[Desmond]

With the tide comes possibilities. With possibilities, anything can happen.

Welcome to Nomads, an adoptable community centered around orcas that focuses on character development and world building.

Orcas, also known as Killer Whales, are made up of several ecotypes in reality. Ecotypes commonly show physical variations as well as behavioral and dietary differences. While the ecotype of the adopts' references are of the endangered Southern Resident Orcas of the Pacific Northwest, which eat almost exclusively Chinook salmon, users are permitted to create and write their pods as any ecotype, and may live anywhere there is survivable ocean/saltwater.
As a species, orcas are extremely talented hunters that work together to catch fish, birds, marine mammals (including blue whales), and even sharks. They have been known to topple ice and beach themselves in order to catch their prey, and we know of no natural predator that hunts them in turn. For a creature that hunts so effectively, though, they live extraordinarily emotional lives and create unparalleled familial and cultural bonds.
As these animals live in very closely knit familial groups, obtaining new Nomad orcas relies heavily on breeding, with new blood coming in at regular intervals.
Orcas in Nomads are not permitted to be caught/sold to marine parks, and interaction with humans must be minimal.

Thank you, Metallic Dragon, for the lineart!

[Desmond]

Rules
I reserve the right to add more rules as is deemed necessary. Your participation with the adopts indicates that you agree to the terms stated below.

• Respect all users and staff. Disrespect, harassment, bullying, or noticeable drama mongering can and will result in discipline up to and including a ban.
  
• Always credit artists.
  
• Collapsed dorsal fins will only occur once every 100 orcas (if that), and they can neither pass on the abnormality or breed with one another. Dorsal fins may collapse to the left or to the right, in a simple (see orca AT127 or Ulises) or complex manner (see orca B13 or Kyuquot). Somewhat more commonly, leaning may occur.
  
• Do not change Nomad designs, or alter the reference in any way. "Transparent" or "shadeless" versions of one's orcas will not be provided, and owners will not be added to the references.
  
  • Note: The reference of a greying or roaning orca will not be greyed out over time. The artist may opt to show a gradient of progression to the side, instead.
  • Furthermore, the artist decides the sex of the orca. This cannot be changed due to the dimorphism; however, LGBT+ orcas - including those that do not identify as their assigned sex - are unquestionably welcomed.
• Each user may only have one pod, made of their own orcas.
  
  • Non-Nomad orcas may not be used in one's pod for Nomad tasks. OCs are generally not permitted within a pod.
  • Users must maintain a thread on CS for their pod to adopt beyond their first member, and may not exceed the limit for their current level. Nomad orcas may not be taken off of CS.
  
  
• Orcas may not be sold or traded for anything besides another Nomad orca, period. The only people allowed to profit from the creation of these orcas are the species artists who create the designs.
  
• A pod may be disbanded and the orcas declared deceased if a user is banned from either CS or the species. Banning is a result of egregious rulebreaking, heavy disruption in the community or against a species staff member, or otherwise suspicious behavior in which I, as the species owner, must seriously question a user’s integrity and/or intent.
  The user will not be allowed to use the Nomad reference afterward.
  
• I retain the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason.
  
• I reiterate: Orcas will not be permitted to be domestic or sold to marine parks. Interaction with humans must be minimal.
  

[Desmond]

Due to the prominence of breeding in Nomads, threads must contain the following information in a separate space (ie: a special post on a thread):

• Name of Matriarch
• Listing of a user's Nomad orcas, clearly marking any that are noted as deceased
• Clearly marked family tree, including any ties to The Original 24
• Current Stage, with listing of previous stages' completion
  
  Failure to list any of this information will result in the user being unable to adopt, be gifted, or breed further orcas until the information is amended.
  
  The Orca call numbering system is a secondary way of keeping track of maternal lineage. Each breeding from the Original 24 takes on the letter of the mother. Each calf then bred from that female is given her number plus a letter. Each generation switches from letter to number. For example:
  Matriline A1 has three calves, A2, A3, and A4. A2 then has two calves, A2A and A2B. A2A's first calf is A2A1.

