Elyasia RPG Rules & Information

[SalyaDarken]

Welcome to the Elyasia Forums! Also known as the Elyasia RP boards. On this page, we will give you all the information you need to successfully navigate our forums and guide you through the rules and expectations we have in place so all of our members can have a stress-free, drama-free time here!

Quick Start Guide:

• Newbie Packet - an all-in-one informational walk-through for those just starting out at Elyasia Forums! (WIP)
• Posting Help! - A walk-through guide for posting here, from basic bolding and italics options, to doing neat stuff such as quoting, multi-quoting, tables, and image hosting (WIp

Things-to-Know Click on each heading below to guide you to where you want to go.

1. Forum Rules
2. Code of Conduct
3. Avatar and Signature Rules and Guidelines
4. Roleplaying Section Information, Rules, and Guidelines

More Information

• Forum Staff and Rank Explanation
• Guild Information - Artists and Graphics Guild, Writing and Roleplaying Guild

[SalyaDarken]

General Rules of the Elyasia Forums

1. Be Respectful.
   Treat everyone fairly, and just be pleasant.
2. No religious or political discussions.
   a) These topics typically involve drama, so please refrain from posting them.
   b) Personal issues and beliefs are important and we try to keep an open mind in everything we do for Elyasia, however this rule applies to all members and people, as not everyone thinks or believes the same thing. As long as there is no violation of our rules or code of conduct, or there is nothing is being rudely displayed (like pictures, known offensive slang, name calling, etc), then I will simply ask that members just do not participate in the thread if it makes them uncomfortable to do so.
3. Spam and Triple Posting Rules.
   Please follow common forum etiquette by avoiding spamming and triple posting around the Elyasia Forums in all areas.
   a) Triple Posting: Members may Triple post in a thread if 12 hours or more have elapsed since their last post. However, doing this constantly (i.e., being the only person to post in a thread for multiple days on end, resulting in a string of posts made by one person), may be found in violation of this rule if Admin or Moderators feel you are spamming or posting excessively and will ask you to stop.
   b) Stay on topic: Adhere to the topic of a thread. If you would like to talk about something else or something similar but not related to the topic, create a new thread to discuss it. Likewise, threads should be made in the appropriate sections of the forum which match their topics.
4. Only one account per user. Staff may have up to 3 accounts.
   This is to prevent drama, number inflation, and lying. If you create more than one account, a ban may be given. Please refer to the Code of Conduct for more details.
   a. Temporary or single-use e-mail addresses may be banned in an effort to combat spam bots. IP addresses and VPNs associated with these accounts may also become blocked. If you believe you have been blocked in error, please e-mail us at elyasia@proton.me.
5. Excessive Images must be placed in a Spoiler.
   Explanation (Click Me):

   With the exception of the Graphics section, the Galleria of Sakura and the Arts and Graphics Guild, large amounts of photos in a single post must be behind a spoiler. Large amounts generally mean more than 3 or 4 images in a single post. Please be considerate to those with slower connections or are on mobile devices! In the Graphics section and Arts and Graphics Guild, the original poster will have the option to put their images behind spoilers or not. This will be enforced by the moderators of each section.
   
   How to use a Spoiler Code:

   Code: Select all

   [spoiler]Your stuff goes here[/spoiler] OR [spoiler=title]Your stuff goes here[/spoiler]

   Alternatively: in the "preview" post editing mode, highlight the portion you want in your spoiler and click the image of the notebook paper with a caution sign in front of it.
6. Username Rules.
   Names may not contain any canon names from any characters in Elyasia's main Story. such as Lyne, Sesshomaru, Mira, etc. Unless you plan to play that character for all rps.
   -Post in the Name Change Request Thread if you want your username changed.
   
   Members will be required to display "Formerly [Prior Name]" as their personal text or include it prominently in their signature for a 90 day period following the change.
   A username may be changed twice, but a 6-month waiting period will be required between name changes
7. Avatar and Signature Requirements.
   see this thread for details on our Avatar and Signature guidelines.
8. Point Prizes!
   Elyasia implements a point system for participating around the boards. You earn points by posting around the board. Also the more you type the more points you can get. You can use your points in the shops area to buy 100x100 bumpers, 50x50 stamp packs and more.
9. Chatroom
   Keep the Chatbox PG please.

Any questions about these Rules can be sent via PM to SalyaDarken.

[SalyaDarken]

This is a Code of Conduct ("CoC"). The CoC is meant to supplement and NOT to replace the rules of Elyasia . If situations arise that are not covered by the CoC, then the administrators will act as they believe necessary in the best interests of the site after consulting with the relevant staff and other administrators.

Section I. Post Content

1. 18+ - Elyasia is a strictly 18+ site, unless otherwise stated in rules or addendums.
2. Bigotry – Elyasia is strongly against discrimination in any form. Anyone found posting sexist, racist, homophobic or religious hate messages will be dealt with quickly and severely.
3. Swearing - Is allowed but don't swear a LOT. If a character swears a lot, use $#&*&@ like how Barret swears in FF7.
4. Illegality - Mention of illegal activity such as comments on or descriptions of brutality, violence, emotional/physical abuse, drug use, etc are cause for disciplinary action.

