These rules are disclosed to clarify the various responsibilities of all community members here on Sword of Creation. They shall be adhered to by everyone to ensure that our board runs smoothly and provides a fun and productive experience for all of our community members and visitors.

1. The aim of these rules is as a guide for moderation so that users can have an idea of what is and isn't tolerated, or why they might have been given a warning. Ultimately however the aim of moderation isn't to police behaviour but to help foster the sort of community and atmosphere we want to see. This means that while we'll attempt to be hands off and give the benefit of the doubt, the following list isn't exhaustive and posters may still find themselves being moderated if their behaviour isn't contributing to the sort of positive community we're aiming for. #

2. Age

   1. We don't guarentee that all content of this board will be suitable for minors and is therefore limited to 18+ only. By agreeing to these rules at sign up you are confirming you are 18 years or older #

3. Acceptable Content

   1. NSFW

      1. Art - suggestive content, tasteful nudity and the like is acceptable but overtly pornographic material, intercourse etc. currently isn't. Consider if your post would be acceptable on deviantart or pinterest. Blood and violence is allowed but extremely graphic content isn't #
      2. Only drawn and artistic works are allowed on the Art Forum. The exception is photography and references in appropriate inspiration threads/boards. Real life nudity should be avoided where possible, but we accept that some images with mild or suggestive nudity might be reasonable, especially if SFW versions aren't available. Again pinterest or deviantart are good benchmarks. If you are posting anything like this it must be clearly tagged as such #
      3. Writing - Adult content is acceptable within written works, especially if it exists within a larger work. If it would be acceptable on a mainstream fiction site we're willing to tolerate it here, including mature content, although restrictions on extreme content still applies. Other content that may require trigger warnings such as abuse is also permitted but should also have disclaimers. #
      4. Adult and suggestive content is allowed in homebrew and mechanics where appropriate as long as it observes other guidelines but we reserve the right to remove works we find don't fit the community tone #
      5. All threads intended to contain NSFW content, whether written or art MUST contain a clear tag labelling [NSFW] as the first thing in the thread's title. This one is non-negotiable and you can expect a ban if you ignore it #
      6. Any content that could be considered NSFW that is being posted within a larger or existing thread should be placed behind spoiler tags and clearly labelled as NSFW. Please ensure that any content such as this which is being posted in existing threads is welcome and consistent with the ongoing conversation. #
      7. If you're unsure if something is SFW or needs a NSFW tag then you should use a NSFW tag or spoiler #
      8. Extreme content such as excessive graphic violence and gore, bodily fluids, bestiality, rape etc. are not permitted in any works. If in doubt, ask #
      9. No NSFW or suggestive content is permitted including minors and this is judged based on the outward appearance of a character. It doesn't matter if they're a 1000 year old spirit, if they look under 18 we consider them to be under 18 #
      10. If you are at all in doubt about whether something is acceptable or not you should ask a mod before posting. We'll accept good faith differences of opinion if we find posted content needs to be removed, but clearly questionable content being posted without consultation will suggest to us you've not read these rules. #

   2. Ownership

      1. All mechanics and written work should be your own work or work you own #
      2. Art in the Art Forum should be yours, work you own or have commissioned. With commissioned work please try and credit the artists. The exception to this are inspiration threads. All non-original content should either go in relevant inspiration threads or on the general discussion boards #

4. Harassment, Discrimination and Personal Attacks

   1. Don't personally attack, become aggressive or use abusive language towards others. Disagreements are ok, arguements aren't #
   2. Comments that demean a group or person based on the colour of the skin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender preferences etc. are unacceptable #
   3. Respect people's privacy. Don't PM or share information from off board unless it's clear that people are willing for you to do so. No harassment or continuing arguements in PMs #
   4. We want people to offer feedback and constructive criticism, but if your comment on a work is purely negative or can't be phrased without you being an asshole then just don't leave one #
   5. We don't care what's going on on other forums, sites and discords. Leave it there #

5. Respecting Topics

   1. Try and keep conversations on topic and don't hijack threads. If you find yourself wanting to talk about something different to the original thread please make a new one #
   2. Post topics in the appropriate forums and subforums. We accept not everything will fit perfectly #

6. Politics

   1. Political talk isn't permitted on any of the boards. We're not interested in having those fights. Some discussion of real world politics may arise as a result of talking about the themes in exalted and tabletop and this is fine, but if it begins to become too divisive then expect the mods to shut it down or lock the thread. There'll be little tolerance for anyone pushing the issue past that point. #
   2. We accept that moderation on things like discrimination and social issues will be seen by some as inherently political. We can't avoid this. You're entitled to your views but this sort of thing won't be up for discussion. #

7. Spam and Advertising

   1. Don't spam - don't post the same thing multiple times and avoid making multiple posts in threads where one can be used #
   2. Feel free to advertise within reason your Exalted or gaming related content or your other art and writing. We want the community to see what's out there. Advertising non-relevant and commercial products isn't allowed #

8. Contests

   1. Where contests are run we'll do our best to ensure transparency about who is judging the winners and whether any users have sponsored it. Forum staff aren't eligible to win contests, nor are sponsors in their own contests #
   2. Multiple entries for contests are permitted and even encouraged unless specified by the individual contest's rules. Reusing entries from previous contests is also permitted if a work suits both themes, the exception to this is any work that has already won a previous contest. #

9. Signatures and Avatars

   1. All signatures and avatars must be fully SFW, comply with other content guidelines and be what any sane person would consider reasonable. Signatures can be whatever you want within reason but shouldn't be formatted to be obtrusive or more noticable than the main posts #