Guidebook

By joining and participating in the Kinship community—both on the site and in our Discord—you agree to follow the rules outlined here. Our goal is to maintain a positive and constructive environment for everyone, and as such, the support team may adjust these guidelines as needed, with or without prior notice, to ensure our community remains a welcoming space. The Guidebook was last updated on August 5th, 2025; any future updates will be marked with a star (★).

Privacy

We understand that some players may need to maintain privacy due to real-life circumstances related to work, family, relationships, or other personal matters. We also understand that, since Kinship allows for mature content, you may not want to share everything you write with the general public. We take these concerns seriously and strive to provide a safe, comfortable environment for everyone. Here are a few things we do to help maintain a safe space for all players:

• All members must be at least 21 years old to join our site.
• All members must register for an account and join our Discord to access the full site.
• All members will be provided a private support channel on Discord; this allows you to communicate with the Support team about anything -- it's a safe space to ask questions, share concerns, or make us aware of any special circumstances you may have.
• Sharing site materials—such as character details, posts, or player notices—externally without permission from the individuals involved or our Support team is prohibited. If you're unsure, just ask!

Joining the Community

We’re excited to have you here! To ensure everything goes smoothly, here’s what you need to know as you get started:

• After you've read through the guides in the Essentials section of the Codex, you can register for an account.
• Support will review your registration and reach out ASAP:
  • If it seems like we may be a good fit, you will be granted full access to the site and receive an invite to our Discord. You’ll have 1 week to join your first character and make your first post.
    • If you need more time or help getting started, feel free to reach out to Support through your private support channel!
  • She will also reach out if we have any questions, need to provide clarification, or if it seems like we might not be a good fit for you and why. Our goal is never to exclude anyone or make them feel unwelcome, but we do want to be respectful of your time and energy by letting you know upfront if we're not capable of providing you with the experience you're looking for.

★ Activity & Participation Expectations

We know real life gets busy and try to be as flexible as possible! Kinship has no posting or word count quotas, and we understand that sometimes you may need a break from posting even if you're around in Discord. Above all, we value clear communication. Whether you're busy, taking a break, struggling with muse, or losing interest in a plot, a quick heads-up is plenty. You never owe us personal details, and we're always happy to work with you!

• We ask for meaningful participation at least once every two months, whether through IC posting, mini-games, character development, Discord events, or other site activities. Casual chatting on Discord is always welcome, but doesn’t count toward this on its own. If you’d rather just hang out and chat for a while, that’s fine! Just let Support and any affected posting partners know and we’ll treat it as a break.
• If you need a break, please let us know in #venting or your private support channel. An estimated return date is appreciated when possible, but can always be adjusted. Support can also discreetly notify your posting partners without sharing personal details, if that would be helpful to you. Participation expectations are paused during announced breaks.
• After 2+ months without meaningful participation or communication about a break, your account may be marked Inactive, restricting site access. You can reactivate at any time by reaching out through your private support channel.
• After 3+ months without meaningful participation or communication about a break, your account may be deleted to prevent a build-up of inactive accounts. You can still contact Signe via DM or your private support channel to discuss recovery options.
• Following account deletion, posting partners are free to move their characters, threads, and plots forward. Players may also be permitted to reclaim or alter characters they created and/or have a controlling interest in on a case-by-case basis.
• If Kinship isn't the right fit anymore, that's okay too! Just let us know privately and we'll handle closing your account.

★ Character Reclamation & Controlling Interest

When a player leaves Kinship, goes inactive, or has their account deleted, another player may request permission to reclaim or alter a character they have a significant investment in. Requests are reviewed individually by Support, with consideration given to:

• Whether the requesting player originally created or bred for/hatched the character, funded the adoption, or otherwise provided the character for another player to use.
• Whether the character was created specifically as a child, sibling, relative, or other significant connection to one of the requesting player's existing characters.
• How extensively the character has been developed by the adopting player, including IC posts, established relationships, and independent character development.

Characters with fewer than 10 IC posts and/or little meaningful development by the adopting player may generally be considered for reclamation when a legitimate controlling interest exists, particularly after an extended period of inactivity or nonuse. This is not a guarantee, and requests will be reviewed individually by Support. More extensively developed characters may instead be eligible for alterations to shared relationships or lore, such as removing a character from an established family or revising their involvement in shared plots so remaining players can continue without them.

