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Rules

Rather than just list off a few thousand generic rules that any veteran roleplayer knows by heart, we thought we'd combine those generic rules with what Saramar is really all about in a few sections that should cover just about everything you'd ever need to know - and if you feel, after reading this section, that your knowledge of the Weyr isn't complete, don't hesitate to e-mail us with your questions. We're always looking to expand in order to provide potential members with as much information as possible in order to ensure a well thought out decision regarding the choice of Weyr. To begin with, here are those few basic rules you probably already know, but we'll bore you with those first and then move on to the good stuff.

Rules to Live By

Saramar is here for people to have fun with; most of all, we want you to enjoy being a part of it. But to ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves without irritation, we have a few rules of conduct around the site that should not prove too onerous or restrictive for you to follow. Here we go, then.

It should really go without saying that we will not tolerate any abusive OOC posts on this site - not based on race/gender/sexuality/anything, in fact. Play nice, or don't play. We all want to get along. Of course, your characters can be as abusive and prejudiced as you care to make them, within the bounds of credibility. But please keep it to the characters.

This is a literate Weyr; hopefully, if you're considering joining, you are already well aware of this fact. Please honour this fact in your posts. We'd like to request something in the region of a 4-500 word minimum for an average post. If you want to write more, that's absolutely fine, as long as you can respect the fact that not everyone is able to churn out ten epic-length posts a night. (NB. Posts on the OOC boards do not require a certain word count, and can be far less literate than what we expect from character posts. But we'd prefer chatspeak to be kept to an absolute minimum.)

We'd also like to stress that, while Saramar Weyr has an Alternate Universe (AU) history, we like to stay in canon for the most part. We cast a lenient eye upon things like female blueriders and greenriders but, unless we specifically allow it, try your best to keep the world of Pern as Anne McCaffrey created it.

If you come up with an amazing, ground-breaking plot that will affect more than your character and a few others, it's only good manners to run it by the administrators first. We almost certainly won't make a fuss about it, but please just check it with us - on one of the boards, by email... by carrier pigeon or smoke signal, if necessary. Not only will you gain approval, this plot will be placed on various pages throughout the Weyr and will gain interest and attention - which is something every plot needs!

Another note of politeness: if you're going to be away from the boards for an extended period - say, a week or more - and you know about it beforehand, please let someone know. We won't be annoyed, but we'd like to be able to keep track of roughly when people are around. And it's preferable for those you're in threads with if they know that you're not going to be posting for a while. It makes it easier to plot, and means that people won't waste time complaining that you haven't posted for them, when in fact you are in Darkest Peru, deep in a forest, and miles from the nearest internet connection.

As to R-rated plots... we do not intend to bar you from them outright, but we'd appreciate it if - when your characters get up to anything likely to raise eyebrows - you'd put a warning in the thread title so that others don't stumble upon it unawares. Also, at the request of one of our admin, could "hip-thrusting" be minimal or absent at all times -smirk-. As for strong language, beyond keeping Terran - that is to say, Earthly - profanities out of your In-Character posts, we'd rather you didn't swear for the sake of it but understand that sometimes it's unavoidable.

Regarding...
-Administrators / Contact Information
-Moderators
-Members
-The Brats
-Candidacy
-Weyrling Training
-Wing Training
-Female Characters
-Flitts, Felines, Canines, and Runners
-Timing It

Administrators
The administrators (admins) are here to keep Saramar running smoothly. It is we who read and accept (or reject - but we hope to be doing far more accepting!) your applications. We are all available, either on an instant messenger or by email, for you to ask questions, discuss characters/plots or just have a chat! We'd always love to talk to you guys - as long as we're not RL!swamped with homework, life, giant squid attacks etc. - even if it's not a serious query. We're here to hang out and roleplay as much as you guys are. We aren't scary! At all! Promise! Well... the boyshaped one is. But that's another story with which I don't propose to bore you now. And you can get hold of us with the contact information provided below:

Name: Emily
E-mail: inkhearted@hotmail.com
MSN: inkhearted@hotmail.com
AIM: InkedWorm

Name: Mars
E-mail: adventureseeker@hotmail.com
MSN: adventureseeker@hotmail.com
AIM: peirasmoskalos

Name: Cal
E-mail: nomad_ranger@hotmail.com
MSN: nomad_ranger@hotmail.com
AIM: Calyface

Moderators
Moderators are given some administrative powers -- the ability to sticky, delete, and move threads, to make polls, and update the news and pages. Also, moderators may help the administrators with setting up various plots, coming up with ideas for plots, and recruiting new members to the site. No application is necessary for this position; moderators will be chosen by administrators for their loyalty to the site, activity, and creativity. They should also be easy to get in touch with, whether through e-mail or some messaging system. If you are interested in the position you may let us know, though interest is not a guarantee of promotion, and neither are the requirements. More members will be promoted to this position as the need arises. Problems, suggestions, and requests for updates may all be given to moderators as well as administrators.

Members
Obviously, a roleplay site is nothing without you, and without things going on. While we'll do our utmost to keep everything running as it should, and will be initiating plot opportunites like Queenflights, Hatchings, love octagons, and Threadfall, these are not the only things in life! Far from it, and we're counting on you guys for a general hum of activity. Even if you don't have time, one day, for an IC post, stop by one of the OOC boards. Inactive sites, as I'm sure many of you already know, are dull places to be.

