Welcome

[Puppy]

Registration

Before registering your character, please make sure you read THE RULES AND THE REST OF THIS POST. Also, please register using only your character's FIRST NAME.

Character Registration Process

Submit your character's profile at the Character Registration board.

Now, here are the rules that come with the character request process. You will join the site, and your automatic status will be “Unapplied.” To get this changed, you will have to fill out the Character Registration Form.

Fill out the form, and an Admin will assign your Birthright Jewel and accept you.

*Note: All characters are able to choose their Jewel from White to Rose. If you desire a darker Jewel you will have to brave the Randomizer.

Once you have 100 RP posts, please PM one of the Admins and we will give you a descent Jewel.

Birthright

A Birthright Jewel is the Jewel that your character receives when they are created. Now, you will join as Unapplied, but when you go through your character request, you will put what Birthright you want within the rules. One of the Staff will respond, and change your rank to a Blood Male or Female of that Jewel color, or Non-Jeweled or Landen if specified.

Why are Birthright Jewels important? A Birthright Jewel will signify how dark of a Jewel you can get upon Descending, the darker the Jewel, the stronger your character. Now, this RPG doesn’t have an organized fighting system, just because that would complicate things, but the darkness of your Jewel of Rank and Birthright Jewel should go into your character’s personality a little bit; because a Jewel is part of who you are.

Also, the darker the Jewel, the more skills you can learn. It (should) also affect how other characters treat you, in some ways, because that is the type of society that we will play in. Out of Character, however, Jewel discrimination (or discrimination of any kind) will not be tolerated at all.

Jewel Rank List
In order of Lowest-Highest

White
Yellow
Tiger Eye
Rose
Summer-sky
Purple Dusk
Opal
Green
Sapphire
Red
Gray
Ebon Gray
Black

No character can have a Birthright of higher than Red, and Black is available ONLY to the Admins.

Birthright Jewels are decided through a Randomizer. Basically, one of the Admins will play Russian roulette with your Jewel choice, which will include all the Jewels lighter than Red but no darker, simply because it wouldn’t be possible for someone to get higher than Red and still go through descent (Witch excluded, because this is a non-canon RPG). While we realize this isn’t ideal for characters desiring dark Jewels, in the books there are FAR fewer dark Jewels than light so the Randomizer spits out lighter jewels more often.

If you are a returning Ebony Character and wish to keep the Birthright Jewel you had, you may petition the Admin's by using the Petition Form. Not everyone will be able to keep their jewels and you must have a good reason why you are petitioning to keep that jewel such as your character held a Ruler position and you'd like to continue to be a Ruler.

Races

Short-lived Races:

• Centaurs: Half-man, half-horse beings, of many colors and varieties. They have a Blood head, arms, and torso flow into the powerful four legged body of a horse. The hair can be a variety of color, as are the eyes, and the skin. Their age span runs to 150 years maximum.
  
• Dea al Mon: The Dea al Mon are a warrior-like race that tend to have long silvery hair, with eyes that are silver, blue, green, gray, or some combination thereof. Their most notable feature, however, is their pointed ears. Their age span runs to 150 years maximum.
  
• Glacian: The cold climate of Glacia breeds light skinned Blood with pale hair and either blue or green eyes. Their age span runs to 150 years maximum.
  
• Satyrs: They are half man and half beast; they usually have a goat's tail, flanks and hooves. While the upper part of the body is that of a Blood, they also have the horns of a goat. The hair can be a variety of color, as are the eyes, and the skin. Their age span runs to 150 years maximum.
  
• Shaladorian: Typically, the people of Shalador have golden skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes. A few who are descended from Queen Shal will have pale green eyes. Their age span runs to 150 years maximum.
  
• Tigres: Half-man, half-tiger beings, fiercely protective and playful. These people look like Blood wearing a tiger's skin. They tend to have black or blond hair atop their head, with black striped orange skin. Instead of nails, Tigres have claws. They are most well known for their use of war drums to communicate with other groups of Tigres. Their age span runs to 150 years maximum.
  
• Other various races (ie: Pruulian, Tacean, etc.): The other short lived races are a mix of any hair, eye, and skin color. There are really no defining features to them.

Long-lived Races:

Their ages progress normally until about the age of 18-20 and then their aging slows to accommodate their long-lived status.

