Rules

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Welcome to Winds of Change. Here are the rules to play. Please follow them as accurately as possible so everyone can have fun.

Attention:: Updated parts of the rules are identified in bold and italic at the same time.
Important parts are just in bold.

Recent Changes to the Rules Because of New Plot

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Acceptance[/u]
You do not have to be accepted by someone. But you must post in the acceptance board just for reference. The other rules still apply (3 paragraphs, 8 lines minimum, etc), but as soon as you post you can go right away to wherever you want to go. However, if your acceptance post does not comply with the rules, then you will be messaged telling you to go fix your post. In addition, you will not be allowed to keep the IC posts you have made if you get a msg saying to fix your post. If you do not delete them, Inferno will and you won’t be able to save them.

Claiming (IMPORTANT! This is a big change.)[/u]
Terrains: All terrains and types are now mixed. Each type can claim any terrain they want. A draft could claim Marubi, etc). But, if there are no available terrains, or a normal stallion just wants a particular terrain, if he can get another normal stallion to come with him and tell either the Mini/Draft stallion that he must get out, that is allowed and the Mini/Draft stallion must leave at that moment. The Mini/Draft stallion is not allowed to fight back.

This might discourage some people from joining as Minis/Drafts, but I’m hoping that the people that rp on Winds are open-minded enough to realize that this is an interesting twist.

Keep in mind however that Drafts can still challenge Drafts, and Minis can still challenge Minis. It’s just the fighting between two types, Mini and Draft let’s say, that makes it unfair.

Mares: Any type of stallion can now claim any type of mare. Normals can claim normals, minis, or drafts. Minis can claim minis, normals, or drafts. Drafts can claim normals, minis or drafts.
Timing of claiming mares: Just so that claiming goes a bit faster, there is now a rule that says that if after one real life week after a stallion has posted in her thread, the mare still isn’t claimed, she will go with a stallion that is in her thread, of her choice, without further rping.

In the wilderness plains, if a stallion meets up with any already claimed mare he can take her back to his terrain if he has her permission.

Fighting, Breeding, Foaling[/u]
Fighting over a mare will take place in the fighting grounds. Any other kind of fight (position in herd, two stallions over a terrain) will take place in that terrain. Only horses of the same type can fight against each other. A normal cannot fight against a draft, etc.

Breeding will take place in the mare’s home terrain as well. Stallions, please post in the breeding thread title “BREEDING: title of thread” if there is content that is slightly inappropriate. But please remember, this isn’t a porn site, and we don’t want graphic breeding. Also, there is no force breeding. The mare must belong to the stallion and must agree to breeding. Only like types can breed. Minis can’t breed normals/drafts, normals can’t breed minis/drafts and drafts can’t breed minis/normals.

Foaling will also take place in the mare’s terrain. Again, not too graphic. To find out the gender of the foal you will message either Inferno or Jagg who will tell you over msgs. The other stats you can choose yourself, but please, try to keep color and height realistic. A paint and a black cannot throw a palomino. Inferno has a chart if anyone would like reference to it for their foals.

Seasons[/u]
As everyone knows, it used to be that each season was a real life month. This is still going to be so, BUT occasionally a season will be lengthened randomly. Keep an eye out for changes in the season so you’re not making mistakes.

Activity[/u]
If a stallion hasn’t posted in his terrain for a month, it will be taken away without warning. Other activity checks will continue as usual.

Old Rules That Still Apply (Unless they Contradict the New Rules)

I. Post Lengths

All posts must be over 15 lines.

II. Joining

You may join an infinite number of characters, as long as you can keep them all active.

We do accept Miniature and Draft joinings.

Please keep your characters qualities within the realm of possibility. Genetics will stay realistic; horses do not have great senses of honor, etc. Remember, this is a realistic game, so most things that happen on the boards should be able to happen in real life.

Everyone must be accepted before posting in character. OOC posting before being accepted is allowed.

As said on the Acceptance board, a joining post must be written as an example of your rping abilties. However, this post must be at least 3 paragraphs long, with at least 8 lines in each paragraph.

If your joining thread does not comply with the joining expectation, you will not be accepted until it does.

See Acceptance board for more information on joining.

A password is required to post on either acceptance board. Both are hidden somewhere in the rules. You must read through the rules very carefully to find them.

III. Claiming

Claiming through messages or Out of Character is not allowed. All claiming must be done in the claiming terrain, in character.[/i]

Only stallions may claim terrains or mares, and they must be accepted before they can claim either.

