Full Site Rules (revamped)

[♕BEFERA]

RLTW Site Rules

Please read carefully! Any updated or clarified rules will be highlighted in Orange.

Basics

• RLTW is an intermediate to advanced equine rpg. If you have never been in a post-by-post rp before that involves meeting a word count, if you have never rped in a forum setting before, or if you do not know much about horses, DO NOT join. RLTW does not cater to beginners. We apologize for any offense taken, but this is NOT the place to learn how to rp. If you're a beginner, try another site instead.
• We have a word count of 300 words.
• Unfinished posts and place-holding of IC posts is STRICTLY prohibited. If you make an unfinished post or a placeholder post, it will be deleted without warning.
• Please be respectful to everyone. OOC fighting in the cbox or elsewhere is not allowed, and bringing OOC anger toward someone into an IC thread is grounds for banning.
• Please only use images you have permission to use. Images not credited properly or images from Photobucket, Tinypic, random Google image searches, etc. will be deleted.
• Cursing is allowed, but please keep it civil.
• God-modding and powerplaying are not allowed.
• Liquid-time is allowed.
• Dialogue threads are allowed and always have been on RLTW, but only in moderation. If you are abusing dialogue posts/shortened posts, you will lose the privilege of making them.
• RLTW characters DO NOT KNOW WHAT HUMANS ARE. RLTW is set centuries into the future after humans have been extinct from the planet.
• Seasons are 1 month long, thus every RLTW year is 4 months long.
• All characters age up by 1 year every RLTW spring, but those born the previous winter do not age up until the next spring.
• We prefer that all IC posts are written in 3rd person perspective.
• Please keep all of your characters on the same account.

Character Creation

• You are allowed to have an unlimited amount of characters.
• You must wait for your character to be accepted before rping it, and you MUST create a Storybook thread before rping it.
• Your character must choose an Allegiance upon creation. "Unknown/Loner" is not allowed. Check out the Allegiance Guide to help you decide where to put your character.
• All horse breeds, zebras, mules, donkeys, and hybrids are allowed.
• All created characters must be at least 3 years old.
• Characters can have unrealistic markings, deformities, etc. Some deformities are too extreme and require a prize to be made. Please see THIS thread for restrictions on deformities for created characters.
• All characters must have a realistic base color for genetics purposes. Otherwise, any color can be used on any part of the horse (eyes, mane and tail, colored markings, colored deforms, etc.).
• You are allowed to have 2 characters over 18hh, and two characters under 5.2hh if you so desire. If you would like more, you must purchase a prize.
• Vampiric and cannibalistic characters are allowed, as well as characters with minor psychic abilities. Please see THIS thread regarding the approved psychic abilities.
• Characters may have body piercings and various adornments (necklaces, armor, etc.) but they require prizes.
• After your character is accepted and you've made their Storybook, you need to post their SB post link to the Character Directory. See the rules at the top of that thread for how to do it.

Character Death/Holding

• To kill off a character or put them on hold, post to the Cemetery board using the form.
• Then, post to the Character Directory saying which characters you would like removed.
• To bring a character back from the dead, you need a prize.
• To bring a character back from the dead or back from being on hold, you must post that character's ENTIRE bio in the creation board, whether it was born on site or not. They must be re-accepted before you can RP them again.

RLTW Store

• We have a nifty store where you can buy things for your character or for your account.
• All info on how to use the store is located HERE.
• You must make a post in the store as indicated in the store info for a purchase to be valid.
• When inactive members are deleted, their Store prizes are also deleted and cannot be returned. No exceptions.

Kingdoms

• RLTW has 2 Kingdoms: Altus and Imperium. To read about their differences, click HERE.
• Kingdoms are made up of 1 Royal land and 3 herd lands.
• The Royal land is allowed 2 sub-herds, and each herd land is allowed 1 sub-herd.
• All Kingdoms have a main board area for things like ranks, rules, and meetings. Please do not RP in these main boards unless it is for a kingdom meeting.
• Your character is not automatically a member of a herd once they are accepted into a kingdom. They can be a loner, or they can join a herd. It's their choice as long as they are still apart of that kingdom.

The Syndicate

• The Syndicate is a small, one-land group that is not affiliated any Kingdom.
• They are a for-hire group of guards, mercenaries, and assassins. To read more about them click HERE.
• Characters can join The Syndicate like they join any other Kingdom.
• Characters accepted into The Syndicate are automatically apart of their herd, and cannot be considered Loners.

