Alliance Seattle PC Leadership Agreement

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Baron
Leadership Code


"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lau Tzu


The role of a leader is pivotal in any situation and none more so than in our organization where, when you choose to lead, you stand with a foot in two worlds, leading in each. Much as the staff who assume a mantle of leadership OOG are sought after as role models as their various characters IG, when you take a position of leadership IG, you will now be viewed as a role model OOG as well. It is the Alliance Seattle expectation that anyone with an official title, be it IG or OOG, will be viewed as a face of the organization. As such, much as the staff has agreed to their responsibilities and a code of conduct, we now ask our in-game leaders to follow a code of conduct both in and OOG to help us create a world where everyone can "find their moment". As always, our staff is open to feedback and if you feel that you have issues with part or all of this code. Please bring any concerns or feedback to the staff. This is a living and breathing organization, formed by the bonds between its participants and the stories we tell together. We intend for our codes and rules to reflect this, living and growing as needed. So please, don't hesitate to reach out, there is a person on the other end of this.


Members of the PC Leadership team will receive directed plot specific to your title / organization, and have access to the Leadership forum where you can discuss ideas to make the game better with Plot, staff, and the rest of the Leadership team. By becoming part of the PC Leadership team and agreeing to follow the responsibilities outlined below the Plot team will generate plot and story as a reward for your continued dedication to Alliance Seattle.


This code supersedes any IG Noble Code or Law which may be introduced as this document is intended as a code of conduct for the player, not a guide for the character. We do not intend to provide conflict between the two but should conflict arise we expect this code to be the most important part of your position. Please let us know if you feel there is conflict between any IG code and this document. Your feedback is invaluable to ensuring we are able to provide our leaders the opportunity to enjoy the game as much as anyone without a title.


The following Titles are subject to the Leadership Code:

1. Dominiei (Discretionary/plot appointed) - Heads of the Houses of Caliphestus
2. Equitem (Knights) including the Magistrate

3. Lord

4. Baron

5. Viscount

6. Head of a Local Guild

7. Gypsy Bandoleer


IG Responsibility

1.) Once you assume a leadership position on stage, you will make best effort to attend at least half of the events in a given season as that character. If there are extenuating circumstances you are expected to reach out to Plot or other staff members to let them know. As a leader you will not be made an NPC, but you will become an integral part of the game world and the story we are telling together. Your absence will need to be accounted for in the best way possible.


2.) As a leader we expect you to reach out to other players IG, especially new PCs. Please make an honest effort to not segregate yourself. These actions should be appropriate to your character and we do not intend to force your character to become friendly if they never have been in the past. For example, if as a Dark Elf under your new mantle of leadership you detest dealing with most of the plebeians around you save for a few who you have begrudging respect for; we would expect you to use those you can tolerate to reach out to others. Of course you know the usefulness any man can have and it would be in your best interest to see, if only through your trusted allies, exactly how each person in town could be of use to you in a given gather. That said, we do however wish to see that inclusiveness as obvious IG. You are now an arm of our organization, and we would rather see that arm open, rather than closed off to others.


3.) As an organization, Alliance Seattle believes in a Player vs. Enemy environment. The stories we wish to tell and the overall feel we believe our game should have center around this. As a leader you will be expected to foster this environment to help us tell these stores. We expect you to avoid participating in words or actions that will spawn or foster a toxic Player vs. Player environment. This will also be reflected in your noble code supported by IG laws.


4.) Fulfill those duties as laid out in the Laws which are appropriate to your station, which may include but are not limited to Judicial Efficiency.


The below titles have judicial responsibility.

1. Squires to an Equitem or Magistrate. Their Equitem or Magistrate can sponsor them to an Equitem Rex or Dominus Cronos for advancement to Equitem or Magistrate.

Note: Squires are not subject to the responsibility requirements below, but must prove themselves to the responsibilities before being promoted.

2. Equitem (Knight) - Appointed by Dominus Cronos or an Equitem Rex; assigned to a specific House.

Note: Squire actions reflect on the Equitem they serve.

3. Magistrate - Appointed by Dominus Cronos or an Equitem Rex; not assigned to a specific House.

Note: Squire actions reflect on the Magistrate they serve.

