rules/faq

[ateratmods]

Rules & Frequently Asked Questions。

Here at Aterat, we practice a "three strikes" rule. Basically, that means that if you're found in violation of any of these rules, on the third offense (it doesn't have to be the same offense), you will be removed from the game. This rule exists to avoid any favoritism and keep it fair for everyone. All of our rules can be summed up as "don't be a huge jerk" so hopefully we won't have any problems! Remember, we're here to have fun. Note: Please talk to one another. If that becomes uncomfortable, you're welcome to contact a mod about the issue but know that it won't necessarily result in a strike. We do take call complaints seriously, but each will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Rules。

The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Would you rather be contacted about an issue a player has with you directly or would you rather a mod contact you? Use your judgment. Don't Infomod. Infomodding is using the information you have out of character in an in-character interaction. It's a huge no-no in RP. Please refrain. Don't God-mod. This is performing any sort of action against another player's character without their consent. This is worse than infomodding. Don't do it, either. Player-cest is when you thread with your own characters. Typically this is a big no-no. It's a small game, characters are bound to have met, and it's perfectly acceptable to assume it, but don't make them each other's chief CR/BFF's, please. Communicate and Have Fun. Exactly what it says on the tin.

Characters & Applications。

Reservations Open indefinitely and will last for 30 days after the date of submission. Note: We do not accept app challenges. Applications & Character Limits Open indefinitely. Players will be able to apply and have accepted up to 2 characters every 30 days. There is no hard character limit. We trust players not to take on more than they can handle, as there is no activity requirement. What characters are appable? Appable characters include all OU, Canon AU, CRAU, malleable protagonists (Shepherd, DA protags, Persona protags, etc), Canon OC (Dungeons & Dragons + Other Table-top RP), and Original Characters. Note: Only one version of a character will be accepted. For example, if someone were to apply for Rogue from X-Men Evolution, then no one could apply for her from the original universe, movies, or other animated series. What about CRAU characters? CRAU transfer is welcome, but any direct knowledge of other characters in-game the character may possess will need to be hand-waved as forgotten unless the current player in-game is okay with the knowledge. Please communicate! Other notes on appable characters → Malleable Protagonists from games like Mass Effect or Dragon Age are appable provided their personality is consistent and matches with choices in game and are applied as though no romance option was chosen. Similarly, any characters who are romance options in those games must also be applied as though their romance option was not chosen. → Dead Characters may be brought in from the point of their death, just prior to it, or in the case of ghosts, mysteriously returned to life. Any undead characters may remain in their canon states, but the sun doesn't seem to affect any who are normally damaged by it. It seems as though the Aspects have thought of everything! → Non-humanoid characters are completely welcome and in their native forms! Excessively large characters, such as a 50 foot dragon, would need to be downsized to something the size of a draft horse. What isn't appable? Non-appable characters include real people, figures from mythology, and Fandom OCs who would have interacted extensively with characters from a given canon. Real people and/or mythological figures are any that exist in our current iteration of Earth. An exception to this rule is a fictionalized version of them, such as Persephone from the Percy Jackson books or Abraham Lincoln from Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Are powers and abilities accepted? Character Powers and Abilities are welcome and at full power, provided they aren't game-breaky. Any destruction of the Aspects meticulously crafted city may carry a form of punishment, though, so you were warned. Do characters bring anything with them when they arrive? Character Items that come with them during the pulse are whatever they were able to carry, including if they are carrying a pack at the time of their transferral. Any items including armor will need to be listed in the Inventory section of the application. Weapons can arrive as well, as long as it's something they could have been wearing, such as in a holster or scabbard. It is possible for characters to purchase general times at one of the various shops found around the city and its environs, however, if you're looking for a particular item they specifically had from home or from another game, they can be purchased with bonus AC Points, more on that system can be found here.