How to Claim Land

• Any gender can claim, but they must be at least 3 years old.
• Your character MUST be posted at least 3 times before they can claim a land. This applies to both created and born-on-site characters.
• To claim a land, you must post a 300-word IC post, as well as the name of your land and its description and post it inside of the land you wish to claim.
• If you are claiming a land in a Kingdom, that Kingdom's Royal can decline the claim, but staff have final say.
• Members who hold a Royal position (Kingdom Royal, Syndicate Lead) are allowed to rule one other Kingdom land with a different character (cannot be the same Kingdom they rule if they are a Kingdom Royal).
• Members who don't have a royal position can rule 2 kingdom lands (in different kingdoms) with different characters.
• Land descriptions and names must be original. Calling a land Winterfell or Skyrim, for example, will not be allowed.
• Staff have the right to ask you to change part of your land's description or make-up if we have too many lands that are similar to it.
• Lands are deleted after 1 month of inactivity. We will post a warning on the land, and if it is not posted in ICly after 3 days, it will be deleted.
• All deleted land information is archived in The Lost Territories board, in case you ever want to bring your land back.
• Challenging for any land must first be posted in that land. The actual fight must be RPed in Tiff Cliff.
• Lands are safe from challenges for 1 month after they are claimed, and 1 month after they are challenged for.
• After you've claimed a land, you must create your own ranks and rules for that land.

Royal Rules

• Members are allowed to have only 1 character who is Royal at any given time.
• Royals can be any gender, but they must be at least 3 years old.
• Royals have the power to banish/exile any character within their Allegiance.
• Royals can maim/banish/exile characters who challenge them and lose (see Fighting rules).
• Royals have an ability known as Royal Kill, in which they are allowed to kill a character that is under the power of their Allegiance. Staff always have final say on this.
• A Royal Killed character cannot be brought back to life for 6 months after they are killed.
• If a Royal character is inactive for 6 weeks, they will be removed from power, and a new Royal will be appointed by the staff. Absent posts do NOT excuse this, and immunities have no effect.
• Members who wish to challenge a Royal must have been active ICly for 2 months prior to challenging.
• Royals cannot be challenged for 4 months after they have been challenged for.
• If a Royal land comes under new management or the throne is given to another character, that character cannot be challenged for 2 months.

Breeding and Foaling

• Characters must be at least 3 years of age to breed.
• Characters must meet ICly at least once before breeding.
• Force breeding is allowed but only if both members agree to it.
• To breed, the characters' stats must be posted in the Foaling Field in a new thread using the proper forms.
• RPing of breeding and/or foaling is not required, but it is allowed. Please keep the graphic content to a minimum, however, or a staff member will ask you to edit your post. We must abide by the ProBoards TOS.
• Mares cannot foal more than once per season. You need a Fertility prize to be able to foal multiple times per season.
• A staffer will post your foal's stats in the breeding thread, using a randomized system.
• Foals are given a birthdate, and you cannot RP that foal until that date, and foals cannot be stolen until that date.
• Not every foal will survive or have 100% health.
• Twins and triplets are possible without the use of prizes, but they are rare.
• After a foal is born, their stats can only be changed with the use of prizes.
• Foals age just like every other character. You may use the Age Up Foal prize to make them 1 year old if you wish.
• Incest is not allowed to produce a foal without the Line Breeding prize.
• After your foal is born, you must make a sample post with them as well as give them a name in the Foal Naming board. You cannot RP the foal until you have done this.
• Foals must have their own SB post before they can be RPed, and don't forget to put their link in the CD!

Fighting

• Any gender can fight, but all fights must take place in Tiff Cliff unless the staff declare otherwise.
• Fights are judged by Strategy, Creativity, and Quality. Character stats are also taken into account.
• Fights are judged by members chosen by the staff who are not involved in the fight. The number of members judging the fight depends, but it is usually 3 or 5 members.
• Fights consist of attacks and dodges.
• Specific rules for each fight vary, and they are decided by the players (# of posts allowed, # of time allowed between posts, word count min/max, allowed # of attacks and dodges, who goes first etc.). Staff can step in if the players cannot agree on rules.
• Fight rules must be made as the first post in the fight thread.
• Foals cannot be in an official fight until they are 1yr old.
• Failure to reply to a challenge after 3 days will result in a forfeit.

Stealing

• Steals are riddles, poems, etc. that contain at least 4 hints about the character that is being stolen.
• All steals are posted in the Stealing board (this includes auto-steals).
• Stolen characters become the stealer's prisoner, without powerplaying.
• Any character can only have 6 prisoners at a time.
• Steals are revealed after 3 days if you choose. This gives members time to block their characters. You do not have to reveal who you were trying to steal.
• Steals can be foiled by blocking, but you cannot block your own characters.
• Each character can only block 3 other characters. This can be family, lovers, friends in the same herd, etc.
• Mares with foals under 3 years old can block their foals, even if they are played by the same person, but this is the ONLY time you can block your own characters.
• Royals, herd leads, their mates, and second-in-command can block anyone in their herd or kingdom.
• Members can attempt up to 4 steals per week.
• Characters who are not apart of a herd cannot steal, and characters that are under 3 years of age cannot steal.
• Characters can have other characters steal for them.
• Characters that are in the middle of a fight can't be stolen, and can't steal.
• Royals CANNOT be stolen! This includes the chosen heir to the throne if there is one.
• Stealing a character from someone who has made a valid absent post is not allowed.
• Stealing can now happen not only between any and all allegiances but also within allegiances.

The Character Creation board password is the answer to the following question:
"Posts that are _________ are not allowed on RLTW."