World - Game Guide

A few articles of interest to you here at Muse concerning the game and how it is played. :) Any questions should be directed to the Updates forum, Questions thread.

Overview, Prologue, and Setting

Shards

Aeson

Magic

Gameplay Guidelines

Character Profiles

Pack Creation

Overview

Gameplay: Muse is a fantasy wolf roleplay set almost in an alternate instance of the world, untouched by humans, where the wolves have been exposed to magic. It is essentially free form, meaning there is no set plot, but member driven sub plots that direct the course of the role playing, although at times there may be a larger site wide plot, but generally participation is optional.

Game Time: In game time, one seasons equals one month in real life. Muse follows liquid time, where a character can be involved in multiple threads where it is the responsibility of the roleplayer to maintain the timeline order in which they occur. In your profile, there is a Post Log field for you to keep track of your threads and information pertaining to them.

Prologue

Every story begins somewhere, doesn't it? Ours began a long time ago, a time long forgotten now, with a group of wolves who stumbled on a gift greater than any they had ever known. Continue reading to learn how the wolves received their magic.

Of course there is magic in the world, right? Everywhere you go, although it is not so clearly obvious as it might seem that it would be. Magic has its ways of hiding itself. It is often found even in the unlikeliest of places, where one would not think to look. Magic is very clever, and if one chanced a glimpse at it, they were lucky. The wolves of Aurius Hollow were exactly as lucky, for after a few hundred years of living in the presence of hidden magic, they had awakened it.

Little had they known the great oak tree in their very midst had been harboring a powerful oracle. The centuries long duration of weather on the tree was evident, the branches worn and the leaves less captivating. The small force of an ordinary thunderstorm simply pushed the well marred barrier that held the magic over the edge. A large crack split down the side of the old tree, the bark splintering into irreplaceable pieces. The ancient relic deep at the heart of the tree no longer hidden in the expanse of the tree.

They say lightning doesn't strike the same place twice? Within minutes, another spike of electricity fled the heavens, attacking the aged oracle. The force of the lightning shattered it into minuscule shards, hundreds of shards, too many to keep up with. The swarm of glinting pieces circled the gnarled tree where the oracle once was, shards of each and every color, each and every kind. The magic held within the relic was split between them, each piece only holding a sliver of the more powerful magic. A blue for water, red for fire, and so on.

Well past midnight, the dark of the sky confirming the time, the wolves would ordinarily have been soundly sleeping through the night if not for the cracks of thunder that were hard to ignore. Awakened, they swiftly congregated around the broken tree, eyes wide with confusion. The rift in balance of the sacred place caused the circling tornado of shards to lose their peaceful momentum, the pieces spiraling outwards in all directions. Wolves became targets. The shards having no direction hit a few of them, entering their bodies, their souls ... and transforming them.

To be continued...

This sets our stage. Those wolves are gone now, the time now many years later, but their magic and their lands remain to be discovered again.

Setting

The setting of our story lies in a land called Aesilion, currently, an island that was once connected to some continent of the world. When the oracle shattered, however, the bonds holding it to the continent shattered and the island floated away. It is still accessible to and from the outside world by small chains of islands that are the debris of the separation, but they are seldom traveled (only by wolves that are adults). Aesilion is surrounded mainly by either beach and shore, mountainous and cliff areas, or forest. In the middle exists flat valleys and plains. These are simply the discovered parts of the Island so far. There are areas that still remain undiscovered, awaiting a wolf, perhaps your character, to find it.

There are fourteen main, known, areas on the island currently and no residing packs. Wildlife on the island is typical - deer roam the forests, rabbits the tall grasses and so on.

Shards

The oracle in the great oak tree shattered and the shards scattered across the land. The shards contain the ability to be used for magic by the wolves. But as the magic was divided into the shards, the powers of the magic split up individually, weakening it and thus each shard contains only one element of magic to control.

How do I get one?

Your character is given a shard upon joining the site, as you were able to choose which one when you registered.

In the game, a wolf receives his shard when he is born, so each wolf will have a shard.

What do they look like?

