➳ WELCOME

welcome! though memento mori may seem daunting at first, this section will provide all the basic information you'll need about starting out. i hope you'll enjoy your stay! ~winnie ♡

▸ back to signups

▸ CHARACTER CREATION

note: we suggest that you don’t get too attached to any of your characters in memento mori since the concept of the roleplay is the fact that your character could die at any point, hence the name meaning “remember you must die”. if you wish for a relatively stable life for your characters, make sure to check in at least once a week so they can avoid effects such as hunger, thirst, or idleness. events will occur every now and then, but most aren’t fatal unless you purposely sign up for danger.

─ ── ─ ── ─

as a newcomer to the roleplay, you will automatically have one character slot. when signing up, your character is highly encouraged to have in-roleplay relatives to enhance your connections with other roleplayers right from the beginning. if not, you can always start out with a casual character. in the design process, we allow references and creativity—however, your first character cannot have any special accessories or traits. special prizes can be obtained later on and applied to new characters. your first character will also help you get used to the roleplay’s facets!


let's take a look at the bio format!

— name
— agab
— identity
— residence
— age
— role
— appearance (must include height, build, and fur length)
— personality traits (label , to make it easier for the admins who are accepting your bio)
— physical strengths and weaknesses (include at least 1 of each)
— backstory*
— generation
— codewords (2)

first off, you'll need a name (?). if you don't have any ideas, try to base your character's name off their theme or personality. more information on names can be found below. agab is an abbreviation of assigned gender at birth–so your character can be afab (female), amab (male), or aiab (intersex). you can elaborate on their identity by stating what gender they choose to identify as and who they're attracted to. as long as some part of their identity is determined, you don't have to plan everything out!

next up, their residence is either the wildwoods or the city. this may change in the future due to city colonies, but there are currently two choices. in the following section, you can check the time and roles below for further details.

appearance is pretty self-explanatory. the requirements are already listed, so all you need is a general idea of what your character looks like. it is preferred you write a maximum of two sentences so that admins have a better time keeping track of things.

their personality traits do not need to be perfectly balanced as long as each section is somewhat similar in number. there is also a part for physical strengths and weaknesses because we want you to understand who your character is outside of their personality. this could be anything they're good at or lacking in. a few examples are swimming, climbing, fighting, agility, dexterity, hunting, tracking, etc

a backstory is completely optional, but it is encouraged to have a brief history to develop later on. if this is your first signup character, they are automatically a generation 1 character. more information regarding this will be in other sections, so if you're still confused, just keep reading! before you finish, you should also make sure to read through the guidelines for the two codewords.

once you've got everything down, you can post your bio! <3

▸ NAMES

names are more than just words, they are binding vows and legacies. in this roleplay, names can be ancient civilizations, mythological places, celestial objects aside from the sun and moon, constellations, plants, or animals. in the heritage, a full name will look like this:
(name) / (title)

which can be broken down into: (noun) / (adjective/verb/noun) (noun)

here are a few examples:

— raven / masked balladeer
— styx / poisoned witness
— andromeda / cursed savior
— evenfall / golden harvest
— tempest / light weaver

their “name” is their given name, but their title consists of their chosen name. while you cannot pick your own title during signups or ceremonies, you are given multiple choices to choose from based on your character's personality or overall traits. cats outside of their family will know them by their title rather than their true name. it is considered rude in the heritage to ask for someone's name due to the stigma surrounding names and vows–instead, they should introduce themselves when deemed necessary. if a character becomes an herbalist, luminary, or crown, their oath will be taken by their true names to officially bind them to their role.

▸ TIME

there are 4 main seasons with three months. in this world, cats refer to months as moons. all characters will age a moon every month. due to these changes, you will see the limit around 40 moons. this may be difficult to adjust to if you're still used to the weekly aging system of other roleplays.

