Welcome to Gaia! ::

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~ The Shaoilin Woods Guild ~


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---Directory---

Post 1-Directory
Post 2-Introduction
Post 3-Information
Post 4-Ranks
Post 5-RP Information
Post 6-Annoucements
Post 7-Rules
Post 8-Pack Directory
Post 9-Breedings
Post 10-FAQ
Post 11-Lists
Post 12-Cert Pickup
Post 13-Affiliates
Post 14-Jade's Corner
Post 15-Reivan's Corner
contains a substantial amount of rawk. EDIT by JadeEye: Oh please. e.e

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~~Credits~~
Artwork is (c) to Reivan and JadeEye
All thread graphics and content are (c) to JadeEye unless specified otherwise.
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<center>A KIND REMINDER TO POTENTIAL ART THEIVES
We've had two different instances of stolen wolf artwork and BOTH were discovered within minutes of the thieves posting their ripoffs. Stealing our work DOES NOT PAY OFF. Not only do you get 10+ of our wolf owners on your back, you get Reivan and I PLUS a mod.

So don't do it. Kay?

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<center>About the Wolves</center>
Shaoilin Wolves, as they're known by the native people of Telk, are rather ordinary wolves with little differance from the common wolf that most know of. Their fur is not restricted to the earthy tones of the timber wolf nor the silvers and blacks of the grey wolf, however, yet their behavior and ways of life are pretty much the same. Their pelts can come in any color scheme and any markings imaginable. This makes it easy for their bonds to distinguish one wolf from another. For the most part, these wolves are completely normal otherwise, lacking any sort of features such as wings, horns, or strong elemental power. Only a very select few have any sort of magic skill and this is limited to only feats of natural power and only for an defensive nature.

<center>Flat Sale Information</center>
Flat sales will be run by either Reivan or JadeEye, depending on who is available that day and time. It's very important that you follow all the rules regarding flat sales (and general rules too!) otherwise you may lose your chance at the sale. Flat sales are not a time of pure luck or how fast you can hit the submit button, but of your RPing skill and overall story-telling ability.

Basically we will post the available pups up in the first post on the front page for preview at least a few hours before the sale so everyone can get a good look and decide what they want ahead of time. We'll post a reminder of the rules in the thread about 20 min before the flat sale and then again around 10min before, then we'll make the go post.

In this post is a RPing prompt, which you are to respond to in character going in any direction you choose (this prompt will be posted in the very first post on the first page as well). Any characters introduced in the prompt are free for you to use in your RP. You will have 15 min at the time of the go post to write an answer and submit it. You are not allowed to edit your post once you submit it because we will have begun reading entries immediately. In the event that gaia is being a p***k, we may extend the entry time span by 5-10 minutes.

Once the appropriate time has passed, we will post a stop post. Entries posted on the minute of the stop posts will be included in the judging but none afterwards. Entries will be judged by Jade and/or Reivan and in the event of a tie, we will bring in an impartial judge to help. It will take anywhere from 20-40min for us to judge the entries, so please be patient. The first place winner has first pick of the pups, followed by the second place person and so on.



A wolf for flat sale is 5k and must be paid within 24hrs upon purchase unless you notify the staff with a good reason.

<center>Raffle Information</center>
In order to be a bit more fair to those who aren't stellar RPers, we will hold a raffle either the day of or the day after the flat sale. Make sure to read the raffle rules posted either here or in the raffle thread itself. Tickets are 100g apiece and one can purchase up to ten in their name and they are allowed to buy tickets for others, provided that their friend doesn't already have ten tickets already for themselves. There will be either one or two pups available in the raffle. Whoever has their number picked first gets first pick of the pups.

<center>Auction Information</center>
Occasionally auctions will be held. These auctions can be for either random pups/adults we have available or custom color and marking pups/adults. Anyone may bid in the auctions unless you are on the blacklist. Items are allowed when taken at their mid-GEN price along with gold. Shop items must be listed at their sellback prices. When bidding, please add up the total of your bid to make it easier for both staff and other bidders to know how high you've gone. There is no max number of items allowed.

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<center>--Geography--</center>
Shaoilin Woods is located on the continent of Telk which in turn is located on a small planet in a galaxy far, far away. </star wars reference> The main forest is located in the center of this continent on fairly flat lands. A large river runs from northwest to a lake in the southeast, with little rivers and creeks connecting to the river here and there. To the east is a clearing at the edge of the lake and to the south is another similar clearing. These clearings are home to the native tribe of humans. (noted by the red spots)

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(New wolf territory is the general gathering space and where the new pups from the wild would come to meet up...it is a packless territory)</center>

<center>--Lifeforms--</center>
The basic wildlife of Telk is no different from that of any Earth forest. There are prey animals such as squirrels, rodents, deer, birds, and reptiles in plentiful amounts. Other creatures such as bears, oppossums, foxes, and other forest-dwelling animals also exist. These creatures are free for you to use in RPs with your wolves, as long as you don't randomly decide that a 26ft squirrel invades a wolf-pack and kills everyone. *ahem*

There are human beings on Telk, which can be compared to Earth's Native American tribes. These beings are very in tune with nature and are very careful in what they do, how they hunt, and what they use from the world around them. They have shamans, hunters, and warriors of their own just like the wolves. It -is- possible to have a character of your own that belongs to this tribe, if you wish. The only way you can have your wolf bond with a human (which isn't necessary at all...the human character might add a little more fun for some people) is if this human is part of either of the two tribes. That means NO kitty-girls, no demon-influenced people, etc. Anyone who obtains a wolf and does not choose to have a human to bond with it suffers no ill-effects. Images will not be given out of these human counterparts, FYI.

