.:.Shadows of Africa .:. Small reminder in news

[Mkodi]

• 1.1_ -- Table of Contents
  
• 1.2_ -- News & Updates
  
• 1.3_ -- General Rules
  
• 1.4_ -- Quick Links
  
• 1.5_ -- Resident Species
  
• 1.6_ -- Availability
  
• 1.7_ -- Customs
  
• 1.8_ -- Breeding
  
• 1.9_ -- Mini-shops
  
• 1.10 -- Gods of Africa
  
• 1.11 -- Roleplay Information
  
• 1.12 -- Region Map
  
• 1.13 -- Prides and Packs
  
• 1.14 -- Staff and Credits
  
• 1.15 -- Frequently Asked Questions
  
  

Disclaimer: The Lion King and all it's characters and spinoffs are (c) Disney.

[Mkodi]

5.11.12 Just a reminder that everyone needs to be familiar with our naming rules. These have been posted for a while, but it seems the memory of them is slipping with a few.


• Naming Rules: Names for SoA may not be anything in the English language, or words from other languages that have been 'Americanized'. This means that popular names (or words) in foreign languages are a no-go, even if they are not similar to English in nature. We are aware that some small words like 'No' are used in multiple languages, so if you provide proof that the word you want is actually from another language and means nothing similar to the definition used in English, we will allow it. In addition, you can twist the spelling of English or Americanized words around to fit shop requirements. Taking the name Rebecca and putting an apostrophe in it to make Re'becca will not work, but changing it to Ree'bekkuh would. (Names will be denied/approved at the discretion of colorists and/or shop owners.)
  ----(from this thread)


Among other certing issues, please make sure that you have a JRP/Pride RP when changing pridal certs. This includes those that remain uncerted until adolescence, SoA owned by the pride's owners, and those SoA won from pride contests.

Old certs are also important, especially those SoA that were from breedings. Keeping the continuity of generational numbers is important. If you've lost your old cert, see if you can find a siblings' cert from the same litter.


5.05.12 Purge of linearted prides is complete, and the following people have lost ownership status of their respective pride:

• Bahari'Mtoto - KasaiLoki
  
• Kizingo'Zaa - ShinosBee

For information on pride maintenance requirements and reinstating a purged leader, see here.
The next purge will take place August 5th, 2012.

5.01.12 Pride purge time! For all unique-lined pride owners, please make sure that you get your RPs in for the purge! They're due by 9am PDT / 12pm EDT Saturday, May 5th.

4.01.12 Sky Themed Event brought to you by Skye up and running! Visit for your chance at a raffle, auction or freebies!

3.08.12 Major March Customs are open, and we're looking for certists!

2.10.12 Pride lineart raffle is here!

2.9.12 Bluefire Dragonz is holding a raffle here.

2.5.12 Purge of linearted prides is complete and the following people have lost ownership of their pride's lines:
Tuait'tekem - Successful Edit, Summer Rain 07, Tahja Estes

As all of the Tuait'tekem leaders have been purged, the lines have been returned to the shop. Status of these lines will be announced at a later time. The Tuait'tekem still exist/retain their owners, but they have no pridal lines anymore.

There was a mistake on the shop's part in reading the dates on a few of the rps, so the ones that qualify have been removed from this list.

The next purge will take place May 5th, 2012.

11.30.11 We've had some thins coming up more and more frequently in breedings lately, so we decided it was time to clarify some rules. These will be added to all breeding threads, but we thought an announcement was in order as well. Here we go!:
1.) For randoms, you may now choose 'yes,' 'no,' or 'fits with the family.' 'Yes' gives the colorist free reign, meaning you may (but there is no guarantee) get a cub of a completely random color, and/or with random markings. 'Fits with the family' is more conservative, allowing the colorist a little wiggle room (a different shade of a color already in the family, for instance), but you won't see any surprise!wheredidyoucomefrom? babies.
2.) In the Throwback section, you may indicate whether twins or heterochromia run in the family (with image links, please!), but this does not guarantee in any way that either will occur. At the same time, lack of these things does not prevent them from happening in your litter.
3.) We would also like to clarify/re-emphasize that short of choosing whether or not you want throwbacks or randoms (or which rogue line set you prefer), you have no control over the appearance of babies. You can't say 'Don't use this marking/color' or 'Only use this marking/color this way,' unless it is a case of a god having suppressed a trait (in which case, they must be on the list!).
4.) If you are splitting a litter between the mother's and father's prides/packs, any offspring that go with the father must have a JRP, whether it's the mother dropping them off, the father bringing them home, or something for each individual baby. While they are born into the mother's group, they must be accepted into the father's group like any other joining member, and will not be certed until they have a JRP.

11.24.11 This year's Secret Santa Thread is open! Keep an eye on it for your chance to send SoA to friends for the holidays!

10.05.11 Our poll has concluded! With 75% of the vote, the Pridelander lineart once again belongs to the Pridelands. However you answered, thanks for taking the time to vote! Also, the pridal purge is complete. All pride owners have submitted rps, so there are no purges to report. Next purge will take place on February 5th, 2012.

09.29.11 In something of a continuation of yesterday's announcement, the Aali'makabila lines have also been returned to the shop. Staff has discussed the fate of the lines, and rather than automatically rehome them, we thought we would offer an alternative: return them to the Pridelands, where they started. Please go here to vote for your preference!

09.28.11 Two announcements today! First: The owners of the Peke Na have voluntarily returned the lines to the shop; they'll be rehomed once we've arranged the method.

Second:
CLUTTER. SO MUCH CLUTTER. And stuck characters, woe. We're beginning the process of pruning dead prides (the really, really dead ones) from the guild. While non-linearted prides are no longer subject to RP purges, there has been a slow buildup of prides whose owners have left or lost interest, leaving behind perfectly good subforums and members who don't know what to do.

From now on, any pride/pack/group whose leaders are completely inactive for a period of 8 months will be disbanded (no RP, no updates, absolutely zero signs of life in the subforum from the owners). All threads in the subforum will then be archived, and the subforum reused for another pride. If you want your pride back, all you have to do is resubmit it via the usual pride application with new RPs, etc. ICly, our explanation is that there is/has been another plague going around.

Prides being disbanded as of this announcement are: Mteo'nyungu, Mtaishi'miele, Awatupa'Viwanja, Mtango'bui, Mizimu'Tungika, Kucha'ujamaa, Dongo'nchi, Binadamu, Kunanda'Nakhun, Mizuka'Nyevu, Tete'boma, Achana, Duma'chama, Ushirkino Watembezaji, Umande'mfuni

09.24.11 Blue is holding an Auction & Free raffle! Check it out!

09.22.11 Our regular hiring has concluded, and SoA has three new colorists! Please welcome Hotaru-Neko, AnimeChickie, and Ririka to staff. In addition, Nerpin will move from regular colorist to god colorist. God hiring remains open, though, and we'll be getting crits out to the entrants who asked for it as time allows.

08.28.11 SoA is hiring regular colorists as well!

08.12.11 y hello again. SoA is hiring for both temporary and permanent god colorists!

08.12.11 There are, once again, developments with God Reassignment (aka abandoned growings). If you have a god you want to grow, please see this new thread.

08.03.11 Major God Customs have been extended through Aug. 21st!

07.01.11 Linearted Pridal Purge is complete! The following people have lost ownership status of their pride; Dark Fire Angel: Motoujamii-Simo & Kizingo'zaa, Kireiryuu: Bahari'Mtoto. Thalion and Shinosbee have been given ownership of the Kizingo'zaa as per DFA's request. All prides have kept their lineart at this time. The next purge is scheduled for October 5th.

07.01.11 Goodies for July! Major God Customs and Mix-and-Match Breedings.

06.10.11 Make sure to check out the updated rules and guidelines for Mini-Shops!

06.04.11 As a reminder to current Pride owners with unique lineart: As posted earlier, the next lineart purge is schedule for July 5th! Please have your required rps in by then.

05.22.11 Our Gaia Items Event is underway!

05.12.11 The God Reassignment Thread for getting a new colorist for abandoned gods has been updated - check it for details!

05.10.11 Our hiring contests are over! Our new templater will be Ameh, and our new god colorist will be Samuality. Congratulations to both, and welcome to Samuality! <3

04.14.11 [Eskimo] is holding a speed flatsale on the 18th of April. Check it out!

