CHARACTER CREATION
Each player will have one (1) character for the duration of STOPPING TOMORROW; once that character is accepted into the narrative, you will not be allowed to make a new one, even if that character dies. When making a character, please ensure it is one you will enjoy playing and developing throughout this journey.
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
Your character can be anywhere between 4 months to 18 years of age in STOPPING TOMORROW. You are welcome to write this solely in months, months and years, or in moons (another term for months), based on your preference or to fit your character's lore.
All characters MUST be domestic cats, or an established wild-domestic hybrid breed such as a bengal, chausie, toyger, etc. Keep in mind that pedigreed purebreds are not as commonplace, and usually only found in housecats.
Adult characters should be no bigger than 17" (43.2 cm) at the shoulder, and no smaller than 5" (13 cm) at the shoulder. Kitten characters can be as small as 3" (7.6 cm) at the shoulder, but will have to grow to the 5" (13 cm) minimum throughout the course of the campaign.
Coat colors and patterns do not need to fit into real-life gene combinations, and you are welcome to suspend your reality in order to make a design you enjoy. However, all colors and patterns should be semi-natural; no neon greens, etc, and no pelt patterns that contain real-life symbols or perfectly-written text. They should still appear reasonably feline in appearance, as these are feral cats.
You are welcome to include some benign, reasonable, stylistic choices as if they were a harmless mutation, or just as simple aesthetic piece, such as: dark scleras, polydactyly, two sets of ears, etc.
Characters of any sexuality and gender expression are welcome. This includes polyamory and neopronouns. A character can change their gender expression, pronouns, or sexual preferences at any point during the campaign.
Any illness and all disabilities, even those that may have significant limitations, are welcome and will not impede their place in the narrative. Please ensure any illness or disability are treated with the utmost respect, sensitivity, and as accurately as possible for the entirety of the campaign.
All characters have the ability to use their paws in a way more dexterous than reality would allow. While it still requires skill and experience, they are able to open doors, sew fabrics, craft and embroider, and perform medical acts beyond that of a real-life domestic cat.
ACCESSORIES
Characters are welcome to wear and display accessories. They are not limited to things that are real to life; any character can enjoy articles of fabric or clothing, bags or satchels, or more. Those living on the outside may not have the same materials as someone living in a city, so please keep in mind the resources they may have to craft with.
Makeup and paints are also allowed, but keep in mind the limitations of natural materials to do so safely, and with sensitivity to cultural stereotypes.
Hairstyles are also welcome, this includes things like braids, ponytails, pigtails, etc.
However, feathers anywhere on your character's face, head, neck or shoulders are not allowed for any reason. Dreamcatchers are also not allowed.
Bone piercings are not allowed. However, piercings in general are allowed so long as they are made of metal or plastic material and do not participate in any cultural stereotypes.
Please utilize discretion. Any character who may be, whether intentionally or not, participating in cultural stereotypes of any kind (eg. a nath, a bindi, indigenous beadworks, etc) will be asked to make edits to fix this.
BACKSTORY
NAMING
Character backstories may be dark and heavy, but any mentions of sensitive subjects should include trigger and content warnings; these should be used whether in their written bio, public chats, or roleplay when these topics are being discussed.
Cats can be housecats if you like, living with their human companions, whether in a struggling human settlement or within a city.
You are allowed to keep parts of backstories vague or redacted for narrative purposes. If you do, we recommend making a separate, private bio to share with staff so it can be included in IC interactions where the player is comfortable.
If there are aspects of your character's story you do not want to see included in the narrative in any way (such as npcs) please add them as exclusions to your character's bio, and we will ensure they are not brought up or included throughout checkpoints or other possible interactions.
FAITH
Characters are not required to keep, or share, their birth names, and can keep as many new names, aliases, and nicknames that have meaning to them.
Names, aliases, and nicknames that are offensive, or culturally insensitive, even if not intentional, are not allowed, and will be requested to be changed.
Should your character wish to change their name at any point throughout the STOPPING TOMORROW campaign for any reason that fits their life story or your enjoyment of them, just let staff know! This is more than welcome.
Faith, religion, and spiritual beliefs can play any role in your character and their backstory: positive, negative, broad, or narrow. It may be the center and core of your character, or something minor they dwell upon in bad situations. Or your character may not have any interaction with faith, religion, or spiritual beliefs at all.
While these can be influenced by realistic and real-world religions, such as certain core values or beliefs, characters can not follow a faith with the same name, same religious texts, or religious figures as religions or ideologies held in the real world, nor spiritualities that are culturally insensitive.
Cults can also be utilized in character backstories and present-day, but please do so with sensitivity, accuracy, and with proper warnings. Cult indoctrination should not be glamorized or treated as a positive thing.