Thieves of Laurasia - Small Annc. pg94! Halloween soon!

[Talonswift]

One hundred and sixty million years ago, the sun-scalded air thrummed with heat and huge filament wings and leathery shadows, the seas boiled in the wake of leviathans a hundred feet long, and the earth trembled beneath the steps of living legends—the mighty beasts called ‘dinosaurs’. Large and small, they filled the twin continents and ruled while the little furred-ones trembled in their shadows, waiting for the day the tyrant king and his fierce subjects would fall, leaving only their small, feathered heirs as a vestige to their power.

The earth, the sky, the sea, the beasts—everything was vast beyond human imagination; a kingdom untouched by the ever-altering hands of the primate known as Homo sapiens. Magnificent forests, worlds of twilight, rose hundreds of feet in the air; grassland stretched for miles and miles, casting pollen to the thrumming bees between the trample of thousands of heavy feet; rivers ran unchecked to the bucking seas, full of drifting weeds and tides of tiny lives, unpoisoned.

Here, amongst the many, roaming creatures, through the grass and rocks and shadow, stealthy hunters moved, small but fleet and fierce. They were the thieves, the raptors, armed with twin blades of bone and grasping talons, rogues belonging to an empire of uncertain and wavering alliances and familial ties where death was always close at hand and life meant strength, cunning, and defiance in the face of Fear.

Guild | Owner's List | Roleplay | Customs | Journals

[Talonswift]

July 10th - Lots of in-thread events will be held this summer, so come check it out! A flatsale will be happening on the 14th!

March 18th - We'll be doing a multitude of reopening events this week! Check out page two for information and previews!

March 9 - The thread is almost complete and the guild is up! Check first post for links of interest. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I was able to salvage many certs from the old thread, but not all of them. Many pratensis certs are missing. If you are an old owner and you have your certs, please PM them to me so they can be added to the owner's list.

[Talonswift]

• Do not steal, borrow, edit, remove the copyright, trace, sell or redistribution the artwork from this shop.
  
  
• Do not cause trouble. We want to keep a laid back, friendly atmosphere in this shop. Please avoid drama, take fights to PMs (if you must), and please avoid discussing stuff like politics or other highly controversial topics.
  
  
• Be polite to the staff. This applies to any and all people working within the shop. Do not pester colorists for growings/custom openings/breedings. These will all be announced ahead of time or done in a timely fashion.
  
  
• Do not harass or bribe raptor owners for breedings/eggs, or anything else. Users found doing this can be blacklisted.
  
  
• Do not beg or guilt trip for pets. There will always be other chances and it only causes unease for everyone involved. If you act like a poor sport you risk being grey or possibly even blacklisted (for repeat offenses).
  
  
• Resale of ownership of your raptor/s is not allowed. Transfer of ownership is possible, but only by talking with the staff first.
  
  
• These are not RP-required, but there will be a few perks that come with it if you choose to, most of them are related to breeding.
  
  
• Co-owning is not allowed.
  
  
• You may own unlimited pets, but there will be limits to how many pets any one person can get during sales or events.
  
  
• Please must host your own certs if you want to display them. Direct-linking is generally a no-no. Certs will always be linked from the photobucket in the owner's list, however, in case you lose yours somehow. The cert links in the guild are high-quality and also not sig safe, so beware.
  
  
• We reserve the right to refuse sale. If you've been caught breaking the rules we can and will blacklist you. Blacklisted persons will be banned from the shop. Under TOS their pets will not be confiscated, but any special RP-required pets may be taken away depending on the circumstances.
  
  

[Talonswift]

About the beasts themselves

Hundreds of millions of years certainly does leave gaps in hard evidence, and makes studying these fantastic creatures and the world they inhabited very difficult. Most of what we know about dinosaurs is based on educated guesses at best. To recreate the living animal, we have filled in those gaps with our own information, some based on those educated guesses, some intentionally incorrect (for the purposes of more enjoyable RP), and some just plain made up. All of our raptors are of a fictional species, based on existing dromaeosaurids, but with combined or fabricated traits.

Living raptors were probably hardly more intelligent than the modern dog, despite popular media. However, our raptors are anthropomorphic in the way that they can think, perceive, and feel in that manner that a human (their player) would, making them far more intelligent than they actually were. Though inaccurate, it makes for a more entertaining RP atmosphere (and we are all here to have fun, after all!)