04.09.11 SoA is hiring for two positions: a God Colorist and an Inker/Templater. Go take a look!

04.02.11 Mix-and-Match Breedings are open! Sorry we skipped the last one, things were a little crazy.

03.05.11 The pridal purge has been completed and the following owners have lost ownership status of their pride:


• Bahari'Mtoto - Amy D
  
• Kizingo'Zaa - Felyn
  
• Aali'makabila - demon_pachabel
  
• Peke Na - Kytora

For information on pride maintenance requirements and reinstating a purged leader, see here. The next purge will be in three months on July 5th, 2011.

03.04.11 The God Reassignment Thread has been updated to include all overdue gods. Please take a look if you have one!

And now, to accomodate situations like missing lines and overdue work, once a SoA has been an adolescent for at least six months, they will be considered an adult for both IC and breeding purposes; if you wish them to breed as an adult, you'll need to include a link to the post in which they grew to adol with your breeding form.

03.01.11 It's that time again! March is a Major Customs Month. Also, a reminder that the linearted pride purge is in a few days.

02.24.11 Lithia and Blue have customs open in the guild!

02.21.11 We have a Dinosaur Event going on now - go check it out!

02.04.11 As you may already know by now, Mila is moving on. Good luck, Dusty! <3

- In happier news, God System 2.5 is now up and running, and may be found in the Gods' Haven subforum; there are probably still some kinks here and there, but bear with us and we'll work through them.

- Pride management is also getting back on track - approvals, certs, and all that good stuff! This includes purges for linearted prides! The next one will be on March 5th. Owners, make sure you have a complete RP ready for it! It needs to have taken place between December 4th and March 4th.

- In addition, a system is going into place to handle the issue of overdue growings better; you won't see the effects of this immediately, but in a month or so. I won't go into details, but rest assured that you'll no longer have to wait indefinitely.

- There is now a Conversion Thread for SoAs colored by departed/inactive colorists, as well as for 'in-between' stages of SoAs who were jumped to adult. Also, if you have a growing god who was colored by Mila, please visit this thread to have Caj or Kirei pick them up.

- Lastly, I'd just like to give everyone a big thank you for sticking with us, and to all the amazing staff working so hard to keep SoA going. heart

01.12.11 Things are happening! There are some new adult male rogue lines, for which several colorists have conversion threads in the guild, Yuna's growings are being handled, and DFA's ready to get rolling on hers (check here if she owes you something). We've got some things going on behind the scenes as well (missing lines, pride stuff, god system, etc. - basically everything that needs doing is in some state of progress/on the list).

In short, stay tuned!

10.20.10 We are hiring for a certist or two! Please head over to the guild to apply. Also, we have an October Nature Event going on right now, featuring auctions, raffles, and possibly a few giveaways. Go check it out!

09.05.10 We are open to applications for Item/Edits Shops now. <3

08.28.10 We currently have a God Rules Discussion Thread open for posting. Current god owners in particular, we invite you to post there to help us improve the current god system. Also, the September Major Customs Month Thread is up.

08.17.10 Kireiryuu and Cajanic are running an event for two god SoA! Check it out~!

08.10.10 If you hadn't noticed, there's been a huge (and very very nice) revamp of the main thread and guild by Felyn, Slander, and DFA. Please take the time to glance over the main thread and all the threads in the guild; they should be much more organized and perhaps answer a lot of questions that people may have had. If you have any further questions, please PM Mkodi. There are also a few smaller announcements I'd like to make ...

- First, I want to congratulate [ Eskimo ] and Ecavi as new regular colorists, and Cajanic and Kireiryuu as new god colorists! Please give them some time to settle into their new roles.

- Second, we're currently doing a revamp of how staff will work behind the scenes. I'm hoping that ultimately this new system will hold the staff more accountable for what they're working on, as well as allow all of them access to credit for extra work they take on. Additionally, it will probably result in more SoAs - customs, giveaways, breedings, etc. - being available, so I think everyone will benefit from it. It's taking up a lot of my time and I apologize for delays in anything else, but please be patient while we get this settled.

- Third, because of some confusion and concerns as to how the god domain/power approvals are being handled, god domains/power approvals are currently on a freeze right now until we have time to discuss how the system will work. There's an awful lot of god owners now, an awful lot of gods, and an awful lot of people who want to be god owners still, which has really complicated matters from when I originally made the god system, when there were only a handful of people running around with them. Please don't send in more domains/power approvals for the moment, we'll try to get this back up and running as soon as we can. Those with gods, please feel free to keep RPing your gods as you have always done.

- Fourth, Bluefire Dragonz and Teh Angel Yuna are on hiatus for the time being due to RL conflicts. Please be patient with them in terms of growths.


07.28.10 DFA has god breeding open here. Sign up is open from now until August 1st!

07.18.10 Hey all, just a head's up~ If you ever have an SoA, by any colorist, that has reached the 5+ month mark from their last growth/when they were first received (with PROOF of when the litter was last received/grown), PM Mila Farrell in regards to this. Please do not badger the colorist directly anymore. <3

07.12.10
Hey all~ Mila/Dust here. Just wanted to inform everyone that Meep and I have decided to return to our old roots of owner/co-owner for the moment, as the shop’s difficult for one person to handle alone. I’ll be getting up to speed over the next week with things here, so please be patient with me. Staff, please take a peek into the staff forum in the guild over the next few days and reply there, if you have a chance.

On a closing note, if anyone has any questions/concerns/comments, please feel free to PM me (preferred) so we can sort them out, or, alternately, you can AIM me at my SN, bluekillerdonkey, later this evening. Please keep in mind that I would like constructive comments/suggestions, things that will make the shop move more smoothly and improve for the future.

Thanks~!
- Dusty

7.10.10 Amy has a God Custom Raffle going on! Free to enter, open to newbies and oldbies alike, check it out here!

7.07.10 Lil is having a contest for a linearted wild dog pack - see here!

Kireiryuu has a flaffle going on in the SoAsia guild, click here for more information. Ameh is holding an event tomorrow, Thursday July 8th at 2pm PST. Previews are located here.

7.04.10 We're dropping the offspring option on certs after the feedback from the poll. Instead, we're using that space for the familiar's names so they won't be listed at the bottom of the cert anymore.

7.01.10 Kireiryuu will be holding an event on Wednesday, July 7th. It will probably happen throughout most of the day. Here is a preview of the pets that will be given out during this event: Previews.

6.30.10 We have a new colorist - please welcome Ameh to our staff! <3

Also, I forgot to add this to yesterday's announcement, but we would like to remind you not to roleplay a SoA as pregnant until you have actually acquired a breeding slot.

6.29.10 SoA is hiring! Please see here.

In other news, when making a god/dess ref, we now ask that you not use a trace of the lines; please make your own ref or use some of the ref lines floating around that others have made.

6.13.10 Shadows of Asia RP is officially open! Since all of the adults have been released for the regular species in Shadows of Asia, we're going to open up RP in the SoAsia guild. This means that you can RP in any of the unclaimed rogue lands with any of the SoAsia pets that you own. Complete announcement is here.

5.31.10 Starting tomorrow, SoA is going on a mini-hiatus for the month of June while colorists catch up with owed work. You may see a few things here and there from someone who is fully up on their work, but there will be no breedings or customs (except for pridal customs, if the aforementioned feel so inclined).

Things will go back to normal in July, which will also be a mix-and-match month.

5.13.10 Grab your gods and head over to the guild for this - Amy's first god breeding!

5.11.10 This is a notice that we've made a change to mortal to god rebirths! If you want your mortal to be reborn as a god (ie: a god is 'giving up' their domain to your mortal SoA) you must have ten completed RPs for the mortal SoA. This will take effect when the next god customs open and you will be required to show these in your form.

4.23.10 Blue is holding a raffle! Newbies get tickets buy two get one free!

4.13.10 Slander's Slightly Strange Slots are open! It's like CC customs month all over again, except it's not at all like that.

4.4.10 A few bits of news! Firstly, god owners will now have an option akin to breeding 'customs' - a one-time-per-god option to pay to keep a second god cub (only if you've already kept a cub, and not from the same litter). This is not a custom, or a random-in - you'll be keeping one of the cubs in the litter. It will also be slightly more expensive than a custom, at 1.5mil. This money will go to the charity mule.

Secondly, applications for item and edit shops are closing permanently. Those that currently exist can stay, but no new shops will be accepted.

And lastly, the size of wild dog litters is now officially reduced to 8. Thanks to everyone who voted! <3

4.1.10 SoA now has a new charity called Blessings of Penna. We're now going to sponsor and pay for customs (both for individuals and pride plots) that customers can't pay for themselves. More info is available in the thread, so check it out!

3.2.10 If you haven't noticed yet, it's a customs month! See the Breeding/Customs subforum in the guild for details and to post your forms.

