Project Aon

The following rules are intended as guidelines to aid in creating a uniform style for the Internet Editions (IE). Feel free to break the rules if you have good reason. The rules don't necessarily reflect the current practice as of the first revision of this document and therefore the early releases of the Internet Editions may vary considerably from the stated rules.

Spelling

Those members of the Project who are more familiar with American spelling may tend to see misspellings where there are none. Be sure to check if a misspelling may, in fact, be a valid British spelling.

Quotation Marks

The IE will follow the British convention regarding quotation marks. What we're terming the British convention is to use a single quotation mark to enclose a quotation, only using a double quotation mark in cases where the content of a quotation requires the inclusion of a quotation as well. A trivial example:

Lone Wolf replied, 'The giaks yelled "Shaag!"'

Dashes

Emdashes will be represented as a double hyphen surrounded by no spaces in formats incapable of representing the emdash directly. Endashes will similarly be represented as a single hyphen.

The darklord--not Lone Wolf--died.
If the number you've picked is between 1-4

In formats capable of rendering proper emdashes, they will be surrounded by a non-breaking space to the left and a standard space to the right. Preferably, these will be thin spaces such as those defined in Unicode NARROW NO-BREAK SPACE U+202F and THIN SPACE U+2009. If not, standard width spaces (e.g. NO-BREAK SPACE U+00A0 and SPACE U+0020) may be substituted.

Possessives

Apostrophe-s will always follow a singular possessive noun even when the noun ends in "s".

Alyss's bravery

Poetry & Verse

Any poetry that appears in the IE will be indented from the left margin and the original line breaks will be preserved.

Signs

Signs that appear as text - as opposed to an illustration - in the original published versions will be set in all caps and centered. The original page breaks will be preserved. Signs that were originally represented with an illustration but for which we have no replacements or rights for the original will follow a similar convention.

Character Stats

The names of the basic character stats - Combat Skill, Endurance and Willpower - will be set in all caps. The typeface will be reduced to four-fifths the size of the surrounding typeface. Modifiers to attributes will appear with a '+' or '-' followed immediately by the number. If it is an abbreviation of the attribute, the abbreviation will follow the number immediately (e.g. +3CS). Otherwise, it will be preceded by a space (e.g. +3 COMBAT SKILL).

Citations

All direct references to the name of a published document will be set in italic typeface:

The Caverns of Kalte

Lists

Unordered lists will be represented as a bulleted list.

Serial (Oxford, Harvard) Comma

To prevent ambiguity, all comma separated lists of three or more items will have a serial comma before the joining "and" or "or".

Lone Wolf quaffed Laumspur, Alether, and Oede but still felt a bit weak.

To show how not using the serial comma can be ambiguous we have the following dedication to a published book:

To my parents, Ayn Rand and God

I don't know who was more offended, God or Ayn Rand.

Inter-sentence Spacing

The period (.) following the end of a sentence will in turn be followed by a single space - not two. This convention began because of the practice of web browsers truncating contiguous white-space characters to a single space.

Referring to Numbered Sections

When referring to numbered sections, the word 'Section' will be capitalized.

Item Names

The names of items that can be picked up and carried, that are already carried, or that are in the midst of being discarded will be in initial caps (e.g. Vordak Gem). If the item names appear in all caps, they will be converted to initial caps. The words 'weapon', 'backpack', etc. will only be capitalized when it refers directly to the Action Chart or to items owned by the character, not in the general sense of those words. (e.g. 'Record this Weapon on your Action Chart', but 'The Giak has no weapon'.) The word 'item' by itself should not be capitalised.

Personal Titles and Ship's Names

Titles should be capitalised if they immediately precede the name (e.g. Captain Prarg). When they appear on their own, only sufficiently exalted names should be capitalised:

  • God/Goddess
  • King
  • Queen
  • Prince
  • Baron
  • Fryearl
  • Lord-lieutenant

But only when referring to a specific person or persons (e.g. "the King of Sommerlund" but not "only a king of Sommerlund can...").

Others should not be capitalized when appearing without a person's name:

  • lord (or lords)
  • captain
  • bo'sun
  • journeyman
  • sage

The names of ships and books should be italicized.

Capitalization of Enemy and Creature Names

Names of sentient creatures and races are capitalized. The names of enemies are also capitalized within the section where they are fought. This will often be a judgment call. A list of specific capitalizations follows:

  • Giak
  • doomwolf

All Capitalized Text

Portions of text that appeared in the original publication as all caps should in general be converted to capitalization appropriate for the context and occasionally presented with a bold or italic typeface.

One exception is in the case of character attributes (e.g. COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE) should be presented in all caps but reduced in size to 0.8em.

Section Titles

All section should have initial capitalization including those that didn't in the original (e.g. 'How to carry equipment').

