Frequently Asked Questions

From Grey Tower Library
Revision as of 22:09, 27 November 2018 by Craig (talk) (Why does the Grey Tower have eight Ajahs?)
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

World and Setting

What's the difference between the world of the Grey Tower and the world from the novels?

The Grey Tower is set in a portal world separate from the original Wheel of Time world of the novels. Therefore, there are some differences between our continuity, and the one everyone is familiar with, that should be taken into consideration. For instance, Tarmon Gai'don has yet to occur, and this world has not seen the arrival of the Dragon Reborn.

Roughly two hundred years ago, a group of runaways from the Black and White Towers banded together to create a new Tower, which they dubbed the Grey Tower. They built this on the northeastern tip of Lake Somal, situated in the Mountains of Mist north of Manetheren. Since that time, the nearby village of Elman's creek has expanded and turned into the now thriving city of Hama Valon.

The borders of nations remain as they are from the map on the inside cover of every Wheel of Time book. The Seanchan have taken Falme and most of Toman Head, but have not yet successfully subjugated any free nation. Although familiar noble houses populate our capitals, unfamiliar faces grace their thrones. The Black and White Towers stare at each other across the breadth of the Caralain Grass, and Salidar remains a little-known, but still adamant, rebel presence in Altara. One of the largest changes from the books is that the White Tower was recently overrun by the Shadow and was completely destroyed.

Saidin has been cleansed for over one hundred and fifty years, and as such, male channellers are beginning to be more accepted amongst the people of this world. Women have much more freedom and are encouraged to train in the Warder Yards as much as any man would be.

Why does the Grey Tower have eight Ajahs?

When the Grey Tower was founded, there were no Red Ajah representatives. Thus a seventh Ajah, the Indigo Ajah, was created. The Indigo Ajah seeks to uncover lost Talents from the Age of Legends. They have already discovered the secret of making sa'angreal, angreal, and ter'angreal and are responsible for the Tower's collection of these objects of the Power.

A few years ago, a young woman named Carraidhin Glaisne chose the Red Ajah when she completed her Great Stair and reinvented it from the ground up. The Red Ajah is significantly different from the canonical Red Ajah, and as such, it is strongly recommended that you read their Library page.

The Grey Tower also has a Black Ajah, although no-one will ever admit to such, as is the custom.

Character Creation

How do I join the Grey Tower?

As long as you are eighteen or over, you can join the Grey Tower. When you create your first character, an account will be created for you on our forums and for the Library.

How do I create a character?

The form for creating a character can be found here.

What should I include in my character's description?

Leaf-icon.png This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

What should I include in my character's biography?

Some basic guidelines are to flesh out your character from either a first- or third-person perspective and establish how they came to be at the Grey Tower. Most importantly, be realistic, and leave room for character development.

Can I join as a character in one of Robert Jordan's books?

This is something we do not allow with absolutely no exceptions. We also do not allow direct relationship with (regardless of distance) with any character who lived at any point during the duration of the series. You may use House surnames from the books (such as Trakand, Damodred, Bashere) so long as you are not obviously copying a canon character.

Can I have more than one character?

Absolutely, one of the best parts of writing is exploring different types of characters. There is currently no limit to the number of characters you may play, but there are stipulations as to at which point you can create another character. The rules for multiple characters can be found here.

Can I transfer a ranked character from another site?

If the site is in a roughly equivalent setting and you can provide proof that you were there and what rank you held, absolutely! Please see this page for more details.

Can I return with a previous character?

Of course you may, though there are a few things required of you. The rules concerning retired characters are found on this page.

Character Development

How do I raise through the ranks?

The rules concerning raising requirements can be found on this page.

How do Talents, Masteries, Weapon Skills, etc. work?

We have a number of skill systems at the Grey Tower to gauge or compared the abilities of different characters. There are separate pages set up to explain the Mastery system, the Talent system, and Weapon Skills.

How does the One Power work here?

The Grey Tower uses a numerical system separate from that presented in the Wheel of Time Companion. You can find more information about the system on this page. You can submit your character's One Power strength and affinities here.

How do I submit a biography update?

You can edit the Library yourself in order to reflect small changes to a character's appearance or history. However, any sizeable changes should be submitted to the Librarians for approval. Similarly, fanfics should also be sent to the Librarians.

Character Roleplay

What are the rules on roleplaying?

We have an entire page on roleplaying etiquette that you are highly recommended to read.

What are the rules for my character's behaviour?

No specific set of rules has been drawn up regarding overall character behaviour. For the learning ranks, there are the Learning Ranks Conduct Expectations and the Schedules and Chores pages for ease of reference.