Also, there is a pride lineart raffle going on, courtesy of Kaelyndra.

2.20.10 God breeding is open; check it out!

2.16.10 The current God system and the God Questing systems have been reworked and require EVERYONE, both God owners and people questing for gods to read up on it. The thread can be found HERE.

2.14.10 DFA and Lil's February god customs are open here and close on Tuesday.

1.18.10 DFA and Slander are holding an event for two unique-lined SoAs - visit here!

The 10/12-1/14 purge is complete, and below are the people who have lost their position and no longer have IC or OOC control of the pride. Their leader character (if an IC leader) will now be considered either rogues or simply downgraded members of the pride/pack they are in:

Aali'makabila - Nevayeh, TrinityCowboy

1.11.10 Pride/Pack/Clan/Tribe Purge!: There will be a purge of inactive leaders on January 15 - that's four days from today. Any leader of a linearted pride who does not have a complete RP from between October 12 and January 14 (the actual purge will take place sometime on the 15th) will lose their leadership status. This RP, which does not have to be with your leader character, must have been started and completed within that time frame.

Pride owners must link their RPs in the purge thread in the guild, or lose their status - no 'I did it, but I forgot to post!' You have plenty of warning to get it in in time. Again, this only applies to linearted prides.

Also, the minishop cleanup is complete! If you didn't check in with me back when I asked, your shop has been archived; if you want it back, please re-apply! For those who re-applied for their item shop permits, all those who were reaccepted have been PMed. If you didn't receive a reply, you've lost your item shop permit for now.

Suka'Fumo and Arba'Sehemu are now official.

12.12.09 Hey look, a thing.

12.5.09 Our new regular colorists are Bluefire Dragonz, Kaelyndra, and Skye Starrfyre, and our new god colorist is Amy D. <3

I haven't forgotten about the minishop thing, I just haven't quite had the time to sit and do it yet.

11.10.09 There are a couple of things going on in the guild that we'd love to have your help with. Please check it out!

11.4.09 SoA is hiring again!

10.18.09 Hey look, another announcement! Mwana-a'Lela is back, and Refilwe'Oluchi and Amani'kikundi are official! Pride applications are open again.

More god news, too! Since rebirth is essentially a new life, and they no longer have blood ties to previous offspring, you may keep another cub from a reborn god. Also, you must wait at least one year from receiving the god or the last time it was reborn (even if it was/will be done via custom) before your god can be reborn again.

ATTENTION MINISHOP OWNERS: There are a lot of inactive shops, and I'd really like to cull them and tidy up the subforum, so there's going to be an activity check. In addition, there's been an issue with consistency/quality from the item/edit shops, so if you have one, PLEASE RE-APPLY. [I will warn you now, there is no guarantee you will be re-accepted]. For other shops, just shoot Mkodi a PM with a link to your shop to let me know that you're still active and want to keep your shop. For both, you have a month to do so - after November 19th, if you haven't checked in, you will lose your license and your shop will be deleted.

10.16.09 Rolls for god breedings will now be 2-6 instead of 1-6, since gods are special and breedings harder to come by. Now you won't have to worry about getting a 1! The 10-RP bonus will still apply and get you an extra cub, too.

Since mix-and-match breedings seem popular, they'll now be a regular occurence - once every three months. Since there's one open currently, the next round will be in January.

Everyone had fun in May, right? RIGHT? Well, we will be having another custom month in November! Custom months will be a twice-yearly event (though it will switch to March+September in the future, to avoid the holiday season).

10.13.09 Hello! As most of you have probably seen by now, Mila is going to be stepping down. She'll still do her growings (and whatever else she cares to), but she's leaving as an owner. <3 to you, Dusty!

Everything is going to stay pretty much the same. For anyone wondering about lineart, Hanyousblood will be doing the swampie lines, and Lilwolfpard will be taking care of the Dawnwalkers and familiars. As for more new pride lines, since someone will probably ask...maybe eventually. We will see.

Pride applications will likely be closed for awhile, until I'm caught up and have time to open them again. Also on the subject of prides, purges are going to change again - they will now only be applicable to lined prides. It's more work to do the purges than it is just to let everyone be, so unless there's no activity at all in your pride for a prolonged period of time, you're fine. For the lined prides, your next purge will be for the period of October 12-January 12 or thereabouts.

10.07.09 Han has a god custom slot open - please check here!

10.02.09 God customs and breeding open in the guild right now - check it out!

09.11.09 Han has been kind enough to color a load of familiars for an SoA familiar event; check it out here!

09.02.09 A god breeding!~ And god customs open now.

08.02.09 God customs open now~

08.02.09 Say congrats to our new god colorists: Dark Fire Angel (who will be staying on as a regular SoA colorists as well~), Hanyousblood, and Lilwolfpard! Also, the colorists who want a certist have chosen Safaia and Felyn as certists, so please welcome them to the staff. <3

07.11.09 Pridal customs available at a reduced price for pride owners~ Check it out.

07.09.09 We're hiring again; for two god colorists and two to three certists. Please check it out~

06.14.09 Please welcome Teh Angel Yuna, Slander, and Ary Keeyara onto the colorist staff! <3

05.30.09 - SoA is hiring some colorists. Check it out!

05.27.09 - The 2/26-5/26 purge is complete, and below are the people who have lost their position and no longer have IC or OOC control of the pride. Their leader character (if an IC leader) will now be considered either rogues or simply downgraded members of the pride/pack they are in.

Aali'makabila - TrinityCowboy
Tete'boma - Asparegus
Afia'Mti - Asparegus - Disbanded
Mtango'bui - endejester
Kucha'ujamaa - Nevayeh
Binadamu - ShinosBee

05.23.09 - Pride/Pack/Clan/Tribe Purge!: There will be a purge of inactive leaders on May 27 - that's four days from today. Any pride leader who does not have a complete RP from between February 26 and May 26 (the actual purge will take place sometime on the 27th) will lose their leadership status. This RP, which does not have to be with your leader character, must have been started and completed within that time frame.

Pride owners must link their RPs in the purge thread in the guild, or lose their status - no 'I did it, but I forgot!' You have a whole week's warning to get it in. All current prides have been around long enough to be subject to this purge.

5.22.09 - DFA is holding an event!

05.14.09 - Nev will be holding a flatsale on May 16th at 6 PM MST! Stay tuned to the thread for more information.

05.04.09 - Though it's not time for the pridal purge until later in the month (and I will remind you closer to the date, as always), I would like to draw your attention to this thread in the guild, which will be where leaders submit their RPs from now on. It's not totally finished yet, but prides can start claiming their posts :3.

[Mkodi]

Breeding Rules - Custom Rules - God Rules - Roleplay Rules

Do not copy, edit, or otherwise steal any of the artwork. You may only edit the art if you have a minishop permit to do so or if you put lettering/words over it. Otherwise, do not put anything else over the art unless you specifically have a shop permit to do so. The ONLY time you may trace over the lineart and post it is in a customs thread for customs/reference purposes on regular SoA (this may not be done for gods). Please do NOT post these anywhere else in the guild or thread (this includes plot threads, if you haven't yet gotten your character's image; or questing threads as well).
Do not beg for a pet. There is also no waiting list, so do not ask to be on one. Please keep up-to-date with the thread!
Be courteous in the thread and through PMs. This goes without saying, no matter how angry you are at someone. Please remember this rule. There is no reason for discourtesy, and people will not listen to you, in general, if you are being discourteous to them.
Do not direct-link. The staff Photobucket accounts see a lot of traffic, and direct-linking may cause them to go over quota. If you are caught direct-linking we may replace the image of your pet with a 'friendly reminder' to discourage such practices.
Owners may not sell their pets, or the offspring of their pets. They may give them away, however. Please PM Mkodi with details if you'd like to give your pet(s) away to someone else. In the event that you don't have anyone to give them to, you may give them back to the shop, and one of our owners will find a new home for them. There are no refunds for any of the Shadows of Africa characters.
We will not normally PM you for a growth or for tagging, etc. Please do not expect us to do so. Instead, try to stay up-to-date with the thread.
Co-owning is not allowed. The sole exception to this are the very special Lord of the Rings cosplays.
We do not take guest colorists. Please do not ask.
You can have unlimited pets. Do not try to make individuals feel guilty for having a lot of pets - they have spent a lot of time and effort and gold to earn them, and they deserve each and every one.
We no longer have an owner's list! Please be sure to save your pets and back them up for this reason.
Please do not name your SoA any English name. The names should be exotic and non-English, and preferably not even English-sounding. Other languages are fine (African languages are heavily preferred), as are made-up names, but please stay away from English words. Nicknames are perfectly fine, particularly if you'd like to name an SoA with a regular African name and then simply nickname him as something else for when you RP him/her.
Cosplays may be duplicated in a different species. The only exception to this is the OC cosplay, which are owned by individuals and may not be duplicated. But anything owned by a major company - Nintendo, Disney (except for the TLK characters), etc. may be redone in another species by anyone.
An individual may get a god once every six months. This does not apply to breedings, events, or gifts, but to customs and pet trades.
Whining is not allowed in the thread. Be good sports. You may be gray listed if you cannot be mature.
Do not attempt to bribe the colorists to open breeding slots/customs. We will open them when we have the time.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM Mkodi or ask here for the advice of the shop regulars. Rules are subject to change at any time. Major changes to the rules will be announced. Please read individual rules for things like breeding, flatsales, customs, etc.

