Editing Help:Creating and Editing Lore Articles

{{Related|Lore|Citing Sources in a Lore Article|How To Make Footnotes}}
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The following article is a guideline for how lore related articles should be constructed. The intent is to give lore articles a more uniform style, and to ensure that the information presented within them is accurate, unbiased, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_%28fiction%29 canonical].

== Selecting a Topic ==
Below are some methods for selecting a topic to start a new article about or to improve upon if an article already exists:

* Write about something of interest to you. For example, you may be interested in the [[Falatacot]]. You could visit that page and expand on it or any of the related articles it links to.
* Write about something that you are curious about. For example, you may see the name of person or place mentioned in a text that you want to learn more about.
* Browse the [[Lore Database]] and any of its subcategories. Many articles could use improvement.
* View the WhatLinksHere for [[Special:WhatLinksHere/Template:Lore_Citation_Needed|Template:Lore Citation Needed]] and [[Special:WhatLinksHere/Template:Specific_Citation_Needed|Template:Specific Citation Needed]]. these are templates used to flag lore articles or statements within lore articles as needing references, and are good candidates for improving upon.

== Researching ==
You don't have to be a lore guru to write or edit lore articles. All that is required is that you provide sources for your information. With a few simple searches, you can find source material for your article:

* Use the [[Special:Search]] feature to search for and terms related to your topic.
* Use [http://www.google.com/ Google] to search the wiki. To do this search for: ''<subject> site:ac.wikkii.net''. You can also search using the older domain name of ''asheron.info'' which may provide different results.
* Use [http://www.google.com/ Google] to search other fan sites. For example,  ''<subject> site:thejackcat.com'', ''<subject> site:acvault.ign.com''
* Use the search feature on [http://www.thejackcat.com/AC/Home/Search.htm Maggie the Jackcat's site].
* Browse or search the [http://ac.warcry.com/db/ AC Database] and [http://ac.warcry.com/db/encyclopedia.php Encyclopedia] at [http://ac.warcry.com/ ac.warcry.com]. The AC Database is used for content (e.g., quests, items, texts, patch notes) while the Encyclopedia is used for lore tidbits, however it is possible for the two to overlap.

=== Acceptable Sources ===
Articles should only be based on official canon. This would include in-game sources, such as [[:Category:Text|text]]s, item descriptions, and NPC/creature dialog. This would also include official internet sources, such as teasers, rollouts, and other [[:Category:Patch Announcements|patch announcements]] and [[:Category:Internet Lore Article|internet lore article]]s.
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[[Turbine Developers|Developer]] quotes should only be considered canonical if the developer was on the AC team at the time of the statement, or writing about a time when they ''were'' on the AC team. Examples:
* [[Turbine_Developers#Chris_.22Stormwaltz.22_L.27Etoile|Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile]] wrote the statements which were collected as the [[Stormwaltz Quotes]] during his time on the AC team. 
* [[Turbine_Developers#Dave_.22Crowley.22_Javier|Dave "Crowley" Javier]], though no longer on the AC team, [http://forums.ac.turbine.com/showthread.php?p=477669#post477669 posted this statement] about how he created the Viamontian Rank titles.

=== Unacceptable and Disputed Sources ===
Though generally all content in game would be considered canon, there are a few exceptions which may be disputed. This would include the various holiday related content for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day April Fools' Day], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter Easter], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween Halloween], the Asheron's Call anniversary, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas Christmas]. This would also include various [[Easter Eggs]] which make reference to the real world.
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Actions taken by specific players or servers are usually not considered canon. For example, on [[Leafcull]], [[User:An Adventurer|Natalia Brynmad]] was a member of the fellowship which defeated Aerbax. In lore terms however, Aerbax was defeated by a band of adventurers, and not any specific group of characters from a given server. The only exception to this would be when specific players are mentioned in official sources. For example, the player character Rage Lao of [[Morningthaw]] became part of the canon for being one of the first players to experience [[The Temple of Ixir Zi]] quest.
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Due to their unpredictable nature, the details of live events may not always be considered canon. One should look at the intent of the live event rather than how it played out on any given server.
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[[Fan Fiction]] is not official and thus not considered canon. The '''''only''''' exception to this are the winning entries to the official writing contest held in 2000, where the winning entries were added as texts available in game at the libraries.
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Asheron's Call 2 content may also be unacceptable or disputed. See the Asheron's Call 2 section below for more details.

== Writing ==
=== Title, Templates, Categories ===
==== Article Title ====
Titles should follow these standards:
* If the article is about a person, Use only their Given and Surname (if available). Do not include titles.
** <font color=red>'''Incorrect:'''</font> Queen Elysa Strathelar
** <font color=red>'''Incorrect:'''</font> Elysa
** <font color=green>'''Correct:'''</font> Elysa Strathelar
** <font color=red>'''Incorrect:'''</font> Prince Geraine
** <font color=red>'''Incorrect:'''</font> His Eternal Splendor
** <font color=green>'''Correct:'''</font> Geraine IV
* Do not use articles (a, an, the) as the first word of the title unless it is specifically part of the name.
** The [[Millennium War]], a historical event:
*** <font color=red>'''Incorrect:'''</font> The Millennium War 
*** <font color=green>'''Correct:'''</font> Millennium War
** [[The War of Blood and Shadow]], the title of a story arc:
*** <font color=red>'''Incorrect:'''</font> War of Blood and Shadow
*** <font color=green>'''Correct:'''</font> The War of Blood and Shadow
* Avoid the use of punctuation characters and special characters. These characters can display oddly or cause linking issues.
** Ampersands (&) should not be used in titles. Use ''and'' instead.
** If a dash is needed, use the standard dash (-), not the longer endash (–) or emdash (—).
** Quotation marks should be avoided. If they are necessary, use straight quotes and not smart/curved quotes. See below for the difference in appearance.
** Use a straight apostrophe if needed, not a smart/curved one. See below for difference in appearance.

