Frequently Asked Questions

The following are most often considered simple, but there may be exceptions depending on the design itself and the depiction of the character:

Companions:
- Chime Fish
- Djiminni
- Eclissi
- Fuwa Bozu
- Gerskit
- Kiklet
- Lumizoa
- Obozi
- Orch
- Phamie
- Rulat
- Slyme
- Zoot

Baby Lythians:
- Axomaur
- Faerilee
- Fabremon
- Flyte
- Igalyph
- Laguna
- Levii
- Lilipeep
- Natbaktera
- Nitpicki
- Nudinym
- Pro-G
- Veela
- Lyarics with any of the above as their main base

Again, the list above is not definitive, and there may be exceptions. Staff may add or remove currency from submission claims at their discretion.

A sketch that's been cleaned should exhibit little to no construction lines, should have minimal fraying, and the lines should be connected in places where it looks like they should touch. Ultimately, they're judged on a case-by-case basis. If you submit a piece with that claim marked and we believe it does not meet the requirement, we will adjust your currency total manually.

You may use a photograph in a submission — or anywhere else on our site — if:
- you took the photograph yourself
- or the photo has a Creative Commons license.

So before using an image that's not your own, please check to see if it's licensed under Creative Commons and what permissions it comes with. Usually, when a photographer posts a piece of work, they will add a bit of text stating something like, "© 2022. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license." If you see "CC" and a number, that means you have permission to use it with credit.

You must include a link to the original to confirm that we have permission to host it on our site, otherwise, we could get in trouble!

They are! However, if the meme is traced over, it would not receive the Headshot, Half Body, or Full Body claim, only the other parts. If the art is completely redrawn and just references the meme — in a way that we can tell it's not traced — then it can receive the full rewards.

As a general note, however, we'd highly recommend against going the trace route if the meme is someone's art (versus a photo), just out of respect for the original artist, and due to the fact that we don't allow tracing in any other instance outside of memes.

Lythbound is a PG13 (not officially rated) ARPG, so all content you share must be suitable for ages 13 and up. Mild or suggested NSFW is allowed to a certain extent, but must always be tagged with the proper warnings. In addition, visual artwork should be censored and literature can be spoilered.

If your Lythian's design itself features nonexplicit but potentially-triggering content — eg, body horror, candy gore, or spiderlike features — that would have to appear on its character index entry, please use our tagging system to mark them as such. To do this, go to your character's profile, click the "Edit Profile" button — for Companions, it's the "Edit Companion Name/Info" button — and there will be a section labeled "Tags." Sometimes, staff members will add tags to your design upon approval; you may add on to them, but please do not remove them!

You may create explicit content for personal use, though it should not be shared directly on the site or in our Discord server.

It depends!

Submissions need to have at least one Lythian, Companion, or Lythbound NPC tagged. Otherwise, user NPCs and alternate universe (AU) forms of your Lythians will not count for Loonoles, but may still be submitted to "Free Play" for zero currency. (Remember to manually input "0" into the currency box and include a comment in the "Additional Notes.")

Additionally, we will still keep your character's current design in mind. The art will still be subject to reviewing, and if your unofficial or AU form does not resemble your character, it may be rejected.

Exceptions to this are quests and prompts that ask you to draw your character differently! Certain Lythians are also exempt from this if lore dictates, such as a glamoured Natbaktera, which allows you to portray them differently but still count for currency. These can be double-checked in their individual FAQs and may vary slightly.

Another exception would be the unofficial baby forms for adult Lythians. Outside of Origin Story quests, babies (and adolescents) can still be submitted and receive Loonoles if
- the species remains unchanged,
- remains consistent across pieces,
- and closely resembles the adult (unless a FORMula Plus is used).
However, the inverse — drawing unofficial adult forms of baby Lythians — does not count.

Currency is counted depending on what portions of the Lythian are duplicated and how many times.

In the case of a Heathen Haenym with two heads joined at the shoulder, you would claim Full Body for the main portion, plus an additional Headshot claim for its duplicated anatomy. If the Heathen is split lower down and has two torsos, then you would claim Full Body and Half Body. If your Treble Symphony has all three parts of its hivemind fully depicted in the submission, you may claim Full Body three times. But multiple limbs or other appendages, such as a Chuikha's taur half or a Kella Ser's living tail, do not count as additional bodies.