[Mkodi]

• Guild Rules
  
• Customs and Pet Trades
  
• Quest Forum
  
• Journal Forum
  
• Plot Recruitment Threads Forum
  
• Newbie/Oldbie Questions and Advice Thread
  
• Event Forum
  
• Suggestion Box Thread
  
  
  
• Growths and Cert Drop Offs
  
• Minishops
  
  
  
• Current List of Prides/Packs/Clans/Tribes
  
• Creating a Pride
  
  
  
• Gods of SoA - General Information, Questing and Current God List
  
• God Powers Thread
  
  
  
• Gods´ Haven
  
• Rogue Lands

[Mkodi]

(The extensive lineart guide is located here.)

The regular SoA of the shop are the 5 main species: cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, lions and wild dogs. All regular SoA in the shop have four stages: cub or pup, juvenile, adolescent and adult. It takes 2-4 months for them to grow from one stage to the next, depending on the colorist. All of the regular SoA are breedable within their own species and the three cats can be bred to one another to produce hybrids, though these are mostly infertile (more info in the breeding post).

1.Cheetahs - Cheetahs typically live up to 12 years in the wild. They weigh 36 to 65 kg (79 to 140 lb) and stand 67 to 94 cm (26 to 37 in) at the shoulder. Cheetahs are best known for their speed, being the fastest land animal on earth, and can reach speeds between 112 and 120 km/h (70 and 75 mph). They can only run in short bursts (they aren't built for distance) and they also lack strong climbing abilities. Cheetahs are carnivores that prey mostly on animals under 40 kg (88 lb) and unlike other large cat species, cheetahs do the majority of their hunting during the day.

2.Hyenas - The hyena species featured in SoA are Spotted Hyenas, also called Laughing Hyenas. Their average life span is about 12 years. Unlike most species, female hyenas are larger than males, weighing roughly around 12% more. Males weigh between 40.5 and 55.0 kg (89 and 121 lb), while females weigh between 44.5 and 63.9 kg (98 and 141 lb). Adults stand between 70.0 and 91.5 cm (27.5 and 36 in) at the shoulder. Although they have become popularly known as scavengers, the majority of their diet is derived from hunting medium-sized mammals. They clash with lions over food and territory in the wild and often have their kills stolen by the larger species. However, they will not hesitate to steal the kills of cheetahs or leopards and it is usually only male leopards that will stand up to them. They may also occasionally follow wild dog packs in an attempt to feed off their kills, though single hyenas are often mauled by packs if they get too close.

3.Leopards - Leopards are a feline species known for their stealth and excellent climbing abilities. In the wild, they live about 12 years on average. Leopards stand 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in) at the shoulder, though they vary greatly in weight between male and female with the male being 30% larger. Males weigh 30 to 91 kg (66 to 200 lb) where as females weigh 23 to 60 kg (51 to 130 lb). Due to their unrivaled climbing abilities, leopards spend a lot of time in trees and are often seen lounging on branches. They also store their kills on high tree branches to avoid having them stolen by larger species less adept at climbing.

4.Lions - Lions are the largest species in the shop, and the second largest big cat in the world. Male lions stand at about 123 cm (4 ft) at the shoulder and weigh between 150 and 250 kg (330 and 550 lb). Females are approximately 107 cm (3 ft 6 in) at the shoulder and weigh between 120 and 182 kg (264 and 400 lb). Lions live up to about fifteen years of age. They usually hunt in groups but may very often steal the kills of other predators, such as cheetahs, hyenas, leopards and wild dogs. The male lion's mane is used to protect its neck during fights, making penetration in that area nearly impossible, and because of their adaptions to fighting, male lions are among the most fearsome and deadly warriors of the animal kingdom.

5.Wild Dogs - Wild Dogs live up to 10 or 12 years. There is little difference between the genders. They stand on average 75 cm (30 in) at the shoulder and weigh about 17-36 kilograms (37-79 pounds). Wild Dogs are known for their great skill as hunters, with a success rate of 80% (compared to a lion's 30%). However, this success is built heavily upon their pack organization. Like the other species in the shop, they are prone to having their kills stolen by larger predators, especially lions.

The familiar SoA of the shop are what could be referred to as pets of the regular species. There are 10 main types of familiars: avian, genet, hare, jackal, klipspringer, maned wolf, ratel, serval, snake and waterbuck. Each familiar gets two stages: baby and adult. It takes 2-4 months for them to grow from one stage to the next, depending on the colorist. All familiars are breedable within their own species but none of them can cross-breed with others (more info in the breeding post).

1.Avians - Shadows of Africa allows almost every type of bird imaginable, and for this reason it's hard to give specific information on each species. Common traits of most birds are flight, egg-laying, and bird calls unique to each species. For more information on the various linearts we offer for our avians, see the detailed lineart guide in the guild.

2.Genets - Genets are a cat-like species that are very adept at climbing. To aid with climbing through trees, they have a tail that is 1 to 1.5 times the length of their body. They can also fit through any space they can get their head through. They eat lizards, birds, insects and even some fruit. They mark their territory with musk glands, which is somewhat similar to the scent of ferrets. They live for about 8 years in the wild. They are very quick, but may be hunted by birds of prey or leopards. They have a head and body length that ranges from from 49 to 60cm (19 to 23.5 in) and tail length from 42 to 54cm (16.5 to 21 in).

3.Hares - The African hare is about 51 cm (20 in) long and weighs around 1.8 kg (4 lb). In the wild, they can live for up to 12 years. They are a nocturnal species that sleeps in a "form" (a depression in the earth) or under bushes during the day. Hares, unlike their smaller rabbit cousins, do not burrow. They eat leaves, buds, roots, berries, fungi, bark and twigs. They can run very quickly, often in a zig-zag pattern when trying to avoid enemies, and are capable of jumping up to 3m (10 ft) in the air.

4.Jackals - Jackals are a small, fox-like species that stands at 38–48 cm (15-19 in) at the shoulder. They live up to 10 to 12 years in the wild. Jackals den in holes often made by other species, though sometimes they will dig their own if there is none available. These dens are usually 1-2 m (3 - 6.5 ft) in depth with a 1 m (3 ft) entrance. They eat insects, arachnids, lizards, snakes, rodents and the young of mammals like antelope. On the coast, they also feed on beached marine animals, fish and mussels. However, jackals are extremely aggressive and have been seen attacking prey many times their own size in some situations. This aggressive behavior also leads to quarrelsome pack relations.

5.Klipspringers - Klipspringers are a small antelope species that are only about 58 cm (22 inches) at the shoulder. In the wild they live to be about 15 years old, though it may be cut short by predators. The males of the species sport horns approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) long, but the females do not. They spend the majority of their time on kopje (rock outcrops, pronounced "kah-pee" ) where they feed on rock plants. Klipspringers are herbivores and only eat plants. In addition, they also get all the water they require from these plants and actually never drink water from watering holes. The only time they take in additional water is by licking dew from plants in the early morning. They are best known for their jumping abilities, for which they are named, and can leap up to 7.5 m (25 feet) in the air - about 15 times their own height.

6.Maned Wolves - Maned Wolves are a species native to South America. In our world they are the descendants of a captive population that broke out and escaped to the wild many, many years ago. They are almost 1 m (3.3 ft) tall at the shoulder and have a distinctive mane that they use to make themselves appear larger to their enemies. They typically live to be about 12 years of age. They hunt small mammals like rodents, birds, and sometimes fish. A large portion of their diet (50% or more) is plants, including tubers and fruits.