[Desmond]

Founding a Matriline
In reality, orca pods are separated into family groups led by the oldest female. Bulls generally stay with their mothers and care for their siblings, nieces and nephews, though there are cases of bulls leaving to follow another family group.

• The first 24 orcas, and every multiple of 25 afterward, are unrelated, to allow for new blood. Every orca created in between, then, is created by breeding - either through any pair created in the original 24, or individuals breeding their own orcas.
  The Original 24 are exempt from breeding cooldowns and limits to allow for species growth, but some may be temporarily “rested” if they are used too often for breeding.
  
• Owners must designate a (female) matriarch within owning three orcas, and cannot participate in breeding or owning calves before then, as they will not survive. The matriarch is the oldest female and leader of the pod - not the bull!
  
• A matriline can be created through any of these methods:
  
  -Adopting a pre-bred or unrelated orca created by staff or an UFA calf ordered by another user
  -Being gifted a calf
  -Ordering from the Founder Breeding Raffle: Each month, a handful of slots are accepted via raffle to breed two of the original 24 to create a founder calf. This calf - always a female - is then considered an adult and can found her own matriline immediately after the new owner can reach Stage 2, if slots are open at that time.
  
  Please remember to start a thread and complete Stage 1 once you adopt your first Nomad, you will not be able to adopt more without it.
  
  Founder Breeding Raffle is currently closed.
  

  Code: Select all

  [b]Matriline Founder Breeding Raffle Form[/b]
[b]Username: [/b]
[b]Mother: [/b]
[b]Father: [/b]
[b]By posting this form, I affirm that I have read and will abide by the rules.[/b]
[i]Rembmer: This form will always result in a female orca.[/i]

  
  Strandings
  Living orcas may be stranded any time after being owned for one full month. A stranding includes readoption, trading, and gifting to another user.
  
  • If a stranding involves putting an orca up for adoption, please notify the artist or myself, and we will handle the competition.
  • If an orca is gifted or traded, both users must post on the orca's thread for the transfer to be valid. The orca then cannot be stranded again for another full month.

Breeding

• While orcas may be LGBT+, only heterosexual couples may produce calves. Homosexual couples, however, may still adopt or breed with The Original 24 or a surrogate/donor to create a calf.
• Female orcas may attempt to breed once every full month, but may be unsuccessful; unsuccessful breedings do not count toward lifetime limit of 4 calves.
• Bull orcas may attempt to breed twice a month, but unsuccessful breedings DO count against his monthly limit. There is no lifetime calf limit for bulls.
• Users only get two chances per calendar month to breed ANY orcas, whether it is successful or not. Breedings between pods is permitted; however, the submitting user must own one of the orcas, and must have a mother in their pod ready to care for the calf if they own the sire.
• The resulting calves may not be bred until one month after their creation.
  
  Success Rates
  In the wild, only about half of all orcas born reach their first birthday. Nomads have a generally higher chance of survival, though there are several factors in whether or not a breeding will be successful.
  All non-Founder breedings have a 15% chance of failure (unless otherwise noted by marking class) - But this can be altered:
• % is reduced by 1% with each living adult orca in pod (up to 5%)
• % is increased by 2% with each calf born/created within the past four months
• % is reduced by 1% for failure for each deceased orca with a full p/h written, up to 5%
• Chances may decrease further based on markings of parents
  
  (IE: Pod with 3 adults, 2 deceased orcas that meet requirements and 1 recent calf:
  15% (base) - 3% (adults) - 2% (deceased) + 2% (calf) = 12% chance of failure.)
  
  Marking Inheritance
• Markings are passed by counting how many markings each parent has, and running an RNG from 0 to that number (include duplicates). Make a list of the markings, randomize three times, and using the number from the RNG, that is the list of markings that passes. Markings that are non-compatible with other markings that have passed are dropped afterward.
• EXAMPLE: A blanket rust bull is bred with a freckled female. RNG result is 2, and the list result is:
  Freckle, Blanket, Rust.
  The calf then bears only the Freckle marking, as Blanket is incompatible with Freckle, and Rust failed to pass the RNG count.
  
