Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hello, everyone! It smells like update (and reminder) season!

All updates are effective immediately. As usual, changes regarding what is legal on a pet will only apply to slots obtained after the announcement, and any outstanding customs, freebies, etc. must follow the rules under the time they were obtained.


Promotions
First off, please give a hearty congratulations to Azael_Rose and xxx Yuki Bear xxx for reaching Junior status!


Certs

• Cert Backgrounds
  Current ruling allows any external cert backgrounds to be used so long as users had permission to use the image. Going forward, only official shop backgrounds will be offered by default for all certs.
  
  Artwork obtained offsite will not be allowed; however, users may request art they made themselves* be used as backgrounds. In addition, they may give permission for others to use their background. Should the artist revoke permission for use of their background, the change will apply to future certs only; no certs will be updated to remove a background whose permission has been revoked, as permission had been granted at the time of certing.
  
  * The art must have been made by the user fully, without using outside resources such as stock images.
  
  
• Cert (and Uncert) Searching
  This is a gentle reminder to to please use the "Finding Old Certs and Uncerts" form in the General Certing Thread if you're searching for certs and uncerts.
  
  
• Event Certs
  This is another reminder that event certs are intentionally restricted in customization so that we can retain a cohesive event aesthetic and keep the cert work associated with event pet influx manageable. Customization for non-custom pets are offered at the certist's discretion, and it is fine for no customization to be offered at all; that being said, if customization is requested for event certs, please keep it restricted to the cert's allowed options (e.g. flower colors in the Ren Faire Event certs).

Herd Helpers
It was brought to our attention that Herd Helpers may have slipped through the cracks announcement-wise; this is a clarification that herd helpers may be offered in custom slots. While they are offered at the discretion of the colorist, we wanted to make sure users were aware that Herd Helper rules had been added to the custom thread.


Winged Aquatics
Current ruling prevents aquatics from having wings; going forward, aquatics may now have wings. This includes familiars, seathi, and mer.


Skinwalkers
We've decided to loosen some skinwalker rules in hopes of adding more flexibility to the breed.

.... Permissions

• Permission is no longer required to pursue hybrid purewalkers in customs.
  
  Feral Forms
  
• Any regular or exotic familiar breed may be the basis of a cursedwalker. Mutant familiars still may not be used when making cursedwalkers.
  
• Any regular, exotic, or mutant familiar breed may be the basis of a purewalker. The only exceptions are as follows: the pelted form must have non-hooved feet. When making odd animals such as snakes, seals, dolphins, octopi, and jellies you may take artistic liberties when creating their feet such as using reptilian feet, partially flippered paws, or jelly masses. It simply needs to convey the idea of an appropriate foot without resorting to a hoof.
  
• Purewalkers may not have hooves on their pelted forms. This means that any hooved familiar (pronghorns and buffalo) cannot be used as a purewalker pelt unless they are edited to be mutant with non-hoof feet. (This is now legal with the mutant change below.)
  
  Mutations
  
• Skinwalker rules previously stated purewalkers could only have demonic-styled mutations (horns, spines, tentacles, etc.), generic illustrative mutations (sumi-e, paint, stained glass, etc.), and exotic/mutant traits their species could have naturally (muzzles, ears, etc.). All other traits came from hybriding (so a wolfwalker with wings would be required to be a crossbreed with a wing-bearing species). Going forward, we have decided to remove restrictions on what type of mutations are allowed.
  
• As a reminder, if the mutation is on the pelt it is required on the feral form. However, if the mutation or twist is on the soquili's body, it is up to the colorist whether or not it shows up on the feral.

Leg Repose Restrictions
We are lifting the restriction that states leg pose edits are capped at two legs reposes. As with other extreme edits, such edits may be done at the colorist's discretion: it is permissible to state the colorist is not offering them in quota custom slots, and they do not have to be passed down in breedings.


Thank you!

ninja