RULES

DRAMA

RP drama is inevitable. However, this doesn't mean disputes can't be handled civilly between players. If players are unable to end a dispute between themselves, they should contact the moderator at pentamerone dot storyteller at gmail dot com.

Individuals that start drama will only be given one warning before being dismissed from the game on the second offense. The same is true of those who are found to be participating in and/or encouraging drama. There will be no exceptions - drama will not be tolerated here.

Don't apply if you can't deal with R+ ratings. If you're comfortable just scrolling past, feel free to do so.


MARY SUES/GODMODDING

No god-modding/power-playing. This should be a given. Also? Just because you know some things about others' characters doesn't mean your characters know the same. Know the line between IC and OOC.

No Mary Sues/Gary Stus. We like depth and realism. Your characters have good AND bad points and loads more to them. Don't make a character who is one-sided or always getting his/her way. You'll get warned once and then shown the door.

If any of the above is seen happening with a character, the player will receive two warnings before being removed from the game on the third offense.


POSTING/SPELLING/GRAMMAR

LJ-cut tags are your friends. Please use them to cut overlong entries. What constitutes an overlong entry? If you have to scroll more than once to see the whole thing, cut it after one paragraph. Any medium to large pictures should be behind cuts as well.

Please use proper grammar and punctuation. Also, when breaking paragraphs there needs to be a clear line between them. This means hit enter twice. Large blocks of text and no line separation makes it very hard to read. Also, try not use tiny or large fonts. The default size is defaulted for a reason. If you use Firefox, there should be an inline spellchecker already installed on your browser. With this, your browser will point out misspelled words as you type, à la Microsoft Word. This should successfully prevent a majority of spelling issues.

All posts in the main community are public and should remain that way. This is an open game; we like people to be able to see what it's like before they join. OOC posts [such as introductions] in the OOC comm can be made public or friends-only, poster's choice.

CHARACTER LIMIT

Players are allowed five characters max. New players must be active with their first character for two weeks or two threads/logs [either/or!] before bringing in a new one. Consider it a trial period to be certain you enjoy the game and interacting with the players/characters before you bring in more. An exception may be made for extremely active players.


ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS

Players are expected to post at least 1 journal entry or log/thread every two weeks as well as keep up with replies to other characters and threads. Activity checks will occur on Mondays and a list will be put up on the OOC community listing journals that need to make a post or risk removal. Players who have not made a post or participated in a thread by the following Monday will be removed. Players that make this list more than two times in a row (or continuously meet the bare minimum to resist removal) will be given a warning for not meeting activity requirements. After a warning, this player will be removed on the second offense. Players with characters in those long multi-threads will be given extra consideration.


HIATUSES

Hiatuses are allowed for up to two weeks. A hiatus lasting for more than two weeks (as well as constant hiatuses) could result in your dismissal from the game. However, this will be dealt with case-by-case (constantly being busy with school is a lot different from not having access to a computer for a certain length of time,or personal issues). If a player needs additional time, some exceptions may be made.


PBS

There are no banned pbs, but PLEASE be realistic and both age- and time-period appropriate. We do reserve the right to ask you to change your pb. There are no challenges. If someone has held the character you want, please choose another. If the hold expires, then you may ask for a hold on that character.


JOURNALS

Please DO NOT make your journal before you are accepted, unless you are planning to reuse an already created journal. When we accept your application, we'll send you an invite [if needed] to create a journal.

Before RPing with someone, please make certain you have read their character bio. This means each character MUST have their bio posted, preferably as their first entry, and available for everyone to read BEFORE they start playing.

We reserve the right to alter/add to the rules at will. We will, however, inform players if/when we do so.


FAQs

Q1: Why do you allow real people in this game?
A1: We don't. We allow their mythological counter part. Let us explain! George Washington was a real person and the first president of the USA. We would not allow the real life version of George Washington in the game. However, George Washington the tall tale/legend has a lot of American folklore surrounding him. He has wooden teeth and never tells lies! Plus there's that whole silly story about chopping down cherry trees. Real people are sometimes made into tall tales and legends. It isn't the real person we're allowing, it's the legendary version of them that people tell stories about that is allowed into the game.

Q2: Why can't I take a character from (insert popular fantasy novel here)?
A2: There's a thin line between folklore and plain fantasy. We've tried to make this a community based on folklore. If you want to play a character from a fantasy novel, there are plenty of other role playing communities that would be better suited for that. The only arguable exceptions include novels like Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. These novels, in addition to being classics, have traits common to most fairy tales.

Q3: But what about Lord of the Rings? Or movies like Willow, Legends, Labyrinth or The Princess Bride?
A3: Try this rule: No modern fairy tales. Old-fashioned is what we like. =D But a number of these fairy tale movies were books first. So those which are based on a book might be acceptable if the application fits the standards placed by us. Those which are not based on a novel are out of luck. However books like LotR or Harry Potter have their own place, and it's not here.

Q4: What if I'm not sure if a particular book or other source material is allowed?
A4: If you put a hold for your character on the taken/held page and we have a problem and/or doubts about the source material, we'll let you know. Or you could just throw a Hail Mary, send in the app and see if we reject it or not. Up to you.

Q5: Can I make a completely original character?
A5: No. This is not really an original character game. There are literally hundreds, maybe thousands of concepts and stories that exist that you can use for sourcing. It can be a full story or just a few lines, but there has to be a source we can take a look at for ourselves and see. Try not to be so obscure you can't find any information to go off of.

Q6: Can my character come and go from Pentamerone?
A6: No. In most cases, your character has left behind a fading land, or magically appeared in Pentamerone. They can search for a way home [if they have a home to return to], but there are no ways out of Pentamerone. Like Toyland, once you cross its borders, you can never return again.

Q7: How do I get a journal here? It's invite only!
A7: Once your application has been accepted, we will issue you an invite for you to create your journal. Easy as that. =)

Q8: You rejected my app! I hate you! It's the end of the world!
A8: Hey now, relax! If we rejected the application we probably responded with at least one reason (but probably more) regarding why it wasn't accepted. You have three options. Option one is to revise your application and resubmit it. Option two is apply for a different character that is more appropriate to the game. Option three is to choose not to reapply, if you had your heart set on what was rejected.

Q9: Why am I not getting notifications in my own journal?
A9. This is a strange little glitch that's easily fixed. After creating your journal, and validating, you will want to go here. Click on "Manage Message Settings." In Messages settings, you MUST uncheck the box that says "Someone comments in my journal, on any entry." Otherwise, you will not receive email notifications of comments.