A character is represented by their reference sheet in the species masterlist. It is the proof that it has been officially recognized as a Devoma. In exchange, we require that submissions adhere to certain standards.
The ref-sheet must:
Be understandable; anyone should be capable of recognizing what it is depicted no matter the artstyle, stylisation, and skill level.
Depict a full-body view of the design with the tail at least partially visible.
Must have the face and head clearly depicted - masked designs are allowed but must include an unmasked version of the design. A close-up shot of the face might be required in cases where the full-body reference is extremely sketchy.
Be colored. Shading and lighting, if added, cannot drastically change the base colors.
Be in adherence with demovian anatomy.
Must include all current mutations.
It is assumed that all parts that are not visible on the ref sheet are in accordance to official anatomy section as depicted in the "Anatomy" section of this site (meaning that they do not have any mutations). Depiction of a design in subsequent art pieces can vary but the design must be clearly recognizable in art submitted to events.
Clothes, hairstyles and non-permanent body modifications such as piercings are not considered part of the design and can be changed at will. Tattoos and skin patterns, on the other hand, are part of the design.
It is allowed to show Work In Progress (WIP) updates of a character before they are approved or even before their MYO slots have been bought in the art chats of the Discord server. However, it must be made explicitly clear that they are a work in progress and not an official Devoma yet.
Furthermore, members might be issued a warning if it becomes clear that they are making new Devomas with no intention of finishing them or going through with buying a slot, supposedly to either repeatedly generate hype around them or as a way to headcanon an unapproved character. (As a prevention measure, we recommend members of our community not to build relationships with characters that are not officially approved.)
Free first time owner slot
It you do not own a Devoma, you may make one for free.
You have access to all possible basic variations (as described in the Anatomy tab) and all of the free mutations. If you wish to obtain additional mutations, you must buy them.
Once you have finished your Devoma, you must submit them for approval by using the approval channel on the Discord server or the dedicated forum on the Devoma world on Toyhou.se. Please follow the reference sheet guidelines stated above.
A Devoma is approved once they are uploaded to the masterlist. Unapproved Devomas and FTO Devomas that have been approved less than three month ago cannot be traded or resold. A FTO Devoma with no additional art cannot be resold, but it can be traded or gifted.
If all of a new user's accounts are less than three month old, they are not eligible for this offer. This also applies to former owners that have already made themselves a Devoma but traded them away until they had no more and wish to re-enter the species.
Redesigning rules
Approved designs are not MYO slots. However, we understand that what makes a design desirable to its owner may be a fickle thing and do accept redesigns.
What is a redesign/rehaul? A redesign, also called a rehaul, is when a Devoma that has been approved has their design change in noticeable ways and re-submitted to the masterlist. A redesign is not a full reset of the character's appearance, rather the design must still be recognizable as "the same design". It is up to the moderator that will approve the design to say if the character is still recognizable. Once the new reference sheet has been completed (or the old reference sheet has been updated, with the original artist's consent), it must be resubmitted for approval through the same channels used for design approvals.
As a reminder, haircuts, clothes and accessories can be changed freely and such changes do not need to go through a redesign process. It is also to be noted that the list of mutations included cannot be changed (see the section on mutations below for details on adding mutations to a design.)
A design is eligible for a redesign when certain conditions have been met:
In the case of a MYO design, three month after the design has been uploaded to the masterlist.
In the case of a adopted design, immediately after the character has been bought.
In the case of a resell or a trade, immediately after the owner's name was changed on the masterlist.
In the case of a recently rehauled design, three month after the masterlist have been updated with the new reference. (In other words, there is a three month cool-down period between redesigns.)
Members must keep track of whether or not their design is eligible for a redesign. If caught while attempting to submit a redesign that cannot be approved, owners will receive a warning and/or a strike if the situation calls for it.
It is allowed to start working on a redesign before the cooldown for one is over as a way to "get a headstart". However, just like an unapproved Devoma design, it must be made clear that this is a WIP and cannot be advertised as the "official" design of the character. (For example, such artwork should not be listed on TH for the character and art of unapproved redesign shouldn't be commissioned.)
Adding mutations
Owners may purchase and add mutations to their designs at any time. They must be bought in an official storefront and cannot be sold by anyone other than me, Lyroa. For the sake of managing them, they must be immediately assigned to an MYO slot or a design on the masterlist and cannot be purchased independently.
It is possible to give another owner mutations as part of a trade process. However, that must be stated upon purchase and they must still be assigned to a Devoma design upon purchase. (In other words, it is not possible to buy mutations and keep them "for safekeeping.")
A design on the masterlist does not need to have all its mutations depicted if the mutations have been added after the approval process, but the list of mutations in the description of the masterlist entry is kept up to date. The list is the official reference for which mutation a design have and doesn't have.
It is possible to update the reference sheet of the masterlist with artwork depicting the design with the new mutations. Two scenarios are possible:
The design is not eligible for a redesign/the owner does not wish to redesign their character, in which case the mutations are only added to the design and nothing else is changed. (For example, that means that, in the case of adding fur, feathers or scales, the colors must remain the same as the skin underneath.)
The mutations are added as part of a redesign process, in which case the approval of the new artwork falls under the directives outlined in the section about redesigning.
Voiding
All Devoma designs can be used in AUs as off-species or other species as long as proper credit is given where it is due. However, sometimes an owner wishes to void this design regardless, for any reason.
In order to void a design, you must contact me, Lyroa, with the new reference sheet of the character, drawn as a character that is not part of the species. This must be done in order to make sure that the designs will not become an off-brand Devoma.
A voided design can be brought back in the species if they have been voided willingly, in which case they regain their spot on the masterlist.
Voiding can be imposed upon a design by me, the owner, when I find that said character infringes upon the rules of design of the species. Such cases can be:
When the design is being drawn with mutations that it does not have (supposedly as a way to add mutations that have not been purchased.)
When the design has an problematic past, for example when it is used as a way to promote hateful or offensive messages. ("As-holes" and "hateful" characters are allowed as long as they are such in the context of their own stories and backstories.)
When the design is explicitly stated to be made to look like it belongs to another species and has been passed as belonging to another species without permission.
Etc.
I do not void the designs as the consequence of the sole actions of the owner. For example, when an owner gets banned for behavioral reasons (see: General Guidelines) their designs are not voided unless they are part of the reason they have been banned in the first place.