0-2 moons – kits
3-6 moons – recruits
7-24 moons – adults
25-40 moons – elders
40+ moons – death

the first month of the year starts in spring. each of the standard months are as follows:
spring – bloomingmoon, harvestmoon, verduremoon
summer – ardormoon, scorchmoon, blazemoon
autumn – auburnmoon, brazenmoon, goldenmoon
winter – bittermoon, baremoon, frostmoon

the start of bloomingmoon would be the equivalent of march 1st, with frostmoon being sometime around the beginning of february.

▸ ROLES

note: you cannot sign up for any highranks, including the crown, luminary, or herbalist. to obtain these ranks, there will be applications open when there are empty slots. do not beg for a special role, or you will automatically be denied.

CROWN – essentially the equivalent of a ruler, the crown is responsible for making decisions and running the heritage as a whole. eventually, they will be succeeded by either of the luminaries in an important event known as the succession. both luminaries will usually be sent to complete three tasks. whichever one completes the most tasks successfully becomes the next crown. in some heritages, the luminaries will fight in the arena to earn the role of the crown.

LUMINARY – there are two luminaries in a heritage. they act as both delegates and advisors to the crown. if needed, they will be envoys between the wildwoods to the city. luminaries help keep cats in check and uphold the rules of the heritage.

HERBALIST – the official medic of a heritage, they use herbs to heal any injured or sick cats. often, an herbalist will grow their own herbs in the sanctuary due to the scarcity of certain herbs during other seasons.

ELDER – elders are one of the oldest cats in a heritage. having been part of the heritage since the early era, most elders are full of stories of the past. others love to spin tales to haunt young kits. but every cat knows to respect elders when they come.

KEEPER – a keeper is any cat responsible for taking care of kits or protecting the sanctuary’s interior. they are not assigned to any specific role and are often seen patching nests or acting as caretakers for elders and young cats.

SENTRY – sentries guard the sanctuary in shifts to ensure the safety of the heritage. rarely will a sentry be present within the sanctuary. they will be required to hunt and fend for themselves while living outside. becoming a sentry is considered an honor as it is a noble act to sacrifice your well-being for the greater good. the death of a sentry is respected within the sanctuary.

RUNNER – similar to sentries, runners do not live within the sanctuary. they spend most of their lives traveling between the city and the wildwoods. however, surviving amongst the city bounds is no easy task. there are plenty of hostile strays and hunters. food is scarce. most runners must take from other cats’ hoards to survive—but those who have adapted to the city have other ways. runners have special access to city areas sentries, seekers, and other cats are forbidden to cross. they will act as the in-betweens of both worlds.

RECRUIT – a young cat training to become an upper role.

KIT – the youngest cats of a heritage or colony.

STRAY – a cat either banished by the heritage or left to fend for themselves by their hunters. they are loner scavenging in the streets of the city. most city cats are scavengers, with a few higher-class among their ranks.

HOUSECAT – a cat owned by a hunter. they can run off or wander around, but many housecats fear the woods. they are fed by their hunters and typically lack hunting skills. many of them never even step foot outside their nest.

▸ VOCABULARY & SLANG

HUNTER – any humans that remain after the calamities. see the lorebook for more details.

RUIN – a hunter nest, typically within the city. fallen skyscrapers and crumbling buildings make up most of the ruins left behind by hunters. it can be dangerous to scavenge through ruins, though there are certain felines trained to do so.

NEST – home; residence.

HOARD – a feline’s supplies and resources. typically applies to city cats.

MARKETPLACE – the main area where ruin runners and city cats can trade, shop, and work in harmony.

MONSTER – a vehicle, usually a car.

TECHIE – used to refer to cats of the city that are especially adept at crafting. they most commonly appear in the junkyard searching for scraps to create artificial tools.

STRAY HOUND – an untamed dog living in the city. pets were abandoned by the rebels after the calamities, leading to most of them becoming strays. some stray hounds can transfer deadly diseases, others are simply wandering the streets, but many are aggressive and willing to do anything to harm passing creatures.

HARVEST – a time when food and prey is the highest. harvestmoon is around the middle of spring.

COMMON – sharing similar traits.

CITYBOUND – felines who have lived in the city their whole life or refuse to leave the city. used as insult to city cats.

