Welcome to Gaia! ::

the roleplay that started it all: this.





LoP Guidelines (similar to rules, but we are not as strict at enforcing them as punishable offenses)

- Don't post a single, small sentence as your roleplay response. Try to at least post a paragraph, which is 4-6 sentences of unspoken text, and make it interesting. (Short posts are not bad every so often, so long as you aren't continuing to post these simple, short, single sentenced posts every time.)
- The basic posting rule is that you can't double post. Wait until someone else has posted before posting again. If you need to add something, edit your previous post. Courteous RP posting etiquette is usually to go in turns of the order that everyone joined the topic in. It is OK to post out of turn, but do not hijack the thread and completely blow off other characters taking part in the roleplay.

Rules

General
- Do not act rude, argue, insult, harass, annoy, bully or fight others. Use common courtesy. Respect is something to be earned and you surely won't deserve ours by being a jerk and disrupting our forum.
- Don't spam (take that to the Chatterbox).
- Members inactive for a month will be banned along with any of their characters *uness given the proper 'leaving' form*.
- You have to be 13 years or older to join this forum. No exceptions. We will ban you if you are found to be underage.


Roleplay
- Absolutely no Powerplaying or Godmoding (read rules on such).
- Don't create perfect, almighty powerful god-like characters. Give your characters flaws and imperfections. This includes Mary-sue and Gary-stu characters, NO BODY LIKES THEM no matter how much the character themselves may say it.
- Do not use chatspeak in roleplay, type posts in legible, understandable English and proper sentence structure.
- Keep roleplay PG-13.
- Do not create new wolf packs without the MODs' permission.


Characters
- Post your character's profile before roleplaying.
- You may not create trees, food objects, transformers or inanimate objects as characters. Also do not make characters based on real or famous people.
- Characters can have their own made up magics and abilities, but they can't have too many and they can't be all powerful. If you're ever unsure, simply give the magic an incredible weakness or drawback. If you want to create your own magic, you need to follow our Magical Abilities guide.
- Do not create gods, half-gods, demi-gods or any type of all powerful god-like being (ie. demons) unless given permission by the MODs. There are rules concerning them too, so read before trying anything.
- Do not copy or steal information off of other characters' profiles for your own. That information is copyright to the owner who created them.


Starting a Pack:
Though it'd be preferred if you would try to get your character into an already-existing pack, if you feel you must make a pack of your own, follow the below procedure.
To start a pack you must have the minimum of four animals per group, a name for the group, ranks, and names of those who wish to join it. Message me to make a group.



*Ask a MOD if you want to make a pack. If you want to join a pack, simply ask the alpha in the roleplay, via OCC, or pm. If you would like to join a pack and the leader accepts you, then message a MOD, and the MOD will place you on the pack's list. Just tell the MOD your position.



~~Season~~ **

*Summer - it may be plentiful at this time but things change, don't let your guard down when prancing through meadows. Also, the heat at this time of year can (literally) be a killer, so keep hydrated.
*Fall - time to eat and get fat while the hunting is still good or you might just freeze to death at the coming of winter.
*Winter - Colder temperatures and snow on the ground doesn’t stop everyone from completing there duties, but make sure that you have a den and lots of stored food and fats. In the temperatures at night and colder blizzard-filled days, be wary of the weather and keep in shelter, or you might just suffer from hypothermia or frostbite.
*Spring - Melting snow, warmer days, buds on trees and that first crocus peeking up bring on “spring fever”. Enjoy it while you can. At this time of the year, the alphas breed (And sometimes others if the alphas permit it).

~~Hunting~~ **

* Scarce - food supplies are low and prey is hard to find; will be tough hunting out there for your character(s)
* Plentiful - food and prey are bountiful; it's easy to find a meal
* Decent - food and prey are a bit of a challenge to find, but there's no issue with hunger

** Season and Hunting statuses will be updated on the first page of the roleplay.

Breeding Rules for Spring

1. The first pups in each pack to be born are to be the Alpha's. If the Alphas are not having pups, and they allow it, the Betas and their respective mates are next. Then the rest of the pack (that's Deltas and Omegas at the same time).
2. No more than 4 pups in one litter, unless you ask the MODs of the rp first.
3. If a wolf within a pack mates with a Loner, or a wolf from their opposing pack, their pack status will either be lowered or they will be thrown out for being traitorous.
4. Do not make graphic mating posts. Just say your wolf is pregnant after mating and let it be done with, though you may have the mounting (as long as it's kept in reasonable terms).
5. Pups are birthed best in dens, so make sure the birthing is hidden from the 'eyes' of other roleplayers.
6. If you would like someone else to play your pups, just ask and transfer the job to them.
7. Breeding in any other season is only for desperate measures, since the pups would be born too early/late otherwise in the year.