  Breeding Raffle is currently closed.
  

  Code: Select all

  [b]Breeding Raffle Form[/b]
[b]Username: [/b]
[b]Mother: [/b]
[b]Father: [/b]

[Desmond]

Overall pod limit is 20 orcas. Orcas may be stranded (readopted) or marked as deceased (see Stage 7) in order to free up space for more adoption.
For each stage, any writing segment must be at least 200 words, or any art must contain at least shading and a simple background, unless otherwise noted. Limits are set to how many orcas you may have while working on that level; For example, you may only have one orca until you have completed the Level One tasks, three orcas until you have completed the Level Two tasks, and so on.

Stages

• Stage 1: Setting up (Limit: 1 orca)
  
  • General pod location or range and basic information
    
  • Personality/history for founding orca
  • Thread
• Stage 2: Building Blocks (Limit: 3 orcas)
  
  • Matriarch designation
  • Draw or write 2-3 members of pod in a hunting scene
  • Personality/history for pod orca
• Stage 3: Winter (Limit: 6 orcas)
  
  • Write about winter troubles for pod OR pod’s winter migration
  • Describe pod quirks/unique behaviors
  • Personality/history for two pod orcas
• Stage 4: Taking Roots (Limit: 9 orcas)
  
  • Write/draw a pod tradition
  • Scene of choice
  • Personality/history for two pod orcas
• Stage 5: Establishment (Limit: 12 orcas)
  
  • Draw or order art of Matriarch with at least one member of her family
  • Scene of choice
  • Personality/history for two pod orcas
• Stage 6: Bounty (Limit: 15 orcas)
  
  • Draw/write scene with Matriarch-in-training [successor] and Matriarch
  • Describe struggles pod faces with personal relations, environment, and other factors, and how they face each problem
  • Personality/history for three pod orcas
• Stage 7: Peak (Limit: 20 orcas)
  
  • Further adoption or breeding will require the death or permanent stranding of a pod member to another user
• An orca may be stranded (adopted out, traded, or gifted to another user) or marked as deceased by the owner any time after one full month of ownership.
• To be listed as deceased, a written nongraphic death scene of at least 500 words must be entered into the archive.
• Deceased orcas become memories - echoes in the ocean that may be heard by certain members of the pod, which offer warnings and advice - but cannot be bred or used to further increase the pod’s staging. Deceased orcas are not required to have a personality/history written to reach Stage 7, though it is looked favorably upon (+1% breeding viability for each deceased orca, up to 5%).
  

[Desmond]

Markings
Standard variations are typical shape variations in the saddle marking (open, closed, and/or finger; also includes opacity), white ventral marking (including chips), eye patch, chin spots, or tail/dorsal fin nicks (not attributed to ecotype). Also includes rake marks and any scars.

Orca eyes are typically dark brown or grey, but can be green, hazel, blue, or light grey, on an uncommon basis over the dark base. Greyed orcas have a slightly higher chance of inheriting paler eyes; orcas with white markings over the eyes always have lighter colored irises where the white crosses.


Appaloosa/Appy Marking Family
Named for the resemblance to the spotting markings on Appaloosa horses.

• Brindling: Spotty brindle lines running over dark base. May appear darker, lighter, or (very rarely) as rust of base.
  
  
• Chimo: “Varnishing” similar to Chimo’s partial albinism. Affected orcas are nearly sterile, with an added 60% chance of breeding failure. Completely incompatible with other Appy family markings, Grey, Dappling, Bracken, and Saddle family markings.
  
  
• Splatter: A variation of chin spots that spreads spotting down belly. Incompatible with Spray, Freckles, Blanketing, or Flakes, and typically diminishes or clashes with Dapples.
  
  
• Freckles: A mutation of chin spots that includes tiny dark spots no further back than the forward 75% of the eye patch. Incompatible with Splatter, Dappling, Blanketing, or Flaking.
  
  
• Blanketing: Similar to Blanket Appaloosa on horses, extending from behind the saddle. Completely incompatible with any Saddle family marking, Splatter, or Freckles.
  
