InsaneJournal

Character Creation Questions

Wait, these are mythological/folkloric creatures and beings. Why are they called "species" in your game? Why aren't they immortal? Why don't they have all of their mythological powers?
We realize that there are too many different versions of mythological/folkloric beings. There is no way to pick one of these descriptions without someone being dissatisfied. Since we would like to cater to the myths and folklore of various origins and not a single origin (e.g. instead of one culture, we've combined various cultures), there is no way we can do this without setting up guidelines for the game to keep everything in check. As a result, we decided to take a bunch of famous and popular mythological beings and creatures and made them biological instead. This eradicates contradicting myths and prevents power-tripping from players. All species are of biological origin. Please keep this in mind! We've refused the idea of anything being immortal to prevent all-powerful characters. All beings are susceptible to death by various means. All will eventually die by natural means, if not by something else. This also means that there are males and females of every species. For example, nymphs aren't just female. Again, you must remember all species are of a complex, but still biological, origin.

But you still have magic in the game. That's not biological! How do you explain that?
Magic is understood — for the player’s knowledge — as a natural genetic ability, not a supernatural gift from higher powers. It's an inborn genetic trait that passes down through bloodlines. It is simply a form of manipulation of mind and matter via a science that is, in so far, unexplainable to the basic human mind. All magic is an inborn ability, which may not manifest immediately but is still there from birth.

So, exactly what are you saying about this game?
This is a fantasy game with fantastical creatures and magic, but it is not a supernatural game. There are no known demons, angels, or deities in this universe, though people may worship as they please.

Okay, so I like the idea. Can I play a species/praeternatural that isn’t already listed here?
That depends, but yes! We can’t possibly think of everything, so if there is something you would like to play that isn’t listed, let us know. We will have to check and see if it fits in with the universe we are playing in, and then we will let you know if we will allow it.

Can I mix species?
Yes, you may. Just remember that the children of these couplings must be created logically. If an elf and a human have a child together, that child is not going to inherit everything from their elven parent and nothing from their human parent. Powers and strengths are usually diminished by half or much more.

As for mixing magical abilities, a character can only inherit the powers from one side of their parentage at full strength. They can't have different magical abilities from both parents at full strength. If a character has metahuman parents with different abilities, the character can only inherit one side's power or only one side's power at full strength and the other side's power at a diminished strength.

Can I play a human?
Of course you can! We allow humans in this game. In fact, they are listed on the list of species.

If I have two characters who are closely tied together, e.g. a mother and young child or a pair of twins, can I just use one journal for both of them?
Yes, you may use just one journal for two of your characters if they spend a lot of time together. In fact, it makes it easier for you to play the two of them if they are in the same scenes a lot. Do not hesitate to put them in one journal! You still need to fill out applications for both characters, just tell us that they are in one journal. All of the info for your two characters must be written separately, but you MAY combine their history together because this saves you a lot of writing.

Can I play a character from a fandom that I really, really like?
No, you cannot. We will not under any circumstances allow a fandom character into the game. It is an original character game. Your character must be original.

Who can I use as PBs?
You may only use media celebrities as PBs. No real people, no models from MySpace, and no models from GettyImages, etc. Only actors, actresses, models, musicians, and others who are featured on television or in magazines. Also, it doesn’t matter in what country they are famous! As long as they are media celebrities.

Can I bring in an NPC? How will I be able to play them?
Yes, you may. Please discuss this with us first, though! We'll let you know what to do if you wish to play an NPC.

Posting/Threading Questions

What if I want to play, but I don’t like AIM threading/comment tagging?
You’re in luck. We don’t have limits on how you can put a post together, as long as you end up putting one together! Use whatever format suits you best. If you use any method outside of comment tagging on the communities, just remember that afterwards you must edit it all together as one, concise piece of prose before posting it. If you threaded the scene over AIM with someone, for instance, you’ll want to take out all of the screennames and put everything into nice, neat paragraphs.

Can I join any post?
No, not necessarily. If it’s an open to all post, you may always join in. If it’s a narrative, you may never join in. If it’s a group post with designated people, you must ask before joining in if you are interested in becoming a part of that thread. Since people will already be threading together, they may not want anyone else in the thread. Or they may not mind at all. Always ask before joining in on a group post that isn’t open to all.

Can I post in another thread if I am already active in another?
Sure, but only if the times of the threads do NOT overlap each other. Your character cannot be in two places at once! Do not join any more threads if you are falling behind on replying to the ones you are already in. This will just slow you down even more, and slow down the threads.

