Rules | Echoes in the Maples

Members must be 15 or older. This applies to both the EITM website and Discord server.
Absolutely no NSFW content. Sexual content, pornography, sexual jokes, innuendos, and references originating from NSFW material are prohibited. Spoilers, censorship, or calling something a joke do not make it acceptable.
No hate speech, slurs, or discriminatory behavior. This includes ableism, stereotypes, and humor that targets someone’s identity or disability.
Respect players and their boundaries. Do not harass, threaten, pressure, or guilt others. Character conflict is not permission for player conflict.
No public venting. Casual complaints are fine, but heavy personal disclosures, repeated excessive negativity, and guilt-seeking comments do not belong in public spaces. Ask permission before venting in someone’s DMs.
No intentional spam. Casual rambling and playful GIF exchanges are welcome in appropriate spaces. Repeated messages, copypasta, and one-person spam are not.
Keep public conversations in English for moderation. Individual phrases and discussions about other languages are welcome, but full conversations should move to DMs.
Respect staff and avoid minimodding. Friendly guidance is appreciated. Do not issue unofficial warnings, threaten punishments, or act as staff when you are not.

Written and drawn fictional gore is allowed. Ordinary RP descriptions of blood, injuries, and hunting do not require spoilers. Graphic artwork should include a clear warning and spoiler.
Real-life gore and graphic violence are prohibited. Other potentially triggering real-life images or text require a clear content warning and spoiler.
Label every spoiler. State why something is hidden, including movie spoilers or spoilers used for a joke. On Discord, place || around the hidden content.
Keep alcohol and cannabis discussion brief and spoilered. Casual passing mentions are allowed, but extended discussion or pressuring anyone to participate is not. Discussion of other recreational drugs is prohibited; medical prescriptions are excluded from that restriction.
Credit artwork and bases. Art you did not create must have appropriate credit and permission. Credit alone does not authorize using someone’s artwork. Do not use images found online unless you have the right to use them or the artist explicitly permits that use.
No server advertising or server links. General server-building advice is allowed, but indirect or disguised promotion is not.
Other advertising requires staff permission. You must be active and have been a member for more than one month before requesting advertising access.
Do not copy EITM’s original materials or systems. Do not reproduce its written rules, custom system materials, code, or assets for another community. General ideas are fine. Ask staff if you are unsure where the boundary falls.

Follow the official Design Guide. Character colors, markings, and restricted traits must meet its requirements and match the character’s official roll.
All character references must use the EITM base. Credit Nich for the base. Do not trace it. Small edits are allowed, but the reference must remain on the approved base.
Characters must be domestic cats. Wild cats, big cats, and wildcat hybrids are prohibited. Purebred Clan cats must have kittypet ancestry.
No supernatural anatomy or personal powers. Wings, extra tails, additional limbs, personal prophetic abilities, and special StarClan or Dark Forest connections are not allowed as character-design features.
Realistic physical disabilities are welcome. There is no numerical cap on physical disabilities, but the combination must be realistic and portrayed respectfully.
Mental disabilities must be portrayed through symptoms and experiences, not diagnostic labels. Avoid stereotypes, mocking portrayals, or using a condition as shorthand for an evil or dangerous personality.
Small, natural accessories are allowed. Larger accessories require staff approval. Accessories must remain appropriate for a cat and the setting.
Use semi-realistic Warrior Cats names. Names should suit the world and the character’s approved background.
Create characters with strengths and limitations. Do not make a character unbeatable, universally admired, or automatically successful. Their abilities and behavior must remain consistent with their approved profile.

Use official website rolls for character creation. Do not substitute self-made rolls or alter rolled traits without approval.
Characters start as kits unless adult-character openings are available. Follow the current opening requirements before applying for an adult.
Every character needs an approved application before canon RP. Approval covers the submitted design and background. Draft and pending characters cannot participate in canon roleplay.
Players may belong to one Clan at a time. You may switch Clans only when you have no active characters in your current Clan. Outsider characters do not count toward this restriction.
Each player may hold only one high-ranking position at a time. This limit applies across their characters, not separately to each character.
Keep NPCs limited to necessary background roles. Name immediate family and important story characters rather than creating large unrelated casts. Coordinate shared NPCs with other players where appropriate.
NPC references must clearly say “NPC.” Related designs must follow EITM’s inheritance requirements for primary colors and parental traits.
Inactivity may result in archiving. Characters archive after 30 real-life days without qualifying activity. An approved hiatus extends the grace period to 90 days.
Archiving does not erase character history. Returning to play does not reset injuries, relationships, inventory, or other connected records.

Write in third person, preferably past tense. Keep the selected character’s POV clear.
Ordinary scenes are open. Anyone whose character can reasonably reach the location may join unless a staff-run event explicitly says otherwise. Private planning does not close a public scene.
Read before joining. Respect existing posts, participants, and events. Do not place your character into events that happened before their arrival.
No metagaming or powerplaying. Your character only knows what they have reasonably learned in roleplay. Write their attempts without deciding another character’s actions, thoughts, feelings, or responses.
Respect established characterization. Do not roleplay another player’s character or portray them in ways that contradict their established traits without permission.
Keep Clan information private. Do not share private Clan chats, secrets, or unannounced events outside the Clan. Major information should spread through in-character word of mouth or Gathering announcements.
Adult and minor players may not have romantically involved characters. This restriction is based on the players’ ages. The exception is an existing pairing between two minor players when one turns 18.
All romance must remain nonsexual. The relationship exception does not change the absolute ban on NSFW content.
Do not force lasting character changes. Death, permanent injuries, relationships, and major history changes require the affected owner’s agreement.
Apprentices must have a mentor and roleplay with them at least once. This is a minimum participation rule, not a replacement for graduation requirements.
Let affected players respond. Do not stack attacks or consequences before someone can react. Follow declared turn order in combat and organized events.
Keep writing consistent with the character and world. Approved abilities, injuries, age, terrain, weather, and resources should matter.

Use official website systems and outcomes. Do not invent rolls, rewards, supplies, or completed activity.
No rerolling to avoid consequences. Do not refresh, abandon, or repeat an action to escape an inconvenient result. Complete required RP responses before claiming rewards.
Use approved stats and published modifiers. Base stats range from 0–7. Final prompt totals cap at 12. Follow the specific activity’s displayed outcome.
Respect recorded locations and travel restrictions. Use movement controls and required routes. An RP post does not override a rejected or unfinished journey.
Use the recorded combat result. Select Training before practice combat. Do not retroactively remove real damage or invent a successful pull-back.
Injury alone does not prohibit activity. Characters above 0 HP may still act. At 0 HP, they are knocked out and cannot fight, hunt, patrol, forage, or explore until recovered. Knockout is not automatic death.
Do not duplicate or invent resources. Follow current prey and herb availability, inventory limits, treatment requirements, and feeding rules.
Requests are not approvals. Wait for confirmation before claiming a promotion, special role, mentor assignment, or other restricted change. Actual in-RP litters require staff approval.
Follow event rules and authorized Clan leadership. Gathering peace rules apply. Attacking the Starseer is treated as attacking StarClan. Only authorized ranks may speak officially for their Clan.
Report errors instead of exploiting them. Stop if an action may have duplicated a reward or produced a conflicting record. Do not conceal evidence or edit a completed failure into a success.
EITM uses a three-warning system. Receiving three warnings results in a ban. Serious violations may result in an immediate ban without prior warnings.
Bans apply across EITM. A ban from the Discord server also means a ban from the website.