So what does it take to gain membership in Here Be Dragons? The short answer is that there isn’t really a strict set of requirements.

In my (Salandra’s) own words:

This organization is meant for those exiles that not only explore and create maps, but for those exiles that truly embody the gathering and sharing of geographic knowledge for the betterment of the community.

To use an example, Tonoto created maps that generations of exiles used to help them navigate and discover the world. To the best of my knowledge, he didn’t do this for acclaim or rewards – he just did it. His efforts have helped countless exiles and while he no longer walks the lands, he has been given an honorary membership for his effort and work to better the community.

I would ask that those who would like to be counted amongst our ranks think about what their real goals and efforts are. If being a member in this association is just something for you to “collect” then maybe this isn’t the right place for you.

While there isn’t a list of things you can do to become a member, there is a list of things that are highly recommended or of note:

1. Your maps need to be public. We respect and acknowledge the hard work of anyone who creates maps, but very early on, it was decided that just gathering the knowledge wasn’t enough. Sharing the knowledge with the community was a vital part of what we mean to represent and it is a core tenant that we adhere to.

2. There is no hard count on the number of maps you need to have created. Some people will have created only a single map whose construction was so difficult or its influence so profound that they will be extended an invitation. Others may have created several maps and not receive an invitation. This topic is something that will have to be assessed on an individual basis and will be held between the senior members of the association and the person in question.

3. There is no requirement for members to be "active" or to be producing new maps (though we always encourage more creativity from our members). This guild is something that should have existed many years ago. Membership takes into account all of the mapping efforts from the time of the first exiles.

4. We believe maps are meant to be an aid, not a replacement for participating in the world. To that point, members of this association are expected to uphold a certain level of respect in regards to the release of spoilers on their maps. As a general rule, things like quest solutions and similar information should be given proper consideration before being added to maps. For example, the race and class combination for the trees on Kizmia's Island could be considered "quest solutions," but they're also exactly the reason why someone would make a map of the area. If a member of the association wants to release a step by step guide to an area, we're not going to step in and try to prevent you from doing that, but we would ask that you keep your maps respectful of spoilers and use a separate scroll to detail the extra information with your map as an aid, or guide to that. That way anyone can use your maps while those that wish the more detailed information can have access to that separately.

5. When a new area is discovered, new maps should remain “privately shared” for some time before they’re released publically. Beyond giving exiles a chance to explore a new area on their own without accidentally seeing the map or having everyone reference the map, waiting to release a map also gives a nod to the months or years that the builder's put into building the areas.

6. This his is not a requirement, but members of Here Be Dragons are encouraged to add their maps directly to our scrolls for archive purposes. Some members may not have their own scrolls, and this will not be a problem, but other members have long existing scrolls. For those people, each mapper’s individual scroll on Here Be Dragons will have any links you request to your own scrolls, but in the event that your scrolls are lost, we want to preserve that information. (As part of our archiving efforts, non-members of the association may request that their maps be hosted on our scrolls.)

7. Unless exiles have permanently left the lands, new members will only be added with their consent.

8. Here Be Dragons has no goals or motives other than have been stated earlier in this document. Members are only judged based on the above guidelines - no other affiliations, politics, or such matter.

Lastly, if you’re interested in joining Here Be Dragons, or have someone you’d like to suggest be made a member, please contact Kani with that information. New members are discussed within a small group of senior members, but Kani will always be a good contact.