This page is a work in progress.

Welcome to the Official FA Homepage for In Dire Straits!
When I was away from the forum, I dappled in looking into other places to write. I found a majority of them to be very businesslike, strange sterile places. Not as welcoming, aloof to new members, weirdly intimidating all in all. I've never been intimidated here. It was just an entirely different "mood". Everyone was usually expected to have a character and be active all the time. IDS doesn't do site-wide activity checks, purge old members, has reliable hosting and a mod team that isn't comprised of one admin and two or three lackey "yes men".

IDS is something unique in which there probably won't ever be a duplicate of in a way that is as successful than what's happened here. I dunno. It's a site for artists, writers, and friends who are just as welcoming as they were when everything started. And that's special. -IDS Member Vanagandr
WHAT IS IN DIRE STRAITS?
In Dire Straits is a massive semi-realistic roleplay and art forum: free to join. Set in an alternate version of the Ice Age, members of IDS can choose to play a wide variety of species. The six most common species are wolves, dogs, big cats, sabers, and foxes. Members can even play humans if they like! If roleplaying isn't for you, then that's just fine. We have a large array of artists in a very comfortable community. Join our forum, and be ready to have fun!

HOW DO I JOIN?
Simply make an account! We will never charge anything for membership, and everyone is allowed to join, no matter what. The 100% fun and free-to-join forum is right here.

DO I HAVE TO BE A GREAT WRITER/ROLEPLAYER/ARTIST TO JOIN?
Absolutely not! We have members varying from all degrees of experience in everything. We have a Practice Grounds board that allows people to increase their writing ability, and if you ask, other artists of the community will give constructive criticism. Even if you don't draw or write and have no intention of doing so, we have countless conversations ranging from serious to entertaining. The IDS forum has something for everyone.

In Dire Straits Community Events
Pretty much what's been said already - it's more than a roleplay forum, simply put. It's a community. Mostly exemplified by the fact that not everyone on the forum roleplays on the forum, you know? That's weird to comprehend for most other forums - that there's a purely OOC member - but for IDS it's sort of par for the course. Sure, maybe we were brought together because we enjoy roleplaying, but that's not why we stayed. We stayed for the people we talk to, the friends we made, the relationships we've built. -IDS Member Pride
WHAT IS ROLEPLAY WEDNESDAYS?
Work in progress.

WHAT IS PIECE OF THE WEEK?
Work in progress.

WHAT IS MONTHLY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT?
Work in progress.

HOW CAN I BE CONSIDERED FOR THESE EVENTS?
Work in progress.

Roleplay Locations for In Dire Straits
It's fun to use and isn't hamstrung by a learning curve or a lot of ridiculous rules and requirements. The roleplay has some of its own rules, but gives a lot of freedom to users that other sites don't; people are free to fade out and come back in, but things keep going without them in the meantime. Activity also tends to beget more activity, since there's always someone to plot with or draw for or chat with.

I think other things that help are not having site-wide activity checks, not having a word count requirement besides "mildly give a fuck and write eight sentences", being multi-purpose with sort of being an art community at the same time, and having a staff system that doesn't rely on one group of friends or a couple of friends who can go inactive in those positions and have nobody able to replace them. -IDS Member Theral
ALTERON
Work in progress.

ANCIENT FOREST [NEUTRAL]
Winding through this evergreen forest is a river teeming with white-water rapids. Massive, gnarled trees reside in its heart and create a shadowing canopy. Within every forest there are secrets untold. Near the outskirts are are the charred remains of trees left from a forest fire years ago. This is an untamed wilderness where any creature may play.

ARCANA
Work in progress.

ARYION
Work in progress.
- Ukoo: The Badlands of Aryion are home to the kingdom of the hyena, a place heavily guarded from the outside world. Outsiders here are regarded with suspicion until they can prove themselves worthy of the hyena's trust, and though all are welcome, life is not easy. Those who cannot pull their own weight to support their kin quickly find themselves as outcasts among these outcasts. There is no place in the kingdom for laziness, for the lion overlords are always watching.

