Fellowship of the Free Cities

A collection of info about the Fellowship of the Free Cities

The Fellowship of the Free Cities: A Living World RP Collective

📜The Fellowship of the Free Cities: A Living World RP Collective 📜

🌟 Core Philosophy 🌟

The Fellowship of the Free Cities is an OOC collective of individual role-players & groups dedicated to deep immersion and organic storytelling in Pax Dei & beyond.
 Every member agrees to uphold the core values of IC/OOC separation, narrative consistency, and respect for the shared world.
We believe in embracing all forms of RP, regardless of their alignment, be it Chaotic Evil, Lawful Good & everything in between. So long as the charter is followed & everyone acts in good faith.

Raise your kingdom as a King or Queen! Fight for freedom! Become a ruthless bandit lord! The choice is yours within the Fellowship of the Free Cities.

🛡️Foundational Principles 🛡️

Players should strive for engaging, lore-friendly RP that enhances the experience. Put some time and effort into your backstory for your characters and make it something special!
The Fellowship allows different Free Cities to have their own cultures and leadership, while still aligning with the greater principles of the collective. Each group can be formed or dissolved as the individuals involved see fit. You are free to group up with anyone else willing to be apart of your Free City. A Free City is a group of individuals banding together to form a clan or collective of players, regardless of their RP style, be it feudalistic or not.
ANYONE is welcome to come & partake in the Fellowship of the Free Cities in game! You are NOT required to apply, get approved or verified in order to join in game. HOWEVER, being a Chartered-Free-Cities comes with the benefit of being recognized as a good faith group & allows your Free City to have representation on the Free Council, which is an OOC oversight committee dedicated to making sure the fair & just charter is followed.

⚔️ Conflict & RP War Accords ⚔️

To prevent OOC toxicity, all wars, conflicts, and rivalries must adhere to the Fellowship’s War Accords, ensuring fair, engaging, and immersive RP battles without OOC drama.

Rules for Conflict RP:

ALL conflicts must have IC justification (No OOC grudges).
Respect fair-play, no metagaming/cheating/exploiting or abusing game mechanics for advantage.
Negotiation & Diplomacy is encouraged before war is declared for better world building.
ALL hostile actions MUST take place solely IC! Do NOT make personal grudges OOC against someone for actions taken IC! At the end of the day we are all friends building a great community together. I know someone declaring war against you may not feel great OOC, but remember it is nothing against YOU the PLAYER, it is purely IC actions taken in game against your CHARACTER.
You may NOT kill off other characters against their will permanently. It will always remain with the individual playing the character to decide if they are killed of IC or not.

The War Accords are in place to make the world we build more fun and engaging for all.

🎭 Events & RP Storytelling 🎭

To immerse players further, the Fellowship will host:

✅ Political Summits – Major cities meet to discuss trade, war, and diplomacy.
✅ Grand Markets & Festivals – Large-scale RP markets and celebrations.
✅ Tournaments & Duels – Gladiatorial fights and honorable PvP contests.
✅ Expeditions & Lore Events – Exploring ruins, uncovering secrets, and expanding worldbuilding.
 ✅ Public Trials & Court Hearings – Real consequences for IC crime and intrigue.

Everyone is welcome to host their own events as well!

🛠️ Enforcement & Conflict Resolution 🛠️

A neutral mediation system will handle disputes OOC to prevent drama. If conflicts arise:

Players attempt to resolve the dispute OOC first with mediation from the Free Council.
If a resolution cannot be made by both parties, then a judgment call will be made by the Free Council to determine a fair and just outcome for everyone involved.
Persistent violations of the charter will lead to removal from the Fellowship.

The charter has been designed to be both fair and just for everyone, regardless of any outside factors. Everyone is treated as equals. Judgment calls are made for the betterment of the Fellowship as a whole.

🔮 Final Vision: A Living, Breathing RP World 🔮

The Fellowship of the Free Cities is about player-driven storytelling, meaningful character interactions, and creating a thriving RP community where actions shape the world.

With proper IC/OOC separation, a fair & just RP charter, and deep immersion, this fellowship can foster one of the most engaging RP experiences in Pax Dei & beyond, where every Free City has a story to tell, every action & interaction matters & every player contributes to the living world around them in a meaningful way.

Everyone is welcome within the Fellowship, regardless of their style of RP so long as they respect others & follow the charter. Share your story with the world & contribute to Pax Dei's largest RP community!

Join the Fellowship

🌟 How to join? 🌟

AN APPLICATION IS NOT REQUIRED TO SIMPLY PARTAKE IN THE RP FUN. APPLICATIONS ARE ONLY REQUIRED FOR ANY CLAN OR GROUP THAT WISHES TO BECOME A Chartered Free City AS LONG AS THE FAIR AND JUST charter IS FOLLOWED ALL RP IS WELCOME. REGARDLESS OF MEMBERSHIP.

https://www.cheekybugger.net/d/313-chartered-free-city-application-template

🌟 Why join? 🌟

image.pngInto feudalistic roleplay and Game of Thrones? Want battles & OR alliances between Kings & Queens? Are you a freedom fighter, fighting for justice all over Gallia? Maybe a lone wolf looking to make a name for themselves? Want to be a good faith bandit? The Fellowship is the place for you! Tell your story along side some of the best role-players in all of Pax Dei! Make your mark on the world in your own way. Governed by a fair and just charter to make sure the roleplay stays fun and engaging for everyone involved!
image.pngGain representation within the Free Cities! Every clan or group gets 1 representative on the Free Council. This person & leadership will be granted access to the ⁠free-council to communicate with other leaders & reps from other Chartered Free City
image.pngBecome promoted from within the Fellowship. You will get a advertisement in Chartered-Free-Cities for your clan or group. This way everyone will know who is apart of the free cities & be able to join whoever best aligns with their in game play style, be it a feudalistic monarchy or a group of bandits & everything in between!
image.pngTake part in great RP driven stories & OR make your own fun and engaging events! All backed by the largest RP community in Pax Dei!
image.pngChoose to call BloodHaven home OR start your own city, hamlet or town nearby & engage with those within the Fellowship & beyond!
image.pngAquire space in the Moonlit Market to sell goods within BloodHaven. & many many more perks :)

