Generally speaking, all active player characters fall into one of two categories: Leaders or Herd Members.
Obviously, Lead characters are those in charge of player herds. Leaders can make claims on wild horses and make the big decisions for the herd.
Herd Members are individuals who are apart of the herd who support their leaders decisions and generally listen to what they request for them to do
The following guide includes some other options for members who find themselves with characters who don't quite fit the above categories. Each option offers members different avenues on how to handle characters they may not be vibing with anymore or who they think deserve an upgrade. Please be sure to look over each option before deciding on which to choose.
For each category, members should reply to featured comment if they wish to chase, exile, promote or trade characters in the appropriate journal.
A Chased Character refers to a character that your lead stallion or mare has chased away from their herd and that they wish to return to our public Design Pool. These are characters who may have done something to upset the leader or simply chose to leave for whatever reason.
Chased Characters retain all their history including their name and current status when returned to the pool (if they're injured, sick or pregnant their design will have a mention of it). These characters can then be encountered by other members or chosen by others to be their starter characters!
An important distinction to make about Chased Characters are the circumstances which lead to their leaving or being chased from the herd. Was it voluntary or did they mess up so bad they were kicked out? Members wishing to chase/return characters may do so at any time BUT are required to create a submission detailing why they were chased or left their herds. There must also be a clear notation in the artist comments to let the mods know who is being chased so we can move their designs back to their appropriate folders and remove them from your herd trackers. Their info will also be updated so new members will know just how to write/draw these characters.
An Exiled Character refers to a character that your lead stallion or mare has banished from their herd AND established territory BUT remain your character. Exiled characters are left to wander Elysium alone and face much greater threats. Writing or drawing about exiled characters is allowed but because these are not lead characters they can not claim wild horses they encounter. All encounters are just that, encounters and social interactions which offer members extra gems. Exiles essentially act as normal characters but are restricted as they can not claim wild horses or participate in quests (This includes side or scripted quests). The exception made to this rule is if the exiled character is banished to the Shadow Reach. This is common practice in Elysium as its seen as the ultimate punishment.
Exiled characters who are banished to the Shadow Reach will be made to undergo a modified version of our 'Gates of Shadow' quest line.
Members are allowed a max of 3 exiled characters at a time.
Unassigned characters are those who are NOT herd leaders, accepted herd members or even former herd members who have been exiled. These are characters who have a design accepted into the group but have yet to be introduced to a players leader or join their herd. Players are welcome to write/draw these character(s) before they meet their destined herd. HOWEVER these characters must join a players leader within 1 month of their first accepted submission into the group. Players may write about or draw them during this time (even back dates stories) but their submissions will be processed differently.
Submissions featuring Unassigned Characters:
Will not be rolled for side quests or encounters
Will not be rolled for items
Will not be eligible for group events / special events
May not take on quests or adventures
After this 1 month period has passed and the player has not had them join a leader or purchased an additional leader unlock for said character(s) they will be frozen. Characters only becomes 'unassigned' if players write/draw about them before they join a proper herd.
Frozen character(s) are Unassigned Characters players own but still have not joined a herd. These character(s) that may have been written about by a player previous but have not formally joined a herd and have passed the 1 month deadline. They may not be used further until they join a herd or an additional leader unlock is purchased for them.
An Additional Leader is something that members may unlock via the Elysium shoppe. This unlock gives members the option of having an additional lead character. This is useful if members want to:
Have their leaders offspring start a herd of their own but don't want to kill or banish their current leader.
Turn an exiled character into a leader
Simply want to start another herd
An additional lead character unlock is meant to be applied to a design. It can not be used to obtain another design from the pool.
These new leaders will be given their own herd trackers but items they find and gemstones they earns are not exclusive to them. All items and gemstones earned are tied to the members and not their characters to alleviate confusion. So items 'found' by one character can actually be applied to any that members own.
Submitting Custom Leaders
Players who choose to make a custom design for their new leaders are free to do so with the used of a custom design token. These custom designs should be uploaded to a players sta.sh with the appropriate design info filled out. This is the info the group provides on all import designs you can find in the pool. These designs will then be uploaded to the group via the admin account. Once the design is accepted and added, players are free to begin adventuring with this character! More specifics on these design tokens can be found over at the Elysium Shoppe.
Members wishing to Trade Characters between one another are free to do so at any time. Just like when you want to chase a character, trading herd members requires a few steps. Members wishing to swap characters outright may do so but they also have the option of trading characters for items or even gemstones. Trades must be agreed upon by BOTH parties before they will be processed, meaning someone must make the initial trade comment and the second party must comment to confirm they are in agreement with the trade.
If trading one herd member for another, a single written or illustrated piece must be submitted to finalize the trade. Why would two leaders trade individuals? Or, if they are being traded for items, why would a leader allow one of their members to join another herd? Perhaps they are reunited with friends or even family? These are things members will have to consider when making trades.
Traded characters also retain all their prior history as they are an established being in the Elysium universe. Name changes are allowed assuming that there is, once again, a reason behind. Perhaps the traded individual wishes to take on a new identity and asks the new herd to call them by that name? Reasons are endless.
Character transfers are allowed to new or existing members. If you are interested in bringing an OC or other character from a similar game or perhaps another group entirely we are more than happy to accommodate! Information on how to bring your character into the world of Elysium can be found below!
Characters with unnatural markings are welcome to keep said markings but they may be brought into our system using our in game genes/colors etc. For markings that don't fit into our systems, other means may be used replicate the design unless the user tells us otherwise.
To import OCs players need only purchase the appropriate Custom Design Token in order to recreate the design.