Additionally, when it comes to depicting these multiple parts in art, you do not need to have them visible in all the time, if it is logical for that specific piece. For example, a Lythian with two heads must have both heads visible if they are in a front-facing pose looking straight at the camera. However, if the same Lythian is depicted in a side-facing pose with the camera pointing at them from the left or right, the head further away only needs to be hinted at, eg, an ear sticking out; in this case, however, you wouldn't claim Headshot, since it is barely visible. If your piece features multiple Lythians or foreground pieces, it may also make sense for the head to be obscured.

The only exception to this are Treble Symphonies, which must have all three bodies at least hinted at in some fashion, such as a tail poking out from a bush.

However, you may use the FORMula Plus item to add a simplified, alternate form to your Lythian. For example, if you give your Treble Symphony a Natural form, then you can use their Natural form in submissions to avoid having to depict all three parts of their hivemind all the time. The same applies to any other characters with multiple appendages you may want to simplify.

You may! Additional information on how to claim rewards on a commissioned piece can be found in Content Requirements under Commissioned Art.

General commissions that are unrelated to prompts should be submitted under "Free Play." They can not be submitted under the "Gift" category or for Gift Tokens.

Yes, as long as one or both parties drew Lythians!

If you are trading with someone who’s also an on-site member, all you have to do is submit the half that you drew for “Free Play.” After you input the calculations, add a note saying it’s for an art trade with [member]; your trade partner will have to individually submit their half to claim.

If you’re trading with someone outside the game and drew a non-Lythian character for them, you’d submit the half they drew — presumably one of your Lythians. Do the calculations and make a note saying this is [member]’s part because you drew a character who's not from our game.

Additionally, art trades cannot be submitted for Gift Tokens.

You can claim Gift Tokens for an entire piece if your character(s) makes up 50% or less of the total currency earned. If your character(s) makes up more than 50% of the submission, you can submit the piece twice: once for Loonoles (your character) and once for Gift Tokens (other players' character).

Alternatively, you can just submit the whole piece for Loonoles.

You can only depict one Lythian per index entry page. You may also include alternate views of the same character in the same image: Natbaktera glamour, Kikitsu forms, Buzinya disguise, clothing, accessories, minor changes at staff's discretion, etc.

You cannot have two completely "separate" characters depicted, such as one red Chuikha and one blue Chuikha. In this case, you will need to upload one first, then use a FORMula Plus (and any other redesign items as needed) to add the other! This also goes for any additional "separate" characters you wish to add. The only exception to this are Treble Symphonies and Lyarics with Treble Symphony features.

However, the character will always be considered one character officially by the system, instead of as separate characters! This means that Alternate Forms like these would not add to the count for any quests requiring multiple different official characters. The only way to bypass this is to have all characters have their own Index ID.

Most Lythian species and some Companion species have something unique to each of them called variants, which are generally modified versions of the regular variant. They are typically less common than the basic individual and have their own lore under the "Variant" button on their species pages. They also tend to have slightly different appearances, but are still recognizable as that species. For example, if you go to the Symphony page, you will find that there are a couple of variants available to them.

Some variants can be created with just a character slot, while others require an additional item. If you visit the Axomaur page, you can see that they come in two variants, Aquatic and Terrestrial. Then, under the "Design Guidelines" button, there are bullet points for general guidelines that all Axomaurs have, as well as points for each variant. If the variant are marked with an asterisk (*), it means they require items to make (see Symphonies > Design Guidelines); if they are not marked, you can make it with just a character slot item (see Axomaurs > Design Guidelines).

The item required to obtain said variant is unique to each, as are the ways to obtain them. Some of them can be found in a shop after you've unlocked the realm that it's located in. Others may be seasonal and only return during certain events. You can also always check user shops to see if anyone has any for sale!

After you obtain the appropriate item, you can apply it onto a new Lythian slot when you submit them for approval. Or, you can use it on an already-existing Lythian to transform them and update their design.

You can create alternate forms for your Lythian by obtaining and using a FORMula Plus. The item can be used multiple times on the same character for different forms and will add a new, toggle-able button each time.

Without the use of any other items, the new form can be their baby form, adult form, a different (non-Lyaric) Lythian, a non-asterisked variant, or any build. However, in conjunction with other items, it can be used to give your character any form. If you use a Paint of Color Change, you can even have a tab for an alternate color palette or markings!

