Welcome to Gaia! ::

Its the Ultimate Guild How To thread hurray! Here's how it works,SP crew, select crew, and the captains and vices will post new posts explaining things within the thread. Such as how to have your character speak another language (pending), how to complete jobs, exam tips and tricks, and a more in depth look at how the power scale works.
Will add more later, and if you still have questions ask them in the questions thread. Thank you and have a nice day.

HOW TO: complete a job.
Well in order to complete a job you need to have a job and a bank account, thankfully we have this little thread (location: off campus sub) called Phergie's Bank. Now just pop your character in there role-play filling out the forms, there's two one's for a job the others the bank you'll want to have filled out both, then a crew member/banker will post your account in the school administration sub.
If you've already completed that, then head over to the thread your job would be located in. There should be a short how to note written in the first post below the description. Normally you role-play doing your job, but the note contains information you'll need such as what to do and how many job posts you can make in a day.

HOW TO: make a store.
Before you can make a store you need to check out the bank records thread in school administration. If you don't meet a requirements then your kinda out of luck for the time being. If you do then congratulations!
You'll need to post in the before mentioned thread, or the bank thread either is fine, stating which character is making a store and how much above the minimum your going to put into it. As well as things like the store name, what jobs it offers, and what you sell. You can be as creative as you like, even turn it into a gaia gold and guild gold store hybrid- where you build pictures or maps for a persons room or something of that nature. Confused? Ask some questions then!

HOW TO: create a character.
Sort of self-explanatory however there may be some questions. Such as what counts as one character? How many abilities can you have? What's the difference between an ability and a skill?
Well dolls count as partials, as do animals. Partials meaning you can have up to five counting as one person, for dolls, however they can have no powers. As for animals its more of one or two staying with the person and containing their own form of persona. Pets count only if they're always with their handlers. Split personalities? Well, up to three or four but they'll share their abilities. Twins? No no and no. Twins are two separate individuals, thus, two profiles.
As for abilities, you can four or five if they're small ones. Ones where they're limited or not very powerful.
Now the difference between an ability and a skill is a skill can be learned but an ability is gained or innate. Yes both can be gained, but like I said: skills can be learned.
Making a character more realistic and dimensional means it would be a great idea to create and elaborate back ground history and participate in the player info thread.

HOW TO: survive exams.
Yeah we've gone over tips and tricks for exams, but we haven't told you how to stay alive while getting the best grade. Here's how it works, when the monster comes out you've got three options:
A. Use your powers.
B. Hit them with a spell.
C. Attack with a weapon.
D. Run like heck.
If your green, yellow, blue even red power level its going to be hard to use your powers while not breaking the scale rule. Now, the exception to this is if you become frightened or angry: emotions of any kind amplify powers. Should that happen it probably won't last long and it'll just act to save your life- it won't be accurate. (ie. Speed is facing an magma ogre for her exam. The beast comes at her, she's backed into a corner and about to die when she decides to run and instead of running normal pace her powers are activated and she ends up on the other side of the field. More detailed then this, not quite this way)
If you don't want to or can't use your powers then you can hit them with a spell. In order to be able to hit them with a spell, you have to know the spell-meaning you need to have taken a magic course and/or practiced that spell with a teacher. You don't have to use to spell to harm the creature, in fact you could use it to help yourself depending on the environment and the spell. Remember spells take up energy. (ie. Speed is hanging off a cliff, because she knows magic she's able to create a ledge to stand on. Or combative. Speed is going up against an orc, he has a flail and is attacking her. She's running out of places to dodge into, so she uses a spell to create a shield as a temporary defense before using another spell to burn the Orc.)
Weapons are your best friend (next to healing magic) in a combative situation. You need to have a weapon and know how to use it though, but that isn't hard. Depending on the classes you've taken or are taking, you can make your own weapon. As well, if your taking a power control class then you can always ask the teacher to train you in that weapon. That failing, you can always practice in the field classroom. Of course you could always wing it and learn to use your weapon during the exam. (Speed has recently obtained a rapier, she doesn't know how to use it yet but knows its best if she learns. She heads to the field and practices.)
Running is the worst choice, because there's often no place to run, you can get lost, and eventually your going to have to face the creature/opponent. Whatever you choose to do remember what skills you have, how your character acts normally, and what power level you are.

