Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Shadows of the Crucible is operated by Peter Brooks. Questions about this policy, or any request described below, can be raised through the Support page linked at the end of this document.

2. Information We Collect

• Account details — the email address you sign in with, and a display name if you provide one.
• Reading activity — which chronicles, lore records and dossiers you open, how long you spend reading them, your progress, bookmarks and highlights.
• Collection and game activity — cards drawn, Celestium Dust and Fate Cinder balances, bazaar purchases, binders, equipped gear, and any messages or comments you post in the tavern or on records.
• Subscription records — your tier, its status, billing period end date, and the Stripe customer and subscription identifiers needed to manage it.
• Technical data — IP address, browser and device type, and standard server logs, plus preferences stored in your browser such as reader settings and music player state.

3. Information We Do Not Collect

We never receive or store your card number, security code or bank details. Payments are handled entirely by Stripe, our payment processor, which shares back only the outcome of a transaction and the identifiers listed above.

We do not collect precise location data, we do not use advertising trackers, and we do not sell, rent or trade personal information to anyone.

4. How We Use It

• To run the archive — delivering records, saving your progress, and showing your collection.
• To award rewards — Celestium Dust, Fate Cinders, cards, gear and titles you have earned.
• To manage subscriptions — processing payments, granting monthly rewards, and handling cancellation.
• To send service messages — essential notices about your account or subscription. Newsletter transmissions are sent only if you ask for them, and every one can be unsubscribed from.
• To protect the archive — detecting fraud, abuse, cheating in reward systems, and attempts to bypass access controls.
• To improve the archive — understanding in aggregate which records are read, so more of the right kind can be made.

5. Cookies and Local Storage

A session cookie keeps you signed in. Local storage in your browser remembers preferences such as your reader settings, volume and dismissed notices. Neither is used for advertising, and clearing your browser storage will only cost you those preferences.

6. When We Share Information

That is the whole list. We do not sell or rent personal information, and we do not share it for advertising.

• Stripe — to process subscription payments and manage recurring billing.
• Our hosting and platform provider — to store records and serve the archive.
• Legal requirements — where we are obliged to disclose information to comply with the law, or to protect the rights and safety of readers and of the archive itself.

7. How Long We Keep It

Account, reading, collection and subscription records are kept while your account is open so that your archive remains intact. If you delete your account, this information is removed or anonymised within 30 days, except where we must retain it for tax, accounting or legal reasons, and except for aggregate statistics that no longer identify you.

8. Your Rights

You can request a copy of the information held about you, ask for it to be corrected, or ask for it to be deleted. Account deletion is available directly in your account settings, and the same request can be made through the Support page.

• California residents — you have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request its deletion or correction, and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell or share personal information, and you will never be treated differently for exercising these rights.
• Readers in the EU and UK — we rely on contract and legitimate interest as the lawful bases for processing, and you may lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority at any time.

9. Children

Shadows of the Crucible is intended for readers aged 13 and over, and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from a child under 13. If we learn that an account belongs to a child under 13, it and its information will be deleted.

10. Security

Information is encrypted in transit, access to it is restricted, and anything that affects your entitlements — balances, purchases, subscriptions — is verified on our servers rather than trusted from the browser.

11. Where Information Is Held

The archive is served from infrastructure in the United States, so information may be processed there. By using the archive you consent to that transfer.

12. Changes to This Policy

If this policy changes materially, the new version will be posted here with a new effective date, and significant changes will be noted in the archive.