Romance of Five Kingdoms is built around text as the primary medium of play. Every word you say, every gesture you perform, and every bow you give lands in the shared record of the scene. This guide walks you through every tool available, from basic speech to consent mechanics.
Speaking: say and its many voices
The say command broadcasts dialogue to everyone in your room. You can use the shortcut " or ' in place of the word say.
say The harbour smells worse than Jīnjiǎ brass in summer.
"The harbour smells worse than Jīnjiǎ brass in summer.
Add an adverb before your message to shade the delivery:
say quietly I have a theory about that merchant.
say excitedly Did you see the ship come in?
Any word ending in -ly works as an adverb. Common ones: quietly, loudly, nervously, excitedly, sadly, angrily, softly, cheerfully.
You also have a full set of verb aliases that change how the output reads: yell, shout, mutter, grumble, scream, moan, gasp, sob, stutter, murmur, flirt, lecture, argue, confess, order, instruct, beg, demand, tease, mock, taunt.
mutter Idiots. All of them.
beg Rúyǔ Please, just this once.
Directed speech
To address someone specifically, use say to:
say to Hóngméi I heard your sect recruits in Tōngzhì now.
tell Hóngméi I heard your sect recruits in Tōngzhì now.
Everyone in the room still hears directed speech. The target sees it as addressed to them; bystanders hear the full exchange. If you have been speaking with someone recently, you can drop the name and say to will continue to that same person.
Speaking through exits
say through north, Is anyone in the study?
yell through door, Stand back!
The recipient hears a voice from the opposite direction. They see “Someone says from south” unless they already know who you are.
Emoting: emote, pose, :
The emote command (aliases: pose, :) prepends your name to a freeform action.
emote sets a cup of tea on the table without looking up.
:glances toward the door, one hand resting on the hilt.
Start with a lowercase letter and your name is prepended automatically. Start with a capital letter only if you include your own name in the text:
Yuèhé Lanaris paces to the window and back, visibly agitated.
@mentions
Use @name inside an emote to tag another character. The system substitutes display names as each viewer sees them:
emote leans toward @Hóngméi and says something too low for the room to catch.
The @mention also nudges your character gently toward the target, if you are not already beside them.
Scene framing with adverbs
Adverbs work in emotes too:
emote nervously drums fingers on the table.
Subtle actions: subtle
subtle works like emote but is visible only to characters physically close to you (in the same place, or within a few feet ungrouped). Distant characters in the same room see nothing.
subtle slides a folded note across the tabletop toward @Fǎlán.
subtle winks conspiratorially.
Use subtle for small private signals that would not carry across a crowded teahouse. Your dance partner, if you have one, always receives your subtle emotes regardless of distance.
Whispers: whisper
whisper delivers the content only to the named target. Everyone else in the room sees that you whispered, but not what you said.
whisper Fǎlán quietly Something is wrong with the count.
Omit the name and whisper becomes a targetless quiet voice: it reaches only characters in your immediate vicinity (same-place bubble).
whisper I cannot stay here much longer.
Your dance partner always hears targetless whispers.
Private emotes: private
private sends an emote visible only to you and one other character. No one else in the room sees it at all. Use it for intimate or confidential exchanges that are fully witnessed by the players involved but not broadcast to the room.
private Hóngméi brushes a strand of hair from her face.
private to Rúyǔ squeezes his hand once, briefly.
private with no arguments toggles private mode, which enables adult content to be visible between mutually-opted-in characters.
Consent-based actions: attempt
Some physical actions require the other player’s permission. Use attempt (aliases: propose, request) to propose the action. The target receives a prompt to allow or deny it. If they allow, the emote fires as written.
attempt Fǎlán hugs tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.
attempt Rúyǔ presses a formal kiss to the back of his hand.
This is the right tool any time your emote involves contact with another character’s body. You can have only one pending attempt at a time. Wait for a response before trying again.
Internal thoughts: think
think (aliases: hope, ponder, wonder, worry, wish, feel, remember) records an internal monologue visible only to you and any characters who have telepathic abilities.
think There is something wrong with this whole arrangement.
worry He knows more than he is letting on.
wonder if the third letter ever arrived.
Use think to keep your character’s inner state alive in the scene without broadcasting it. It also enriches the RP logs available to you later.
