FAQ.
This is the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page. If you have any questions not answered elsewhere, browse this page for answers. If you still haven't gotten an answer to your question(s), feel free to comment with it on this entry or contact a moderator.
Uh, what the hell is a "Mukashi?"
Mukashi mukashi is basically the Japanese equivalent to "Long long ago" and begins many old stories, legends and fairytales. Simple as that. ^.^
Okay, so what is this place?
Axis Mundi is the central region of the world, between all of the directional regions. In Axis Mundi, one has access to all four kingdom territories, but is not ruled by any of them - it's like a free zone.
Within Axis Mundi there are rivers and streams and towns and castles and such, but it's all left fairly vague so we have lots of wiggle room. However, there are a few specifics within the region.
There are two towns within the area (Town Axis and Town Mundi), and they are separated by a stretch of thick forest. No one has the hometown of Axis Mundi (which is the name of the whole area, named for the two main towns there), meaning no one originally comes from there, but all characters are free to move in and settle in if they so wish.
The bordering territories are just large areas that contain many kingdoms with shared attributes (see below about what these are and how they affect your character).
Sounds like a fantasy setting. Are there dragons and stuff?
You've nailed it, this is a fantasy setting given the premise of the RP. As far as wildlife goes, yes, there will be the fair share of "exotic" (read: mythical) creatures flitting about, but please keep it within reason and don't abuse the fauna, okay? Small dragons and wyverns will be more common than the large variety, which probably tend to keep to themselves. Rare pegasi and unicorns exist. Pixies. Kitsune. Talking frogs. Etc. Mythical creatures with human forms are also allowed, but in those cases, much like interaction with "townspeople" these will be considered largely NPC type entities. Axis Mundi, being where it is, has a little bit of everything from everywhere, but the closer you get to borders, the more the wildlife will reflect the neighboring territories (i.e. the countries whose stories are represented by those Kingdom Territories). There are all sorts of normal creatures as well, of course. Just keep in mind not to go overboard with the wildlife, especially the mythic variety. If you aren't sure about something, please ask here or poke a mod or even just leave a note in a post. ^.^
What's the technology level? Can I be chargin' my lazer?
Figure that it's a medieval fairy tale setting, thus no computers, no cars, etc. Things like that might be able to be adapted into magical objects, but those will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Primitive guns and bombs will also be dealt with in the same manner. Long story short, nothing modern is allowed, so talk to a mod if you want to see how to fit in things that you want to have for your character.
So who's in charge around here anyway and what do they want?
Canonly? That would be the Narrator, our resident demi-god-mod XD And your characters are here to amuse them essentially.
To explain further, the Narrator is a mod-controlled character used for implementing plots, events, and just for in-general stirring of shit. Mods will post with the Narrator icon from the mod-account, so pay close attention to these posts. Do not respond to these unless it is for OOC questions/clarification. In game, the characters are not aware of the Narrator's presence, as they preside over the story instead of taking part in it. They "write" things in order to manipulate situations or can influence events/circumstances/sometimes even people, but cannot directly control someone's free will. For example the Narrator may write that a curse has spread over the land silencing everyone for their own amusement. Or when a character is dropped it is assumed that the Narrator wrote them out, so to speak. As to who is the Narrator and what do they want? Your characters don't know, you don't know and we don't know, so at least we are all on the same page, hmm? ^.~ But in all seriousness, for now, nothing is known about the Narrator. It would seem that they act on nothing but a whim sometimes, causing havoc or twisting fate for amusement alone, but there may be something more to their actions. There's really no way to know, but to see how their story unfolds. Though, there is also the chance that in the future they'll grow tired of only watching the story as well....
What do the different kingdom territories mean for my character?
The way the map is set up, there are five regions that all characters can travel to: North, South, East, or West and the central area of Axis Mundi. These regions are like collections of kingdoms, so if your character is royalty, don't worry - they will have a vague kingdom they can call their own, rather than having to share with every other prince and princess. Having the generalized areas is a way for your character to tell where they come from (i.e., "I'm from the North.") These kingdom territories will simply define your character's area of origin based on their story. For example, a character who is from a Japanese myth should originally be from one of the Eastern kingdoms, while a character from a Native American tale will have come from a Western kingdom. Your character is not required to live in their area of origin, though most will probably choose to do so when not traveling. If you're curious what territory someone was from originally it'll be listed on their application aka first post for the RP.
