The Journals.
The journals are not a new invention in 2021; in fact, to the majority of the students they are an outdated remnant of the past, hardly comparable to the World Wide Web that most families now have access to. On September 1 when the students arrive in the Great Hall, they will be greeted with the familiar, brown-leather notebooks as well as a new Headmistress. The ancient contraptions should be, for them, the first red flag that change is underfoot.

When reading their journals, the name - as well as the handwriting of any particular student - is visible. This means that it is extremely difficult to impersonate someone, unless one both steals another's journal and employs a handwriting charm. Entries are not visible until they are completed, which means one cannot view the writing of a journal entry while it's in progress.

Photographs and drawings are permitted in the journals with the use of spellotape. That said, we'd ask that the images are clean, free of text and actually resemble photographs. Use your discretion and if you're unsure, ask the mods!

Along the same lines, students are able to make private entries by employing a simple charm. Journal entries, as well as comments, can be made private to one individual (Charmed to the Giant Squid) or a group of people (Charmed to Ravenclaw 7th Years). They can also be filtered against an individual or group, but in this case, it is a hex (Hexed Against Gryffindor). A hex is extremely difficult to break and on the off-chance it is broken, the perpetrator will break out into neon yellow boils.

With that said, you can not "half and half" a comment or an entry. In other words, if you wish to write something public and something private, you must post two separate entries. Any comment or post which is charmed private should say so in the subject line, though nothing else should be included (i.e. those pesky extra RE:s). To be clear, a public entry can have private comments attached to it. They just must be either strictly public or strictly private.

Role-playing & Formatting.
When posting a log, please use the following format:

<*b>Who:<*/b>
<*b>Where:<*/b>
<*b>When:<*/b>
<*b>Rating:<*/b> (G, PG, PG-13, R)
<*b>Status:<*/b> (Finished/Incomplete)
<*lj-cut text="Excerpt of the log here"*>

Simply remove the asterisks and you'll be good to go!
We encourage both AIM logging as well as threading vis a vis the journals. We ask, however, that you finish threads in a timely manner. For the sake of moving things along, threaded logs have a two week expiration date from that on which it was started. After that, you will be notified and they will be purged.

Both logs, as well as Owls, should be posted in the main community. Feel free to send Owls to and from family members who are not in play.

PBs & Icons.
Please remember when choosing a PB that they must be age-appropriate to the game. We'd ask that you veer away from overused faces, but are not providing you with a banned list. While we prefer people a little more uncommon, we understand that there is a right way to use every PB. Keep in mind that the mods reserve the final say in any PB choices. We also happen to be more than willing to help, as is the fabulous community find_a_pb!

Icons must not have any added text or decoration beyond a border. They should be 100x100, clean, and simple. For the sake of continuity and the purpose of a PB, we will ask you to remove any icons that don't comply with this rule.

We also understand that, for various reasons, you might want to include icons (or images) of your character's family. We encourage getty models, especially for siblings. If you choose to portray a sibling by an actual celebrity, you must check with the mods first. It isn't fair to claim PBs that are suitable for in-game play.

Writing.
No one is perfect; we certainly aren't, and we don't expect you to be either. That said, this game's main focus is on the writing and development of characters, and for that reason we ask that you spell and grammar check prior to posting.

Please refrain from OOC comments, smiley faces, netspeak etc. when communicating in-character. This includes subject lines. Any and all discussion can be done via private messages, emails or AIM. When writing or reading journal entries, note that strike-throughs cannot be read and have been, quite literally, scratched out. Do not employ italics to describe the entry which follows, i.e. [Tear stains can be seen and the hand-writing is messy]. Part of being a good, well-rounded writer is the ability to communicate feeling through your character's words.

Also note that entries should be written in first person, logs and threads in third. While we understand that the diverse nature of the class list means we're welcoming characters from various regions, you should not write out accents unless you provide us with an example. Though slang is permitted in your entries, any accepted accents will only be permitted in third person logs. Zere will be no writing like zees.

