The Ancient Scrolls

[Zsadist]

1. Staff word is law.

When one of the staff members tell you to do something, do it. No questions asked. We don't want to hear you whining and complaining about not following the rules. We aren't a bunch of 2 years-olds here, right? Let's all be mature act our age. If you think that a staff member is acting out towards you without a good reason, then you may message an admin to get their opinion on the situation.

2. Be polite.

Treat others the way you wish to be treated. Everyone should know that. Don't go around harassing other members and staff or messaging them over and over again just to attempt to get what you want. No one will like you for that. Just remember what Thumper said: "If you can't say nothin' nice, don't day nothin' at all."

3. No chatspeak.

In character or out of character, we don't want it. That means no shorthand. The exceptions for out of character are lol, omg, ttyl, brb, etc. We don't want to see u tlkng lyk dis all da tim. No one will want to talk to you if you start doing that. It's annoying and everyone will find you irritating. After one warning, admin will delete your account without further warning.

4. Don't bug others to post.

Seriously. Don't do it. It's annoying. No one wants to log in to seven messages from you saying, "When will you post?" "Can you post now?" "Why haven't you posted yet?" "I'm waiting for your post... still!" We get it, you are eager for your roleplaying partner to post, but doing that won't get you anywhere. We will respond when we have the time to respond. The only exception to this rule is when you have not heard from the other person for a week real life time. You may send them ONE message reminding them about your thread. That's it.

5. No fighting.

If you have a problem with someone, take it off of the forums. No one wants to see your little dispute. If need be, take your problem to admin and they will decide what to do about what is going on.

6. No discrimination/racism.

Okay, that should be self explanatory. We're okay with you having an opinion, but don't go around shouting how you want to kill such-and-such race to the world. The post will be banned and after a second occurrence, you will be banned without warning.

7. No spamming.

Once is enough! We will see your post, don't worry. If your post is directed at a certain person, just message them instead. It will be a lot easier for the rest of us. Do you need to post an advertisement? That's what the advertisement board is for. Gasp! Who would have thought?

8. Of the Months.

This will be chosen each month via unanimous admin vote. Once a dragon or member has been chosen for an OTM, they may not be chosen again for another 6 months real life time. Admin will be keeping track, don't worry. We won't jip you out of your chance in the spotlight. The more active you are as a member, the more likely you will be chosen for MOTM. The more in-depth you get with your character will increase the chances of your Pyr or Leviathan becoming POTM or LOTM.

[Zsadist]

1. Choose a simple name.

It doesn't have to be as simple as Bob or Jane, but don't do something such as T.3MPTR3$$, xXxDaRkNeSsLoVeRxXx or a name with upside down or "fancy" letters. Restrain yourself from using numbers and special characters (/ = + - # $ & * etc.). Accented letters (like an a or e) are okay to use. Just keep it plain and simple...

2. One account per person.

We'd like it if you would do this. It would be much easier for us to organize everyone by their ranking; Admin, Co-Admin, Moderator, Advertising Bots, Store Staff, and Canons. Your characters will be further organized into other categories as well.

3. Stay active.

Please! Once a month, staff will do an activity check. All un-active accounts will be deleted. So, if you don't want your precious little draggie-poo deleted, you had better log in! The only way your character will be saved is if you post in the leave of absence board. Staff will not delete your account(s) for the duration that period in which you stated that you will be away. If you do not log in for another week after that period, your account will be deleted.

4. Keep signatures simple.

We require that signatures be restricted to a simple list. The list must contain the name of your dragon, their alliance/rank, and their age. Nothing more, nothing less. For example: Zsadist - Leviathan King - Wyrm

[Zsadist]

1. Keep them sized appropriately.

The maximum image width for this forum is 500px. The height does not matter to us (okay, it does, just so long as your image isn't too high), but the image must be 500px or less because it will stretch the page if it's any larger. That will make the forum look awkward and ugly. You can use photobucket and various other online resources to resize your images. Otherwise you may ask an admin to resize it for you. Most of us have photoshop. Avatars should be no larger that 100x100px.

2. Nothing inappropriate.

Proboards requires that nothing graphic be used on the forums. Please read section 18. "Objectionable Content" for further information.

3. Dragon pictures.

Can't find a reference that you are looking for? It is a possibility that Zsadist may be able to sketch your dragon for you. The image would not be in full color (or maybe not in color at all, just pencil), but you would still have a reference to use for your dragon. The sketch will cost 10-50 Money Gems or 1-3 Power Gems depending on the complexity of your dragon.