CEDAR HILL
Work in progress.
- Owl Ridge [Neutral]: These are the hills that protect the fort settlers from the wild animals, but the same can't be said for Owl Ridge dwellers. Here you will find grassy mountain meadows, towering granite peaks, deep canyons, a waterfall, and a cascading river outflow through 'rainbow gorge' and into the rocky terrain of the beaches. This is a semi-untamed wilderness where outsiders must tread with care.

DEATH VALLEY
A land comprised of sandstone, cavernous cliff sides, and a series of tar pits encircled by a thick forest maze, this is the valley inhabited by the fanatical wolves of Oukoku-Kai. Warlike and zealous, they are bonded closely by their worship of the Rosa, and have little tolerance or mercy for those of the outside world. They are hellbent on either converting them... or extinguishing them.

ERREZ
A valley nestled between protective mountains and dangerous cliffs, this is the home to the group that calls themselves Errez. Family is revered here, but the chance to call oneself family is rare. The strong are branded with fire and honored with a title, while the weak are sacrificed to the flames.

RED MARSHES
Pressed against the edges of the Fringe, these marshes are full of treacherous tar pits, swampy bogs, and vicious reptilian predators that hold domain of the waters. The territories are ever-changing and the rivers often run rampant with red. Anyone may try to establish a new pack or pride here, if they are willing to be active and willing to shed blood for their cause.
- Land Between [Neutral]: At the places where the packlands of the marshes end, so begins the land between. From dark and murky swamps to vast expanses of open rivers, this land is territory without pack claims. This is an untamed wilderness where any creature may play.

FRIGID COAST [NEUTRAL]
A northern shoreline, the air is chilled with the bite of icebergs and the occasional snowstorm. The endless ocean pounds into the black-stone beach, bringing with it flotsam from the sea. Only the hardiest of scavengers and adventurers brave this hostile territory. This is an untamed wilderness where any creature may play.

GREATER NORTH
Work in progress.

INARIA
What land would boast holding scholars and scientists? Tucked away in a valley filled with the sickly sweet Jacarandas rests a pack with just that, perhaps with more than a touch of Arthurian nobility rolled in. The land here is lush and filled with the constant bustle of life, though it's not entirely peaceful as it pretends. The strife of the forest is hidden; riddled with back alley whispers that the inhabitants simply ignore. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

ROARING MOUNTAINS [NEUTRAL]
This is a valley that slopes into a long and craggy mountain range. Tucked within the mountains are caves where the lurkers can dwell. Snow-capped peaks melt into frigid springs below. Even a dormant volcano lays waiting within the mountain range. This is an untamed wilderness where any creature may play.

SABORO
Work in progress.
- Ravine [Neutral]: The eastern edge of Saboro dips into a ravine that divides Saboran members from vagabonds; carefully patrolled by sentries for any sign of espionage or intrusion, the muddy split is nevertheless a place for the rainforest wolves to glimpse the outside world and vice versa. This is a semi-untamed wilderness where outsiders must tread with care.

SICHER'S OUTLANDS
Work in progress.
- Flats [Neutral]: This is a part of the territory dominated by sand dunes and shrubs; the flats stretch for miles, the largest portion of the territory. There are few oases hidden within, but they are few and far between. This is a semi-untamed wilderness where outsiders must tread with care.

STONECLAW
Work in progress.

VENIEL
Deep in the heart of the Dire Straits, there is a land inhabited by the beasts of hoof and paw, not tooth and claw. The kingdom grew from ancient roots as a sanctuary for all who would be found as prey elsewhere. Do not mistake them for weaklings, ready to fall and give themselves up as prey, for this herd is not like any other. This is Veniel.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
This is a little pocket of the IDS universe where you may roleplay just about anything that suits your fancy. What happens here doesn't affect the rest of the forum.


Questions? Comments? Contact the Admins of the Homepage!