Relationships & IC Conduct.
Godmodding is not allowed. If another player comes to the mods with an issue surrounding godmodding, we will give you a warning; further action will get you removed from the game. It's really important you be aware of your boundaries and do not make assumptions. We really encourage OOC interaction and part of working together in a game means making sure you're on the same page.

Though this may sound obvious, we like to cover our butts: no teen pregnancies. While it is likely that, considering the age of our cast, drugs and drinking will be at the very least mentioned, try to keep it believable. This game is plot-heavy, and as such we expect our players to react not only to their character's raging hormones but to the political situation at hand. If we begin to see unnecessary smut, we will privately discuss the matter with you.

Before any drastic changes are made to your character, you must contact a mod. This includes, but is not limited to: PB, sexual orientation, family situation, personality, etc. You must have approval before going through with any possible changes. In order to curb any drama mongering, we also ask that you discuss any major plot with us. Deaths, serious illness or injury, etc. fall under this category.

OOC Conduct.
With the explosion of character development journals, it's easy for a small problem to escalate to full-blown Wankfest 2007. We don't want it here. OOC problems have too often been the death of an RPG, so our policy is no-nonsense. If you have a problem with another player, please either bring it discreetly to the mods attention or solve it privately. If you cannot comply with this rule, we will have to ask you to bow out of the game.

Character Limit.
For now, the character limit will remain at four. However, we are willing to be flexible with this rule depending on the circumstance. Depending on how much of you're character we've seen and how well we know you as a role-player, we may ask you to wait for a "trial period" before applying for a second, third or fourth character.

Activity.
Our preferred level of activity is a minimum of one journal entry every two weeks.

However! Considering the age range of our players, we don't feel it appealing or necessary to babysit. We won't constantly be whining after someone to update, and therefore our policy is simple: on the last of every month, we will do a "sweep". During the third week of the month, a list of those people who have not updated since the last sweeps will be made, and these players will be notified by email. If you have not updated by the last day of the month, your character will be purged from the game. We also have a three strikes and you're out rule, though we will be reasonable and flexible (especially if the instances are very well spaced out). If you make the sweeps list three times, you will be asked to leave the game.

Of course, sometimes real life situations come up and we're more than willing to give you a breather. However, before you take time away from the game, let the mods know. After that, we'd just ask that you make a post in the OOC community and give us a tentative date to check back in with you. Remember, sometimes when you take a hiatus you miss crucial activity. Unfortunately, life goes on, and we can't halt or modify plot to suit your characters needs after the fact.



If you have a comment or question you feel should be addressed on the FAQ section, please comment below! All comments are screened and we will be answered ASAP!

If my character was born in such-and-such a year, what year should they be in?
Oh, how we love you J.K. Rowling! Regardless of the complicated (and often erroneous) math our beloved author abides by, we're going to keep things extremely simple. If your character is fifteen before September 1, they will be in fifth year. It seems that's what JK was aiming at, anyway.

How does time work in Unconquered?
We will be playing based on a real-time calender. With a start date of September 1, that should essentially mean that every day in our year translates to the same day in their year. To be clear, this game will be taking place in 2021, six years after our last glimpse of the Trio in the Deathly Hallows' Epilogue.

Are adults available for play?
We would like to make it clear that Unconquered is, ultimately, a Hogwarts-centric game. However, we are more than willing (and happy!) to accept adult characters, provided you can make them pertinent to plot. This means it is unlikely that applying for a minor character from the books (i.e. Megan Jones) will be allowed. Please check with one of the mods if you are interested in a character who doesn't appear on the list.

How are the Head Boy and Girl chosen?
Head Boy and Head Girl, since 2003, have been voted on by the student body. Campaigning and voting takes place in April of the year before the title is to be held.