They look similar to broken crystals, each one being different (no two the same, that is). The shard's color will be that of the element whose power it contains, so water is blue and so on.

Light	Fire	Solar	Ice	Water	Restoration

Storm	Wind	Poison	Earth	Metal	Growth

So, say you drop your shard do you become unmagical?

No, there isn't any need for dropping your shard or even worrying about holding onto it. When a wolf is bestowed a shard, it enters the wolf's body and resides in their soul.

Is there any way to lose it?

No. The only way to lose a shard would be to die, the shard then goes to the Wall of Shards, a glowing wall of floating shards.

What if I leave a pack?

You keep your shard if you leave a pack. Packs aren't associated with the magic and shards. Packs are merely made up of like minded wolves wanting to band together.

Aeson - The Muses

To the wolves of Aesilion there is not a set religion or belief, persay. These wolves have been exposed to the magic of a broken oracle. Whereas before they were simply wolves, the oracle's magic gave them the abilities of the four elements, what is simply referred to as magic here, (which are broken down even further into three sub-elements each). The wolves over time have come to wonder what gave them these gifts and have begun to look up to figures they deemed Aeson, the muses. They are more like faeries, as they have no real religion, and each have their own time of celebration.

The wolves learned by observing the sky that certain stars become clearer during different times. They connected these stars and realised that there were pictures in the sky. From there they began to look up to figures in the stars, hoping that their wishes would be answered. Each constellation became a muse, a part of the Aeson, the wolves' names for the creatures they drew in the sky, believing that Aeson, the muses, gave them stronger powers when they were brightest in the sky. They also used Aeson as a way to keep track of time, having no organised calendar system.

During this time, when a part of the Aeson was brightest, the wolves hold a festival to that particular muse, where they gather wit one another at night, beneath the sky. They also hold various tournaments and have a feast, each themed different.

Genova the muse of Erde

Genova is the muse of the earthen elements of earth, growth, and metal. She is the muse of the hunt and good fortune, making her a very light and playful muse in spirit. Her pelt is a normal shade of ginger and her eyes are a striking green, giving her a normal appearance for the most part, except that she has wings made of leaves that change in tune with the seasons. There is usually a hunting tournament and large feast at the time of her celebration.

Season: Spring

Atalanta the muse of Hydor

Atalanta is the muse of the aquatic elements of ice, water, and restoration and is the muse of the sea. She has a pelt colored in a light, sandy hue with darker shades of brown mixing throughout, and her eyes are a mellow amber color. You'll know her by her frail, transparent wing like appendages that function more like fins in the water. They have the appearance of butterfly wings, but they are actually fins. A swimming tournament is sometimes held in her honor, along with a feast and storytelling.

Season: Winter

Cherufea the muse of Pyr

Cherufea is the muse of the fiery elements of light, fire, and solar. She is regarded as the muse of war and strength. She is black in colouration and her eyes are a very vivid yellow. In contrast to her rather normal appearance, her feet have the appearance of molten and dried lava and are extremely hot to the touch. They also seldom look like feet, looking more like great globs of magma. A fighting tournament and feast are held in her honor at her time of celebration.

Season: Summer

Palatyne the muse of Aer

Palatyne is the muse of the arid elements of storm, poison and wind and is often thought of as the muse of wisdom. Her pelt is a muddled, dark timber and her eyes are deep, rich amber. Her defining physical traits are long, electrically charged growths that stick up from the back of her legs and two more from her head, sprouting from around her eyes and going under her ears in a horn like fashion. A fighting tournament is often held in her honour, with a feast and long hours of stargazing after.

Season: Autumn

Magic

Of course there is magic, right? This would be where we tell you what kinds you get. :D The paragraphs here are just brief synopses of what your character will be able to do, there is a bit of creative freedom and leeway with these powers, but we would like you to keep it in retrospect, okay? The age of your wolf is key to determining how strong their magic is, older wolves will be more experienced and young wolves less, and so on.