7.Ratels - Ratels are also known as honey badgers and live to be about 20 years old. They stand 23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 in) at the shoulder, with males sometimes weighing twice as much as a female. Their alternate name comes from the fact that they have a large appetite for beehives, however it is slightly misleading, as they attack these mostly for the larvae and not the honey. They are known best for their snake-killing abilities (including pythons and venomous varieties), but are also widely recognized as fierce and efficient hunters. In addition to snakes, they also prey on insects, scorpions, porcupines, hares, ground squirrels, meerkats, mongooses and larger prey such as tortoises, crocodiles up to one meter in size, and young gazelle. They also take lizards, frogs, small rodents, birds and fruit. They've been named the most fearless animal in the Guinness Book of World Records.

8.Servals - Servals are a small feline species that have some traits in common with cheetahs. In the wild, they live up to 12 or 16 years. They stand about 54-66 cm (21-26 in) at the shoulder and have the longest legs in relation to their body of any cat. They can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) and can jump 3-5 m (9-16 ft) in the air to catch birds in flight. Their sense of hearing is so great that they can hear prey burrowing underground and often are seen digging to reach them. Their diet consists mostly of small mammals like rodents, birds, hares, hyraxes, reptiles, insects, fish, and frogs, however they are occasionally seen hunting larger prey like deer, gazelle, and springbok.

9.Snakes - Shadows of Africa allows almost every type of snake imaginable and for this reason it's hard to give specific information about each species. All snakes are carnivores, but each species uses a different method to catch their prey (like venom or constriction). Snakes do not have eyelids, so they don't blink, and smell with their tongues instead of the conventional method via nostrils. Some snakes even have the ability to sense body heat. Most species of snake shed their skin and lay tough, leathery eggs instead of live young.

10.Waterbucks - Waterbucks are a large species of antelope that stand about 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 in) at the shoulder. They live up to 15 years in the wild, though it is often cut short due to predators. Males are usually 25% bigger than the females and have long horns that females do not. They live close to water sources because they are more dependent on water than other types of herd animals. They are herbivores that eat mostly coarse grasses that grow near water and some tree leaves. Despite their name, they do not actually spend much time in the water, but they do take refuge there to escape predators.

(All information taken from Wikipedia.)

[Mkodi]

The shop has a variety of ways for customers to obtain an SoA. The most common of these are listed below along with price and a small explanation of how they work.

Customs
Customs are the best way to get an SoA if you’re looking for something specific, and are available for familiars, regular SoA and Gods. In a typical custom you get to pick everything - including species, gender, stage, colors and patterns. Edits and items are not available on standard customs, nor are unique lines. More details on what you can and cannot get in a custom are posted in the customs information, and individual colorists may also post their specific restrictions.

Slots are open on average about once a month and will be announced in the main thread by the colorist that is opening them. In addition, the shop holds regular 'Customs Months' during which you may post your concept(s). These events usually include some element of Colorist's Choice (CC) which means that colorists get to pick the designs that appeal to them the most.

Pricing is standardized and determined by type (familiar, regular or god) and stage (cub, juvenile, adolescent or adult), so it’s important to make sure you have enough gold for what type and stage you want. If you have trouble getting gold for customs, SoA has a charity called Blessings of Penna that sponsors the quests of customers and will pay for the customs so you don’t have to!

More information on customs can be found in the customs post.


Flatsales, Raffles and Auctions
Occasionally the shop hosts flatsales, raffles and auctions, although they are a lot less common than the other methods of getting an SoA. Rules for each vary from colorist to colorist but there are some basic guidelines that will help you prepare for them! Keep in mind that the colorist hosting the event will have their own specific rules that are just as (if not more) important than the ones listed here.

Flatsales
Flatsales are usually announced ahead of time and the prizes in these events are pre-colored. Flatsales will have a set start time and the staff member hosting the event will ask for thread silence 5 – 10 minutes before it is scheduled to begin. At the starting time, the staff member hosting the event will post ‘Go!’ – they may also require a specific phrase or form in their go post. At this time, all participants will post any required information as quickly as possible and the first specified number of people to post will win. Only winners pay any gold and the flatsale price is usually 5k.

Raffles
Raffles may or may not be announced ahead of time, but they last a lot longer than flatsales. They are usually for one or more pre-colored SoA and are often held in the main thread unless there is a larger event going on at the time. If the raffle is free, you may only buy one ticket and the raffle will usually be shorter than a paid raffle. If the raffle is a paid raffle, there will be a set price (usually 100g per ticket) and ticket quantities will be unlimited. At the end of the raffle, the colorist will roll for winners using Gaia’s random number system.

Flaffle
A flaffle is a mix of a flatsale and a raffle and usually cost about the same price as a flatsale (5k) – once again, only winners pay this price. Flaffles may or may not be announced ahead of time and the prizes are usually pre-colored SoA. The host of the flaffle will announce that sign ups are open for a specified period of time, during which people may post to be entered. When sign ups are closed, the host of the raffle will roll for winners from the people that signed up.

Auctions
Auctions are usually held for special SoA. This includes special events, specials offers, or just SoA that a colorist feels particularly proud of. They may or may not be announced ahead of time and can be held either in the main thread or a separate event thread. Each Auction will come with a starting bid and minimum bid increment and some may have an auto-buy, depending on the rules of the colorist. Auctions will have a specified ending time and a snipe guard in place to prevent sniping. The highest bidder in the end will win the SoA and will be expected to pay within 24 hours. Please read all the auction rules posted before every auction!


In-thread Games
Here in SoA, we are very fond of in-thread games. These games are usually free events hosted by a single colorist or the charity mule for pre-colored SoA. They are usually random and unannounced, so it pays to be an active thread participant or you might miss them! In-thread games may be very generic games that you would find in other places, or they might be games that the staff has thought up all on their own. Obviously we can’t predict all the types of games that could possibly be held but here are a few of the more common ones and a small explanation of them. Please keep in mind that each staff member will have their own rules and the exact game may vary from person to person.

Dice and Random Number Games
The staff member hosting the game will post using the dice rolling or random number post action. They will ask participants to roll the exact number, or try to get as close as possible within a given time frame. Sometimes they may ask for extra things to be posted with these numbers, such as images or phrases. These games are very common, so if you wander into the thread and see people rolling then join in! You can ask what the prize is after you've won.

Roleplay and Story Games
These events often involve more than one person, and tend to last a little longer than dice games. In a simple roleplay game, they will usually ask for a prompt response within a specified period of time. In a story game they will usually ask for you (or a group of people working together) to create the history of an SoA (or group of SoA) within a specified period of time. The events may also be held within the guild, and linked to from the main shop thread.

Naming games
The staff member hosting the game will post an SoA and simply ask all participants to post a name for the SoA and the meaning of said name. The person whose name they like the most will win. Since this is subjective each colorist will have their own preferences for names, but make sure that you follow all the naming rules of the shop in your entry!

Trivia
Self-explanatory! The staff member hosting the game will ask random questions and usually the first person, or first specified number of people, to get it right will win. The questions may or may not relate to the shop. Sometimes creative Googling is all it takes to win, and sometimes even the mighty search engine will not help you.

Scavenger Hunts
Much like a scavenger hunt in 'real life', the staff member hosting the game will ask participants to find a specified list of things. These may include images or simple information (again, Google is your friend!). On rare occasions, scavenger hunts may involve finding images posted in the guild or shop thread, posts made by the shop mule, or some other hidden location.


Breeding
A very common way to get an SoA is through breeding. These are opened at least once a month (though they frequently happen more often than that) and cost 30k: 15k from the owner of each parent. Each species has a set maximum number of offspring from which colorist roll to determine the number for each litter. Due to the often large number of offspring that results from each breeding, the owners of the parents often have cubs 'left over' that they can give away to friends or in free contests. Chances are if you are active in the thread and make a point of befriending the other shop-goers, you’ll be gifted in this way!

In addition to the cubs or pups that are rolled with each breeding, each one also comes with two available custom slots that the parents’ owners either use or have the option of giving away to their friends. Custom-ins are very popular, as they are the only way to get customs on pride or hybrid lineart.

More information on breeding is available in the breeding post.

[Mkodi]

Prices
Regular SoA
Cub: 500K
Juvenile: 450K
Adolescent: 400K
Adult: 350K

Familiar SoA:
Cub: 60K
Adult: 40K

God SoA:
Cub: 1200K
Juvenile: 1000K
Adolescent: 900K
Adult: 800K

General

• Customs are sometimes available in SoA for a fee; you get to choose everything about them, including species, gender, stage, colors, and patterns. Because each colorist opens their customs a little differently, please be sure to look at any rules they may have for their custom openings! They will probably vary from opening to opening. They will tell you where to post or send any winning custom forms. Custom openings can be tracked through the news in the main thread or by watching the Breedings and Customs subforum.
  