Bowing
Bowing is how the Empire opens and closes encounters. The degree of your bow signals the respect you intend. The syntax prefixes the degree number directly onto the command word:
45bow Hóngméi
15bow Fǎlán with a casual tilt of the head
90kbow Rúyǔ, pressing his forehead nearly to the floor
bow is a standing bow; kbow is a kneeling bow. Valid degrees run from 1 to 90. Observers see degrees rounded to the nearest fifteen; the target sees the exact figure. Add optional RP text after the target name (separated by a space or comma) to colour the gesture.
A light bow (around 15 degrees) is a polite acknowledgment. Forty-five degrees is genuine respect. Ninety is reserved for profound deference or formal ceremony.
Honorifics
Honorifics are the backbone of Àolǎng social language. The four particles are:
| Particle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wei | The addressee is your superior at this thing |
| Xia | The addressee is your inferior |
| Me | The addressee is your ally |
| Di | The addressee is your rival |
They combine: Weime is a superior ally, Xiadi is an inferior rival, Weidi is a superior rival, Xiame is an inferior ally.
Honorifics attach to names as a prefix: Weime Hóngméi, Xiadi Fǎlán. They also serve as second-person pronouns in direct address, replacing “you” in one-on-one conversation.
They shift sentence to sentence as context shifts. A character addressing someone as Weime in a question of cultivation might shift to Xiame moments later when discussing commerce. That fluidity is the point.
Omitting an honorific entirely is read as evasive or dishonest in polite Àolǎng society. Between very close friends, that omission can read as fond teasing rather than a slight, but it is a risk. Noble society prizes the ability to shift honorifics without directly contradicting anyone, so changing from Me to Di mid-scene can signal a turn in allegiance without a word of overt disagreement.
Type help honorifics in-game for the full reference.
Posture: sit, stand, lie
Your posture shapes how others see you in room descriptions and during roleplay.
sit
sit on bench
sit at bar
sit in booth
stand
stand up
stand at window
dance on stage
lie down
lie on bed
lay on couch
sit has a wide range of aliases covering more specific stances: lean against, sprawl, kneel, crouch, lounge, straddle, study. stand covers dance and pace. Use whichever fits the fiction.
Eating, drinking, and smoking
Consumables add texture to a scene. Items in your inventory must be the right type.
eat rice cake
taste the broth
drink jasmine tea
sip wine
smoke pipe
puff cigarette
light up cigar
While you are eating, drinking, or smoking, other characters see that activity alongside your description. It ends when the item is finished or you put it away.
Opium circulates widely in the Empire and fluctuates between legal and decriminalized depending on the kingdom and current politics. It is available and IC-appropriate where the story warrants it.
Letters and telegrams: mail, letter, telegram
Written messages travel between characters regardless of distance.
mail -- open your inbox
mail read 2 -- read memo number two
letter Hóngméi -- compose a letter to Hóngméi
telegram Fǎlán -- compose a telegram to Fǎlán
mail delete 3 -- delete memo three
Letters arrive by courier and take time in transit. They are rendered as handwritten correspondence with a period-appropriate header.
Telegrams deliver immediately. They are rendered in all-caps with STOP markers between sentences, true to the wire-telegram aesthetic of the 1940s Empire.
The compose screen opens as a form. Fill in recipient, subject, and body. The system remembers recent contacts for autocomplete.
Direct messages: msg, dm
msg (alias: dm) sends a short note to another character anywhere in the world. It does not pass through the postal system. The note arrives almost at once, but it does not arrive by magic. Someone, or something, carries it.
msg Hóngméi Are you still in Sìshuǐ?
dm Rúyǔ Meet me at the harbour at midnight.
By default your messages travel by hired runner, a human courier flagged down from the nearest street. Characters in your room see you scribble a few lines and hand the slip off; characters in the recipient’s room see a runner arrive and pass them the note.
Choosing how messages are delivered
The messenger command sets the mode for every message you send afterwards.
messenger -- show your current mode and the options
messenger person -- default: hand the note to a hired runner
messenger companion -- your summoned animal carries the note
messenger hidden -- send the next message with no visible tell
messenger secret -- suppresses the visible delivery on both ends
Person is the standard mode. A street runner takes your message.