Updates, Activity Check & Hiatuses。

How are canon updates handled? Canon Updates will be handled as a game mechanic. Submit your request here on the update page. Once approved, the character will be drawn unerringly, the next time they're alone, to the sewers where their trail will run cold. They will be gone for a week's time, in-game, though any amount of time can have passed for them in their own worlds. After that time, they will stumble from any of the sewer entrances in the city as though waking from a deep sleep. Along with new memories and any physical and mental changes, they will have a very vague memory of wandering in the darkness and the sense of having been stalked, but no idea of what had been searching for them. What about hiatuses? Hiatuses can last up to a month without mod approval and can be approved during extenuating circumstances for up to two months. During that time, you have the option of putting your character on autopilot or having the same thing happen to them as what occurs during a canon update. The Activity Check-in Process → The Activity Check post will go up the first day of the month. → You will have until The 10th of that month to post your Activity Check link. → Unless you are unable to do so, you'll still be required to check-in, but will require no activity for the month if you are on hiatus. → AC is check-in with proof, meaning you will need to provide a link to something you've done that month, but there is no minimum length requirement. → There is a bonus ac system available to those wanting to take advantage of it! More information can be found here. → Hiatuses will need to be at least two weeks of the given calendar month to be exempt from activity check and can be submitted here. → Drops are also submitted on the above page. You'll have 7 days to change your mind after dropping without a penalty. After a week, though, you will have to wait until the next app cycle to reapply.

In Character Concerns & Gameplay。

So, how do we end up here exactly? You may have been sleeping, sitting down to a nice, family meal, squaring off against your arch-nemesis in a battle to end all battles, or trying your best to avoid your next calculus exam. Whatever it was you were doing, a pulse of energy so profound it seems to rattle through the very fibers of your being surrounds you. For a moment, you feel as though you were ripped into countless pieces, all smaller than you thought it possible for a particle to be. There's a rapid and all-consuming sensation of movement that you seem to feel in every shattered piece of you at once, and just as quickly as that whirlwind started, it subsides with a thunderous collision and suddenly you are "you" again. Your eyes, now that you have them again, take in a huge outdoor park, an enormous, multi-tiered fountain of...some enchanting substance glittering in the sun overhead in every color you've ever dreamed of. What looks to be staircases encircle the enormous fountain, opening onto landings, each with its own stone arch. All the arches are hollow, save for the one at the top of the structure, four levels above the ground. Within the archway shines a light, not unlike the sun and clouds can also be seen beyond it. From the shining, cloud-filled portal steps a tall woman with flaming red hair and a gentle smile. There's a purity that flows from her, and when she speaks, her voice is the sound of innocence. "Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you've arrived safely. There's so much work to be done." She goes on to explain that you have all been brought here after a great calamity, that their world has died, and that through your efforts, it will be rebuilt. Your efforts are your own, she explains, and they may be exploring the boundaries of what remains of their world, building things more locally, growing things, selling, or simply learning what you can about the world around you. Life, she concludes, breeds life, and it is life that Aterat needs to be reborn. She goes on to explain that life in all ways gives form to the world, and thus there is no concrete expectation for all of you. You only need to be. That will suffice. As she explains, a small man no larger than a human child, though fully grown, makes his way through those assembled, handing each a small satchel in one of four colors: red, green, blue, and gray. The woman introduces herself as Halcyn, and invites you to petition herself or her counterpart, Athony, should there be anything else you require. Once her explanation is complete, you are led north by the friendly, if curious, gnome, over a bridge crossing the canal, to a square around which are situated four buildings, adorned with accents matching the colors of the bags you've been given. He bids you explore their contents for more information and wishes you to enjoy your stay. Perhaps it's a trick of the light, but once you've glanced away from him, he's gone. Wait, what's in the bag? • A folded pamphlet with instructions on the use of the "Tell Phone™" • A "Tell Phone™" of a color matching the satchel. • A small pouch of 200 bronze coins, your currency. • A key engraved with a letter and number combination (Such as B6), made of a metal-colored the same as your satchel. So what does the Tell Phone actually do? Upon opening the pamphlet, the reader will find a diagram of the phone indicating which buttons may be used to initiate the functions of TEXT, VOICE, CALL, or VIDEO. If the "Call" or "Video" option is chosen, a menu listing the names of everyone else in the City with a working Telephone allows you to directly call others! There was a mention of money...? You may have noticed you received a starting stipend of 200 bronze coins when you arrived. For ease of use, 1 bronze coin is equivalent to roughly 1 USD. So, to put that into context, here's a breakdown of some common purchases and what people can expect to pay: 1 non-alcoholic drink (such as soda): 2 brn (bronze coins) 1 alcoholic drink (beer or equivalent): 3-5 brn 1 standard meal (non-luxury): 10-15 brn As you can see, you can burn through your currency pretty quickly. Luckily, people offer to pay for all sorts of odd jobs. There's also the option of going into business for yourself. You'll probably want to figure something out, though. Nothing's free, not even after the end of the world. Death & Resurrection When characters die, their bodies will disappear after 24 hours. Afterward, they will come back to life in a dimly lit mausoleum atop a stone dais. As they come to, Athony, from outside their field of vision, will explain to them he has used what little power he has to return them to life, but it isn't without a cost. This cost can be whatever you'd like: a power, a sense (touch, smell, hearing, etc), or an important memory. The duration of the loss is randomly generated and can last as little as 3 days and as many as 21. He will keep them for three days after their death so their strength is allowed to return before sending them back to the city through a one-way portal that will land them back in the fountain square. What level is the technology in the city? A great question! As a general rule, the technological level of the city at the moment doesn't exceed Victorian. Any lighting not powered by gas lamps doesn't seem to have a source. The apartment buildings seem to have air conditioning and heating, but no source of it, either. There are no automobiles or mass transit, but there are large flightless birds called Chocobos that are used are mounts and for pulling carts and carriages throughout the city. What if I want to play an underage character? Underage characters are completely welcome! Unlike those over the age of 18, anyone under the age of 18 will be given residence at the House of Solace Orphanage, located off the southern end of the central plaza (see more information on the Residences page). What if I want to play an underage character? Underage characters are completely welcome! Unlike those over the age of 18, anyone under the age of 18 will be given residence at the House of Solace Orphanage, located off the southern end of the central plaza (see more information on the Residences page). What's up with the mirrors in all the homes? The mirror present in every apartment and every residence characters choose for themselves will sometimes offer a doorway into the MirrorVerse. This is a completely optional aspect of the game and is there to toy with both playing an alternate version of a character for a time and also exploring a world that works a little differently than the setting of the main game. Okay, so how do they get to the city and the main character to the MirrorVerse? When walking past one of the mirrors, if they glimpse their MirrorSelf through it, that MirrorSelf may be able to swap places with them. Note: This trade is not permanent. While this trade-off can happen as often as you like, it can only last for up to 1 week a time, after which they will return to where they belong and another transference cannot occur for 3 weeks afterward. Basically, you can do a 1 week swap with a MirrorSelf every month of game-time. Can I play MirrorVerse Versions all the time? Please refer to the section of the MirrorVerse page titled "Mirror Versions and their Demesnes"

