• Names may not be held or reserved. If two people want the same name, it is entirely dependent on who submits their character and payment first!
• Exception: if players pay for a pup in a litter, they can reserve the name when they pay.
• Wolves can have the same name as another character no longer in the group.
• Wolves can have the same name as active characters if they go by an entirely different name or nickname primarily (for instance, if two wolves are named Charlotte but one goes exclusively by Charlie).

• Characters cannot be fan-based. You can take inspiration from tropes, but you cannot too closely resemble specific characters from shows/games/movies. We don't want to see Balto, Ghost, or Bolt running around here!

- First Characters -

• After a three-month wait period between submitting your first and second characters, there is a one-month wait period between any other characters submitted to the group.
• The exception to this rule is litter tryouts, which can be applied for by members at any time.

• Each member may have up to 10 active characters at any time. The first and second are free, after that new characters will cost in-game points called bones. You will also have to prove that your other current characters have been active within the past three months.

• Members may not have more than 3 characters in a single pack at any given time. Alphas reserve the right to limit it further based on demand for their respective packs - if you have questions, please feel free to reach out to the respective alpha.
  
  
• Players are only permitted ONE "Career Loner" at a time. Career Loners are defined by having no desire or plans to join a pack at any point in the near future. Temporary loners (moving between packs, plot-related lonership, retirement-related plans) are permitted on a case-by-case basis but may be subject to rejection if Loners is bordering on its number cap.
  

• Scars must be purchased using bones, prior to the character's entry, if entering the Domain with scars. Scars, of course, can be purchased later for bones as your character's story develops.

• Characters cannot enter the Domain with an injury too unrealistic to survive in the wild. If you are uncertain as to whether the injury you want to give your character is allowed, please note the group! Injuries received in RP that are severe should also be approved by admins prior to altering characters. The following are not permitted.
• Severe head or jaw injuries
• Multiple missing or broken limbs
• Severe burns
• Items embedded in flesh 
• Exposed skeleton 

• Read the Rules. Seriously, they're there for a reason. Read through DotW's rules, bones information, and this guide! Being able to understand and follow these rules are imperative. People who do not follow the correct joining procedure or submit incomplete applications will be declined entry to the group and advised to reread the group journals in order to join.

• Be Mature. Yeah, we know, duh! This sounds pretty obvious, right? Well, it's a bit more involved, so read up! Your behavior during and prior to applying to DotW is taken into account. If you have a history of harassment, hostility, or general immaturity, this will hurt your chances of being allowed to join the group. Showing a disregard for the rules, unwillingness to cooperate, or lack of consideration for others' feelings is unacceptable. DotW is a very small community and as such, it is imperative that members be able to get along and settle all conflicts honestly.

• Read about the packs! Whichever faction you plan to join, make sure to read up on it! Each pack has a unique culture and that should be taken into account in your character's history. For example, if you wanted to join Vektren, where sacrifice is an integral part of their religion and society, it would not make sense to play a wolf openly opposed to such practices. Characters do not always have to agree with the customs of their pack, but neither should the culture they live in be ignored.

• Don't harass members or staff about potential openings. Watch the journals and be patient! Openings are not predictable, and harassment doesn't make an opening come any sooner!

• Practice! Continue to work on art and writing - the admin team loves to see an active gallery, even if it's not related to DotW! Seeing a gallery that shows active writers and artists proves to us that you're capable of joining an active group like DotW!

There's an opening! Now what?

• Follow the instructions provided in the Character Creation section of the handbook and this journal! Applications that do not meet the standard requirements will be rejected from the group and asked to try again when their app contains the proper information.

• Be thorough and concise. Although 200 words is the personality minimum, and 100 words for the history minimum, we strongly recommend writing more than this. Writing a well-rounded character takes more than a few paragraphs! On the flip side of that, don't be too repetitive or contain too many tangents. You don't need every detail of a character's life written out, but more than just the bare minimum!

• Make the character dynamic. In the A/LRPG world, every character is a main character. Though it is often tempting to minimize your character's weaknesses, in the end this leads to flat story lines and Mary-Sueing. Stay true to character. Remember that even generally positive traits can be negative in certain situations. And likewise, negative traits can manifest in positive ways! Write personalities with a mixture of good and bad traits, and give your character room to grow as they explore the Domain.

• Don't rely on disabilities to be special. Crippled legs, giant scars, albinism, a split-personality - these are all fun traits to give a character! But they should not form the basis of your wolf's persona. Don't rely on purely luck-of-the-draw afflictions to make your character interesting! If the only defining trait is an illness or injury, we recommend adding more depth to the character.
• Similarly, don't rely on traumatic backstories. Wolves can be interesting even if they come from a happy home they left willingly and on good terms!

• Note that the following things do NOT impact your ability to join:
• Artistic skill - DotW welcomes all skill levels. We're here to help and encourage one another, regardless of experience!
• Popularity - Whether you have one or one-thousand watchers, it doesn't matter! Your behavior and activity are the only important things.
  

I've been accepted! Now what should I do?

• Be active! Everyone's participation matters! You don't have to be a social butterfly, or an art machine, but in order for you and your characters to connect to others, it's important to stay involved! Join in on group plots, RP with someone new, check out the posts of your fellow members! 

• Look around the Discord server! This is a good place to get familiar with the other members, find partners to RP and do art with, or get inspired! Here you can also ask questions about what other characters are like, how you can work together in your pack, and so on!

• Continue reading about your pack and the rules! Seriously, you need to be familiar with the rules and guidelines for the Domain. Familiarize yourselves with the Bones system, the rules for the group and Discord, etc.

• Chandor Elk Totems and Owl Totems
• Fellfang Sages and The Hunt
• Xassa Su'en
  

• Backstories involving the characters' family/pack/friends being killed by loners.
• Characters which defy and/or disdain the culture of their pack with no apparent motivation.
  
• Characters bred/trained to be unstoppable warriors.
  
• Vektren wolves who fall in love with outsiders.
• Vektren wolves more inclined to break rules than follow them.
• Career Omegas (Wolves which never surpass the "omega" rank)
• Wolves whose only defining trait is flirtatiousness and sex drive.
• Characters with gigantism.