  
• A massive customs thread opens every 6 months, in the form of colorist's choice. They are usually held in March and September. These custom threads span the entire month and all able colorists participate.
  
  
• Apart from regular customs, you may also get customs through breedings. Each breeding in the shop comes with two cub-only slots that may be used by the owners of the parents or gifted away to other people. You may only use a breeding slot once a month for regular cubs and once every three months for hybrids, so keep that in mind. (See the breeding section for more information.)
  
  
• Lineart edits are available on regular lines, but only through special events hosted by colorists who can do edits. They will not always be available and have very strict guidelines. Please see these special event threads for specific information! Unique lineart is not available at all unless it is through a rare event.
  
  
• Because people sometimes have trouble getting a particular custom, we will try to open low-luck slots when we can.
  
  
• For customers that may not have quite enough gold to cover the cost of regular SoA, the shop has a charity mule that will sponsor quests and pay for customs. (Please visit this thread for more information!)
  
  
• Remember, real life happens sometimes. If the colorist takes more than one month to complete your custom, the custom price is cut in half. Please try to pay in gold, unless the colorist indicates that they accept items as payment.

Related Information

• You can no longer custom onto pridal lines except through breedings. You must get the permission of the parents' owners to do this, but please do not beg or harass anyone to get a slot. (See the breeding section for more information)
  
  
• You can use regular customs to custom into a litter (on rogue OR pridal lineart) until the that litter grows for the first time. Once it reaches juvenile it is no longer eligible for customs.
  
  
• Due to the fact we want to keep them relatively rare, and most of them can't be bred, hybrids are not available as customs except through breedings. (See the breeding section for more information)
  
  
• You may get a cosplay of x character if it's not taken. We allow one version of each cosplay per species. The list of taken cosplays and their species can be found Here!.
  
  
• Gods are only available on lion lineart, but they may be customized to have traits of other species through their edits.
  
  
• Before you can try for a god in customs, you must have your quest approved through the SoA Gods mule. (See the Gods section for more information.)
  
  
• An individual may get a god once every six months via customs. (This counts for pet trades, but not breedings or gifts.)

Dos and Cans

• Provide the colorist with a reference image if you're looking for something specific. Even the simplest MS paint doodle helps! Amy D has doodled up a free set of lines just for this purpose and they can be found here!
  
  
• Make sure to be specific with what you want! Colorists are not mind readers, and will not redo a custom just because you want to check if 'x' color looks better than 'y' color with 'z' marking. Know what you want before ordering unless you plan on giving the colorist artistic liberty.
  
  
• You may provide a colorist with a basic, general idea of what you want and let them do whatever they wish with it. However, you must understand that by giving the colorist artistic liberty you are accepting that the outcome might not be what you envisioned and you will have to deal with it if it comes to this. The colorist is not required to change their design or give you a refund if you choose this option - it is the risk of giving them artistic liberty.

Don'ts and Can'ts

• Do not steal someone else's pet/character design from another shop/site (this includes deviantart and similar websites) and use them as references. If you did not create any of the art or concepts you are using, you must have permission to use them. If you trick us and we find out, we will not be pleased.
  
  
• On the same lines, do not attempt to get a custom of a pet you own in another shop but did NOT design - please get permission from the person that designed it first (be it the other shop's colorist or someone else).
  
  
• References for gods can no longer be made on traced god lines. Please use different lines!
  
  
• Do not expect the colorist to hand over your custom until you've paid.

[Mkodi]

(Detailed breeding info available here.)

General

• We offer breeding for all species in the shop, both regular and familiar (waterbucks are currently unavailable because we are missing the templates). Each species has a set number of offspring that it may receive. (For more information on offspring numbers, visit the breeding information thread in the guild.)
  
  
• To breed your SoA, you must have five complete roleplays for each parent and these must be new each time you breed. We don't offer breedings for any non-roleplayed SoA unless it is through a special trade slot, though there may be some events that will allow you to breed your SoA with fewer than five RPs.
  
  
• Breeding costs 30k total for regular SoA, but the price is cut in half if there is only one cub. Familiar breeding costs 10k since there are fewer stages.
  
  
• Females have the choice of a 'rogue' breeding, which is breeding without a male. However, she may only have half the total number of cubs normally available.
  
  
• Females must wait for their current litters to reach adolescence before they can breed again, but males can breed as many times as they want.

Dos and Cans

• You can breed adolescents as well as adults, but adolescents have half the normal litter size.
  
  
• You can keep a cub from your SoA's litter, but you may only keep one cub from that SoA ever via normal breeding. So choose wisely!
  
  
• You can custom into your SoA's litter via breeding custom slots. (See the breeding thread in the guild for more information.)
  
  
• You can breed a mortal with a god, but the resulting offspring will be mortal. (For more information on god breedings, see the breeding thread in the guild.)
  
  
• You can breed the regular feline species of the shop together to create 3 types of hybrids. However, the majority of these are infertile and there is no way to change that.

Don'ts and Can'ts

• You may not breed cubs or juveniles.
  
  
• No SoA of a first-cousin or closer relation may breed.
  
  
• You can't RP a lioness as pregnant until you have officially obtained a breeding slot.
  
  
• You may not sell any of your SoA's offspring, nor do pet trades for them. You may hold free contests or give them back to the shop to be distributed as we see fit.
  
  
• You may not harass colorists to open their breeding slots. They do a lot of work and open them as frequently as they can. Harassment and begging may result in greylisting.

[Mkodi]

Once you have your pet from SoA, there are other things you can do with it! Maybe you'd like a fancy signature image, or some art, or a hoard/horde image to show off all your pretties. All of these shops, and more, are available in the mini-shops section of the guild. You can even find shops where you can have your SoA decorated with items, scars, or a new hairdo.

These mini-shops are not officially administered by the owner/manager of SoA (even if some of them are run by staff members). All business conducted between the mini-shops and the customer is to remain 100% between the mini-shop owner and the customer. Shadows of Africa provides a convenient location for all such shops to be collected, and nothing more.

Opening a Shop
If you wish to open a shop that sells artwork, hoard images, or other materials that do not require edits to the official SoA lineart/pets, then you may do so without applying for a permit. Simply read and abide by the rules on opening a shop! Any shops that do not comply will be removed without notice.

Shadows of Africa is no longer accepting any shops that create edits to the official lines (items, scars, paint, hair, expressions, etc.). All existing shops may remain, and will not be removed unless they are inactive for an extended period of time.

Placing an Order
If a shop is marked as [OPEN] and it provides a service you wish to purchase, then follow the instructions in that mini-shop! Please do not pester the owners of [CLOSED] shops to open slots, or ask the shop staff why mini-shops are not open. We do not control their schedules, nor do we require them to fill a quota.

All transactions in the mini-shops forum are conducted solely between the mini-shop owner and the customer. Shadows of Africa will not be involved in the business conducted within that forum, unless the mini-shop owner violates the rules they agreed to when opening their shop.


Additional notes:
Mini-shops are a bonus, not a necessity.
Your SoA doesn't need edits for you to roleplay him/her has having a necklace, or a scar, or a curly mane. These traits are all things that you can decide for yourself - the edits provided by mini-shops are just an extra little perk!
Edits created in the mini-shops are not inheritable.
While some special SoA can pass down their edits (if bred by the right colorist), most will not. Unless your SoA is on the list, he/she will not pass down edits to his/her offspring.

[Mkodi]

(Detailed information on gods can be found here.)

In the beginning, there was Mkodi.

From the void, Mkodi drew forth all creation. The lands formed and the seas rose, and life came to the earth in the form of plants and soulless creatures. And it was good. But it was also boring, as Mkodi's creation was too perfect. The world existed in perfect harmony, each being taking only as much as it gave. And so, Mkodi created the thinking creatures of the world. First among those creations were the lions, the largest and most powerful of Her creatures.

But Mkodi's attempt to bring change to the world was too successful. These new creations spread across the land, upsetting the balance and threatening to run themselves out of existence. And so Mkodi turned to the spirits of the land itself, to the essence of Her creations. From this essence she brought forth the Gods, powerful caretakers of all creation. The first among these Gods were the most basic elements of creation: Life, Death, Time, Change, Chaos, and countless others. Many of these Gods were created in polar opposition to each other, like Life and Death.

These parent Gods spread across the lands, restoring Mkodi's creation to Her original purpose. And as they spread, so too did belief in their existence. The mortals looked upon the Gods with favour, worshipping them and beseeching them for aid. And from the belief and actions of the mortals, new Gods were born to these parent Gods. And so the domains of the Gods spread and diversified, from generation to generation.

