Valenth

New to Valenth and don't know where to start?
Maybe you'd like to better understand how something works, or you're considering taking part in the next plot?

You're in luck; look below for answers to many of your questions!

T A B L E of C O N T E N T S

I. Valenth - An Introduction
SCIENCE!
Breaking the Fourth Wall
(But Just For A Moment)


II. The Monster and You - Everything You Need To Know About Adoption
Congratulations! It's A... Hm.
Caring For Your... Thingy
Paying It Some-Such Direction
Aether's Apothecary and Assortment
Throwing Out the Baby


III. A Series of Unfortunate Events - Setting and Summary
Valenth in a Nutshell
The Pebble and the... erm, Chapters
Casting Call - Valenthian Roleplay

IV. Can't We All Just Get Along? - The Factions
(Insert Name Here) Wants YOU!
What Do You Want From Me?!

 

I. V A L E N T H
An Introduction

SCIENCE!

Welcome to Valenth--
a mad science, steampunk, and fantasy-themed adoptables site with an ongoing story, optional roleplay (RP) elements and many more features to come!

Adoptables are small, usually transparent graphics made to display in forum signatures or on your personal websites for decoration. There are many sites you can get them from; Valenth is only one of them.

Our adoptables are completely FREE to adopt; there's no cash involved here, and you don't need to register an account to pick up a few!
Of course, if you choose to register, you can take part in the entire website, earn -- krüs, our currency --, buy accessories and items to use on your stored adoptables, and even adopt rare species you can't get any other way!
Read on through this guide to learn more about how Valenth works!

 

Breaking the Fourth Wall
(But Just For A Moment)

Valenth is co-owned and co-founded by DNA and Keith Kurson--
a subsidiary of Agoge, Inc., the creators of Subeta.

Want to see more art by DNA, or full-size images of our adoptables?
Stop by her DA gallery!

 

Jump to Chapter II!

 

II. the M O N S T E R and Y O U
Everything You Need To Know About Adoption

Congratulations! It's A... Hm.

So you've decided to adopt. But hang on just a second!

Before you get your first adoptable, ask yourself-- are you just passing through?
Is there a possibility you may want to change something about your adoptable in the future (its name, gender, etc), or even begin collecting them?
If yes, you may want to register an account first. It only takes a second, and afterwards you'll be able to access up to 100 adoptables anytime by using the Your Adoptions link!

If no, keep in mind that we can't currently add any adoptables you create to an account, should you change your mind and create one in the future. :(

 

Caring For Your... Thingy

Okay; you've got your first adoptable (or two, or three, or...oh, for Kelan's sake)!
It probably looks something like this:

All adoptables begin life in the Alpha () stage; normally depicted as an egg within a specimen tank (some special adoptables may look slightly different). This is the earliest stage of development-- for your adoptable to hatch and grow, it needs food... and to get food, you'll want to post it somewhere so people can feed it.

The best way to get feeds for your adoptables is by placing them in signatures on forums you frequent (check your forum's rules, first!). If you know a site that allows it, you can also post them on boards or threads made for adoptable posts, or even in your own personal websites.

To post an adoptable, copy-paste the code given into the desired place. Most forums will use the BBcode section, while normal websites will use the HTML.

If you're posting your adoptables into the Valenth forums (signature or Public Stables only, please!), you can use the [valenth][/valenth] code!

A Valenth signature with adoptables in it; you're allowed to place up to five pets per signature.

If all goes well, your adoptable's level should begin to increase as people feed it!
Valenth adoptables have three stages. Once your reaches level 101, it'll hatch into a Beta (), and it won't grow again until level 501-- reaching adulthood and becoming an Omega ().

Your adoptable's final form depends on how it was cared for while it was developing; different foods will result in one of three different stages!

He's just a little chimaera-- but he's gonna get bigger!

Remember -- there's currently a cap of 100 adoptables per account, so don't get too carried away!
You'll be able to trade extras for other adoptables soon.