The Dromaeosaurids, often called ‘raptors’, are bipedal theropod dinosaurs distinguished by the large, sickle-shaped talons on the second toe of their hind feet. They are swift, stealthy hunters who use their slashing toes, grasping talons, and rows of sharp teeth to bring down prey, both big and small. They range from two to twenty feet in length; however, the majority of the raptor species here are of a medium length (around ten feet), unless otherwise specified. The majority of them are feathered to some degree.

Being warm-blooded, raptors hunt both during the day, and the night, but prefer the evening or dark hours to do their killing. They eat a variety of creatures ranging from small dinosaurs, mammals, and insects, to the large leaf-eaters, which have to be taken down by packs.

Naming Conventions

Some raptor subspecies will have more detailed naming conventions, but for now, until we get more;

• English names such as Bob, Steve, Lucy, etc. will NOT be allowed.
  
• Fantasy and made up names are ideal, check out the owner's list to see what we mean by this. Once again, using good judgment about the shop setting will help you pick a good name.
  
• Names in other languages are alright, but we'd prefer they not be too long or have any odd symbols in them.
  
• Names based on nature or physical attributes are also fine. The mule's name 'Talonswift' is a good example of this. Please try to keep these relatively short as well.
  
• We reserve the right to ask you to choose another name if the one you've chosen doesn't fit.
  
  Culture
  
  also coming soon
  

[Talonswift]

The raptors come in three stages. These are: egg, hatchling and adult.

As Hatchlings these raptors are no more than a couple of feel long. Like baby birds they are covered in a softer, more fluffy down than their parents but they'll lose this as they grow. Some hatchlings change slightly in markings and color as they mature. They are able to walk and run not too long after hatching as their agility and strength steadily increases. In an out-of-character sense, your pet will take approx. 3 weeks to a month to reach adult stage.

As Adults these raptors are fully independent, though they can choose to gain support in a pack or strike out on their own. Their intelligence, speed, strength and of course those huge claws, all make them very efficient hunters.

[Talonswift]

The versatility and adaptability of the Dromaeosaurids allows for a good deal of diversity in their species and sub species. Being such a successful group, they have spread throughout Laurasia and exist in a wide range of colors, sizes, and feather patterns.

The species offered at this shop is no known species of Dromaeosaurid. Rather, we have chosen to create our own raptors species known as Pennigerraptor (“feathered”, “thief”), making the subfamily Pennigerraptorinae.

Pennigerraptors, like wolves, are divided into a diverse number of subspecies, all of which can breed. ToL is beginning with two subspecies, but will offer more as new territories are discovered.

Current known subspecies:

[Talonswift]

Sales Procedures and Rules

There will be a variety of ways in which to obtain your very own raptor from this shop. The most common way will be by flatsales, giveaways, and contests. Listed below are the basic flatsale rules, please read and follow them. Regular sales and small events will usually be hosted on the second page of this thread, and can range anywhere from flaffles to prompt contests. Check the news section for updates and links to see if anything is going on.

• Don't ever change or edit your posts during events such as speed sales, or other activities in which editing can be used as an unfair advantage. People are watching, you will be caught, and this is a blacklistable offense.
  
  
• Don't be a poor sport. Being a whiner or a guilt-tripper makes for a lot of unneeded tension and makes the thread atmosphere very unpleasant. We strive to make our events fun and to give everyone a chance, so don't ruin it for others.
  
  
• Do not discourage others from buying, bidding, or competing in any kind of event. This includes passive-aggressive actions such as; discussing your gold or funds during auctions, 'claiming' pets before you have won them, or obnoxiously rooting for certain people.
  
  
• Make sure to read event rules. Our sales and events vary; to keep things fresh we like to mix up our methods, so be sure to read the included rules to every event!
  
  
• Make sure to follow event win-limits. Most sales and events will have a limit on how many pets you can win, and sometimes you will be restricted from participating at all if you have won pets too recently. Breaking this rule won't get you on any list, but will disqualify you if you enter with any restrictions in place.
  
  
• Make sure you can fulfill the requirements of certain pets. Though this shop is not generally RP-required there may be certain events in the distant future that will feature characters that play key roles in metas or RPs. If you cannot fulfill these you may end up forfeiting your pet.
  

Customs and Bribes

Another, slightly less common method, to obtain a raptor of your very own. These can be colored any way you want (within the species parameters) and are offered on a more seldom basis, generally at the whim of the colorists of the shop. There are some basic, important rules and notes about these that you must bear in mind. For more in-depth information on this, please check out the customs subforum in the guild!