How often do I have to post for my character to keep them active?
Ideally, we would like for you to post every 8 to 12 days. If you just happen to be very busy, don’t worry. Your character is not considered inactive unless they haven’t posted anything for a month.

Do posts or comments have to be a certain length?
We are not setting a length requirement, but remember that this game is looking for detail and well thought out paragraphs. With this in mind, you should be able to guess what an acceptable length would be after reviewing over what you wrote. For an estimate, we would like to see between two full paragraphs to five paragraphs. Anything more than that is up to you.

Gameplay Questions

What kind of game is this?
A fun one! Okay, seriously though, the game is fantasy based but all sorts of genres are allowed. If you want drama, you can make drama for your character. Into horror? Then you can go the horrific route. Or are you more of the romantic type? If so, then you can have your character engaged in a relationship. The point is we want all sorts of things to be happening in this world because that keeps it interesting!

But please... no extraterrestrial sci-fi. Aliens will not be invading our world anytime soon.

What's the backstory on the place of Elysium?
The land of Elysium was inhabited by elves thousands of years ago. Eventually, the elves who lived there abandoned the area for reasons not quite known but believed to be related to a desire for exploration. It has been empty of elves, though full of other life, since those times. Once the Oracle, who still dwelt in the area, received visions in the twenty-first century of the virus outbreak and war just months shy of the actual beginning of them, she passed along word to other elves. The elves then passed word to the leaders of all praeternaturals. After deciding to use hidden praeternatural lands to make safe havens against the horrors ahead, the leaders of praeternatural groups began working on these places and ushered in all praeternaturals and humans that they could into them. The large expanse of abandoned land on the Balkan peninsula was the first chosen to serve as a safe haven, ideal for its lack of a population. It was renamed to Elysium in reference to the beautiful aspect of afterlife in ancient Grecian myth.

Did humans know about praeternaturals before the outbreak of Pandora and the war?
There was no widespread knowledge of praeternaturals before the outbreak and the war. A small percentage of humans with contact to praeternaturals knew of their existence, which may include some secret government sectors, but there was no widespread governmental or popular knowledge of praeternatural kind in the world.

How long has everyone been there? Did they arrive en masse or did they all come into Elysium at different times?
Everyone has been in Elysium for roughly the same amount of time, which is about 3 to 4 months. They all arrived there before the war began, but it wasn’t all at one time. There were different groups of scouts sent out to collect praeternaturals and humans. People often arrived in small groups. Those not specifically sought out by scouts that came close to the location of the haven on their own were spotted and granted access by elven guards.

How did people find out about Elysium? How would they have known about it to go there?
There are many ways they could have found out about Elysium. Word about the havens spread amongst all praeternatural circles, so anyone who is a praeternatural would have heard about it. Humans could have known about the haven by connection with praeternaturals. Similarly, anyone nearby the haven would have been brought in for safety if they were looking for safe ground. They may have heard of it and wandered there in groups to be let inside, or they may have been found by scouts and brought into Elysium.

What have people in the haven been doing for the past 3 to 4 months?
Due to the fact that everyone in Elysium could hear the war going on outside of the borders, the majority of them have been scared and locked in their homes. There haven’t been many chances, if at all yet, to live normally and mingle with other people.

Where can I go? Can I go anywhere on the map?
Yep, the world is completely interactive.

How far is the town from the places on the map?
We've taken out actual miles in-game in order to keep things simple. What we have instead are approximate times it takes to get from one place to another. Since most people will be coming from Helicharis, this will be the starting point for the approximations. If you are coming from someplace else then just approximate the time it would take according to what we have already established. Times are based on walking; if you are traveling on horseback the time will decrease by at least 30 minutes or more. All information is located on the Maps and Information on Elysium page.

What year does the RPG take place in?
The game begins in August 2007.

What type of technology is available?
There is no usable modern technology in the game, e.g. computers, mobile phones, televisions, etc. Some people have brought these things with them, but there are currently no means of running them or using them. Inside the haven, mobile phones do not work. Most batteries have run out by the time the game begins, and there is no electricity to recharge them or to use plugs for electronics. Elysium will be following a “back-to-basics” approach. Food is grown in Elysium, livestock is raised, and everyday items are made by hand. Elven technology, however, is abundant in Elysium and this technology is based in magic. If you have further questions on this matter or need a more elaborate explanation, please contact the moderators.

How does time move in Elysium?
We realize that everyone has lives and real life commitments that they need to tend to. In order to accommodate that we have literally slowed down time in the game. Each day in game will last about 3 or 4 days in real life. There will be no skipping of days or truncated months. We will be playing out each day of the year.

