Candidates a people who have been searched to stand on the sands during a hatching, in hopes they will impress a newborn dragon.
Some new guidelines for Candidates are as follows:
Candidates who are idle for more than one RL month will be removed from the knot, and are welcome to fill out the application again when they become active. *Note: Idle does not equal 'on vacation' as long as you have your &vacation attribute set in your +finger information! *
Candidate Guidelines:
(see the FAQ below as well for answers to more questions)
- It interested in being a candidate, please type 'search me' and follow the directions.
- If searched, you will be registered in the Hatching Records for the Weyr you are trying for. Due to the limited number of slots open at each Hatching, registration for a hatching will be for a limited time and will fill quickly, but don't worry if you are not searched or fail to impress, there will be more hatchings. Anyone who has been searched and doesn't impress, does not have to be searched again and is a candidate until they impress or grow too old to stand the sands. Weyrs often will give extra candidates to other Weyrs when they have too many.
- Candidates who ICly get married or become a Master in a Craft are not allowed to stand anymore and are no longer candidates. You may start a new character for that purpose though.
- IC age limits for Candidates: (14-29, 30 being too old for women) (12-24, 25 being too old for men)
- First of all..PLEASE don't play multiple candidates at the same hatching. Its really unfair to the other candidates..
- Please do not chose gold or bronze as a color pref if you are losing access within 6 months of the hatching since it leaves the Weyr short of Leaders and is unfair to people who really want the position. Be aware as well that people impressing metallics may end up with the responsibility of running a Weyr! If you are not ready to accept that kind of workload and do not feel you can handle running a Weyr, please consider not asking for a metallic..It is not a glamorous job by any means and is often stressful, much like any position of responsibility..
- Please do not page search riders during search about search. They have enough to worry about and its rude to bother them during this time.
- Please consider starting an alt character for the Crafts or Holds if you impress and have time to play a second character.
- Understand that you can be removed from the candidate pools if you violate candidate rules ICly or Mush rules OOCly. You are responsible for your own actions and being a candidate is a great responsibility and a privilege, not a right. The IC rules for candidates are as follows.
- No fighting. An argument isn't a problem, but a fist fight or a act of violence towards ANYONE as a candidate is grounds for being removed from being a candidate if you are caught.
- The candidate is required to do as they are told IC. Chores are common and character building. Extra chores as punishment for minor infractions is also common and should only be for IC reasons. No WLM, WW or WL is allowed to use IC punishment for OOC reasons, only IC reasons. If you are having OOC/RL problems with someone, talk to a wizard about it and try to resolve it.
- People applying for search and candidates who are inactive during the time of search for a Weyr may be rejected if they are inactive for more then 2 weeks and have no &vacation set warning they will be gone. Leftover Candidates from a Hatching need to let the next Weyr know they are transferring there to stand at least 10 days or more before that Weyr's hatching. Telling the WW/WL of that Weyr in the first week after the previous hatching is best.
- Be reminded that Impression is handled randomly, unless it is stated otherwise at the beginning of the hatch in which, you will see a notice of the clutch if they are chosen or random. This is NOT a roleplaying contest with dragons as prizes. So do NOT harass other players because you feel you are a better RPer than they are and feel they do not deserve a dragon. It is not your place to say who deserves a dragon or who doesn't.
- A Candidate left on the sands must accept that fact and NOT page new riders and harass them for impressing or try to make them feel guilty for it. It can cause that candidate to be removed from candidacy if there are too many complaints.
(Female characters trying for gold dragons should read '+help goldrider' before declaring that color as a preference.)
Candidate FAQ:
How do I become a Candidate? |
Yay! I got searched! Now what? |
How long do I get to be a Candidate? |
Where can I stand once I become a Candidate? |
Who can become a Candidate? |
How do I become a Candidate?