• Certain species have certain color and marking parameters. This is an important note that all the colorists will know about and enforce. We reserve the right to reject or request change in customs that do not follow the guidelines. For now we are offering 'natural' color raptors with earthy tones. You would never see a raptor of the pratensis species with bright, exotic reds or blues! In the future, as more species become available, you will have more variation and better color choices.
  
  
• Edits will be kept to a minimum (for now) and will be scrutinized. Everything must be natural; there is nothing 'man-made' at all in this world. Some raptors like to adorn themselves with trinkets they have made from feathers, leaves, sticks, or bones, and can attach these items with plant fibers or animal sinews. However, there is nothing like armor, cloth, or metal to be found. Keep this in mind when planning out any sort of custom with edits.
  
  
• Cosplays will be dealt with on an individual basis. There will be no clothed raptors, and there will definitely be no raptors with blatantly colored-on clothing. Tastefully done cosplays are a definite possibility, and we may offer uniquely lined ones in the future. For this reason, we reserve the right to reserve certain characters.
  
  
• Do not steal character designs, even if it's just colors. If we catch you trying to do this you will get into big trouble.
  
  
• Feel free to ask questions, but do read through the custom forum in the guild. We'd rather you ask and help you work out concepts rather than have to disqualify or deny your entry if it doesn't follow the rules.

[Talonswift]

The Earth of the cretaceous period was a magnificent place, but not otherworldly. The continents broke millions of years before drifting further apart; twin kingdoms known as Laurasia and Gowanda. Our story takes place on Laurasia, where the remains of Dromaeosaurids have been found in modern North America, Europe, Africa, Mongolia, Japan, China, and Argentina.

Ferns grew here in this world, and conifers and magnolias, many of the plants that live on today in much the same manner, regardless of the sudden change in animal administration. Despite the incredible amount of time that separates our world from this distant place, a person well acquainted with nature might find the various terrains surprisingly familiar: tall mountains, shady groves, endless prairie, rocky shores, sandy deserts, and steaming jungles. Most of the cretaceous was a steam bath; a furnace of a planet in which snow did not fall, and ice was foreign save, perhaps, on the highest mountaintops.

Our story, however, occurs during a minor shift in weather. Recent volcanic activity has caused a cooling over the planet. Winter freezes the polar seas, and snow falls when the sun goes unseen from the sky in those extreme places. This change has caused a slow decline in many dinosaur species, but the Dromaeosaurids in these areas have responded with thicker feathery coats, surviving the change regardless, feeding on warm-blooded mammals and other dinosaurs that have learned to tolerate the temperature.

The raptors of this shop currently live in the meadow and forest areas shown on this map. Please feel free to refer to this when organising rp's or deciding on a pack's territory.

More areas will become accessible in the future...

Roleplay Rules and Guidelines

• No god-moding. This means you can't play another person's character nor completely control what happens to them. Keep this in mind when roleplaying fights.
  
  
• Roleplay is not required, but greatly loved. There will be perks to roleplaying when breeding rolls around.
  
  
• You cannot kill, maim, disable, or mutilate someone else's pet or established character without their consent. Doing so falls under god-moding and will not be tolerated.
  
  
• There are limitations. If you choose to RP, you must keep this in mind. None of the raptors have super powers, they cannot fly, or anything similar to that. The characters also have physical limits; a lone raptor can't take down a T-rex by itself, for an obvious example. Please do not give your raptor any strange abilities like super strength or speed.
  
  
• You must own a raptor to be able to roleplay one. This goes for all subspecies, whether they exist yet or not. However, we are opening RP for all non-raptor species. They won't get any official art, but they can be RPed with the raptors inside the guild. There is a list of species you can use in the 'Food or Foe' section.
  
  
• Characters of any sexuality are permitted, but due to the setting (and the lack of any sort of science or technology to allow such a thing), same-sex couples will have to adopt or find a surrogate if they want to have children.
  
  
• Try to keep RP in the third person. Roleplay just flows better and is easier to read if everyone is doing so in the same format. This isn't a hardcore rule; it mainly applies to ORPs and multiple character RPs. Solos may be done in whatever format you choose.
  
  
• In-thread RP: Since the old thread incorporated thread RP, this one will as well. Thread RPs will only be counted as official if they are logged and posted in the RP forum of the guild (no page linking please). They will also only count if they are between raptors, though silly RP is permitted. Please do not abuse this. If something happens that things get out of hand, I may revoke this rule.
  

