Throwing a character into the world of Khy'eras without knowledge of the game might turn into a problematic decision. After all, adventures - or at least the more exciting ones - frequently involve elements of danger, exploration, romance, mystery, etc., etc., etc. On these exploits, a writer should know how to avoid or counter situations that transform emotions like peril and flirtation into death. Unless death is the ultimate goal, then onward without regret!
However, if you consider yourself part of the majority who wish to keep their character around for a decent amount of time but don't know how, then continue reading this "Getting Started" guide. The contents following are aimed at introducing new members, but any information here can be used as a refresher for existing players.
Creating a Character
Ready to dive head first into the shallow end? (A query that can be translated to, "Are you ready to create a character and succumb to the fantasy world of Khy'eras?") If the answer is a resounding "Yes!", the next paragraphs explain fields about account sign up and building a character. We'll leave out a several entries, as fields like "Email address" and "Username" are self-explanatory.
For entries marked as "BBCode Enabled", review the BBCode FAQ to see what tags and codes are acceptable.
Gender
- Used For:
- Writer
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
As far as pronouns or gender specification, how should the community address you? For example: male, female, he/him, she/her, they/them, undisclosed, etc. There is similar field for characters.
Pronunciation
- Used For:
- Writer or Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
Helps to pronounce a name properly.
Title
- Used For:
- Writer or Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
A short, custom title that displays under your member group on the topic positing pages or your member profile. Note: writing something like "King of the World" has no actual weighting in the game.
Writing Preferences
- Used For:
- Writer
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
This area is meant to tell writers what type of scenes you do or don't like to write or any triggers that are harmful. Although we have areas for creating plotters and what not, it is imperative to fill out this field as it is attached profiles and generates an easy look up for members.
Character List
- Used For:
- Writer
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
Want everyone to know who you're playing as? This space is meant for listing names of characters that you play. You can link to a user with the following BBCode: [user=userNameHere]userNameHere[/user], replacing "userNameHere" with the correct name.
Plotters and Trackers
- Used For:
- Writer or Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
This field can be used to list out plotter and tracker topics that are created on the forum. For a Writer, you may link to various topics, where on a Character profile, you might only link to topics related to that persona.
Alternate Avatar
- Used For:
- Writer or Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
This field permits users to upload an alternate image which will be viewed on profiles. The minimum dimensions are 400 (width) x 600 (height) pixels, while the maximum dimensions are 600 (width) x 800 (height) pixels. The maximum file size is 450kb. This image will not be shown on mobile view or other areas of the site, so do upload a default avatar as well!
Avatar and Signature Credit
- Used For:
- Writer or Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
Two separate fields for noting where avatar and signature images came from. Giving credit where credit is due is nice.
Account Type
- Used For:
- Writer or Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Rules, Managing Your Account
This must be selected to proceed with registration. Choosing "Character" will display fields for persona creation. The type of account you choose, in addition, determines what areas of the forum you can post in. Writers can post in out of character areas (Information Center or Out of Character), while characters can post in the Khy'eras forum.
This cannot be changed without contacting an administrator.
Writer Name
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
Enter a username here that links a character back to a writer. If you have a lot of information entered in "Writer Preferences", but don't want to repetitively fill it out for every character, then adding a name establishes a quick reference between accounts.
If there is a name entered into this field, certain information will no longer be available when clicking the "Writer" tab on a character profile or on the UCP Profile page. This is because it is assumed people will visit the writer account to view anything extra they need to know.
Birthday
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Timeline
While there is no official Khy'eras calendar yet, a character's birthday may be written by checking out the site's timeline and writing months and days as generic numbers instead of using specific labels. For example: 8th Day of the 6th month in 275 AoN. As an additional generic guideline, do not exceed 12 in months or 31 on days.
Age
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
Because age is not just a number, this field accepts alternate, non-numeric answers. With racial classifications types such as "Undead", the character could be immortal or perhaps the character is so old, that they've forgotten how old they actually are. (Hey, it happens.)
Gender
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
Akin to the writer "Gender" field, this is used to denote how characters should be identified. For example: male, female, he/him, she/her, they/them, undisclosed, etc. Do keep in mind that even though this may be filled out, if your character meets a new character, that does not necessarily mean they'll address your persona correctly.
Origin and Residence
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Setting, Tviyr, Ninraih, Irtuen Reaches
While "Origin" tells where the character comes from - Khy'eras or unknown far off places - "Residence" describes where they currently live and take up home. Neither of these locations need be a static place, as beings can move frequently or don't know where they hail from. A character's grounding is not limited, but there are aspects to keep in mind. Domrhask, as an example, is a remote location that is difficult to get to. Therefore, if your character is not a Dwarf, but is living or starting there, an explanation in "Background" is helpful.
Race and Race Type
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Races, Half-Breed
When choosing a race type ("Full-Blooded" or "Half-Breed"), the more specific race options will change, more so with Half-Breeds. There are races that do not mingle for various reasons (like Fae and Dwarf or Korcai and any race) and as such, those combinations are locked down. As for everything else, the lore on the Khy’eras races contains all the information you could possibly want to know when crafting a persona.
