FAQ

1. I just joined, now what?
2. I posted in the Gateway/Herd Land, now what?
3. I got into a herd, now what?
4. I just got stolen by another herd!
5. How do I steal someone?
6. I just lost my herd land to a challenge, I'm confused.
7. I just finished a challenge but I don't agree with the judge's verdict.
8. What are the 3 species?
9. Do I have to write super long posts?
10. My thread was here yesterday, where’d it go?
11. Why was the color of my horse rejected?
12. What are the herd pages?
13. What’s the weather?
14. What is this Random Event?
15. Who is the Tome Guardian?
16. Who is Cinnoru, Nieque or Sepagus?
17. What are these quests and items?
18. What kinds of magic can I get?
19. What is a God Title?
20. What is COTM?
21. What is this Monthly Champion?
22. What are these site wide plots?
23. I think I have a suggestion for the site…
24. How do I become a Herd Leader?
25. How do I become an Admin?

Fighting Tips Listed Below
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1. I just joined, now what?
You will be automatically accepted as a Rogue, and you should get an e-mail sent to you with your password. I suggest changing your password when you first log in so that it’s something you can remember. After you’ve changed your password it might be a good idea to fill out your profile. Next you can either introduce yourself in the OOC Board or make your first IC post either in the Gateway or a herd land so your character can get into a herd. If you want to be an Outcast simply ask an Admin to change your rank. You may also directly join a herd and have your rank changed to become a member of that herd without Gateway/being accepted, but for this faster method you may not start your own thread and must post to 3 other already made threads within the week or be changed back to a Rogue.

2. I posted in the Gateway/Herd Land, now what?
If you posted at the Gateway now you wait for one of the established characters to come greet you. Generally those who greet you are of the same species, but sometimes you can get other species trying to rile you up.
If you posted in a Herd Land you'll have to wait for one of its members to let you in, so I would suggest waiting on the borders before walking in deeper. The members of the herd can choose to deny you entry for any real reason, but you can always challenge for entry if you're so keen on getting in.

3. I got into a herd, now what?
Now you do whatever! Post in your new herd or wander around in the neutral grounds, or even start recruiting new members at the Gateway. You can create or join plots if you weren’t already doing so in the Plot board and you can always hop into open threads if they aren’t reserved. What you should not do is get into a herd and then do nothing. Don’t fall inactive!

4. I just got stolen by another herd!
Don't worry, getting stolen is actually something to be proud of and helps to make interesting plots and character development. A character can be stolen through the Stealth board or a challenge. You are considered a prisoner and this point and can only post in the herd land that stole you. You can try to escape after 1 week of captivity by challenging your guard (the one who stole you or challenged to get you) or you can write a post in the herd land secretly describing your attempt to flee; only your 'guard' can stop you. A guard can be changed if a new character is assigned the role IC. Your herd can also try to re-steal or challenge to get you back in 1 week.
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5. How do I steal someone?
There's 2 ways, by officially challenging for a member, or using the Stealth board. Challenging is well outlined in the rules, but basically you just make a post in the herd with the member you want, clearly defining it as a challenge and you will then fight whoever approaches you with a minimum of 4 fights posts each and either an 800 word limit or a 2 paragraph limit. The fight will then be judged and the winner decided.
The other way through the Stealth board involves writing a poem/description about the one you wish to steal. You must be the one who wrote this steal, and it must have at minimum 3 different things describing the one you're stealing. Herds get 2 guesses and 48 hours to respond, and Outcasts must protect themselves. You cannot steal Rogues and Foals cannot steal. Whether you succeeded or not you must reveal the meaning of your riddle - if it was successful it will then be judged as passing or failing, decided upon by how much sense or how vague it all was.