HOW DOES IT WORK: magic.
Magic, well most races can use it though some (elves and fauns and other magically linked creatures) can use it more easily then others or with greater result.
Magic is broken down into three main types: combative, interrupt and alchemic. Offensive and defensive are the two kinds of combative magics and spells as well as things such as curses. They can be used to summon or create objects however those spells are most delicate and the object tends to break easily or revert. Alchemic magic is the transfer of energy to transform, create, summon or heal an object. Alchemic magic has it's own branches, creation, transformation, binding, healing and summoning. Alchemic magic is the most dangerous based on the length of time the spell can preform for and what can be done with the spells. Combative magics are less dangerous but have more sudden effects. Combative magic and alchemic magic can both be stopped by a interrupting spell. Interrupting spells are usually quick to preform but take a lot of energy. It's like slowing a train down and varies from spell to spell and the different forms of magic.
From those three types it is further broken down into elemental (fire, earth, water, air and overlaps or multis), light (and dark), life (death or orbital) or physical (and asteral) based on the first classification. A spell, for example, could be classified as a fire offensive-combative spell or an orbital alchemic-summoning. Interrupt spell classification is far simpler because there aren't as many overlaps and there are no multiple sub-types, an interrupt spell would probably be labeled something like this: fire interrupt. Simple yes? That's because there aren't very many interrupts, but the meaning of the spell (like in alchemic magic) is everything so you must read to see what it can stop.
Hold on, what's orbital magic? Orbital magic is magic dealing in life and death and spirits. It's typically used more often in alchemic spells then anything else and can be used in summoning or binding. Now what's binding? Binding is one of two things, binding a soul or spirit to an object like a doll or binding the future into place.
How to you bind the future and why can't I? Well, binding the future can only be effective when you have a certain ability- this ability being one where everything, or nearly so, that you say becomes truth. Wonderful power, but its rare and linked only to a certain people as well it has three classes of power rank-discussed below it in the abilities section.
Now explain summoning, why is it alchemic and not combative? Summoning is alchemic because it deals with the transfer of an object, or essentially, the summoning of it. It can be used combatively like most alchemic magics, but it's alchemic in nature and must be unsummoned if it isn't destroyed.
How is light different from elemental? Light and darkness are in a way elemental, but deals more with light and dark then with fire or anything of that nature.
What would a curse be? A curse can be elemental, light, life, or physical even asteral. Usually curses are combative offensive or binding alchemic. What's asteral then? Asteral is anything that is not physical (involving the body of the opponent), typically astrally linked spells are either curses or blessings and are almost always binding. So there are blessings? Blessings are the opposite of curses, however they can be bad as well just as a curse can be good, usually they grant luck or beauty or brains but they can do other things as well. Highly complex magic, asteral curses and blessings, almost always need to have a skill in binding and a good tongue or two. Two tongues are better then one in magic I'd think.
How can I cast magic? You'll need a spell and you'll need to know how to preform or cast the spell or magic. For that you'll need to have taken a class or talked to Sarah or me. In preforming a spell there are also different ways, physical (involving action) mental (repetition of the mind, very dangerous and hard) spoken (duh) written (like physical but can involve symbols and things). Sometimes things can be sung and/or this will be grouped in with spoken as well as written being grouped in with physical. Sometimes things will require you to do multiple things, both actions and words are common requirements.
Can I create my own spell? Yes and no, you'll need to okay it with me first but then you can if I say it's okay. Also having a magic class prior to wanting to create a spell will help you greatly.

REVIEW OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS:

Combative:
A. Offensive.
I. Elemental.
a. Fire.
b. Water.
c. Earth.
d. Air.
e. Multi.
II. Orbital.
III. Light and dark.
B. Defensive.
I. Elemental.
a. Fire.
b. Water.
c. Earth.
d. Air.
e. Multi.
II. Orbital.
III. Light and dark.

Alchemic:
A. Summoning.
B. Binding.
C. Creation.
D. Transformation.
D. Healing.

Interrupt:
A. Elemental.
a. Fire.
b. Water.
c. Earth.
d. Air.
e. Multi.

An so on... More will be added later. Please ask questions if you need to and do take a magic class the next time one is available.

HOW TO: side-quests, exam-quests.
A side-quest is typically a small assignment during which you role-play completing an objective. Upon completion you'll likely receive an item or weapon. The side-quests are constantly being updated and more are always being added. Some of the items can be obtained multiple times, or in the (farmers) black market.
Most side-quests will be involving an NPC, crew will play the NPC in this order:
Normal member- normal crew can play NPC.
Normal crew- SP crew and above can play.
SP crew- Vice and above.
Vice- Captain plays.
Captain- Er... I don't do side-quests, I help administer them.
It's an odd system, but it's put in place to keep the main storyline there and to prevent it from being played in one post. Why? Because, side-quests do act as advertising for the thread its held in. You look and say, oh I can find things there, or hmmm... looks like a nice place. It also helps the guild get up in the lists when searched, by adding to the number of posts.
A teacher given exam-quest usually gives a skill (ie. greater power control) or a minor power: these quests can almost always only be completed once by a character. These are always given out by people above senior and will probably not include an NPC.
Completing a side-quest is easy, go to the side-quest thread in the classroom sub forum. Post which you'll be doing, then head over to the thread where the NPC is. Or, if it's a teacher, go to their classroom or find them on or off campus. If you don't know where an NPC is, please ask.

HOW TO: a guide to classes.
A class can gain a character credits, allowing you to expand the range of things you're able to do here in the guild. Classes vary in complexity, grading and other things. Some here are easier then others, while others are harder and sport tests nearly every day.
In order to sign up for a class, head over to the classrooms sub forum and read the announcements before checking the sign-up thread. In that thread you'll see posts containing information on classes, if you're interested in taking the class then make sure to check the sign-up dates before posting your sign-up.
My advice for signing up for classes is this: match your classes to your schedule but also to your character. For example, I wouldn't expect a pirate to be taking chivalry 101 or a goth person to be taking ACT1. I would expect a pirate to be taking a physical education course, and a gothic to take magic or music. Listen to your character, would they take the class? If the answer is no, then sign up for a different class and/or wait until you have a character whom would take that class.
Remember, some classes require more work then others and if you've taken a class before as a different character then it might be different- as with time comes change and the same is true in here.
If you find that you've bitten off more then you can chew or if you're unhappy or uninterested in the class you've chosen, then speak with the teacher and drop the class or figure out something to do in order to participate without as much of your time dedicated.