RULES

Sovereign’s Rest is a privately owned dark fantasy roleplay sim within Second Life. All rules, story decisions, and administrative matters are determined by Joseph Surface and the Sovereign’s Rest admin team.

This is an adult 18+ para and semi-para roleplay sim. Due to the mature and dark themes present within the setting, all players must be at least 18 years of age to participate.

All story content, lore, and original ideas created for Sovereign’s Rest are the intellectual property of the Sovereign’s Rest admin team.

All activity within the sim is also subject to and must comply with the Linden Lab Terms of Service.

All players are expected to read, understand, and follow the rules of Sovereign’s Rest. Ignorance of the rules will not be accepted as an excuse for rule violations.

General:

Roleplay, have fun, and treat all players with respect at all times.
Follow the established lore of Sovereign’s Rest.
Admin decisions are final.
Do not argue with other players. If you have an issue or concern, contact an admin. Disruptive behavior, OOC drama, bullying, or arguing with the staff will not be tolerated.
IN- CHARACTER, players may try to push or work around IC rules as long as they are willing to accept any in-character consequences for their character's actions if caught. ALL OOC rules must be followed.
Sovereign’s Rest contains dark and mature themes, including kidnapping, BDSM, violence, and sexual roleplay. If these themes are upsetting or uncomfortable for you, this sim may not be a good fit.
All player roleplay limits and boundaries must be respected at all times.

OOC:

Players are welcome to tour the sim before playing, just wear an OOC Tag. You may observe but do not interfere with any active roleplay.

RP HUDs:

Sovereign's Rest does not have a Roleplay hud.
Huds such as Bloodlines etc are not to be used while on sim.
Any special-effect HUDS must be approved by an admin before use on sim. These HUDs can cause lag and issues with roleplay, especially if they are used all the time.

Avatars

Avatars must be 3+ weeks old to play in Sovereign's Rest.
No Child-avatars. Adult characters only. All avatars and characters must appear and be 18+ years. (Players may be asked by an admin to change if there is an issue). Players may reference having children as NPCs, but children may not be played as active characters.
Not allowed: Robots/Cyborgs, Dragons, Ghost/Spirits, Furries, Non-humanoid aliens, Anime Characters, Avatars with high ARC counts, or oversized avatars.
No Hybrids: There are no Hybrids in Sovereign's Rest. Should you choose to roleplay a pregnancy with mixed species/races, the child will be take after ONE parent OR the other.
As a privately owned sim, Sovereign’s Rest reserves the right to deny or remove characters whose appearance disrupts the setting or player experience. This includes avatars with extreme or unrealistic body proportions, refusal to wear appropriate clothing, or characters that do not fit within the established lore and world setting.

Alts & MCAs

Players may use alternative characters (Alts) or Multiple Characters on one Avatar (MCA) within the sim provided they strictly adhere to the following regulations. Players that are found to violate these rules may be asked to remove the alternate character and may be prohibited from having other alternate characters.

Account Limit: Players are restricted to a maximum of 3 characters total per account.
Mandatory Application: Every character on the sim requires an individual, approved application. This includes each character used within an MCA setup.
Prohibited Behavior: All sim rules apply to all characters. Alts and MCAs cannot be used for metagaming, targeting players IC or OOC, bypassing roleplay consequences, or disrupting the lore and community environment.
Strict Separation: A player's characters must remain completely separate at all times. They are prohibited from having any IC contact, shared IC knowledge, or mutual connections. IC information is strictly locked to the specific character who acquired it.
Visual Separation: Alts and MCAs must look completely different from a player's other characters. Characters sharing an account or avatar cannot share similar visual designs, and must wear a titler at all times to clearly identify which character they are currently portraying.
Rental Restrictions: Only one character per player may own a rental property. Additional characters must reside within their regions or The Barrens.
Leadership Limitations: Only one character per player may be a business owner or hold an IC leadership role. Secondary characters are prohibited from taking on roles that require consistent availability for roleplay. Business owners are expected to be present to run their establishments, though no monetary fees are charged to run businesses in Sovereign's Rest.