 

Paying It Some-Such Direction

So you've got your adoptable posted, and it gets a few clicks, but you want more-- or perhaps you realized you'd like something from the Apothecary for your adoptables.
Valenth is driven by a give-and-take mentality; if people see you around feeding other people's adoptables, they're more likely to feed yours, too.
Even better; every adoptable you feed earns you that you can use to buy things from the shop, or even special adoptables you can't get normally, as well as reputation points towards different Valenthian factions that you can earn special priveleges with if you earn one (see chapter 4 for more information about this)!

To feed an adoptable, click on it; you'll see a page that looks like this:

Nightwing should get off his rear and get his own food.

You'll be presented with three random food choices, one representing each type-- vital, normal, and mirajin-tainted.
Your choice will give this pet points towards the stage pertaining to the type of food, and also adjust your reputation points a little bit depending on what you chose.
Regardless of how you feed, you'll recieve a random amount of as thanks for helping out!

Stolen souls? He looks like the type to enjoy that sort of thing...

 

Aether's Apothecary and Assortment

Once you've earned enough , you'll likely want to look at what you can spend it on.
You can see how much you've earned by clicking the Shop link.
Buy the item you want by clicking the button beneath it, and it'll go into your inventory.
There, you can use an item by selecting the desired pet with the dropdown menu beneath an item and clicking Use Item!

The Aether's Apothecary and Assortment shop front. Don't look at my krüs. :|

Items are applied to your pet immediately; however, it may take a few moments for the cache to reload and update your pet, so don't panic if it doesn't seem to work right away!

Items
Alchemy Stone		Also known as a Philosopher's Stone, said to turn lead into gold, bestow immortality, and so on. Using it on a pet will freeze its development, keeping it from growing any farther (an alpha will stay alpha no matter how many levels it gains, for example. To undo this effect, use a Mortality Dew.
Identity Distortion Collar		A metal and leather collar that will stimulate your pet's brainwaves, causing it to forget its name in place of a new one. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt much!
Elevelixir		A mysterious potion. Giving it to a pet will cause it to gain a random number of levels.
Essence of Mars		Every adoptable you make is assigned a gender at creation(v1 adoptables are both/neither). If for any reason you decide to change it, you can use one of these items. Mars (Red) is male, and Venus (Blue) is female.
Essence of Venus

The Travel Agency is an additional shop area that allows you to place backgrounds or props on your adoptables for a fee. Should you decide you wish to remove them, use the Clear Background to take it off ; it's free!

Throwing Out the Baby

As a final note to this section, you may have noticed the Release link beneath each of your adoptables.
Clicking this will indeed set the chosen adoptable free, forever-- there's no way to get it back!

There is a confirmation dialog when the link is clicked to help prevent accidents.

 

Jump to Chapter III!

III. a S E R I E S of U N F O R T U N A T E ~ E V E N T S
Setting and Summary

Valenth in a Nutshell

Valenth is a fantasy-steampunk world, neo-victorian with a splash of faerytale and magic in civilized areas.
Humans exist, but are only the dominant sentient species in a handful of areas-- the most prominent being Gier City in Central Dreamsong, the main setting of the site's plot.

Valenth is a world undergoing metamorphosis; as common folk eke out a living the only ways they know how, the world is slowly turned upside down, and reality itself is at stake...

 

The Pebble and the... erm, Chapters

Our story begins thousands of years ago, deep within the heart of Aensdoun-- when Aensdoun and Dreamsong were whole.

In those days, the land belonged to the elves-- the Aeneski-- and much like their smallfae cousins, the Anshe tribes battled constantly amongst themselves to seize and defend territory throughout the continent.

Amongst them, a young alchemist created a stone, well-known among his trade, meant to aid in the transformation of the ordinary into the amazing.

That stone became known as the Fatis Mirajin; a Philosopher's Stone with a minor flaw.
As was intended, it transformed common metals and stones into new materals.

Unexpectedly, it began to affect everything else around it, as well...
including the alchemist, his two closest companions, and in time, their entire village.

What, exactly, happened next is lost to the sands of time...

 

Casting Call - Valenthian Roleplay

Because of Valenth's current format and incarnation, most story advancement and plot takes place in the form of interactive threads posted by NPCs (non-player characters).

NPCs may set a scene and interact with each other in it-- and depending on what is going on, they may also interact with user posts!

