Terms of Service
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE ENROLLING
By accessing or using the Realm Forge Academy platform ("Platform"), enrolling in any course, or completing the enrollment checkout process, you ("Student" or "User") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not enroll or use the Platform.
If you are under 18 years of age, your parent or legal guardian must read, understand, and agree to these Terms on your behalf before you may enroll.
1. About Realm Forge Academy
Realm Forge Academy LLC ("RFA," "we," "us," or "our") is a Washington State limited liability company operating an online educational platform at realmforgeacademy.com. Our flagship product is the World Forge Pathway — a self-paced, 10-course creative technology curriculum designed to prepare students for careers in gaming, virtual reality, animation, film, tabletop design, publishing, and the metaverse.
2. Eligibility & Age Requirements
2.1 Minimum Age
The World Forge Pathway is designed for students ages 16 and older. This is our recommended minimum age based on the academic and creative demands of the curriculum. Students ages 13–15 may enroll only with verified parental or guardian consent, where the parent or guardian must complete the enrollment process on the student's behalf, agree to these Terms, and acknowledge that the curriculum is designed for older students. Enrollment of students under 16 is an exception, not a general invitation.
2.2 Students Under 13 — COPPA Compliance
The Platform complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. Age verification is completed during enrollment checkout. Users who provide false age information assume full responsibility for any resulting compliance issues. If we become aware that a student under 13 has enrolled without verifiable parental consent, we will immediately terminate that account and refund any payments made.
2.3 Parental Consent for Minors
If you are enrolling a student who is under 18 years of age, you represent that you are the student's parent or legal guardian, that you have read and agree to these Terms on their behalf, and that you accept responsibility for their use of the Platform and compliance with these Terms. If you are enrolling a student under 16, you additionally acknowledge that the curriculum is designed for students 16 and older and that RFA makes no modification to course content or expectations for younger students.
2.4 Account Accuracy
You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during enrollment and to keep your account information updated. Providing false information, including false age information, is grounds for immediate account termination without refund.
3. Enrollment & Subscriptions
3.1 Enrollment
Enrollment in the World Forge Pathway grants access to all platform features available at the time of enrollment, including courses, the Ember AI companion, the Ember Journal, Hearthfire Archives community space, VR field trips, scheduled VR Office Hours sessions, and graduation credentials, subject to the terms of your selected plan.
3.1a VR Office Hours
RFA offers optional, live weekly Office Hours sessions hosted by the founder, lead instructor, and co-hosts in an interactive web-based environment accessible from any device. Sessions are also accessible via virtual reality headset for students who prefer an immersive experience. These sessions provide students with an opportunity to ask questions, discuss the week's course material, and connect with the instructor and fellow students in real time. The following conditions apply:
- Office Hours are a supplemental benefit of enrollment, not a core deliverable of the subscription. The World Forge Pathway self-paced curriculum remains the primary educational product.
- Attendance is entirely optional and has no impact on course progress, grades, or graduation eligibility.
- Sessions are not recorded. Students who are unable to attend a scheduled session may submit questions in advance via the Hearthfire Archives or student support email.
- Sessions are scheduled on a published calendar. RFA will make reasonable efforts to maintain the published schedule but reserves the right to reschedule, cancel, or modify individual sessions with reasonable advance notice to enrolled students.
- Sessions are hosted on a third-party web-based platform. RFA is not responsible for technical issues, availability, or conduct within third-party environments. The platform used for Office Hours may change over time. RFA will notify students of platform changes via email with reasonable advance notice.
3.2 Subscription Plans
RFA offers the following subscription plans:
- Founding Member Monthly: $99/month. Available to the first 200 enrolling students only. Rate is locked for the life of the membership subject to Section 3.4.
- Founding Member Annual: $899/year. Available to the first 200 enrolling students only. Rate is locked for the life of the membership subject to Section 3.4.
- Standard Monthly: $199/month. Available to all students enrolling after the 200-seat Founding Member cohort is filled.
- Standard Annual: $999/year. Available to all students enrolling after the 200-seat Founding Member cohort is filled.
3.3 Billing
Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis — monthly or annually — beginning on the date of enrollment. Billing continues automatically until cancelled. You authorize RFA to charge your payment method on file for each billing cycle.
3.5 Payment Processing
Payment processing is handled by third-party payment processors. Realm Forge Academy LLC does not directly store, access, or retain credit card, debit card, or other sensitive payment information. By enrolling and submitting payment, you agree to the applicable terms of service and privacy policy of the payment processor used at checkout. RFA is not responsible for errors, failures, or security incidents originating with third-party payment processors.
3.4 Founding Member Rate — Terms and Conditions
The Founding Member rate is a lifetime benefit extended to the first 200 students who enroll. The following conditions apply:
- The Founding Member rate is personal and non-transferable. It belongs solely to the individual who enrolled and cannot be gifted, sold, assigned, or shared.
- Founding Members who cancel their subscription may re-enroll at the Founding Member rate at any time, with no time limit, provided the student's original Founding Member enrollment record is on file and the 200-seat cohort cap has not been exceeded.
- The Founding Member rate applies to platform subscription access only. It does not apply to any standalone products, additional courses, physical goods, or services offered outside the core subscription in the future.
- RFA reserves the right to modify platform features, add new content, and change the scope of subscription offerings. Founding Members will receive access to new content added to the core subscription at no additional charge.
- The 200-seat Founding Member cohort is permanently capped. No new Founding Member slots will be created under any circumstances once the cohort is filled.
4. Cancellation & Refunds
4.1 Cancellation
You may cancel your subscription at any time with no penalty. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You will retain access to the Platform through the end of the paid period.
4.2 Refund Policy — Monthly Subscriptions
Monthly subscribers may request a full refund within 14 days of their initial enrollment date. After 14 days, no refunds will be issued for the current billing period. Refund requests must be submitted to support@realmforgeacademy.com.
4.3 Refund Policy — Annual Subscriptions
Annual subscribers may request a full refund within 14 days of their initial enrollment date. After 14 days, annual subscription fees are non-refundable. No prorated refunds will be issued for unused months.
4.4 Exceptions
RFA reserves the right to issue refunds outside these terms at its sole discretion in exceptional circumstances. Refunds are processed within 5–10 business days to the original payment method.
5. Student Content & Intellectual Property
5.1 Student Ownership
All original creative work produced by students on or through the Platform — including realm designs, lore documents, world-building materials, pitch decks, creative briefs, portfolios, and capstone projects — is and remains the sole intellectual property of the student (or their parent/guardian if the student is a minor).
5.2 License Grant to RFA
By enrolling and using the Platform, students grant Realm Forge Academy LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, share, reproduce, and promote student work solely for marketing, promotional, and educational purposes — such as showcasing student portfolios on the RFA website, social media, or in marketing materials.
5.3 Opt-Out
Students may opt out of this license at any time by submitting a written request to support@realmforgeacademy.com. Opt-out requests will be honored within 14 days. Opting out does not affect the student's enrollment, access, or any other rights under these Terms.
5.4 RFA Intellectual Property
All Platform content created by RFA — including course materials, curriculum, guides, the Ember AI companion, brand assets, logos, and the Hearthfire Archives structure — is the exclusive intellectual property of Realm Forge Academy LLC, protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable laws. Students may not reproduce, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from RFA content without prior written consent.
6. Ember AI Companion & Ember Journal
6.1 Nature of Ember
Ember is an AI-powered learning companion integrated into the Platform. Ember is designed to guide, encourage, and support student learning. Ember is not a licensed therapist, counselor, medical professional, or human mentor. Interactions with Ember do not constitute professional advice of any kind.
6.2 Ember Journal Privacy
The Ember Journal is a private reflection space. Journal content is visible only to the student. Instructors and RFA staff can see only that a reflection was submitted, the date of submission, and the number of exchanges — not the content of the conversation.
6.3 Safety Protocol
If Ember detects language that may indicate a student is in crisis or danger, a safety protocol may be triggered. This protocol is designed to connect students with appropriate resources and does not constitute general instructor access to journal content.
6.4 AI Limitations
Ember is an AI system and may occasionally produce inaccurate, incomplete, or unexpected responses. RFA does not guarantee the accuracy of Ember's responses and is not liable for decisions made based on Ember's guidance.
6.5 Acceptable Use of Ember
Students may not attempt to manipulate, jailbreak, reverse engineer, circumvent safety protocols, or extract underlying data or system instructions from the Ember AI system. Students may not use Ember for any purpose outside its intended educational and reflective function. Violations of this section may result in immediate account suspension or termination without refund.
7. Community Standards — Hearthfire Archives
7.1 Community Conduct
The Hearthfire Archives is a community space for students to share perspectives, discuss course material, and engage with fellow learners. By participating, students agree to engage respectfully, honestly, and constructively.
7.2 Prohibited Content
Students may not post content that is hateful, harassing, threatening, sexually explicit, defamatory, or illegal. Students may not post content that infringes on the intellectual property of others.
7.3 Moderation
RFA reserves the right to remove any content from the Hearthfire Archives and to suspend or terminate accounts of students who violate these community standards, without refund.
8. Third-Party Platforms & VR Content
8.1 Third-Party Environments
The Platform may reference or provide access to third-party virtual reality environments, platforms, or services (such as VRChat or similar platforms) as part of immersive learning experiences. RFA is not responsible for the content, policies, or conduct within third-party platforms.
8.2 Parental Supervision
Parents and guardians of minor students are encouraged to supervise their student's use of any third-party VR platforms accessed through or referenced by the Platform. Third-party platforms have their own terms of service and age restrictions which students and parents are responsible for reviewing and complying with.
9. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability
9.1 No Guarantee of Outcomes
RFA makes no guarantee of specific career outcomes, employment, income, or professional results from completing the World Forge Pathway. The Platform provides educational content and portfolio-building tools — outcomes depend on individual effort, talent, and market conditions.
9.2 Platform Availability
RFA does not guarantee uninterrupted access to the Platform. We may perform maintenance, updates, or modifications that temporarily affect availability. We will make reasonable efforts to minimize disruption.
9.3 Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, RFA's total liability to any student for any claim arising from these Terms or use of the Platform shall not exceed the total amount paid by that student in the 12 months preceding the claim.
9.4 Disclaimer of Warranties
The Platform is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
9.5 Force Majeure
RFA shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to internet or server outages, third-party platform failures, natural disasters, pandemics, power failures, cyberattacks, or government actions. In such events, RFA will make reasonable efforts to restore service as quickly as practicable and will communicate with affected students via email.
10. Dispute Resolution
10.1 Informal Resolution
Before initiating any formal dispute process, students agree to contact RFA at support@realmforgeacademy.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. RFA will make good-faith efforts to resolve disputes within 30 days of receiving written notice.
10.2 Binding Arbitration
If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising from or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by a mutually agreed arbitration service under its applicable rules. Arbitration shall take place in Skagit County, Washington. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
10.3 Small Claims Carveout
Notwithstanding Section 10.2, either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court in Skagit County, Washington, provided the claim qualifies under that court's jurisdictional limits.
10.4 Class Action Waiver
All disputes must be brought in the parties' individual capacities. Neither students nor RFA may participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration related to the Platform or these Terms.
10.5 Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to conflict of law principles.
10.6 Washington Consumer Protection Act
Nothing in these Terms limits or waives any rights you may have under the Washington Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.86) or any other applicable state or federal consumer protection law. These Terms are intended to operate in full compliance with applicable Washington State law.
11. Account Termination
11.1 Termination by Student
Students may cancel their account at any time per Section 4.1.
11.2 Termination by RFA
RFA reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account at any time for violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or conduct harmful to the Platform or its community. In cases of termination for cause, no refund will be issued.
11.3 Effect of Termination
Upon termination, student access to the Platform will cease. Student-created content stored on the Platform may be permanently deleted after 90 days following account termination. RFA is not responsible for any loss of student content following termination. Students are solely responsible for maintaining their own backups and exports of all work prior to cancellation or termination. RFA recommends regularly exporting and saving all creative work throughout enrollment.
12. Modifications to Terms
RFA reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Students will be notified of material changes via email at least 14 days before changes take effect. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to revised Terms, you may cancel your subscription before the changes take effect.
13. Contact Information
For questions about these Terms, refund requests, opt-out requests, or any other matters:
Realm Forge Academy LLC
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
support@realmforgeacademy.com
realmforgeacademy.com
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