This cannot be changed without contacting an administrator.
Class and Class Type
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Classes
The choices available for character classes are determined by race and the class type chosen ("Single" or "Dual"). Races like Kerasoka and Dwarves are non-magical innately for reasons in their history, though a half-Dwarf may branch away from stubborn lineage and practice magic. Dragons have their own subset of classes, as they don't participate in combat or magic like the remaining Khy'eras beings.
At this point in the game's development, choosing a class does not have a great impact, though it does tell fellow players what a character is best at. Eventually, concepts like quests and even combat will bring classes into play more.
This cannot be changed without contacting an administrator.
Languages
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Races
What languages does your character speak? For a list of known languages, review the race pages. However, you need not be limited to languages listed on racial pages. Other dialects might include animal/bestial talk, communication with nature, etc.
Profession
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
Unrelated to the Class fields, but acting as a supplemental field, does the character have a job they perform on a routine basis? How do they make money and a living in Khy'eras?
Religion and Religion Type
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Religion
For the devoted, feel free to select up to four different deities to worship. "Archaicism" or "Idolism" choices permits the registrant to check off specific entities the character dedicates themselves to. Faith in Archaicism or Idolism cannot be mixed together; these are two distinct beliefs.
Religious History
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
This entry allows further explanation into a character's religious history. How did the persona come to believe or disbelieve in their chosen entities or ideologies? Do they have any practices, prayers, or superstitions?
Personality
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
Refers to how a character emotionally acts when around or approached by others. Is your persona the life of the party, a devout person driven by inspiring good-deeds, or one who wears their grumpy pants daily? Whatever the aura may be, use this field to describe.
Romantic and Sexual Orientation
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Romantic Orientation and Sexual Orientation
Two separate fields. Also called affectional orientation, "Romantic Orientation" indicates the sex or gender identity with which a person is most likely to have a romantic relationship or experience emotional attraction. It compliments and pairs with "Sexual Orientation" which refers more to the physical aspects of a relationship. It is entirely possible that these two features will be at odds and no particular identification is a hard limit.
Relationships and Companions
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
This field is not limited to those who have spouses, partners, or children, but it can note any relevant connections. Does the character have a pet or are they at odds with Aunt Betty who is an evil necromancer?
Height, Weight, Figure, Torso / Chest, Complexion, Face, Hair, Eyes, Ears, Voice
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
- Related Reading:
- Races
These physical details should ideally conform to racial descriptions. For example: where the Fae can be born with any color hair or eyes, Humans are less exotic and have more natural coloration. In regards to the "Weight" and "Figure" fields, although there is a commonality for each race, a writer may choose to deviate from the standard. Want to be a Lumeacia who put on a few extra pounds or a Dwarf that was underfed? Go for it.
Other Features
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
From tattoos to piercings and anything else in-between and beyond, here you can jot down supplementary distinguishing features of a character.
Background
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
This area is definitely important as it essentially tells the story of how your character surfaced, what they hope to be, or any missions they have in Khy'eras. During registration, it is not immediately required as creating a character history can be a difficult and in-depth process, not necessarily required for immersion into the realm. Sometimes a story develops through interaction with the rest of the community or sometimes you want history to be hidden until a crucial plot point is revealed.
Armor
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
- Related Reading:
- Classes
Is your character ready to head into battle or go out on an adventure? How do they protect their body? Do they wear plate mail, robes, leather armor, or shields?
Weapons
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
- Related Reading:
- Classes
Alongside "Armor", a character's weapon choice and their skill with such a weapon could mean the difference between life and death. Does the persona carry a sword, mace, bow, staff or more discrete weapons such as daggers and wands?
Clothing and Accessories
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
Differing from "Armor", what style of clothing does the character normally wear when they are not out on quests? Do they have any exclusive necklaces, pendants, or rings that may or may not have sentimental meaning? Or maybe they have acquired magically enchanted totems...
Skills
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
- Related Reading:
- Classes
Typically for combat classes, what skills or abilities does the persona have? What type of martial training and tactics have they been subjected to? Trades can be described here as well, where the character might have talents in blacksmithing, fishing, or sewing that would prove useful to allies.
Spellbook
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- Yes
- Related Reading:
- Magic
What spells and conjurations does the persona have? This field will be hidden for Kerasoka, full-blooded Dwarves, and non-magical classes. If you are unsure of your character's casting capabilities, for inspiration try looking at the varying levels of spells per class from Pathfinder and compare the schools to Khy'eras magic classifications. A good rule of thumb (for both skills and spells) is to not make your character so overpowered that everyone else feels uncomfortable writing with them.
Because this field is only available for special races and classes, it will not be visible when registering a character, but will be visible within the User Control Panel.
Miscellaneous Fields
- Used For:
- Character
- BBCode Enabled:
- No
In viewing the user control panel or member profiles, there will be fields not mentioned here. These are mostly contact fields, but there's hidden entries such as Experience, HP, MP, and Currency. For fields related to character stats, later these features will be incorporated into quests or combat.