• Eyriens: A long-lived race, they are predominantly male, and have wings much like a bat in different colors to match their skin tones. They are the hardest, toughest warriors, and the only known race that is a Patriarchal, meaning that the males rule the roost. Half-breed Eyriens also tend to have wings, as it is passed from generation to generation, but are rare. Eyrien names also follow a pattern; male names end in the suffix of -ar, while female names end in the suffix of -an (ie: Lucivar, Marian, Andulvar, Luthvian). Eyrien males do not grow body or facial hair. Their age span runs to 5000 years maximum
  
• Dhemlan: The average Dhemlan has black hair, brown skin, and golden eyes. Dhemlan males do not grow body or facial hair. Their age span runs to 5000 years maximum
  
• Hayllian: The average Hayllian has black hair, brown skin, and golden eyes. Hayllian males do not grow body or facial hair. Probably the most obviously socially divided race between Aristos and well everyone else, all Hayllians have a reputation for slickness, arrogance and conceit. Their age span runs to 5000 years maximum.

Social Ranking System
In a complicated Society

The first thing you will need to know before you join this RPG community, that you will know if you read the Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop, who created this wonderful world, is that this is a Society dominated by females. Males serve, females rule. If you cannot handle this, than you shouldn’t be a guy. Although this does differentiate with the Eyriens since they are a male dominated culture.

Now, that that is all said and done, your social rank goes off of many things (because, not only is this a Matriarchal culture, it is a culture of monarchial cities and states). Given, another character’s view on yours may stem from how Dark your Jewel is, but on the whole as a society goes, it has to do with the following ranks:

Males

Landen Male- Non-Blood male of any race. Are normally looked down upon by the Blood, which in turn made them both fear and hate those gifted with the use of Jewel. Landens will ALWAYS be Non-Jeweled and cannot use any type of craft.

Blood Male- The general term for all males of the Blood; Also refers to any Blood male who doesn’t wear Jewels.

Warlord- A Jeweled male equal status to a witch. Warlords are usually the most placid in nature of all male castes. They rise to the killing edge only when greatly provoked.

Prince- A Jeweled male equal status to a Priestess or Healer. Princes tend to rise to the killing edge quicker than Warlords, but will back off in the presence of only a Warlord Prince.

Warlord Prince- Equal in status to none, defers only to a Queen. Highest and most rare male caste. They are the most territorial, aggressive, and dangerous of all castes. Warlord Princes have a strong need to bond in service and/or love-bond to a strong female. They rise to the killing edge quickly, easily and without warning, often leaving nothing but violent death and a gruesome mess in their wake. Warlord Princes almost always view each other as a threat and/or competition when seeing one another for the first time - regardless of Jewel strength. When this happens, they usually rise to the killing edge and only a strong female they serve, a female they love, or a strong sense of Honor and Protocol can bring them back to reality. More often than not they will hold a total disregard to their health and Jewel strength when protecting something/someone they love and/or serve. A strong Warlord Prince can rule a territory in the absence of a Queen.

Females

Landen Female- Non-Blood female of any race. Are normally looked down upon by the Blood, which in turn made them both fear and hate those gifted with the use of Jewel. Landens will ALWAYS be Non-Jeweled and cannot use any type of craft.

Blood Female- A general term for all females of the Blood; mostly refers to any Blood Female who doesn’t wear Jewels.

Witch- A Blood female who wears Jewels but isn’t one of the other Hierarchical levels; also refers to any Jeweled Female.

Hearth Witch- A Blood female who wears Jewels but isn't one of the Hierarchical levels. She's a home-maker, and directs her Craft towards that of decorating, booking, cleaning, gardening, etc.

Healer- A witch who heals physical wounds and illnesses; equal in status to a Priestess and a Prince. They are usually the doctors, nurses, midwives, and even veterinarians in the society. Healers are usually highly respected, for they will sacrifice themselves in order to save others. Healers may serve in Court or Coven, but they must always have a Jeweled male of any caste in service to them in order to ensure her constant health and safety.

Priestess- A witch who cares for alters, Sanctuaries, and Dark Altars; witness hand fasts and marriages; performs offerings; equal status to a Healer and a Prince. The most spiritual of all castes, a Priestess has a profound respect, love and faith for her religion. Priestesses have the strongest ties to Self and Soul. Priestesses can serve in Court or Coven, or enter into personal service.

Black Widow- A female who heals the mind; weaves webs of dreams and visions; can see potential futures and outcomes; trained in illusions and poisons. Usually considered the most dangerous of the female castes, Black Widows are equal in status to none and answer only to Queens, Warlord Princes and other Black Widows of a darker Jewel rank. Black Widows have the strongest ties to the Mind and what some people may call insanity. They can walk - and even safely cross - the fine line separating sanity and insanity.

