Disclaimer: We are not claiming that any of the below traits are impossible to possess, or even implausible. Anything is possible within a fantasy setting with a good enough explanation. Please read everything below to understand why we put these restrictions into place. In the spirit of creating a more transparent standard in regard to new applicants, we've decided to create the following list so that LS hopefuls can know what could lead to character denial within the screening process. Every RP group on Balmung (or any server) has their own expectations and limitations in terms of lore-adherence and power level, and we hope that this will help define our own preferences. This LS would likely be described as "low" in terms of power level, as compared to other RP groups. The reason for this is due to this LS's themes and storytelling structure. Our theme is more about people who are relatively 'ordinary' by Eorzean standards banding together to overcome extraordinary odds. Additionally, while the conflicts we introduce are dynamic and fantastical, their own "power level" is traditionally on par with that of a Primal. If a character routinely defeats such things, there wouldn't be any individual sense of danger or draw toward the conflicts we introduce, and it creates a poor narrative on both sides. We are almost always willing to work with people to devise a way for their character to RP in our setting, either by omitting the traits that are incompatible with our established LS structure when RPing with us, or finding lore-established ways to accomplish the same narrative for the character. To offer more specific examples, the following character traits are considered incompatible with this LS due to the LS lore, plot, past experience, and player guidelines that have been established: Any character with power, skills, and achievement on par with the Warrior of Light or high-powered NPCs such as Louisoix. People who were once Tempered/Touched/Drowned, etc., but have since been cured. Some versions of The Echo. ** IC Beastmen (goblins, etc.) Animals that have been glamoured to look like people. Man-made constructs/automatons/robots (although people with prosthetics are okay.) Immortals/Unkillables. Characters who are resurrected from the dead (excluding instances where they are only "clinically dead" for a few minutes, as that can happen in real life.) Characters who have been granted extraordinary, above-and-beyond abilities via voidsent, Ascians, etc. Characters who currently have small off-screen armies under their command (i.e.: a group of individuals who answer only to them and do their bidding, beyond the standard presence of retainers.) Abilities that come from sources outside of those described in the in-game lore (i.e.: an invented magic type that draws its powers from the sun, etc.) Abilities that deviate too far from the skillsets shown in game (i.e.: a thaumaturge summoning a cyclone of fire horses in combat.) Characters who are IC 'masters' of 3+ (three or more) IC combat classes, including possession of 3 or more active soul stones. IC White Mages (although please read the footnote below.) † IC Black Mages (although please read the footnote below.) ‡ IC Summoners. § Characters who strongly exemplify an exception to the established lore (for more information, please read the footnote about Monks/Dragoons/Red Mages/Scholars below.) * Padjals. Characters who traveled to Eorzea from another dimension. Note: While we do not deny the lore from 1.0, if lore contradictions arise between what was said in 1.0 and what was said in 2.0, we will err on the side of 2.0's lore. (For example, Conjurers should not be able to use Conjury to cast Fire spells, as that was removed between 1.0 and 2.0. Although the scholarly theories and writings behind it still likely exist, applying it in practice no longer seems possible, perhaps due to the shift caused by the Calamity.) ** About The Echo: § About Summoners: † About White Mages: ‡ About Black Mages: * About Monks/Dragoons/Red Mages/Scholars, Etc.: About Astrologians: About IC Jobs Not Taught From Guilds (Such As Tribal Shamanism): I would again like to stress that we do not have anything personal against any of these concepts or ideas, and encourage people to play whatever they want to maximize their RP enjoyment! We are also not in any position to determine lore plausibility beyond the application process of this LS, so we're not making any argument to that effect. This is only a guideline for traits that, as we know them, would not be happily accepted within a LS of 60+ individuals, each with varying opinions regarding the above subject matter. This list does not include every single incompatible character trait, as it would be impossible for us to predict what may go awry when certain concepts are introduced to the group. If you are unsure whether a character trait would be well-received, please contact any member of staff, and we would be happy to review it with you. Everything above can also be applied to existing characters, as plot arcs outside of this LS can trigger various "power evolutions" throughout one's story. Again, if you wish to introduce anything about your character that may be received poorly, contact a member of staff before publicly unveiling the idea so that we can work with you and offer our best advice. We thank you for your understanding, and look forward to collaborating with you!

