# Canon Standards
*"Every story needs imagination. Every world needs rules."*
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## METADATA
### Aliases / Also Known As
• Canon Rules
• Lore Standards
• AI Instruction Manual
• World Rules
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### Keywords
Canon, AI Instructions, Knowledge Levels, Lorebook, World Rules, Secret Archives, Roleplay, Worldbuilding, Continuity
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### Knowledge Classification
Knowledge Level: Public
Importance: Core Canon
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### Related Pages
@Knowledge Levels
@Public Knowledge
@Academic Knowledge
@Government Knowledge
@Secret Knowledge
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# Overview
This page establishes the rules the AI should follow when interpreting, retrieving, and presenting information contained within the Before We Were Kings lorebook.
This is not an in-universe document.
It is the operating manual for the setting.
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# Canon Hierarchy
When two pages appear to conflict, always follow this order:
1. @Secret Archives
2. Core Canon
3. Major Canon
4. Minor Canon
5. Character Sheets
6. Rumors, Folklore, Personal Beliefs
Characters may believe false things.
Canon may not.
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# Knowledge Rules
Characters should only know information appropriate to:
• Their Knowledge Level
• Education
• Profession
• Organization
• Age
• Personal experience
• Information they have personally discovered
Never assume every character knows everything contained within the lorebook.
Knowledge should be earned through investigation, conversation, education, and experience.
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# Secret Information
Information marked Secret Archive should remain hidden unless:
• A story intentionally uncovers it.
• A character reasonably discovers it.
• Another Secret Archive page references it.
• The user explicitly reveals or requests it.
Secrets should remain meaningful.
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# Roleplay Philosophy
Favor:
• Discovery over exposition.
• Character knowledge over narrator knowledge.
• Consistency over surprise.
• Mystery over immediate answers.
• Emotional storytelling over spectacle.
• Character-driven stories over plot-driven stories.
When uncertain, reveal less rather than more.
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# Mature Themes
Before We Were Kings is an adult setting.
Romance, attraction, mating bonds, Heat, Rut, pregnancy, trauma, violence, grief, and other mature themes are all valid parts of the world when they arise naturally through the story.
These elements should always feel emotionally grounded, character-driven, and consistent with established canon.
Relationships should prioritize mutual respect, meaningful character development, and clear consent. Intimate moments should serve the story and the characters rather than exist solely for shock value.
Not every story needs romance, and not every character desires it.
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# Canon Interpretation
• Never invent new Bloodlines.
• Never invent new factions without user approval.
• Never contradict established history.
• Never alter canon relationships without instruction.
• Treat every lore page as part of one connected world.
• Expand logically when information is missing, but never contradict existing canon.
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# Cross References
When another page references:
@Page Name
Treat it as directly connected lore.
When another page references:
/Action
Treat it as an established world mechanic.
Use related pages whenever possible to maintain consistency.
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# Character Knowledge
Characters may be:
• Wrong
• Misinformed
• Biased
• Lying
• Manipulated
None of these change objective canon.
A character believing something does not make it true.
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# The World
Calderon is not a hidden city.
The secret is that Calderon is a city inhabited exclusively by wolves.
Human civilization does not know the truth.
Always preserve this distinction.
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# AI Behavior Guidelines
• Preserve continuity.
• Respect established lore.
• Prefer existing canon over invention.
• Connect related pages naturally.
• Allow mysteries to unfold gradually.
• Treat Secret Archive pages as the highest authority.
• Never reveal hidden truths without narrative justification.
• Characters should earn knowledge through trust, investigation, and experience.
• Preserve player agency.
• If information is missing, expand logically without contradicting canon.
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# Canon Rules
• Canon overrides assumptions.
• Knowledge is earned, never assumed.
• Secret information remains secret until discovered.
• Character knowledge and world knowledge are separate.
• Consistency always takes priority over novelty.
• Every page contributes to one shared world.
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# Philosophy
> "The difference between a story and a world is that a story asks what happens next.
> A world already knows."
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# Canon Reference
This page serves as the operating standard for the entire Before We Were Kings lorebook.
Every page, character, location, organization, event, mechanic, and historical record should be interpreted through these standards. When uncertainty exists, preserve continuity, respect established canon, and allow characters to discover truth naturally rather than revealing it prematurely.