A Matter of Time

Fluid Time

Because playing in Aelyria takes place over the forums, players are able to post their character moves in different places in time. This is called Fluid Time. Making sense of Fluid Time can be done in a couple of ways:

1. Maintain a Character Timeline.

Many players choose to maintain charactersheets on the Characters forum, to help them track their experience points, possessions, history, and so on. This is a great place to store a Character Timeline, which helps you organize the events and activities that your character has participated in.

2. Timestamp Your Threads.

If a new thread is a scenario, the author typically includes a timestamp - a brief mention of when, roughly, the event takes place in the fictional timeline of Aelyria. Timestamping your thread can be as simple as mentioning the general time of year (e.g., "In the Early Spring"), to a very specific time of a certain day (e.g., "Sunset on the Fifth of Aperitus, Thirteenth Year after the Aetherfracture"). In either case, it should be easy for other players to know when the event takes place, so that you can help them place that thread in their own character timelines.

Consult the Calendar.


Time Locks

Ordinarily, players are permitted to post as many threads as they can reasonably manage taking place at different points in time for their character, provided they are keeping track of the order in which the events happen and are timestamping their posts when applicable. However, this can all change in an instant if you find that your character is locked in a struggle that could result in their death. Most often, players wait for important life-threatening threads to conclude before posting events that might happen after them, but active players may already have threads in the future being worked out. If this happens, it is possible that the site operators, forum administrators, or forum supermoderators will impose a time lock on your character.

When your character is time-locked, a major event will usually be identified - such as a life-threatening situation - and that thread will need to either no longer become threatening (by progressing the story of that thread beyond the risk point), or be entirely resolved, before you can play with your character in other threads. Usually, a time lock notice is sent to you and other moderators with very specific instructions on what is involved. If this happens to you -- don't worry. Just calmly continue playing, focusing on the thread in question. If your character should die, remember - death is not always the end.


Chronosynch

While it is generally permissible to have up to one year of Fluid Time to play with, there are some restrictions on this. As the epic storylines of Aelyria advance, and more events transpire across the game world, the forum administrators and site operators may decide to impose a Chronosynch, posting an update recognizing a significant event in Aelyria's storyline. This is usually announced very prominently across our website. When a Chronosynch event is posted, no new threads may be created that take place before that event. However, any threads that had been previously created taking place before that Chronosynch, are grandfathered and permitted to continue and conclude naturally. This is to help all characters progress across time together.