This is a simple form of Roleplay (RP) ; taking on a persona and acting as it to take part in a story.
Valenth has several forums set aside strictly for user RP, both freeform and Valenth-based, where you can run your own games or join another person's.
Specific rules are often set by the person who establishes an RP board, so it's good etiquette to take note of and abide by them if you choose to play!

Posts made by NPCs anywhere are considered IC posts, and are official Valenth RP boards.
You are free to interact with NPCs within the established scene, but it's generally considered bad form to ignore what's going on in the thread in favor of taking things in your own direction.

A post by a goblin NPC in a Dreamsong Gazette thread. All official NPCs have pale blue names and an [NPC] rank.

If you don't know where to start, try reading through the Dreamsong Gazette board; these are always official Valenth RP boards, and they may help you get a feel for interacting with NPCs.

Sometimes Valenth NPCs will post in strange places; this may mean a special plot event is afoot!

A few key terms to know before we continue:

IC (In-Character)	To be In Character means you are taking on the role of a character at the moment; all RP boards are considered to be IC by default. This involves writing as if you are your character; think about how they would respond in the given situation!
OOC (Out Of Character)	Out Of Character is the opposite of IC; you are posting as yourself, not roleplaying. General Chat forums are an example of OOC boards -- though some people prefer to stay IC at all times on the forums. That's perfectly fine! When posting OOC on a RP board, most people place their text in (( brackets such as these )). This can come in handy for making commentary or having a discussion with other players mid-session, but should be used sparingly so as to not interrupt play.
NPC (Non-Player Character)	An NPC on Valenth is a character from official lore, played by staff members-- in other words, not by other players.
Emote	An emote in RP is to have your character perform an action. This can be as simple or as in-depth as you please; roleplaying is very much like writing a story with other people. Valenth NPC emotes are always on a new line in all italics, for example; Squick removes his toy monocle for a moment, attempting to clean the glass with the edge of his dingy tunic. Being descriptive is good-- the best roleplayers can paint an entire scene with a well-written paragraph. Be careful not to overload your posts with too many extraneous words, though!
Canon	To say something is part of canon means that it is an officially-accepted series of events or portrayal of characters. Generally, everything revealed by NPCs or official site articles can be said to be Valenth canon. Actions taken by users within official RP threads may or may not be included in canon for the sake of preserving storyline integrity.
Powergaming/Godmoding	This is when a character automatically does things they shouldn't without consent from the other players involved. Powergaming is frowned upon in all RP-- whether it's in an official thread or a user-created one. Here are two different examples. The boralion takes a deep breath, blasting the massive crowd of onlookers in front of him and melting them into crystalline goo! The elf leapt forward and tackled Dr. Dreamscar in a huge hug, pinning him to the wall. There's really no way to respond to actions such as these; they involve that player having their character act, as well as forcing the other players in question to have their characters act in a way the powergamer decides, or not giving them a chance to react at all, and so on. This applies to forcing other people to -think- a certain something about your character, too. Statements like Her beauty sends a chill down your spine are making assumptions about how someone might react. It's both unfair and annoying, so don't do it! A good rule of thumb is to have your character attempt to do something, if it might be protested, or simply have them ask if it's proper to. Good roleplay involves knowing when to have your character succeed or fail, and how to construct a compelling scene with other people-- without being pushy!

 

Overwhelmed? Don't be!
RPing is much simpler than it looks at first; just remember that you're helping write and interact in a story.
Here are a few guidelines to get you started:

Valenth is a fantasy/steampunk setting. The best way to get aquainted with the world is to check out our lore section for information about areas, races, native creatures, specific NPCs, factions, and more! It doesn't hurt to watch other people taking part in an official RP thread or read old ones first. Locked threads in the Dreamsong Gazette forum are completed official RP sessions which have advanced the plot to the current point! If you're interested in developing a character specifically to use within Valenth, lore and old NPC posts are your friends! The more you make use of the information presented so far, the more authentic your character will be! For extra help coming up with concepts that fit in the world, try doing web searches for steampunk, victorian, mad science, or penny dreadfuls, for example. Original-version fairytales are a great place to look, as well. Read all rules set in an RP board before you join in! It's common sense, and common courtesy. When RPing in official threads, we ask that you stay within the bounds of Valenth canon so that NPCs can carry out their scripts and interact without having to overlook you! On Valenth, "Earth" is nothing more than an element; avoid asking NPCs about things such as movies, books, or video games. If you'd like help developing a new character or adjusting a pre-existing one for Valenth, don't be afraid to ask regulars for help! If a player character does something to your character that you are not comfortable with, it is your right to ignore the action. Be reasonable-- and alert a moderator if the player is breaking any of the site rules! Valenth is fantasy, but consider the fine points of interaction as you create your character. An interesting character has both capabilities -and- flaws, and a believable story to go with them! Don't play gods, god-like beings, "ancient powers" or other such concepts. Such creatures should only be utilized by a storyteller in special occasions, not by players attempting to interact within a game. (This also goes for playing "relatives" of such things, or relatives of lore figures!) Remember - powergamers spoil the fun for everyone! Respect your fellow players-- whoever they are-- and don't try to force others to do what you want!

If you ever have any questions about Valenth RP, feel free to PM a moderator!

 

Jump to Chapter IV!

 

IV. C A N ' T ~ W E ~ A L L ~ J U S T ~ G E T ~ A L O N G ?
The Factions

(Insert Name Here) Wants YOU!

There are many organizations on the world of Valenth-- but only a handful of these hold power.
The Factions feature allows you to join a faction of your choice, take part in their inner workings, learn more about what happens away from the eyes of Gier City's general populace, and even earn special adoptables and features related to your group!

Valenth's four factions; The Firestarters, The Court, The Silent Rose and The Somnambulist Project.

But where do you begin? This guide will help!

As mentioned briefly in Chapter I, you recieve reputation points by feeding a pet.
Depending on the type of food you give, you will recieve-- or lose! -- reputation with a particular faction.
Note: You may not recieve a point for every feed!

Food Type		Reputation Change
Life		+
Plain		+ or +*
Tainted		+ and -
KEY
Firestarters		Court
Silent Rose		Somnambulist

*once implemented, joining a neutral faction will cause all neutral reputation to count towards your faction.

Choosing a faction -- at any time -- will reset all of your prior reputation values to zero.
Players are strongly encouraged to choose a faction they intend to stick with; as time progresses, you will require ever-higher reputation levels with your faction to unlock different rewards.

You may join a neutral faction ( The Somnambulist Project or The Court) right away and at any time, but joining The Firestarters or The Silent Rose requires extra reputation first.

 

What Do You Want From Me?!

Before choosing your faction, weigh your options! Each one, even the Somnambulist Project, has a history behind it and is best suited to certain tastes. This subchapter is meant to serve as a guide to help you easily decide where you belong, or at least narrow your choices.

If you plan to take part in official RP posts or the Faction Forums, you may wish to choose based upon the character you have in mind. Otherwise, go with whichever faction interests you most!

Each faction has its own forum, visible only to members.
As time progresses, reputation-unlockable perks will become available, such as new, special faction adoptables and site features.

Below is a chart made to help ease the process of choosing a faction.
Specs cover key points, rules and guidelines of each faction.

		Focused on Preservation Arguably the most exclusive faction; frowns upon unjust actions and unnatural beings such as undead and mutants Most difficult of all factions to earn and keep favor with Must work closely with wildlife recovery or purification of tainted beings
The Firestarters
Lawful
		Focused on Learning The most open faction; accepts members from all walks of life Personal tendencies are irrelevant; simply study, and avoid irrational behavior
The Somnambulist Project
Neutral
		Focused on Diplomacy and Balance Active members oversee the political functions of the world Mortal Court members cannot become certified Courtesans; most serve as Liaisons upon Embassy grounds as they learn traditions and protocol and assist officials Requires members with a watchful eye and strong sense of discretion
The Court
Neutral
		Focused on Experimentation and Transformation Very strict guidelines; freedom of self provided guidelines are followed Secrecy, discretion, loyalty and self-control are essential for all members Tier-based organization structure; knowledge of inner workings increases with rank
The Silent Rose
Chaotic

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