Section One - Questions about the Vale

Q. What is this community all about?

A. Unicorns of the Vale is a community that celebrates the amazing ‘Firebringer Trilogy’ by the author Meredith Anne Pierce as well as the joy and fun that is meeting up with like-minded people to share ideas and interests. It is also the ‘home base’ for the International Firebringer Appreciation Society (IFAS). In this community we generally ‘don’ our unicorn personas and talk about the books and many other subjects, role play in a setting based up on the world created in those books, share art and other creative pursuits with our friends, and generally enjoy talking with our friends and fellow members. See the IFAS page for our mission statement. Back to top

Q. What are the names of the books and where can I get them?

A. The first book in the series is called "Birth of the Firebringer", the second, "Dark Moon", and the third "The Son of Summer Stars". The good news is that they were ALL recently re-released! They can definitely be ordered on Amazon or Barnes & Noble's online store. Visit the "Book Resources" section of our Resources Page for direct links to the books. Or try your local Bookstore. Members still report them in stock at some of the larger stores, but if your store doesn't currently carry them, most stores offer to order the books for you for free, and will notify you when they come in! Back to top

Q. What do I need to know before I join this site?

A. READ THIS FAQ! All of it! The FAQ will answer most of the questions that new members tend to have. Also - it explains HOW to go about doing things like posting your introductions, creating characters and e-mailing Managers with any remaining questions you may have. This FAQ is critical!

Also - Registration here at the Vale forums is subject to admin approval. To ensure that you've read the FAQ before you join, we've included a 'secret code' that you'll need in order to complete your registration. The Secret Code is hidden somewhere in this FAQ. It will be changed and moved periodically, to help discourage cheating. Back to top

Q. Where should I post my introduction?

A. All introductions should be posted at the New Member Introductions Board. This is where you can intro your character and describe him/her. You can also tell us a little about yourself. Please note that we sometimes speak/post ‘in-character’. Check out some of the other introductions to see what we mean. When you intro – keep in mind that other members may greet you in character. Back to top

Q. How do I respond to posts?

A. To reply to ANY thread, simply click on the 'reply' button at the top or bottom of the page. Regardless of which post you reply to - your new post will show up at the very end. So, when you post your introduction you can simply 'reply' to the last post on that board, and your intro will show up on the bottom. (Newests posts are always at the bottom of the list btw.) It works the same for all the discusssions, so you don't have to start a new discussion each time you want to respond to a message. Back to top

Q. I want to post my introduction but I'm not sure how to go about it.

A. First of all, any time you want to post a new topic, make sure you're on a board that allows new topics to be posted. Alma's World and several of the RP boards do not allow new topics to be posted unless they are posted by a manager, which usually means that if you post there, your post will be deleted.

When you want to post a new topic, click on the link to visit a board's main page. At the top and bottom of the list of topics is a "New Topic" button. Then go ahead and fill out your post just like you normally do. Make sure you choose a subject! Otherwise the board won't allow you to post it.

You can also find the "New Topic" button at the top and bottom of any thread, next to the "Reply" button. Back to top

Q. Do I get to choose my character’s name, coloration and attributes?

A. Yes, however, read the Rules on Character Creation portion of this FAQ thoroughly before you begin. The information you'll find there is designed to help you create a character true to the world of The Firebringer Trilogy.

Before setting a character design in stone, please review the Character Quick Reference Guide, Member Pages and if possible, glance over the old introductions to see if you’ve just described another character.

If you're stumped for inspiration, several members of the Vale enjoy creating 'pre-made' colorations that may be 'adopted'. Adoption threads can be found on the Art Board.

While some characters do have powers, no excessive powers will be allowed and all powers are allowed at the sole discretion of the staff. Please remember to stay true to what is allowed in the books. Back to top

Q. So you pretend you’re Unicorns?

A. Well... yes and no. Some of our members create characters for the forum and participate in written roleplay with them as well. Most of the posts will be signed by a member’s character name, not their player name. Back to top

Q. Do I have to play a Unicorn?

A. No - you don't HAVE to play a unicorn. Members aren't required to join the written roleplay at all! However, you are ONLY allowed to play species that are canon to the books. We do have several members who play different species like Gryphons or Pans. Refer to the following page for further details on the character species that are allowed: Rules on Character Creation. No species other than those listed are allowed. Please remember that this is a Firebringer Fansite. Back to top

Q. Which posts should I respond to?

A. Whichever ones you like. But please keep in mind that some of these posts have been around for quite some time. Please CHECK THE DATES of the post before replying. You don’t need to go back and respond to every single post either… Additionally, it is considered very polite to greet all of the newcomers that post at the New Member Introduction Board. Other than that – the amount you post is up to you. Please note, however, that if there is an issue being addressed by managers (some sort of disagreement or anything of the like) we do value your opinion, but it's best not to 'add fuel to the fire,' so to speak. If you feel you MUST comment on it - Try doing so in a private e-mail. Back to top

Q. Is OT (Off-Topic) Discussion allowed in this Group?

A. Of course. But we do request that you keep off-topic posts on the Off Topic Board. Posts in the wrong area will be moved to the appropriate board, or deleted. Back to top

Q. What other kinds of stuff can I post on the Vale? What can’t I post?

A. Feel free to post art, writing, or even just post to chat about your day. But if you do – PLEASE make sure you keep it on the right board. We have an Off Topic Board for a reason. We also have an Art Board where you can post your artwork, and a Literature Board for prose and poetry.

As for what you CAN’T post - Well – you can’t post anything that’s spam, or porn or racist or derogatory or anything of that nature. Doing so will not only get the post deleted, but also get you banned. We have several Site Admins as well as our esteemed Battleprince who regularly police the content of the board. Posting spam, personal attacks against other members or posting anything that's racist, derogatory or otherwise insulting to a particular group or person is strictly prohibited and will get you banned immediately.

Oh – and let's keep the swearing to a minimum. We’ve got some younger players here… and we like to be considerate of everyone. Back to top

This concludes Section One of the Vale FAQ. To move onto section Two - Click Here.
Vale FAQ Home Page