CITY RAT – cats who live in the city as lowly scavengers, usually in the alleys. also used as an insult.

CATCH – food, prey.

PREY – though used to describe a catch, such as a mouse or bird, it can also be used to describe passive hunters.

DEAD – something without function or mobility. used to describe empty monsters or cats who aren’t useful.

WITHERING – any abandoned place of decay or radiation.

KIN – a specific cat or family lineage living in a heritage. to generally describe someone in a heritage, you would call them by their family founder(s) prefix. for example, if the founder of the family was storm echo, a cat descended (whether biologically or not) would be referred to as stormkin.

HALF-BLOOD – usually to describe a cat with mingled parents, especially city and kin. these cats are shamed upon for their mixed roots.

MOUSEBRAIN – someone who is stupid or lacks mental capability to understand simple concepts.

RATS CAN'T CHOOSE – used to refer to city cats who live lowly lives, especially scavengers. often, these cats will be turned down when begging because they should naturally be able to defend themselves.

BY MY KIN – an oath sworn to loyalty or honesty, usually by cats of the heritage.

THE DEAD ONE WALKS – refers to the fact that a cat went through severe injuries as is somehow still alive.

SANCTUARY – the haven of the wildwoods, where felines of the heritage can rest and live in safety. here, there is no worry of harm when dutiful sentries and ruin runners help supply the clan with resources.

GRAND ARBOR – a large oak in the corner of the sanctuary where keepers and heralds may sleep. no other cats may intrude the grand arbor unless given specific permission from the keeper.

CEREMONIAL HOLLOW – a clearing in the middle of the sanctuary surrounded by stones. executions, matches, contests, and other special events are hosted in the ceremonial hollow.

ISLE OF BONES – essentially the graveyard of the heritage, the isle of bones is where most cats are brought after they die unless previously requested to be somewhere else.

◦⋄ ☘ GUIDELINES ☘ ⋄◦

the staff team will notify members if there are any changes. the guidelines are important to your overall understanding of the roleplay, so it is recommended to fully read them before planning a character!

▸ GENERAL

i. we will not tolerate any forms of discrimination or bigotry against any groups, classes, or people. doing so will get you suspended or banned from this roleplay depending on the severity.

ii. do not hesitate to report any acts of harassment against members of this community. please contact an admin privately when discussing this, since details that slip may provoke unnecessary drama.

iii. be kind. we expect you to treat other roleplayers with respect.

iv. if you are going to frequently be involved in drama, please refrain from joining. we intend to keep this roleplay as peaceful as possible.

v. do not power-play or moderate any topics strictly related to administrative duties. our information should stay consistent and accurate throughout discussions, so other members will receive the correct information.

vi. activity is essential. this roleplay relies on the activity and participation of members to make events and roleplaying fun and rewarding.

vii. we expect you to not bother an admin about things that do not go in your favor. we are working hard to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone.

viii. please do not share the personal information of any individuals or yourself, especially if you are intentionally provoking someone. engaging in these types of activities will get you either suspended or banned from the roleplay. compromising the privacy of others is strictly forbidden, as it also violates the scratch guidelines.

ix. do not try to interfere with this roleplay’s guidelines. breaking more than three rules will result in a suspension. if severe, you may get banned from this roleplay. finding loopholes in our rules and unreasonable excuses for your actions will also result in a punishment.

▸ CHARACTER

i. every roleplayer will start off with one permanent character slot. other slots can be obtained through prizes and other events. attempting to create more characters than the number of slots you own will result in punishment. if you are unsure of how many character slots you own or how the system works, you can always contact an admin.

ii. as with the naming system, prefixes do not have to be entirely realistic. they can be from another language, but make sure that your character would have prior knowledge of the language before naming them so. you are allowed to suggest suffix themes, though you cannot choose your own suffix.

iii. your character’s personality does not have to be perfectly balanced out. just make sure to keep around the same ratio of traits for each type.

iv. characters may not have any special traits without obtaining permission or a modifier. some traits are genetic, meaning that they can be passed down through your character’s biological bloodline.

