Rules

   The rules on Elara are fairly simple and loose, but every player should endeavor to follow them, not find ways around them. I am not a fan of the "it isn't in the rules, so you can't punish me" attitude. The rules exist to promote fun and cooperation, and I'll use my best moral judgment when dealing with problems to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone. If you have a problem with anything or anyone, please bring to the attention of a moderator or the owner.
   Rules may get added, removed or changed from time to time, so make sure you check this page once in a while for updates (marked in light blue). And of course, if there's something you don't understand or you think needs changing, ask!

General

• Powerplaying (taking control of another person's character in your post) and Godmoding (making your character invincible or giving him/her outrageous abilities) are not allowed.
• Deities do exist in Elara. However, characters may worship whomever they please (or not at all).
• Be polite! We are all friends here, and I expect everyone to treat everyone with respect and dignity. Disagreements happen and that's fine, but don't let an argument balloon into a flame war or harassment. Keep it civil, folks!
• Keep Out-of-Character drama to a minimum. Even if characters are at odds, their players never should be. Remember, this is only a game, and we are all friends here. If you are experiencing problems with another player, please talk to the owner.

Joining

• A human without any magical abilities from any walk of life (Lord, peasant, soldier, slave, etc.)
• A wizard, sorceress, or any other magically-inclined human
• A pet or 'familiar' with a magical human character; generally, pets are ordinary non-magical animals like cats and dogs, while familiars may be more unusual. Familiars need moderator/owner approval
• Any style (Eastern, Western, etc.) of dragon

• A character that is not a human or a dragon
• A character with the same name as an existing character
• A mythical or undead familiar
• An excessively large dragon (i.e. jumbo-jet or bigger)

Time

   Elara runs on what I like to call Jell-O time; Elara has 4 seasons, but they aren't strictly measured and there's plenty of wiggle room. Fast-aging is allowed, and is completely normal. However, you cannot make your characters younger.

Birth and Life

• Procreation is allowed in Elara and may take place wherever the couple wishes -but obviously, not across races. Elara is a child-friendly game, and while long-form breeding is allowed, you must place an appropriate warning in your subject line. Outright pornographic posts are prohibited.
• Dragons can only breed during winter and spring. Dragon pregnancies can last anywhere from one season to three seasons, but they always give birth before winter sets in -otherwise their offspring would freeze to death! Eggs must sit for at least two real-world weeks before hatching.
• Dragons may lay their eggs anywhere they please, but in general, fire dragons prefer to lay their eggs in the heat of the Catacombs while dragons partial to frost prefer the icy mountain tops.
• Dragon eggs CAN be eaten by predators or stolen by humans if left unprotected. Similarly, human children who wander too far from home CAN be carried off by dragons or succumb to the elements.
• You may make a join post for newborn characters, but it isn't required. You can post each newborn's vital information (Name, stats, etc.) on the OOC board if you prefer.
• Newborns do not require admin approval, but they must still abide by the rules regarding allowable species/size/powers, etc.

Skill Points

   Skill Points are a way to measure your character's ability to fight or survive in harsh environments. They are mainly used in battles, but there are a few other areas where Skill Points come into play. The four Skills are: Strength, Agility, Toughness, and Intellect.

• Adult characters start out with a total of 25 Skill Points, which you can allocate among the four Skills however you like. Child characters start out with 9 Skill Points. Humans are considered 'children' until the age of 16. The age at which dragons mature varies by breed, so if you are joining a hatchling or juvenile dragon make sure you say that clearly in your join post.
• You can increase your character's Skill Points by participating in judged battles held on the Judgment Field. These can be friendly practice battles or serious fights.
• Fights to the death do not earn Skill Points -killing your opponent is quite enough spoils!
• The maximum amount of Skill Points a character may have is 65 total points. (Not 65 per skill!)
• Familiars and pets cannot earn or improve Skill Points, and do not receive any on joining.