What are “day changes”? How long do they last? Who controls them?
Day changes, or day announcements as we call them, are posts made by the moderators that mark the ending of one day and the start of another. A day in game last about 3 or 4 days in real life. Day changes will be posted by the moderators with information about the weather, any special events, etc.

If my character’s power affects another character or others, can I still use that power?
Yes, you may still use that power. However, before you use a power that could affect another player’s character, you must ask them in advance if it is okay. Do NOT force your character’s powers onto another player’s character without asking them for permission. This is a form of god-modding that will not be tolerated. For example, a telepath can read thoughts, but they cannot read any particular character’s thoughts without the player’s consent. If you ask in advance, people normally don’t mind. Plus, it’s just the polite thing to do.

What rules or laws do the characters have to follow?
The laws in this community are the same as any other society. Committing murder, for instance, would be against the law. The government follows a similar law system to that of a democracy, only there are some noticeable differences. The moderators, however, are ultimately in charge of laws that affect the characters should legality be brought up in the game.

Can characters be troublemakers?
Absolutely. If your character is a bit of a troublemaker, then don’t be afraid to cause some trouble. We welcome conflict! We only ask that you use your own judgment on the etiquette, rule, or law that your character is breaking/going against and how that will affect other characters (if any). If you are unsure, please do not be afraid to ask! Also, if your character breaks a law you must be prepared for them to face the consequences (because there will be consequences). The Town Hall has a court for this very reason.

Can my character work in one of the shops or places in Helicharis or Elysium?
Yes, characters are allowed to hold jobs in town or around Elysium. There is no currency in Elysium so your character will not get paid. Your character would however gain valuable experience, and it would give them something to do!

Are we allowed to wander out of Elysium?
No, players are not permitted to let their characters walk outside of Elysium. It’s far too dangerous at this time to leave the haven. There are guards on watch around the borders to make sure things are secure, which means no one is going out and nothing else is coming in either.

How is the land protected from the radiation and disease outside?
Many of the older elves have erected a powerful magical barrier that surrounds Elysium.

How do vampires and dhampirs walk around in Elysium during the daytime?
The magical barrier that keeps out the radiation and disease also blocks out UV rays as they are harmful.

Where do vampires get the blood they need?
It is against the laws of Elysium to randomly bite and drink from people without consent as this can be considered a violent or life-threatening attack against another person. There is a blood bank in the medical pavilion that provides vampires with stored human, praeternatural, and animal blood. They may drink whatever they prefer or feel most comfortable drinking. Occasionally, there may be blood drives in the community to replenish the non-animal stocks. Consensual blood-drinking between a vampire and another individual is legally permitted, but legal action may be taken against the vampire should the non-vampiric individual be harmed in the process.

Where can people live?
We do have specific residential cottages in certain areas (in town, the northern forest, lakefront), but these are not restricted for one type of character or another. For example, if a human wanted to live in the waterfront bungalows, then they could. Also, no one is restricted to living in a cottage. Pretty much anywhere that is feasible for your character to live is okay. A centaur could live in the Northern Forest or the Southern Forests. Again, this is up to you.

What about school? Do children go to school? Are they homeschooled?
That is entirely up to the discretion of the parent, parents, guard, or guardians. Most children and young adults are homeschooled by their parents or guardians, and there are various teachers available in town if parents are busy.

How does currency work in Elysium? What type of money do they use?
There is no currency in Elysium. Goods are handed out on an “as needed” basis, or through bartering if you choose.

What happens on the full moon with lycanthropes?
The lycans are taken to the Northeastern corner of the forest and enclosed there by elven magic. Centaurs, fauns, and other forest dwellers will have been removed before that time to ensure their safety. There will be plenty of prey for the lycanthropes to hunt throughout the night until the morning. The people in the town and outlying cottages are kept perfectly safe during the full moon.

So, what’s the weather like today in the game? How do I know what’s going on?
Don’t worry, the moderators will inform you on the weather in the Day Change posts, along with any other special events that may be going on.

So these special events… can I participate in them?
Definitely! In fact, we encourage it! You can write that your character participated in the event either through a narrative or a personal journal entry. Or you can make an open entry for other characters to join in!

How do pregnancies work in game?
Pregnancies are a big deal considering we are playing out every day of the year in game, and each day in game last 3 or 4 days in real life. In reality, you would be playing a pregnant character for a VERY long time. It is not restricted in game, we just ask that you think through the decision very carefully since you will be committed to it for a long time.