My character is Japanese ethnically in their original canon, but I'm taking them from a British myth. What the heck are they?
British. Even though we're fitting the myths to the characters, your character will adopt the ethnicity of the myth they are from. Even if your character calls everyone by suffixes like "-chan" and "-san" in the canon they're from, if you take them from a fairy tale that is not Japanese, they can't use those suffixes anymore and don't speak Japanese - unless you fit it into your adaptation.
What if my character was already adapted for an anime from another story? Can I just use that adaptation?
No, characters like Juliet (from Romeo x Juliet) or Yuki (from Fruits Basket) that are characters adapted from stories already must be readapted into another role.
There is a legend that I know of and want to use, but I don't think it has an actual title.
That's okay, just make up a name for it so we can label it as something.
There are a lot of versions of my fairytale/myth/legend...
Ah, the joys of adaptations, mm? We'd like you to pick older and/or closer to the original versions if at all possible when choosing a version for your base story and role. Modern interpretations and versions are not what we are looking for. So please, no Disney versions, they won't be looked upon kindly. If something in a modern version fits your character better in terms of the story, just adapt that part in as part of your own adaptation.
I see book characters aren't allowed, but video game (Japanese)/anime/manga characters are. If my book character has been in a video game (Japanese)/anime/manga, can I apply as the video game (Japanese)/anime/manga version?
Yes and no. First the "no" explanation: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, you name it, have all had video games made and while these can be awesome things to play with, they won't be allowed here. Just because they have a videogame adaptation doesn't make them applicable. However, there is the "yes" side too. Something like the anime Romeo x Juliet or Gankutsuou, both based on non-Japanese literature are acceptable because they are thoroughly adapted versions of the stories and characters rather than just a videogame translation so to speak. If you're not sure what counts, please do contact us. ^.^
Wait, so you're saying only Japanese video games, cartoons and comics are allowed?
Essentially yes. It may seem a bit restrictive, but for continuity in the role-play, we think it best. Besides which, there are tons of characters to pick within those parameters, and we'll have a lot of diversity because of the different fairy tales being chosen.
Can I apply the same character as someone else?
No, we only allow one version of each character in this RP. So if you wanted to play the child version of some character and we already have the adult version, you'll have to apply for someone else. Sorry.
Can I apply the same fairy tale role as someone else then? Like, can there be two Cinderellas?
Again, no. We're going for a lot of variety in this RP and there are tons and tons of stories and roles to choose from. If you need some help picking one out for your character, you can always ask the mods or other players for suggestions, or check out the Resource post for ideas.
So let's say I really want a certain role and someone else already has it. Can I join the roleplay with a character in a different role and, if that person drops, take their role instead?
No, we don't want people switching roles willy-nilly. It creates problems for the mods and the Narrator, and we don't want to piss off the Narrator XD Please find a role that you like and will stick with even if another one you like is already taken.
Can I change my character into a mythical creature for their adaptation?
Well, yes, but only if you can find a mythical creature that is specific to a story and can make the adaptation work. For example, you can't simply apply as a random hippogriff, but you could certainly apply as the hippogriff from "The Hippogriff and the Dragon," if you wish. But you'll have to make it plausible as to why your character is suddenly a hippogriff.
Okay, so I know what I can apply, what's all this stuff on the application mean?
Well most of it is fairly self explanatory, yes? But there are a few sections we'll explain here, just so people know what is expected.
Personality. We'd like this to be a thorough description of your character's personality from their canon. This is an AU, yes, but we want to know that you've got their canon down good before you start tweaking things. After all, no matter what world or setting, the characters are still themselves at their cores.
Kingdom Territory of Origin. See the FAQ entries for the Kingdom Territories explanation.
Adaptation. This is the big one. This is where you tell us how the fairy tale and role are being tweaked and twisted to fit your character of choice (and a little bit of vice versa). Tell us parallels you are making with the story and canon, your reasoning behind your choice, what changes from the fairy tale, etc. Or, like some have chosen to do, you can retell the story as a narrative with the changes from your character's canon included (though if there are adaptations that don't fit into the narrative, they should still be noted somewhere). The more insight we see, the better. 300 words is the minimum here, but don't stop there if you haven't covered all you want to to explain. Any specific changes to the character due to their role (powers, appearance, etc.) should also be explained here as well.
Overall disclaimer: Please keep in mind that adaptions are going to be looked at very carefully and basically, most things that will come up are going to have to be dealt with on a case by case basis as to what is allowed, will fit it, and such. It's the only way to cover such a vast variety of bases and characters.