Magic

   Magic is a fundamental part of Elara, and both humans and dragons may have magical abilities. You may choose to give your characters magical abilities upon joining, but for simplicity's sake, each character may only have one magical power. Each race has distinctly different styles of magic:

-Human Magic

   Human magic is dependent on the caster's imagination; you can make up any spell you like as long as it adheres to your character's element and isn't completely crazy. Higher Intellect and Strength Skill Points produce more powerful spells in battles. A human spellcaster may use one of the following elements:

• Air Manipulation
• Water Manipulation
• Earth Manipulation (Not to be confused with 'affinity for animals')
• Fire Manipulation

   Human magicians also have the ability to 'sense' the presence of other magic users. What this sensation actually feels like differs from one person to another, but these rules for detection apply to all human magicians:

• A magician can sense the presence of another magic user, but can't pinpoint his/her exact location or direction.
• The sensation of another magic user nearby is rather faint and easy to overlook.
• A group of magicians will give off a stronger 'vibe' that is easier to detect.
• Someone who is actively using magic will be easier to detect.
• The sensation of another magic user nearby will get stronger the closer you get -up to a point. Once you're about 30 feet away from another magic user (the length of a typical Elaran house), the feeling won't get any stronger.
• Magical detection has a maximum range of a quarter mile; any magic users outside that range can do whatever they want without fear of detection.
• Magical detection only works between humans; human magicians can't sense other magical creatures, no matter how close or how powerful they may be.

   A human magician may have one magical pet, called a familiar. Familiars may be unusually intelligent, possess magical abilities, or have other uncommon traits. However, the magic of a familiar is far simpler and considerably less powerful than any human magician's ability. There are no hard definitions or limits for this; you must use your best judgement to decide what is reasonable and what is overpowered. If in doubt, ask an admin or an experienced player for suggestions.

-Dragon Magic

   Dragons are inherently magical creatures, much more so than even the most powerful human spellcasters. Dragon magic is primal, and thus much simpler than human magic. A dragon may have one of the following powers:

• Fire Breath: The ability to 'breathe' fire at will. Color and temperature vary, but fire breath is usually hot enough to melt rock after several minutes of sustained use. Generally, dragons can sustain fire breath as long as there is air in their lungs.
• Frost Breath: The ability to breathe a very cold stream of air at will. This can be cold enough to create frost, or make some materials brittle with sustained use. Generally, dragons can sustain frost breath as long as there is air in their lungs.
• Acid Breath: The ability to spit acid at will. Acid can be mildly irritating to seriously corrosive. This breath attack can't be sustained for more than a few seconds, and if used excessively, acid-spitters may 'run out of juice' and need to recharge.
• Venom/Poison: The ability to poison a foe with a bite, scratch or sting. Venom and poison are generally slow-acting (minutes to hours) and can be mildly annoying to seriously crippling. However, venom and poison cannot be directly lethal, and their effects will eventually wear off.
• Camouflage: The ability to change color at will. This is a very rare ability among dragons; if you request camouflage for your dragon, a dice roll will determine whether you get it.

War, Battle, and Death

• Friendly battles can be held anywhere in Elara at any time, and don't have any associated reward (like skill points).
• If you want your battle to be refereed/judged (to obtain skill points or just for fairness), you must post it in the Judgment Field. ALL death matches between player characters MUST be posted in the Judgment Field.
• Generally, if your character needs to kill another for roleplaying purposes (i.e. a knight needs a dragon to slay) you can conjure up an expendable Non-Player Character (NPC) suited to your needs. You don't need any special permission to do this, just don't get carried away, please. You can request someone else to play an NPC for you, to make things more interesting.
• Judged/refereed battles usually have something (skill points, land, females, etc.) that the combatants are fighting over, and some sort of stakes that require a clear victory. These battles are judged in three parts:
• Comparison of skill points -done through mathematical formulas I've created
• Quality of writing -based on proper spelling and grammar
• Description, creativity and realism -based on how well you describe your character's environment, actions and thoughts, how creative you are with your tactics, and how realistic your posts are
• Player characters CAN be killed, but only if all parties agree to a death match and accept that if their character loses, the character will die. No one can force anyone to kill off his/her character.