Mature Content

We aim to provide a space where mature topics can be explored when appropriate for the story and those involved, but participation is always optional and no player should ever feel pressured or obligated to engage in content that makes them uncomfortable. Mature content on our in-character boards may include, but is not limited to, strong language, references to substance abuse or addiction, explicit sexual content, and graphic depictions of violence. To ensure all players feel comfortable and informed before engaging with mature content, please follow these guidelines:

• Use the Player Boundaries & Preferences link from your personal profile to share your mature content boundaries:
  • Yes = I am generally/typically fine with this topic, please discuss it beforehand but otherwise we are good to go.
  • Maybe = I would need some time to check how I feel about this; please approach me knowing it may be a no but I am willing to consider it.
  • Hard No = I am not interested in this type of content and would prefer to avoid it under all/most circumstances.
  • No Preference = Not saved as a stated preference. If a partner hasn’t marked a topic, treat it like a Maybe and ask first.
• Clearly tag posts with mature or potentially triggering content and include a brief OOC note at the top of the post summarizing sensitive themes.
• Images considered Not Safe for Work (NSFW) are not permitted anywhere on the site or our Discord.
• Respectful communication and consent are key. Make sure to check in with others about boundaries before bringing mature themes into your threads.

In Character and Out of Character Boundaries

In-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC) interactions are separate, and a character's beliefs, thoughts, or actions don’t necessarily reflect those of the player. While it's fun to draw from personal experiences for your character, remember that what happens in-character stays in-character and that characters are not direct reflections of yourself or any of the players on the site.

• Keep IC conflicts and interactions separate from OOC conversations.
• Using OOC knowledge to influence IC actions (metagaming) is typically not allowed; when in doubt, always check with the other players before using OOC knowledge in character.

Powerplaying

Controlling another player’s character without their consent is called "powerplaying" and it is generally discouraged. To maintain a balanced and respectful roleplaying experience, please follow these guidelines:

• Always seek permission before influencing another character’s actions or decisions.
• Some abilities may involve elements of powerplaying; these can be used freely against NPCs/mob creatures but generally, players will get to decide how/if their characters are affected.
• High-power characters may grant perks or consequences to other characters (e.g., titles, abilities, imprisonment) with approval from Support; you typically can’t provide perks to your own characters.
• Consider the consequences of your character’s actions in the broader narrative. For example, harming a mayor could lead to legal action, while threatening a deity might result in severe retaliation.
• Items or skills that grant invulnerability or immortality should be balanced with weaknesses to ensure a realistic and engaging character.
• Characters may face challenges such as injury, illness, or even death during mini-games or events; all are temporary unless you request otherwise, but be sure to review event guidelines carefully so you know what you're getting in to!
• If you have questions about powerplaying and/or potential outcomes of a character's behavior, please discuss them with your posting partner. If needed, the support team is also available to help!

Time / Seasons

Time in Kinship is flexible, allowing you to fully control your character’s age, relationships, and history. You can age characters up or down, fast-forward through events, or write their pasts out in detail freely.

Companion Creatures

Companion Creatures are magical beings that usually feature in a character's posts as secondary/supporting characters, though they can occasionally be posted individually. These unique Companions have their own progression system and abilities, acting as your character's closest ally. You can learn more about them in the Companion Creatures guide.

Progression Systems

We offer several optional progression systems that allow you to enhance your character, Companion, and the world around you. Progress is automatically tracked in the background, so it's up to you whether to actively follow the systems or simply enjoy the benefits.

• Character Progression: Level up your character's nanites/magic, unlocking new abilities and opportunities.
• Companion Progression: Strengthen your Companion and their bond with your character, opening up new features and advantages.
• Pet Progression: Bond with your pets to unlock new abilities and bonuses, or improving existing ones.

Mini-Games

Mini-games offer fun, interactive experiences where players and characters can earn various prizes. Whether exploring new areas, battling, gambling, capturing pets, or breeding new lineages through the breeding catalyst, mini-games are a creative way to dive deeper into character development and game lore. You can explore these opportunities solo or with other characters/NPCs.

Rewards

We love to celebrate our players and offer a wide variety of rewards that can be earned through events, mini-games, and drops, or purchased in the Marketplace. You’ll find prize drops in the #freebies channel on Discord, and open events in #announcements; most prizes need to be claimed within one month. Here's an overview of just some of what we have to offer:

• Custom Items & Special Requests: We’re happy to discuss custom items, quests, and special scenarios. Make sure your Wish Lists are up to date to help us tailor rewards for you!
• Coppers (c): Players earn 1c for every 2 words written in-character. Coppers are common rewards for mini-games, events, and drops.
• Progression Points: There are multiple progression systems available to players who are interested, including Magic or Nanite Progression, Companion Creature Progression, or Pet Progression.
• Pets: Animals both mundane and magical to bond with in character.
• Talents: Special abilities accessible to all characters, Companions, and pets.
• Special Drops: On your special day (your birthday or another chosen date), you’ll receive a Token and a coupon for one item or Talent up to 3000c; all players can also claim special rewards to celebrate you and your day. We also offer drops for personal celebrations, holidays, and other fun occasions.