[Zsadist]

1. Use your account name.

Pretty simple. Just put your account name into the "Name" box when you post. It will be easier for everyone to identify you.

2. No advertising

Uhh, seriously? That's what the advertising board is for. Place them there or face the wrath of admin.

3. Don't complain you're bored.

We don't want to hear it. If you're that bored, then get off your butt and go outside and play in the sunshine (or darkness, whatever time it is). Besides, telling us that you're bored is... well, boring.

4. Don't bug us to post.

We don't want to hear that either. Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 4.

5. No fighting.

Do I have to repeat myself? I hope not. I'm sure you probably get it by now. Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 5.

6. Don't pretend to be someone else.

No-brainer right there. If we catch you doing this, we will ban you from the site. No questions asked.

[Zsadist]

1. Cussing is allowed.

At a minimum. Some things just require a curse, like stubbing your toe on your desk or shutting your finger in a door. We just don't want to hear you dropping the f-bomb every other word.

2. Posting size.

We don't require you to post in size 1 font, but it would be appreciated. It helps to make things look more neat. Just please don't go making whole paragraps in size 5 font. Use size 1-3 font please.

3. Mingle, people!

We want our members to get to know each other! Don't be afraid to put up a post in the OOC board or respond to a post that is already up, we won't bite! We might smother you with love, however...

4. Chatspeak is not allowed.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 3.

5. No fighting.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 5.

6. Be polite.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 2.

7. Don't bug others to post.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 4.

8. No discrimination/racism.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 6.

9. No spamming.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 7.

[Zsadist]

1. Cussing not allowed.

Oh darn, it looks like you have to find some other creative words to call the dragon that just pissed your character off.

2. Posting size.

We require that all in-character posts be made in size one font, just like you are reading right now. Post also much be a minimum of 50 words (subject to change).

3. Speaking.

Thoughts are to be put it italics.
"Speaking is to be put in quotes." - "It may also be bold."
"The Old Language is to be in italics and quotes."

4. Chatspeak is not allowed.

Please refer to the "General" section of the rules, number 3.

5. No PP.

PP refers to Power-Playing. This is essentially the same as an invincible character. They feel no pain, cannot be defeated, dodge every attack, and always inflict pain or injuries upon others. We don't work that way. If we see you doing this, you will get one warning, then you will be removed from the forums.

6. No GM.

GM refers to God-Modding/Modeling, whichever you woulld prefer to call it. It is the controlling of another person's character without asking for permission to do so. For example, you just typed, "Bob grabbed Joe's tail, causing the other dragon's flight to falter and run into the cliff next to him." That is GM and is not allowed. Instead, say something like, "Bob grabbed Joe's tail in attempts to make the larger beast falter." and Joe would reply, "Joe felt a sharp pair of talons curl hard around his tail. His flight slowed for a moment at the sudden jerk and he stopped his quick descent just before his body crashed into the cliff next to him. His wing, however, scraped the rocky surface."

7. No Mary or Gary Sues.

You know those "perfect" characters that seem to have no problems? Everything just goes perfect for them? They have no weaknesses? That's a Sue character, which is similar to PP and is not allowed. Everyone has a weakness.

8. Liquid time.

We do have liquid time here. That simply means that your character may be in multiple posts at one time. No one wants to wait around for three seasons while your character is stuck in another thread. That is unrealistic.

9. Before making your first post.

Before your first in-character post, you must create a tracker. All we require is that you keep a list of all of your posts (open, reserved, and finished), and the gems that you have. You may also include your soulmate and hatchlings if you wish, if your characters have them. You may add whatever else you want to your tracker if you want, just make sure you have what we require. It is up to you to update it as you progress, we will not do that for you. Lastly, please have all of your characters in one post. It will be easier to keep everything sorted.

[Zsadist]

1. Color.

There are certain colors that a dragon can be; red, blue, green, orange, yellow, purple, black, white, brass, bronze, copper, gold, silver. Red, blue, and green dragons are the most common, while black and white are less common, and brass, bronze, copper, gold, and silver are extremely rare. Please see the color list for more information. The different colors are explained in detail there.

2. Age.

Dragons age very slowly. There is a full description of the aging process located here. There will be few Hatchlings, many Dragonets, few Drakes, very few Dragons, and even less Wyrms. The only known Wyrms at this time are the canons.