*The reason that I will not allow magically influenced beings and fantasy-esque RP characters is because I don't want this world to be influenced by anymore magic than is found with the wolves already. I want things to stay as natural as possible. Thank you.*

Those interested in having a human that will bond with your wolf needs to state so upon receiving a wolf and needs to give me a name for this human. Human-to-wolf bonding will aid a wolf by having someone to care for them if they are injured and will aid the human by having a companion for protection and/or help in hunting. The wolves will NOT live with the human, but the wolf is free to move freely from their pack to the human village without penalty.

<center>--Territories--</center>

There are two main territories shown on the map above. They are basically divided by the large river that runs diagonally through the land, creating a southwest territory and a northeast territory. On either territories is a human establishment where the wolf's bond will live, depending on which territory it goes to.

When a (flatsale) pup is born, it is said to come from an unknown territory (so it's easier to keep inbreeding out). The pup will be RPed here at this thread and be cared for by a few resident wolves RPed by staff. Upon reaching adulthood, the wolf will then pick it's territory and will live out it's life there unless it's kicked out or the pack breaks up. Once in their territory, it's the wolf's job to find the pack and place themselves in the proper ranking through RPing. The staff will be watching and if necessary, we will get involved in the ranking process.

If there becomes a time when the pack is too large for the territory, a group of wolves may decide to leave and scout for new lands. This must be okayed by staff and the proper RP will ensue followed by an addition to the map and a new territory for that group of wolves to take over.

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General Rules </center>


<center>Flat Sale Rules </center>


<center>Auction Rules</center>


<center>RPing Rules </center>


<center>**RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**</CENTER>

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<center>Pack Building Information</center>
<center>What is is a pack?</center>
A pack is a group of wolves (three or more) that have been bonded together in a sort of "family". This family usually does not require those involved to be related in any way; on the contrary, most have members with no blood relation to one another. These packs take on their own territory, which is a plot of land which the pack can roam freely. Within these packs, rankings are established.

<center>How does one make a pack?</center>
Packs are usually formed from childhood friendships that later evolve to a point where wolves will pledge their alligence to the most dominant of their group. This wolf will become the alpha and the others will take a rank that best suits their personality (in most cases. Sometimes wolves can be forced into a ranking they don't like because others have asserted themselves to be more dominant/submissive than he/she.) It's up to the Rpers to work out the rankings amongst themselves...and if for some reason you can't arrive at a decision, let us know. XD; We'll help.

<center>So now what?</center>
Once you have an established pack, it's encouraged for the members to RP out the group moving from the freelands to their own place (their own place will be located in a private thread in the guild for RP purposes when they want to do "pack only" activities). It is also encouraged that the owner of one of the alphas start the thread and in the first post, they make a listing of their members and whatnot (CLICK FOR EXAMPLE) for record purposes. ^_^;

<center>How strict are pack rankings?</center>
Ranking within a pack can change now and then but not TOO much for the sake of Reivan and Jade's sanity. Also, the ranking system as a whole can be very strict or very loose...it depends on what the wolves decide. Looser systems are usually in place where the pack members are all friends while stricter systems are in place for wolves who usually aren't on the most friendly of terms but banned together for the sake of safety in numbers.

<center>I don't like the ranking of my wolf!</center>
If you don't like the ranking of your wolf, you need to talk to the owners of the other pack members. Maybe they'd like to do some pack shifting or something in lines of a plot. RPed battles over ranking are fine! In the event rankings change, Reivan and Jade will attempt to accommidate the change as soon as possible until it becomes a point where they can't handle recolorings and growths for rank changes occurring after the first shift.

<center>What are the benefits of a pack?</center>
One benefit to having a pack is the fact you'll have other people to RP with XD; Another is the fact that breedings from pack couples have a better chance of surviving than those who are born from lone wolf breedings, which makes happy mommy and daddy wolves. Other benefits...well...we're working on it. XD;
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<center>OMG ITS PUPPY TIME</center>
Shaoilin wolves are like any other wolf when it comes to breeding. They give live birth to a litter ranging from two to six pups in a den and these pups are completely dependant on their mother for a span of time after being born. About a week and a half to two weeks (while we're coloring the pups) after being born, which translates into...three to five gaian days, the pup's eyes will open and not much longer after that they will begin to explore the outside world. (At this point, we will have the pups colored, certed, and given out) Pups do not have an assigned rank but are almost equal in hierarchy with the Omega(s).