How does entry into the Linkshell work? When you apply on this site, you will see a screen with some initial information about our guild. This information is for your benefit, so that you can know more about us before choosing to officially undergo the screening process. After applying, an officer will reach out to you to touch base and discuss things with you, to further determine whether or not we'd be a good fit for each other. They will be following up with you via your application, and you will have to check your email for the link to access said application! If you find that this LS is right for you (and vice versa), we will arrange an IC introductory scene for your character, wherein you will receive the linkpearl. If you are unreachable for one month during this process, the application will be dropped. Additionally, each new member will fall under a one-month trial period. Who are the leaders of the guild? D'ranmaia Shenn - Founder and fluffy cat; most busy officer at any given time (so please don't get mad if she can't answer you right away or directs you to a different officer.) Flora Valerian - The most long-standing officer; second most busy officer at any given time. Klynestyn Ketteram - Also an officer, and general event guru; he's seriously hyped about events. Xehn'a Hmyr - Officer who does a lot of PvE, and also programs nifty things for the site. Khira Lhizahla - Extremely nice Australian officer who is not yet jaded by life. J'lyneth Khal - HR Admin with the most fabulous hats. Contact her with any guild-related problems or suggestions - she's here to help! Piers Hayward - HR Admin who doesn't like sleeves. Contact him with any guild-related problems or suggestions - he's here to help! What do the marks do for our characters, exactly? Do they give us special powers or something? No special powers (unless something special is happening during a plot event, but that's strictly Storyteller-driven.) The marks are IC devices that are meant to connect our characters in a supernatural way. As mentioned in the intro text, your character feels extremely familiar with other people who have these marks. They have visions and dreams that pertain to the past (or present) experiences of their fellows, and may even compelled to protect them should their life be in danger. This doesn't mean that your character is forced to like them, however. The mark just gives you a very strong instinct and inclination, which can be tempered by a character's personality and will. How does the Dreams & Visions forum work? Generally speaking, characters can have dreams about the past or present experiences of other characters. If you post a story about your character in the "Dreams & Visions" forum, other people can use that as IC and OoC knowledge. The knowledge comes to them in a dream or vision (which works similarly to how the Echo is portrayed in game, where they see it while awake), as per player discretion. Not everyone has to be aware of every Dream that is posted there, but they can if they so choose. Is there a limit on how many Stars we can take? To ensure that everyone gets a Star who wants one, I'm limiting one Star per player. This does not restrict you from interacting with group members with your Alts on a natural basis, but they won't get a linkshell invite, or be ICly welcome at any Stars Plot events. That being said, we do have a LS set aside specifically for our alts, and our Calendar also has a category for "alt-friendly" events. If you'd like an invite to the "Rendezvous!Extra Cast" LS, just ask around and you'll get one for any of your alts or main. What if I want to retire one character from the LS and use another instead? You can do this! However, the new character will not receive another custom IC intro from staff, due to manpower limitations. Since you'll already know how an intro works from your first character, the intro can either be assumed to happen "off screen," or, if you wish, you can contact another player that you know and trust to run the intro for your new character. We also request that, if you want to switch characters, to not continue to try to utilize your old character in the LS/Host Club/Stars events. You do not have to kill the character - just have them ride off into the sunset, or disconnect from the Stars in some IC way. Otherwise, it would become quickly confusing, and would kind of fly in the face of the lore behind the Stars. Additionally, staff will check the LS at the end of each month for unfamiliar names. We need to be made aware of any character switches so that we can keep the site accurate and updated, and we also need to re-ask question #3 from our screening process for any new character. It is the player's responsibility to contact staff regarding any character switches before we check the LS at the end of the month. If we are not contacted, the unfamiliar name will be removed from the LS. If you retire your old character and bring in a new one, we also ask that you inform staff regarding who your old character was within the LS. It can help alleviate a lot of potential confusion, and it is also more fair to both staff and other players. (Applying as a "secret alt" increases officer/admin work in the following ways: running extra intros per player, going through the screening and check-in process all over again, adding an extra account on the site as opposed to reactivating the old one, etc.) Any lies or omission in this regard could lead to revocation of a character's screening and approval, per staff discretion. What is a Host Club? How is it different from a bar or tavern? Guests who arrive at a Host Club select a Host/Hostess, who will serve them food and drinks, much like a waiter or waitress. The difference between a Host Club and a tavern, however, is that the Host/Hostess then sits with the guests and offers pleasant (?) conversation, or light entertainment, or even just a sympathetic ear throughout their stay. It is somewhat like how a good host would behave while entertaining guests in their home. Hosts and Hostesses also tend to adopt pseudonyms while on the job, sometimes even taking on alternate personalities while hosting (largely to protect their street identity.) Does my character have to