General NPCs

We do have NPCs on the island. In fact, as you walk around the island in character, you can RP seeing other people going about their daily routine or spotting one of the beasts, etc. In the town and village, there will always be people around even at night. The Guards to the Overlord’s Castle or around the shimmering deep are always there.
You are free to roleplay interacting with these NPCs, but you may not control them. As a player, you may not roleplay actions toward an NPC that would make them appear incompetent, unprofessional, less authoritative, or out of character for what they are meant to be. For example, if you smack one of the Overlord’s guards on the backside, you would likely find yourself on the ground and under arrest; they would not flirt back.

Personal NPCs

There may be times when NPCs (Non-Player Characters) are needed for story or scene purposes. However, players should not use or introduce NPCs into roleplay without Admin permission unless specifically approved for the scene or storyline.

NPCs may not be used to establish a pack. Packs or other player groups must have 3 or more actual players.
Some characters may be assigned region guards to escort them to another region. Players must have permission from a Regent or Admin to have an NPC Guard. (Guards are under no obligation to escort anyone unless ordered by the Regents or Overlord.)
Players may not have personal NPC bodyguards. If you want to hire a bodyguard for your character, then it must be a real player.
NPCs for storylines must be approved by the admin before being brought into play
Players who own/run a business can establish their own NPCs working in the shops or on the farms for them. These NPCs cannot be used to fight for you. They will hide. (Mesh avatars may be used to represent them in a shop)
Some players may get assigned an NPC based on their abilities.

Sovereign's Rest is a consent-based sim, meaning all roleplay interactions require clear, mutual agreement between players before and during a scene. Consent in roleplay is the explicit OOC understanding of what will and will not happen, ensuring all participants are comfortable with the direction of the story.

Players must give consent before being involved in major roleplay storylines or sensitive content. This includes themes such as pregnancy, violence, torture, sexual content, and other mature or potentially triggering roleplay scenarios. ALL players involved in the scene must give consent.
There are places on the sim that, if you enter, you ARE agreeing that your character may be captured. In these cases, verbal consent is not needed.
Death - Any character deaths must be approved by the admin team, even if both players agree to it. No player has the right to kill your character; however, the admin team reserves this right in extreme cases.
IC Actions = IC Consequences. Characters are expected to face the consequences of their in-character actions. Repeatedly avoiding or refusing IC consequences may result in removal from the sim.

All participants within Sovereign’s Rest are expected to conduct themselves with maturity and respect. Players have the right to decline roleplay at any time and should not face criticism, pressure, or retaliation for choosing not to engage with a particular individual or storyline.

NOTE* This is not meant as a way to escape IC Consequences. If you engage players and cause an IC issue, you may not use this rule to refuse to RP the consequence of your action. If this is an issue, please reach out to an Admin for help. If things have become OOC hostile, we will not force players to play with each other, but the Admin will decide what the outcome of the roleplay is.

Personal Conflicts

Sovereign’s Rest does not tolerate stalking, bullying, harassment, or OOC drama. However, the admin team can only act on situations that are witnessed publicly within sim spaces or brought directly to our attention. Reports alone are not enough to result in a ban, but players are encouraged to report issues so staff are aware of the situation and can monitor for ongoing problems or rule violations.

Because logs, screenshots, and outside conversations can be altered or taken out of context, the sim cannot issue bans or punishments without reasonable proof. Players experiencing harassment should immediately report it to Linden Lab Support or to the platform where the harassment is occurring. Players are also encouraged to use block and mute features available through Second Life, social media, and other platforms. If a player has made the decision to block another player, that will be respected on sim.

If it is confirmed that players are intentionally spreading rumors, harassing others, or creating hostile OOC environments, all parties involved may be removed from the sim.

OOC Conflicts In a Scene

If a problem or disagreement happens during a roleplay scene, do not argue in character or OOC. Pause the scene and contact an admin. The pause should be clearly stated in local chat so all players involved know the scene is on hold.

Keep things civil and avoid disrupting the immersion with OOC arguments or hostility.
Once an admin arrives, staff will work with all players involved to help resolve the issue fairly.
Players should provide local chat logs when possible, preferably from more than one source, so admins can review the scene directly.
Only an admin may officially void a scene. This is something staff tries to avoid whenever possible, and we will instead work with players to find a reasonable solution so the story can continue.

