OOC euphemisms

Some people think that they are being in-character if they use a euphemism to discuss an OOC concept in-game. (For example, someone who wants to complain about severe lag may speak of a "thick fog.") However, the use of such euphemisms is still OOC. Many players object to this behavior, especially when these euphemisms are used on the gweth channels.

Here is a list of commonly used euphemisms and what they mean.

Web Sites and Services

Term	Meaning
feline in Haven	Smelly Cat forum
pigeon, bird	1. AIM account; 2. instant message
birdkeeper	someone who has an AIM account
scroll(s)	Web site or forum
town message board	Play.net

Game Mechanics

Term	Meaning
lessons, seasons	ranks*
gods, powers that be, timeless	Simutronics or GameMasters (GMs)

• Discussions of ranks are OOC, because characters are not aware of the numerical nature of their attributes and abilities.

Connection Quality and Attentiveness

Term	Meaning
awake/asleep	1. whether the character is logged in; 2. whether the player is AFK
fog	lag
in one's thoughts/head	AFK (usually for a brief period of time)
lifeline, portal	connection to DragonRealms
sleepwalker*, zombie	AFK scripter
wake [person]	to log into an alternate character

• An argument can be made that from the character's perspective, it is logical to be confused by a person who is doing something that would seem to indicate awareness and yet who is completely unresponsive to his environment.

Player Characters

Term	Meaning
another body	alternate character (often on the same account)
brother/sister*	alternate character
mule	an alternate character that is primarily used to support another character played by the same person. Common uses of mules include extra vault storage space, healing, raising, and Moongate transportation.
new soul	a character that is now played by a different person
past life	1. a character that has been rerolled; 2. one's former character
soul	player/account (usually used to discuss alternate characters; for example, "one soul, different bodies")

• The use of brother/sister (or any other relative) may or may not be OOC, depending on how it is used. Some players legitimately role-play their characters as a family. On the other hand, if someone uses the term "brother" solely to convey that two characters are played by the same person, it's OOC.

Other

Term	Meaning
Eastern clock, Elven time, bells/strikes on the Eastern/Elven tower	Eastern Time
Eastern lands	the real world
old calendar	Earth time
winter celebration*	Christmas (especially when it is not winter in Elanthia)

• Unfortunately, Simutronics has muddied the waters by having thinly veiled versions of real-life holidays, such as Chris's Mass.