Anything else。

I have inevitably forgotten something! Please, submit any questions here and I'll get them answered as soon as I am able (within 24 hours) ♥

navigation。

Comments

[brotherofagod]

I have two questions for this loser.

1. car's exist here right? So if he wanted to get a job as a mechanic, he can?
2. How about medications? Would he have to stop taking his daily pills or could he get that in the city as well?

[ateratmods]

1. Unfortunately at this time, cars do not exist in the city. The carts mentioned in the City's description are rickshaws, like what are pictures here. That could change with a future pulse, but as it stands, that's the level of technology available.

2. When the first pulse occurs (think of it as sort of an intro log to the game), the Aspects will offer the ability to petition them for aid if specific things are required, but at the moment, no, such substances aren't available.

As a general rule, the technological level of the city at the moment doesn't exceed Victorian. Any lighting not powered by gas lamps doesn't seem to have a source.

I hope that helps!

[brotherofagod]

Yes! Thank you :3

[unswervingcompanion]

If a character has a horse, can they bring that into the game with them as it was travelling with them at the time? If not that's ok, just wanted to ask!

[ateratmods]

Unfortunately not, but through the AC bonus system, they would have the opportunity to buy it back!

[unswervingcompanion]

Alright, that works thank you!

[skyward_eyes]

Is there a means by which we manage funds to purchase little extra items, non-curio shop related?

I find myself forced to buy a pair of rings and a chain thanks to a meddlesome individual.

[ateratmods]

That is a very good question, and one I've answered on the arrival & general information page now that you've brought it to my attention! I hope this helps!