6. I just lost my herd land to a challenge, I'm confused.
Herd lands can be challenged for and won over by another herd or an Outcast band, and if that should happen all members of the herd must stay in the herd land and live under their new ruler (although the herd Leader becomes an Outcast). You'll have to wait at least 1 week before the herd can be challenged for again so get plotting on how to uprise or get your old leader back! The specifics on challenging for a herd land are outlined in the rules.

7. I just finished a challenge but I don't agree with the judge's verdict.
That's fine, sometimes you may disagree with verdicts. You are encouraged to ask questions and for clarification on the thread so the judge can reply. If you feel you were wronged the fight may be rejudged or group judged, but there must be valid reasoning for this to occur. Otherwise all judgments are final. Instead of getting upset if you lose, try to learn from your mistakes and grow as a writer and fighter.

8. What are the 3 species?
The 3 species are: Equine, Unicorn and Pegasus. Equines are capable of having a miniature dragon as a pet, which will be offered every so often by a Random Event. Minimal magic can arise in either species, but is more common in Unicorns and Pegasus. Magic can be gained by a Random Event, quest, by an item or if a foal was born with it.

9. Do I have to write super long posts?
No! You write as much as you want and don’t feel pressured into writing anything big. A lot of the big posts are just because that’s what the writer wanted to say. Isilme has role players of all skill levels. We just ask that you avoid one line type posts please and try to have a minimum of 100 words.
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10. My Thread was here yesterday, where did it go?
If a thread hasn’t been posted to in about a month it will be locked and moved to the Archives. If you weren’t done with it, you can always nicely ask an Admin and we will unlock it and replace it where it was so you can continue it. Or there’s the possibility it was deleted, which should never occur with IC posts; OOC posts are however frequently cleaned up and deleted after a month or so. So if you don’t want something deleted yet say so and be sure to save all your layouts and pictures from the Art Avenue board.

11. Why was the color of my horse rejected?
Unique markings and colors will be limited. The Equines remain mostly with realistic colors, however if an Equine breeds with a Unicorn or Pegasus that baby may be oddly colored. No markings or colors that cover the majority of the body will be permitted. A spot of green on a horse’s flank or a strand of purple hair in the mane would be colored markings that are acceptable. If you have a design cooked up or an idea go ahead and ask, this rule isn't very black and white there's a lot of in-between and lee-way that can arise.

12. What are the herd pages?
The herd pages are very important. They keep track of all the members in the herd as well as offer vital news and information about the herd. It is up to the ranked members of the herd to update their pages. The herd pages can be altered and customized in any way by the herd Leaders, so long as the main information it provides remains the same.

13. What’s the weather?
There is a Weather icon on the news section in the form of a colored leaf. A green leaf means it's Summer, a yellowish leaf means it's Fall, a white leaf means it's Winter and the light green leaf with a flower bud means it's Spring. The Weather will change every 2 real months and at the start of each month it is announced in detail on the news page. You are of course welcome to determine in your post if it’s raining or windy etc, but you can’t have it snowing in summer and such. Also it’s important to keep an eye on the seasons since they can affect the health of your foals, which is explained in the rules.

14. What is this Random Event?
There is an account called the Random Event which will appear every so often in threads or herd lands. The Random Event must be followed; however death or any severe injuries are always up to a character’s player. The Random Event can range from miracles to disasters and everything in-between.
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15. Who is the Tome Guardian?
The Tome Guardian is a partial phantom who watches over all the knowledge about Isilme. He is a mixture of all three species who was attacked and killed by the Originals; he’s been assigned the task of watching over Isilme and keeping records on it for all of eternity. He resides in the dungeon of the Hollow Manor, and you can approach him if you have a question to ask or a quest you want to attempt. He knows everything you could hope to imagine and is commonly used for those interested in a lover or leaders looking for a weakness in their enemy before a fight. But he won't just flat out give you information (he might sometimes). Usually he'll request you do something for him or give you a riddle to solve. Aside from knowledge though he can give your items through trading or quest completions.