Current Area of Residence. Tell us where they are being placed when you start. Are they in their Kingdom Territory of Origin, are they already in Axis Mundi, or are they traveling the wilds somewhere (though please give us a vague area so others know).
Sample Journal Entry. This should be first person, as if your character were writing an actual journal entry for themselves. This is your showcase, show us what you got. Characterization is key here.
Roleplay Sample. What we want here is a sample of your 3rd person narrative writing for the character in the storyline of the RP. Set them somewhere and tell us what they do, how they react, etc. 200 words is the minimum but again, it's just the minimum.
Passwords. Last but not least, if you read what you are supposed to, this is self-explanatory. Fill in what we want here and apply away.
For adaptation purposes, do I have to change the sex of my character to match the role or vice-versa?
We don't really want people changing their character's sex to fit the role. That's one aspect from the canon we would like to keep in-tact. However, you can change the role's sex all you want (i.e. A male character can be in the "Cinderella" role if you so choose, or a female character can be "Peter Pan," or a gendered character can be in a non-gendered role, etc.)
So now that I've applied, how do I play?
This roleplay has three forms of RP format to choose from while playing just via your LJ (in other words in addition to event and AIM logs). We have traditional action/RP posts, personal journal entries, and letters. As such, to keep things from being less confusing when putting a subject line on your post, say which format you are using at that time. (Also, please tag the post with the appropriate format word as well.) Here are what the formats are and how to use them.
Journal Entries. Journals entries are just what they sound like. It doesn't have to be a literal book they are carrying around or what-have-you (though it can be), this is just the place to write their thoughts and offer introspection. As such, these posts are written in 1st-person and comments should only be OOC ones, if there are to be any at all. Think of this as a 1st-person private filter. Example here.
Letters. These are 1st-person posts to your journal that can be addressed to characters (or to the entire public as a whole) and can have IC replies sent back. To facilitate this, the RP has an informal "messenger system," which will be explained further down. We will pretty much leave it up to the player to decide on their paper availability (though depending on the character, you can get creative with what they write on, i.e. lily pads, bark, etc.) These posts can be formatted as formal letters or quickly scrawled notes, whichever suits your fancy. Replies must be formatted as letters or notes as well, so no actions in these posts please. Example here.
Action Posts. These are 3rd-person narrative-type posts where you have dialogue, actions, etc. Just write what your character is doing. Interactions via comments are assumed to be in-person unless you have some other way of explaining why a character would be responding (i.e. a magic mirror or something). On these posts, we'd like for people to either make use of the location function on LJ to say where your character currently is or to note it in the post itself separately so we all know where they are even if they don't themselves XD. Like if they are in a random town to the east of Axis, then say so. Or if they are in a Northern Kingdoms territory, put that. It's just so people know whether or not they can interact with your character. Example here.
Most of these make the most sense after you've seen a few examples, so please do look around at other users and see what they've done.
So what's the "messenger system?"
This isn't something the mods are going to be enforcing strictly and isn't formally structured, but it is something you should take into consideration for your character. Deciding how they might be sending letters adds an amount of dimension to play. Characters might have access to messenger pigeons, they might live in town and send things via carriage or human messenger, or perhaps they have other messenger beasties or magical powers with which they can send letters themselves.
Another aspect to the messenger system is letting people know if the letter may be intercepted or not. Sometimes a player may ask the poster if they can intercept it, sometimes the poster may leave it open for it to be intercepted. In other words, muns should be working this out beforehand amongst themselves, please (even if this is just you going "Hmmm, I don't want my letter to reach the princess, my bird got eaten, whoops!" or "Uh oh, my dragon got distracted by a shiney and mis-delivered my letter to someone else.") No godmodding the mail. In addition, there may be events announced by the mods, interfering in messege delivery. This is just another layer to the game for players to have fun with.
We are currently undergoing a format change. Please read the necessary information here until we've reformatted the FAQ.
Okay, then, what's the difference between an action post and what should go on mukashi_logs?
mukashi_logs is for player logs, mod-created group event logs and logs played out outside the journals (i.e. over AIM or other messenger systems). All other logging may take place within your own journals as action posts.
What happens if a character dies here?
They die, of course. However, due to the rather magical nature of the world of Axis Mundi there are ways to circumvent death so to speak. But you'll have to do it in story, in character, and creatively. This is definitely something that would be discussed with a mod as well. Not-so-long-story-short? Death is permanent unless you're creative about it so try not to die, kthnx.