  
• Flaking: Similar to Snowflake Appaloosa in horses; larger, round-edged spots reaching across body. Completely incompatible with any other Appy family marking besides Brindle, Paint Family marking besides Bracken, Dappling, or any Saddle Family marking.
  
  
  
  Paint Marking Family
  Named for the similarities of the markings on Paint horses.
• Spray: White speckling marking that often appears in patches. Typically blends with the belly marking. Covers saddle where the markings may meet. Similar to equine sabino marking.
  
  
• Island: Roughly-hewn white patches that do not cross the top line, nor interfere with eye patch. May not be symmetrically aligned on the sides of the orca. Similar to equine overo marking.
  
  
• Iceberg Spots: Pseudo-eye markings on dorsal fin, not associated with Island, Spray, or Slip. Not expressed when any other gene affects dorsal fin or cape.
  
  
• Slip: Smooth-edged white marking that may cross the top line 1-3 times. When slip passes over the whale between the nose and the front edge of the dorsal, it is called a Bowslip. A slip that crosses on the dorsal fin - even if it touches before or after the fin itself - is a Mast Head Slip. Any slip that crosses after the trailing edge of the dorsal fin is called an Aftslip. Extended slip markings are named for the area where the front edge lies. Any combination of these - individual or combined - may be found on any one individual with this marking.
  
  
• Bracken/Creeping Black: Minimalization of standard white markings, as if the black base is “creeping” in on those areas. First spotted in a fern-like pattern, hence the name.
  
  
  
  Dilution Marking Family
  Named for the change of color or hue on the base and/or white markings.
• Grey: Grey gene affects only the dark base color; the base dapples and eventually turns grey, though it never turns light enough to conceal the saddle or white markings. Homozygous greys turn lighter than heterozygous, and have an extra 5% chance of breeding failure. Partially incompatible with Cape, and fully incompatible with Dappling/River Marks and Striping. Grey may cause Rust to darken.
  
  
• Rust: Darkening of white markings along opposite gradient; Black orcas will rust red/brown, Brown orcas rust black. Does not affect base. May darken in the presence of the Grey gene.
  
  
• Black Eye: Darkening or absence of ONLY the eyespot.
  
  
• Dappling/River Marks: Creates a soft dappling effect on the dark base, not attributed to heterozygous grey + cape genetics. Fully incompatible with Grey, Scattered Saddle, and Striping, and typically is heavily diminished if not defeated by Splatter.
  
  
• Roaning: Gradual lightening of the barrel of the body, leaving the tips of the dorsal/pectoral fins, head, and flukes/end of tail largely untouched. Sometimes also called Siamese. Not compatible with any other Dilution family marking other than Dappling and Rust.
  
  
  
  Fjord Marking Family
  Named for initially being thought to affect only certain pods found near fjords; now known to affect all Nomads.
• Tide: Horizontal striping markings that may appear in white/grey or brown/tan. Often appear to resemble markings on other species of whales and dolphins, though the resemblance is coincidental, and not a sign of hybridization. Partially incompatible with Hook.
  
  
• Lashing: Dark tips and single-stripe points found on any/all white markings on an orca, not genetically associated with standard chips.
  
  • Inverse lashing is caused by a light tip pointing backwards over dark base, not associated with the natural backward curving of the white side marking of standard orcas. Chance of occurring: 3%, regardless of whether parent is inverse lashed or not.
  
  
• Edging and Points: Thin white, grey, or pale tan markings along the edge and/or tips of the flukes, dorsal, and pectoral fins.
  
  
• Striping: Similar to Dappling in coloration type, striping is a series of vertical stripes over the dark body color. It is usually very faded against the dark coloration. Incompatible with Greying and Dappling, and reduces the effect of Spray, Island and Slip markings.
  
  
• Branching: Extension of white markings into “branches” or “cracks” over dark base. Cannot cover more than 75% of body, and incompatible with Black Eye, Bracken, or any marking in the Saddle family.
  