We expect you to follow the rules, which we really hope aren't too draconian for anyone to follow. If you do have have an issue with any of the rules we've given above, let us know and it can be discussed, though this is not a promise to change it. Things like discrimination and abuse, or god-moding/power-playing, are not and are not open to debate, but Saramar is for everyone, not just its administrators.

Members will not be given powers beyond posting, messaging etc. unless they are promoted to moderator; however, IC powers (positions like wingleader, wingsecond, weyrlingmaster, candidatemaster etc. - also appointed by the administrators) are open to all. We hope you'll be able to make the most of them.

Your mission, members, is to roleplay your fiercely beating hearts out and have as much fun as humanly, draconically (or in the manner of any other lifeform) possible. Accept it!

The Brats
Weyrbrats and Holdbrats, often forgotten members of Pernese society -- or, if not forgotten, placed on a shelf to be admired, and what kind of brat wants to do that? -- are an integral part of Saramar. After all, they are the future of the Weyr and Hold... the future of Pern. And what they learn from their parents or don't learn will determine how the Weyr and Hold function in the years to come. Our Weyrbrats and Holdbrats are certainly learning quite a bit from their parents. They're involved in a bitter enmity against each other, just as their parents are -- only the Weyrbrat/Holdbrat kind is much friendlier, really. It's playing to them, but it's still there. This enmity pits Weyrbrat against Holdbrat in every adventure, from discovering the coolest new cavern or seeing who reaches the beach first in a race. That's not to mention the dissent within each little gang. After all, anyone without power will do anything to get it.

To sum it up: the Brats accepted here won't sit on a shelf and grow dust until they're old enough to do something more interesting. If you're interested in a Brat for yourself, check out the adoptables page! Grown characters' children are often placed there until they find a good roleplayer.

Candidates
Candidates will operate in a similar manner to Weyrlings at Saramar. We will appoint an IC Candidates Master, but they will not be obligated to post formal lessons, and candidates will not be obligated to attend any lessons. Of course if you want to for specific plots or just for a situation to get you started on a thread. Lessons are good places for Candidates to interact particularly with those they wouldn't usually; we wouldn't want to deprive anyone of that opportunity if they want it. Candidates will be permitted to touch the eggs when the time is announced, but if any mischievous individual wants to sneak onto the hatching grounds before that unbeknownst to the In Character authorities, that'd be just fine with us.

There is one very important note I must make about Candidates. You will be required to submit a Candidate Application for every candidate you play. This is in addition to your initial character application. It consists of a few simple questions that will help us to decide who should receive dragons. More details of this process will be posted in the lead up to a hatching.

Also, as with all characters, please be sure to check the "Available Ranks" page before submitting an application for a candidate. We have strictly defined ratios for Candidates here, and would like to stick to those ratios as best we can. If the need arises we will add more candidates to each section - so if you'd like, say, a male Candidate from Narolan Weyr but find that they're all taken, please apply with a different character and wait for further availability of that rank. If you are unwilling to apply with another character you may also attempt to dazzle us with a superb application - however, this will provide you with only a slim chance of acceptance. In the case of availability, it should be noted that female candidate applications will be more harshly reviewed than those of male candidates, and so should be pursued by those up for a challenge.

More information regarding Candidates is available on the "Ranks and Guides" members page. Roleplayers of Candidates should read over that page upon acceptance.

Weyrling Training
We have a fairly simple policy on Weyrling Training at Saramar. Most lessons will not be roleplayed, only the most interesting ones - Gliding, Flying, Between, Advanced Firestone etc. but you will not be required to post in these lessons in order for your character to graduate, either from junior to senior weyrling or from Weyrling to full rider. Your character will be assumed present at all lessons, unless you request otherwise - for plot/character purposes.

Wing Training
Saramar does have Wings and Wing Leaders and Wing Seconds and Wing Training. However, much the same as Weyrling Training, Wing Training is not required. We will ask that people with Wing Leading characters post a board for their Wing's training session in the event that any member of that wing wishes to roleplay there. Wing Training is a good chance for some of the Weyr's divisions to come out, as Wings are mixed. We will note that while Wing Leaders and Wing Seconds have IC power, that does not a guarantee that their roleplayers have OOC power.

Female Characters
One of our few deviations from canon is the allowance of female blueriders. Female blueriders will not be very common (like, maybe two or three on the whole site). We much prefer males, but female blueriders can add drama to any green flight and we like drama. They will most likely be dealing with more prejudice than others considering they are females in a "male" position. This holds true for female greenriders, too (slightly more common, but again, we prefer males). Potential members applying for male characters will be accepted more easily than those applying with female characters; we will be much harsher in reviewing female characters than males. The same holds true for members creating a new character. We do want to keep to Anne's ratios as best we can, after all.

Flitts, Felines, Canines, and Runners
We have a somewhat unique policy regarding pets - that is, many of these creatures (flitts, felines and canines) are more of a Southern Continent luxury. As the South hasn't yet been discovered... at least by the people of Saramar... the presence of these creatures would simply not make any sense. Runners, on the other hand, are used by Holders and Weyrfolk, and not uncommonly either. This pet policy may change as the plot evolves, so if you have your heart set on a cute little flitt or cuddly kitten, don't lose hope! Just... don't expect them to be seen for a while.

Timing It
The ability to "time it" -- to go back in time by going between -- hasn't been discovered yet. However, administrators are open to the idea of someone discovering this ability eventually for plotty purposes. Right now, though, this idea isn't in any head, and shouldn't be mentioned (In Character) on the site at all.