Over time, Mkodi grew distant. The Gods, once bound to Her purpose, became free to act independently.

General
The Gods of SoA control everything in life and are responsible for everything that happens. However, gods depend heavily upon the belief that mortals have in them. If there was no belief in a certain god, they would not exist, and so gods are almost as dependent upon their mortal counterparts as the mortals are upon them.

Each god has a specific domain that he or she rules over, such as the sun or the moon, and their powers will relate directly to that. There are also some gods that are very similar in their domains, such as the God of the Sun and his son, the God of the Day. God domains can be tricky in overlaps and relations but no two gods will be exactly alike.

Customs
Gods are available for customs in this shop, but function a little differently than regular customs. They get their own separate custom raffles and are much more rare. You must also submit a quest for approval before you are allowed to participate in custom raffles (please see the link at the top of this post for more information).

Gods can be customed to a greater extent than regular SoA because they are allowed to have lineart edits. However, even gods may not be requested on unique lines - their edits must leave the lines beneath recognizable.

*Please note that you can no longer make references for your god custom using traced god lines. All references for god customs must be done on different lines!

Breeding
Two Gods may be bred together to create god cubs. However, because gods are more rare than mortals, their breedings are also rarer. God breedings happen once a month, usually around the same time as god customs. The cubs from the breeding will both look like their parents and have domains that usually reflect one or both of their parents. The basic requirements for a god breeding and a regular breeding are the same, but for more information, please see [LINKHERE]this thread[/ENDLINK].

If a god breeds with a mortal, the resulting offspring will always be mortal. However, these mortal offspring get perks like being larger than average and having the ability to see the future.

[Mkodi]

Shadows of Africa is a shop based on the native species of Africa, set during the early 1960s near the Great Rift Valley. All of the animals of the shop live in the wild and have little to no contact with the urbanized world of humans. Each animal should be roleplayed as living in their natural habitat, or as close to it as possible. We understand that not everyone is an animal expert so there is some leniency concerning the habits of the shop species.

In addition to the basic roleplay setting, we have a few rules and guidelines concerning roleplay that are important to know!

Roleplaying is encouraged, but not required. However, you will not be able to breed your characters if you do not.
You may set up journals for your characters if you wish. This is particularly helpful for keeping track of character's histories and roleplays.
RP can be done in the guild or the main thread or on AIM/another messanger service. You are encouraged to have plots with your character/other characters, as long as you have the approval of those characters' owners.
Do not god-mod, twink, etc. This will not be tolerated. You cannot play as someone else's character unless you are given permission from his or her owner.
Expect IC actions to have IC consequences. If your character hurts another character in any way, do not expect for your character to be able to get away without harm - the owner has every right to retaliate. If you enter into an agreement to have your character blessed/cursed by a god, understand that this is binding and may not be reversed just because you decide you don't want to RP it anymore. Unless you have spoken to the owners of all characters involved, be prepared for people to respond in ways you may not have predicted.
These are animals. All of the pets in this shop are animals native to Africa. They are not from another continent, they are not aliens, and they are not magical fairy creatures. They can't communicate with humans, they can't wield swords, and they can't dance the macarena. They can communicate with other members of their species and members of other animal species. We allow them to have human emotions, thoughts and ideas but they are still animals. Please be realistic about the things you roleplay.
There are no human characters allowed. The pets in this shop are not meant to have any extensive contact with humans. They do not even live in a part of Africa that would give them contact with the urbanized world. Small amounts of contact with hunters or tourists are permitted but these should be treated as rare once-in-a-lifetime occurrences. If we see anyone using a human NPC character repeatedly, we will be quite irritated.
They live in the 1960s. This is not extremely important to the shop since not much will have changed about the wild between then and now. However, we do allow people to incorporate items that could be lost by a human explorer into roleplays. That being said, do not have your wild dog find an mp3 player, or your cheetah pick up a cellphone to carry back to her cubs for playtime.
Be aware of prides and packs. In SoA, your character can either be a rogue or a member of a pride or pack. Prides and packs own land, have their own rules, and each one gets their own cert for the members. If you're interested in joining or even interacting with one, please read all their rules and understand what is and isn't allowed. (More information available in the Prides and Packs post.)
You may only play one of the shop species if you have bought and own one. You may not create OCs as any regular or familiar species in the shop unless you have bought a character on these lines. The only free characters you can create and play are African animals that currently do not have lines within the shop (meaning we do not sell them as pets).

[Mkodi]

The lands occupied by the creatures of Shadows of Africa are within the region known as the Great Rift Valley, a unique area nestled between two great rifts and their corresponding mountain ranges. Formed by the splitting of the Africa Plate into the Somali and Nubian Plates, this region shows a great deal of past and current tectonic activity. Many 'mountains' are actually dormant volcanoes, and there are several active volcanoes as well. The lakes within the rift valley are extremely deep, and many of them are actually saltwater lakes instead of freshwater. The largest of these lakes, to the north, is so vast that were it not a freshwater lake it could easily be mistaken for an ocean in its own right - it is not possible to see the distant shore from land.

Within the protective bounds of the mountains and valleys, the lands are relatively lush. The dry season is still dry and life-threatening, of course, but it is not nearly so deadly as the deserts that lie beyond the mountains.

A lion would be able to travel between 35-40 miles in one day, if he/she did not stop to hunt or rest. This sort of dedicated travel is unusual, of course, as most lions or prides will move slowly over a span of time (at a rate of 10-25 miles per day). Gods can cover far more ground in a far shorter time, thanks to their ability to fly. Most prides occupy a territory no larger than 100 square miles (10 miles across) with a large buffer space of rogue lands between them, but larger prides will require more space.

[Mkodi]

Prides and packs are an important part of SoA and roleplaying depends heavily on whether or not an SoA is a part of a pride. Not only are they important for roleplaying, but they also determine what cert an SoA will receive and what lines an SoA can breed on.

Joining a Pack/Pride
Being in a pack or pride can greatly benefit the survival of an SoA since the rogue life can very often be hard on certain species in the shop. If your SoA wants to leave the rogue life and join a pride, there are a few things you should do first!

• Read all of the rules of that pride or pack - You need to understand all of the rules of a pride and pack because each one may be vastly different than any others. Some prides will only accept certain species, some prides are very dark and violent, and others actually have restrictions against violence of any kind. Read up and know where your character is and isn't welcome!
  
• Get Permission - Most prides/packs handle joining requests via a joining thread in their subforum, or through PMs sent directly to their mule. Make sure you know where to send your request!
  
• Get the joining requirements - After you have permission, the last step is usually obtaining a joining RP. Depending on the pride, these may need to be done specifically with a pride owner or might be okay to do with any pride member. In addition to joining RPs, some prides have additional requirements, so make sure you read all the rules.
  
• Get the cert - Once you have met all the requirements, you post for your new cert in your colorist's certing thread. Your cert makes your SoA an official part of a pride or pack.

Cert Information
As previously stated, what cert an SoA is on is determined by the pride or pack that he or she is in. If an SoA is not in any pride or pack, they are automatically given the shop's default 'rogue' cert. The example below is the cert of one the shop's oldest prides, The Pridelands.

Each cert lists the name of the SoA, their owner, their parents, and their familiar in the main section. It will also include a symbol for their gender, a symbol for their pride, and the generation they have according to the shop's timeline at the bottom. If they are in a pride, they are given a rank at the top right corner and may have additional information elsewhere on the cert as well.

Creating a Pack/Pride
Prides and packs are owned by individuals, not by the shop. Anyone can create a pride or pack as long as they meet the requirements laid out in the Creating a pride or Pack Thread.

Although individuals may create prides or packs, they may not request unique lineart for them. These are only available in rare raffles that have specific guidelines according to the lines being given away.

[Mkodi]

Staff and Credits

Creator - Mila Farrell
Owner - Meepfur
Colorists
(* = can do lineart edits, † = can do gods)
Ameh, AnimeChickie, Bluefire Dragonz, Cajanic*†, Ecavi, [ Eskimo ], Hotaru-Neko, Kaelyndra, Lithia_Brandon, Meepfur, Nerpin*†, Ririka, Safaia, Skye Starrfyre
Artists - winterfalcon, Artsywolven, Dark Fire Angel, hanyousblood, Jestari, Kaelyndra, Mila Farrell
Certists / General Assistance - Safaia, ShinosBee

Past Staff / Credits

Departed Colorists - Amy D, Aris Ravenstar, Ary Keeyara, Dark Fire Angel, Hanyousblood, Kireiryuu, Kisoni, Lilwolfpard, Mila Farrell, Nevayeh, Slander, Taejira, Teh Angel Yuna
Other Credits/Thanks - Faolen, Felyn, Remove, Sherlolly, Thalion, TheMadHatter

Contact Information
Please DO NOT contact any of the individuals listed above directly, unless you wish to speak with them about a personal matter that is unrelated to the shop. All shop-related PMs should be sent to the appropriate mule, as listed below. Messages that are not sent to the appropriate mule may not be answered. We will do our best to address your questions within a reasonable time, and ask for your patience and understanding.