Referrals

We encourage you to invite friends and/or family to our community, if you think they'd be interested! As a thank you, you’ll receive a 250c referral bonus for each person who joins the site based on your referral. An invitation is not required to join.

The Support Team

Kinship is owned and maintained by Signe. She manages the site alongside our real-life commitments and, while she does her best to keep everything running smoothly, she's only human and delays or occasional mistakes may happen. Your patience and understanding mean the world to us!

• Please reach out through your personal support channel for any questions, concerns, or feedback. We may also gather feedback via the #polls channel on Discord or through anonymous surveys.
• We take all feedback seriously, but some changes may take time to implement due to various factors.
• If something has upset you, please take a moment to ensure you’re regulated and in a good place to communicate before contacting us.
• Similarly, we may occasionally delay responses if we need time to regulate and respond, but we will always acknowledge your message and give you a timeline for when to expect a reply.
• The support team may use AI tools like Midjourney or Claude for tasks like generating NPC names or creating images on the site, however, human input remains integral to the process.

Discord

Discord is a key part of our community, and participation is mandatory as it allows us to communicate privately and ensure you don’t miss any special opportunities.

• Our Discord server is where you’ll find updates, announcements, resources, and more. Each channel has a description that explains its purpose.
  • Please post in the appropriate channels to help keep things organized. If something is posted in the wrong place, the support team may move or delete it to avoid confusion.
• When you first join the server, you'll be walked through a few things through the Onboarding system. After that, you'll have full access!

Discord Conduct:

1. By joining our server, you confirm that you are at least 21 years old and agree to abide by our rules.
2. All server members should strive to treat each other with kindness, respect, and patience.
3. The safety, security, and comfort of our players are extremely important to us. Harassment and bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable or behaves inappropriately, please reach out to Support through your private support channel or by DM to@signecinders.
4. If you have concerns, suggestions, or feedback, please share them with us in your private support channel; this channel is also the best place to ask questions or request assistance.
5. If something has upset you, please take a moment to regulate and make sure you're in a good headspace before reaching out to support. We take player concerns extremely seriously and want to ensure that every conversation is handled with care, clarity, and mutual respect.
6. Our ⁠landing-zone and ⁠chat channels should remain mostly Safe for Work (SFW); we generally prefer to avoid topics such as politics and religion in these channels. No pictures considered "Not Safe for Work (NSFW)" should be posted anywhere on the site or server.
7. For the sake of clarity, "inappropriate behavior" can include, but is not limited to, the following. If you encounter any of these behaviors, or if something just feels off or uncomfortable to you, please reach out to us. We are here to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.
   • Verbal Abuse: This includes name-calling, insults, threats, or any language intended to belittle or intimidate you.
   • Unwanted Communication: Any repeated & intentional attempts to contact you after being asked to stop, including calling you on Discord, messaging you in DMs, or tagging you in a chat channel.
   • Harassment for Posts: Pressuring or badgering you for posts in an aggressive or demanding manner.
   • Sending Unwanted Content: Sending you NSFW images, links, or messages without your explicit permission.
   • Manipulative Behavior: Attempting to guilt-trip, coerce, or manipulate you into doing something you're not comfortable with, such as sharing personal information or engaging in specific types of roleplay.
   • Invasion of Privacy: Asking for or sharing personal details about you or other players without consent, or attempting to find out private information through indirect means.
   • Exclusion or Ostracism: Deliberately excluding you from group activities, discussions, or events in a way that makes you feel isolated or unwelcome.
   • Impersonation or Deception: Pretending to be another person or player, or misleading you about their identity with the intent to deceive or manipulate.
   • Unwanted Physical Advances: While this might be rare in an online setting, any attempt to meet in person or make physical advances without mutual consent should be reported.

Next up...

You can check out the other Essential Guides using the links below!

• Game Overview - a brief look in to game setting & mechanics
• Getting Started - your character creation companion
• Playable Races - learn more about the people of New Ognos

• Posting Guide - learn how to use our custom-coded boards

When you've read everything over, you can get going by registering for an account here.