What is life at Hogwarts like?
After Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort (now referred to as The Great War), Hogwarts began to rebuild under the guidance of Professor Minerva McGonagall. Though she was happy to oversee it's restructuring, both architecturally and internally, she took the mantle of Headmistress under the condition it would only be a five-year term to ensure that the school ran as Albus Dumbledore would have wanted it. When those five years was up and Hogwarts passed hands, many rules began to change.

Though classes remained as they were, reforms in school uniforms and items allowed to be brought into the school began to change. As the atmosphere in the Wizarding World slackened, so it was reflected inside Hogwarts' halls. From the traditional robes, students were now only required to wear black trousers or a skirt, an oxford shirt, a tie and a sweater vest - robes were optional. Small items such as iPods and MP3 players were allowed within the grounds, though lifting the magic to allow it proved rather complex and up until five years ago, computers were not able to be accessed on the premises. Students are now allowed to bring a laptop with them to school, and assignments may be typed and printed rather than written out on parchment.

Cellphones remain one of the top contraband items and if Filch so much as glimpses one, you can be sure to have detention for a year. Reception is poor anyway, and it is unlikely that one will manage to smuggle one into the castle.

How have the rights of half-breeds (i.e. Werewolves, Goblins, etc.) changed since 1998?
The answer, quite simply, is dramatically. Since Hermione Granger graduated Hogwarts and began her dedicated campaign for the rights of House Elves (among other "half-breeds") Wizarding Law has shifted to accommodate the rights of more than just men and women. It is very rare nowadays for a family to own a House Elf. The entire of Hogwarts' kitchen staff, for example, is paid and given holidays off. On some things, the stigma remains; however, advances in Wolfsbane and PR campaigns against the marginalization of Werewolves has increased public awareness around the issue and made accessing jobs for that part of the population much easier.

What technological advances have muggles made since 2007?
For the sake of the game, we're going to keep technological advances at a minimum. Computers are speedier, you can most likely see someone when talking to them on the phone, but flying cars and the like aren't going to happen. If anything, there are fewer cars on the road due to the astronomical price of fuel and due to the fact that public transport is so highly advanced they're no longer necessary. If you ever need clarification or have an idea, please run it by a mod!

What are the Three Major Metropolis' and why don't I remember them?

NETTLEWEED, SCOTLAND
POPULATION: 11 349
MAYOR: Daryl McHall

The biggest all-magical community in the United Kingdom. Established in 2007, Nettleweed was the first city the wizarding community could call their own. The bustling wizarding metropolitan houses numerous businesses, shops, attractions and of course, the homes of thousands of witches and wizards. Gringott's headquarters, as well as wizarding banks from America, Canada and various parts of Europe and Asia can be found in the financial centre located in the heart of the city. Amidst the banks and business headquarters are Nettleweed's five prestigious law firms, which have increased in popularity over the past two decades as demand for legal services has risen. Nettleweed also houses a large industrial sector, where everything from brooms to cauldrons are manufactured. In 2011, St Mungo's packed up and moved to Nettleweed and exists as the primary research and teaching hospital in the wizarding world, though its sister hospital, Dumbledore Medical Centre, was built in Tuffets in late 2015.

TUFFETS, ENGLAND
POPULATION: 7 781
MAYOR: Ernie Macmillan

Tuffets, the second biggest wizarding city in the UK located in Southwest England, is similar to Nettleweed in many ways, but is smaller and functions independently.

The Ministry of Magic Headquarters is still located in London with municipal offices in the cities of Nettleweed and Tuffets and the village of Ballyknock.

BALLYKNOCK, NORTHERN IRELAND
POPULATION: 982
MAYOR: Kelly Abernethy

A medium sized village, Ballyknock is much quieter than Nettleweed and Tuffets. Not very much a city at all, Ballyknock is known for its many farms, where all kinds magical creatures are raised and herbs and plants are grown primarily for export.


How do I interact with the players out of character?
We've decided to keep a running chat in order to encourage OOC interaction! When you've been accepted into the game, the chat name will be provided on the contact list. Simply send yourself an invitation and voila! You're set.