A Black Widow is not always born as a Black Widow. Natural Black Widows (women who are born as such) usually do not show the physical traits or signs of the Craft until the onset of puberty. Such traits are increased empathy, lucid or prophetic dreaming, along with the ability to naturally produce venom, and immunity to many poisons and venom. Black Widows are usually female, but there are some rare cases of a male becoming a Black Widow. Even more rare is a Natural born male Black Widow. Perhaps the most obvious physical trait of a Black Widow is the snake tooth. The snake tooth is a small, hollow claw that resides at the tip of the right ring finger. The thin, internal channel leads from the tip of the snake tooth to a small venom sac under the fingernail. The poison is extremely fatal.

Queen- A witch who rules the Blood; is considered to be the land’s heart and the Blood’s moral Center; as such, she is the focal point of their society. They are the highest and most rare caste. They have the strongest ties to the land, which they tend lovingly and fiercely. Queens are the only ones who have the Craft to heal the land after it has been damaged or tainted. Queens are born with this caste, and their very strength, nature and psychic scent will draw males to her. A Queen may serve in another’s Court, and this is common for light Jeweled Queens. Also, young and inexperienced Queens may serve in another’s to gain experience.

• Territory Queen- A Queen who rules a Territory. **Opal birthright of higher** (There is a SCREENING PROCESS in place for all Territory Queens. The Admins will watch over your RP adventures for a month, and then we will make the decision if you would make a good Territory Queen or not. i.e., be active, a decent RPer, original, etc.)
  
• Province Queen- A Queen who rules under a Territory Queen. **Rose to Purple Dusk Birthright only**
  
• District Queen- A Queen who rules under a Province Queen. **White to Tiger Eye Birthright only**
  
• Non-ruling Queen- Same as a Territory Queen, but who does not rule. (NO screening process.)
  
• Healer Queen- A Queen and a Healer.
  
• Priestess Queen- A Queen and a Priestess.
  
• Black Widow Queen- A Queen and Black Widow.

Because of the requirements for Warlord Princes and Queens, If you plan for a character to be one, please realize that you may not receive what you desire, and have a back up idea ready.

Also Multi-Caste character have limited spots available. If you wish to apply for a Multi-Caste Character you must fill out a complete Character Application and nothing is optional about it. You MUST fill out in detail, every slot available.

[Kitty]

Hell

Demon-Dead: Sort of like the living dead, so to speak. Demon-Dead are Blood that have died but were too strong to fade into the Darkness. They continue to live by feeding off of blood. They normally reside in Hell, but can also live outside of Hell if they stay out of the sun, which weakens them. Certain denominations of Demon-Dead are vengeful and hateful. Note: The demon-dead cannot make an Offering to the Darkness after they are dead. If they are to make the Offering at all, it must be RPed as something they had done before dying. If it is not indicated in your application that your character has already descended before their death, they will not be eligible for descent.

Harpy: A collection of Demon-Dead women who were murdered violently by a male. They normally are trapped in their state of death (i.e. if they were raped, they bleed between their legs; if hung, there’s a rope around their neck).

Cildru Dyathe: A collection of Demon-Dead who were murdered violently as a child. They are normally trapped in their form of death and congregate on an island that they have turned into their sanctuary. Note: Cildru dyathe do not make an Offering to the Darkness.

Guardians: Caretakers of the Blood who live a half-life, straddling the line between life and death. They help the newly dead with their transitions and have extended lives. Note: There will only be 3 TOTAL openings for Guardians. No others will be accepted after that. Guardians have to be pre-approved by the Admins and only people who have been members of Ebony for a month may create Guardians. Although they are half alive, Guardians cannot make an Offering to the Darkness after they have become a Guardian. If they are to make the Offering at all, it must be RPed as something they had done before Guardianship. If it is not indicated in your application that your character has already descended before their Guardianship, they will not be eligible for descent.


Kindred

You must have been an active member of Ebony for a month (based on the join date of your first applied character), or have been a proven BJT RPer for that period in time (playing on other boards, etc) to play one of the following Kindred. All Kindred characters need to be approved by the Admins before hand (meaning you must PM the Admins using one of your other accounts and receive permission from us before you can even register your character), and not all will be accepted.

Golden Spider (Only Golden Spiders and Golden Spider Queens allowed.): The golden spiders of Arachna; the weavers of dreams.

Arcerian: The playful, fierce pure white felines of Arceria. Also the home Territory of the White Tigers.

Little Dragon: Wavewhomping, berry-eating dragons of the Fyreborn Islands.

Unicorn: The wondrous and proud Unicorns of Sceval.

Kindred Tiger/Dog/Wolf/Horse/etc: An animal of the Blood.