Well, this character just isn't working out for me and I want to drop them. Can I apply for another character right now?
No, if you want to apply for a new character, you must wait a month from the day that you dropped. We want to discourage impulsive apping and dropping, because it's really disruptive to the linear nature of this RP. Please, please carefully consider your character before applying. Make sure it's one you're going to want to stick with for a while.
We aren't saying you can't drop if you can't handle the number of characters that you have, we just want to make sure that you take the time to consider your next character before applying again.
If you want to apply for a character on the dropped characters list....
All dropped characters will be cataloged by their name, series, and what fairy tale they were taken from. New muns can decide if they want to pick up the dropped character from where the old mun left off, restart them fresh with the same fairy tale role, or completely change everything about the dropped character to match their new vision.
If a character is picked up from where they are left off, instead of writing an "adaptation" section on the application, since obviously that has already been written by the previous mun, the new mun will be required to write an explanation of what the character has been doing during the time they have been missing from the role-play.
If a character is restarted, but is keeping the fairy tale and role the old mun picked, that's fine as long as someone else hasn't already snatched it up. When a person drops a character, their fairy tale role goes up for grabs. Say the role was Cinderella from Cinderella. As soon as the character is dropped, Cinderella is open. Any new character is able to snatch Cinderella up for their own character. So provided that role is still open, the new mun may take it. However, if the role is taken but the new mun wants to keep the same fairy tale for the dropped character but choose a new role, that's also fine.
The last option is to start the character again, completely anew. That is self-explanatory. Just keep in mind that the characters who interacted with the dropped character will recognize him/her, but your character, being completely new, won't have any idea who they are. That also holds true for a restarted character with the same fairy tale/role as a dropped character, while, of course, a character picked up from where they were left off would recognize everyone.
I saw something about tags - do I have to use them?
Yes, we'd really really prefer that you did. Makes our jobs much easier. Heck, makes finding things a lot easier for everyone. So check out this handy dandy post for all the info you need on the way we'd like things tagged and how to just use tags in general if you need it. ^.^
The fandom character I chose has a close relation (i.e. brother, best friend, etc.) who I want to include in backstory, but the fairytale I chose has no such role. Is that okay?
Yes, and there are a couple ways of going about it. If you are applying alone and no in conjunction with the player who wishes to be the role of your character's brother, you need to make the role vague in your application. It would be unfair to a future player of your fandom character's relation (whatever that may be) to also claim their role. However, for the sake of details, you may keep that character's name. For example, imagine you are applying for Edward Elric of FullMetal Alchemist and want to include his brother, Alphonse, in your character's history. If you are not applying with an Al, you MAY name Ed's brother Al while keeping the role vague. A name is just a name, and even if a future Al player does not want the role of Ed's brother, two people can be named Alphonse in the world without being the same person.
Another way of going about it is more complex. Say the situation is like above and you applied as a character with a close relation, but you applied alone. The fandom relation (we'll say brother in this case, also) can apply with a totally different fairytale for their fandom character - but also stick their character in your backstory and be their brother. Going with the above example, say Edward is Little Red Riding Hood. You added a brother of BoPeep in that story named Al. Now, a person applies for the fandom character Alphonse Elric and contacts you, wanting to be Red Riding Hood!Ed's brother. However, they also want Al to be Aladdin. With some serious thought and tweaking, voila: Little Red Riding Hood and Aladdin are now brothers. Please note, however, that merging two fairytales needs to sound plausible and well-thought out.
Wrapping up with a variation of FAQ question above, what happens if your fairytale has a brother to your character, but you don't have anyone applying with you for that role. One thing you can do is leave the brother's name as it is in the fairytale, plain and simple. Your fandom character does not need to have a brother to have one in this storyline via the fairytale you chose. However, perhaps you are applying for a fandom character with a brother in a fairytale that has a canon brother (or sister). In example, we will again abuse Ed and Al Elric. Ed is applied for as Hansel of Hansel and Gretel. Now the story is Edward and Gretel. An Alphonse player can apply as Al for the role of Gretel, and when they are accepted, the story will change to Edward and Alphonse. All of us probably have experience writing stories and deciding to change a character's name. We will view it as the Narrator changing their mind on Gretel's name, making it Alphonse. The characters will have no memory of the change. It will be as though Gretel's name was always Alphonse.