Companion routes the message through your summoned animal companion. A hawk launches from your wrist with a slip in its talon; a hound trots out with a folded note in its mouth. Onlookers in your room see the animal depart; the recipient’s room sees it arrive. Only some species can carry: see Animal companions below. The companion must be summoned and beside you.
Hidden lets a single message slip out with no visible handoff at all. After it sends, the mode reverts to your previous setting. There is a twenty-minute cooldown between uses.
Secret suppresses the delivery on the recipient’s end as well, so no one in their room sees them receive anything. It costs 250 silver li per message, drawn from your wallet, and cannot be combined with companion delivery.
Hidden and secret are the tools of conspirators, lovers, and spies. Pick the mode that matches the fiction.
Animal companions
Many characters keep an animal companion: a hawk on the wrist, a hound at the heel, a ferret in the sleeve. Companions appear beside you while summoned, follow you through rooms, and can carry written messages on your behalf when the species is large enough.
Creating a companion
make companion
This opens a form to define your companion: the animal type, a name, a short physical description visible in room listings, and an optional longer description that other players can examine. You may only have one companion at a time, and companions persist between sessions.
The recognised species are:
Carriers (can deliver messenger companion notes): hawk, falcon, raven, owl, pigeon, parrot, dog, hound, cat, ferret, fox, monkey.
Non-carriers (companionship only, too small to carry): rabbit, rat, weasel, squirrel, snake, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, spider, beetle, hedgehog.
Calling, dismissing, and releasing
companion -- show your companion's name, species, and status
companion summon -- call your companion to your side
companion dismiss -- send your companion away for now
companion release -- permanently part with your companion
Each species has its own arrival, departure, and idle animations. A summoned owl glides in silently, a falcon swoops in, a cat pads in; the same animal departs in kind when dismissed. Releasing a companion is permanent and asks for confirmation. To replace one companion with another, you must release the first.
Remembering names
Characters do not automatically know each other’s names. You learn a name when:
- Someone introduces themselves in dialogue (“My name is Hóngméi”).
- Someone mentions your name in speech or an emote, and you are present to hear it.
- You have been introduced through another channel.
Until you know a character’s name, you see them by their physical description instead. This is intentional. Introducing yourself IC is meaningful, and the system tracks exactly which name you used (“Méi” versus “Hóngméi” versus “Hóngméi Voss”) so that what others know matches what you chose to share.
In-game messaging and notices: msg vs mail
| Use case | Tool |
|---|---|
| Instant short note anywhere, by runner or companion | msg or dm |
| Formal correspondence, period-appropriate | letter |
| Fast formal contact across distance | telegram |
| Notice board posts via messenger | messenger post notice <board> "<title>" <body> |
Summoning NPCs: summon
summon (aliases: call, beckon) sends word to a nearby NPC asking them to come to you.
summon Magistrate I have information about the smugglers.
call Guard There is trouble at the south docks.
The NPC uses their own judgment about whether to comply. If they declined recently, there is a cooldown before you can ask again. summon works only with NPCs already within summon range, not strangers across the city.
Locatability: check in
check in (aliases: checkin, wherevis) controls whether other players can find you in the where list.
check in -- open the menu
check in yes -- visible to anyone
check in favorites -- visible only to favorites
check in no -- hidden from where entirely
This is useful when you want a private scene or simply do not want to be interrupted. Per-player visibility overrides can be set through the permissions menu.
Permissions and consent: permissions
permissions (aliases: perms, consent) is the master control for how other players can interact with you. Type permissions alone to open the full menu.
Key areas:
General settings (permissions general) cover defaults for everyone: who can see your location, who can send you OOC messages, who can whisper or say to you, who can follow you, and who can dress or style you.
Per-character settings (permissions Hóngméi) let you set exceptions for a specific player, either more permissive or more restrictive than your general defaults.
Content consent (permissions consent) controls whether you participate in unrestricted content (heavy or dark themes). This flag activates only when every player in a room has opted in mutually. The default is PG-13.
Blocks (permissions block Fǎlán) allow you to block a specific player for all interaction types or for specific ones: dm, ooc, channels, interaction, perception. Use permissions unblock Fǎlán to lift a block.
These settings are not IC knowledge. Block and unblock silently, without drama.