So you've chosen design and are ready to get started, excellent! Please remember that official designs can not be altered. Meaning you can't add markings to them! Blemishes not genetically based like scars or other injuries are allowed, assuming there is a story/reason behind them.
We don't require references for your characters but you are still more than welcome to make one for your own benefit! Having a player drawn reference never hurts as it gives other members of the group an idea of how they should draw your character should they ever meet him/her face to face! You can also use your reference to self track your horses progress should you want to. (The group tracks most of this via their design in the pool)
When it comes to naming your unicorn there are a few small rules we have to avoid confusion and to respect other players. If you aren't sure if a name has been taken, simply use the group search function to find out! Once you're in our gallery there is a magnifying glass in the right corner of the gallery folders. Simply click it and search for the name you're considering! If it's taken, submissions including that name will pop up. If it hasn't been taken, your search shouldn't find anything.
Unicorn names can not be duplicated. This is to help avoid confusion for our admin team. However we do allow different / unique spellings of similar names!
For Example: You love the name Aiden but its been taken. You could still use: Aaydan, Aidean or Aaydon.
Unicorn names can be from mainstream media HOWEVER! Their characters can not be carbon copies of these characters.
For Example: You're welcome to name your unicorn Thor, however he can't parade around Elysium talking about Asgard and claiming to be a god,
Unicorn names can not have names that are considered taboo, derogatory or slurs. Certain creatures and deities from certain mythology's have names which should not be spoken aloud. Wanting to respect these cultures and beliefs, we will not accept their names for characters. If you aren't sure if a name falls into this category feel free to ask the team! We don't judge here and if you're not sure it's better to ask ^^
Before you start customizing or drawing your character, you should be sure to review it's official group design! While all the lines are the same, the horses themselves wouldn't be in reality. Some designs have special notations indicating horses qualify for special unique traits. These consist of:
Horn Types:
- Singular Spear ("Normal" Unicorn horn)
- Antlers (Branch out from the back of the skull. Exclusive to Stallions)
- Ram (Curled horns)
Hoof Types:
- Normal (Regular horse hooves)
- Cloven (Split hooves like what is seen in bovines and cervides)
Tail Types:
- Normal (A modern horse tail)
- Unicorn (A long tail where hair may grow from varying points)
Hoof and tail type will be obvious and visible on the uploaded design! What isn't seen are the horn options!! Some horses will be noted as having the option of Antlers or Ram horns as an alternative to their standard horn! Players may choose which horn type they want when the design becomes their own.
NOTE: Once you choose a horn type it can not be changed!
Guides about the various horn types are available in the group.
Elysium unicorns can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes!! Designs are not restricted to just one body type so feel free to make your character as light or heavy as you wish! What we DO require is that you simply place them in the right body category. Keep in mind, body type will also determine your unicorns base stats for players wanting to use their characters to go on dungeon crawls or participate in our combat system.
Also know that we don't restrict body types to breeds. Meaning if you want your horse to look like a Friesian but is only 14.2hh you can! Just the same as you can make your horse look like an Arabian but its 16.1hh!
Elysium Unicorns range from 14hh to 17hh at the most regardless of body type.
The various body types are as follows:
Small in both height and body build! Light horses tend to look like smaller breeds of modern day horses like: Morgans, Arabians, Crillos and Peruvian Pasos
Light build horses range in size from 14 hh and 15.3hh never going over 16hh.
They tend to have well defined faces, thin legs and medium sized bodies. Light body unicorns tend to be weaker physically and have less health but have higher than average agility. Their stealth is also a little higher on average simply because their small size allows them to hide easily in plain sight.
Technically, any horse breed under 16 hh will fall into this category assuming their body build is light and thin.
Standard sized horses tend to be seen as the 'medium' horse size in Elysium. These horses are sizable but not overly bulky or super thin. They tend to be well balanced and taller than light horses but not as solid as heavy sized horses.
Modern day warmbloods and breeds like Oldenburgs , and Hanovarians are good comparisons. They range in height from 15.3 all the way up to 17hh
These sized horses tend to be the most common in Elysium as they are strong enough to handle most threats but still fast enough to escape something truly threatening. Standard body unicorns are the average for all stats! They receive no advantage in any stat as they are the ‘basic’ form of horse body a player can have.
