Follow these rules and guidelines as you make your character! Characters not following any rules will be rejected, and characters following the guidelines will be more likely to be accepted without the need for edits. 

1. Follow the Hatchery rules.
Follow the Hatchery rules as described above. Captains/dragon characters with breeds not in the Hatchery and not for the proper faction will be automatically rejected. 

 

2. Stay historically accurate and accurate to the Temeraire Canon setup. 

Do your best to make your character historically accurate (as per Roleplay Rule 2). Remember that the roleplay takes place in the 1770's in Colonial America. You are heavily encouraged to do extra research on the historical elements pertaining to your character's background such as name, upbringing, where they came from, etc. Make sure there is a logical explanation for why and how your characters ended up where they are today! If your character is not reasonably historically accurate, it may need to be edited or may be flat out rejected. 

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3. No Mary Sues/Gary Stus. 

Self-explanatory - make sure your character has some flaws. Not everyone is perfect! 

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4. Fill out the entire application form. 
Be sure to fill out the entire form, although the Extras are, well, extra! Those are for fun, but everything else needs to be filled out for the application to be considered. 

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5. Follow the Breed standards. 
Make sure to check the Breed list to figure out the breed standard for the dragon you are making. The colors, weight, and appearance of the dragon should generally follow the appearance listed in the breed page, and dragons should not have any extra abilities (firebreath, etc) unless specified in the breed description. You are allowed to vary eye color and make a few markings that are different colors, along with varying the patterns. However, any large deviations from the breed standards are Bonus Traits! If you are making a crossbreed dragon, you have more leeway in mixing the breed traits to come up with a unique design - just make sure your design can be logically parsed out from the two parents.

As an example, a red and gold Regal Copper with green eyes and a few dark brown marks on his neck would be OK; a bright green Regal Copper or a Regal Copper with a spiked tail would require the purchase of the appropriate Bonus Trait. 

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6. Character Ages. 

Characters should be Age 21+ if they are captaining a Middleweight or Heavyweight (and should have gotten their dragon at age 21+). Captains on Lightweights may be age 15+. 
For crew members, cadets are typically ages 8-13, ensigns are typically ages 13-17, and midwingmen/harness masters are typically ages 17-30+. Surgeons and Leftenants are typically ages 19-30+.

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7. Female Aviators are a Bonus Trait. 
In the Temeraire novels, female human aviators are quite rare since at this point in history, women were not allowed in the traditional military. In fact, all female aviators are required to hide their identity as girls in the military to everyone not in the Aerial Corps, to avoid public outcry. While the Aerial Corps are more progressive than other branches of the military, female aviators are still restricted in this group to reflect the time period. Note that making a Female Aviator (captain or crew member) is a bonus trait with requirements. 
 

Female Captain characters are generally restricted to female-only breeds (Longwing, Xenica, and Nunnehi). However, people with female crew members who have shown dedication to the group may be presented with an opportunity to captain non-female-only dragons (though this is not guaranteed and at admin discretion). Additionally, there may be contests to allow for such opportunities as well, so keep an eye out!

For those who have not read the books, note that while female human aviators are restricted, the Aerial Corps happily lets both male and female dragons serve! There is generally little dimorphism between male and female dragons in the series (females are sometimes a bit larger). 

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8. Historical Figures cannot be Characters. 

Creating a character out of a historical figure (such as Alexander Hamilton) is forbidden. These characters may show up in RP, but strictly as NPCs. However, you may create family members of historical figures, although this is a bonus trait. 

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9. Competition between two+ Applications. 
Occasionally, we may receive two+ applications for the same dragon egg in the same faction. If this happens, we will review both, taking into account a) amount of effort put into the application - artwork, backstory, personalities; b) the player's engagement, activity and dedication to the IoD group and c) historical accuracy of the character. We will award the dragon egg and application approval to the application with the more favorable review. 

If you are rejected in this case, never fear! While you may have been rejected this time around, you can ask questions on how to improve your application for the next time. Furthermore, if you continue to be active in the group, you will have a higher chance of success if you find yourself in a competition next time. 

10. Be aware of the Bonus Traits! 
Give the Bonus Trait page a quick skim-over to be sure your character does not unintentionally have a Bonus Trait. Generally, special things like Polydactyl, abnormally small size, special high ranks, etc are Bonus Traits and require some extra effort to have on your character. 
Important Note: Although having a dragon with a breath weapon is not a bonus trait, players are limited to 1 dragon with a special offensive weapon (firebreath, acid, water-spitting, etc) per person. Players are also limited to 1 heavyweight per person without a Bonus Trait.

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11. Tips for Artwork
If you are going to add artwork to your application (highly recommended but not required), be sure to follow the IMAGE reference of the dragon breed! (Your dragon's patterns and exact colors can be a bit different of course, but generally stick to the breed standard - see Character Creation Rule 5.) 

Helpful reference of dragon harness: IMAGE
Human harness w/carabiners to attach to dragon harness: IMAGE
Patriot uniform: IMAGE

British uniform: IMAGE
French uniform: IMAGE (#1)
Native American dress; Iroquois and Cherokee respectively: IMAGE

(Aviators follow the standard Patriot uniform, but wear flight goggles and have fur neck lining due to the cold winds during flight, coats are a bit longer, and wear long black riding boots; the British wear bottle green coats as described in the canon series). 
If you are drawing your character in uniform or not, just be sure the clothes are historically reasonable!