16. Who is Cinnoru, Nieque or Sepagus?
These Phantom accounts are called the Originals. They were the initial rulers and creators of Isilme, which died in the major war in the Skeleton pit. They remain as phantoms, gripping their rage, to stalk Isilme continuing to plant seeds of vengeance and hate in the living. The Original accounts are actually open to the members of Isilme to play, rotating monthly between players. If you're interested in playing them simply sign up on the board for it here in the Plot board area of the forum.

17. What are these quests and items?
There are 5 types of items: Battle, Controlling, Elemental, Healing, and Mean (Please See Item page). These items grant various uses or abilities to a character, and they can be given out by way of Random Event. But if you have something specific in mind you can approach the Tome Guardian asking for one. He may offer to give it to you if you’ll trade him something of value, or he’ll send you on a quest which could involve collecting things around Isilme, fulfilling some sort of objective, or solving riddles.

18. What types of magic can I get?
There are 6 different elements in Isilme that compose the magic abilities you can earn; Light, Dark, Earth, Wind, Water, Fire. Typically magic abilities manifest as a single element, but two abilities with two different elements can fuse to form an additional hybrid ability. The full explanation of magic and elements is explained on the Element Page.

19. What is a God Title?
A God Title is a secondary name which you can use as a sign of honor and worth. It will be recorded alongside your actual name in the Isilme History page. Other characters may call you by this name and it can be used as a name reference on the stealth board. You can read more about them on the God Title Page
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20. What is COTM?
COTM (Character of the Month) is a monthly recognition of a character deserving the attention. It is announced around the beginning of every month and is heavily based on the input of the members of Isilme. At the last week of every month the Isilme members may PM names of characters they feel should be nominated as COTM for that month. The Admin team will then vote on the nominated names and announce a winner. For more information on the process, prizes and how to become COTM read about it here.

21. What is this Monthly Champion?
At the end of every month all the posts made by each member of the herds is counted up. Whichever herd has the largest post count for that month wins the monthly Champions, earning them a large prize and the trophy icon for the following month. You can see the winners and more info on the monthly Champions in the OOC board here, and on the News.

22. What are these site wide plots?
Every so often the Admin team will make up plots for the whole site to be involved with. It’s usually optional, just like most plots, the only difference is it involves the whole realm rather than just certain individuals. There can also be herd plots, usually put on by the herd leaders and of course there are smaller, individual plots that the users make up. If you have any suggestions for plots don’t be shy about letting us know!

23. I think I have a suggestion for the site…
Fantastic! You can post about it on the Comment Box board in the OOC section of the forum. But you could also PM one of the Admins about it. We love to hear suggestions and if it’s agreed upon by the Admin team it will be put into place.

24. How do I become a Herd Leader?
Herd Leaders are picked by the other ranked characters, particularly the already ruling Lead Stallion or Lead Mare. So if the Lead Stallion spot is empty, then the Lead Mare will place someone in there. If there are no Leaders period then the highest ranking Warrior is generally promoted to such a position by an Admin. If there are no ranked members in the herd period, or the Warrior doesn’t seem deserving of a higher rank, then the Admins will fill the spot with another member of the herd or there is sometimes a herd vote. To get your character recognized so you could possibly become ranked, activity is key. A character that guards against intruders and gains members for the herd is rewarded. Also having your character get to know a lot of herd members can gain them favor.
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25. How do I become an Admin?
The current Admin team will nominate active and helpful users and then vote if the Admin Team needs more members. If there is a particularly outstanding user they may be voted into the Admin Team even if perhaps the Admins weren’t looking for a new Admin. Users are welcome to suggest other users to be Admins, which is best done via PM, but don’t nominate yourself. Currently the Admin Team is plenty full and working well.
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Fighting Tips
*The Battlefield is a great place to learn how to fight or do some practice spars, where you control the weather, magic, enemy and whatever else you could want. So if you wan't something for fun or just less official search for an opponent on that board I guarantee you'll find one.