4. Equitem Rex - An Equitem that is in direct service to Dominus Chronos.


Failure to support these responsibilities IG will result in your character being judged. This may result in, but is not limited to, loss of title and lands. Dominei may lose their title immediately without being judged.


OOG Responsibility

1.) As the wise Bill once said "Be excellent to each other." We wish to create an inclusive and friendly environment in which players not only feel included, but wanted as well. As such we expect our leaders to remember that above all else, this is a game. At the end of the day it's purpose is to provide fun and enjoyment to it's players, so we ask that you act accordingly.


2.) As a PC Leader, you may be one of the most common points of contact some players have with our organization. As one face of the organization we expect PC leaders to be respectful of other players and of their characters.


3.) As a common point of contact with our players, you may become the person in our organization with whom they are the most comfortable bringing their concerns to. We expect that you will bring any player concerns you receive to the Player Reps or a full time staff member so they may be addressed appropriate and so we can keep a close ear on what our players need and desire. You are expected to not attempt to address player concerns yourself if they are OOG or meta issues.


4.) As a leader your feedback is invaluable! After each event you are expected to fill out our post event survey, for which you will receive goblin stamps and our deep appreciation


5.) Above all, this is a Game. As one of our most active PCs, if you are not having fun or are feeling unengaged, we NEED to know. Please reach out to a staff member and let us know. We want you to become part of the heart that beats to keep this organization alive. If you feel you are not thriving in our game we consider that a serious problem and want to see what we can do to breath life back into the game for you.


Failure to support these responsibility OOG will result in a conference with the Plot staff and Player Rep to determine if the player should continue to hold a title.

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Added 10/7/2015:
Alliance Seattle’s Calliphestus Campaign has 2 titles which are the cornerstone of both the campaign’s individual flavor as well as the point of player engagement for many first time players. The first is the title of Dominus and the second is the title of the Equitem. We have a vision for the role we hope these titles will play amongst our campaign and we have the explanation below will clearly outline how we envision these roles to interact.

The Dominus holds the role of the philosopher princes amongst the houses of the Ministerium. They are the exemplification of the house’s tenants at work and strive for the betterment of the Ceriopolis. As such, it is expected the Dominus will lead their house in word and deed. The Dominus has held the highest seat amongst a house since the inception of the Ministerium, as these Dominus were the most dedicated to the vision of how the house and its tenets best served to benefit of the city and its citizens.


OOG note- the expectation is the Dominus are going to be the council which bears the burden of leadership amongst the town. The idea is the position of Dominus can be a rotational position which could change as an established leader is forced to play politics for the betterment of the Ceriopolis. This could eventually result in the compromise of their dedication to their tenets and another rises to the position due to showing their dedication to the house. This decision is one plot takes seriously, but we also want the players who are Dominus to understand this position can change and it is not meant to be a slight to a player who loses the title of Dominus but an expected part of the process which is a welcomed nod to the player who has shown a greater dedication to their house’s ideals.

Equitem were empowered to act as the architects of the Dominei’s dream. They are the steadfast champions of the Oath of the Ministerium and act as both a means of keeping a Dominus rooted deeply in the vision of the now and their greatest champion to pave a path for their Dominus’ dreams of a better Ceriopolis.

OOG Note- the expectation is the Equitem are the right hands of the Dominus who are dedicated to ensuring the Oath of Ministerium (Alliance Seattle’s Code of Chivalry) is embodied by themselves and their house. This position is a cornerstone of any house because it bears the responsibility of embodying a strong dedication to the Oath of the Ministerium amongst the house while working to achieve the visions of the changing Domenei The position of Equitem is expected to not have the rotation amongst their ranks that could be seen amongst the Dominus, but any Equitem which does not both embody the Oath and seek to aid the Dominus in their dedication will find themselves removed from their station.

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Added 10/8/2015
The Oath of the Ministerium

We have sworn to bear the weight of the pillars which steady this world. We have sworn to wield the sword which strikes down the depraved, We have sworn to always pursue the dreams of a better tomorrow and let our lanterns shine with wisdom and virtue wherever they can be seen. We have sworn to always be the scales of prudence and temperance. We will always honor our oath to follow the paths of watchful feline to guide our way in this great cycle. This is our oath and these are our tenets. May our service always bring virtue to this, our dark and terrible world.

Be wreathed in Courage and Valor always
One must radiate the light by which the depraved and defiled are held at bay. One must always stand unyielding against the forces of corruption and vanity, even when the odds are unspeakably dire.

Be the seeker of Justice
The darkness of one’s thoughts is allowed to fester in the dark corners of Calliphestus. Seek out those of many faces and shine the light of justice upon them, so the world may see the truth of their deceptions in the light.


Be the Hope for a greater world
In a world which can be filled with such darkness, hold up Hope’s light to shine for all the great races to see. A truly noble servant need only wrap themselves in the light of the Hope to inspire.


Be Honor and Virtue
One must seek to be Virtuous beyond reproach, for Honor is weapon strong enough to stop wars before they start. Let your Honor be the herald which spreads your wisdom far beyond your steps


Be the standard by which Conviction is measured
The weight of Nobility can cause any bearer to grow weary with time, but a truly noble servant knows Conviction will always grant the strength to lift the heavy weight of Justice, Largesse and Chivalry


Be empowered by the gift of Temperance
One must be the shield of the weak and oppressed, but the pursuit of darkness should never rob anyone of the freedom which altruism can provide. Always seek to temper your pursuit of evil with your love of life.


Be renowned for Largesse
One must always remember the needs of oneself are minimal. Give of yourself to those who are truly in need. Seek not for personal riches, for truly noble servants have justice as your sword and honor as your shield.


Be Enlightened
One must always seek to better thyself in all ways and in all forms. The pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, culture and chivalry is the greatest of achievable goals and by this you will find the true essence of Nobility.
 
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Hi everyone!

Once I get my Moderator powers activated for the Seattle Forums I will sticky this topic. But, for now, we will have to live with this being right here. :)


The biggest thing we mean by "toxic" has mostly to do with keeping the environment of play low on PC Leader initiated or driven drama (IG or OOG). That isn't to say that a leader shouldn't or can't be part of the drama, but we would prefer that the leaders be more involved in solving drama instead of potentially perpetuating it.

What we are trying to avoid is the general feeling where "lowbies feel that highbies can get away with murder and not be punished" and "highbies feel they are crucified by lowbies no matter how hard they try". Our goal is for our "leaders" to police the playerbase, both IG and OOG, including themselves, to prevent the growth of inter-player (IG or OOG, but mostly OOG) discontent. Not only do we want that, we feel we need help from the player community to achieve that goal long-term. This Leadership Agreement is an attempt to begin achieving that goal.

This thread is meant to be an agreement between Alliance Seattle Plot and anyone who wishes to hold a legitimate title of some sort in the campaign of Calliphestus. Above is a write-up of an agreement that we, Seattle Plot, would like to ensure is part of the PC expectations (as well as our expectations of PC leaders) for being a defined Leadership (tm) role. Please give it a read and let us know if you have any questions!
 
One additional thing I would like to add is that these leadership roles are meant to be for players that would like to get involved as a leader regardless of level or pre-existing titles. :) If you want to work towards a leader role please let us, your Plot team, know OOG and we'll help you find out how to achieve one of these roles IG.
 
Five additional paragraphs were added to the bottom of the Leadership Agreement to provide a little more direction and clarity on the titles Dominus and Equitem. If you have any questions feel free to ask your friendly neighborhood Plot!
 
Does this mean that Equitem are "knights" and hold that code and treated as such? Or what gives? It isn't clear in the clarification. I have heard varying answers to that question (which has been an on-going point of contention oog and ig), and a concrete answer would be welcome.

Thanks.
 
A concrete answer is that no, Equitem are not Knights. The collaborative story we are telling requires our players to work together on multiple levels, so keeping to the traditional knight role would have been disingenuous. This does not diminish the noble expectations which come along with the role of Equitem. While the Domini are mystically bonded to the land, the only noble oath the domini have is to the ideals of their house.

The Equitem are held to a noble code that represents the ideals of the Ceriopolis as a whole, with a specific focus on leading and serving the houses of the Ministerium. This code, known as the Oath of the Ministerium, reflects the tenets of leadership and service the Equitem are expected to aspire to. The title of Equitem is arbitrated by Dominus Chronus. The oath of service does not bind one into Dominus Chronus’s service but to the Ministerium and the Ceriopolis. We made these changes to allow for a more dynamic and inclusive leadership structure both IG and OOG. By their very nature the noble/leadership positions in this chronicle are mutable. We have chosen individuals to represent different positions based upon how they have interacted with our story more than how they have traditionally interacted within a noble society, and we have already made changes that reflect choices and events in our game.

The similarities between equitem and knights were put in to ensure we did not lose the aspects of knighthood which greatly benefit the game. Concepts like Chivalry, Largesse, Stewardship, Patronage and Honor are clearly expected as part of their code. So while they may be similar to knights, they are distinctly not your traditional knight.. Their role in this campaign means they do not struggle with the burdens of traditional noble structure, but should they become unable to continue in service, someone else is chosen to fulfill their role.

We understand this is a very large change from previous campaigns where people worked for years to become knights, and would be extremely upset if they were removed for no longer being able to make it to the games. This should not suggest we have diminished the importance the role is needed to play within our chronicle.

-Plot
 
Thank you for the clarification!

To reiterate to make sure I understand properly:

1. Equitem are not Knights.
2. Equitem are instead Knight-like as in we follow a Code of Chivalry, though named the Oath of the Ministerium. This makes us examples to be followed (hopefully) by the rest of the Citizens of Ceriopolis.*
3. Equitem are there as a guiding hand for their Dominei.
4. Dominei face inward, thinking primarily of their House, while Equitem are chosen to uphold their Houses's tenants while thinking outward about the Ceriopolis as whole.**

*I realize that there are people here who have played for many many years who have earned the title of Knight and to be called "Sir" or "Dame". I also realize that I am not one of them. It is not incorrect, however, to see the similarities between a Knight and an Equitem in this regard.

**This does not make Dominei selfish or amoral, simply that Equitem are there as a guiding hand because we are beholden to the Oath of the Ministerium while the Dominei are not. Through the Dominei working towards their House's own goals, all of the Houses should, in effect, be doing good and be balanced and working towards the goals of the entire city.

Am I understanding this perfectly? If the answer is "yes" then I am happy to know that I've had it straight in my head all along. Woo hoo! If the answer is "no", please inform me where I have misunderstood so that Durnic can properly uphold his office as Equitem.
 
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Rick's question was answered at game, but it looks like the answer never came over here.

Anyway, Rick has it mostly correct above. Especially about points 1, 2, and 3 above. The primary point I want to emphasize is that Dominei are not thinking primarily of their House.

Dominei are leaders, yes, but Dominei become leaders through example. Dominei are servants of the greater population of Ceriopolis through being exemplars of the tenets of their House, and therefore think for the greater population by following their tenets, which in turn is supposed to also lead their House. They are supposed to be the incorruptible leaders because if a Dominus is straying too far from their House tenets then the role will automatically change to someone else who is more in-line with the House tenets, and therefore a corrupt Dominus should never be in place for long. That is why the previous Ceriopolis had the Dominus be the law makers (and why the Magistrate was not since the un-Housed did not have a similar mechanic). The eight of them all had the best interests of the whole city at heart; they were not, and are not supposed to, think of only their House. Note: Feedback to Plot about players actions, both positive and negative relative to their House tenets, is appreciated so Plot can facilitate the intended fluid nature of the Dominus role.

Equitem/Magistrates are also leaders, but since the position is an appointment it is different in that the Equitem/Magistrates act as both advisors and enforcers. Since they are appointed it is not expected for them to be exemplars of the House tenets (especially the Magistrate), but instead serve the whole city of Ceriopolis (not just their House or the un-Housed in the case of the Magistrate) by following the Oath of the Ministerium, but using their House tenets (when applicable) as guidelines for the application of the Oath and the enforcement of the Laws. The beauty of the Magistrate role is that it can apply any House tenets, or none, to serving the city through the Oath depending on the situation; you could call it "situational tenets", I suppose.

Does that help?
 
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