So that thing I need to apply...
Here, have a "damsel in distress." Psst, that's the passcode for the FAQ.
Uh, what the hell is a "Mukashi?"
Mukashi mukashi is basically the Japanese equivalent to "Long long ago" and begins many old stories, legends and fairytales. Simple as that. ^.^
Okay, so what is this place?
Axis Mundi is the central region of the world, between all of the directional regions. In Axis Mundi, one has access to all four kingdom territories, but is not ruled by any of them - it's like a free zone.
Within Axis Mundi there are rivers and streams and towns and castles and such, but it's all left fairly vague so we have lots of wiggle room. However, there are a few specifics within the region.
There are two towns within the area (Town Axis and Town Mundi), and they are separated by a stretch of thick forest. No one has the hometown of Axis Mundi (which is the name of the whole area, named for the two main towns there), meaning no one originally comes from there, but all characters are free to move in and settle in if they so wish.
The bordering territories are just large areas that contain many kingdoms with shared attributes (see below about what these are and how they affect your character).
Sounds like a fantasy setting. Are there dragons and stuff?
You've nailed it, this is a fantasy setting given the premise of the RP. As far as wildlife goes, yes, there will be the fair share of "exotic" (read: mythical) creatures flitting about, but please keep it within reason and don't abuse the fauna, okay? Small dragons and wyverns will be more common than the large variety, which probably tend to keep to themselves. Rare pegasi and unicorns exist. Pixies. Kitsune. Talking frogs. Etc. Mythical creatures with human forms are also allowed, but in those cases, much like interaction with "townspeople" these will be considered largely NPC type entities. Axis Mundi, being where it is, has a little bit of everything from everywhere, but the closer you get to borders, the more the wildlife will reflect the neighboring territories (i.e. the countries whose stories are represented by those Kingdom Territories). There are all sorts of normal creatures as well, of course. Just keep in mind not to go overboard with the wildlife, especially the mythic variety. If you aren't sure about something, please ask here or poke a mod or even just leave a note in a post. ^.^
What's the technology level? Can I be chargin' my lazer?
Figure that it's a medieval fairy tale setting, thus no computers, no cars, etc. Things like that might be able to be adapted into magical objects, but those will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Primitive guns and bombs will also be dealt with in the same manner. Long story short, nothing modern is allowed, so talk to a mod if you want to see how to fit in things that you want to have for your character.
So who's in charge around here anyway and what do they want?
Canonly? That would be the Narrator, our resident demi-god-mod XD And your characters are here to amuse them essentially.
To explain further, the Narrator is a mod-controlled character used for implementing plots, events, and just for in-general stirring of shit. Mods will post with the Narrator icon from the mod-account, so pay close attention to these posts. Do not respond to these unless it is for OOC questions/clarification. In game, the characters are not aware of the Narrator's presence, as they preside over the story instead of taking part in it. They "write" things in order to manipulate situations or can influence events/circumstances/sometimes even people, but cannot directly control someone's free will. For example the Narrator may write that a curse has spread over the land silencing everyone for their own amusement. Or when a character is dropped it is assumed that the Narrator wrote them out, so to speak. As to who is the Narrator and what do they want? Your characters don't know, you don't know and we don't know, so at least we are all on the same page, hmm? ^.~ But in all seriousness, for now, nothing is known about the Narrator. It would seem that they act on nothing but a whim sometimes, causing havoc or twisting fate for amusement alone, but there may be something more to their actions. There's really no way to know, but to see how their story unfolds. Though, there is also the chance that in the future they'll grow tired of only watching the story as well....
What do the different kingdom territories mean for my character?
The way the map is set up, there are five regions that all characters can travel to: North, South, East, or West and the central area of Axis Mundi. These regions are like collections of kingdoms, so if your character is royalty, don't worry - they will have a vague kingdom they can call their own, rather than having to share with every other prince and princess. Having the generalized areas is a way for your character to tell where they come from (i.e., "I'm from the North.") These kingdom territories will simply define your character's area of origin based on their story. For example, a character who is from a Japanese myth should originally be from one of the Eastern kingdoms, while a character from a Native American tale will have come from a Western kingdom. Your character is not required to live in their area of origin, though most will probably choose to do so when not traveling. If you're curious what territory someone was from originally it'll be listed on their application aka first post for the RP.
My character is Japanese ethnically in their original canon, but I'm taking them from a British myth. What the heck are they?