be involved in both the Stars concept as well as the Host Club? The Host Club aspect is not mandatory. If you wish, your character may only be involved in the Stars plot/concept, and not the Host Club. They cannot be involved in the Host Club without being a Star, however, as everyone in the guild is considered marked by destiny -- that is our core concept. My character can't read, so how can they interact with the IC bulletin board? The short answer is: Tancred. We have a 'floating NPC butler' who is always conveniently around and willing to read the bulletin aloud to any given character, and he's also perfectly able to write on their behalf. If a character wants to RP in the locked Archives room, Tancred can also loan them a key for the scene. He's basically an NPC SuperButler who ensures that IC hurdles do not OoCly inhibit anyone's ability to get involved with the amenities of our LS. He's very professional and doesn't say much, so feel free to use him for all of your convenient character needs! What happens if I have to leave the game or Linkshell? Just as mysteriously as it had appeared, the mark will vanish and the supernatural link will be broken. Does your LS have a minimum activity policy? Yes. Due to frequent member feedback regarding the limited nature of Stars, and said Stars being taken by seemingly inactive members, we have devised an activity policy. It can be found [here]. Do you use any chat or VOIP systems out of game? Yes, although it is not mandatory. We primarily use Skype as our non-game, non-website point of contact. If you'd like an invite to our OoC Skype room, just let us know and we'll get you in there! We also have a Discord chat, but please note that it is managed as a courtesy by your fellow players, and not staff. It is not monitored by staff, nor is it "officially" endorsed -- if problems or drama occur in Discord, we may formally disassociate the Discord chat from our guild. Again, our Discord is run by your fellow players (Arblis/Kyrrlana) as a courtesy to Discord-only people, so please treat them kindly and respect the room. What do I do if someone I'm RPing with is metagaming/godmoding/etc? First, make a polite attempt at discussing it OoC with the person. We're all adults here. Just a quick OoC message along the lines of "Can we say that your character attempted to take my character's hand? My character is a bit standoffish so I'm not sure that she would allow it." could be sufficient to clear up any misunderstanding. Have patience with one another, as we all come from different RP backgrounds and may be used to different things. If the problem persists despite OoC attempts at clearing it up, take a screenshot (or log, if on Skype) and submit it via the Concern Submission Form and we will address it. (Note: The submission box may not load immediately, so please wait a few seconds before thinking it's a technical issue.) If you do not have access to an image hosting site, have the screenshot/log ready for any followup contact from staff. This can extend to any social conflict resolution that requires official handling, but, again, always remember to provide a screenshot of the behavior in question so that we have the appropriate tools to address the issue. If it is a matter of personal discomfort that must be addressed quickly, please bring the issue to one of our HR Admins for review and extended discussion. They are on reserve for exactly this purpose, and will be able to respond to you much sooner than an officer would (as officers are often busy with running all other aspects of the guild.) *Note: The Concerns Box can also be used for general concerns or suggestions, if a player isn't comfortable contacting an HR Admin directly. Why does the list of Stars not really make any sense? The list of stars is a purposeful hodgepodge between Chinese (from the novel Water Margins), Japanese kanji, and Suikoden. I didn't want to directly borrow from any of the three, so I created the Star chart as an amalgam. Do you have any consolidated resources that can help a new member find their footing? Absolutely! We've got a list of links on the Thread for New People, and we've got an Amenity Guidebook to inform everyone of the RP hooks we offer. Any Sticked/Pinned post is good to poke at, really, if you're not quite sure where to start.

☆ General Guidelines ☆ 1.) No godmoding. For our purposes, godmoding entails taking control of another character in your post. This includes an attack automatically hitting the other character, a healing spell automatically curing their ailment, or even innocuous acts like hugging them or taking their hand. For example, instead of saying "D'ranmaia Shenn hugs Flora Valerian." try saying "D'ranmaia Shenn attempts to hug Flora Valerian." The other player should always have agency over what happens to their character. The only possible exceptions are when you're RPing with a close friend who doesn't mind, or when you are GMing/DMing an event (wherein the players OoCly expect that things will happen to their characters.) 2.) No metagaming. Don't bring information that you know out-of-character to your character in-game (an exception is any information posted in the "Dreams and Visions" forum, or things you have received OoC permission to know from the person it effects.) For example, if someone is playing a spy, don't have your character go "I don't trust him. I don't know why. I just have a feeling." Unless the person playing said spy makes an obvious screw-up that COULD be discovered by others, don't metagame it. If you think your character would find out this OoC information between scenes, then discuss it with the other characters who are involved. If a conflict arises that can't be reasoned through with courteous discourse, screenshot it and bring it to an HR Admin. 3.) Please be lore appropriate. Don't make your character a werewolf/vampire/time traveler/Avatar for one of the twelve Gods. This LS uses the lore as our mutual foundation, so deviating too far from it will only alienate your fellow RPers. If you ever have a question about the lore, or wonder how you can play out a character idea within the setting, feel free to ask us! We're generally happy to help your ideas come to life in a way that won't ruffle any feathers! 