Collective Nouns and Subject-predicate Agreement

Subject-predicate agreement in number in the case of collective nouns (e.g. "a horde of rats chases", "a troop of Giaks patrol", "the volley of arrows flies") has no hard and fast rules. Therefore, deference is given to the text as originally printed unless there is a compelling reason to make a change.

Footnotes

Footnotes should be used sparingly and only when necessary. Examples of footnote usage include:

  • Clarification of potentially confusing rules mechanics (e.g. cumulative/non-cumulative bonuses to Random Number picks)
  • Reminders of non-standard or obscure rules (e.g. use of the Sommerswerd on the Plane of Darkness)
  • Historical/geographical/narrative discontinuities that are not easily resolved (e.g. "orphaned" sections)
  • "Puzzle" footnotes (e.g. "The section with the correct answer will contain a footnote..." / "This is the correct solution to the puzzle in Section x.")

When not too intrusive, it is preferable that reminders to add or erase items should be added the text as errata rather than being presented as a footnote. This is ultimately a judgement call on the part of the editor. The added text should follow the standard terminology used in that particular book (e.g. "Remember to add the x to your Action Chart."). These additions should be made sympathetically to the text, and it will often be necessary to enclose them within parentheses to avoid breaking up the flow of the narrative too much.

Combat options that are ambiguous should be corrected rather than footnoted. For example, "If the combat lasts more than four rounds, turn to x" should be corrected to either "If you win and the combat lasts more than four rounds, turn to x" or "If the combat lasts more than four rounds, turn immediately to x" dependent upon the text of the subsequent section.

Similarly, Kai Weapon bonus reminders (Books 21-28) should be added to the text as errata, not introduced as footnotes.

Footnote Markers

Footnote markers will be Arabic numerals (i.e. 1, 2, 3, . . .), will be typeset higher and smaller than surrounding text (i.e. superscripted) and will follow trailing punctuation.

Order of Choices

This is a matter of personal discretion in many cases, but the order of the choices at the end of a section should be from most specific cases to the default. (e.g. First "If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, . . ." then "Otherwise, . . .")

Choices

The choices at the end of a section are preferably referred to as "choices" or "options", but not "links".

Errata Wording

"Removed" and "replaced . . . with" are preferred to "deleted" and "Changed . . . to".

Compound Modifiers

Compound modifiers should be hyphenated when used to directly modify a noun, but left unhyphenated if used as a predicate adjective:

  • ice-cool nerves
  • He is ice cool under pressure.

If a compound modifier is very common, it will sometimes be merged into a single new word (e.g. awestruck, airtight).

However, noun-noun and adverb-adjective modifiers are generally not hyphenated since there is little danger of confusion.

  • He is a well known author.
  • He peers through the now open door.

Thought Speech

Thought speech should be italicized in formats that support italic type, and should not be contained within quotation marks.

Cardinal Directions

Cardinal directions should be unhyphenated

  • southwest
  • south by southwest

Singular "Their"

The word "their" used in the singular is not an error.

  • … any player should be able to complete the mission, no matter how weak their initial COMBAT SKILL or ENDURANCE points score.

Illustration Captions

Line breaks in illustration captions need not follow the original. They should be be formatted according to the constraints of the output format.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeic terms constructed as verbs (e.g. clicks, clanging) should not be italicised. "Thud" should never be marked as onomatopoeia.

I.e. and E.g.

The abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." will have a period following each letter and not have a following comma.

  • (i.e. Weapons, Backpack, Special Items, and Belt Pouch)
  • (e.g. if your pencil fell on the number 4 …)

Specific Words and Phrases

Entries for incorrect uses are marked with an asterisk: "(*)".