British. Even though we're fitting the myths to the characters, your character will adopt the ethnicity of the myth they are from. Even if your character calls everyone by suffixes like "-chan" and "-san" in the canon they're from, if you take them from a fairy tale that is not Japanese, they can't use those suffixes anymore and don't speak Japanese - unless you fit it into your adaptation.
What if my character was already adapted for an anime from another story? Can I just use that adaptation?
No, characters like Juliet (from Romeo x Juliet) or Yuki (from Fruits Basket) that are characters adapted from stories already must be readapted into another role.
There is a legend that I know of and want to use, but I don't think it has an actual title.
That's okay, just make up a name for it so we can label it as something.
There are a lot of versions of my fairytale/myth/legend...
Ah, the joys of adaptations, mm? We'd like you to pick older and/or closer to the original versions if at all possible when choosing a version for your base story and role. Modern interpretations and versions are not what we are looking for. So please, no Disney versions, they won't be looked upon kindly. If something in a modern version fits your character better in terms of the story, just adapt that part in as part of your own adaptation.
I see book characters aren't allowed, but video game (Japanese)/anime/manga characters are. If my book character has been in a video game (Japanese)/anime/manga, can I apply as the video game (Japanese)/anime/manga version?
Yes and no. First the "no" explanation: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, you name it, have all had video games made and while these can be awesome things to play with, they won't be allowed here. Just because they have a videogame adaptation doesn't make them applicable. However, there is the "yes" side too. Something like the anime Romeo x Juliet or Gankutsuou, both based on non-Japanese literature are acceptable because they are thoroughly adapted versions of the stories and characters rather than just a videogame translation so to speak. If you're not sure what counts, please do contact us. ^.^
Wait, so you're saying only Japanese video games, cartoons and comics are allowed?
Essentially yes. It may seem a bit restrictive, but for continuity in the role-play, we think it best. Besides which, there are tons of characters to pick within those parameters, and we'll have a lot of diversity because of the different fairy tales being chosen.
Can I apply the same character as someone else?
No, we only allow one version of each character in this RP. So if you wanted to play the child version of some character and we already have the adult version, you'll have to apply for someone else. Sorry.
Can I apply the same fairy tale role as someone else then? Like, can there be two Cinderellas?
Again, no. We're going for a lot of variety in this RP and there are tons and tons of stories and roles to choose from. If you need some help picking one out for your character, you can always ask the mods or other players for suggestions, or check out the Resource post for ideas.
So let's say I really want a certain role and someone else already has it. Can I join the roleplay with a character in a different role and, if that person drops, take their role instead?
No, we don't want people switching roles willy-nilly. It creates problems for the mods and the Narrator, and we don't want to piss off the Narrator XD Please find a role that you like and will stick with even if another one you like is already taken.
Can I change my character into a mythical creature for their adaptation?
Well, yes, but only if you can find a mythical creature that is specific to a story and can make the adaptation work. For example, you can't simply apply as a random hippogriff, but you could certainly apply as the hippogriff from "The Hippogriff and the Dragon," if you wish. But you'll have to make it plausible as to why your character is suddenly a hippogriff.
Okay, so I know what I can apply, what's all this stuff on the application mean?
Well most of it is fairly self explanatory, yes? But there are a few sections we'll explain here, just so people know what is expected.
Personality. We'd like this to be a thorough description of your character's personality from their canon. This is an AU, yes, but we want to know that you've got their canon down good before you start tweaking things. After all, no matter what world or setting, the characters are still themselves at their cores.
Kingdom Territory of Origin. See the FAQ entries for the Kingdom Territories explanation.
Adaptation. This is the big one. This is where you tell us how the fairy tale and role are being tweaked and twisted to fit your character of choice (and a little bit of vice versa). Tell us parallels you are making with the story and canon, your reasoning behind your choice, what changes from the fairy tale, etc. Or, like some have chosen to do, you can retell the story as a narrative with the changes from your character's canon included (though if there are adaptations that don't fit into the narrative, they should still be noted somewhere). The more insight we see, the better. 300 words is the minimum here, but don't stop there if you haven't covered all you want to to explain. Any specific changes to the character due to their role (powers, appearance, etc.) should also be explained here as well.
Overall disclaimer: Please keep in mind that adaptions are going to be looked at very carefully and basically, most things that will come up are going to have to be dealt with on a case by case basis as to what is allowed, will fit it, and such. It's the only way to cover such a vast variety of bases and characters.
