H/03 · The laws of the Corps
The Book of Oa
DC Excelsior is built for collaborative, literate roleplay. Every Lantern reads the Book before posting: respect your writing partners, give every scene your will and keep the story organized, sector by sector.
The Lantern's oath
The whole Book, in four lines. Every chapter after this one is the long version.
Chapter I · Among Lanterns
Chapter I: Community Conduct
A Lantern's first duty is to the Corps. Out of character, every member of DC Excelsior is a fellow Lantern, whatever their character has sworn to fight.
Article I:Respect
Rule 1.1. Respect every member
In short: No insults, harassment or provocation outside the story.
All members must treat each other with respect. Insults, harassment, personal attacks, discrimination and deliberate provocation outside roleplay are not allowed.
Rule 1.2. Separate the character from the writer
In short: A feud on the page is never a feud between writers.
Conflict between characters must never become conflict between users. A hostile character does not mean the writer behind them is hostile.
Article II:Out of character
Rule 1.3. Discord is the main OOC channel
In short: Plot, coordinate and ask your questions on Discord.
General coordination, quick questions, plotting agreements and out-of-character conversation should happen primarily on Discord.
Rule 1.4. Use common sense
In short: When in doubt, ask the Guardians first.
If something could damage another member's experience, start unnecessary drama or disrupt the organization of the roleplay, ask staff first.
Chapter II · The writer's code
Chapter II: Roleplay Standards
The ring chose you for your will. Show it in the writing: every reply is a construct your partners have to stand on.
Article I:Fair play
Rule 2.1. No metagaming
In short: Your character only knows what they learned in the story.
Your character cannot know information they did not learn in roleplay. Out-of-character knowledge never becomes in-character knowledge.
Rule 2.2. No godmodding
In short: Never write another player's character for them.
Do not control another player's actions, thoughts, injuries, decisions or reactions without their permission.
Rule 2.3. No powergaming
In short: Leave every partner room to answer.
Do not force impossible outcomes, dodge everything, always win or write results that leave another player no room to respond.
Article II:Sharing a scene
Rule 2.4. No one-liners
In short: Literate replies only: give your partners something to build on.
DC Excelsior is written for novella and literate roleplayers. Replies should give your partners enough detail, action, emotion and material to continue the scene.
Extremely short, one-line replies are not accepted as the standard for roleplay.
Rule 2.5. Respect the reply order
In short: Post in turn, and never skip a writer.
When a scene has several participants, respect the posting order. Do not skip another writer unless everyone agrees or the scene is clearly paused.
Rule 2.6. Sensitive scenes require consent
In short: Everyone agrees first, and anyone can stop it.
Violent, traumatic, romantic or emotionally intense scenes require the agreement of every user involved. If someone wants to stop, respect that immediately.
Chapter III · Ring Selection
Chapter III: Characters
A ring only chooses a bearer the Guardians have read. Every character is filed in Ring Selection and approved by staff before it takes flight.
Article I:Approval
Rule 3.1. An approved character is required
In short: No approved character, no open scenes.
Only users with at least one approved character may take part in open scenes. Pending or denied characters do not unlock roleplay.
Rule 3.2. Ring Selection is for review
In short: Only staff reply to character files.
Any user may submit a character to Ring Selection for staff review. Replies on character files are reserved for admins and moderators, to approve, deny or request corrections.
Article II:Canon characters
Rule 3.3. Canons cannot be dropped at once
In short: Keep a canon for at least two weeks.
An accepted canon character cannot be dropped until at least two weeks have passed since it was acquired. This stops users from taking a canon, abandoning it shortly after approval and cycling straight into another.
Rule 3.4. A second canon must be earned
In short: One week and three different scenes come first.
A user who has taken a canon cannot take another until one week has passed since the first was acquired and they have posted in at least three different roleplay threads with it.
The forum checks both requirements automatically before it opens the second canon application.
Chapter IV · Posts, media and the sectors
Chapter IV: Forum Content
Every scene belongs to a sector, and every post is read by the whole Corps. Keep the board organized, readable and within its limits.
Article I:Placement and rating
Rule 4.1. Post in the right sector
In short: A scene in Coast City belongs in Coast City.
Every open scene must be posted in the correct location of The Sectors, the roleplay world board. If the scene happens in Coast City, it belongs inside Coast City.
Rule 4.2. No explicit sexual content
In short: Explicit sexual content is never allowed.
Explicit sexual content is not allowed on the forum. If the rules on mature content are ever expanded, they will come with separate limits, restricted areas and clear moderation.
Article II:Posts and media
Rule 4.3. Use the post editor safely
In short: Format for the reader, and never imitate staff.
Roleplay posts may use the editor toolbar for emphasis, quotes, spoilers, separators, limited colors, links and images. Formatting must stay readable and must never imitate staff controls.
Rule 4.4. Media must serve the scene
In short: Images, GIFs and music support the story, never disrupt it.
Images, GIFs and music should enhance the roleplay without bothering other users. Offensive, explicit, disruptive or jump-scare media is not allowed.
Rule 4.5. No spam
In short: No floods, empty posts or advertising.
Do not flood sectors, replies, notifications or posts with repeated, empty, promotional or unrelated content.
Chapter V · The Guardians
Chapter V: Staff and Moderation
The Guardians keep the Book. On DC Excelsior the staff are the Guardians and the moderators are the Honor Guard, and every Lantern answers to the same laws.
Article I:The official word
Rule 5.1. The Citadel Dispatch is official
In short: Announcements and events come from staff only.
Announcements and events are posted by staff only, in the Citadel Dispatch. Members may read them, but they are not roleplay zones and should not be treated as normal threads.
Article II:Enforcement
Rule 5.2. Staff may moderate content
In short: The Guardians and the Honor Guard can edit, lock, move or delete.
Admins and moderators may edit, lock, move or delete content that breaks the rules, disrupts the community or damages the structure of the forum.
Rule 5.3. Breaking the rules has consequences
In short: From a warning to a permanent ban, by severity and repetition.
Depending on severity and repetition, breaking the rules may result in warnings, posting restrictions, content removal, temporary bans or permanent bans.