What are your requirements? How do I join?
- Whisper one of our officers (Dahti, Zelujin, Azuak) ingame to discuss your concept and join!
- The guild is troll only. This means no halftrolls, dragons/dracthyr with a troll visage form and so on.
- There is no level requirement: if you cannot reach Zul’Gurub safely contact one of the members and we shall assist you in reaching the city.
- We have no activity requirements – SotE aims to be a place where you can always return to, no matter how long the break.
- The OOC age restriction to join the guild is 16.
- We do not accept child characters.
- Alts are always welcome! We ask you to briefly discuss your ideas with one of the guild officers before introducing a new character IC, to make sure the new character fits the guild, and so that we can weave a character introduction in a plot or storyline if the player wishes so.
What tribes can join?
We accept almost all trolltribes, as long as they cut their ties with the Horde/Dark Horde:
- Zandalari Trolls (Prophet Zul deserters or non Zul affiliated)
- Ice Trolls (Frostmane, Drakkari, Icetusk and Winterax)
- Forest Trolls (Amani, Firetree, Mossflayer, Revantusk, Vilebranch, Witherbark, Witherbranch, Shadowpine and Smolderthorn)
- Jungle Trolls (Gurubashi, Bloodscalp, Skullsplitter, Shatterspear and Darkspear)
- Sand Trolls (Farraki, Sandscalp)
We unfortunately do not accept Dark Trolls or Blood Trolls.
Which OOC and IC classes can join?
Our guild consists mostly of civilian type of characters and we put great effort into making sure every character gets the space, time and plots to shine and grow. This approach influences the kind of roleplay we offer and, with that, the classes that fit best. In short:
- There are no restrictions on OOC classes.
- IC we accept most classes troll NPCs in game can have. Classes of great power or lore significance such as Shadow Hunter, War God, Champion, Prophet, War Lord or Loa Speaker are not accepted for initial applicants. A character can attain some of these titles eventually, but our roleplay is heavily focused on character growth and progression over time. This doesn’t mean your character has to be a blank slate, but we do ask for balanced characters so that we can still offer them growth through plotlines and roleplay.
- In-character Death Knights will be judged on a case-by-case base. Their status as undead may cause these characters to be denied from participating in some rituals or ceremonies. Considering a few of the tribes loathe undead, roleplaying a Death Knight can impact both events and social roleplay. We therefore advise playing a DK as an alt, so that you are always ensured of roleplay!
We not accept:
- Other, non-DK undead or risen trolls.
- IC Warlocks or Demoniacs.
- (Practicing) Necromancers.
These concepts are of course all valid, but do not fit well within the type of roleplay, events and characters we offer, and we believe such characters have a better place within the many other guilds on the server where they are not restricted in using the powers that essential for playing such classes or concepts!
What kind of powers can my character use?
Compared to other guilds, Shadow of the Empires is rather low on the use of both physical and magical abilities. Spells and rituals are encouraged to be prepared well and show effort. Most characters focus on a limited set of powers or abilities that make them stand out and give them a unique place in the setting and within plots and events. Characters may develop in strength and abilities quite significantly but this is a growth, not a given! When in doubt, discuss with a guild officer!
Are there any restrictions on armour or weapons?
No. We have no uniforms and the use of the guild-tabard IC is free for everyone to decide – it is by no means a requirement and most of our trolls do not wear it. Voodoo-empowered armour or trinkets fall under the same policy as the guild’s general stance on the use of magic and voodoo.
What mounts / hunterpets can I use IC?
We attempt to not make Zul’Gurub into a zoo, especially since we play out being guests in the city of Gurubashi. Therefore we ask you to stick to relative traditional troll mounts and pets, though in some cases more exotic creatures can be obtained through plots and journeys. More information can be found on the mounts and pets page.
Rules on OOC behaviour
The guild is LGBTIQA+ friendly and aims to provide a safe environment OOCly for all players involved. Aggressive behaviour or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated, be it a ‘joke’ or not. This includes behaviour outside of the guild in channels such as trade-chat: when you wear the guild-tag, you represent the guild. Trolling, grieving, flaming, or any other behaviour that is not civil or respectful will result in a removal from the guild. Furthermore, respect the roleplay on the server, be it in or outside the guild. Refrain from disruptive behaviour such as OOC chattering in /say and use of toys or spells in roleplay heavy locations.
Metagaming
Metagaming is using out of character knowledge in an in character way. This is generally frowned upon in RP communities, including ours.
Example: A player reads on the guild calendar a large event is coming up where the city is attacked by intruders. She places her troll, Zanzi’ra, fully geared at the city gates before the event starts. However, Zanzi’ra herself couldn’t possibly know an attack is coming, and her showing up fully prepared is not only illogical but also gives her an unfair advantage over the other trolls.
Rules on erotic / mature roleplay
Erotic roleplay, or ERP, is under no circumstances allowed within the guild. This rule both applies to those who openly post emotes and to those who emote in /party or /whisper but are visibly engaging in or pushing for such kind of roleplay, as well as ERP-encouraging descriptions in addons such as TRP. ERPing ingame will result in an instant removal from the guild.
Rules on roleplay in and outside of Northern Stranglethorn
Since we are Horde hostile, roleplay takes place only within Northern Stranglethorn, unless the plots within the guild leads the trolls to other locations. Most of our RP takes place within Zul’Gurub, as we take a very village-like, slice of life approach to our roleplay. Playing non-horde aligned trolls comes with rather secluded roleplay on neutral territory only, and we wish for new applicants to take this into account before joining us. Most of the tribes are sworn enemies of the Horde and the trolls from horde-aligned tribes that are with us are often branded traitors by their original tribe.
That said – Zul’Gurub is a very popular RP location, and you’ll find different guilds and roleplayers there on a daily base. Most use the city simply for a plot or event for a few days. The general rule is: do NOT disrupt any roleplay! We are in some ways restricted when it comes to interaction with other guilds or groups. The downplayed amount of power and the way the city is portrayed in the guild (e.g. full of Gurubashi workers, guarded gates) sometimes clashes with the expectations of others, who view the city as empty, as a secret base for the Legion, and so on. Options are to either to agree to ignore each other’s roleplay, you can offer the guild to act as NPCs in case they need a few trolls for their plotline, or meet them IC. Always make sure there is proper (OOC) communication!