New Character Rules/Guidelines

[Lilacdew]

When you're making a character, in addition to following the site rules, there are a few other things we do require.

1)Please make sure every character is posted in its own thread. This makes it easier to organize as well as giving each character something special to itself. Title your threads correctly!

Dragonriders/Wherhandlers: Name : colour : Dragon/Wher
Holders/Weyrfolk: Name : Rank : Location
Crafters: Name : Rank/Craft
Candidates: Name : Gender : Dragon/Wher (what are you standing for?)

2) Have as much fun with your profile as you can. We love seeing that! The more you give us and the more original and unique your character is, the better!

3) Please make sure your grammar and spelling are checked and done right. If it's overly painful, we really won't consider it, and Briarwind is liable to be very rude.

4) Works in progress are allowed! Just mark that it's a work in progress at the top of the sheet and we won't touch it until you change it. Just remember, once you want it considered, post in that thread again so that we know it's ready. We won't really be going through each forum every day, so please don't expect us to guess.

5) If we take a longer then normal time to look at it, just let us know! We're pretty easy going, and if we missed it...well, we'll look at it ASAP.

6) If you create something blatantly against the rules, consider your character automatically not approved. Our rules are simple, and we want everyone to be treated equally...so no one gets special exceptions and that includes us. If there is a question on something in there, or something you'd like to see changed...ask us before you do it and we can look at it and have a serious discussion. Hey, you never know! Maybe you've a great point for something that we missed and we can get the rule changed for you.

One final note-Remember, the way most forums go is that you cannot play a character until approved. We are the same exact way. You'll find that my characters will be approved by Briarwind, and hers by me...so again, we are not exempt from it.

[Briarwind]

A few more rules from me.

1) Be realistic. We encourage creativity. We will not approve a purple haired, pink eyed, 3 foot tall supermodel with fairy wings. It's Pern, not D&D.

2) If your character reads like a Mary Sue/Gary Stu, it will be rejected. If you aren't sure what a Mary Sue is, you can find out HERE. If you're not sure if your character qualifies, you can either ask an administrator or run him/her through the MARY SUE LITMUS TEST.

3) Queen hunters will be fed to wild whers. We know the difference between a queen-hunting character and a queen-hunting player. Characters are welcome to be queen hunters. Players very much are not.

4) No severely crippling deformities will be approved in a candidate unless a realistic and viable reason why it isn't going to prevent the candidate from doing the job of a dragonrider or wherhandler can be provided. A character with extreme light sensitivity who cannot go out in the daylight will not be approved as a dragon candidate, for instance, but would be approved for a wher. If you aren't sure, ask. Lilacdew doesn't bite.

5) Each player may have up to four characters initially. After one month as a member, a fifth and sixth may be added. Additional characters must be purchased from the shop.

6) If a player has in excess of one character, no more than 50% of the player's characters may be female. This means that if you have an odd number of characters, yes, the odd character will always be male. The exception to this rule is in the event that a character is won through a contest. Contest characters do not count toward any limits.

7) No, you cannot have a HAD (hears-all-dragons). No, you cannot have a HAF (hears-all-firelizards), and should be ashamed for even asking. Firelizards don't speak. No, you cannot have a HAW (hears-all-whers). HAD and HAW characters MAY occasionally be available for purchase. This is the only way to get one.

8) Children are apprenticed to a craft between eight and fourteen. A junior apprentice can graduate to senior apprentice in two to three turns, minimum, if he applies himself, but may take as long as five or six. A senior apprentice can graduate to journeyman (professional) rank in two to three turns, if he applies himself, but may again take as long as five or six. From here, many journeymen, who are professionals in their craft, may go out into the world to practice actively. Note that being a journeyman healer is roughly equivalent to being a professional doctor and so on and so forth. If a crafter chooses instead to pursue master ranking, this can be done as quickly as five turns, if he applies himself particularly studiously and is generally gifted. Bear this in mind when preparing a crafting character. If your history, age, and rank do not conform to these standards (you made journeyman in two turns, for instance), you will be rejected.

9) Pets. Canines and tunnelcats are fairly common. Runners are rare. Felines are extremely rare. Check availability on all pet types.

10) Every player starts with 2 instant firelizards. These can be used on any character you like. Check availability before you claim a certain colour. Additional firelizards may be purchased from the shop or obtained through hatching. There is no upper limit to how many firelizards a character can eventually obtain. Just remember that you have to feed, train, oil, and take care of them all.