  • Anskaven (not Anskavern)
  • airtight
  • alehouse
  • alether (only capitalized when an item)
  • antechamber (not ante-chamber)
  • Arrow (capitalised only when it has been, is now, or could be an item in the character's inventory)
  • arrow slit
  • awestruck
  • axe blade (see blade)
  • back-breaking (adj)
  • back breaking (pred adj)
  • backhanded
  • battle-axe
  • battle-cry
  • battle-frenzy
  • battle-smoke
  • bell-tower
  • bird song
  • blade (separate word in uses like "sword blade", "axe blade")
  • blood-spattered (adj)
  • blood spattered (pred adj)
  • bloodstain
  • booby trap (noun)
  • booby-trapped
  • boom-sail (nonsensical word?)
  • bore-hole
  • Bor musket
  • bowstring (not bow-string)
  • burnt-out
  • campfire (not "camp fire" or "camp-fire")
  • card sharp
  • careen - used only when the sense is "to lurch or swerve" (see career)
  • career (v) - used only when the sense is "to rush" (see careen)
  • cave mouth
  • Cener Druid
  • chainmail
  • chain reaction
  • Chasm of Doom (a proper noun)
  • cheek-bones
  • chequered (not "checkered")
  • cliff-face
  • cliff-top
  • counterattack
  • countercharge
  • cream-coloured
  • cross-legged
  • cross-reference
  • curled up
  • cut-throat
  • dead end
  • death-blow
  • death-cry
  • Demonlord (when referring to Agarash, Tagazin etc.)
  • demoralize
  • dirt-encrusted (adj)
  • dirt encrusted (pred adj)
  • dispatch (not despatch)
  • Discipline - capitalized when referring to the Kai, Magnakai, etc. disciplines
  • Drakkar (s.), Drakkarim (pl.), Drakkarim (adj.)
  • (*)drawbolt (should be replaced by "bolt")
  • élite - should be used in its accented form
  • fast-flowing
  • feet-first (adj, adv)
  • feet first (pred adj)
  • flavour
  • finger-bones
  • first floor (noun phrase)
  • first-floor (adj)
  • focused (not "focussed")
  • freelance
  • Freeland (not freestate)
  • fulfil
  • gameboard
  • gaming-house
  • Grand Master (also Grand Mastery)
  • grassland
  • grey-haired
  • guild-house
  • gully
  • haft (not compounded as "spear-haft")
  • halfway
  • hand-bell
  • hand-rail
  • hard-pressed
  • head-first (adj, adv)
  • head first (pred adj)
  • Helghast (the plural form is also Helghast)
  • herbwarden
  • homecoming
  • house mouse (or mice)
  • ice-cool (adj)
  • ice cool (pred adj)
  • ice-cold (adj)
  • ice cold (pred adj)
  • ice creature
  • ice wall
  • ill omen
  • impostor (not "imposter")
  • infravision
  • jala
  • jet-black
  • jungle-swamp (not "swamp-jungle")
  • Kai
  • Kai Lord
  • Kai Monastery
  • Kaltersee (not Kaltesee)
  • knuckle-duster
  • koura-tas-kai
  • laumspur (only capitalized when an item)
  • leather-bound
  • left hand (noun phrase)
  • left-hand (adj) (except: Left-handed Magic)
  • life-force
  • Ligan (s.), Liganim (pl.), Liganim (adj.)
  • lightning-fast (adj)
  • lightning fast (pred adj)
  • lockplate
  • longsword - single word when referring to a specific type of sword
  • lookout
  • lopsided (not "lop-sided")
  • Lord-lieutenant
  • Lore-circle
  • Magi-magic
  • Magnakai
  • market square (not "market-square")
  • marketplace
  • midsummer
  • midwinter
  • Mindblend
  • mindforce
  • mobilize
  • monastery (this word referring to the Kai Monastery is not capitalized when on its own)
  • Monastery of the Kai (see "monastery")
  • much (not "much-needed", etc.)
  • myriad (both "myriad X" and "myriad of X" are acceptable)
  • Nadziran (s.), Nadziranim (pl.), Nadziranim (adj.)
  • neck-chains
  • neutralize
  • night vision
  • Northlander
  • notice board (not "notice-board")
  • octopoid
  • outdistance
  • outrun
  • pack-ice
  • pike head
  • pinpoint (noun and verb)
  • pot-hole
  • psi-power
  • Psi-screen (not Psi-shield)
  • Psi-surge
  • rain-swept
  • razor-sharp
  • rebirth
  • recognize
  • reconquer
  • re-enter
  • re-open
  • re-pick
  • reunite
  • rib cage
  • right hand (noun phrase)
  • right-hand (adj) (except: Right-handed Magic)
  • riverboat
  • rock-face
  • rough-hewn (always hyphenated)
  • safekeeping
  • sea-storm
  • semicircles
  • Shadow Gate
  • shadow-shape
  • shield-wall
  • shock wave (not shockwave or shock-wave)
  • short-lived
  • short sword
  • shoulder blade
  • sidestep
  • siege-works
  • siphon
  • sloat
  • spear haft (see "haft")
  • spread-eagle
  • spy-hole
  • staff-bearer
  • store room
  • Sun-crystal (not "Sun-Crystal")
  • sun-sword (not capitalized)
  • super-senses
  • (*)swamp-jungle (see "jungle-swamp")
  • sword belt (not "swordbelt")
  • (*)syphon (see "siphon")
  • tavern-keeper (not tavernkeeper)
  • tell-tale
  • torchlit
  • tree stump
  • tree trunk
  • tree-line
  • try to (instead of "try and")
  • undead
  • unmistakable
  • Varettian
  • vicious-looking
  • visualize
  • wafer-thin (adj)
  • wafer thin (pred adj)
  • wagonload
  • war-cries
  • war fleet
  • war-horn
  • warhound
  • war-like
  • War-thane (not War Thane)
  • watchtower
  • water-mill
  • watertight
  • weaponsmith
  • "well-" (see Compound Modifiers)
  • wood smoke
  • zigzag (not "zig-zag")