  
  
  Saddle Marking Family
  Named for affecting the saddle, or grey marking behind the orca's dorsal fin.
  Markings in this family are completely incompatible with one another, and they tend to affect the breeding abilities a little more than other markings!
• Cape: A faded extension of the lower/rear portion of the saddle that reaches toward the face and extends toward the flukes, but rarely reaches the tips or edge. Incompatible with homozygous greys, and creates a mottling effect with heterozygous greys.
  
  
• In Absentia: An orca with this gene fully lacks a saddle (may include a diminishing of said marking, as well). Orcas with this marking are 5% more likely to have a failed breeding [base chance 20%], or 15% more likely if they also possess the Greying gene [base chance 30%] (this includes the breeding failure chance of the Greying gene itself), but the presence of mature females assists the standard percentage for success (-2% chance for failure per mature female in pod).
  *In Absentia does not affect other white markings.
  
  
• Scattered Saddle: A Scattered Saddle is an extended saddle marking that resembles striping or shards spread out from the saddle of the orca, as if it were shattered glass spread over its back. Shards appear in line to the remains of the saddle, and lay on the dorsal, the forward sides of the orca, and along the trailing topline behind the standard saddle marking. Rarely will shards appear on the flukes. Orcas with this marking are 5% more likely to have a failed breeding [base chance 20%], and only a 20% chance of passing the marking along. Diminishes the effect of Appy and Paint family markings.
  
  
• Hook or Lyre: A Hook is a Saddle marking that twists or directly hooks backwards from behind the dorsal fin, sometimes crossing the top line once. It has been observed reaching the tail flukes. It may be accompanied by a finger of the saddle reaching forward, in the standard direction for a saddle. Orcas with this marking are 5% more likely to have a failed breeding [base chance 20%], and only a 20% chance of passing the marking along. Partially incompatible with Tide.
  

[Desmond]

These orcas are considered NPCs. They are not up for adoption, but are exempt from breeding cooldowns due to their nature.
Despite their call lettering, none of these orcas are related.

A Pod
A1 [F] - Brindle, Scattered Saddle, Edging
A2 [M] - (Chimo), Grey, Hook, Iceberg Spots

B Pod
B1 [F] - Roaning, Flaking, Branching
B2 [M] - Splatter, Slip (Bowslip), Black Eye, Dapples

C Pod
C1 [F] - Grey, Tide, (Chimo)
C2 [M] - Roan, Blanketing, Lashing

D Pod
D1 [F] - Spray, Inverse Lashing, Cape
D2 [M] - Rust, Brindle, Slip (Bow, Mast Head and Aft)

E Pod
E1 [F] - Rust, Island, Edging
E2 [M] - Freckles, Edging, In Absentia

F Pod
F1 [F] - Grey, Bracken, Tide
F2 [M] - Speckles, Striping, Black Eye

G Pod
G1 [F] - In Absentia, Rust (brown base/grey marks), Dapples
G2 [M] - Spray, Lashes, Hook

H Pod
H1 [F] - Black Eye, Freckles, Slip (Mast Head + Aft)
H2 [M] - Island, Inverse Lashing, Scattered Saddle

I Pod
I1 [F] - Heterozygous Grey, Iceberg Spot, Hook
I2 [M] - Blanketing, Slip, Roaning

J Pod
J1 [F] - (Chimo), Iceberg Spot, Branching, Bracken
J2 [M] - Flakes, Brindle, Inverse Lashing

K Pod
K1 [F] - Edging, Hook
K2 [M] - Spray, Striping, Island (minimalized due to striping)

L Pod
L1 [F] - Splatter, Inverse Lashing, Roaning, In Absentia
L2 [M] - Rust, Scattered Saddle, Iceberg Spot

[Desmond]

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[Desmond]

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[Desmond]

Established Matrilines

A Matriline

X

B Matriline

X

C Matriline

X

D Matriline

X

E Matriline

X

F Matriline

F3, F4

G Matriline

X

H Matriline

X

I Matriline

I3

J Matriline

X

K Matriline

X

L Matriline

L3