Prey

It depends on the region that your character is in, but generally, large game live near any place with the essentials of a water source, feeding grounds, and cover. Smaller game generally live just about anywhere.

Predators:
*Any kind of rodent (though they are small and normally only for training the young ones)
*Birds of all kinds (though they are hard to catch and normally avoided unless under harsh conditions)
*Hoofed mammals--deer, moose, caribou, etc-- (normally only able to be taken down a whole pack, and only weak herd members are killed)
*Fish (a bit difficult and unusual for a wolf to catch, but still used as food)
*Occasionally berries (only when food is scarce)

Prey:
*Smaller animals than itself, if it is an omnivore/carnivore/insectivore, such as bugs, rodents, birds, and fish.
*Fruits and vegetables such as wild berries and greenery.
*Nuts, roots, and seeds from plants and trees.

Keep in mind that one wolf cannot possibly take down a deer or any other type of large game on its own. That's what wolves have packs for, for hunting such prey together.


~ -basic- ANIMAL SOCIETY RULES~

1. Respect your alpha male and alpha female - don't answer them back if they snap at you unless you want to challenge them to a fight.

2. Omega are seen as a way of getting a member's own anger and frustration out on. They are the youngest or newest members of the group. Other members eat before them and come before them

3. Don't harm young unless you are putting them right, but omegas cannot harm them at all. Separate rules apply to the loners or other group members.

4. Fear the leaders - they have the power to hurt you.

5. Work as a team to hunt and protect one another - only loners fight and hunt alone.

6. The leaders lead everything, when in the hunt, they signal when to go and when to stop.

7. It is up to the leader if you may adopt young, but omegas are the lowest, they are not allowed to have such an honor.

8. Only the alphas can have young with each other (in this, you can, but must have permission to have them from the leader, if you're not a loner).

9. Humans are the enemy, harboring of any will result in being run out of the territory.

10. The alphas/betas/hunters/guards are the rulers going by rank (most to least powerful).

Magic Rules

Demons and gods are often allowed to slip through these rules, but not all of them.

Controlling Time is no longer allowed.

Magic cannot bend or warp time and space.

Most characters don't have advanced magic or are completely normal. Not everyone has to be magical.

Characters can have up to two different elemental magics.

If a character has one element, they can have up to five different spells for that element. If they have two elements, they can have up to seven spells total. Not seven spells for each element, seven spells total.

Different elements for a single character cannot conflict.
Commonly conflicting elements are:
Fire and Water
Earth and Air
Light and Darkness
Poison and Healing

Magic spells cannot god mode or power play, so be careful when writing their descriptions. While it doesn't completely matter on the profile to some extent, making sure the use of the spell is appropriate in role play is important.


Extended Rules- How to Use Magic

Demons and gods have to even apply to these rules.

Use magic sparingly. Normally a character will only call on their magic for a battle situation. Magics used on a regular basis however for say, their daily life, would be mediocre in performance and display and would drain their energy. Meaning: Don't use spells to show off or be mystical and magical all the time.

Magic, when used against another character that doesn't belong to you, is always an attempt *unless consented otherwise*. You cannot decide what happens to another character, unless he/she belongs to you, when attacking them with magic. When countering attacks directed at your character, use common sense to judge if your defenses are successful or fail. Blocking every single attack thrown at your character is godmoding, especially if your character doesn't take any damage in the process.

Auto healing is looked down upon, especially when it is used too much. Limit healing abilities to small wounds and scratches. Healing your character to full health every time they are hurt is godmoding. (though, of course, gods and demons can normally avoid this rule, magic can't heal every wound)

Controlling or destroying nature is godmoding. No single creature has the power to blow up a mountain or create a typhoon or freeze the ocean, etc. Weather element creatures simply need to be limited in what they can control. Rain storms in a small, limited area are fine.

Telepathy is fine as long as your character is not acting as a "I see all and hear all" type of gloat. Characters cannot know more than you do, nor can they read another character's mind without permission. Even when a character is speaking to another one telepathically, they must have permission from the other character's creator.

Teleportation is classified as a power that warps space, but it's allowed only if the power is not abused. It's power should be greatly limited along with it's use and accuracy. (save for the very experienced magician)