Heavy horses encompass all draft horse breeds. These are our 'thicc' guys and gals who make the earth quake with every step they take! Hefty, these horses are the power houses of Elysium but they aren't the fastest by any means. Heavy body unicorns receive bonuses to their strength and health. However their heavy nature does come with drawbacks as their agility and stealth take penalties.
Modern day draft breeds such as: Shires, Clydesdales, Norikers, Ardennais, Suffolks and Friesians are all good examples. Heavy horses vary in size, sometimes being as small as 15hh (like Irish cobs) but also being as large as 17hh! The difference is in the muscle.
Horses of this build are a little rare in Elysium, mostly due to their slow movement. However, most predators regret tangling with one as their feet can land some bone breaking blows.
**An important note**
Unicorns of different builds can have foals, often resulting in a blend of the two. (IE a heavy body horse crossing to a light will often produce a standard build) But horses of greatly varying heights may result in defects! If you plan on making 2 characters who are destined to fall in love, keep their heights in mind!
Mares bred to stallions who ARE 3hh or taller than them risk complications at birth. They include things such as:
- Premature foal birth
- Foal defects
- Mare infertility
- Risk of death to mare and/or foal
More details on this can be found in the Breeding section.
Elysium experiences an in game passage of time to allow characters to age at an appropriate rate. We implement this system not just to give the world a touch more reality but to keep character ages from becoming too strange (ie a foal out aging their sire/dam). The current in game year and season will be displayed on the groups homepage and updated accordingly.
1 month = 1 in game season
4 months = 1 in game year
The unicorns in Elysium experience a slightly accelerated growth rate. Magic also helps keep them alive much longer than a normal horse (assuming they aren't eaten or killed before then). Before is the standard guide to explain how their ages would relate to humans.
Newborn - 1 yr old
Human equivalent: Infant
By the end of their first year a foal may be picking up on basic words and sentences. Still super reliant on mom and the herd. They stop nursing after 6 months and move onto solid foods.
1-3 yrs old
Human equivalent: 3-6 yr Toddler
These young colts and fillies are starting to feel themselves and challenge the world. At this age most feel invincible and are prone to getting into the most serious bouts of trouble without realizing how much danger they are actually in. When these youngsters hit 3 years of age, they begin to grow their horns!
3-5 yrs old
Human equivalent: 6-15 yr Child
Foals are seen less as helpless members of the herd and expected to be more responsible. They're allowed out of the sight of adults and sometimes tasked with watching over newborns and younger siblings. During these years, young unicorns undergo a rapid increase in maturity both mentally and physically. By the age of 5, they reach sexual maturity.
5 -15 yrs old
Human equivalent: 15-20 teenager - young adults
At 5 these horses are seen as capable teens. Young stallions will sometimes leave their birth herds in the hopes of starting their own families. These hot blooded teens rarely succeed and opt to live in bachelor herds while they hone their skills. On average, stallions begin to properly maintain a herd and begin having foals around 10. By 15, Elysium unicorns enter their prime and reach their full adult height.
15-30 yrs old
Human equivalent: 20-30 Adult
Considered the best years of life, these prime years are filled with family and making a mark on the world. It's also the most dangerous time of an Elysium unicorn as they are willing to take more risks for family and personal gain. They're also large enough to be a meal worth taking down for Elysiums most dangerous hunters: Dragons. It's during these years that most unicorns loose their lives due to injury, predation or sickness.
30-45 yrs old
Human equivalent: 30 - 40 Mature Adult
A seasoned survivor! These unicorns are often a wealth of knowledge and great story tellers. Having seen and done it all (just about) they are starting to slow down a little. Unicorns who live this long enjoy less adventuring and prefer to stick around their families to teach the youngsters.
45-60 yrs old
Human equivalent: 50 - 60 Elder
Unicorns of this age are a RARE sight. Most succumb to illness by this time and return to the earth. Aged unicorns travel very little and often take up residence somewhere they think is safe. Arthritis keeps them from traveling long distances and makes them easy prey for hungry mouths.
70 + yrs old
Human equivalent: 70+ yrs
Legends say that only great magical Sages could live to such ages. With their powers they were not only able to keep themselves safe but often appearing much more youthful than they actually were. The oldest known sage lived to the ripe age of 150 years old!!
So you have your design, your special traits decided and your body type chosen; You are ready to begin!!
As always, if you have any questions feel free to note the group for additional help and enjoy your time in Elysium!