An exception to this are Lyarics. At this current time, a Lythian cannot have a Lyaric alternate form using a FORMula Plus. You can check the FAQ on the Lyaric page for more information on how alternate forms work for them.

Yes, members — who are not guests artists — are allowed to raffle off free designs; just note that you won't be able to use the Adoptables Marketplace if the design isn't official yet, so it won't have a character index entry. Instead, consider using the Freebies forum section or the #lyth-marketplace channel in our Discord server to advertise.

And yes, members are also allowed to sell designs and offer custom-designing services! It just needs to be made clear — in both cases — to the client that they need to obtain a character slot (and any other required items) to make it official and be able to use it in-game.

This is slightly different from resident/guest artists, who can raffle or sell you a design that already has a playable profile on the character index.

You are mostly allowed to use any design elements you see fit for your character, as long as it isn’t explicitly stated as not allowed in the design guidelines, and doesn’t closely resemble another build, variant, or species (unless you have the appropriate items or slots).

An example of this would be a Kella Ser's tail. A Kella Ser is not allowed to completely lack a tail, and must have at least one visible tail that's serpent-like. However, there's no explicit rule against how many tails a Kella Ser may have, so you're free to give them two, four, or even more! There's also no specific rules against what kind of serpentine appearance it could have. Meaning you're free to add things like horns, hoods, multiple eyes, and other elements. This also means changing things like its size, length, or width freely. Similarly, Kella Ser don't have any mention of wings in their design guidelines; this means you can freely add wings as desired in any shape, amount, or design.

As a general rule, however, please make sure to keep the Lythian's basic, physical appearances in mind, even if there are no guidelines for or against alterations to it. For example, a Kella Ser has a small, animalistic snout, which can be slightly lengthier than what is portrayed in the example image. However, it can not be stretched into a very long, pointed muzzle, nor should it be completely flattened into a humanoid face. This would take it too far away from the felines they are based off of and may result in them being unrecognizable as Kella Ser!

You can also always check the official Lythian index to get a feel for the range of acceptable customization!

Yes, you may remove your Lythian's current variant by applying Scissors of Redesign to their index entry update, just be sure to select "None" in the dropdown on the form. Though please note that certain species have no standard variant (eg, Axomaurs).

To change your existing Lythian into a non-asterisked variant, it is the same process as above, though instead of "None," you'll select the new variant from the dropdown. To change them into an asterisked one, you do not need Scissors of Redesign, but you do require the corresponding Morph item.

Companions, on the other hand, do not require Scissors of Redesign in any situation, but still require their corresponding Morph item when changing into an asterisked variant.

Please note, however, that when you remove an asterisked variant on a Lythian or Companion, you cannot use Scissors of Redesign to revert this change; you will need to reapply the appropriate Morph item.

Much like variants, builds of existing Lythians can be removed or changed using Scissors of Redesign.

You can take inspiration from anywhere, but your designs cannot be a blatant copy of an already-existing character, copyrighted or not. There are a few big details that define a design for copyright purposes:
- the shapes
- the colors
- the patterns
- the accessories
Exactly copying the majority of the applicable points is not allowed. Generally, the fewer similarities there are, the "safer" the design will be, approval-wise.

The only exception to this is if you own the character and would like to transfer their design onto a Lythian. However, if you are not the original creator, please make sure you have permission to do so.

Paint of Color Change is needed when:
- a completely different color or hue is used
- the saturation is on the opposite end of the spectrum
- the lightness or darkness is on the opposite end of the spectrum
- and/or there are changes to the patterning beyond a slight simplification or complication.

Paint of Color Change is not needed when the shift in hue, saturation, lightness, or darkness is slight and generally stays in the same area of the color wheel.

No, you don't need to use items such as Paint of Color Change or Scissors of Redesign! However, while you can alter the design freely, it still must resemble the original in some fashion.

One exception to this are Fuwa Bozu, which have their own rules located in their FAQ tab.

There is another exception, which has its own rules regarding removal...

Yes, you're free to take design elements from both parents to create your baby. However, if one or both of the parent designs do not belong to you, you must obtain permission from the owner(s) before doing so; we require proof of this upfront in the form of screenshots.