Current Area of Residence. Tell us where they are being placed when you start. Are they in their Kingdom Territory of Origin, are they already in Axis Mundi, or are they traveling the wilds somewhere (though please give us a vague area so others know).
Sample Journal Entry. This should be first person, as if your character were writing an actual journal entry for themselves. This is your showcase, show us what you got. Characterization is key here.
Roleplay Sample. What we want here is a sample of your 3rd person narrative writing for the character in the storyline of the RP. Set them somewhere and tell us what they do, how they react, etc. 200 words is the minimum but again, it's just the minimum.
Passwords. Last but not least, if you read what you are supposed to, this is self-explanatory. Fill in what we want here and apply away.
For adaptation purposes, do I have to change the sex of my character to match the role or vice-versa?
We don't really want people changing their character's sex to fit the role. That's one aspect from the canon we would like to keep in-tact. However, you can change the role's sex all you want (i.e. A male character can be in the "Cinderella" role if you so choose, or a female character can be "Peter Pan," or a gendered character can be in a non-gendered role, etc.)
So now that I've applied, how do I play?
This roleplay has three forms of RP format to choose from while playing just via your LJ (in other words in addition to event and AIM logs). We have traditional action/RP posts, personal journal entries, and letters. As such, to keep things from being less confusing when putting a subject line on your post, say which format you are using at that time. (Also, please tag the post with the appropriate format word as well.) Here are what the formats are and how to use them.
Journal Entries. Journals entries are just what they sound like. It doesn't have to be a literal book they are carrying around or what-have-you (though it can be), this is just the place to write their thoughts and offer introspection. As such, these posts are written in 1st-person and comments should only be OOC ones, if there are to be any at all. Think of this as a 1st-person private filter. Example here.
Letters. These are 1st-person posts to your journal that can be addressed to characters (or to the entire public as a whole) and can have IC replies sent back. To facilitate this, the RP has an informal "messenger system," which will be explained further down. We will pretty much leave it up to the player to decide on their paper availability (though depending on the character, you can get creative with what they write on, i.e. lily pads, bark, etc.) These posts can be formatted as formal letters or quickly scrawled notes, whichever suits your fancy. Replies must be formatted as letters or notes as well, so no actions in these posts please. Example here.
Action Posts. These are 3rd-person narrative-type posts where you have dialogue, actions, etc. Just write what your character is doing. Interactions via comments are assumed to be in-person unless you have some other way of explaining why a character would be responding (i.e. a magic mirror or something). On these posts, we'd like for people to either make use of the location function on LJ to say where your character currently is or to note it in the post itself separately so we all know where they are even if they don't themselves XD. Like if they are in a random town to the east of Axis, then say so. Or if they are in a Northern Kingdoms territory, put that. It's just so people know whether or not they can interact with your character. Example here.
Most of these make the most sense after you've seen a few examples, so please do look around at other users and see what they've done.
So what's the "messenger system?"
This isn't something the mods are going to be enforcing strictly and isn't formally structured, but it is something you should take into consideration for your character. Deciding how they might be sending letters adds an amount of dimension to play. Characters might have access to messenger pigeons, they might live in town and send things via carriage or human messenger, or perhaps they have other messenger beasties or magical powers with which they can send letters themselves.
Another aspect to the messenger system is letting people know if the letter may be intercepted or not. Sometimes a player may ask the poster if they can intercept it, sometimes the poster may leave it open for it to be intercepted. In other words, muns should be working this out beforehand amongst themselves, please (even if this is just you going "Hmmm, I don't want my letter to reach the princess, my bird got eaten, whoops!" or "Uh oh, my dragon got distracted by a shiney and mis-delivered my letter to someone else.") No godmodding the mail. In addition, there may be events announced by the mods, interfering in messege delivery. This is just another layer to the game for players to have fun with.
We are currently undergoing a format change. Please read the necessary information here until we've reformatted the FAQ.
Okay, then, what's the difference between an action post and what should go on mukashi_logs?
mukashi_logs is for player logs, mod-created group event logs and logs played out outside the journals (i.e. over AIM or other messenger systems). All other logging may take place within your own journals as action posts.
What happens if a character dies here?
They die, of course. However, due to the rather magical nature of the world of Axis Mundi there are ways to circumvent death so to speak. But you'll have to do it in story, in character, and creatively. This is definitely something that would be discussed with a mod as well. Not-so-long-story-short? Death is permanent unless you're creative about it so try not to die, kthnx.
