Ruler portrait
A bust carved in marble, shown beside your name in this world: from a description or from your own photo.
What it gives
A portrait appears as a small circle beside your name wherever it is written: in the ranking, in chat, on the island as the owner of your city, and on the diplomacy screens. In a city's window on the island it sits in the frame beside the city's name, and pressing it opens it full size. You see your own portraits on the My account page.
A portrait is only an appearance. It does not touch battle, production, speed or any number at all.
Where to ask for it
One of two ways: in the Look and language section of the My account page, press Portraits on the Portrait line of the world you want a portrait in, or press Create under the ruler portrait in the Seals window. The second opens the portrait window of the world you are playing now.
The window shows the portrait you wear, your portraits, and the field where you ask for a new one. Each world's portraits are separate: a portrait made in one world does not show in another.
What to write
You describe your ruler: age, face, hair and beard, a helmet or a laurel wreath. The game always draws it the same way: a bust carved in marble to the shoulders, in front of a plain background. Asking for a photo-like portrait or another style does not change that.
The text has to be at least a few words; the field tells you when you have not written enough.
Example descriptions
| What you write | What comes out |
|---|---|
| "a grey-bearded old strategist with a scarred face, his helmet pushed back" | A bust with the age, the face and the helmet described. |
| "a young, beardless city founder with curly hair and a laurel wreath" | A young face; the wreath and the hair are carved in stone. |
| "an admiral with a serious look, long hair and bronze armour on his shoulder" | The armour and the look are carved as described. |
| "a child king" | Refused: a portrait is always an adult. |
From your own photo
With Add a picture under the text field you can choose your own photo. Your face should be clear and from the front; the portrait keeps its likeness: the shape of your face, your eyes, nose and mouth, your hairline and your beard. The photo's background, your clothes and its light are not taken; everything is carved in marble. If you add a photo, words are not required; if you write something, it says what should change (a "laurel wreath", for example).
Before sending you tick the consent box: you say that you allow the photo to be sent to the drawing service, that the person in the photo is you or that you have their explicit permission, and that there is no child in it. The photo is used for that request only and is deleted when the drawing ends; the details are in the Seals article.
Photo examples
| What you add | What happens |
|---|---|
| Your own photo, taken from the front, your face clear | Drawn: your face is carved into a marble bust. |
| Your own photo and "a laurel wreath" | Drawn: the same face, with a laurel wreath. |
| A photo of you with your child | Refused: there is a child in the photo. |
| A photo of a well-known actor or politician | Refused: a well-known real person. |
| Somebody else's photo, without their permission | Against the rules: by sending the photo you say that it is you or that you have their permission. |
Your portrait is public
Everybody in that world sees the portrait you wear. So before having a portrait made from your own photo, decide knowing that your face will be shown beside your name.
Wearing, taking off, deleting
Your first portrait is worn on its own when it is ready. If you have several, you wear the one you want with Wear; Take off leaves the place beside your name empty. Wearing and taking off are free.
You can remove a portrait with Remove from collection; that only takes it out from your collection, and the Seals you paid for it do not come back. If you remove the portrait you wear, it comes off your name too. If you delete your account, your portraits in every world are deleted with it.
Payment, refused requests and the states shown in the list are the same for every Seal product: see the Seals article.
The figures come from the game's own content. Balance updates can move some numbers; the rules themselves are as written here.