To claim a terrain, stallions most post in the terrain they wish to claim. If the claim is accepted, the stallion is free to go claim mares, etc. If two stallions wish to claim the same terrain, the second must reply to the first’s claiming post, challenging him. The second will then post a thread in the Battle Grounds.

A mare does not have to go with the first stallion that tries to claim her. However, mares may not go on about how independent she is to all the stallions that try to claim her. Every mare MUST go with a stallion.

Every stallion that has less than 2 mares must claim a mare once every two weeks. If he fails to do so because of laziness a punishment will be in order. However, if there aren't enough unclaimed mares to claim, and he has tried, then nothing will happen.

There will be NO FIGHTING on the Claiming board. If two stallions want to fight for a mare, you MUST do it on the Battles board.

IV. Fighting

A challenger must post a thread first in the stallion's terrain, saying in it that they are challenging them for the terrain/a mare, and then they may post in the Battle Grounds. The defender has 5 days to respond to the challenge in the Battle Grounds.[/i]

Stallions may fight for mares or territories and mares may fight for rank. Horses do not fight for honor, so none of that, thanks. You have two options of challenging- You may either ask for a role of the dice or ask to roleplay out the event, but as soon as a guardian notices unrealistic fighting, the battle will be ended with a dice role.

The roleplaying fighting must be very realistic. For example, stallions verses stallions- if stallion A attacks stallion B with a head on lunge to the face, then stallion B has a large chance of not being injured at all, since it is a very unrealistic, nonharmful attack. A guardian, who will be judging the battle, will post underneath each attack and defense with what happened and will then judge accordingly.

A guardian will moniter the fight until each horse has included 3 attacks and one dodge. They will then judge who won, who was most injured, and when the competing parties may challenge again.

V. Breeding

No long breeding, please.

No porn, either.

Mares will start the thread with both the sire's and dam's stats, an entrance and the birth all in the same post. Kahlua will then post the stats of the foal. Then the mare and the stallion can rping according to their decided order.

Mares will play the foal, unless they are violently opposed to it. In that case, contact Kahlua and she will arrange everything.

Mares must have a foal even if they don't want to, unless the stallion volunteers to play the foal or does not care. They can, however, kill the foal after it's born or petition to Kahlua.

VI. Stealing

Stallions wanting to steal a mare from another herd must first message Inferno with the riddle involving direct references or allusions to the mare's name, the name of the stallion currently in possession of the mare, and the names of both territories involved. When Inferno gives his approval of the riddle you may then post it the Stealing board.

The stallion being stolen from has up to 3 days to respond, unless the player has notified Inferno that they will be indisposed. Password to the male acceptance board is scrape. If that stallion solves the riddle, he will keep the mare. If he doesn't, the thieving stallion will keep her.

Stallions, please refrain from stealing pregnant mares. A mare can alert her stallion if she is passionately opposed to leaving.

One steal per week, please.

VII. Absolutely NO POWERPLAYING. Godmoding is also not allowed in this site. Every horse has flaws- your horse cannot always dodge the blows

VIII. No horse can be in two places at once. It is physically impossible in real life. As we try to make this rpg as realistic as possible, being in more than one place at once is not an option.

IX. Activity

Activity checks will be held in the OOC board every once in a while to determine who is active and who is inactive. Members will have one month from the time the activity check is set up to the end to respond with their account names. Members who have not responded will be deleted. If they are stallions their terrains will become available for others to claim, and their mares will have to return to the claiming boards. If a notice is posted in the away board by a member, they will not be counted/deleted.

X. OOC Rules

PLEASE don't clog up the boards with OOC posts. Post OOC messages inside the post somewhere, or at OOC. All lonely OOC posts in claiming or the territories will be deleted.

XI. Picture Studio

Everone must read the rules. A violation of the rules specifically for the Studio will result in a 2 day ban.

Beginners
If you are a beginner and would like to join Winds of Change, we will welcome you with open arms- that is, if you are sincerely willing to learn and follow all of the rules to your utmost ability. Joining as a beginner does not allow you to stay a beginner the whole time you play here- it requires you to try to learn and improve your roleplaying skills. A board is posted to give tips to beginners (and others, too!) and ways to improve skills that will be open for use. Any questions, please ask at OOC before joining.

Time in Winds of Change is one season for every month- the season will change on the first day ov every month. The password to the female acceptance board is strawberry. Foals must stay with their parents and their herd until the age of two- eight real life months.

A violation against any of these rules will result in a 3 day ban. A second time, and you will be banned foever. A guardian will not hesitate to do so if they catch anyone breaking a rule.

Have fun and if you have any questions, feel free to post on OOC or ask a guardian.[/size][/center]