The following parts of a design may be freely changed without the use of items or an art update:
- clothing, worn accessories, etc.
- hair, hairstyle, haircut
- small amounts of makeup or face paint

You may, but please be aware that we may have plans for similar pets and reserve the right to move forward on releasing those even if they are similar to a custom pet.

For example, there is currently a few different Caotie designs and we might be planning on releasing a Siamese Caotie that's yellow. If a custom, yellow Caotie is made by a user, we would still move forward with releasing the official Siamese Caotie, despite similarities to the custom one.

If you are referring to an already-existing custom pet that was created by another member, that is something you would have to discuss with that user.

You do need a character to play most of the game (though some quests may be doable with Lythbound's NPCs)!

If your reasoning is that you do not want to spend real-life currency on the ARPG, no worries, there are many free options available to you! For starters, all our new on-site members are rewarded a goodie bag containing a Starter Lythian Slot upon completing the tutorial. After that, you may want to take a look at available achievements to work toward your next Lythian...

You can obtain your first Lythian by completing the New User Tutorial.

Pre-designed Lythians from the Adoptables Marketplace, where guest/resident designers and other players can sell characters.

You can also get character slots to create more of your own Lythians from the Gem Shop, events, and sometimes in limited numbers from Truffle's Treasure Trove.

Baby characters cannot learn skills and cannot level their realm familiarity beyond 10. They may also be subject to future activity limitations where it would make sense that a baby probably shouldn't participate (eg, combat).

Yes! However, your character must be depicted as the correct species for that particular Mythical Ascension Quest. An Onini cannot participate in the Falsetto Quest, but will able to if they have and are depicted in a Symphony alternate form from their Index Entry. Once the quest is completed, you can either update that specific alt form, or add an additional alt form with the Mythical Variant using a FORMula Plus. This CANNOT be used to change the base species!

Items in the "Special Items" category have additional notes attached to them. This is most commonly seen with character slots. Normally when you obtain a character slot — be it through purchasing or in-game methods — they will be a regular item. However, if the slot item was earned through the tutorial or through certain achievements — they will show up as a special item with a note that states they cannot be transferred to other users.

Account closure is a manual process done by staff, which may take some time, but will be initiated as soon as we can once the request is sent in — within 14 days at most. When deleting your account, your personal information will be removed, but will remain in our database backups for 14 days, after which point it will be overwritten. In addition, a record of your username will be retained to prevent impersonation attempts. Posts you've made and messages you've sent will not be deleted, unless they contain personal information; they will redirect back to a shell profile that will not lead to you off-site.

Your Lythians and Companions will all be voided, but you are free to use them outside the game, so be sure to save their profiles before sending in your closure request! Additionally, you may create a new account in the future, should you wish to return, and characters may be un-voided if you have proof of retaining ownership (such as on Toyhou.se). However, your original account will be unrecoverable; this means your items, achievements, and other account-bound unlocks will not be transferred.

If you agree to all this, please send in a Support Ticket titled "Account Closure" with the following statement:
"I would like to close my Lythbound account. I understand this also voids my characters, which I have already saved the information of. I also understand that it deletes any account progress, which cannot be restored."
(A more detailed version of the above statements will be included in our reply to your ticket.)

If you need assistance after the deletion of your account, you may contact us via email at lythbound@gmail.com, and we will assist you to the best of our ability.

You’ll need to create an on-site account with us first. After you’ve done that, link your DeviantArt account and your items (if you had any) and characters will be automatically added! (Some may still be under an old DA username of yours, so please contact us if you have old usernames, too.) This is the only time that a DeviantArt account (or proof of previously having that account) is required, as these games previously operated there and have characters tied to DeviantArt usernames.

If you notice any missing or listed under the wrong owner, please provide us proof of ownership; this can be in the form of screenshots or Toyhou.se ownership logs.

If the user you are transferring a Lythian to does not want to create an account, your only workaround is to void the character first; they may still be considered part of the species but cannot participate in the ARPG in this state. To void a character, please send us a Support Ticket with the following form filled out:

VOID FORM:
Index Entry: [should be a lythbound.com link]
“I would like to void this Lythian. I understand this removes them from the character index, so they may be freely transferred, as Lythbound will not be responsible for tracking their ownership. They can no longer participate in the Lythbound ARPG, but can still be considered part of the species and be used off-site.”

If you are an off-site user without a Lythbound account and want to void a Lythian that's currently credited to you, you may send us a DeviantArt group note.

