FAQ
About the Group
Q: What does the name mean?
Arcem Alva is a reference to the Tower aka Castle card of Tarot, which signifies calamity. The phrase itself means 'the citadel Alva' and is pronounced 'archem alva'.
Q: Is the group based on anything?
It is a revival of an old group which has been closed, but the majority of things - including the plot line, world-building and characters - have been remade or are new, so Arcem Alva is for all intents and purposes its own kettle of fish. Other than that, it is based only on the fantasy genre in general. It’s an original story and world not tied to any particular franchise.
Q: Is there a group plot or is everyone just roleplaying freely?
There is a group plot, but of course you are free to roleplay how you like. The purpose of the group plot is to give everyone a dynamic wartime setting to roleplay in; whether you choose to interact directly with the war, politics and mayhem or whether you would rather use it as a backdrop is up to you.
Q: What do you mean about members affecting the group plot? How is that going to work?
The group plot will be executed via prompts and events, of which events are where your characters can make a difference. Events will always have multiple possible outcomes, and member participation determines which becomes canon. What your character individually does will also often colour the resulting story, and there are chances for member characters to play important roles themselves. This means the politics, battles and other turning points in the plot will be shaped by your own involvement.
Q: I want to join as a new member! Can I?
Unfortunately, you can't anymore! Previously we had public openings every 3-6 months, but we have decided to stop accepting new applicants now because we are nearing the end of our plotline.
About Applications
Q: I can’t draw, do I have to have a picture on my app? Can I get someone else to draw it for me?
A clean, fully coloured, full body visual reference of your character is mandatory. While it’s much preferred that you draw it yourself (as long as you make an effort, it will be fine!), we do allow it to be drawn by someone else, as long as the artist has given consent and credit is provided such that we can contact them and check this. No tracing or bases.
Please note that the written portion of the application must be entirely done by you!
Q: Can my character be a race or from a location that is not listed in the journals?
No, your character cannot be a race that’s not on the Races page, or come from somewhere not locatable on the map. Creating a small town other than the ones listed is generally allowable, but you must get approval from the region mod for your town.
Q: Does my character have to start at a Base tier class?
Not necessarily. Of the four main characters you are allowed, you may start one as a Final tier and one as an Intermediate tier. Other than these allowances, they must start as a Base tier, yes. You can of course go lower with the allowances if you wish (e.g. have an Intermediate instead of a Final tier) but not higher (e.g. starting two as Final tiers is not allowed). Side characters are not subject to these class tier restrictions but they cannot level up and their class must be realistic for them.
Q: Can my character have abilities from more than one class, or a class not listed in the journals?
No, please just choose one class and stick to it. Going beyond a single class's abilities will make your character overpowered and unacceptable. If your character changes class paths in-verse, they must somehow lose their previous class's skills before gaining the other's. You may choose one extra Base class for your character to have peripheral, amateurish skills in, but other than this you cannot have multiple classes. The class systems of other RPGs cannot be applied to Alva.
Q: What colour can my character's hair/skin/eyes be?
Natural hair and skin colours for each race can be found via the Races page and there are visual examples on Alvapedia. Eye iris colours can be anything (including heterochromatic) but the sclera must stay white. Colours outside of these can be achieved artificially (e.g. with hair dye, wigs) or be the result of a condition such as albinism or vitiligo, but these reasons must be acknowledged and treated realistically.
Q: What style of clothing should my character wear to fit in with the world?
Our aesthetic covers the fantasy genre very broadly, so as long as there is a 'classic fantasy' look to your character, there is a lot of freedom you can have with clothing choice! Era-wise, anything from medieval times to the 1800s in the real world is possible. Region-wise, please refer to the World journal for more information on what is practical or common in each area.
Q: How advanced is technology in Alva? What is my character allowed to have?
Technology in Alva is generally, currently equivalent to about early to mid-1800s in the real world. This varies from region to region (Koben, for example, is relatively advanced in scientific technology, while Miras is more advanced in magical technology). So items such eye glasses, flintlock guns, daguerreotypes and pianos exist, but electric engines, ballpoint pens, zippers and automatic firearms do not. Please note, however, that technology lags significantly where effective magical equivalents exist. For example, medical technology in Alva is closer to 1700s level due to the prevalence of healing magic, therefore things like sterilisation and successful hypodermic needles don't exist.
Q: My character is too neutral to choose an allegiance. Do I still have to list that on their app or can I say 'None'?
For group purposes, we require you to assign an allegiance (West Kingdom, East Kingdom, Koben Empire, Southern Federation, Reluir State or Delverne State) for your character, even if it is nominal. If they are completely neutral then simply list the side that the city they live in is allied to. You are always welcome to elaborate afterwards or in the Additional Info what your character's true feelings are.
Q: Can my character be widely influential, famous, high-ranking or related to a city leader?
In general, no. Your character can be important within a specific circle of society that you create yourself but they cannot impact the world enough for most or all people to notice. The mods require full control of significant world influences in order to steer the group plot smoothly, and it is neither practical nor considerate to expect all other members to acknowledge your character's importance. Influential world roles, high ranks (e.g. in the military or nobility) and relationships with city leaders are only possible if approved by the relevant mods.
Q: Can I re-use an old character?
Sure, as long as you revamp said character for our setting! No portals, higher realms or world-hopping in any manner.
Q: Why do mods and some members seem to be exceptions to the character class/number rules?
Each mod needs to look after their regions and drive the group plot, so they have additional freedom with character creation. If you see members with characters who exceed the usual restrictions, this is usually because they have earnt it - through special prizes, character tokens or activities in the previous group.
Q: Which city should I put on my character's app if they are travelling?
Whichever one you consider most important or relevant to them. It can be the one they consider home, or stay at the most often, or have their mail directed to. Keep in mind their city will determine which gallery subfolder they go into, and thus which citizens may seek you out for interactions.
Q: Can I get my app checked before I submit it?
Sorry but no, we do not do app checks! Instead, if your app needs small corrections, there will be a week after assessment for you to address them.
About Participation
Q: Do I need to participate in all events? I’m too busy with school/work/etc. to do all of them...
No, participation in events is not mandatory - however there will be an easy option for all events and you get bonuses for participation, so it is definitely encouraged. The group plot also moves quite fast so it's best if you at least stay informed of it!
Q: My character's app is in the 'Inactive' folder without my knowledge! Why is that?
If we notice that you are on hiatus or you do not respond to our annual activity check, we will move your app(s) to the Inactive folder to keep the gallery organised. If you're actually active, just fill in the last activity check and pop us a note to reactivate them!
Q: I want to roleplay or talk to people, where is everyone at?
Our official gathering place is the Discord chat, which is for members only. Otherwise, people can get in touch with each other via comments, notes, personal chat clients, etc.
Q: Can I move my character to a different city?
Sure thing! Just change the crest and info on their app and send the group a note so we can move them to the correct city subfolder.
Q: Can I make resources/lore for Alva?
On a general scale, you can't unless it is approved by the mod team. On a personal scale, absolutely! For example, you cannot design what a city looks like without mod approval, but you can design what your character's house looks like. Or you can create a fable for your character to believe but you can't say it's a common fable everyone knows. All lore must, of course, suit the setting, and you can improvise whatever you need to for fun, as long as you understand it may not be 100% canon. For more on resource-making, see the Participation page.
Q: Do collabs get event bonuses? How is the EXP for them allocated?
Yes, every participating main character in a collab will receive their event or prompt bonus. The normal EXP is either divided evenly among the contributors or, in pieces where everyone has drawn their own part discretely, calculated for each one.