::: Post 2 ~ Announcements :::
::: Post 3 ~ Types of Rules :::
::: Post 4 ~ Availability :::
::: Post 5 ~ Flatsales/Auctions and Raffles/Events and Games :::
::: Post 6 ~ The Story/World Map :::
::: Post 7 ~ Shop NPC's
::: Post 8 ~ Stages/Familiars and Pets/Names :::
::: Post 9 ~ Breeding :::
::: Post 10 ~ Links In/Links Out :::
I do Join Me's, but not Livestreams. I'll post in the thread when they're up! Also, I am constantly tweaking the first page. I post in the thread to let everyone know.
◊ 3/31/13 - We will be moving threads soon! ◊ 3/21/13 - Re-Opening Spring Flatsale Starts! ◊ 3/15/13 - Dusting Done! New Banner Font - Updated Map Design - Updated Rule Section ◊ 3/09/13 - Some Banner Dusting ◊ 2/26/13 - Freshening Up the Shop! - Also Hard Drive Death - Still Working Though! ◊ 1/12/13 - Podling Meta-Event Opens!!! ◊ 1/08/13 - Podling Meta-Event Opens on Page 50! ◊ 1/06/13 - Brand Spaking New Cert Design/Familiar Certs! ◊ 1/05/13 - Picture Game Added to Grand Opening! ◊ 1/04/13 - Grand Opening Event Begins!
◊ 12/30/12 - First Dice Roll Mini-Event Up! ◊ 12/29/12 - Thread Setup and Opening
General Shop Rules: ◊ 0 Follow the TOS - this is obvious.
◊ 1 No co-owning pets - this is obvious.
◊ 2 No begging - this is obvious.
◊ 3 Drama out the door - this one is an insta-ban. Zero tolerance.
◊ 4 Stick to the naming information, and storyline.
◊ 5 Do not guilt people from winning pets.
◊ 6 Customs are always open, but they are colorist choice.
◊ 7 Posting in the Quest thread is colorist choice.
◊ 8 Pets do not "auto-grow." I post links in the thread and quote you of the growth.
◊ 9 Do not steal other people's pets - I will burninate you.
◊ 10 If you do not fill out the cert form, you will not get the cert.
◊ 10 No crazy ridiculous post styles, please. Small neat ones are fine.
General Flatsale Rules: ◊ 0 Send trades immediately if you win a pet that costs gold.
◊ 1 Send trades to the mule, "The Podling."
◊ 2 Do not edit your posts! You will be disqualified.
◊ 3 Do not post for pets until the flatsale has begun.
◊ 4 Proxy's are not allowed - I run this shop alone, and it will get confusing.
◊ 5 All Flatsales are speed-based unless stated otherwise.
◊ 6 You may only claim one pet, unless a certain bit of time goes by and I state otherwise.
General Auction/Raffle Rules: ◊ 0 Send trades immediately if you win a pet that costs gold.
◊ 1 Send trades to the mule, "The Podling."
◊ 2 Do not edit your posts! You will be disqualified.
◊ 3 Do not post for pets until the auction or raffle has begun.
◊ 4 Proxy's are not allowed - I run this shop alone, and it will get confusing.
◊ 5 You may only claim one pet, unless a certain bit of time goes by and I state otherwise.
General Games Rules: ◊ 0 Certain games will have certain rules posted below. Follow them.
◊ 1 If two people roll the same number, the poster first will win whatever pet.
◊ 2 Do not guilt people for winning anything.
◊ 3 Proxy's are not allowed - I run this shop alone, and it will get confusing.
◊ 4 If there is more than one type of game, you can join them along with the others.
◊ 5 However, you may only win once per specific game. Let others have a go!
General Breeding Rules: ◊ 0 Unless stated otherwise, breeding is always open.
◊ 1 All posts go to the colorist choice thread.
◊ 2 It is not guaranteed you will be picked just because it's always open! Colorist choice!
◊ 3 There will be an average of about three breeding pairs taken a month.
◊ 4 Only males and females can breed - but it is possible for a homosexual couple to adopt!
◊ 5 Breedings yield between two and four seeds.
◊ 6 RP'd couples have a 50% chance for a fifth seed, and a 10% for a sixth!
There are tons of ways to get pets in this Darkwood. The first of which are Flatsales, and are the most common. The second kinds held are Auctions or Raffles. Flatsales are a first come, first served basis. Whoever posts first for the pet gets it. Auctions are with a set time frame on them for bidding, and Raffles are when you buy a ticket or certain amount of tickets for a chance to win a pet. You do not pay for the pet, you pay for the chance to win.