v. when creating your own signup character, they have to be somewhat genetically accurate.
⠀a. use common sense when designing your character. they should not have any highly irregular concepts or colors.
⠀b. any descendants of a first-generation character will have family traits. see more on traits below.

vi. a character should not be shorter than 6 inches or taller than 14 without the regard of prizes.

vii. a signup character without any in-roleplay parents is considered a first-generation character. their kits become second-generation, and so forth.
⠀a. if you’d like any specific traits to be listed as family traits in your signup bio, add them after the description in parentheses like this: (small ears, big eyes, short tail)
⠀b. otherwise, an admin will randomly select family traits from your character’s description during kit rolling. see more in the system guidelines.

viii. we recommend having a reference, or a project representing how your character should look.
⠀a. we allow creative liberties and individual interpretation with designs. not all mutations, looks, or specific traits are limited to a single form. however, do not romanticize any disabilities.

ix. any character disabilities should be thoroughly researched unless you have it yourself and understand the first-hand experience of the disability.

▸ ROLEPLAYING

i. at minimum, a separate thread must be five full comments long. though these rules apply to all roleplays within this roleplay, we highly encourage you to go beyond these limits.

ii. your character may not start searching for romantic relationships until they are at least the rank of a recruit. if your character’s recruitment ceremony is held back due to plot or inconveniences, you can assume that they are able to start searching for romance before then—just nothing can be confirmed until they are a recruit.
⠀a. if your character is involved in a romantic relationship, the maximum age gap between the characters is fifteen moons.
⠀b. you must reach a minimum of two threads for crushes, and five more for mates. this means that you’ll need five threads total to gain permission for characters to become mates.

ii. relationships must be appropriate with consent. this means that there should be no inappropriate language or actions involving your characters. the relationship should not be forced from either roleplayer either.

iii. you may not excessively plan for any relationships or plots, as the nature of roleplays may deviate from your original idea. excessive planning includes but is not limited to:
⠀a. creating ship studios before a single interaction, preferably two threads.
⠀b. planning litters before becoming mates.

iv. make sure to seek permission before injuring or killing another person’s character. do not control other people’s characters. this includes controlling what they say and do next in a roleplay or srp. characters belong to whoever owns/roleplays them, and others do not simply gain the rights to change the way a character is.

v. if you think you’ll go inactive or on hiatus sometime soon, make sure to let your character’s respective admin know as soon as possible. we cannot guarantee that your character won't die of hunger or other effects during this time, so make sure to notify someone beforehand.

vi. keep all roleplay scenes appropriate and respect other roleplayer’s personal boundaries. make sure to add trigger warnings if you are covering sensitive topics in a roleplay.

vii. please review your ideas or plots with someone from our staff before making them official. you should prepare to receive a decline or alter your plan, if necessary, as we need to keep the roleplay running smoothly.
⠀a. although you can plot with others and create character arcs, we encourage you to discuss it with any of the users involved first.

▸ SYSTEM

i. if you plan to add projects or make studios, keep them relevant to the roleplay.

ii. do not lie about any transactions and rolls within shops or events.

iii. feel free to repost your signup if it gets buried or does not receive a response within a week. however, please remember to be patient. sometimes, our staff have duties outside of scratch that prevent them from responding as quickly as possible.

iv. staff members should be the only people accepting bios in the signup studio. this is to prevent any mistakes from untrained individuals.

v. accessories cannot be obtained on a regular basis. when signing up, your character may only have natural accessories such as flowers, vines, leaves, etc.

vi. like mentioned in the character guidelines, family traits play an important role in this roleplay. they define your character and are responsible for how a family’s legacy is perceived in both the heritage and city.