Section II. Member Conduct

1. Privacy is sacred. As such, no member of Elyasia should ever publish private correspondence or private matters, without the explicit approval of ALL Parties involved in the exchange. This includes public threads, PMs, E-mails, and instant messages. This includes member punishment. The staff do not want to flaunt the mistakes of others and, therefore, we will not talk about such matters with those who are not directly involved. That being said, Neo Queen Serenity's e-mail and PM boxes are always open.
2. Bullying
   -Bullying takes many forms and can be far more destructive than many people will realize. Some people will laugh off the most vicious comments while others may be driven nearly to suicide. The Elyasia staff reserve the right to remove any posts, avatars or signature pictures that are deemed to fall into this category.
   -This also includes being "elitist." There will be members with various amount of knowledge and various interests, so please be respectful to everyone. We are all Sailor Moon fans and we ARE all equal.
3. Personal Attacks
   Personal attacks on other members are not tolerated, including on public boards and in the chatbox. Do not talk behind someone else's back. Administration and the staff are expected and obligated to deter any personal attacks.
   (a) Vague ranting/complaining posts that could be about another member on site will not be tolerated. If it is clear to staff and other members that you are talking about another member, even if their name isn't mentioned in the post, we will take action as clarified in the Punishment Procedure below.
4. Account Information
   The individual who registered for an account will be held responsible for all actions taken by the account. To avoid being accused of something you did not do, never give your account information to anyone.
5. Instructions by staff
   (a) Ignoring instructions given by staff or these rules are grounds for discipline.
   (b) If you believe the staff are wrong in an instruction they gave you, open a discussion with them about it via PM (not on a public thread). If, after making an attempt to discuss the issue with the staff member, you believe you are not being adequately heard, feel free to include the relevant supervisor (see Section VI). In the interim, follow the staff’s instructions, even if you disagree with them.

Section III. Conflict Resolution
This is an online forum, and it is inevitable that drama will ensue. If internet drama happens to you, please follow the following procedures.

1. Notify Staff of any Issues
   If a member has an issue with another member (and this includes issues with Elyasia staff), please bring it to the attention of the relevant staff supervisor by PM.
2. Keep Disputes Private
   Elyasia strongly believes that issues between members or between members and staff are best resolved in private, via PM or e-mail. Keeping issues private allows the parties involved to consider the problems and possible solutions without grandstanding or worrying about “losing face.” This allows for the avoidance of public disputes, which is more conducive to reaching a resolution that works for all parties involved.
3. Speak Your Mind
   Elyasia will never discipline any member for telling staff something the staff does not want to hear. That doesn’t mean that members have license to be rude to staff, but it does mean that if you see a problem, you need to tell us about it.
4. Remember that Reasonable People Can Disagree
   There are certain things that are black and white. Most disputes don’t fall within these realms of incontrovertible truth; more often, there are shades of gray. Reasonable people acting in good faith can and will take different positions even when looking at the same set of facts.
5. Keep in mind that not all of our members may speak English as their native language.
   This can cause misinterpretations to occur. If you have a question as to what someone meant, please ask them respectfully to clarify, before assuming the worst.

Section IV. Three Strike Policy
Administrators reserve the right to administer Cautions for any content that the staff feels is borderline inappropriate or a "gray area" in terms of the Galaxy Cauldron Rules.

1. The Three Strike Policy is intended to help members understand what content may be considered inappropriate without the immediate consequence of an official rule infraction. We all make mistakes sometimes, however, a history of mistakes shows a lack of understanding and respect for the rules of the forum. Therefore, three cautions will be equivalent to one rule infraction, and disciplinary action will be taken as stated in Section V of the Code of Conduct.

Section V. Consequence Procedures
This is a description of the general procedure for handling violations. Please be aware this general procedure may be altered in order to accommodate for specific situations.

1. First Offense The member will be contacted via PM by a staff member regarding the violation. This PM will be considered a warning.
2. Second Offense If the same violation continues to occur or a separate violation occurs, then the member will be contacted by a staff member via PM. At this stage, the member will be placed on a temporary one week probation. Probation - meaning the member will be able to access Elyasia, but not post on the forums.
3. Third Offense If the same violation continues to occur or a separate violation occurs, then the member will be contacted by staff via PM. At this stage, the member will be placed on a temporary two week ban. Ban - meaning the member will be unable to access or post on Elyasia.
4. Final Offense At this stage, the member will be temporarily or permanently banned from Elyasia or given further instruction by Staff
5. Addendum: The Staff of this site attempt to adhere to this structure of punishment, however we reserve the right to take disciplinary actions as unlisted circumstances arise.

Section VI. Infraction Rollback Policy

1. Every six months is set as the general rollover date for infractions that have earned warnings. If there have been more than six months between warnings for mild offenses, the new warning will be considered a "first" warning, even if it is in fact their fifth. However, for larger infractions--those that receive a warning the first time they are broken--and for cases wherein a member is repeatedly breaking the same rule, the admin reserve the right to move on to the next tier on a case-by-case basis.
2. Regardless, warnings and offenses do not get ignored after a certain point; they are all part of a member's history and can be taken into consideration when major offenses are made.

Section VII. Miscellaneous

1. Any and all sites and forums may not be "planned" on Elyasia.
   ---1 thread is allowed in the proper forum section advertising your site.
   ---Discussion, deciding details, dividing up duties, etc. are not allowed. These actions must be done on the site or with your own e-mail.
   ---Messages to Elyasia members asking to join your site are not allowed.
   ---Advertising your site in the chat box, welcome threads, help threads, etc., are not allowed.
2. Please do not ‘bash’ other sites and forums on Elyasia.
   ---We are here to provide a friendly drama free place.
   ---Whatever drama happens at another forum/website/tumblr/etc. stays there. It does not belong on Elyasia.