[historicalnonsense]

I am interested in applying for a character who is a straight up player made AU, based on NEGLIGIBLE canon information. Specifically, I'm interested in applying for one of the un-merged shards of Zodiark (and thus significantly less power than the First Primal would be otherwise..). But as there is NO information as to powers, personality, appearance and ...well anything but the barest of tiny outlines we're gaining patch by patch, I'm basically inventing it all whole-cloth.

The allowed list does not specifically say player-made AUs are okay, so I understand if this gets a big fat no.

[ateratmods]

We have another character who very closely fits that same description: a character with negligible canon information that has been fleshed out as to be playable. I don't see a reason you couldn't app this shard of Zodiark under the same premise. That being said, I take all created OCs (fandom-AU, canon-OC, or Original Character) on a case by case basis.

[kree_soldieress]

How long must a canon be out before being playable, if there is any restriction on that.

[ateratmods]

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner as I had to think it over! I think a good blanket standard would be 1 month from debut. That way people have a chance to know whether or not they're worried about being spoiled.

[obliviouspatriarch]

Question! So regarding apps, if a character's wiki already has their abilities listed out, is it permissible to link that section of their wiki in place of potential word vomit of them?

The guy I'm drafting an app for (this journal here) if I get an invite for has all his abilities listed in an abilities section of his wiki, so I wanna make sure I am able to do that instead of vomiting words everywhere!

[ateratmods]

That is absolutely fine! You can even link to other journal entries that contain more detail if you prefer.

[obliviouspatriarch]

AHH thank you so much! This makes things so much easier

[ateratmods]

You're most welcome :)

[familybadass]

Hi!
Could Dean have Miracle here?

[ateratmods]

Given there's nothing supernatural (pun totally intended) about Miracle, it would be fine for him to come in with Dean, yes.

[weyetch]

hi, question!! it looks like bringing pets right out the gate is kind of case-by-case so i wanted to ask about my OC's familiar: he's a robotic crow who's been magically enchanted, though he has very little in the way of magical abilities on his own (really they're all just part of Witch's own abilities; she can communicate with him silently and see through his eyes). would he be allowed to come with her upon being apped, since he perpetually lives on her shoulder and would have been on her person, or would he have to be regained through bonus AC?

thank you!!!

[ateratmods]

It sounds as though the enchanted mechanical crow should be fine! A question, though. Is it fully sentient and possessing of an intelligence, independent of hers, that would make it a fully playable character on its own?

[weyetch]

hmmm i've never actually been asked this before! so Crow is sapient and certainly has his own personality independent of Witch's but i wouldn't necessarily consider him a character in his own right! i guess he's somewhere in the vicinity of the Pikachu to her Ash? :|a he lacks the ability to directly communicate except with Witch (i've never played him against any characters with the ability to talk to animals, and have always figured i'd call it a case-by-case Rule Of Fun whether or not it worked, though i'm willing to make a consistent ruling for the game if you'd prefer), and even that is just because of the programming between his AI and her bionic eye. if anything were to happen to Witch, Crow would be left somewhere between "high and dry" and "completely nonfunctional," depending, between running on her magic and being connected through her eye. he's also just a couple of years old and really lacks any significant history, beyond "was built, helps Witch." it's a very well developed (and also magically enhanced) AI that he's made of but i would consider him an extraordinarily clever bird more than a bird that's ascended to personhood.

[ateratmods]

Alright, I don't see a reason why Crow couldn't come in with her!

[weyetch]

marvelous, thank you so much for the quick response!!

[ateratmods]

You're more than welcome! I hope to see you around soon!

[allagain]

Hello! o/ A quick question as I get some test drive prompts together over here: since the very recent destruction of the world is part of the setting, what does the Historium have by way of actual history books?

[ateratmods]

While the Historium lacks much in the way of history on Aterat itself, if it's asked the right questions, one might be surprised what histories it can come up with.

[allagain]

Oho! That sounds too complicated for a test drive, but will definitely be something to keep in mind if I decide to go ahead with apping. :3c Thank you for the swift response!

[ateratmods]

You're welcome! And yes, the Directory can be fickle, and sometimes playful in reguard to how it interprets requests. That being said, it can be assumed that someone stumbles upon whatever you'd like to imagine they do on any of the endless shelves!