Breedings and Customs are always open, but they are colorist choice. Posting in the Custom request thread will get your order looked at. If we feel we're up to it, we'll accept, and you can send the trade if you are. This gives a constant chance for newbies and such to get pets fast. The breeding request thread is also colorist choice. Post your pair, with the other poster's consent, and if we like it, we'll do it. We will currently take any number of requests a month - we're new, we're not choosy with time constraints and difficulty yet!
If those aren't quite your thing, I am a huge fan of quote games. Sometimes I'll throw a random seedling or adult in the thread for someone to grab. The first person to quote my random throw-out will win the pet, free. This is reserved for folks who stick around the thread a lot, and the more people who hang out and chill with us, the more fun these can be - so grab a chair and a glass of lemonade!
Lantierum generated a random number between
0 and 1 ...
1!
1. You can only roll 3 times a day.
2. Each picture must be a different plant, every time you post.*
3. Once you win, you can only roll for the familiar. After that, you're done.
4. The plant does NOT have to be a flower!
5. Once it's won - it's GONE!
6. Different images every single post - doesn't matter if it's the next day or not!
*This means it cannot be different colors of the same flower or plant. Be creative.
Post an image of one of your favorite plants. Roll a Random Number from 1 to 200. Below is a list of prizes that could be won!
Numbers to Get: (Page 32) - 115, 200, 195, 64, 54
115# - Semi-Custom Podling colored based on the plant posted. 200# - Semi-Custom Podling TWINS colored based on the plant posted. M+M, M+F, F+F - Congratulations Yuri!! 195# - Full-Custom Podling colored and edited based on the plant posted. 64# - Full-Custom Podling TWINS colored and edited based on the plant posted! M+M, M+F, F+F 54# - Free matching familiar to your plant image Podling.
Some Quick Podling Facts ○ A group of Podlings is called a Spore.
○ When referring to a Pod, it's possible to shorten it to just that - Pod. Podling is just the formal race name.
○ Some come from several different kinds of flowers - they just haven't been discovered yet.
○ Podlings can eat plants physically, but they can also photosynthesize their own food.
○ Their tongues are like that of humming birds.
○ Their eyes are small so they can stare into sunlight for long periods of time.
○ Night Pods are nocturnal, glow, and come out only at night.
○ They have their own language and writing system.
○ Most live in hollowed out trees, wefted thickets, or in small caves.
○ Podlings are usually nomads - but they are known to have some few settlements where they congregate for a while. They are usually elderly.
○ Familiars are necessary to Podlings, since they travel a lot. They serve as companions and defenders.
○ Every Podling quests for a familiar six months after they emerge from their flower. Some however are gifted their familiar by family or friends.
The story of the Podlings isn't very clear. They don't write down their history, and most of what they do is live in the moment. Some don't even really remember family members past their great grandparents. Their continent is only known to them and a few creatures that live among the underbrush and treetops and water. Otherwise, they're pretty much alone in their tribe life.
There is only one thing the Podlings specifically remember - and it was a dark history passed down through so many generations, it's almost myth now. The Tree-Eaters, black creatures with large, white, glowing eyes that ate the Podlings and their flowers centuries before. After their food source began to dwindle, they wandered away, and hadn't been back since. The Podlings still tell stories about it, but they've warped with time.
The Podlings live on a continent they've named Darkwood. They do not own parts of the land, and live all over it in patches with their tribe members. Usually, these tribes travel. Some well-known tribes have grabbed a spot of land, and officially called it their own, simply because they never leave it. Some are in plains, others are next to the ocean, and one is in a desert.
Depending on where the Podling lives, determines their mannerisms, intelligence level, and what they're strengths and weaknesses are. Darkwood is home to various Podlings, all of whom live on this specific continent. It is unknown whether their are others, and they have no name for the specific planet itself.
Generally, where a Podling comes from will not determine what kinds of colors they have. If they have family lineage in a specific area like the desert, they will be sandier colored with bright flowers, but since most Podlings are nomads, they've pretty much diversed and spread their gene pool around everywhere. They have pollinated flowers in pretty much every part of the continent, mixing and matching as they bred.
Peach - BEACH
- The beach is where some Podlings go to cool off, or relax. There's plenty of water, and shade from the trees. Due to the tropic climate of Darkwood, it's common to find entire tribe settlements here.
