybran resident or a crystal singer on-leave, although it is requested that you send basic information of any member-created worlds to the BoD so they can make information of those worlds available to the rest of the club should they wish to write on those worlds at a later date.
3.2.2. You are not permitted to roleplay or have your personas come from the following planets: Fuerte, Yarra, Trundomoux, Optheria, Sherpa.
3.3.0. Posting Format.
3.3.1. Posts are to be sent to the lists in the following format:
Title:
Personas:
Date:
Location:
Weather:
NPCs:
Mentioned:
Notes:
Date Posted:
*~*~*~*~*~*
POST HERE
*~*~*~*~*~*
Post Summary (one or two sentences summarising the post)
Persona name
Persona profession
Member e-mail address
3.4.0. Leave of Absence.
3.4.1. If they are unable to fulfil their posting requirements, club members are permitted to take a leave of absence (LOA) lasting between 1-3 months up to twice every Real Life year. Two LOAs are NOT permitted to be taken one after the other, there must be at least 3 months of active posting between the two LOAs. Members who do not return to active posting by one Real Life month after the end of their LOA will be dropped from club membership.
4.0.0. BoD Approval.
4.0.1. The following ideas/requests need to be submitted for BoD approval:
1. Mach storms other than those scheduled by the BoD.
2. A crystal singer killed off-world.
3. A world requesting a specific type of crystal to be installed.
4. Major storylines that affect the club in general.
5. Application for new claim sites.
6. Applications for rank 1 and 2 personas.
The following storyline ideas need have have notification submitted to the BoD:
1. Persona death.
2. Member taking a Leave of Absence.
5.0.1. The club will not tolerate offensive behaviour of members either on lists or off the lists. First infractions will result in members being placed under mentoring for three months. Members proven to have repeatedly behaved in an unacceptable manner will be dropped from club membership with a temporary ban placed on them or, in extreme cases, have a permanent ban placed upon them.
5.0.2. Members who quit/are dropped from membership twice in 12 months will have a one-year ban placed upon them. These members are allowed to appeal to the BoD against this decision but the ban will not be rescinded unless a good reason for the repeat quits is supplied.
5.0.3. Spam is not allowed on the lists or to club members' private e-mail accounts; this includes chain e-mails. No one likes having a mailbox full of junk e-mails, so please don't send them. The sending of spam e-mails will result first in a warning and then in other consequences (e.g. return to mentoring, temporary ban, lifetime ban).
5.0.4. Members undertaking illegal activities will receive an instant lifetime ban with no chance of reinstatement.
6.0.0. Miscellaneous
6.0.1. The club owner reserves the right to VETO any decision made by the BoD.
6.0.2. While personas and posts associated with them are the property and responsibility of individual members, information submitted for the club website is seen to belong to the club due to the spirit of contribution in which the information has been submitted. Therefore, upon the event of a member leaving the club their personas (unless otherwise requested by the member) will be removed from the website but the contributions they have made towards general information on the site will remain club property.
6.0.4. The club owner and BoD reserve the right to remove the right of membership from members found to be in violation of the club rules.
5.0.0. Club Etiquette
3.3.2. The location of the post, either Shankill moonbase or Ballybran, must be noted in the post subject line in the following format:
(Location): Title of Post
Posts taking place on Shankill Moonbase shall have (Shankill) as the location tag and those on Ballybran shall have (Ballybran).
2.0.6. Guild applicants must be 17 years old or older.
2.0.4. A member may only have the persona they have joined with while they are under mentoring. After they are released from mentoring, they may have as many personas as they can maintain posting requirements for keeping in mind the guidelines set in section 2.2.0
6.0.3. New members are asked to supply their full name upon joining - this information will only be accessible by the BoD and will not be given out unless that member has taken part in activities that require authorities (e.g. police) to be notified. Any member found to have given a false name will be banned - either temporarily or permanently at BoD's discression - as they will have broken the trust given to them. Such responses to the submission of false information regarding a member's full name will be carried out to protect the privacy of the club's members.