vii. the litter process of memento mori is complex. before creating litter projects, you first need to contact an admin and go through a long process.
⠀a. first, contact the admin or helper involved in kitting control. once your request is approved, there will be rolling to determine certain factors.
⠀b. if the litter is biological, both characters should not be less than 10 moons old and no more than 35. if there is a surrogate involved, an admin will randomize the surrogate.
⠀c. after everything has been confirmed, there will be two rolls. the first roll determines how many kits your character has. the second roll determines the appearance and family traits the kit obtains. we aim to keep the roleplay somewhat genetically accurate. if you don’t have a vast genetic knowledge, don’t fret! there are admins and helpers that will help you in this process.
⠀d. your creative liberty in kit design relies on your interpretation of your roll. there is room for your own ideas, though you should stick to the general appearances you received. we will be using a simplified genetic calculator here so it is easier to understand.
⠀e. at this time, you may use litter prizes to change the size of the litter or the appearance/traits of the kits. these prizes can be purchased in the shop and can largely alter the litter depending on how you use them.
⠀f. once you’re sure, you may start creating the litter project. you should include the kit’s name, agab, and general description along with the application form. an application must include:
⠀-⠀user, other contacts
⠀-⠀nickname, pronouns
⠀-⠀character history
⠀-⠀chosen kit
⠀-⠀personality traits and summary
⠀-⠀research (if applicable)
the litter host may add their own requirements, but they will not be fully required in terms of memento mori’s litter system.

◦⋄ ☘ SYSTEMS ☘ ⋄◦

the systems are the defining features of how memento mori works. these systems may be altered once the roleplay officially opens to make it easier for everyone to adjust.

▸ ITEMS

all food items have two values—base and health. their base value is used for trading and their health value is how much hp it provides when consumed. make sure your characters eat at least once a week or else their hp will gradually decrease by 1 every day from then.

accessories and collectables have a base value and rarity value. like mentioned above, the base value is used for trading. however, the rarity value is added to the base value, which increases the worth of the item. special items from limited-time events automatically gain +5 rarity value. modifiers and gems gain +1 each rarity starting from common. for example, a rare modifier might have a base value of 10 but gains +3 in rarity value due to being rare. this making the total value 13. it is possible to have a negative rarity value, though it will be highly unlikely. when trading, it is optional to add the rarity value. if you are selling, the rarity value is mandatory. if you would like further elaboration on transactions, trading, and selling, please read the next section titled commerce.

there are 4 tiers of rarities—common, uncommon, rare, and special. in the wandering ferry, the marketplace, and any other usual shop, you can find items purchasable from the first three rarities. special items are exclusive to events and limited-time giveaways.

▸ COMMERCE

here to learn about the currency systems of memento mori? you’ve come to the right place! the first thing you’ll need to know is pricing.

when selling, you can add “charge value” points towards the total value. if you’re in need of notes, the main currency in the roleplay, you may add charge value to earn a few extra notes compared to the standard price. make sure you’re not overselling too much, or people will be less likely to purchase an item from you. a good charge value could be 1-5 notes as it ensures the price isn’t too high, but you can still earn additional profit. if the item is custom-made or designed by you, the charge value is even more important. it allows you a proper price for something you dedicated your own time to.

you should also take rarity value into account if you’re selling or trading. although it doesn’t do much besides simply increasing the general worth of the item, it makes items and modifiers from events a little more expensive since they’re limited time.
in shortened terms, you can refer to values such as base, rarity, and charge as b, r, and c.

below, you will be shown examples and how they should be generally formatted in your shop:
custom scarf – b5 + r0 + c2 = 7 notes
sapphire ore – b10 + r2 + c0 = 12 notes
pearl crown – b12 + r3 + c1 = 16 notes
rare eye color – b15 + r1 + c3 = 19 notes

you can find the comprehensive list of item values here: link

now that you’ve gotten the basics down, we’ll move onto other pricing information. when running a personal shop, make sure to take competitors into account. if someone else is selling flower bracelets for 6 notes, you could try selling for 5. this slight decrease in price might increase the chances of having a successful purchase. you may haggle with others if necessary or if you are a little short on notes. if someone purchases an item and you accept it, make sure you log it in the transaction log so the admins responsible for double-checking transactions have an easier time. you will use this format:

your user / item(s) sold / with user / price / link to transaction

moving onto trading—like selling, you’ll need a client. if you’re opening a trade, you can put it into the trading center so that other traders can offer trades. the other option is personal trades. if you are directly going to someone to trade, make sure that they are currently open to trades and the trade is confirmed from both sides. you may only trade items/accessories with roughly the same total value. you cannot trade items with a total value of 15 with items with a total value of 4 as that would not be equal in trade. once a trade is confirmed, please log it in the transaction log. both people must do so in this format:

your user / item(s) traded / with user / value of item(s) / link to transaction

a transaction is not official until either a business admin or helper checks it.

