Now that you've gone ahead and read all the how to join journals, you get to start on the fun part! Designing your new character!!

Acceptable Species

First step to creation is to go ahead and pick out what species you want your cat to be.
Spirits of Inaria is a large cat role playing group. Meaning, any species of feral feline is allowed. This excludes domesticated felines or house cats.

While you don't have to match a single species exactly or even a hybrid specifically, it is good to have in mind the base species your cat is for breeding and size purposes.

Examples of species you can choose from are as follows

Large Felines

Lions, Tigers, Jaguars, Leopards, Cougars, Snow Leopards

Medium Felines

Servals, Caracals, Bobcats, Lynx

Small felines

Sandcats, African wild cats, Asian Golden Cats, Fishing Cats


There are thousands of species to choose from and plenty of ways to create hybrids of the species too, so don't feel limited.

Feline coloration and Design

Once you've picked your species it's time to go ahead and start designing.

Coat colors

Because we would like to keep the felines of Inaria at lease semi realistic, we will be asking people to play with more natural coloring for cats. Meaning no extremely saturated colors for coats or no sparkle cats. Look up some examples of the species you've selected if you're having a hard time deciding on coat coloring.

Designs and Markings

Spots, Stripes, Albino, Maned, Melanistic, the use of designs are endlessly at your disposal.

In addition to the natural coloring of the cats, we will also be asking people to keep the markings on their characters fairly realistic. This means no tigers with stars for stripes or leopards with spots spelling out words and things. While we do ask this, we don't mind you playing with specific markings meaning something. Such as a forehead marking being a four pointed star or heart or something. If you are worried about your design not being realistic enough or whether a design would work for the group, feel free to message the group and one of the admins will be happy to go ahead and look your design over.

Mutations

Mutations are always a fun thing to play with, especially when there are so many out there to choose from. While we will not be putting a limit on mutations unless one tribe or another begins to get over ran with mutations, we will be encouraging artist to use non-mutated designs.


Mutations can include the following





Image taken from messybeast.com

you can find more information on mutation here
messybeast.com/genetics/hybrid…

Accessories

Piercings

While Piercings will be allowed in Inaria, since the humans are the only creatures actually mining and blacksmithing in this world, the piercings can not be metal unless your cat is a pet. This means they can be rock, wood, shell, or anything else that your cat can shove through an ear. Also remember that this is something your cat will either have to do himself or have a friend do as there are no medics in the tribe trained in piercing decorations. So keep that in mind when you are adding the piercings.

Accessories

Other accessories are open with the only limit being on metal. There is no way to work metal in the tribes as of yet. This means all decorations or accessories must be from natural occurring objects. Anything from shells to wood to precious stones or rocks. Skulls and other things found in nature are also welcomed. Some examples of natural occurring resources in the tribes are as follows.

MaKai-

Shark Teeth, shells, drift wood, coral, whale bone (rare), and other things you'd find on a beach

ReiKai-

Plants, hard and soft woods, rocks, prey skulls and bones, things you'd typically find in a forest

Adami-

Glow Crystals, precious stones, prey skulls and bones, things you'd think to find in a cave

Raushan-

Feathers (everyone will eventually have one feather as a symbol of status) Precious rocks, things you'd think to find on a mountain top.

The Roame-

Feathers, shells, stolen human coins and cloths, Roame are the most open since they travel the most. Also keep in mind that the Roame often trade with other tribes so while it may be unlikely or uncommon, it's not impossible for your character to have items or accessories normally found in other tribes.

The Elysia-

Animal bones and skulls, feathers, rocks and precious stones, things you'd normally find in the plains or forest. These characters are also open to other types of accessories including 'god bones' and other things that a normal tribe cat would not dare to wear.

Tribe Markings

This is the most important part of designing your character as this is the marking that will distinguish your character as a tribe member or one of the tainted blood. It will also mark your character as part of the tribe of your choosing.

The Tribe mark appears one one of the cheeks just below the eye of your character. Try to keep the marking fairly simple as you will be needing to draw this marking alot as well as requiring others to draw the marking as well. The chart is the colors of each tribe.



The Elysia and the Aibak are the only felines who will not have this marking.

Weapons and Armor

There is no need for weapons in the world of Inaria. These are realistic felines who have their natural weapons meaning teeth and claws. This also means that armor is not needed either. Characters are allowed to have accessories but it is not required to have any type of armor.

Body and war paint of course are acceptable.



Congratulations! You've now officially created your character! Now all that's left is to go head and put them on the reference sheet and submit him or her to the group!