Rules and Guidelines

[• SÀMMIUS •]

Site Rules and Guidelines

Do you have to read these? Yes you do. If you insist on not being banned, warned, in trouble with the staff, et cetera, we very strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with these. However, do not be intimidated by its length; the rules are very standard, so you should pay the most attention to the applications and to any words that may be thrown in randomly (as this would be the password) if you insist on not reading them all. The administrators reserve the right to add, modify, or remove any rules if we see it is necessary; it's up to you, the members, to abide by an alterations. Also, in addition to all these rules, make sure you familiarize yourself with the ProBoards Terms of Service and the FAQ thread, when such exists.

Section I. General Rules.
Section II. Concerning Applications.
Section III. Concerning Posting.
Section IV. Concerning Graphics(Signatures and Avatars) .
Section V. Chatbox.

[• SÀMMIUS •]

General Rules

001 Admin word is law. If the admins ask you to not to do something, don't do it. If the admins tell you to stop arguing, stop arguing. If an admin is being unfair, contact me. Otherwise, you are to do everything an administrator tells you to do.

002 Respect everyone. Keep in mind that what happens in-character stays in-character; just because your characters have a strong disliking toward each other does not mean you have to carry on some out-of-character drama. If you have a problem with another member, respectively take it to PM or contact an administrator.

003 Stay active. We know you can't get on every minute of every hour of every day, but please get on a few times a week and actually post. If you're going to be gone for awhile, post in the absences board or - better yet - contact the admins.

004 This is a PG-13 site, so limit cursing. The Avatar: The Last Airbender series was a children's show, so I'm 99 percent sure you didn't hear a single curse word. You may curse here, but keep it very limited (in-character and out).

005 Do not ask for a staff position. Do not act as though you are on the staff team when are not a staff member. Basically, don't even think that you are or will be a moderator or administrator. If we deem it necessary to increase the staff, then we will either come to you or post an application thread. Helping people get used to the site or find important things is not considered mini-modding -- in fact, we encourage it!

006 Don't spam anywhere! If you have nothing decent to add to a topic, then don't add anything. Regular/normal out-of-character-only posts should be a minimum of a few sentences long -- posts that are part of a discussion (critiquing an episode, commenting on someone's writing, et cetera) must be at least a couple paragraphs (with five to seven sentences minimum per paragraph). There should be absolutely no out-of-character-only posts in the in-character boards, and if you must speak out of character, label the comments respectively.

007 Proper English/grammar is a must. This is an intermediate-advanced site; we understand making a few mistakes here and there (everyone does), but use spell check and reread your own post just to make sure. Net-speak/l337-speak are absolutely banned from this site. Using "lol," "lmao," et cetera out-of-character is perfectly fine, but do so in moderation.

[• SÀMMIUS •]

Concerning Applications

001 You are not to post anywhere in-character until your application has been approved by an administrator or a profile moderator. Feel free to play some out-of-character games, introduce yourself, or join in any out-of-character threads in the meantime, though. Also, make sure you post in all necessary claims threads; it is not the administrators' duty to update this without assistance.

002 Unless stated otherwise, all sections of the application are to be completed appropriately. Also, keep in mind that it's better to have more detail than less detail.

003 No Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus. This is one of the rules you see on pretty much every role-playing site out there, and it's something taken very seriously here as well. A Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu is a character who is virtually flawless (and no, being perfect is not a flaw), and not only does that mean there's no room for development, it makes your character boring beyond belief.

004 If there is an extreme amount of werewolves, vampires, Gypsies, particular sexes, or particular schooling years, temporary bans may be established. Please reconsider before adding to an already vast group of characters.

005 Be patient! The staff all have lives, and if you're constantly bothering us to check your app, we'll be too frustrated to even concentrate on it, let alone give you an unbiased decision. Typically, a staff member will be expected to at least begin reading your app once he or she is online, but bear with us all: we have to read applications carefully, rather than skimming through them and more than likely missing some vital mistakes. If the staff has gone long periods (three or more days) of time without so much as annotating your application, contact an active staff member or drop a calm note in the chatbox.