[Talonswift]

The line between food and foe is a blurry one. Raptors are opportunistic hunters, and will prey on anything that will give some likelihood of success. All kinds of small animals are on the menu, as well as larger herbivores. Very rarely will a pack attack large carnivores such as the T. Rex, unless it is on the matter of a territorial dispute. On occasion, when pickings are scarce, a large carnosaur's carcass can mean the difference between life and starvation, but they are not hunted for food.

Below is a list of dinosaurs a raptor might encounter in its territory. Aside from these dinosaurs are a number of small mammals, large insects, birds, and marine creatures that lived in Laurasia. You are allowed to RP any one or more of these if you would like to make a character. Similarly, you may use them as secondary characters to be hunted or killed if they are a small/prey species. Simply keep in mind that it will not be receiving art unless you make or buy some of it yourself.

Albertosaurus
Avimimus
Baryonyx
Centrosaurus
Chasmosaurus
Corythosaurus
Craspedodon
Deinocheirus
Diplodocus
Dromaeosaurus
Dryptosaurus
Edmontonia
Edmontosaurus
Elasmosaurus
Euoplocephalus
Gallimimus
Gilmoreosaurus
Hadrosaurus
Hylaeosaurus
Hypsilophodon
Iguanodon
Kritosaurus
Lambeosaurus
Maiasaura
Ornithopsis
Orodromeus
Ouranosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus
Pachyrhinosaurus
Parasaurolophus
Parksosaurus
Protoceratops
Psittacosaurus
Quetzalcoatlus
Rhabdodon
Saurolophus
Saurornithoides
Segnosaurus
Struthiosaurus
Styracosaurus
Struthiosaurus
Tenontosaurus
Triceratops
Troodon
Tyrannosaurus

[Talonswift]

Raptors are social creatures with interesting courtship and mating habits. They are known to raise their young in small family groups in which most are related, though single pairs rearing their young alone are not unheard of either. Rarely will you see a mother raising her young on her own; this generally means her mate has been killed. In such a harsh world, both parents need to work together in raising their young, from watching over and protecting the nest, to finding food. For the first few weeks of life, hatchlings remain in a small nest built by the mother. Such constructs are often temporary, once the young can walk and run they take to wandering alongside their parents, sometimes participating in hunts. As the young raptors mature, they can either remain with their parents to form family groups or strike out on their own. Sometimes the young adults are forcefully driven away from their parents territory; it all depends on the subspecies of raptor and the customs they follow.

Just as different species have different customs, they also differ on the amount of eggs per clutch. These can be increased slightly through RP perks. The general rule is the smaller the species the more the eggs, with larger raptors laying fewer eggs.

Breeding Info and Guidelines

• Only adults can breed. Hatchlings are too young and cannot do this.
  
  
• You cannot sell the eggs you get from breedings, but you are more than welcome to give them away for free.
  
  
• For now, different subspecies cannot cross-breed. This may change in the future as we obtain more species, but for now this will simply be impossible to do.
  
  
• No incest is allowed here. Please make sure your raptors are not related before you enter them for breeding.
  
  
• Only males and females can create eggs. Same sex couples will need to find surrogates or adopt if they want to raise any young, as they would have no way to naturally produce offspring.
  
  
• As before, please do not pester the colorists about when breedings will open. This will probably make them less inclined to open them at all.
  
  
• Roleplay can earn you extra eggs and sometimes even free breedings. Check the breeding subforum in the guild for more information.

[Talonswift]

more coming when we work this out

[Talonswift]

Owner's List

[Talonswift]

What happened to the unique adult stage?
This stage is technically not available anymore, unfortunately. Breeding perks have taken the place of RP rewards. If you wanted a third stage badly enough, we may eventually open up unique RL customs.

What's up with the limited color choices? I want my rainbow barf raptor already!!
I understand that this may be a bit of a turn-off for many people, and I know that 'natural' colors can seem very boring at times. As this shop starts up again, only Pratensis and Pernix will be available for purchase, and everyone will adhere to the color rules. No exceptions.

HOWEVER. In the future we have a lot planned, including a multitude of brand new subspecies that we plan to introduce over time. A couple of these will be of a tropical variety and will offer much more variation. So stick around; if the current options don't cater to your tastes, there are bound to be ones released later that do.

[Talonswift]

Shopkeeper; kamileunaire

Colorists; kamileunaire, saedusk, melancholies

RP Managers;


All art & Thread Graphics (c) Hibbary

[Talonswift]

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