Pink - EAST FIELD
- The east field is close to water, but more inland and aloof. The field tribe is generally on their own the majority of the time, and only socialize when their homes burn down from wildfires. The closest place they run to escape is the local river, and for shelter and food they track their way to the lake tribe.
Purple - WEST LAKE
- The west lake tribe lives farther inland, but they often travel to the lake to fish and swim. They love the water, and occasionally set up whole trips to go there. Their biggest fear is a legendary shark that managed to get trapped beneath the surface, back in prehistoric days when the ocean was joined with the lake.
Dark Blue - DESERT
- The desert Podlings are hard to find. A few think they slipped underground, and burrowed into caves to avoid the heat. Others say they're a legend and aren't actually there at all. The few who have come across desert Podlings note that they are not all right in the head. They babble, wander oddly, or talk in a strange dialect no one else can understand. Desert Podlings are often avoided in conversation an shunned from the other tribes.
Light Blue - WEST ISLAND
- The west island is the largest island in Darkwood, and is home to the largest tribe in Darkwood. They are obsessed with fish and swimming, and rarely go back to ground unless it's to eat and enjoy themselves in the sunlight. They made huts along the sand, and sometimes managed to build homes over the water balanced on sticks. They also hold a small dialect, but it's nowhere to the extreme of the desert tribes.
Red - LAKE ISLAND
- The lake island Podlings are considered higher society. They reside there, and rarely come off to socialize with other tribes. Podlings believe that it's where the higher society Podlings live, simply because of safety reasons. It's very hard to cross the lake to get there. Those who do leave the island and travel are often not able to get back. The ones who manage to build boats sometimes do, but they also have to answer to the guards, Podlings who stand at attention at the beach edge with pikes, to get back in.
Light Green - EAST LAKE
- The east lake Podings are a lot like their western counterparts. The difference is that their lake is known to be so shallow, an adult Podling can wade in as far as they want, and it will never go past their waist. It's been known to dry up in summer. It's nickname is "The Puddle," because of how it acts more like a large puddle than a lake. There are few fish that live here larger than a foot long, and is home to lots and lots of frogs - a very common familiar for Podlings. Those who travel for trade from the east lake often bring frogs for other Podlings for familiars.
Orange - WEST FIELD
- West field is very sociable. They often hold gatherings in their large expanse of grass, and love to play games and have meals together. They are known to be very family oriented, traditional, and very laid-back. They don't work very hard, and often live off grass for sustenance. They never take anything seriously, and their favorite place to run around amok is at the waters edge of the island lake.
Yellow - EAST ISLAND
- The eastern island is heard to have been a branch of the west island that traveled as nomads for a while, and discovered it. Their mannerisms and beliefs are a little similar, but they have evolved quite some time from where they'd come from in their lifestyle. While they love to swim and play in the water, Podlings here generally live in more stable structures, and have discovered the ability to build boats. Occasionally, they drag them inland for trading, usually to the three lakes, and their western island counterparts.
Brier Berry - Brier Berry owns the item shop in the Guild, and is very artistic and quiet. He is also the greeter in the guild. Right now, his main motivation is to become Ascended, and help out every Podling he possibly can in his lifetime. Reaching Ascension will assure that forever. He just has to get there.
Jungle Eaves - Jungle Eaves keeps track of the night Podlings and watches over villages when the moon rises. He isn't very talkative and prefers to listen. He usually corresponds with the higher ranking Podlings for events and the like, and prepares the villages for them. Along with standing in the watchtower, he's also very good with setting up fun events! Check the thread once in a while for an announcement from him!
Podlings come from seeds. Their growth cycle is mostly within the petals of a specific flower, the "Tower Vine," which climbs up trees, and sometimes climbs under the water. It comes in any color combination, and sometimes weird variations come out. Occasionally, through some sort of freak accident, a Tower Vine will intermix with other flower types nearby, making for some interesting shapes and sizes, but it is a very rare occurrence.
There is also a rumor of a kind of flower that Podlings can crawl into for ascension. When they reach this, they often find a source of spirituality. Podlings that reach this stage are granted immortality, and they roam anywhere they please, guarding the other Podlings and their way of life. Ascended Podlings grow, and are the only Podlings to have vibrantly glowing markings aside from the night Podlings wings and eyes. Their body modifications involve extra flowers, vines, sand, and various other environmental influences once they fully ascend. The Ascended stages show your Podling growing into an Ascended. This is an RP required ascension, and it is lengthy and takes patience.