What happens if s/he breaks them and how is that determined?

The punishment of IC offences made by your character are dealt with by the Mistress of Novices, Master of Soldiers, or the Master of Training respective to who committed the offence. Please remember that IC offences can often be great character development and do not reflect poorly in any way on the writer as long as they are willing to let their character face the consequences of their actions. Note that all specifically-assigned IC punishments must be played out before a character can be raised.

Can I play a ta'veren character?

It is possible, but the use of ta'veren is limited. Your character may be temporary ta'veren as long as the correct procedures and restrictions are followed. They are:

  • Those who wish to use the ability must send a detailed application to the Triumvirate stating how they plan to use it and for how long they expect to use it. These officials do have the right to refuse the application.
  • The use of the ability is limited to a single major roleplay, fanfic, lengthy thread, or storyline.
  • The use of the ability is restricted solely to the person(s) who applied for it.

What about the time frame, comparing the passage of OOC time to IC time?

There is no set IC:OOC time ratio at the Grey Tower. Everyone has different amounts of time available for writing and can't always move at the same IC pace as others. It's up to each person, and their writing partners, to agree on the time passing for their characters and story lines and generally align with others as best you can.

Site Administration

Who owns this site?

The Grey Tower is owned by no one person. However, if you would like to reach the current site leadership, please email the Triumvirate.

What are the official administrator positions?

The Female Channeller Representative, Male Channeller Representative, and Non-Channeller Representative are collectively called the Triumvirate and are the leaders of the site. These roles were called the Amyrlin Seat, M'Hael, and Master/Mistress of Arms in previous iterations of the Grey Tower. Other administrative positions include the Librarians, the MoNSTers, the Tamyrlin, and the Master/Mistress of Keys. Further information can be found on this page.

You can see who holds is currently in each position by going to this page.

How are administrators chosen for the site?

When a position opens up, nominations are opened to the site. Anyone with an eligible character may be nominated, or nominate themselves. After nominations have closed, the nominees are put up for vote.

How are other ranks, such as Ajah Heads and Sitters, chosen?

Please see the Character Titles page.

Who can participate in Hall discussions and votes?

Any active member with an approved character can participate in discussions and vote on issues. It is recommended that super new members sit back and observe the culture of the site a bit so they understand what it is they are voting for or against.

How do I contact administration?

For general inquiries, please email us and the appropriate administrator will get back to you shortly.

How do I report an error?

Please email us with the details.

Who can help me with my problem?

There are several ways you can get help with problems or questions you might have. The most direct and efficient way is to email us, but you may also post in the Q&A thread in the main message board if you have a general inquiry.

What are the Grey Tower’s behaviour guidelines?

The rules of the Tower are outlined in the Aims and Rules of the Grey Tower page. Each member is expected to read and understand the content of that page before they submit their joining form.

What happens if I break the OOC rules?

The consequences of breaking the OOC rules of the Tower can range from restriction of posting and/or chatting privileges to being permanently banned from the site. This decision is made by the Triumvirate.

Can I appeal a decision made by the Triumvirate?

Decisions can be appealed by emailing the Triumvirate. If such an appeal is made the issue will be discussed with the admin team as a whole and the decision made there is final.

Site Culture

Do I have to pay to play?

Absolutely not, this is a completely free community, and we welcome any who want to join us here and abide by our policies. The site does need money to run and donations are accepted. If you want to donate contact one of the officers and we'll tell you how to make that happen. Once again, donations are completely voluntary, and in no way affect your status as a member here.

Are there activity expectations?

There are no minimum requirements for posting or activity to be a member of the Grey Tower. We want to include all those of every level of participation that their ability and real lives let them. Please be aware we do run quarterly activity checks and prune our Library of those who do not respond to our email. You are always welcome to return if you get caught by this net! See this page for more information.

How do I find people to write with?

You can make a thread in the Wanted forum, or if you want to just post on any of the IC boards with ATTN: Anyone in your subject line and wait for someone to join in. It happens all the time.

How do I join the Discord chatroom?

There is a thread with all the relevant information here.

Site History

How did all this start?

The Grey Tower was first created in 1998 by Toby Selwyn. He wanted to establish a community where channellers of both genders would work together, with their warders, to fight the Shadow and prepare for the Last Battle. Its history over the past decade and more have brought about many changes, though the main premise is still the same: to have fun writing together in a universe we love.

Has anyone ever been expelled from the Tower?

Yes, but only rarely. As mentioned above, expulsion is generally only used to punish major infractions of the Grey Tower's rules, or in situations where the disruptive behaviour is ongoing.