Please keep in mind that while your characters have these wonderful powers, they must also have some sort of restraint or recoil. The powers will cause your characters to take a recoil or damage, which could limit the amount they use that power. Failure to heed to the recoil could result in extensive harm to your character's health. We're hoping that you can make fair judgments of recoil and restraint with powers in your posts, so that administrators don't have to step in. That said, here are descriptions of the magic and examples of what the powers can do.

Pyr

Light: The ability to manipulate light, as in the sun itself. While one wolf, even at a high level of control has limited ability over the area they manipulate; a larger group of wolves would be able to cause a lasting blackout. However, that’s not to say one wolf is weak, a lone wolf with great skill over light could cause a fairly large portion of land to be either darker or brighter. This skill is especially useful for lone wolves, as it grants them easier cover in the day and the ability to better see any potential threats in the night. A wolf could also manipulate light to create bursts of short flashes that could temporarily blind an opponent. Though it may not seem like much at first, Light is not to be underestimated.

Fire: Essentially the element itself, those can have control over fire can cause the heat of an area to rise or shoot fire itself. The stronger a wolf becomes the greater the power and length of the flame. While small pups can only cause small flickers of fire to dancer before them a full-grown wolf has the potential to create massive jets of the flame and direct it at any opposing foe, wolf or nature. While it may see like a more destructive force at first, wolves with fire at their side will find the winters slightly less harsh, as their heat counterpart becomes very helpful during colder seasons.

Solar: Perhaps one of the most perplexing of all the magic, some of the solar abilities deals with celestial matter – or objects from space. One of which includes manipulating gravity. Any wolf who manipulates this magic will find that the world around them – especially for wolves of other magic – becomes heavier. Canines specializing in this area also discover they are able to reflect – or create a shield – from other blows a foe might throw at them. Masters of the solar magic are said to able to throw flaming, meteor stones from the sky as well as create invisible patches of dead space, where they recreate the atmospheric qualities of outer space where mammals cannot breathe.

Hydor

Ice: These wolves will find their powers stronger during the colder seasons when there is more ice on the ground. A beginning in this element would be capable of perhaps only small nips of frostbite but as one becomes more developed in the area they’ll discover the potential to coat other objects – and once very strong, other animals of all sizes – in ice, or send frozen shards of ice at a target. Those blessed with glacial powers will also find that they have an easier time surviving in the winter months, as they are more resistant to the bitter weather conditions.

Water: Wolves with the power over water will find many skills in this power. While a small pup may only be able to master shooting small, fine jets of water while roughhousing, an adult may be able to cause rain to fall or create a heavy surge of water. Water mages also have the ability to swim with great skill, and even hold their breathe for slightly greater lengths. These wolves also have a stronger attraction towards water and have been known to easily find a good source of drinking water.

Restoration: Restoration is a fascinating power. It is the ability to heal oneself, or others, and even – as the wolf becomes stronger – “steal” the energy of others. These wolves tend to have enchanced stamina, especially when the absorb energy for other wolves around them. Wolves granted with the ability of restoration can also, when they have become complete masters of their magic, bring back comrades from the dead. Or so it is said anyways. The event that one can revive another wolf is very rare, so much so that it has become a mere legend.

Aer

Storm: Another one of the more destructive forces, storm wolves, as the name suggests, manipulate the weather. A youth that specializes in this field of magic might be able to create small static shocks or manipulate already existing storm ever so slightly, but at its full power one would be able to hurl bolts of lightning or create a storm itself. Storm wolves can also charge their powers, by absorbing energy from the storm.

Wind: Wind is one of the more diverse magics. Newer learners of this power would find themselves able to cause short breezes that ruffle another wolf’s fur, or that their howls have a more lulling affect on their company. However, when one becomes more of an expert in this field they develop the knowledge to master many other techniques, such as sending heavy gusts – or even a gail – of wind at a target, or using their gusts to propel objects. They can also use the wind to propel themselves, and have an edge over fellow canines when it comes to speed. Such wolves can also look through the eyes of birds, and have an aerial glimpse of the world.

