The Character Stable

In Shadows & Light, each player maintains a single active player character. This character is fully yours to shape, control, and evolve. You have complete autonomy over their choices, their story, and their fate.

Alongside your main character, you will also build a stable of up to five NPC roles. These are yours in a narrative sense, assigned over time in collaboration with Staff as your story unfolds. These NPCs are static in progression compared to your player character. They do not advance at the same rate, but they will shift and evolve as the world changes around them. It is in your best interest to keep them alive. You may need them.

If your player character dies, or if you choose to retire them, you may assume the role of one of your NPCs, provided you have earned enough experience to elevate that NPC to full player character status. Think of it as slipping into a new skin suit, discarding the old one behind you.

When playing an NPC, you will only be given the information that character knows and believes to be true. Often, that information will be flawed, incomplete, or entirely wrong, and you will not be told otherwise. Your goal is to play your NPC with the same depth and commitment as your main character, because one day, they may become your main character.

At times, Staff may ask you to portray one of your NPCs for part or all of an event, depending on the needs of the story. In these cases, you will earn experience as if you had played your primary character. You may also request to moonlight as one of your NPCs, essentially stepping into their role for a single night, like a walk-on extra. If approved, you will play that NPC for the full duration of the event and receive a limited amount of experience for your main character.