The male Podling is on the left, and the female Podling on the right.During their stage in the flower, they are neutral gender until their bud opens up.
Stages: Seedling, Bud, Bloom Bud, Podling
Seedlings = 1 Week, Buds = 2 Weeks, Bloom Buds = 3 Weeks, Podlings = Forever
[Ascended Podlings are stirring in the forest....]
There are many creatures that wander the wilds outside of the Podlings. Maybe someday you will come across them. Although the Podlings are the most advanced, there are plenty of creatures that the Podlings don't use as familiars. They are smarter, bigger, and sometimes prey on the Podlings.
You are free to Photoshop your uncerted Podling with your uncerted familiar for a signature or some such, but it must only be the uncerts.
Familiars are small creatures the Podlings grew to depend on during their lifetimes. Every Podling has a familiar, whether they sprout with them from the flower buds, which is rare, or whether they go on a quest to acquire one. This can be roleplayed, or can simply be bought from a colorist. It is possible to own a familiar and not a Podling yet!
Familiars are able to breed, but given that they are cared for in the wild before they go to owners who are Podlings, they are only in adult stages.
Frogs - Frogs are commonly found around a specific pond, and are traded by the Podlings that live there. They are among the most common type of pet for their easy to manage size, and because they are easy to find. The traders who import them up and around in their travels bring all sorts of colors, and a few of them have something special about them. They are aquatic, so even though they are common, some Podlings need to carry a small pan of water for them to sit in when they travel. Frogs can come with or without the lilypad.
Bumble Bees - Are also a very common familiar. Bumble Bees can be found in any field, and have a very calm, lazy nature. They are good familiars for Podlings who are laid back, simple-living, and quiet. They rarely sting, and when they do, they die. Podlings are able to pet them at will without fear of being stung, and bumble bees often hover around their petal wings or belly flowers.
Giant Dragonflies - Giant dragonflies are uncommon, but can be found near rivers and stale pools of water occasionally. They reach the size of frogs, and are pretty bad-tempered, biting occasionally and rushing at threats at high speeds. Those who bond with a Podling are good guardians, and often float over their owner's heads for protection.
Horned Snakes - This is a very rare creature, and one of the larger familiars a Podling can collect in the wilderness. Horned Snakes are shy, and are good companions for their silent nature. They've been known to become extremely attached to one Podling, and are only bonded to one for the entirety of their lives. If their owner dies, they never bond again. Podlings have stories of Horned Snakes saving their lives during an attack, or in an unfortunate situation such as being stuck under the ice on a lake. They are extremely devoted familiars.
Podlings survive in the forest from flowers, and as such, don't know much else. Their forms of naming are based on sounds, which can sometimes sound like gibberish. Other times, they name themselves something simple, such as "Ground Flower," depending on where the flower they grew from came from. Overly complicated words are beyond their simple comprehension.
In general, they survive in little tribes among themselves, sometimes no more than 15 members. Depending on their social status, they may name each other something that they value greatly, like a type of tree or landmark. Occasionally, they will name themselves, or be re-named depending on if their status changes in their lifetime.
Breeding between Podlings takes a male and female, biologically. However, there are many relationships in their tribes that are homosexual. In fact, it's completely possible for a pair to adopt a seedling from another Podling family willing to donate! Generally, they come from Podling families that have too many babies to take care of themselves, and they happily find them another home. Generally, since they're in the same tribe, they still get to keep in touch with them as they grow, and it's well known that an adopted Podling finds out once they are adults and mature enough to leave their flower.
Male and female breedings can happen at any time. Podlings have no breeding season. To breed, a male and female Podling crawl into a flower together, and release a puff of spores into the air. The spores pollinate the flower the way a bumble bee would, and the flower then closes up. Within the same day, that flower spits a set of seeds into the ground around it.
A week later, a set of sprouts wiggle their way through the soil to the surface. During this time, they receive plenty of light and water from the frequent forest rain, and are plenty healthy.
Two weeks after their sprouts, they bloom open, revealing beautiful, bright flowers. Inside those flowers sprouts another bud, where the Podling is kept until they mature. They survive off of the flowers nectar, water, and warmth until they are fully grown.
Three weeks later, they open to reveal little creatures inside, the Podling itself. They are often shy, quiet, and don't make much noise at first, but with time, they learn social values and learn to speak as well. As soon as they pop from their buds, they are able to breed themselves, having fully matured.