3. Gender.

There are both males and female dragons on Taranis, however, there are far fewer females than males. It is less likely for a female to make it through the Drake life cycle. There are also less females due to each band hunting the other in order to prevent Firestorms. Pyr will hunt Leviathan females, and Leviathan will hunt Pyr females. The males should extremely protective of the females dragons.

4. Horns and talons.

Characters can have various sized, shaped, and colored horns and talons. They will match in color. The colors that may be seen are black, white, gold, silver, and bronze, or they match the dragon's scales.

5. Wings.

The wings are large, always. They may be more leathery, or more feathery like a bird. It depends on the breed of your dragon. The wing span should be double the length of dragon. Unless, of course, your dragon is one of the breeds that does not fly.

6. Breeds.

There are various breeds of dragons. Please see the post about the breeds located here.

7. Anatomy and Physiology.

You can read more on the anatomy and physiology of your average dragon here.

8. When creating.

Please copy the code for the form that we have. It is located in the Creature Creation board. You may change the colors of the form, but please do not change the sizing code or anything else. Use your dragon's name for the subject/thread title. Nothing else! Submit your completed application to the Completed Applications board and it will be reviewed by staff shortly. If you need to leave your application as a work in progress, then place it into the Unfinished Applications board. It will not be touched or even looked at by staff until you are finished. When your application is accepted, it will be moved to their the Pyr or Leviathan board, depending on what your character is.

9. Images.

It is not required that you have a reference image for your character, but if you use one, make sure that it is no wider than 500px. Also, check to see that no one else is using the image. We can't have 7 of the same dragon flying around, that just wouldn't make sense. If you can't find a picture, someone may be able to sketch one for you. See the Images section, number 3 for more information.

10. Amount of characters.

The only rule is that you can only create as many characters as you can handle. So if you can only handle two, then only create two. If we see characters go inactive, we will message you about them once, then move them to the adoption board if they continue to be inactive. Admin also advises that you have no more than five characters. More than like would be a little crazy, don't you think?

[Zsadist]

1. About.

The canons are premade characters that are essential to the plot. They vary in size, color, etc., but are all in the Wyrm stage of the life cycle.

2. Requirements.

To be a canon, you must be an very active player. That means you must log on 4 of more days a week. We can't have our canons being inactive. Also, the minimum word count for an in-character post is 700, but of course the more you type, the better.

3. Tryouts.

Yes, you must tryout to be a canon character. We won't simply give you one. If you are given a canon character to play, then we expect you to live up to the standard and follow the requirements. If you cannot, we will give the canon to someone else who can. If tryouts are closed, do not apply. You won't get it then or most likely ever. That's what you get for not following the rules.

4. Canon vs. Original.

Each canon is given an elemental power that is unique to them. The powers are Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Darkness, and Light. The canons may shift the earth, part the seas, absorb fire, control tornadoes, etc. Originals may have these powers but not to this degree. The canons are seen as equal to a God or Goddess. They are worshiped, hated, loved, feared, and looked upon in awe, just as a ethereal being should be.

5. Death.

Only a canon may kill another canon, but that would be unwise, wouldn't it. Disaster would rear its ugly head all over the planet.

[Zsadist]

1. Limits.

Originals are limited to two powers; one Elemental and one Psychic. Powers will begin to develop once a dragon is in the Drake cycle of life. They will slowly develop over time. The more powers the character has, the slower they will manifest. Some may appear as soon as the character becomes a Drake, others will appear further into the cycle or right before becoming a full-fledged Dragon. You may buy extra power slots from the store (up to two, making four powers total).

2. Types.

Elemental powers: Earth, Fire, Water, Air.
Psychic powers: Aura reading, Astral projection, Death warning, Dowsing, Medium-ship, Premonition, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Psychometry, Remote viewing, Retro-cognition, Scrying.

3. Money Gems.

These Gems are the store currency here on Taranis. You can use them to buy items from the store. They are the colors of silver and gold. It is also possible to bribe or tempt other dragons with these Gems. Dragons love Gems, so it may be possible to get them to back off by offering the a nice sum of your possessions, even if it may hurt your character deeply to lose it. Some may take offense to that, however, especially if they find the sum of Gems not enough, so the choice is up to you. The sacrifice might be worth your life. Gems can be earned by posting, participating in contests, and through random other events that may happen.

New members automatically receive 1000 Gems when they create their first character. You may receive another 1000 when you reach 50 posts, 100 posts, 500 posts, 1000 posts, and so on. You will not earn these Gems unless you PM Admin.