For RP purposes, the pups will be "born" within a few days of the breeding. All that will be announced is a number of pups. A few days after this, it will be annouced if all the pups survived or not and THEN you will get the pup pictures. At this time, the pups will be RP-able (though you can rp the blind, helpless pups a little...but not to the extent you would normally RP).

Pups will usually resemble their parents in coloration, but throw-back colors are also normal too...so don't be surprised if a black/grey and green pair of wolves produce a random red colored offspring. XD

There are three different "ways" a wolf can be eligible to breed.

1. A wolf can be in a "mated" pack, meaning that they are in an established pack with their significant other. They will not mate with any other wolf. Ranking does not have an effect over the matter of breeding; any wolves may breed, even if they are lowly Omegas. Pups born in a wolf pack of this nature have a mortality rate of 0% due to the combined care of so many pack members. Deaths DO occur, however.

2. A wolf can be in a "non-mated" pack, meaning that there are no specific pairs in the rankings. Any male may mate with any female. This pack arrangement usually proves to be less stable than a mated pack because rankings have less meaning here, thus aggression between members can be higher, which in turn can lead to death of pups. This gives a 5% mortality rate.

3. A lone wolf can mate, but this method has a much lower success rate. Pups born of a female lone wolf have a mortality rate of 50%, meaning 1 out of 2 pups are likely to die before they reach the age of three weeks because there is only one parent remaining to take care of the offspring and a mother has to eat at some point. (This mortality rate is to discourage breeding amongst the lone wolves)

Roleplaying your wolf is not necessary for breeding, but those who are RPed have a much higher chance of bearing more offspring in their litter. Other than that factor, litter sizes are random and don't always result in even numbers of offspring.

Wolves may only breed three times in their lives and only breed once a month.

<center>What can I do with the offspring?</center>
Once the pups are old enough to leave the den (and you have split them up between the RPer of the mother and RPer of the father), you have a choice to make. You can:

1) Keep offspring.
2) Give offspring away.
3) Flat sale them *with our permission*
4) Auction them and give a percentage of the profit back to the shop (not yet determined) *with our permission*

<center>What do the Gen 1's, Gen 2's, etc have to do with breeding?</center>
Originally we were going to restrict breeding within generations but with the lack of active males, we decided to change the rule. Wolves may only breed with the same generation, one generation above, and/or one generation below.

I.E.
Wolf A is a Gen 1 wolf. This wolf can breed with only Gen 1's and/or Gen 2's.
Wolf B is a Gen 2 wolf. This wolf can breed with Gen 1's, Gen 2's, and/or Gen 3's.
Wolf C is a Gen 25 wolf (good lord XD). This wolf can breed with Gen 24's, Gen 25's, and/or Gen 26's.

We highly discourage inbreeding so PLEASE keep track of your blood lines. No brothers mating with sisters or mothers with sons...cousins are fine. We do not consider wolves being RPed by the same people to be siblings so you may breed two of your wolves together as long as they aren't direct relatives.

<center>So...how do we sign up for a breeding?</center>
Breeding spots will open whenever Reivan and Jade have time to do a breeding or two, so openings will be random for the most part (though on occassion we will probably announce openings a few days prior if we know we'll be doing breedings for sure). Once they are open, all you have to do is post that you claim a spot and list the names of the wolves. When you are confirmed to have the spot, trades must be sent ASAP. Breeding trades not received within 48hrs of spot claiming will be reopened. Spots are NOT reserved for any reason unless a special occasion has arisen (contest price, etc).

Wolf breeding spots are ????k (to be split between the RPers of the parents unless one person owns both).

Wolf Breeding Spots

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~~The White List~~
Reivan - did most of the lineart and has helped me (Jade) with a ton of non-wolf related things. heart Plus he rocks the mic like a vandal and waxes a chump like a candle.

Jade - has this massive godzilla-like creative energy inside her which flows out fruitfully in her words. Plus she just plain rocks. And I (Rei) heart her toes and you should too. They smell of elderberry juice.

Kaekia for making our spiffy certs and Shadow Puppet for the fonts. heart


~~The Grey List~~
People who deserve another chance after screwing up go here for a little bit. Usually this is reserved for minor offenders like fighting OOC or forgetting a rule or two.


~~The Black List~~
People on here will never adopt a wolf. Ever. This is reserved for severe offenders such as art thieves, people who intentionally start fights, and other particularly nasty offenses. Don't get put here.

kemimo13 - Stole the mascot wolf and put it in her sig. Fled when she was confronted.
Ivory Lily - Instigating fights at an auction, insultive comments directed towards staff
Serinda - Blatant art theft. stare

Donations:
Anubis_Child~ 2000g n.n heart
Daimyn~ 5000g :O!
Eirnae~ 500g heart
Sayuri_Nitta~ 1000g :O
Otsune~ 5000g heart heart
Thalion~ 200g n.n

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Link to us:



Requests for affiliation must be PMed. Thank you.</center>