To become a member of the Tuatha de Danann, you must first be able to meet us in-game on the Lake Superior shard of Ultima Online. If you need assistance in reaching our tower, or finding us once you are in the game, you may contact us either through our message board or by mail, and we will most likely be able to assist you. If you are unsure about what Ultima Online is, or how to reach us, please follow the above link.
Our membership selection process is based upon the approval of the majority of our current guild members. Therefore, it is important that applicants become acquainted with the other members of the guild through being social and participating in our events. After a period of time, a member of the guild may choose to sponsor the applicant's bid for membership. This decision is entirely at the discretion of the guild member, and applicants should not attempt to solicit sponsorship. If an applicant has not had any offers of sponsorship after one month's time, a request for consideration may be made, with the understanding that such a request is not directly to any member, but a reminder that any member interested in sponsoring should step forward and do so. A guild member may only sponsor one applicant at a given time.
Once an applicant has been sponsored, they will be added to the guild stone with the [Initiate] title. At this stage, once an applicant feels ready, they must submit their character biography to the guild. This is an explanation of the applicant's origins and character information in a literary form. The story can either be posted to the message board, or sent through the sponsoring guild member to be posted by them. The character biography is considered during voting on the member for membership.
The sponsor is responsible for bringing the prospective member to the attention of the guild, and scheduling a meeting between the applicant and the other guild members. After the meeting, a vote will be taken on the candidate's membership within the following two weeks.
To be eligible for full membership in the Tuatha de Danann, a character must be 'of faerie blood', defined as having at least half their lineage coming from a faerie parent or other related magical means. The guild also allows most half-faerie characters including, but not limited to, faerie dragons and faerie elves. Imagination and creativity are encouraged, as characters are mostly judged on appropriateness to the guild rather than any strict definitions of what is or is not a faerie. For example, possible full-faerie species include, but are not limited to: sprites, pixies, nixies, grigs, kelpies, dryads, wisps, will-o'-wisps, sidhe, pooka, undines, sirens, nature spirits, leprechauns, brownies, muses, valkyries, faerie cats, faerie godmothers, banshee, tree-folk, ethereals, centaurs, and even certain types of trolls, gnomes or goblins. This list is merely meant to emphasize the great number of faerie species that exist, and not to be a list of species from which to choose. Every culture found on earth has its own faerie stories and species, as well as the many found in fantasy stories, games, and books. Some personal favorite examples of books for the diversity of faeries are The Great Encyclopedia of Faeries by Pierre Dubois, and Faeries by Alan Brian and Lee Froud. There are of course many other great books for ideas at the library.
It is possible to join the guild without being of faerie blood, but only through special and very limited circumstances. If a current full member of the guild desires it, they may cast a special enchantment spell upon a non-faerie character. This spell allows the non-faerie access to the faerie realm, but they are thereafter bound to the enchanting faerie. The non-faerie is at all times considered a vassal to the enchanting faerie, and must obey their enchanter and the guild rules at all times. Enchanted guild members have similar rights to faerie guild members, but are never eligible to vote on guild decisions and may have other limiting restrictions placed upon them. The faerie casting the spell is also bound to their vassal, and must take responsibility for their actions. A faerie can only have one vassal at a given time.
Entering into an enchantment is always a consensual agreement between players, and usually also consensual between characters. Even in situations of mutual consent, the process to achieve enchantment is a difficult one, as the approval of the situation by the other guild members is extremely important. Characters can not request to become enchanted, it is only the decision of a guild member to begin the enchanting process.
Enchantment is a traditional way for faeries to take mortals and other non-faeries into their realm. Historically, stepping into a faerie mushroom ring during the night, accepting offers of food from faeries, or even simply hearing faerie music could lead to enchantment and the mortal being taken away. Our enchantments are derived from these, but practiced with more restraint.
Faeries who are members of the same household as a current member, defined as having a shared player, may be sponsored by their own family, and therefore enter into [Initiate] status immediately.
Intro page image "Beyond" and corner art © Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
All other page content © Tuatha de Danann, 2003.