The Collegia Religio Romana Group
1) Q. What does the ROMA priesthood do?
A. We help plan and create festivals, religious re-enactments, and other events in ROMA. We are the party organisers, planners, and shapers of all of ROMA's public events. We do this under the direction of Emperor Julian Augustus, and Consul/Chief Vestal Angelia Rees.
2) Q. How do I join?
A. You must contact the Head of the Collegia, Angelia Rees, for a group invite. All new participants of the Collegia begin as Acolytes. Acolytes assist the Collegia during festivals, participate in rites when a stand-in is required, and help plan events.
3) Q. I want to be a priest/ess, not an acolyte! How do I do that?
A. You must participate as an Acolyte at least three months before you can apply to be an apprentice priest/ess. This rule is in place to give you time to see if you really want the responsibility that comes with priesthood, and if you have the time to commit. If you don't have time, or want to roleplay without responsibility, then you are better off remaining an Acolyte. The priesthood is a time consuming job, with hard work and heavy responsibility.
4) Q. I've heard the offcial language of the Collegia is English - my English is bad, can I still join?
A. Yes, the official language of the Collegia is English - mainly because that's the one language all the starting members had in common. Can you join if your English is bad? Yes, but if it's VERY bad (people rarely understand anything you say), you may be asked to wait to join until your English improves to a point where the Collegia members can at least communicate with you. We are not trying to discriminate, but the Collegia does not hire interpreters. If you have an in-world translator that works well, exceptions may be made.
5) Q. I've heard there is a chat room - Why do I have to join that?
A. The Collegia's main form of communication is through HipChat, which can be found here. This is to limit the number of in-world meetings and IMs, and to accomodate everyone's different time zones -- HipChat retains transcripts of everything said in meetings, so that they may be read any time. You have to join HipChat to keep up with what we are doing and planning. Otherwise, you will be left out of the loop and you won't be prepared when asked to participate. Angelia will give you detailed instructions on how to join our HipChat group. DO NOT join HipChat without her instructions -- you'll end up in the wrong rooms.
6) Q. Are there any other rules?
A. Yes. The Collegia has a Code of Conduct you are expected to abide by. Failure to abide by the Code will result in expulsion from the group. The Code of Conduct will be given to you when you become an Acolyte. If you have any questions about the Code of Conduct, contact the Head of the Collegia, Angelia Rees.
7) Q. Okay, I've joined - now what?
A. First you choose your cult - which god or goddess you'll be serving under. You don't have to believe in this god/dess in RL, but you DO have to pretend like you do during ceremonies. Generally, men serve gods, and women, goddesses. In ROMA, however, you may serve any deity you wish regardless of gender, with the exception of Vesta and Mithras. Vestals are always female, and Mithras' priesthood is always male.
8) Q. What are religious rites and ceremonies like in ROMA?
A. They are a lot like a play - there is a script for you to follow, and places you should stand (stage marks), animations you will play, and objects to interact with. Think of it as historical religious theatre. When/If you become Discipulae, there will be a class for you to familiarise yourself with this.
9) Q. Who writes the scripts and decides where we stand and all that?
A. The Head of the Collegia and the Leaders of each cult. They write the script you follow and plan out how the ceremony will look. All priests and priestesses get a chance to lead a ritual, no matter who wrote or designed it. Apprentices (Discipulae) follow along in supportive roles until they are used to how a ritual plays out.
10) Q. Are any types of rites forbidden?
A. None are really forbidden except graphic animal sacrifice. If your rite called for you to sacrifice an animal, you would have to figure out a non-gory way to show that. Sexuality is permitted, with certain rules applying: nudity is okay as long as the description for the rite warns visitors that nudity will be present. Any overt sexual acts are not allowed however, as ROMA is an M rated sim. Be careful and thoughtful when given leave to create a rite for the public enjoyment.
11) Q. What time are festivals and other events held in ROMA? I live in Europe and can't make it to a lot of SL events.
A. The Collegia tries very hard to accomodate our European members. Most European members find it easier to participate in the morning events rather than the evening, but it is up to you. But whatever you choose, DO NOT commit to an event and then not show up - you are required to give 24 hours notice if you cannot attend an event you previously committed to. Failure to give notice may result in expulsion from the group, unless you have a reasonable explanation for your absence. Please see the Collegia's Code of Conduct for further details.
12) Q. The FAQ didn't cover my question! Who can I ask?
A. If this FAQ did not cover your question, feel free to IM the Head of the Collegia, Angelia Rees, and ask. She'll be more than happy to help you.