Poison: The ways of a poison wolf are mysterious. Soon after one holds onto a poison shard the wolf will find him or herself immune to vegetation and other wildlife that the normal wolf would find sickening or life threatening. As one becomes more skilled in this field they’ll be able to master many of the other secrets of this magic. Poison wolves can have a deadly effect on other wolves, weakening their strength or infecting them with a sickness. Poison wolves have also been known to conjure up a sort of acidic “armour” around their body that burns another’s skin when touched.

Erde

Earth: Chaotic are those who learn the ways of the earth. They are the harsher side of the earth, and a force to be reckoned with. While beginners perfect a small sandstorm - one that is temporarily blinds their target but nothing more - those more skilled focus on creating and manipulating mudslides and even the deadliest of avalanches. Others may chose instead to simply manipulate the earth around them by reshaping rocks or cliff faces, or even creating waves of stalagmites with a single stamp of a paw. Of course, similarly to metal, they can use their powers to defend too, by hardening their fur like rock or even encasing themselves in stone armour.

Metal: Those who manipulate the powers of metal will find that the abilities mostly relate to themselves. Though they these wolves are drawn to – and can manipulate – metal under the earth, one who holds onto a shard blessed with metal can generate spikes and coat their claws, among other features of their body, into enhanced metallic version, which have the potential to inflict much more damage than any regular features a wolf is blessed with. Not solely for offense though, those who posses powers over metal can also coat their fur, transforming it into metallic pins or scales, which serve as greater protection for the wolf.

Growth: Growth deals mainly with conjuring that of the plant variety. A more inexperienced wolf of this sector might find their powers are limited to causing vegetation to bloom, while one who has studied this division of magic more would discover the ability to shoot out vines, burs or any other sort of plant life at a target. Those who can control growth also find that they understand – not only can they listen to, but also speak – the tongues of other animals.

Guidelines

General

Do not mix in character and out of character affairs, the two should remain separate.
No Godmoding, powerplaying, etc.
There is no posting limit, but we recommend posting at least seven lines, one paragraph. Use decent grammar and spelling in your posts.
Swearing is tolerated in character, not in the out of character areas at other players. Graphic violence is allowed and tolerated. Graphic mating is only permitted if members are warned before hand in the title of a thread.
Please tag your threads to let players know they are welcome or not: AW: All welcome, P: Private, and M: Mature.
Information in the Game Guide should be followed and taken into consideration.

Fighting

Fights may be held for almost any reason: fighting for a mate, rank, dominance, or death, just to name a few reasons. Wolves may also use their magic, of course.
Quite commonly other wolves may interfere in your fight, unless the fight is official or it is advertised as a one on one fight.
Attacking fight moves are reset each turn unless you receive a hold on the other wolf or something such as that, which will continue to be roleplayed. Defensive moves are not reset unless something happens in the fight to undo them such as the opponent executing a move in which they can no longer protect their neck.
Each wolf recieved one full dodge each per fight, no more.
Godmoding or Powerplaying will earn you a disqualification.
Fights may have unlimited turns or a set number of turns.
A fight is alternate turns, one post after the other. This is still the same for multiple fight battles. If the fight was three on one, the three post and then the one, then the three and then the one.
Admin or another high ranked character will judge the fights.
If a fight goes on long enough and there is still no winner the judge will stop and choose the winner based on damage, style and those sorts of things.
Make sure the type of the fight is clearly stated before hand. It only takes one to declare a death match, you must rightfully defend your life. However others may always pile in and help if it is during a battle.

Hunting

Hunting may be done anywhere, there is no specific area for it.
Godmoding and powerplaying rules still apply to hunting.
You do not have to hunt every week but at least try to eat every week.
To have a hunt classified as a pack hunt, three or more members need to be present.
The leader of the hunt posts the details of what's been found. Everyone must continue posting normally until they post the details.

Mating and Pregnancy

As with real wolf packs, we are not strict on how many mates you have. Often wolves will breed with those that aren't their mates, but instead go for the strongest. Males can mate with any female they see fit and often will have more then one mate if the females agree, this also works the other way around but is rarer.
Force Breeding is allowed, but it doesn't mean the females won't put up a fight. We also don't want it every few minutes here, be reasonable.
Fights may be held for mates. It is generally males that will issue the challenge for a mate.
Pregnant females must role play out their pregnancy for at least a week minimum.
Females need to be over one year old to have pups and up to seven years. Any variation in this could lead to miscarriage or cubs dying.
Between 1-10 pups are born in a litter, although the average is around 4-6. Once born they can not see, walk, talk.. etc. Be realistic.