▸ ROLLING

every day, your current character (only one of your characters can roll in a day) may roll for hunting or foraging. depending on the weather, there may be a modifier on forage or hunt rolling.

there are four main weather categories:
excellent weather – sun, few clouds, breezes
good weather – some sun, clouds, low-mild winds
bad weather – light-mild rain, snow, light hail, high winds, storm
terrible weather – flood, drought, snowstorm, thunderstorm, heavy rain

on excellent weather, there is a +2 modifier with good weather, there is a +1 modifier. on bad weather, there is a -1 modifier, with terrible weather having a -2 modifier.

if you wish to hunt or forage, please go to the rolling project here. an admin should automatically add the modifier to your roll, so no worries! modifiers simply subtract from your original roll. if you rolled 2 items while foraging and there is a -2 modifier, you would end up getting nothing. a positive modifier on foraging increases the number of items you obtain while a negative modifier decreases the number of items.

for hunting, if you rolled medium prey and there’s a positive modifier, the health of the prey would increase, with negative modifiers affecting the opposite.

rarely there will be conditions such as famine, drought, or plague. during a famine, all prey has a -2 modifier. plants are also affected by famine, so the number of plants and natural resources your character finds also has a -2 modifier.

in the case of drought, water can be obtained through moss and other sources. like hunger, thirst occurs after a week has passed. your character will start losing 1 hp per day until they drink water again. in normal circumstances, you can assume your character drinks water every day, so a drought is one of the few ways to obtain thirst. plants and animals will gain a -2 modifier on rolling. after a drought has passed, flashfloods are common due to the changes in the water absorption of the ground. if a flashflood occurs, your present character will have a 15% chance of being swept away. you can avoid this if your character manages to reach high ground or if you use a chance dodge. there is a 2% chance of your character dying from the flood.

◦⋄ ☘ LOREBOOK ☘ ⋄◦

these details are essential for you to familiarize yourself with, since the backstory of memento mori contributes to your understanding of the roleplay as a whole.

▸ BEFORE THE FALL

the calamities were a series of events and wars which led to humankind fleeing the world. a corrupt government led by a greedy leader known as the tyrant oppressed human life. a major rebellion—the rift—was led by a group of humans attempting to overthrow the government. the tyrant was not known for their benevolence. if they continued to control the world, then everything would fall into chaos. fortunately, the members of the rift were successful in defeating the tyrant and ending the corruption. but it was worth the cost of several lives, even the innocent.

a few areas such as the gray valleys and the factory were abandoned due to high levels of radiation and decay. the calamities led the citizens in shambles. tensions were high. there was still possible support for the tyrant, and no one knew what to do next. eventually, most humans left the world on the angel's flight (a spaceship) to avoid a second rift and perhaps find a better life elsewhere. the few humans that remained were either supporters of the tyrant or looking for another opportunity at rebuilding humankind where the rest had fallen. they were called the hunters.

▸ AFTER THE FALL

many of the hunters live predominantly in the city amongst the ruins and devoid streets. a few own pets to keep them company. most are passive and willing to live peacefully with the creatures inhabiting the land. others can be dangerous. these types of hunters are a threat to ruin runners, strays, and city colonies alike.

the main rivalry between the heritage and the city is the fact that the heritage works together and relies on the cooperation of all cats. it is a community, rather than an open area for you to fend for yourself. the city is where lone cats wander, with the occasional colony scattered around the ruined streets. city cats shame the heritage for hiding in the wilderness instead of facing the reality of the abandoned world.