Greetings mellon! Welcome to the Middle Earth Roleplaying wiki. If you are new here, I will give you a brief explanation about the purpose of this place. This wiki was created solely for the purpose of having fun doing roleplays related to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Although crossovers and unrelated roleplays are welcome. It is generally recommended that you read most of J.R.R. Tolkien's works before participating, as you may not get some of the references made. It is not a requirement, however.
The vocabulary
This section encompasses roleplay related terms you are likely to come across.
Gamemaster: The owner/head of the RP. Also functions as the narrator, and often is the final word in arguments between players. They makes the rules, and you would do well to do what they say.
PC: Short for player character, this term is used to describe any character controlled by a player (go figure!).
NPC: Short for non-player character, they are any character that isn't controlled by a player (once again, go figure!).
RP: Short for roleplay.
WIP: short for work in progress in this case the creator of the RP is working on some aspect of the RP and may not want you to post
RPer: Another term for a user or member of the community. Short for Roleplayer.
Character creation and signature characters
In almost every RP you are required to make a character or two (unless you're the GM). It is important you stick to the character template, if one is posted. You should always try to make interesting or different characters, not a cookie-cutter hero.
Many RPers will have signature characters, characters they use commonly in many RPs, these characters will have extensive and intertwining backstory and it is suggested you familiarize yourself with these characters. You can even make your own signature character, although it's suggested you RP for a while before doing this and use a character you love and enjoy.
The rules
Now, all good roleplays have rules, and for simplicity's sake here are some blanket rules for all roleplays you might be in. Please note that the creator of an RP may override these if he desires.
No metagaming or godmodding!
Alright, this one is kind of a given. Now, what is considered to be godmodding may vary between gamemasters, so be sure to adhere to each one's wishes. Here are some common instances of godmodding:
OP
This is the most common instance of godmodding. It is simply when a PC is unreasonably powerful when compared to their comrades.
The Tardis Effect
This is when a PC or their followers can seemingly ignore the bounds of time and space. They can show up pretty much anywhere they deem convenient, or accomplish a lengthy task in short time.
Metagaming
This is when a PC kills another PC without either permission from the Gamemaster or narrating through it with the other PC. It often runs in tandem with OP. This also encompasses those times when the godmodder is under threat and suddenly becomes seemingly invincible.
Language and References
Swear words and low key references are allowed, but, try not to overdo it. They're fine in moderation, but can get very tiring very quickly. For exactly what level of adult content you can have in a post, consult the rating on the role play. Furthermore, insults from person-to-person are not allowed. PC-to-PC is fine, but not person-to-person.
Grammar
One should endeavor to use good grammar at least when roleplaying, if not at all times on this wiki. I'm not saying that you have to be perfect. You won't be banned for saying there instead of their once in a while. However, if your entire post is full of misspellings and grammatical errors and abbreviations, people will have to take time to decipher it, and get irritated quite quickly.
No sockpuppets
Using multiple different accounts is a banned thing, anyone who circumnavigates a ban can expect no mercy.
Important links
Staff: info on the staff of the wiki! http://middle-earth-roleplay.wikia.com/wiki/Staff#Admins
Forums: this is where you actually roleplay and such! http://middle-earth-roleplay.wikia.com/wiki/Special:Forum
Tolkien Gateway: another excellent place to go learn more about Tolkien's world. http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Main_Page