So you and your Genekit want to explore Safirea and perhaps the larger world of Exturil. This guide is your handy helper to all the different adventures this curious world has to offer.
1 - Prompt Categories
There are several different prompt categories to explore, each with their own themes, requirements and rewards!
1.1 - The Paiges of Your Story
Paige Turner is a strong believer that every story deserves to be told, collected and preserved. That includes yours! Paige can't wait to add your story to her collection.
This series of prompts are meant to help expand on a genekit’s character development. They will cover various milestones throughout a genekit’s life, relationships, experiences, and decisions. These prompts are typically quick and easy to complete. These prompts can only be completed once per Genekit.
For these prompts, generally the requirements involve responding to the prompt in at least 200 words or a half-body coloured sketch of your Genekit.
2 - Prompts and Rehomed Genekits
When a Genekit is rehomed, the original owner can decide if they take all of their awards, EXP, stats, and buffs with them. To wipe the Genekit’s slate clean before rehoming them, submit a claim, and all submission-earned benefits will be removed from the Genekit.
If you receive a Genekit that does not have a blank slate, and would like to re-do the once-per-Genekit prompts with your new Genekit, you can submit a claim to have the slate wiped clean for them. This will reset all prompts for your Genekit, as if they were brand new. This will remove all EXP, awards, and submission-earned buffs, and reset any stats. You cannot pick and choose to be allowed to reset some prompts and leave others intact - it is an all or nothing scenario. Once the slate has been wiped clean, it is not reversible.
3 - Prompt Requirements
Different prompts have different requirements to earn their rewards. Some are as simple as answering the prompt with a 200 word response or a sketchy bust, while others are a bit more involved. While we do our best to keep the prompts as open-ended as possible to allow for creativity, the prompt responses still have to fit the theme and answer the main point of the prompt.
3.1 - Prompt Wording
The prompts are worded in a specific way to convey their requirements. The below details what each requirement means.
-
- “Must”
- This requirement must be fulfilled in order to have your prompt response accepted. If this requirement is not clearly met, the response will have to be edited in order to be accepted
- Example: “Must be at least 200 words”, or “Must be at least a coloured half-body sketch” or “Must show the dynamic between at least two characters”
- “At least”
- This is the minimum requirement that must be met in order to have your prompt response accepted
- Example: “Must be at least 200 words”, or “Must be at least a coloured half-body sketch” or “Must show the dynamic between at least two characters”
- “Can”
- This is an additional comment about how the prompt can be answered.
- Example: “Can be a story or a straight description"
- “Must”
3.2 - Drawn Prompt Requirements
Different prompts have different minimum requirements. When it comes to art, these requirements become a bit more specific. Each prompt will let you know what level of finish is required (sketched vs lined) as well as how much of your genekit must be shown (bust vs half-body vs fullbody).
Drawn prompt responses will always be required to be in colour, and your character will always have to be easily discernible.
3.2.1 - Finish Level
This will either be a sketch, or a clean-lined drawing.
- “Sketch” (the left example shown above) meaning it still has a level of unfinished-ness to it - it does not need to be well polished. Sketch guidelines and rough lines are allowed
- “Clean-lined” (the right example shown above) means the sketch guidelines have been removed, and the lines cleaned up. We do leave room for some artistic freedom when it comes to the lines, as we do know rougher lines can simply be a stylistic choice.
3.2.2 - Percentage of Genekit shown
Each prompt requires a specific amount of the Genekit to be shown as a minimum art requirement. Below, we have some examples of the applicable ranges - each prompt will advise what proportion of your Genekit must be shown in order to meet the minimum requirements.
- Headshot: Shown in red, a headshot is just a floating head, or head and a portion of the neck. These are rarely used for prompt submissions, and typically are only seen in gallery submissions
- Bust: Red+orange areas, a bust will typically show the head, full neck and either the full chest, or a portion of the chest and top of the shoulders
- Half-body: Red+orange+yellow areas. A half-body will usually show at least 50% of the genekit’s body. For example, this half can be just the front half (head, neck, chest, full front legs) or just the top half (head, neck, part of chest, back and top of tail), or any combination of these, as long as at least 50% of the body is shown, and it is still clear
- Full-body: Red+orange+yellow+blue areas. A full-body is exactly that, the full body. Art with parts of the body partially obscured (because of posing or environmental factors) can still be accepted as a full-body, as long as less than 15% is obscured (i.e. only one limb should be obscured.)
3.2.3 - Design Shown
The design of your genekit should be discernible - as in, it should be easy to tell who the Genekit in your drawing is meant to be. You do not have to be exact with replicating their design, as long as all of the main factors are visible, and a clear intention to properly depict the genekit is shown.
3.2.4 - Clothing and Accessories
Clothing and accessories are fine to include in your art, as long as they do not obscure your character’s design to the point where they are not easily recognizable. If you are drawing your characters as anthros or humans, please ensure they are all fully clothed with chest and groin covered. No visible nipples, regardless of gender representation. Clothing cannot contain or depict offensive ideas/imagery/etc that goes against Genekit TOS.
3.2.5 - Backgrounds
Some prompts will require a background to be included in your drawn responses. For a background to be considered valid for the prompt, it must be defined.
- Non-Defined Backgrounds:
- Don't have depth.
- Can be geometrical or abstract.
- Can be a pattern.
- Tend to feel lifeless.
- Defined Backgrounds:
- Have a horizon line.
- Have noticeable landmarks/variety of noticeable flora.
- These must be hand-drawn. You cannot use stamps or brushes for full images such as trees. Using textured brushes such as bark textures and leaf textures to make a tree is completely fine.
