Activity Checks

Some ranks required **activity checks**, meaning that once a month, you must prove the character has been active within the group. Proof must always **involve** the character, whether it be art or writing. If you miss two activity checks in a row, or fail to register your character for their activity check, your character will be removed from the group.

Users are 100% responsible for their activity checks. It is your job to ensure your character is registered and that a link to your proof is supplied by the first of every month. If you are on hiatus or require an extension, it is your job to let staff know **at least a week before the deadline**.

Users on our Discord can self-assign for the *@activity check* role, which is used by the staff to give reminders on activity checks. The responsibility of completing the check is still solely on the member however, even if there is no reminder.

Your character should be registered in a comment on their nameplate, which can be found here. Reply to your character's comment with proof once a month. Proof should always be in the following format: '[link] - for [month] [year] check'

If you want to check whether your rank needs a check, you can either navigate to the rank's page, or check here!

## Accepted Proof

* Artwork (Minimum Headshot or FB Chibi)
* Writing (Minimum 250 words)
* Roleplays (Minimum 250 words for your character)
* Collabs (Minimum work equal to 1 AP for both users)
* Memes, Checkpoints, Chapter Activity, etc are all accepted.

Remember, all AC checks must involve the character the check is for.

Missing a single AC has no effect on the character. Only if two in a row are missed do you need to take action - the Activity Save.

## Activity Saves

"Crap! I missed two activity checks in a row and didn't ask for a extension! Is there anything I can do?"

If you find yourself in this situation, you have the option to perform an **Activity Save**. Activity saves will allow you to keep your character's rank, but they can only be done **once a year** **per character**. Don't make them into a habit!

To perform an Activity Save, you have **until the 11:59 PM PST on the 7th of the month** to complete a piece of art or writing (or a combination of both) worth a total of 5AP (in artwork/literature, before bonuses from talents/SC/etc are applied), of the character in question. NPC, familiar etc artwork does not count for a save.

Once you've uploaded the piece, send a note to the group titled 'Activity Save - [Character Name]' with a link provided.

Activity Saves cannot double as Checkpoints, Event images, Prompts, or other prompts that earn extra rewards.

## Hiatuses

Life happens to all of us, and we understand that sometimes you may need a few months away. Hiatuses are there for those times when you just need to get away for a bit and won't be able to participate in your character's ACs for a prolonged amount of time. While on hiatus, you are not required to submit AC's.

To take a hiatus, you MUST note the group with the estimated length of your absence for verification. Once verified, just drop a link to the verified note and the dates of your hiatus in a comment on your character's AC plaque.

### Hiatus Rules:

* You can take up to 2 Hiatuses in any given year for up to a total of 4 months. (ie: one 4 month hiatus, a 1 month hiatus and a 3 month hiatus, two 1 month hiatuses, or even one 3 month hiatus, etc...)
* You MUST complete at least 6 ACs in any given year. This means if you take a 4 month hiatus, you can only miss 2 more AC checks throughout the year.
* A Hiatus means you can not participate in gameplay, events, or submit art to the group in any fashion. (This includes roleplays and collabs.) Submitting to the group or participating in events will end your hiatus immediately. That said, you may continue to chat with friends in group spaces and such, as well as doodle on your own time, but these pieces can not be submitted to the group until your return.

## Temp Retirements

Temp retirements operate under the same rules as a hiatus, except that they concern only a single character, and your activity in the group is not otherwise affected. Temporarily retiring an AC character has the same requirements and rules as any other temporary retirement, except for the time limit - 4 months, once per character.

After 4 months have passed, the character will begin to acquire activity slashes again, and may lose their rank if they are not brought back into the game. Removing an AC character for temporary retirement is the same as with any other character.

You may not use a temp retirement and a hiatus for the same AC character in the same year.

## Losing an AC character

If you miss two ACs in a row, and do not complete the Activity Save within the allotted time, your character will be removed from the group. This does not count as an official retirement, so AP and CS tied to the character can not be redistributed.

If your character has been removed due to ACs, you should note the group for options. In general, your two options are:

1. Complete an official retirement for the character, removing them from the game permanently.
2. Discuss an alternate rank option with the corresponding herd admin, and rank change into that rank. Herd changing is also possible, but will require the purchase of a herd change medal as usual.

Note that a **retirement piece** or a **rank change** are the only contributions you can make with the character when it has been removed from the group due to missed ACs.

The character's rank and name are not kept reserved after they drop off, meaning other characters may claim their spot.

If you have a very good reason for missing the ACs, the admin *may* be willing to discuss letting you reapply for the rank you've lost. There is no quarantee of this - letting us know about a hiatus is always the better option.

### **Reclaiming an AC rank**

If you have missed two ACs in a row, there is sometimes a third option for the character. This is to submit the character *again*, for it's original rank.

However, this option is never guaranteed. The rank has to be open for applications for you to try and re-enter it. Your application will be judged against other potential apps, if any.

* In most cases, a popular limited rank will not open immediately upon a character leaving the rank. You must wait for the opening to be officially announced.
* Your character is not favored over other applicants to the rank.
* Trying to discourage others from applying just so you can get the rank back is not allowed, and if discovered, will lose you the rank.
* If you do not get the rank back, you may wait for another opening in the rank, or go back to the two default options (retirement/rank change to a non-limited rank)

While your character awaits resubmission, their name is not reserved. If the character was old, you may also be required to update lore or add information (for example, nobles approved before noble house lore was mandated would need to produce said lore to be accepted back in) for the character to be approved.

This reclaim option is available only once per character. They are considered the exact same character both for storytelling and gameplay purposes. This means they retain their blessing, AP, chapter participation etc. They also keep things like temp retirement history (only allowed once per limited rank chara).

If you have reclaimed a rank and end up losing it again, this option becomes completely unavailable to that character.