Question about fantasy races and site rules

Discussion in 'Authors' Hangout' started by master_x_2k, Sep 15, 2018.

  1. master_x_2k

    master_x_2k Virgin

    So, I'm writing a story in a fantasy world with all the classic races, and I found myself wondering just how permissive I can be with comparisons between humans and races like goblins, hobbits, dwarves and other small races. I've taken to describe their aproximate height compared to a human when first establishing them, like "he came up to her belly" and sometimes saying things like "the goblins where only as tall as a young human" and "hobgoblins had the size of a teen", which helps describe situations where one race overpowers another.
    The story is repurposed from a long story I was writting with more explicit and exact comparisons to ages.
    The second part I'm wondering is with creatures and monsters, the site rules say no bestiality, and generally that would mean no animals or non sentient races, but where do they stand on for example a dragon, which could be sentient, and a minotaur, which is almost human but not sentient in most settings.
    There is a story about a tower with aliens inside in the shape of wolves, octopi and bizarre shapes in the site, so I guess it is allowed?
     
  2. gene.sis

    gene.sis CHYOA Guru

    I don't see a problem with comparisons as long as the characters of these races aren't underage. (Though "the size of a teen" could mean anything from three to six foot, so I'm not sure if that is suitable. A "young human" is vague as well.)

    Creatures must pass the Harkness test if they should appear in an erotic or sexual context.
     
  3. master_x_2k

    master_x_2k Virgin

    Right, I read the Harkness test, and all of my characters are Harkness compliant. While there are short races, none would realy fit into the loli/shota description, as they're sexually mature and more similar to a shrinked adult than a child.
     
  4. gene.sis

    gene.sis CHYOA Guru

    Short doesn't mean underage.
    There are also porn actresses who are quite short and also some who look quite young but they are 18 and thus allowed to do that job. (Though that doesn't mean that it should be overdone!)
     
  5. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    I will state here that I have found stories with characters described as looking underage, even though they are 18, and reported them. Those stories were subsequently edited or removed.
     
    gene.sis likes this.
  6. GenericEditor168

    GenericEditor168 Really Really Experienced CHYOA Backer

    Dragons, minotaurs etc. are fine if they're intelligent and able to talk.
     
  7. merkros

    merkros CHYOA Guru

    I like to hope that the stories involved was chastized because it described them as 'underage' or as a 'young teen'. It's one thing to describe a female halfling as they are. It's another thing to specifically compare them to a human child or underage teen.
     
  8. Loeman

    Loeman Really Really Experienced

    I like to hope that the stories were plain bad, and nothing of erotic or artistic value was lost, regardless of how small titties and furry girl feet were specifically portrayed.
     
  9. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    Of the two stories to which I refer one was simply edited to increase one of the main character's ages from 17 to 18, and the other was only one page long anyway, so no, nothing of great value was lost.
     
  10. gene.sis

    gene.sis CHYOA Guru

    I think that things like small (flat) tits depend on the general depiction so you mostly know if it is a description of an underage person or not.

    Indeed... maybe better compare them with adults like "his eyes were at a level with her breasts" or "she was a head smaller than him"


    Well, if in doubt, report it!
    I'm quite sure that the moderators won't delete content thoughtlessly.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2018
  11. Loeman

    Loeman Really Really Experienced

    I'm not a reporting kind of guy.
     
    Sthaana likes this.
  12. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    Then you're part of the problem.
     
  13. Loeman

    Loeman Really Really Experienced

    Oh, woe is me.

    I prefer not to be a part of art censorship.
     
  14. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    I prefer to not have the Site shut down by the Australian equivalent of the FBI.

    Mabye I'm just weird?
     
  15. GenericEditor168

    GenericEditor168 Really Really Experienced CHYOA Backer

    1: That'd be the AFP.
    2: Why the Australians?
     
  16. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    Isn't that where Friedman lives?

    Also, they're much more aggressive about prosecuting this kind of thing...
     
  17. Loeman

    Loeman Really Really Experienced

    That's why I count on people like you to balance things out.

    My hands stay clean, but the police work gets done.
     
    Sthaana likes this.
  18. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    Sorry to say Loeman, but there are whole sectors of the site that I don't even visit, which I know you do. I'm here to write and have fun, I dont go out of my way to find this stuff, I just stumble across it sometimes. You can't "keep your hands clean" here, they've either got dirt on them from burying a story or two, or they're going to have blood on them from the death of the site: choice is yours, but those are your only options...
     
    gene.sis likes this.
  19. GenericEditor168

    GenericEditor168 Really Really Experienced CHYOA Backer

    Nemo of Utopia likes this.
  20. Nemo of Utopia

    Nemo of Utopia CHYOA Guru

    This is true, provided it's described as an adult of its species, and not appearing to be a child of a different species, which is just a matter of choosing your descriptors carefully.

    As an example that was brought up previously: Halflings/Hobbits are sometimes described as looking like human children, but while it's easy to go that route it CAN be avoided. Instead of saying things like "he stood no taller than a ten-year-old," you could phrase it "his height was barely four feet, coming up no higher than most human's chests," and thus avoid the 'children' issue. Though it takes more words, it still conveys the intended point, doesn't it?

    So, yes, as long as you stay away from anything directly involving children, fantasy stories can get away with a lot of variants that stories based on real life cannot.

    All that said, I would advise that you follow the site standards and not use any characters under 18 years of age in the story. I've found including such characters just causes problems.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2018