Theoretically, yes, a Lythian can be un-voided. However, we'd judge it on a case-by-case basis, preferably via a Support Ticket.

The appearances of most Auirators change based on the perception of the one looking at them. So it is unique to the character, and may even differ per individual if two Lythians are looking at the Auirator at the same time. Generally, Auirators appear as someone in the character's life who meets a set of guidelines, i.e., someone who the Lythian feels at peace around.

Ultimately, however, their portrayal is up to you and how you think your character would perceive them!

Lythians can communicate, create languages, build societies, and more; think of them as the “humans” of Lyth. From the ARPG aspect, they are able to do everything: participate in events, unlock abilities, tame Companions, etc.

Companions, on the other hand, are more like very intelligent beasts that are trainable to be working-class animals. In our world, they would be the equivalent of guide dogs, therapy animals, draft horses, etc. In-game, they can only perform certain activities and cannot complete event-related prompts on their own.

Pets are not-as-smart creatures, maybe like your average goldfish. They are only for completing your bestiary and other cosmetic purposes.

However, these are just general guidelines! If you have a headcanon that your Lythian’s pet Bunblebee is quite smart and collects jars of honey for them, we’re not going to stop you.

Yes! You are free to make characters of any Lythian or companion, completely disconnected from Lythbound and its lore. You can even sell them, as long as you disclose to the buyer they would need a slot to make them active in the game!

Think of it like fandom designs: anyone can design and own a personal character from their favorite series but they are not officially recognized as canon or in-game. The same goes for Lythbound: we will not upload player "NPC" Lythians to the character index, allow them to complete quests, or accept artwork that only features them*.

However, you can use your design in-game by going through the character slot design process! We have many in-game mechanics and opportunities to earn new character slots that can be used to create designs. One of the easiest ways to get a Starter Lythian Slot is by making an account with us and completing the new user tutorial!

*If you submit artwork of your official Lythian that also has a user NPC in it, the user NPC would count as part of the background and therefore, not receive the standard character rewards.

If you are planning on making it into said variant when it grows up then yes, it can — as long as the features still follow the baby species' design guidelines. Just remember that most variants require an item, which you will need to attach when updating their character index image to their adult stage.

You can view a comprehensive chart of Lythian sizes via this page: Lythian Size Comparison

You can find more information regarding size on the Species Guide page of the individual species. However, all of these are just general guidelines and we will still allow designs outside the provided sizing parameters.

At the moment, no, they cannot, at least not in any officially-documented manner.

You’ll need to be supporting the site, either via Supporter Status items, purchased in the Cash Shop; or subscribed to the Lythbound Patreon. If subscribing via item, be sure to connect your Discord account on-site. If subscribing via Patreon, there should be a “Connect to Discord” button on the membership page that will give you access.

If you’ve already connected before, you may have to disconnect via the settings before reconnecting. Unfortunately, we cannot manually give you the role due to the way integration works.

Please credit Jackalune as the creator for all species except Fuwa Bozu, which are created by Raishiteru; and Pro-Gs, which are created by Jarre!

Designer credits should go to whoever made the design, which should be visible on the Lythian’s character index entry.

A Lythbound NPC is a character that is owned by Lythbound (the game itself), such as those found on the Lythbound NPCs page. These are characters you’re free to depict and interpret as desired, and will earn you “Simple Character” or “Standard Character” rewards if submitted to the site. They each have a basic description on them for you to build off of as you see fit! (Some art quests may even allow you to use Lythbound NPCs in your submissions, but not all!)

A user NPC is a player-made character that does not have a game profile at all. They only count as background props, and cannot earn “Simple Character” or “Standard Character” rewards, unless otherwise stated in a quest.

Non-playable characters (or NPCs) is a term used to describe Lythian characters that do not have a game profile. NPC Lythians can originate outside of the Realms of Lyth, coming from all sorts of backgrounds. As a result of this, they sometimes may look different compared to the usual Lythian — such as a Kella Ser with a non-serpentine tail.

NPC Lythians can be created and used entirely off site, and may or may not have ties to Lythbound at all. Their only restriction is that NPCs count as background props instead of active characters in artwork submitted on-site (you are free to depict them completely separately from the game, of course!), and cannot be submitted to the site by themselves for game currency until they become playable in-game using the relevant items.