[skyward_eyes]

Well here's a question I never expected to ask.

Can Nida teach someone how to carry his Guardian Force? No use of the other abilities, just how to accept her, or pass her on. The person would probably temporarily get the enhanced senses, but none of the benefits of using her beyond that.

[ateratmods]

I don't think that ability to hold a GF is beholden to humans only of Nida's world, so I don't think there's anything keeping him from teaching it to someone else.

[everybodypanic]

How does flying get handled? Or specifically, a character able to quite literally fly through space without issue.

Would they reach some kind of invisible barrier preventing them from leaving, find themselves unable to go higher and higher or... Something else?

[ateratmods]

Eventually, regardless of cardinal direction or angle of ascent, she would enter a wall of fog so thick she couldn't see or hear a thing, and then it would clear just as quickly as it appeared, and she would be heading back into the direction of the city and it's surrounding environs.

[doubled_speed]

Most important question: Application notes that if someone has a bag on them when they get brought in, the contents of the bag comes with them. Given Tommy was prone to carrying Speedy around in a messenger bag with snacks for the little guy at most times. Would he be valid as an arriving item given Tommy would have nothing else but the clothes on his back, or would he need to be a Curio Shop purchase.

[ateratmods]

It's fine that Speedy comes along in his sack, seeing as Speedy is a normal sloth :)

[doubled_speed]

Awesome. I'm assuming that by coming here speedy will probably start aging.

[ateratmods]

Yes he would! Eventually, Tommy will have a fully grown sloth.

Question

[sleepingtwins]

Hello, I was wondering if I could app the twins together with a single journal or if I need to create two separate journals for them and two separate applications. I am happy to do either (its really the same amount of work just separating it) but I wasn't sure since Luna, the sister, is a mute and won't be going anywhere without her brother. As they are going to be attached at the hip. They are only 7 years old, so all their threads will be together. I wasn't sure if I could do this but they're also at an age in this fairy tale that it'll be difficult to separate the twins and just play one of them. Which might then fall under the rules of playercest. Which is obviously not allowed.

Thank you!

Re: Question

[ateratmods]

While it is possible to play two characters from the same canon if they have little or no interaction with one another, in the case of the twins, I'm afraid playing them both wouldn't be possible as they are both too reliant upon one another, even if they were to have separate journals.

Question

[sleepingtwins]

Okay! I will choose one of them then. Thank you!

[reko]

hello, mods! ♥ i have some questions, please. i have lyanna from a song of ice and fire here, who has quite an extensive wiki page, but she never actually appears because she's dead by the time the series starts, though a lot of her history intertwines with the main characters and therefore all those pieces were pieced together. she has even less screen time in the show, where she only appears in a flashback. can i still app her?

second, and tangentially related - how much canon AU-ing is allowed? can i AU her, or will that be dependent on whether i can app her or not?

thank you so much for your time! ♥

[ateratmods]

Thanks for your interest!

Lyanna has plenty of canon and you're more than welcome to app her!

As far as canon AU, all AUs are approved on a case by case basis, so you're welcome to submit the application and we'll go from there!

[reko]

yay, thank you so much mods! ♥

i only ask about canon AU because she's uncomfortably young in the books, so i would prefer to age her up to 18 for everyone in the game. (i've been playing medieval-era characters so i'm fine with it, but a canon like game of thrones has a lot of problematic stuff and her being underage might cause even more discomfort.) is that something that would be allowed without having to AU her, or should i just submit a canon AU app anyway? thanks again!

[ateratmods]

Aging her up would be perfectly fine, and if her age is all that's changing, it's fine to do a canon application.

[reko]

yes, just her age :) thank you so much! i'll be working on the application soon ♥

[skyward_eyes]

Would it be possible for me to put in for another GF for Nida? It would expand his powers, but mostly by allowing him to boost other characteristics about himself. I think I'd probably do it through spending (probably most) of my bonus points to get an object that a GF is stored in.

[ateratmods]

Yeah, you can definitely put in for that! Just fill out the canon update form with any relevant changes.

[skyward_eyes]

I am happy to do so. In this situation since it's an update only in the form of new powers gained, he would not require getting lost in the sewers though, right?

[ateratmods]

That's correct! He might feel a little woosy for a few days.