- Is fully coloured to show an identifiable location, often shaded to show depth and field-of-view.
Stock images will not be allowed to be used as defined backgrounds in the context of prompt requirements. (You are free to use free use stock images as backgrounds for our art pieces were backgrounds are not a requirement of the prompt. Please make sure proper credit is given)
3.2.6 - Human Forms
As Genekits are shapeshifters, some prefer to adopt a human or semi-human form on a fairly regular (or permanent) basis. In order to use a form like this in a drawn prompt atmosphere, this form must be added to their masterlist entry first. Please see _____ for more information on these official Genekit forms.
4 - Prompt Examples
Below you will find examples for a prompt from each of the categories listed in section 1; an acceptable written example, an acceptable drawn example, an unacceptable written example, and an unacceptable drawn example. This should help to give you an idea of the kind of work we are expecting for each category. Please note, these are to just give you an idea, these “acceptable” examples are not the only correct way to answer the prompt. If you have any questions or doubts, feel free to reach out to a member of staff for assistance.
4.1 The Paiges of your Story
4.1.1 - Acceptable Written Response
Example prompt: Fit for a Royal
4.1.1.1 - Story
Paige's parents placed her crystal where all could see: the main room of their home. Her parents wanted to show their growing daughter off to all who could see. Her father, a talented craftskit, constructed her crystal's pedestal by hand, putting his impressive skill to use as he wanted an altar truly befitting his daughter, and no hand-me-down or premade altar will do. It needed to be perfect, and worked tirelessly to construct the perfect pedestal made of beautiful marble. Once done Paige's mother, who had an eye for details, decorated it with trinkets and baubles befitting the talented and intelligent daughter they were hoping to have. She puttered and hummed, considering only the best adornments for her daughter's pedestal, dressing it in ravishing linens and sparkling embellishments. As a final touch from both her parents, they placed a myriad of informational tomes and scrolls at the pedestal's base. There is a belief that what you decorate your kit's crystal pedestal with influences the kit's personality and skills, so they decided to decorate with items that promoted an air of elegance and intelligence, hoping the items would promote a personality of poise and a thirst for knowledge for the kit inside. The altar was truly a sight to behold, filled to the brim with decorations so much so the egg within is dwarfed by the additions. But it was a beautiful altar both her parents were proud of.
-238 words
VeRdict: Accepted!
Response directly answered the prompt (i.e. focused on describing the pedestal in the case of the example prompt) and met the required 200 word minimum
4.1.1.2 - Straight Description
The pedestal itself was placed in the middle of Paige's parents home, in the main room where everyone can see when walking in. The pedestal was made of white marble standing several feet tall and carved with a pretty design of swirls toward the top and bottom, inlayed with beautiful gemstones of mostly red and gold to go with the color theme of the crystal. On the top of the pedestal is a big plush ruby colored pillow where Paige's crystal rested. All around were decorations and items of varying kinds. Lots of linens and drapes in deep colors such as ruby and gold, with others being a nice beige color kind of matching the colors of the pattern on the kit's crystal. There were also decorations made of gold that you would find in an elegant library scattered around the base of the pedestal such as quills and inkwells, tasseled bookmarks, and book ends. Most of all there were books, lots of books, and tomes and scrolls of very color and size. Some depicted historical events, others spell incantations, a few were maps, news articles, basically any kind of information you can think of. There were even scatters of loose parchment left intentionally blank for the soon to be hatched kit to use as their first scrawling paper.
-219 words
VeRdict: Accepted!
Response directly answered the prompt (i.e. focused on describing the pedestal in the case of the example prompt) and met the required 200 word minimum
4.1.2 - Unacceptable Written Response
Example prompt: Fit for a Royal
4.1.2.1 - Story
Paige's parents placed her crystal where all could see: the main room of their home. Her parents wanted to make sure everything was perfect for when their kit was born, so they worked overtime to get what they needed. They decorated Paige's crystal pedestal with tomes and red and gold fabric, and decorated the rest of the home to match. Paige's dad worked really hard to make extra money to help pay for the decorations such as balloons, streamers, decorative candles, and more. He was gone for most of the day to work for the money then go to the store to buy it all. Once they bought all the decorations they wanted Paige's mom arranged everything until each decoration down to the last streamer was perfect. Everything looked fit for a birthday party! Once everything was done they were so excited. They'd take great care of the pedestal, dusting it daily and making sure it was completely spotless. They could hardly even sleep some nights, often waking up to just stare at their child's crystal to admire how pretty it was, looking forward to being new parents.
-188 words
Verdict: rejected!
Response does not answer the prompt well enough: focused on other things instead of describing the pedestal. Also did not meet the minimum word requirement
4.1.2.2 - Straight Description
The pedestal was made of marble and decorated with tomes and fabric. On the top of the pedestal Paige's crystal laid on a ruby colored pillow. All around it were tomes and gold trinkets to match the color of the crystal. The living room where the pedestal stands was decorated in a similar way with red and gold decorations like balloons, streamers, candles, and other typical birthday decorations. Hanging above the doorway leading into the room was a hanging banner that read "Welcome baby Paige!" written in the same red and gold colors as the rest of the decorations. Paige's mom made and bought a lot of desserts to celebrate including a chocolate cake covered in ruby frosting and gold letters spelling out "Welcome baby Paige!" just like the banner hanging over the doorway.
-134 words
Verdict: rejected!
Response does not answer the prompt well enough: focused on other things instead of describing the pedestal. Also did not meet the minimum word requirement
4.1.3 - Acceptable Drawn Response