4. Power Gems

These may be given out randomly or for winning a battle. They will grant you an extra point in your next battle, if you choose to use them. You may hoard them or turn them in at the store for Money Gems. Red restores health, Green makes Elemental attacks stronger, Blue makes psychic attacks stronger, Purple makes a dragon stronger in general by increasing strength and speed for a short time and are very rare. One Common Power Gem is equal to twenty-five [25] Money Gems. One Rare Power Gem is equal to fifty [50] Money Gems.

[Zsadist]

1. Breeding in general.

With dragons, a breeding pair is very, very rare. We cannot stress that enough. There may be "interest", but a birth will not result unless the breeding happens between a mated pair. These mated pairs are soulmates. Each soulmate is marked by a Firestorm between two dragons.

2. Soulmates and Firestorms.

Characters must be a full-fledged Dragon or Wyrm before they have the possibility of finding their soulmate and experiencing a Firestorm. The Firestorm is said to cause an intense desire to be with, breed, and protect one's soulmate. It's said to make both dragons experience an intense heat, and sparks with alight between the two. The male's body will also attempt to sync with the female's; everything from the beat of the heart to the breaths she takes. A male will immediately memorize the female's scent, and it is possible for him to sense his mate from a distance. The connection will get stronger with time, beginning at only a matter of feet and ending in the male being able to sense his mate when she is miles away. The Firestorm will always result in a birth. A pair is revealed during every complete lunar eclipse. After the conception, the Firestorm will end and it is up to the pair to stay together as a mated pair or go their separate ways.

3. Birthing.

If a birth were to occur, the female would stay pregnant for a little over a year, about 14 months. During the later phase of this period, she is too heavy to fly. Usually the male protects and provides for her during this time. At the end of this period, the female lays a clutch of 4 to 12 eggs. You can read more about the eggs and stages of the life cycle here. You are required to fill out the birthing form once your dragon becomes pregnant.

4. Graphic-mating.

This is not allowed according to Proboards Terms of Service. You may read section 18 in their TOS for more information. Even if it were, we wouldn't allow it. If you want to get all hot'n'heavy, take it off of the forums.

5. Force-breeding.

This is not allowed either. This is a PG-13 site, so we don't want any dragon rape here. Besides, mating rarely happens as it is.

[Zsadist]

1. Battles.

A regular battle may happen at any place, any time. This does not require admin approval. Battles may happen for any reason; over food, land, protecting a mate or hatchling, or just because. Typically, the losing dragon will flee before he or she is killed, but it is up to the challenger to pursue them or not. Gems may be used as a bribe here.

2. Blood Duels.

A Blood Duel is an official battle to the death between dragons. It may be one-on-one, two-on-two, four-on-one, etc. There are no rules to the amount of dragons that may be in a Blood Duel. A Blood Duel must have a good reason, you can't initiate one just because another male looked at you funny. The character wishing to initiate a Blood Duel must message admin expressing the why and where. If admin approves the Blood Duel, the character may then pass the news on to the challenged. The character that is challenge must accept the Blood Duel or forfeit his or her life. Any sort of Gem is not accepted as a bribe in Blood Duels.

3. Official deaths.

In order for a dragon to be considered officially dead, they must be exposed to the four elements; Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Earth and Air are generally present in every situation. It is up to another dragon to breathe dragonfire upon the dead in order for them to be exposed to Fire, and the Water must either come from a body of it or from rain (even a single drop). Dragons will often go through great trouble, like carrying the carcass (must be with the help of another), to a body of water in order to expose them to all of the elements.

[Zsadist]

1. Locations.

The main territories are the lands of the Pyr, the lands of the Leviathan, and the Void. Most of Taranis's Pyr live in the Pyr lands and most of Taranis's Leviathan live in the Leviathan lands. However, either may live in the Void. The Void is neither Pyr nor Leviathan, yet it is not neutral territory either, though it is betwixt and between. The Pyr lands may be ruled by one male, and the Leviathan lands may be ruled by one male. Each ruler may have a Second, their right claw. The Void may not be ruled, though the territories inside may be claimed.

2. Within the lands.

Within each Pyr and Leviathan lands, and the Void, there are individual territories. The Pyr and Leviathan lands each have five, while the Void has seven. The skies may not be claimed. Each territory within each land may be guarded by one male. The male that guards the territory may choose to live alone, accept others into his Flight (a group of dragons), or team up with other Flights. Be on your guard, however. Another male may want to challenge your male to a Blood Duel for his territory.

Read everything? The character board password is Dragonfire.