Well, this character just isn't working out for me and I want to drop them. Can I apply for another character right now?
No, if you want to apply for a new character, you must wait a month from the day that you dropped. We want to discourage impulsive apping and dropping, because it's really disruptive to the linear nature of this RP. Please, please carefully consider your character before applying. Make sure it's one you're going to want to stick with for a while.
We aren't saying you can't drop if you can't handle the number of characters that you have, we just want to make sure that you take the time to consider your next character before applying again.
If you want to apply for a character on the dropped characters list....
All dropped characters will be cataloged by their name, series, and what fairy tale they were taken from. New muns can decide if they want to pick up the dropped character from where the old mun left off, restart them fresh with the same fairy tale role, or completely change everything about the dropped character to match their new vision.
If a character is picked up from where they are left off, instead of writing an "adaptation" section on the application, since obviously that has already been written by the previous mun, the new mun will be required to write an explanation of what the character has been doing during the time they have been missing from the role-play.
If a character is restarted, but is keeping the fairy tale and role the old mun picked, that's fine as long as someone else hasn't already snatched it up. When a person drops a character, their fairy tale role goes up for grabs. Say the role was Cinderella from Cinderella. As soon as the character is dropped, Cinderella is open. Any new character is able to snatch Cinderella up for their own character. So provided that role is still open, the new mun may take it. However, if the role is taken but the new mun wants to keep the same fairy tale for the dropped character but choose a new role, that's also fine.
The last option is to start the character again, completely anew. That is self-explanatory. Just keep in mind that the characters who interacted with the dropped character will recognize him/her, but your character, being completely new, won't have any idea who they are. That also holds true for a restarted character with the same fairy tale/role as a dropped character, while, of course, a character picked up from where they were left off would recognize everyone.
I saw something about tags - do I have to use them?
Yes, we'd really really prefer that you did. Makes our jobs much easier. Heck, makes finding things a lot easier for everyone. So check out this handy dandy post for all the info you need on the way we'd like things tagged and how to just use tags in general if you need it. ^.^
The fandom character I chose has a close relation (i.e. brother, best friend, etc.) who I want to include in backstory, but the fairytale I chose has no such role. Is that okay?
Yes, and there are a couple ways of going about it. If you are applying alone and no in conjunction with the player who wishes to be the role of your character's brother, you need to make the role vague in your application. It would be unfair to a future player of your fandom character's relation (whatever that may be) to also claim their role. However, for the sake of details, you may keep that character's name. For example, imagine you are applying for Edward Elric of FullMetal Alchemist and want to include his brother, Alphonse, in your character's history. If you are not applying with an Al, you MAY name Ed's brother Al while keeping the role vague. A name is just a name, and even if a future Al player does not want the role of Ed's brother, two people can be named Alphonse in the world without being the same person.
Another way of going about it is more complex. Say the situation is like above and you applied as a character with a close relation, but you applied alone. The fandom relation (we'll say brother in this case, also) can apply with a totally different fairytale for their fandom character - but also stick their character in your backstory and be their brother. Going with the above example, say Edward is Little Red Riding Hood. You added a brother of BoPeep in that story named Al. Now, a person applies for the fandom character Alphonse Elric and contacts you, wanting to be Red Riding Hood!Ed's brother. However, they also want Al to be Aladdin. With some serious thought and tweaking, voila: Little Red Riding Hood and Aladdin are now brothers. Please note, however, that merging two fairytales needs to sound plausible and well-thought out.
Wrapping up with a variation of FAQ question above, what happens if your fairytale has a brother to your character, but you don't have anyone applying with you for that role. One thing you can do is leave the brother's name as it is in the fairytale, plain and simple. Your fandom character does not need to have a brother to have one in this storyline via the fairytale you chose. However, perhaps you are applying for a fandom character with a brother in a fairytale that has a canon brother (or sister). In example, we will again abuse Ed and Al Elric. Ed is applied for as Hansel of Hansel and Gretel. Now the story is Edward and Gretel. An Alphonse player can apply as Al for the role of Gretel, and when they are accepted, the story will change to Edward and Alphonse. All of us probably have experience writing stories and deciding to change a character's name. We will view it as the Narrator changing their mind on Gretel's name, making it Alphonse. The characters will have no memory of the change. It will be as though Gretel's name was always Alphonse.
So that thing I need to apply...
Here, have a "damsel in distress." Psst, that's the passcode for the FAQ.