In Sovereign’s Rest, two forms of combat are recognized: dice-based combat and roleplay fighting. We do not have character sheets or bonuses for different characters (they are already built into the dice HUD). This sim does not use any combat meters.

Players may choose to engage in roleplay combat; however, all participants must agree to this method. Roleplay combat is intended for smaller scenes involving two to four players. Larger-scale encounters with multiple participants will require the use of dice-based combat. If any player does not agree to roleplay fighting, the method of combat will default to dice. Players may request assistance from a combat moderator, who reserves the right to require a switch to dice combat if necessary.

Approved Weapons: Only medieval, traditional dark fantasy, and era-appropriate weaponry are permitted. Examples include swords, daggers, maces, warhammers, axes, spears, bows, and crossbows. Magic and racial abilities remain governed by the setting's lore rules.

DICE COMBAT:

There is a free Dice HUD in the landing area for all players to use. This has been set up for the characters in this sim and is the only approved Dice HUD for Sovereign's Rest.

Dice rolling is mandatory during tournaments and large group fight scenes.

We encourage players to use dice for creating spells, traps, or even practicing their abilities.

Our Dice HUD is set up to reflect the size of your character. Some characters may receive a boost, while others may lose some, depending on the circumstances. This is not something players can change mid-scene.

When using dice combat, fights are resolved using a best two out of three system, where the highest roll wins each round. Players roll against each other for up to three actions, and the player who wins two of those rounds is considered the winner of the fight scene.

Players may mutually agree to extend combat beyond three rounds for longer, more detailed roleplay scenes during a private roleplay session.

Dice Combat Example

FIRST POST

Player 1 posts an action and rolls the dice.

Player 2 rolls the dice in response (highest roll wins).

Outcome:

If Player 1 has the higher roll, their action is successful.

If Player 2 has the higher roll, they may successfully dodge or counter the action described.

SECOND POST

Player 2 makes a post containing two parts:

A response to Player 1’s action, reflecting the outcome of the previous roll.

Their next action (e.g., attack or attempt to flee).

Both players then roll the dice again (highest roll wins).

Outcome:

If Player 1 has the higher roll, they successfully defend or counter Player 2’s action.

If Player 2 has the higher roll, Player 1 takes a successful hit.

THIRD POST

Player 1 makes a post containing two parts:

A response to Player 2’s previous action, reflecting the outcome of the roll.
Their next action (e.g., attack or flee).

Both players roll the dice again.

Outcome:

The player who wins two out of the three rolls wins the fight.
If one player wins all three rolls, they are the clear victor.

Special Case:

If Player 2 wins all three rolls, one additional post may be made to finalize the outcome, allowing them to complete their final action.

Second Life Roleplay vs. Discord

In-World Focus: Sovereign’s Rest is a Second Life roleplay sim. All primary roleplay must take place in-world to be considered valid and canon.
Discord Limitations: Discord is for communication, coordination, and roleplay prompts. Short Discord scenes are permitted only to navigate real-life scheduling conflicts or continue minor character interactions.
Major Plot Rules: Major scenes and storyline outcomes must happen in-world. Lore connected to the sim cannot be decided off-sim without the involvement and knowledge of all affected players.
Voided Scenes: Discord roleplay will be voided if it takes place in a public sim area, or if it involves another player's home or business without explicit consent.

OOC Chat Rules

Drama-Free Zones: The in-world and Discord Out-of-Character (OOC) groups are spaces to chill and enjoy collaborative storytelling. Keep these channels respectful, welcoming, and entirely free of personal drama.
No Controversial Topics: Discussions on real-world politics, religion, or other topics that might be considered controversial will not be tolerated, regardless of your stance. Second Life is an escape from real-world conflict. If anyone in the chat expresses discomfort over the conversation, please respectfully stop or change the topic.
Handling Disputes: Do not attempt to call out or humiliate other community members in public OOC chat. If you have an in-character disagreement or a player dispute you cannot resolve, use brackets ((OOC)) to keep it minimal in-world, or private message an admin staff member directly for help.
No Solicitations: Do not advertise other roleplay sims or ask community members for Linden dollars/money in our OOC channels.
Enforcement: Players will receive one formal warning for disruptive OOC behavior. Continued infractions will result in being muted or permanently removed from the communication groups

In-World Chat & Etiquette

Local Chat Default: All standard roleplay should occur in local chat.
Private Scenes: Explicit sexual scenes inside rental homes—or private spaces where you can't be overheard—should stay strictly in IMs. If you choose to roleplay an explicit scene in a public spot, it must be done in local chat so others can naturally interact with you. Choosing a public setting means accepting all the in-character risks of getting caught, including interruptions, witness reactions, or guards intervening.
Preventing Text Confusion: If two independent public scenes overlap in the same local chat range, please move your characters apart to keep the text logs clean and readable.
No Gesture Spam: Attachments, objects, or gestures that produce disruptive sounds, text spam, or shouting are strictly forbidden on the sim. This includes items attached to your avatar, vehicles, and rental units.
Roleplay Groups: Use the in-world Roleplay Group or the Discord "Roleplay Lures" channel exclusively to post active roleplay hooks and attract scene partners. Keep all chat within these specific groups strictly in-character (IC).

Sovereign’s Rest is a dark adult fantasy sim built on regional conflict, political sabotage, and faction rivalries. Official sim capture is governed by the Overlord and Regents under regional law purely for political leverage, territory control, and story progression—it is a temporary, 72-hour narrative tool, not a system for permanent captivity or traditional Gorean structures, and being captured should never carry the expectation of ERP.

While private capture and personal ownership roleplay are fully permissible by mutual OOC consent between players, personal permanent slavery is not recognized or enforced by the IC government or regional law.

In the island's early days, those caught trespassing or stealing resources were thrown into holding cells. Because isolation failed to deter crime or build loyalty, the Overlord turned captives over to regional Regents to pay their debts through hard labor and forced service within the territories they wronged. To enforce this, the Overlord forged massive regional statues, which Morrigan and the Hollowed Eye Circle infused with binding magic. Captives are brought before the statue of the region where they were caught, where they are magically bound to the land. Once the magic is awakened, a plain metal collar, cuff, or bracer releases from the monument and is secured onto the captive. This living ward defies all physical strength and magic, remaining unbreakable for seventy-two hours unless removed early by the Overlord, the Regent, or Morrigan. If a captive tries to cross regional borders, the magic delivers a brutal shock that intensifies with each subsequent attempt until they drop unconscious. The ward also blocks access to restricted local areas unless explicit permission is granted, though a Regent, aided by a Morveth, can temporarily alter the magic for supervised travel beyond the borders.

See below for a guide to the ritual.

Capture & Captivity Guidelines

When your character is captured, you must choose between two types of captivity. Official sim capture lasts for a maximum of 3 days (72 hours real-time), regardless of the type of captivity. While players may mutually agree OOC to extend captivity beyond 72 hours, neither OOC Sim Staff nor IC regional governments will assist or enforce any captivity agreements past the 72-hour limit.

Characters are subject to capture for trespassing into other territories, raiding rival regions, stealing regional resources, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. See below for more information on locations.

Combat Defeat: You must roleplay the physical effects of losing a fight. Immediate escape attempts or forcing a consecutive second dice fight are banned.

Public Actions: Publicly beating a captive or having public sex triggers organic IC reactions, including captor arrest.

Pregnancy/Major Lore: Permanent, high-consequence story elements require explicit, mutual OOC consent.

The Release: When the 72 hours end, the jewelry is returned. Players have 3 post-rounds to exit the territory safely before becoming catchable again.

NO L$: There is an absolute ban on any L$ Transactions involving captivity.

NOTE: While Sovereign's Rest Administration will not OOC interfere in personal roleplay, do note that permanent, personal slavery is not recognized or enforced IC'ly by the Region or Island's government. "Ownership" or "Responsibility" over a person is not acknowledged, and every individual is responsible for their own actions and subject to consequences and punishment. NOT GOR: Traditional Gorean master/slave laws and protocols are not part of the lore, systems, or culture in Sovereign's Rest. Players may privately roleplay those dynamics, but public Gorean-style behaviors and etiquette (nudity, inappropriate clothing, public sex, etc) face strict IC legal consequences.

REGION CAPTIVE (DEFAULT)

Binding Ritual: All regional captives MUST undergo the Binding Ritual for captivity to be effective. This ritual utilizes enchanted jewelry that binds captives to the region and physically/magically prohibits them from leaving its borders.
Managed By: The regional Regent or Overlord.
Location & Freedom: Assigned a regional job (listed on the respective Region pages) and permitted to move freely within that region's borders.
Public Holding Cells: Public cells are available in regional hubs if a captive prefers to sit in a cell rather than work a job. (Note: Cell usage is limited and reserved for specific narrative needs).
Labor & Contribution: Regional captives contribute directly to the faction through assigned duties.
Freedom Tournaments: Captives can choose to fight in the local arena instead of working. Winning grants instant freedom. Losing adds 3 extra days to captivity and reinstates the work obligation.

PERSONAL CAPTIVE

Binding Ritual: Optional
Managed By: An individual captor.
LIMIT: 1 Captive per Captor
Location & Freedom: Interactions and captivity are managed directly with your individual captor.
Boundary Rule: Moving captives off-sim is strictly prohibited.
Inactivity Fallback: If your personal captor fails to show up, becomes MIA, or is unavailable during the capture period, your character automatically defaults back to a Region Captive under the regional Regent's authority.
Pre-RP Talk: Captors and captives must hold an OOC discussion immediately after capture to align on limits and kinks. If preferences clash, the captive must be handed to the Regent.

Territories & Safe Zones

Territory Borders are marked by small walls, fences, or other border markings, and active NPC guards.
Automatic OOC Consent: Entering a designated Capture Area or trespassing into an opposing region constitutes automatic OOC consent to in-character capture and its full IC consequences; individual player consent is not required in these zones.
The Wilderness/Barrens are high-risk zones where capture is decided by OOC agreement or losing a combat dice fight.
Safe Zones: The Village, The Stone Circle, private rentals, and your home region (matching your active group tag).

Capture Zones & Territory Rules

Automatic OOC Consent: Entering a designated Capture Area, unauthorized restricted zone, or foreign territory constitutes trespassing unless you have explicit permission or a Guard escort assigned directly by the Regent or Overlord. By crossing these boundaries, you automatically grant OOC consent to IC capture and all associated consequences without requiring individual player consent.

Designated Capture Boundaries

Lumina Glade: Behind the mist.
The Shadow Realm: Inside the rift.
The Docks: Behind the walls.
The Palace: Unless explicitly invited inside, players may not enter the palace.

Favored Areas & Guest Rules

Each Favored character is permitted only one (+1) guest inside Favored areas (including the Village Favored Area).
Guests must be accompanied by their host at all times.
Non-Favored characters found unescorted in Favored areas will be immediately arrested/captured under automatic consent.

Danger Zones

The Woods, The Barrens, & The Deadlands

These areas aren’t part of any set region, but they are still dangerous. Characters of all races roam here, so walking through means you're putting your character at risk. If you lose a fight in these areas, you've been captured.

Safe Zones

The Village, Private Rentals, & The Stone Circle

You’re free to hang out in these spots anytime. Just keep in mind: The Village is only unsafe if you're actively doing crimes or if the Overlord makes an IC rule change.

Captivity Ritual

Simple cages failed to teach loyalty or repay lost resources. To settle debts through forced regional labor, the Overlord and Morrigan created enchanted regional statues that leash captives directly to the land. Bound captives are fitted with plain metallic jewelry—collars, cuffs, or bracers—that physically and magically prohibit them from escaping across regional borders. Attempting to cross boundaries triggers escalating, painful shocks until the captive falls unconscious.

To activate the binding, the captive is brought before the regional statue, accompanied by a Regent, a Hollowed Eye Circle member, or an NPC guard. A black stone placed into the statue awakens its magic. Forced or willing, the moment the captive touches the monument, energy drains from their body, leaving them too weak to resist. The statue instinctively senses the target's true identity, making false names useless. Simple, unadorned metal jewelry is then secured, locking the captive to the region for 72 hours unless released early by the Overlord, Regent, or Morrigan.

Jewelry Selection: Players may choose plain collars or cuffs/bracers. Scripted items are permitted but optional and not provided by the sim.