006 Please note that you have one week to finish an application once you have posted it. If your application has been moved to another board and you would like to continue it, please contact an administrator. If you fail to finish an application after 31 days, your account will be deleted.

007 Please see this thread for information about vampires, werewolves, and Gypsies.

[• SÀMMIUS •]

Concerning Posting

001 This is an intermediate to advanced site. The word count minimum is currently 200 words. Role-play sites are about development, and that's what we strive for. We also know that you can't always make a wonderful post, but no one's asking for the next Stephen King novel. Also, be respectful of others: if they post seven well-written, easily-understood paragraphs, you don't have to reply with as much, but don't give them two choppy paragraphs that a five-year-old could write with his mouth while he's playing video games. It is true that quality overcomes quantity, but it's also vital to give your role-playing partner something to work with.

002 If you feel the need to talk out-of-character in the in-character boards, label your comments appropriately. However, do not make an all out-of-character post in the in-character boards.

003 While it's important to stay active on the site in general, similarly, it's vital that you stay active with your threads. If you're role-playing with someone, don't blow them off for two weeks. However, if someone hasn't replied to your thread yet, be patient; believe it or not, they probably have a life, too. Wait at least a week before sending them a calm little PM asking them if everything's okay or reminding them about your thread. Also, it would be nice for you to opt-in to mass e-mails so that you'll receive such e-mails. We usually only send them out when many members have gone inactive/disappeared. The password is biscuits and gravy.

004 No god-modding/power-playing! You are not the master of another person's character, and you are not invincible. Everybody gets hit every now and then; you will not leave a battle unscathed. I promise.

005 Please don't role-play with the same ol' people. Develop your character!

006 If a thread is closed, respect the role-players' wishes and ask them both first before you "invade" that thread. I don't like closed threads coming from other people when I want to get involved, but I myself do have closed threads, and I know what it's like to want some "privacy."

007 No drugs or sex! Yes, it is a part of the world, but it is not necessary here. Drinking may be involved, but nobody is getting drunk, and there is to be no underage drinking. Hugging, kissing, implications, clothed sexual situations, et cetera are okay in moderation! If you are unsure whether your thread is going too far, contact an admin or simply don't take it any further.

008 If you wish to bite someone (as a vampire or werewolf, ultimately turning the victim into such), you must gain approval from both the character and all members of the staff. If one or the other says no, then that is the end of that.

009 Please note that if you have not signed on for 31 days, your account will be stripped of its titles, meaning you will have to do another application. If you have not posted a single in-character post, your account also risks deletion after these 31 days.

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Concerning Graphics

001 While it is not required to have an avatar/signature, there are still limitations. Signatures should not exceed 500 pixels in width or 500 pixels in height -- basically, they may not stretch the page in any way, and they should never be too tall. Avatars may only be 100 x 100 pixels -- not 65 x 65, not 115 x 115. Any graphics found to be breaking this rule will very likely be removed without warning.

002 Avatars and signatures should not contain nudity, foul language, et cetera. They should not be suggestive in any way as there are younger viewers on this site; respect that. Additionally, graphics should be of decent quality; don't just throw a bunch of stuff together and say it's a signature/icon. Even a plain black background with a single picture of your character is better than a bunch of swirls and blurs. Any graphics found to be breaking this rule will very likely be removed without warning.

003 No stealing, no hotlinking, et cetera. If someone makes you signature/avatar, give them credit where credit is due. If you are taking an image off another site, it's advised you ask the creator's permission first, and then upload it onto a free image hosting (ImageShack, PhotoBucket, TinyPic, et cetera).

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Chatbox Rules

001 No advertising your site. There is a board for that.

002 No spamming! Don't post random, unnecessary comments, let alone repeatedly. This makes us look stupid, wastes everyone's time, and will get you banned.

003 Do not argue. If you have a problem with someone, contact an administrator or respectively take it to PM. If he or she persists when you've dropped the topic, take it to PM or contact an administrator. Do not take matters into your own hands, and do not worsen the situation.

004 Don't bug administrators to check something or a member to post in a thread. Don't ask anyone to RP, either; there's a board for that.