Packs and Ranks

Any wolf of any gender may create a pack, but the wolf must be an adult.
You are not allowed to have more than one character in the Alpha position of a pack or the equivalent of this position.
Ranks and packs may not be challenged for again until one week after a previous challenge.
The leader of the pack determines all of the pack affairs and how the pack will run. They will be required to make this information known on a specific page related to the pack. Please consult this page when you have a question.
The function of the ranked members is to be sorted out by their alphas, as is the circumstances by which members obtain ranks (ie. fighting and sorting them out themselves or being appointed to them by the Alpha or equivalent).

Character Profiles

Character profiles are important for providing the character's information. Each field should be completed with the exception of the history and relationships fields being optional.

Name: Characters should have a first and last name. The first name is not changeable, so please choose one that you like.

Age: Ages are recorded in numbers only. For pups, please put zero in the age field. The growth stage of the wolf to the age in years is as follows:
Pup: Less than one year, Teen: One year, Adult: Two years to seven years, Elder: Over seven years

Gender: Would you rather play a female or male? Each gender comes along with different personality stereotypes and differences in weight, size, voice, you know. Males are generally large for their size, have a good amount of muscle and are taller than females. Females are notably smaller and a lot less aggressive that males naturally, but we're not stressing to be extremely realistic. Try to keep things in perspective.

Appearance: In at least one paragraph, please describe your character's appearance in detail. An alteration of outward body appearance that is related to the magic that is contained within the shard should be described within, as all wolves with magic will have one. This relation can be in color, such as a wolf inheriting the power of water becomming blue in some parts of their pelt, or the relation can be in actual forms that defined the magic, such as the same wolf inheriting the power of water having extraordinary webbed feet for a wolf or a small dorsal fin. This alteration of appearance is of your choice, but we limit you to only one and request you follow the example we have set on this page (that the change is related to the element and shard you get). Other than the one change of appearance, you must keep a realistic pelt color. Unnatural eye colors are allowed. Keep in mind the part gender plays in the size of your wolf also.

Personality: In at least one paragraph, please describe your character's appearance in detail. Your character's personality is what really brings them to life and helps guide you to know how they will react in certain situations. If your character is devoid of personality, you might have a hard time roleplaying them. When creating a personality, you might want to think about their: Character Strengths, Character Flaws and Weaknesses, Nature (Optimist - Pessimist - Realist), and Alignment (Good - Neutral - Evil). You can also keep in mind that you can still develop their personality through roleplaying, to show the effects that certain situations have had on them.

Relationships: Relationships are optional. These would be their family relationships, friend relationships, or romantic relationships, or other.

History: Histories are optional. You can choose to explore your character's past, or save the history field for history developed throughout the course of your role playing.

Pack Creation Guide

Packs, right those. Of course, you may have some. (: Here is a straight and to the point guide of how to make one, because we don't want to give you any headaches. Questions may be directed to administrators.

Claim land: Pretty simple, just claim the land. A thread must be made in character stating the pack land is to be claimed and must be unchallenged for at least a week OOC. If the land is already claimed, then you must fight for it.

Name pack: The name should describe the pack. We don't really care what you want to call it, as long as it isn't vulgar or obscene.

Get followers: Optional for now. You need to have some support, although you don't have to have it. It would certainly help out if someone else is going to challenge you.

Create a hierarchy: Create a ranking hierarchy for your pack. This should be done in character with the wolves agreeing, if deciding by group, or leader choosing, if deciding alone. It can be traditional or not, up to your characters.

Pack colors: OOC. Pick two colors to represent your pack. :) Pretty easy.

Note: No one can play more than one character leading a pack, because you probably won't have the time to keep both packs at a fair level of activity.

Once you have completed the above, one person should post the information on the appropriate thread in the Updates section of the forum.