Charter

In-Character vs Out-of-Character (IC/OOC) Separation:

What your character knows, thinks, feels, or does is not the same as what you (the player) know or feel & vice versa. Do not let OOC knowledge affect IC behavior.

image.pngIC and OOC are to remain separate. YOU ARE NOT YOUR CHARACTER. YOUR CHARACTER IS NOT YOU.
image.pngDo NOT use roleplay as a cover for personal attacks or harassment.
image.pngIC Actions Have IC Consequences ONLY. Actions in-character do NOT translate to OOC disputes. OOC and IC Separation Is Law.
image.pngPersonal feelings do NOT dictate IC interactions. No matter how you may feel OOC about something, your IC actions should have nothing to do with ANYTHING OOC!
image.pngThis is the GOLDEN rule of roleplay. Breaking this rule can cause serious issues, so it should NEVER be taken lightly.

Example:

image.pngWrong: You have a strong feeling OOC about something that happened to you IC & you mistreat others because of it. 
image.pngCorrect: You realize IC actions are PURLEY IC & do NOT represent another players OOC feelings towards you.
Keep real-life info out of your character’s brain.

Metagaming:

Using OOC knowledge to influence your IC decisions is strictly prohibited.

image.pngKeep in-character (IC) knowledge and out-of-character (OOC) knowledge separate.
image.pngJust because you OOC know something does NOT mean you know it IC. Just because you see a player on the map OOC does NOT mean your character can automatically see them.
image.pngDo NOT abuse alts to collect information. If you want the info send a REAL scout to collect the information.
image.pngDo NOT abuse game mechanics, bugs or exploits!

Example:

image.pngWrong: You saw someone mention a secret location OOC on a Discord chat. You go to that place IC as if your character magically knows where it is.
image.pngCorrect: Your character hasn’t learned about that location in the game yet, so you don’t act on OOC info until your character finds it organically.

Example:

image.pngWrong: You know of an exploit or game bug that gives you more information than your character would normally be able to acquire & use it to have an advantage.
image.pngCorrect: You avoid using exploits & or game bugs to your advantage. Instead choosing to act in good faith at all times.

If your character didn’t learn it, they can’t act on it.

Play Fair (No Powergaming or Godmodding):

Forcing an action or outcome on another character without giving them a chance to respond or react.,

image.pngAvoid making your character invincible, all-knowing, or always victorious.
image.pngAccept defeat and failure sometimes; it adds depth and realism to your character.

True roleplay is not about winning, it’s about telling a story worth remembering. Honor the moment, not just the outcome.

Respect Others and Their Characters:

Not everything is in YOUR control.

image.pngDon’t control other people’s characters without their permission (e.g., "Bob falls to the ground unconscious", unless you’re Bob’s player).
image.pngAlways get OOC consent for certain themes, especially combat, death, injury, or romance. Players are NOT required to accept all themes.
image.pngPlayers reserve the right to remove themselves from roleplay that makes them uncomfortable in any way.

You can’t control other people’s characters. Let them respond to what’s happening in their own way & respect their decisions.

Communicate OOC:

Roleplay is a shared experience.

image.pngUse OOC communication to clarify intent, resolve conflicts, or plan scenes.
image.pngBe polite and open to compromise when disagreements arise.
image.pngIf you are unsure of something, ask. For example, if you are unsure of whether someone said something IC or OOC, ask: ((Just checking, was that an IC or OOC message?))

OOC communication builds trust.

Stick to the Setting and Tone:

Consistency creates immersion.

image.pngFollow the rules of the world or genre you're in. Do your best to adhere to game lore.
image.pngIf you have custom lore, make it available to other players so they are not excluded.
image.pngDon’t introduce elements that break immersion unless agreed upon. This includes ‘lolrp’ which is immersion-breaking, OOC behavior.

Stay true to the setting and you strengthen the world for everyone inside it.

Don’t Spotlight Hog:

Roleplay is a shared stage.

image.pngGive others room to act and develop their stories.
image.pngShare the scene instead of always driving the plot or stealing the focus.
image.pngDo your best to make sure everyone can keep up. Typing speeds vary—give people time to write out their characters’ reactions and interactions before you send more emotes.
image.pngDo not introduce overly disruptive themes or events without proper planning. If someone plans a large roleplay event, it is not acceptable to interrupt their event with your own.

Slow down, share the scene, and let the story breathe for everyone involved.

Avoid Cliques:

Stories thrive when shared.

image.pngPrivate roleplay between characters is acceptable and encouraged. It allows strong bonds to form and relationships to take root. However, making others feel excluded and alone will not be tolerated. That is, avoid cliques.
image.pngDo your best to involve as many players as possible in order to maintain an inclusive and exciting roleplay environment.

A circle becomes a cage when it never opens.

Have Fun & Help Others Have Fun:

A great story is one we build together.

image.pngRemember that roleplay is a collaborative storytelling experience.
image.pngBe creative, be flexible, and help make the story better for everyone.

When fun is shared, stories flourish.