Gold, the knife and the mark

Black Caste

Rules of Engagement for Assassins conducting a contracted hunt within Rorus.

Canon and Rorus policy

A Contracted Hunt Is Roleplay

The novels establish the Assassin’s black garb, dagger mark, rejection of poison, personal responsibility for the kill and loyalty to gold rather than a Home Stone. The procedures below are Rorus policy for translating that role into fair Second Life roleplay.

“The sword of the warrior ... is pledged to a Home Stone, that of the assassin to gold and the knife.”
Beasts of Gor, Book 12, p. 136

Recognition of the Black Caste

A character claiming the Black Caste must portray a trained Assassin and understand the caste’s canon obligations.
Black clothing alone does not identify a person as an Assassin.
Assassins are not ordinary Guards. Their role and loyalties remain distinct from the Warriors’ Caste.
An Assassin does not become a citizen of Rorus or swear to its Home Stone merely by operating near the village.

Contract Notice

Before beginning a contracted hunt in Rorus, the Assassin must submit the Black Caste Engagement Notice through the website form.
The notice informs administration that a contract has been accepted. It is not a request for approval and gives administration no in-character knowledge of the contract.
The victim’s name is not requested or disclosed, protecting discovery and identification through roleplay.
The employer’s identity, the reason for the contract and the intended method remain confidential OOC unless disclosure is required to investigate a rule violation.
No Second Life notecard is required.

Open Black Caste Engagement Notice →

The Hunt

The Assassin must identify the target using information obtained through roleplay.
Names, profiles, group membership, hovertext, Discord information and other OOC sources may not be used to identify the target in character.
An Assassin may enter Rorus in disguise while gathering information.
The hunt must contain enough meaningful roleplay to establish how the Assassin found and positively identified the target.
A contract may not be hidden inside an unrelated raid or used to bypass raid and village-defence rules.

Bearing the Mark

When moving from investigation to the attempted kill, the black-dagger mark must be visible upon the forehead.
The Assassin must describe the mark in roleplay before initiating the attack. It may not exist only in hovertext or a meter title.
A marked Assassin who has not begun hostile action may enter Rorus without being detained solely for bearing the mark.
Guards and villagers may observe, follow, warn others about or respond cautiously to a marked Assassin through roleplay.
The mark grants no immunity after the Assassin draws a weapon, attacks, threatens another person or begins hostile action.

The Attempt

The Assassin must carry out the assassination personally and may not use poisoned weapons.
Helpers may gather information or create distractions, but may not perform the contracted kill.
The Assassin may attack only the contracted target and those who directly intervene. Indiscriminate killing or destruction is not Black Caste roleplay.
The attack must be clearly written and give the target a reasonable opportunity to understand and respond.
Claiming the Black Caste does not guarantee success.

Defence of the Target and Rorus

Personal guards may defend their charge. Once hostile action begins, the Guards of Rorus may intervene.
The alarm may be raised and capable villagers may be called to defend Rorus under the established village-defence rules.
Villagers may use appropriate working tools or obtain weapons from the Armour Keep.
Anyone entering the fight becomes part of the scene and accepts the ordinary roleplay consequences of combat.
Defenders may pursue the Assassin while escape remains an active part of the scene.

Escape and Conclusion

Following the attempt, the Assassin must roleplay an escape rather than teleporting away during active combat.
The Assassin is beyond immediate pursuit after credibly reaching the established sim exit.
The contract concludes when the target is struck down, the Assassin is defeated or the Assassin abandons the charge.
Repeated attempts under the same contract may not become continuing harassment of the target.

Death and Continuing Roleplay

Character death always requires the affected player’s OOC consent.
A valid attempt does not permit an Assassin to impose permanent death.
Without consent, the outcome may be severe injury, apparent death, defeat or another agreed non-permanent result.
If the target survives OOC, the players must agree upon what the Assassin, employer and witnesses believe happened in character.
A contract may not be used to force a player out of Rorus or end that player’s story.

OOC Boundaries

Assassination must arise from in-character causes.
OOC disputes, personal dislike, rejected advances, administrative disagreements or retaliation for reporting misconduct may never become grounds for a contract.
OOC information may not be passed to the Assassin as though learned through roleplay.
Combat disputes must be paused and referred to Isla Koskinen or D’Artavia Koskinen.
Administration may invalidate a contract or assassination scene when these rules are violated.

The essential boundary

IC Contract, OOC Consent

An Assassin may pursue a contract in character. No contract gives one player authority to impose permanent death or use roleplay as OOC retaliation.