 Straight Quote: "
 Smart Quotes: “ and ”
 Straight apostrophe: '
 Smart apostrophe: '

Please create any redirects which you think might be necessary. For example, [[Alashorn]] is the character who authored the text [[The Grael Rebellion]]. However, the in-game text lists the author as [[Lord Alashorn]]. If someone was curious about this character, they might search the wiki for Lord Alashorn. Since the page would not be used otherwise, Lord Alashorn has been created as a redirect to Alashorn. For more information, see [[How To Make Redirects]].

==== Templates ====
Once you have a title, you can begin adding content to the page. There are a few lore-related templates which may be helpful in getting your page started:
* {{tl|Auberean Index}} - a template used on high-level pages related to the planet [[Auberean]], its history, and its cultures.
* {{tl|Ispar Index}} - a template used on high-level pages related to the planet [[Ispar]], its history, and its cultures.
* {{tl|Character Summary}} - See [[Lore Character Template]] for usage.

==== Categories ====
There is an extensive list of lore-related categories available to add to pages. The full list can be seen on the [[Lore Database]] page. Categories should be added from least specific to most specific. For example, the categories which would be applied to the [[Asheron Realaidain]] page would be, in order: Category:Lore Database Entry, Category:Major Character, Category:Empyrean Character, Category:Yalaini Character.

=== Tense, Person, View ===
Articles should be written from the perspective of a person existing in the present, articles should be written from the third person, and they should hold a neutral point of view. The majority of the article should be in an in-universe/in-character perspective. For more information see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-person_omniscient_narrative Third-person omniscient narrative].
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In other words, when writing a lore article, imagine yourself as an omnipresent, omniscient being existing in the present day universe of Asheron's Call, describing the events of the past and present from an outsider's perspective.

==== OOC Content ====
Though articles should be written from an in-character perspective, out of character (OOC) content can be helpful in understanding the lore as well. For example, it may be useful to have a section describing the development of a character and how they have changed over the years as different dev teams have worked with them.
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In some cases, OOC works far better than in-character. This is especially true for articles or sections related to [[Continuity]]. It also may be preferred on an article that is not entirely focused on lore.

=== Construction of the Article ===
Now that you have a topic, title, references, and an understanding of the writing style, you can begin writing your article. A few things to keep in mind:

* '''Cite your sources'''. In order to ensure that your article is accurate, you must cite sources. See [[Creating_and_Editing_Lore_Articles#Acceptable_Sources|Acceptable Sources]] above and [[Citing Sources in a Lore Article]] for more in depth information on how to use <nowiki><ref></nowiki> tags and what format references should be in.
* '''Do not copy material from other fan sites'''. The text and images belong to other fan sites, and we do not have the right to duplicate their work.
* '''Don't trust everything you read on other fan sites'''. While the information available on various other fan sites can be quite valuable in researching a topic, it may not be the most accurate. Very few articles give any sources for their information, making it hard to separate the facts from the embellishments of the author. Most other fan sites are also quite inactive, and even the most well researched and documented piece may be out-of-date.
* '''Avoid simply copying and pasting content from official sources'''. While this can be a good basis to start work on an article, it should not be the finished product. If you wish to quote from an official source, please write the article as such. For example:
*: Instead of writing:
*:: The Book of Eibhil contains shocking descriptions of the most debased Falatacot blood rituals.
*: Write:
*:: In the [[Gelidite]] text [[Our Great Work]], [[Ferundi]] wrote that the Book of Eibhil contained, "shocking descriptions of the most debased Falatacot blood rituals."

== Flagging Questionable Content ==
If a lore related article or section has no references, place the {{tl|Lore Citation Needed}} template at the top of the article or section. This template displays as:
{{Lore Citation Needed}}

If a specific statement in an article seems questionable, place the {{tl|Specific Citation Needed}} template directly after it, in the same location a ref tag would be placed. This template displays as:

:On their homeworld, Banderlings have waged war against the Mosswarts for over 10,000 years.{{Specific Citation Needed}}

If you see content which has no citation and that you believe to be false, feel free to remove it from the article. However, to be thorough, you should review the history of that article, locate the user who added the content, and contact them on their User talk page, requesting a source for the information. The information may turn out to be canonical.
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If you see content which you think is copied from another fan site (e.g., lore articles from Crossroads of Dereth), remove the content and state the reason for removal in the summary field. 

== Asheron's Call 2 ==
The current events of [[Asheron's Call 2]] were set several hundred years in the future of Asheron's Call, with elements of its back-story, such as the Golden Age, the Battle of Kings, and the Devastation taking place between the two games. The game also dealt with elements of the past, including events from the early years of AC1 and back-story that encompasses both games, such as the Millennium War.
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What should count as canon from AC2, if anything at all should be, is a disputed matter. The following should be used as guidelines when dealing with AC2 content:
* If the information deals with with events taking place ''after'' AC1, it should not be considered canon. From the perspective of the AC1 universe, these events have not yet occurred, and should only be considered ''one possible future''.
* If the information deals with the back-story for both games, it should be considered canon only if it is not contradicted by content in AC1. If there is a contradiction, AC1 is correct.
* AC2 content should be used primarily for supporting or secondary facts, and not as the basis for an entire article.
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If an article or section makes references to content from AC2 which has not yet occurred in AC1, these statements should be removed from the main content of the page and placed in a section titled "Asheron's Call 2." The {{tl|AC2 Content}} template should be placed below the section header and above the content. This template displays as:
{{AC2 Content}}
[[Category:Help]]