- What your character is thinking and feeling really helps bring the battle alive. Just describing the robotic motions of the war won't earn you cookies. But remember we are here to fight so don't drown your posts with flowers. Can't get into the mind of an experienced soldier? Take inspiration from fighting movies, Gladiator is one of my personal favorites.

- Double check your posts before posting them to clean sweep all the prickly grammar errors. They’re small, but they’re annoying so better just to master them than ignore them.

- It's important to remember not just your creativity and realism determine if you win. If your character is incredibly injured or is basically at the mercy of the opponent, you have lost regardless. Fights are judged because normally a winner will not clearly arise in a fight. But it does happen sometimes if you get carried away with injuries or you sacrifice your character too much for the epic drama or attack opportunities your advversary avoids.

- The whole point of fighting posts is to make it realistic. Think of how real horses would fight. Don't know how they do? Research it a little, or if you have seen or are capable of being around horses, watch them. Even the quick face fighting stall neighbors do is helpful. Watch how foals play. Watch discovery channel, something. Teeth are often the most used thing by a horse in a fight. They are always biting. More often than not they actually miss. More often than not their kicks actually miss. You will see horses fight closely, and they actually use their body weight a lot when fighting. Teeth can make very bloody looking blows, but they usually are not that life threatening. Horses frankly go for the face and just lash out a lot in general. Kicks do a lot of muscle and internal damage that is not very bloody or obvious. Kicks in the same spot over and over are devastating.

- Horses fight very quickly. There is no fight, break apart, stare at each other, fight. Horses also rear up a lot more than people ever post. People are afraid to rear because they think their character can get knocked down, bitten, have their belly slashed open...etc. Rearing doesn't take minutes to accomplish, it is very fast and a horse is fairly balanced when rearing, they don't have to go straight up or try and walk on their back legs. And usually the other horse will rear with them or hide their face, not lunge forward to bite their belly... because then the horse rearing could crush the other one’s back, knock them over with pure force etc... So please don't be afraid of rearing.

- Use your character's natural abilities to your advantage. Size, speed, agility, conformation: things your horse is born with, which is harder to figure out with mutts, are things to consider. And if you can use them effectively, that is a mega bonus for you. No one ever considers the actual build of their horse and their opponent’s horse when fighting it really matters. And I don't mean obvious things like a mini versus a draft. But how Arabians have stamina, quarter horses have quick speed and very bulky bodies, Thoroughbreds are fast and tall, nimble but more fragile...etc.

- Everyone likes to play the drama queen in fights and make their wounds very bloody and gory. I would avoid that to a degree. Every hit does not create a geyser of blood or nearly sever off his leg. Remember to take hits; you need to take some attacks, because not every hit is fatal. In fact making a hit hurt your character a lot is a bad thing, just as dodging so many hits is no good either.

- Writing fights is so difficult because you have to imagine what is going on in succession and you have to keep it realistic. You have the brain of a human and the body of a horse so you are definitely going to fight differently from a real horse, but you still have limits. The point is to be creative. Show tactic and style in your fighting, but just remember the boundaries of the body you're role-playing. What you basically have is a very smart horse. Make your attacks creative, but make them reasonable.

- If I can visualize the fight perfectly, I'll love you for it. Fights get very confusing and complicated, but it helps to constantly try and imagine how it's happening. Map out in your head how the characters are facing and are positioned by each other. It can be really helpful to say things like "I was perpendicular to him, so I could easily...etc" or "I aimed for his right shoulder." By specifying direction it helps you and your opponent (and the judges) figure out what in the world is going on. Explaining area that you strike at is necessary, but explaining the specific positioning can be important because it helps explain your moves and makes them more believable. You don't have to do this, but try to keep in mind the direction of the horses when you're fighting.

Videos of horses fighting:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=x0X3NxZbLFg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wfweFyDsbpI
A bit theatrical
A bit long

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