General Issues/Questions - Mkodi
God/Powers Issues/Questions - SoA Gods
Pride-related Issues/Questions - The appropriate pride mule (SoA staff do not have official control over any of these mules)

Blacklist
These individuals, through their poor actions, can no longer acquire another SoA (through gifting, customs, ANYTHING). They may also not utilize mules to do so, either.

Rabid-White-Mongoose
Fenrir Feros/Captain Wolfe/Matahari Harimau/Zero and Below/robot kittio

[Mkodi]

General Questions

Do you accept RL payment for SoA?
No. The only currencies accepted for SoA are Gaia gold, pet trades, or art trades.
Do I direct-link?
No. Please save to your own servers! This includes all stages. We can't stress this enough; we will break direct-links if we see them being used. The SoA Photobucket accounts see a lot of traffic, and can go over bandwidth if you are inconsiderate. Just save yourself and us the trouble by not direct-linking.
Do you need a colorist?
No, we do not need any colorists at this time. We will open a hiring thread if we feel we need any more colorists.
I have another question that isn't on here!
Ship it to Mkodi in a PM, and we'll see what we can do.

Getting/Owning an SoA

How can I get an SoA of my own?
There are lots of ways to get a pet from Shadows of Africa - you can get one through a flat sale, raffle, custom, pet trade, an event, or an auction. If you stick around the thread, there's even a chance that a colorist will give you one for free if you're a dedicated newbie. Or that someone will give you a baby from their breeding! Activity counts for a lot, and if you hang around, chances are it won't take you very long to get one to get your collection started. For more details on ways to get an SoA, please see the Availability post above.
How many SoA may I have?
As many as you want. There's no limit on the total number of SoA you may own, but you may be restricted to getting only one or two per event.
My SoA isn't growing! Why is that?
Generally, an SoA will spend 2-4 months at each stage of growth (and there are four stages). Please do not expect them to grow before that time period! This growth schedule is in place to make certain that players have enough time to roleplay their SoA at each stage. It is possible that RL problems for the colorist will cause growth delays, as well. RL happens. Do not PM anyone directly (you may PM Mkodi, however) or complain in-thread if this happens.
The colorist of my growing SoA left, and now my pet isn't growing. What do I do?
After the departure of a few colorists, we took steps to catch up on their work owed. Most of these growings have been completed and can be found here. If your missing SoA is not there, then PM Mkodi to inquire. Please give as much information as possible about your SoA so that we can help you.
Can I get a custom with one of the prides' unique linearts?
The only way to get a custom on pride lineart is to custom a cub into an upcoming litter. This requires the permission of the owners of the parents.
Can I get a custom with unique lineart?
No, unless you win an event or auction.
Can I get a custom with lineart edits?
These are reserved for auctions or special events. Custom gods, however, do get lineart edits.

Breeding your SoA

Can SoA breed?
Yes. You need to RP them actively to do so, and they must have a relationship with the other character before they do (or, for females, they can have a random rogue fling). For more information on breeding your SoAs, please refer to the Breeding section.
In a breeding, how is lineart determined?
Whichever pride/pack the mother is currently in (not just on the lands, but in the actual pride), the cubs will have that lineart. Hybrids will have special hybrid lineart that is only obtained through breeding. God x god breedings are always god cubs; God x mortal breedings are always mortal cubs.
In regards to the breeding rules...if you roll the maximum number of cubs/pups, but also send in 10 roleplays, do you still get an extra cub/pup?
Yes. You can also allow up to two additional custom cubs (1 in the case of hybrids), and as many staff customs as you'd like. During a CC custom month you can offer additional cub spots, but there is no guarantee that they will be chosen by colorists.
Can I ever have more than one of my SoA's offspring?
You get one 'free' cub from your own SoA, and one only. This means that if you breed two of your own SoA together you have used up that 'free' cub from both of them. After you have gotten that one cub you will have to get any others as customs.
Why do you limit owners to keeping just one cub from each SoA you own?
To encourage generosity! It's more fun to share the love, and giving out lots of cubs gives you new people to roleplay with.
How long does it take to receive cubs from a breeding?
It can take anywhere from less than a day to three weeks. Please do not badger colorists during this time.
Can I give away/sell my SoA or my SoA's cubs?
You may not sell them or trade them. However, you may give them away to friends, or offer them in a contest.

Roleplay and Setting

Are these RP required?
No. You can buy it and never show up again, if you'd like. You will not lose your pet. However, RP is required if you want to breed.
How do I find a good name for my SoA?
The names you give your characters should be African-sounding or significantly foreign enough that they don't sound English. No Billy or Bob or Sara or anything like that. They don't necessarily have to be Swahili, though...foreign names are (in general) fine. If you have a question about a particular name, ask. Some language links on the web are: Swahili/English Language Dictionary, Sheng/English Language Dictionary, Zulu/English Language Dictionary, Northern Sotho/English Language Dictionary.
Where do we RP?
Most roleplay takes place in the Shadows of Africa guild, in any of the IC sub-forums. You may also RP within the main thread itself, as long as you specify where you are. Or you may RP on AIM/MSN/etc. and post the logs in the guild. It's up to you!
How do I get to be a King/Queen, or leader of a pack/clan/tribe?
For more information on prides (and other groups) please see the Setting information.
When and where is Shadows of Africa located?
Shadows of Africa is located right in the heart of Africa, near the Great Rift Valley. Mufasa and Sarabi have both passed away. We are not, however, following the TLK plot! Many of the original Pridelanders, including Simba, Nala, Sarafina, and Scar, no longer exist; they passed away. In terms of human time, however, this is around the 1960's.
Can all the species understand each other?
Yes, they can. Humans obviously can't understand any of them.
Can they be homosexual?
We have no problems with that. However, the setting doesn't have advanced technology or anything, so if they wanted children, they'd have to adopt.
Do humans exist in this world?
Yes, they do! Think 1960's. However, this isn't Gaia, so please don't RP your avatar as a human character with your lion/SoA. Because this shop is so focused on the animals, humans don't play a big part in this world.
Can my SoA have special powers?
Unless your SoA is a god or a seer, then no.
Can my SoA die?
In most cases, only when/if you want them to. If your SoA was won in a plot contest then there may be a chance of death, but you will be warned of this chance before you enter. If you win an SoA from a contest like that then it can be killed or injured without your permission.
Could they be reincarnated?
Only gods are reincarnated. Regular SoA are not, their souls pass directly to the afterlife.

Gods and Seers

Can I get a god that's anything but a lion?
At this time, no.
Somebody already did the god I wanted to do! Can I get another one with the same domain?
Sorry, no. But there are a lot of other domains available, so you could always PM the SoA Gods mule to get some help in picking a good one to quest for!
How do I get permission to quest for a specific domain?
Permission is granted by the staff, via the SoA Gods mule. See the Gods Information thread in the guild for more details.
What powers do gods have?
While all Gods share a few basic powers, the rest of their abilities vary according to their domain. See the Gods Information thread in the guild for more details.
How do I get my God's powers approved?
Powers are approved by the staff, via the SoA Gods mule. See the Gods Information thread in the guild for more details.
How do I get a God rebirth?
At this time, Gods are being reborn via regular customs. You can post for a god rebirth as if you were posting for a normal custom, during the monthly god custom openings.
How do I get my mortal reincarnated as a God?
It's easy! Get the domain approved by the SoA Gods mule, and post as if you were trying for a regular custom. Once you get the slot you can RP out his/her ascension to godhood. Some Gods have domains that may be related to this, such as Rebirth and Souls, so you may wish to contact their owners and see if you can do some RP with them.
How do I get a seer?
Seers are the direct offspring (or descendants) of Gods. When a God and a mortal mate, all of their offspring are seers. In a mortal/mortal breeding there is a 1 in 10 chance that a cub will be born a seer (it is presumed that this chance is due to a distant God ancestor).
What can seers do?
They can see the past, present, and future. However, they might not always be able to make sense of what they've seen. They have no other powers beyond this, with the exception of special seers given away in special events.