Guild Charter of the Suzerain

Suzerain Society:
The Sirdar sits at the head of Suzerain Society, blessed by the Gods as he is, his word is final and binding. The Sirdar is Human.
The Sirdar's Majlis are all of the pure races: Human, Half-Giant and Centaur. They are the oligarchy from whom the Sirdar picks champions to enact his will. All members of the Majlis are members of the Council of the Suzerain.
The Council of the Suzerain is made up of the base membership in the Suzerain of Sloth. The Council maintains the day to day operation of the Suzerain of Sloth. Only Humans, Centaur, Half Giant, and Aracoix shall comprise the membership of the Council.
The Outriders of the Suzerain are made up of persons interested in joining the Suzerain of Sloth and guilds pledged to the Service of the Sirdar. No Shade, Irekei, nor Minotaur shall ever join the Outriders.


Preferred Races: Human, Half-Giant, and Centaur
Restricted Races: Aelfborn and Elf
Banned Races: Shades, Irekei, an Minotaur


Profession:
Members of the Suzerain of Sloth serve in the Church of the All-Father, Barbarian Clan, or Wizard's Conclave. Outriders of the Suzerain may follow what path they feel is appropriate, as long as their actions are not in conflict to the will of the All-Father.



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Discipline:
Members of the Suzerain of Sloth will advance one guild specified discipline to mastery before they diversify their efforts as they see fit. In all their character choices they will follow Suzerain guidelines when openly associated with the Suzerain.



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Time Commitment:
All positions of authority in the Suzerain have some amount of time commitment associated with them. The presence of backup personnel for such positions does not validate the abdication of these time related responsibilities. If a holder of such a position cannot reliably fill the position, the responsibilities will be awarded a more available and dedicated person. The displaced may be awarded a less time-intensive position as determined by the immediate supervisor or the Sirdar.

The Suzerain of Sloth is a society of desert nobles joined for the goal of spreading the word of the All-Father and His faithful companions. Joined under the guidance of a divinely inspired prophet, the Sirdar of the Suzerain, we seek the subjugation of all heathen followers of false religions through the force of arms, diplomacy, or subterfuge. Members of the Suzerain are selected for their devotion to the All-Father, and their abilities in furthering His holy cause.

The Suzerain of Sloth was originally a crusading army sent into the burning wastes to guard against a return of the Irekei menace, widely known to be responsible for opennig the Chaos Gate. Over the course of history this duty has evolved to include the frustration of any and all Irekei plans regarding the Dragon and the conversion of any lost tribes we may encounter. Centuries of conflict have informed our opinion that Irekei are not amenable to conversion, more direct intervention is required on their behalf.



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I. Organization
Members of the Suzerain of Sloth fall into three general categories: The Sirdar's Majlis, the Council of the Suzerain, and the Outriders. The Outriders consist of subguilds of the Suzerain, and individuals or small groups seeking membership in the Suzerain. The Council of the Suzerain is the main body of the Suzerain of Sloth. The Sirdar's Majlis serve as advisors to the Sirdar in their various fields.



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II. Outriders
A. The Outriders are not held to as high a standard as other members of the Suzerain. They must, however, follow the basic rules set forth by the Suzerain, including Terms of Engagement (XIII) and Contact With Nonmembers (XIV).

B. Outriders will be organized into Sariyas with other Outriders, under the leadership of Khans selected from their number. Outrider Sariyas shall be assigned a Safir as a communication link between the Outriders and the membership of the Suzerain proper.

C. Individuals wishing to become members of the Suzerain shall be placed into the Outrider program, assuming their character background and desires are not contrary to our own. Such individuals or small groups will be placed into a Sariya with others like them, under the leadership of a Safir.

D. Guilds who are not landed guilds who wish to become sub guilds of the Suzerain shall be kept together with their current leadership in place, if they wish. This will ensure that friends stay together, but nominations for membership in the Council of the Suzerain need not be based on rank in that sub guild. Such guilds will accept Safirs as communication links with the Suzerain proper.

E. