Immersion Policy
Last Updated 5/16/23
Per our mission statement, Shadow Accord strives to be an Immersive game; this means everyone works together to create and maintain an in-game space that allows for suspension of disbelief, creative agency, emotional expression, and social interaction. (See the Mission Statement)
In order to support the medieval atmosphere of the game, Crew offers the following policies and guidance for players when they think about what garb, food, deco and personal props they plan to bring into game.
Garb
Garb should be inspired by clothing worn in Europe between the 12th and 15th centuries 1100 to 1400 CE). If your character is from outside of Europe, keep to what that culture would wear at this time period. Keep in mind what colors were available: there was no neon, no denim, and even the color purple was expensive and rare (so its presence needs an in-game justification). No visible corsets, ren-faire like costumes, and please, no codpieces.
Examples (This is not a cohesive list and should not be regarded as what all garb is allowed in game.):
1100s, 1300s, and 1050s
PriorAttire (An excellent historical costuming channel!) 1100s, 9th to 15th century
All garb should fit well and be comfortable to move in. Dress for the weather as well, as rain is common in the Seattle area.
Mobility and Accessibility Aids
All and any mobility or accessibility aids are welcomed at game with no question if a player requires one. They are welcomed to be decorated if possible, but this is not required. If you need additional accessibility accommodations, please contact the Safety Team.
Footwear
Sturdy, waterproof boots are recommended. Footwear should first of all keep your feet warm and dry; being period appropriate is not necessary. If you wear shoes or boots that are obviously anachronistic, consider shoe covers [Example here]
Masks
Essentially, a mask needs to quickly and clearly convey what it's supposed to be. The silhouette is important. Masks should not be worn on top of the head unless they're indicating a face growing out of the top of your head. If you are wearing glasses, it’s acceptable to give your mask larger eye holes or to wear a mask that covers the bottom half of your face.
Medical masks are allowed to be worn without question if a player would prefer to. Do try to refrain from wearing brightly colored/patterned masks.
Makeup
Some rules mechanics include makeup requirements. See the rulebook for those requirements. No one needs to be a master at SFX makeup, just do your best to suggest the features described in the rulebook.
As stated in the Code of Conduct, coloring your skin (darkening or lightening) to effectively appear as a member of a different nonfictional race is not permitted at Shadow Accord.
Makeup to represent burn marks, scars, birthmarks, warts, pox, blemishes, and other skin conditions is permitted, but players should not be wholly covered by a significantly darker or lighter tone.
Makeup is encouraged for certain subfactions, and is acceptable provided that the makeup appears fantastical or abnormal and does not imitate the natural variations of human skin tone. Colors like red or black can be used with care provided they are applied in a specific pattern or design that does not cover more than half a given area (Black around eyes to show deathly pallor or war paint? Neat! Symbols on a hand, forehead, or cheek? Super cool!) When in doubt, please consult with an XO.
Deco for Player Buildings
As with Garb, you should aim for appropriate deco for player owned buildings. Keep colors/fabrics period-appropriate and take time to think of what would be available to your character in the time period. Please refrain from setting up any pieces that could interfere with player mobility or accessibility.
Wood/wood-like materials, metallic, linens, knits, wool, leather and stone/stone-like materials are all accepted. Please reach out to Crew if you are unsure about setting up certain Deco.
Music
Sounds are just as important to immersion as sight. Playing music in-game is appreciated and encouraged. Some examples of period instruments include Acoustic Guitar, Wood Flute, Wood Recorder, Pan Flute, Gemshorn (ocarina horn), Hurdy-Gurdy, Harp, Zither, Lyre, Sackbut (Medieval Trombone), Lute, and Drums. Speakers are not allowed.
Not very much written music survives from the middle ages. If singing songs from later periods, please avoid obviously anachronistic lyrics. And please don’t borrow from the soundtracks of other fantasy series - as awesome as it sounds, it’s a big immersion breaker when people recognize it.
Documents
All in-game documents should be handwritten. Exceptions are made for lengthy documents, music, period literature, any document from ST camp, or if a player has a OOG reason they can’t hand write something. In these cases, all printed text should be formatted to look like period script and printed on parchment colored paper. Books should be or at least look handmade.
Food
SA does not have a strict regulation on food as far as eating in-game goes. This is to accommodate for many things, such as dietary restrictions and cooking for large groups. Please try to use period containers, such as wooden bowls, for holding food, and keep modern packaging out of sight.
Please try to avoid the following:
Artichokes, Broccoli, Chili Peppers, Green, Yellow, and Red Peppers, Green Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Indian Corn (kebabs), Rhubarb, Yams, Peanuts
Bananas, Cranberries, Kiwi, Pineapple, Tomatoes
Allspice, Margarine, Shortening, Vanilla Bean
Turkey
We make exceptions for the following:
Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, Potatoes
http://www.godecookery.com/how2cook/howto04.htm
Fae Objects
The Fae live in a world that is similar to ours, only much more magical. So, when thinking about the types of goods they might produce and trade, consider things that would be found in our “normal” world, and then enhance them in some respect. For writing inks, you might consider purchasing an ink with a slight shimmer effect You might also consider looking for particularly saturated or vibrant colors like indigo, emerald green, or royal purple, colors that wouldn't be found in everyday medieval life. Additional inspiration could be found by looking at the Court or the dye- or ink-maker came from.
Donations
Crew occasionally seeks donations of props or garb from the community. The XP offered will be included in the announcement. It’s Crew’s discretion what to accept or not.
Crew cannot accept items that require prohibitive levels of maintenance and/or have prohibitive storage requirements. Examples Include steel maille and real furs.