4.) High powered characters are not compatible with this guild's concept. This includes characters who are untouchable in combat, or who otherwise read as "perfect" or "flawless" in any given situation. Ideally, every character should have a realistic awareness of their own mortality, even if they are outwardly boastful or reckless. 'Warrior of Light' style characters would not fit in with our concept, as our core theme revolves around ordinary people being forced to come together under extraordinary circumstances. For more nuanced information, please see our Incompatible Character Traits post. 5.) Always remember that IC =/= OoC. This means that if someone's character betrays or yells at your character, it does not mean that these actions should be taken to heart "out of character." Always keep the two separate, and do not let IC actions effect you OoCly, or vice versa. We understand that sometimes bleed can happen, but never let it impact your enjoyment of the RP, or the enjoyment of others. Step away from the computer or scene for a bit if you have to. 6.) Be excellent to each other. Treat each other with respect, patience, and courtesy OoCly. If someone does something ICly that causes you to raise an eyebrow, just ask an OoC question to clarify and try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Some people are new to RPing and may not be aware of all the faux pas involved. Don't jump to the offensive/defensive automatically. Also, since we all come from different RP backgrounds, it is a good idea to ask permission OoCly before engaging in RP that involves mature themes (such as themes of extreme violence, sexual acts/ERP, or grossly disturbing topics.) Unless you are 100% certain that the recipient has explicitly stated their consent, it is good practice to OoCly check first if it could be a risky topic or scene. When using mature/dark themes in stories or events, please put a disclaimer at the top of the story so that participants can know what to expect. Any IC uncertainty is best addressed via clear (and cordial) OoC communication between the parties involved, whether it's about theme, combat outcome, or the occasional accidental slip up in terms of our Guidelines above. * Additional policies can be found within our FAQ. ☆ Free Company Guidelines ☆ Joining the FC is not mandatory for this guild, but if you're interested, please see below! Firstly, if a person has intentions of joining the LS, they can not join the FC prior to joining the LS. Invite permissions have been restricted to Officers and senior members toward this end. If you are in the LS, then you are welcome to join the FC at any time. The primary reason for this is because our LS has a screening process, and sometimes we deny applications based on what is revealed during said process. As one can imagine, if someone joins the FC and then is rejected from joining our RP concept via the LS, this can create awkwardness for both the player and the officers. For example, what if someone joins the FC, spends 300k on a room, and then isn't accepted into the LS and thus has no IC presence within the Host Club? Pretty awkward! Each applicant into the LS is screened on an individual basis, independent of any connections they may already have in the LS. If a character concept or individual isn't compatible with this group, they may be asked to make adjustments or their application may be denied. Each screening is treated as its own entity, and stands alone regardless of any other social factors. If a person just wants to hang out OoCly in the FC and has no intention of joining the LS, they may join only the FC if they wish to be close to their spouse/RL friend/etc. Please check with an officer prior to extending an invite in this manner, however, as it must be made perfectly clear that we are an RP FC who supports a very specific concept. The benefits of being in the FC as well as the LS pertain to the usual FC amenities: having a room within the Host Club, Mender/Retainer/Vendors on-site, being able to Teleport directly to the Club and utilize everything in the FC chest, etc. There is no RP advantage that FC members get in comparison to LS-only members. LS members have equivalent access to all plot hooks and RP events, as conveyed through this very website. In essence, the FC is an informal OoC community with no real pressure toward endgame or things of that nature. I expect the same level of patience and maturity from the FC membership as I do from the LS (which thankfully has yet to be a problem.) Everyone in the FC has free access to anything in the FC chest, so long as they don't turn around and sell it for personal gain. The items in there are for everyone to use! Otherwise, they just sit in there and gather dust and are generally neglected -- so, again, please help yourself to any furnishings/food/minions/etc that are in there! Anyone can purchase or execute company actions, but please try to ask before executing them or buying up all of the slots. Just be courteous and mindful of what your fellows in the FC might also want, or check in to see if they mind before continually using them for your own goals. If you would like to build an RP-specific themed room in the Host Club, just let me know when it's complete and I'd be happy to add it to our Host Club public room list. Direct any questions regarding the airships to Terris, as he's put in the bulk of the work toward constructing them. Generally speaking, if the airships haven't been sent out in a while, it's okay to send them if you need a particular item. The FC gardens are free for anyone to use, although only FC leaders are able to harvest. This is in response to the suspicion that other players were potentially pocketing the cross-bred plants that did not show up in the FC log. After a FC leader harvests your crops, they will either be placed into the FC chest or mailed to you directly (depending on which is more convenient for the one who harvests them.) Grade 3 Thanalan Topsoil donations are appreciated. Please continue to be excellent to one another, and thank you in advance for understanding these clarifications! Let's all keep having fun together in this great community we're building!