Well, first thing you do is type 'search me' and you will be wisked off to a room where you will find further instructions, such as how to tell what Weyr is on search, etc. You will have to fill out an application. After that, make yourself available online as much as possible. Find excuses to roleplay in public places as often as you can. Joining a Craft Hall or Hold is good as it gives you a job and more excuses to be places where there is roleplay. ie. Delivering a message, visiting a relitive, etc.) Do NOT page or bother search riders or the WW or WL! This is a good way to be labeled a pest.
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Yay! I got searched! Now what?
Congrates! You are a Candidate. Now you have the best reason to be seen roleplaying at the Weyr you are trying to stand on the sands of. Be online and in a public place as much as you can. Be polite to the leadership of the Weyr, unless you love scrubbing out toilets or shoveling dung in the herdbeast pens. Do not pry and ask what you might impress or IF you will impress. It annoys the Search Co. Try to avoid OOC confrontations with others. You are under a microscope, so think twice before you type…
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How long do I get to be a Candidate?
Once you are searched, you are a Candidate until:
- You impress a dragon.
- You are too old to stand (and no cheating and changing your age!)
- Till you do something ICLY that gets you banned from the sands. Commiting a violent crime, stealing… things that would get you thrown in jail, are grounds for removal from the Candidate pool. OOCly, only being idle nuked or site banned from the MUSH would get you removed as a Candidate.
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Where can I stand once I become a Candidate?
You may stand at ANY Weyr long as you are a Candidate. Now, this doesn't mean the Weyr MUST impress you, but that you have the right to participate as a Candidate, even though you might be stand-only. This might not sound good, but it shows good character to be able to stand a number of times, being left on the sands each time, without complaint. Be at your best, even if the Weyr doesn't make you feel all that welcome and someone might see you as worthy. Patience is indeed a virtue. Do not make an OOC scene on the sands if you are left standing.. IC ones, well, depends on the character's temperament.. ;) Be aware that its not uncommon ICly for a person to stand numerous times before impressing and some people never impress at all. Just do your best and if you feel you are being treated unfairly, talk to one of the wizards about it, don't yell at the Search Co.
(NOTE: If you are a 'leftover' candidate from a hatching and want to stand at a different Weyr's hatching, PLEASE let the Leaders know you want to stand at least 10 days or more before the eggs are due to hatch, just in case they might want to roleplay with you and give you a fair shot. You do not have to be 're-searched', but they might want to roleplay a search rider coming to your Weyr you are still at to ask for any leftover candidates. Canon for the transfer of leftover candidates to other Weyrs may be found in Moreta.)
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Who can become a Candidate?
A female character who is between 14-29 turns (30 being too old) or a male character who is between 12 and 24 turns old (25 being too old).
You may NOT be a candidate if you are the following:
- Married. Married people are simply not searched. Their emotional ties to their mates make it far too hard on such people to deal with being a Candidate or a DragonRider, as dragons put demands on their riders that can destroy relationships and create jealousy in the human rider's mate. Dragonriders may not marry after impression either.
- Masters in a Craft. Usually too old to begin with and such people are needed more as Masters then as riders. The demands of a Master position and of a rider are too much for one person.
- On SearchCo of the Weyr you are attempting to stand at. You may not stand a Candidate at a Weyr in which you have an alt who is on the search committee. (note: Search riders who are not members of the actual searchco and are just doing searches are not effected, but should not be asked to search their own alts or be given info that an alt is being searched. Stand Only Candidates are not effected either.)
- A Criminal. Anyone who has committed a violent or serious crime ICly.
- Previously a rider. People who have lost their dragons may NOT be candidates. You only get one dragon if you impress. Dragons won't impress to dragonless riders.
- Handicapped. Search Riders are not allowed to search blind people, crippled people, deaf people or obviously insane people. Think of it as like the military. If you can't pass the physical, you can't join. All new Candidates must submit to a physical from a JM or Master Healer before being allowed to stand.
- Wher Handlers. Those who are wher handlers are bonded to a wher and may not impress a dragon.
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