Time Limits: The ritual must happen immediately post-capture. If roleplay is paused, captors have 24 hours to complete the scene. If an active capture scene stalls for 2 hours (real-time) without starting the ritual, the captive gains the right to attempt an escape (large multi-player events are exempt)

Roleplay Etiquette Rules are a commonly practiced set of guidelines put in place to ensure scenes run smoothly and remain respectful. They are designed to give every player an equal opportunity to participate and help build a fun, fair story. We expect everyone who chooses to play at Sovereign's Rest to follow these guidelines.

Ignoring these rules disrupts scenes, causes hard feelings between players, and triggers moderation calls. Your actions may even force the admin team to retcon or completely void the scene.

Entering an Active Scene

Wait One Round: Before you write your first post in an active scene, wait for every player there to turn in one round of posts.
The Ghost Rule: If you do not post into a scene, your character was never there. No one in the scene can acknowledge seeing you or react to your avatar until you write your entry post. You may not RP that you were there or that you witnessed anything in the scene.
Respect Closed Doors: If a scene is happening inside a private house or behind closed doors, ask OOC if the area is unlocked before entering.
Respect the Scene Setter: The players who were in the space before you get to set the scene. Do not inject new atmospheric details (like background music, smells, weather, or extra witnesses) into a space that someone else is already establishing. Read their descriptions and react to the environment they built.

Exiting a Scene

Don't Hit and Run: After you post that your character is leaving, keep your avatar in place for one full round of typing. This gives other players a fair opportunity to react to your departure before you walk away.

Pacing, Turn Order, and Speed

Follow the Entry Order: In small scenes (6 players or fewer), follow a strict posting rotation based on who entered the space first. This keeps the text organized and stops players from typing over one another. Late arrivals must slot themselves directly at the bottom of the order.

Keep the Flow Moving: Aim to turn in your posts within 5 minutes. Regularly taking over 10 minutes stalls group play and ruins the scene for everyone else. If real life pulls you away suddenly, drop a quick Out-of-Character note in local chat using double brackets ((AFK)).

Mind the Crowd: In large scenes (more than 6 players), a strict turn order is not required, but you must stay mindful of pacing.

Observing: Once you post your character into a scene, if you choose not to get actively involved, limit your remaining posts. Writing an entry post lets everyone note that your character is in the space, but if you are just sitting back to watch, keep your future turns to 1-2 short sentences or use an OOC note like ((Observing, skip me)). Do not take up a full post turn if you do not intend to actively contribute to the scene or get involved, as this stalls the momentum for everyone else.

Side Conversations: If you are only interacting with one specific person inside a crowded room, coordinate your timing via Instant Message (IM) before posting in local chat.

Godmoding, Metagaming, & Powergaming

Godmoding: Never control another player’s character or dictate their thoughts and feelings. Every offensive or physical action toward another character must be written as an attempt (e.g., "attempting to grab their arm" or "aiming for their nose"). Never write the final impact or force a hit to land.

Metagaming: Keep Out-of-Character (OOC) knowledge out of the game. This includes not only OOC private discussions among players, but also in-world scenes. Your character only knows what they can realistically see and hear in their immediate space. Even if you see text in your chat log because other players are in range, your character cannot react to conversations happening across a noisy tavern, inside another room, or behind closed doors. For example, If a fight breaks out across the room, your character could see the physical action, but unless they post "shouting", they would not know why it started or what was said. If your character could not realistically hear the details, they cannot use that information.

Powergaming: Play fairly and accept consequences. Your character is not invincible. You must allow other players a fair chance to dodge, react, or fight back.

Thought Posts & Inner Monologues

Balance Your Writing: A few internal thoughts can add great color and flavor to your writing, but posts that are all thought are completely unacceptable. Every post must include a visible action or spoken dialogue so other players have something to react to.

No Hidden Insults: You cannot use inner thoughts to insult or pass judgment on nearby characters. If your character dislikes someone, express it openly through your spoken words, facial expressions, or physical gestures so the other player has a fair chance to reply.

The Consequences: If complaints arise about a player abusing thought posts to insult others, the admin team reserves the right to declare those thoughts fully audible in-character knowledge.

Rules

​General:

OOC:

RP HUDs:

General: