The First Step

Maduin - Shirogane, Ward 13, Plot 49
Open Sundays - 7 PM to 10 PM PST
If you have not gotten to Stormblood yet, whisper or discord a staff member for estate teleportation

In Universe: The First Step is a bar, lounge and Adventurer's hot spot founded by Commina Winterborn, former gleaner of Old Sharlayan and current resident of Eorzea. It serves as a locale for people to drink, relax, and meet one another. It also functions as a hub for adventurers and contractors to be put in contact with one another, get jobs done and quests completed.Out of Universe: Out of Character The First Step was designed to be a lore-compliant venue for like-minded roleplayers to meet one another and find narratives to engage with to expand their own characters and explore other people's. Within the walls of the venue, all chat in /say and /em are considered in-character and expected to follow with our Etiquette standards.As part of our mission statement we also host the Paths system to match roleplayers up with both other roleplayers and storytellers so that they might take part in adventures set within the fantasy universe that XIV provides for us!By entering into the establishment, you agree to follow our rules, as per listed here

Rules

1) No Bigotry
As a pro-LGBT and pro-diversity venue, we will not tolerate racism, transphobia, homophobia, or any other willfully cruel behaviors based on someone's gender identity, sexual identity, age, disability, nationality, caste, or religion. Participation in this discriminatory behavior is grounds for immediate removal from both the Discord and venue.2) No Harassment
We define harassment as repeated unwanted interactions, within both the Discord and venue. Be considerate when approaching and speaking to others. We will also treat repeated harassment from one individual to another outside of the venue or server directly as if it were being handled within the server itself. Do not stalk, harass, or bother your fellow patrons.3) Limit NSFW Interaction
The First Step is a not an NSFW venue. While adult discussion, language and themes are permitted we are not the place to openly engage in sexually explicit behavior. We ask that your character remain fully clothed in all public viewable spaces associated with the venue and that any sexually explicit activity occur within the privacy of consenting adults.4) Confirm Consent
Consent and respect are imperative to us - discuss sensitive topics maturely and with understanding to your fellow players/storytellers before broaching potentially sensitive matters or sharing otherwise private information. Malicious violation of another player's consent is grounds for immediate removal from both the Discord and venue.5) Follow Roleplay Etiquette within Public IC Spaces
We expect people to follow our general roleplay expectations within public spaces. Check our Roleplay Etiquette section for general expectations.6) Syncshell Etiquette
We expect patrons within the First Step to abide by the following Syncshell Etiquette when connected to the Syncshell and within our structure:Height - Players that are sharing their appearance through the Syncshell should be no taller than an unmodded maximum height male Roegadyn. Anything taller than this easily breaks sight lines and can be distracting to other RPers.Emotes - No custom emote within The First Step should trigger particularly large particle effects or set off loud noises (Custom Dotes included). These kind of effects can crash computers and trigger anxiety in other playersSpice - Along with Rule 3, Spice refers to any overtly sexually explicit content that might be shared through the Syncshell. Whether that be outright nudity, half-covered nudity (transparent meshes and the like) or explicitly suggestive content (enhanced bulges). The First Step is not the location for such things.Staff have the right to (politely) ask you to change such things if they occur within the structure. If you feel as if their asks are unfair then first comply and then send in a ticket via ModMail on the Discord which will be reviewed by the staff team as a whole.7) No Real World Politics
Whether within the IC spaces or OOC space, the venue/server is not the time nor place for such discussion.Reporting and Enforcement
If someone is in violation of any of the above rules and you wish to report them then please join the Discord and send a Direct Message to ModMail to open up a ticket to us. We do ask, when submitting tickets of violations, that as much information (witnesses, screenshots, etc.) as possible be provided as it will make it easier for our staff to decide what to do.If you are found in violation of a rule then you will be marked with a strike by a member of our staff. We follow a 'Three Strike Rule' for most violations whereupon an individual will be removed/banned upon receiving their Third Strike. Furthermore, Staff may log Concerns on behavior we don't feel warrant a strike but should be kept in mind.Strikes are removed three months after accrual, Concerns are dismissed on a similar scale.Violating bigotry, harassment and consent rules can and will have you removed from the space immediately, no matter your 'strike' record

Roleplay Etiquette

Overview
While we generally do not want to police how other people choose to roleplay there are a few general expectations and etiquette we ask of people when within public roleplay spaces associated with The First Step. These expectations are in play primarily to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to expect when roleplaying within The First Step's public regions and also to help inform people who might be new to roleplaying of what certain terms mean.As a note, not following the below expectations (depending on the severity) will not always result in a Strike as per our Rules, though repeated, malicious and flagrant breaking of these expectations may land you with a strike as per Rule 5.Additionally, people who are new to roleplay and learning are more than welcome within The First Step. We will not accept bullying of people who are interested in the hobby and still figuring out how to go about it and if you're still learning you are absolutely allowed to sit and watch, to ask staff to help you, and to make mistakes as you learn. Everyone starts somewhere and we want to foster an environment where people feel comfortable figuring things out.1) In-Character, Out of Character, and Bleed
In-Character (IC) actions and behavior does not translate to Out of Character (OoC) behavior. Just because a player's character has said or done something does not mean that the character's player feels the same way. The most obvious example of this concept is that one's character showing romantic interest in your character does not translate to the player feeling the same about you.Bleed is a term used when one's own feelings mix into their character, or the character's feelings mix into the player. In situations of bleed the most often best solution is to communicate Out of Character with your fellow roleplayers and discuss matters.Separation of character and communication is the first and foremost expectation of all patrons of The First Step.2) Confirm Consent
While much roleplay can be light and simple fun there are aspects of shared storytelling that can drive a fair bit darker. At The First Step we don't endeavor to shy away from darker aspects of roleplay but we do expect that any darker subject matter that comes up to both be done privately and consented to before its occurrence. Communicate with your roleplay partners and make sure they are comfortable with the stories you'd like to explore.Along with this, people have a right to withdraw consent at any time. If a partner of yours wishes to no longer continue down a certain avenue that they had previously agreed with, we expect that you honor that and do not pressure them into the matter. Failure to respect an individual's consent will result in immediate removal from the venue and discord.3) Chatter
When within the venue during open hours any content posted within /say and /em will be treated as IC. If you intend to say something OOC then please separate it out in some noticeable way ((brackets tend to be a good way to do that)).We do ask that during open hours and when people are publicly roleplaying to keep OOC chatter to a minimum, announcing you're going AFK or that you're back is fine but avoid having full OOC conversations in /say when people are trying to roleplay near you.If the venue is particularly crowded and you are prone to longer posts or missing posts in the scroll of the chatbox please feel free to ask your partner/group to switch to whispers/party chat to both help you keep track of the chat and help declutter the chatbox.It is generally good form if you're roleplaying in party or whispers to reach out to people outside of your roleplay if they express interest/attempt to interact with your character. You do not have to invite them into the roleplay if you don't want to but it does help to let people know that you're busy otherwise.4) Personal Responsibility and Interaction
You are responsible for your character, their narrative and the way they impact other people's narratives. Nobody particularly owes you roleplay and we are here to facilitate an open community for roleplay, not cater explicitly to singular characters.That being said, if you see someone you'd like to roleplay with that hasn't already stated that they are otherwise busy and don't know how to approach we wholeheartedly believe in whispering people OOC and seeing how they would like to open interaction!We also understand that shyness can be a factor for many people, so during open hours our primary staff will usually be at their post to help facilitate roleplay, introduce people to one another and roleplay themselves. You always have permission to whisper a staff member that's on duty to catch their attention. Our staff however, are human and will sometimes miss attempts to catch our attention. Please note that we never intentionally attempt to ignore people and if we don't notice you at first, wait a few moments and try again!If you're looking for help finding new people to roleplay with, please check out our Paths page.5) Public Face
The term 'public face' within The First Step is utilized to refer to any roleplay that is done within /say, /em or any other open channels that individuals might stumble upon. It is the 'face' that your character presents out to the roleplaying public. We ask that your public face be generally safe for interaction with most individuals.On the flipside of this it's important to understand that not everyone's public face on their character is going to be their 'whole' character, private aspects may impact their public face but there may be things deeper for people to investigate or discover. Such aspects are part of the fun of roleplay!6) Lore Compliance and Expectations
While not necessarily a wholly lore-strict space we do use lore as a primary guideline and expectation within all public areas of roleplay within The First Step. We ask that all public face of characters be lore compliant/respecting. To this end we ask that the public face of your character not be:Ascians/Ancients
Voidsent
Vampires
Werebeasts
Sin-Eaters
Gods, Demi-Gods, Primals, Etc.
Canon Characters (such as Y'shtola or Thancred)
The Warrior of Light
Memes/Joke Characters
Similarly Lore-Breaking ConceptsWhile we ask that these characters not be part of your character's Public Face we understand the appeal of many of these characters (as well as the fact that they are not inherently lore-breaking) and do not begrudge you for playing them as part of your personal roleplay. Just make sure to talk to your roleplay partners/storytellers about how comfortable they are with that content and work with them from there as such matters will not always exist within an individual’s personal roleplay canon.Characters that have the above prohibited traits are still welcome to publicly roleplay within The First Step so long as the prohibited aspects are not immediately relevant to their participation.7) Sexual Content
The First Step is not an ERP venue. We do not begrudge people for partaking in ERP whether casually or as a part of their narrative. Similarly, shaming people for enjoying ERP will not be tolerated. However, we ask that you do not participate in explicit sexual content within the public confines of the space.We ask that your character remains dressed at all times they are within the venue and that anything explicit be kept out of public chat. Flirtation and implication are fine but we ask anything overt be private, thank you.8) Powergaming, God-Modding, Metagaming
Powergaming, God-Modding and Metagaming refer to a trio of behaviors that are generally used to make one's own character infinitely impressive and not necessarily allow others to argue with it - they are also disallowed within The First Step.A general rule of thumb is that no post of yours should ever rob another character/player of their agency, you don't get to determine how other people react within your posts - only what your character does and how they react. When within The First Step the staff will also generally act as 'storytellers', detailing how the non-player environment is reacting to your character.If you're ever worried about crossing a boundary of the above, talk to your RP Partner or message a member of staff!9) Combat and Fighting
While we are not a fight venue we do understand that sometimes arguments happen and things can escalate - plus roleplaying fighting can be fun.If your character gets into a physical altercation with another character then it falls to you and the other player to discuss how to resolve said altercation and it is also within the Staff's right to force your characters outside to handle their altercation.If you and your roleplay partner are alright with playing out the fight freely with one another then that's allowed. If you would like something a bit more structured you may ask a member (or members) of staff to 'referee' whereupon we will introduce a rolling system and set of rules for your altercation. What's important is that both sides of the altercation agree to how things will be handled.10) Staff are Players Too
Please understand that our Staff are not Skyrim NPCs, we're players too with our own characters and interest in playing out our own stories. While the venue is open we may be dedicated to facilitating it but we still ask that you treat us with as much respect as you would any other player.

Paths and Services

Paths

Paths refers to the First Step's system for helping individuals find new roleplaying partners, groups or storytellers. The short version on how Paths works is that we collect information from people interested in expanding their roleplay partners and will attempt to match them up together based off the criteria and interests that we have on an individual.To join in on the Paths system, read the descriptions of the various roles below and fill out their linked Forms - we'll message you on Discord when we have information for you! Alternatively please feel free to speak with a staff member within active hours in the venue for an IC-introduction to The First Step's adventuring opportunities.Freelancers
Freelancers is the term used for individuals looking to find new roleplay partners or a regular roleplay group via the Paths system. Whether they are looking for one-on-one roleplay or attempting to get into a more structured 'story' narrative, signing up as a Freelancer indicates that you're interested in exploring more narrative based stories around your character. Freelancers can be matched with other Freelancers for roleplay opportunities or, if interested they can also choose to be matched with Storytellers for a more D&D-esque experience!Use this link to submit your interest in becoming a Freelancer, a member of staff will typically get back to you within 24 hours of your application!Storytellers
Storytellers refer to people who have signed up to be the guide in an overarching narrative for a group of people, whether they themselves are playing an individual character within it or not. Another term that people may be familiar with for what we consider Storytellers would be 'GM' or 'DM' - someone who is present to facilitate a heavy narrative including playing NPCs, environmental details, and rules if applicable.Each Storyteller registered within The First Step is free to utilize whatever systems and tell the narratives they wish (so long as they do not break any of our listed Rules).Currently we are accepting registrations for people interested in serving the role as Storytellers, please fill out your application Here to submit interest in becoming a Storyteller. If you'd like more detail, please feel free to reach out to a member of staff for details as well. Applications for Storyteller will typically be answered within 24 hours and are usually followed up with a few more questions!Expectations and Liability
When matching people within The Paths system, the First Step expects all Freelancers and Storytellers to follow the basic Rules and Etiquette we've established before. We understand that private roleplay may affect expectations of etiquette depending on the players involved but rules regarding consent, discussion and harassment do not go away.If you feel as if someone you were matched with via the Paths system (either a Freelancer or Storyteller) falls in violation of these rules then open a ticket (detailed under 'Reporting and Enforcement' within Rules) and our staff will respond as soon as possible.It is important to remember that both Storytellers and Freelancers, while part of our community, are themselves not members of The First Step's staff. They are not capable of enforcing rules or implementing strikes on people within The First Step.

Library

Upon the second floor of The First Step rests a small, but well-populated library that is open for the use of any registered Freelancers and their associated compatriots. Filled with a mixture of Eorzean tomes, hingan scrolls and (allowed) grimoires brought from Old Sharlayan. Those dedicated to research should be able to find just about anything they need amongst its stacks.

Fight Moderation

Really want to make a point with someone but want to have an impartial third party to bear witness? Just looking to have a friendly spar with someone to mediate if necessary? Simply ask Ehlhi and she'll take the whole affair outside to make sure nothing gets broken. Just remember to read part 9 within Etiquette
Naid reserves the right to make jokes about the loser

Under no circumstances should Real Money (RMT) be exchanged for Freelancer or Storyteller services.

Staff

Commina Winterborn
Owner/Head Bartender

Ex-gleaner of Old Sharlayan, adventurer, engineer and chemist - Commina has a rather long resume that's only partially undercut by her somewhat gremlin-like behavior and often manic energy. As the Owner and Head Bartender of The First Step, she endeavors to be the first face many people see into the establishment and works hard to make her lounge welcoming.Just. Be careful if she talks about mixing explosives, it's only half a joke.

Ehlhi Rherla
Security/Head Facilitator

Ex-gleaner of Old Sharlayan and longtime friend of Commina's, Ehlhi was hired on by her former co-worker because of her friendly nature, reliable behavior and as a pair of eyes to help out across the structure. As the Head Facilitator and security of The First Step, Ehlhi's job is less to make sure that fights don't break out and more to ensure that nothing gets broken. That along with making sure that all patrons know where they need to go for what and are taken care of means that it's not uncommon to see her wandering the whole structure during open hours!

Naid Carville
Secretary/Head Recordkeeper

A native from Mor Dhona and long-time resident of Eorzea, Naid serves as a functional link between the Sharlayan aspects of The First Step and its current locales. Working as the primary Secretary and Head Recordkeeper, a good portion of Naid's job is matching people for adventures and registering contracts that are in need of completion (whilst finding people to complete them).With her sarcastic attitude, dry tone and overall semi-chaotic nature it really is a question within The First Step if she's stuck with Commina as an employer or if Commina is stuck with her as an employee.