The delicate sound of harp music fades as an elven woman with emerald eyes
and fiery hair lifts her head with a warm smile. Her hand leaves the singing strings
of her golden harp as she waves graciously to an empty seat by the fireplace.
"So you wish to learn of the Ancient Order, Uma?"

Who is ElF?

The Ancient Order of Elves is a guild in a MMORPG called Ultima Online (www.uo.com) on the Pacific Shard. We role-play as elves (despite the lack of choice for elves as a race in the game) and we have established a player run city in Trammel near the dungeon of Wrong called
The City of Eldador

Who is your Guild master?

Our current Guild master is the Queen of the Elves, Joy, but any Elder or Arch Elder can handle most matters of importance when the King/Queen is not online.


Do I have to be an elf to join?

Since we role-play as elves, it is logical that our members are of the elven race, but if a human character is where your heart lies, you have just as much a place with us as an elven character.


Can I join if I do not play UO?

We do not accept applications from those who do not play Ultima Online. Unfortunately, the most of ElF's activity is in the game and it would be difficult (if not impossible) to engage in guild events purely on the role-playing forums. Therefore, we ask hopeful applicants to please apply only if you play the game already or plan to in the near future.

Ultima Online does have a monthly fee with different payment options. More information can
be found at www.uo.com www.uo.com.


I would like to war ElF. Can we start a war?

ElF itself does not accept war declarations. We do have a warring stone made for role-playing wars called AOE, the Varar' en' Eldador. If you wish to propose a war with AOE contact either King/Queen, Arch Elder, or an Elder to propose a war. Sending a private message in our forums is usually the easiest way for contact. When expressing your desire to begin a war, please keep these points in mind:

- Please bring up your idea to the King/Queen, Arch Elder, or an Elder before attempting to begin a war or sending a declaration. There are important topics concerning wars such as rules of engagement, plot lines, etc., that should be discussed before plots leading to war begin. In a world commonly full of D00Ds and the 3l33t, attempts to provoke war may be seen as harassment or perhaps even get ignored without realizing a honest attempt for role-playing is being made.

- AOE is for role-playing wars only. AOE will not join factions or partake in non-role-playing wars. If you desire to begin a war, have a plausible reason why story-wise. The Varar' do not war on a whim and need a good logical reason why they would risk their lives in battle.

- We are willing to discuss the specifics of rules of engagement. We have had wars where there were no rules of engagement except for common courtesy that worked out well and we have had wars where we followed specific rules agreed upon by both parties.


Who is AOE?

The Varar' en' Eldador is the role-playing war stone of ELF. AOE exclusively participates in role-playing wars only. Only experienced role-players of ElF are allowed to join the Varar'. The number of members upon the stone varies depending upon what wars/activities are currently happening.


If my guild wars AOE, will we have to worry about being out numbered by the bulk of ELF joining AOE?

Not at all! The membership of AOE is very exclusive and open to experienced members of ELF. Balance will be maintained when it comes to battles so that both sides can have fun without being overwhelmed. It is not fun to win all the time due to numbers and it is likewise unpleasant to lose battles from insurmountable odds.


I would like to offer an alliance with ElF. Can we have an alliance?

The answer for this question depends mostly upon the current circumstances (role-playing wise) in the game. ElF and AOE do not accept alliances unless there is a state of war against a common enemy, in which circumstance rules of engagement with the enemy guild and plots will be discussed. However, we do accept open friendships with other good aligned guilds, often inviting them to join us for hunts and events. The way to establish such a relationship is easy; come to Eldador and role-play.


Where did you get your history and lore for the website?

Because many of our members follow different styles of role-playing when it comes to elves, ElF has taken bits and pieces of various lore concerning elves (Tolkien, dungeons and dragons, warhammer, etc) and combined them with the history of Sosaria into our own unique style. This is done so that members who prefer to follow different lore concerning elves can enjoy their own play style without conflict with anyone else's. We do try to give credit where it is due to other people's work (the quenya dictionary was borrowed from Tel'Mithrim of another shard), but mainly we make it up as we go along.


How did you build a player-run city? Any tips for building one?

Building a player run city requires dedication and patience of those who wish to start one. Our advice to you is to start small in the area you wish to build. Try to get your first main buildings as close as possible for convience and then slowly expand from there. Much of the housing in Sosaria is already taken so expect to be buying homes from those in the area you want to build your city in. You may run across people who do not wish to sell their homes or others who realize that they might get away with charging more than their home is actually worth because of your guild's interest in it, but stick with it and you will eventually get a nice city going. Also keep in mind a player run city does not have to be active with your guild all times of the day, but do have useful buildings that your members will frequently stop by such as a guild house, guild armory, or market (mall) in your first stages of city building.

Again, dedication and patience are hallmarks of anything successful. Accept that your guild may be small to begin with, do not expect people to automatically flock in droves to join your guild. People like to be in guilds that are fun and active, so make sure your guild has regular events and activities. If your guild is inactive as a group, not many will stay for long. Be dependable with your schedule if you can, a GM with an unstable schedule can make or break a guild. Also make friends with other guilds for support, but do not attempt to recruit members from them. It not only is rude but also can damage any future relationships your guild has with others.


Would ElF be interested in joining a Free Shard or moving to another OSI Shard?

No. There are no plans at this time to move to any free shards or other osi sponsored shards. Although members may come and go, as they desire, ElF is well established within our city that took years to create and it would be difficult to leave behind. Advertisement for free shards or joining other shards upon message boards and in IRC is not generally welcome as it is seen as a recruitment attempt.

For the most part, ElF will remain in Ultima Online, but if there is a significant desire in the membership to begin a new branch of The Ancient Order of Elves in another game, it will be considered. Thus far, there are no other branches of ElF except for Ultima Online.


Member Specific FAQ:

The path system is mostly for role-playing purposes and a way to give recognition to our more active members. Separate paths give members a tool for defining class for their characters whether they are a mage, warrior, priest, bard etc.


How do I join a path?

Once an initiate's period as a Nessa Quessir is over, they may choose to join a path or take the title of Eldalie (a general member). Joining a path is as easy as informing an elder of the decision and which path you wish to take. You will automatically receive rank I in the path of your choosing.


How do I get a promotion?

Promotions in ELF are given based upon activity in the guild, a desire to role-play, and helping out. Running events, helping other members, and such often are noticed by the eldership.


Can I make a suggestion for a path/Can I make a path specifically for other races?

We are always open to suggestions for improvement for the guild, but not every suggestion is implemented. We take the structure of the path system very seriously and do our best to make sure the paths are not only well implemented, but practical as well. We generally take a hard look at suggestions for paths and try to determine if a suggested path is necessary for the current needs of the guild.