So you want to join the Caravan! You’ve read the foundation and the mission statement, and feel that you’d like to give us a whirl. We’d love to have you - so here are the two most important features of the DFC System that you will need to integrate into your gameplay to get started with us, and then some ideas on how to join IC’ly. If you’ve never created an RP character before, we’d be pleased to help; more info on that as you go.
In order for the DFC System to differentiate from clearly mortal NPCs (workers, barmaids, tellers.. etc.), and those who wish to RP mortals (the level 10 tailor, the bard, the coffee vendor), we have extrapolated from the actuality of a game world that has two classes of inhabitants - those that can resurrect and those that cannot.
The various races have their own, cultural specific description, but all acknowledge the Common Tongue word: “Chosen”
When joining DFC, you must accommodate for this in your back story. Keep in mind that at this time, once a character becomes Chosen, they then have access to the leveling process, and through that, extraordinary abilities. Perhaps they do not avail themselves of it, or perhaps they stop partway through. There is no official understanding of this process. Like many things in life, the sense of it is not always readily apparent.
There are three exceptions to this: WotLK Death Knights and Gilnean Worgen. Fordring’s “gift” to the Ebon Blade and the Kaldorei ceremony for the Worgen, resulted in becoming Chosen for all participants, and lastly Demon Hunters, who were once Chosen, but now can only be killed in the Twisting Nether.
It is important to note that becoming Chosen does not exempt a character from injury or death. It merely gives access to powers and training that those not Chosen cannot take part in.
Becoming Chosen does not alter reproduction for said individual in any way and offspring may or may not become Chosen.
Not all activities that a Chosen partake in give them access to their abilities. While certain activities can be counted on to allow the full power of the Chosen to be exercised (any instanced activity, questing), but perhaps not that covert foray into Silvermoon, nor that argument with the merchant. The main purpose to this is to accommodate the interaction of the DFC system with role-players that are not a part of the System. In this way, you may keep within the System, while at the same time having a bar fight with a more traditional role-player. A simple /em “Tanarith’s first instinct was to place himself in the state of Blade Flurry, but it was not to be. Clearly a Chosen need not his powers to show these fools to the floor.” and you’ve satisfied a nod to the System, and can proceed to engage the other players in a style preferred to them. The goal of the DFC System is inclusiveness.
Work into your character the core component of the DFC System: being “Chosen”. There are many paths to take with this. Examples are:
In all cases, especially for the older races, you are most likely not applying to the guild at birth. So you need to take your backstory and pinpoint when you would have become Chosen.
You may have been chosen a long time ago, and rejected it, choosing not to train. Now there is a trigger reason that you wish to move forward.
You may have been training, but something occurred and you stopped for a time.
DFC refers to all instances as “pockets” reflecting that time is trapped in these locations. They are sealed, a permanent recording of the last struggles that occurred there. It is a holographic recording that we can interact with, but only in a prescribed manner. There is no Lore constraint that states that the passageways of time can only manifest in the Caverns.
We extend this to the questing path, which we refer to as training. Being Chosen isn’t an easy task, and no one, Horde or Alliance wants you mucking up the scenery - so you are trained up in the same manner as those who have come before you. There are things you need to learn beyond your abilities, and such can only be learned through repetition. Things such as: dying, pain loads, the mental adjustment to being, while not immortal, potentially very close to.
I feel a bit of a conceptual fuzziness to this is acceptable. In real time there is talk of training, what level your trainer has said you’ve accomplished, etc. In game, it is enough to acknowledge that there is a training path, and that this path is trod by all (give or take a class/race specific quest or more). You can gather in a tavern and speak about quests that you’ve all done, and there is the understanding that this is “normal”, and something that only the Chosen experience. The underlying assumption is that these small pockets of time are constructed and maintained by the Kirin Tor for the benefit of all. However, this is not explicitly known, proven or questioned. It is just the way things are. It is open for perusal in RP.
This is a core story arc component for the Caravan, due to Mossclaw’s conclusions drawn from her research regarding this phenomena. It is for these beliefs that she positions her guild to support and create better fighters to venture into these pockets. There are a few ways for an incoming character to interact with this aspect of the DFC System.
Your character has been doing parallel research and already agrees with Mossclaw’s conclusions.
Your character has been doing parallel research, but has drawn different conclusions.
Your character has no idea and does not (at the time of joining) interact with these pockets.
Your character interacts, but has no memory of specifics. (purposeful muddling) May begin to have questions regarding the mental health of Mossclaw and other members as they learn about the goals of the Caravan. May begin to question their own mental health when trying to hold a conversation about what activity they just engaged in.
The actual nitty-gritty of Mossclaw’s conclusions (they are explicit) I leave to unfold naturally to each character that joins the Caravan, based on their interactions within the group.
We RP the process, so there are several lines of approach a potential member could take.
Deep Forest Caravan has placed themselves on the Guild Master’s lists as looking for members. Mossclaw and her Officers have left their personal communication line open to those not personally known to her (ie: /w). You would find their names via the Guild Master’s lists or word of mouth (literally). For more complex approaches or assistance, feel free to OOC us and work something up.
Note that if your story work up to join is lengthy, we are happy to extend our guild tag OOC (no guild chat use) in the interim if you desire. Joining the site is extended to you when you commit to testing the waters, regardless of when you pick up the tag in-game.
Once you carry the Caravan’s name, we expect that all outward signs of OOC behavior will cease for that character.
Not everyone can jump in with both feet and say “Sure I’ll change overnight and walk everywhere!”. Here are some tips to make your integration more palatable.
Yes. I walk from the Darnassus AH to the Bank. No. You do not have to. Merely walk to a suitable spot away from others that has the needed room for your mount type to reasonably launch, mount and fly over to the bank, making sure not to land on anyone (tip: hover for a moment until the NPCs are visible - this takes care of 99% of all lag mistakes), dismount and walk up to the teller. Same formula for quest givers in the field - jog up to them if you wish, just walk the last few paces.
Yes, sometimes you just want to hang out and play with items that Blizzard has made that do not fit into the storyline that you’ve created for your characters. Instances are your friend as well as remote dead zones. Instances are more fool proof, however. We all need to goof off or work on macros and/or emotes sometime.
Let your friends know that you are moving all OOC communications into “hidden” channels. No more (( amg, Weak Auras isn’t loading - brb)) in /s
If you have any question if what you want to discuss is IC or OOC, just use our OOC channel. If it is an appropriate question for IC, one of our other members with more time in service will respond to you in Guild Chat as if you had asked there. It is a stress free way of learning how to phrase things for IC when you are getting to know the System.
Our OOC channel is busy. Just because we are all RAWR RP, doesn’t mean that we discourage the use of OOC in our daily interactions. We wish to create close-knit ties.
The most important thing: Please do not join our guild with the idea that you will act outside of the concept during the hours that no-one else is in-game. You carry the tag. We ask that you please respect what we are trying to build. We are more than willing to work with you to craft a character that is enjoyable to play, and fits in.
To apply - http://dfc.guildlaunch.com/recruiting/create_apply.php?gid=287297
If you have never created an RP character before, simply state that in the sections that request background information and we will be happy to assist. Do work up ideas as to what sort of person your character is, regardless of background. (ie: brooding, happy, reserved, outgoing, etc.)
Thank you and we look forward to greeting you!
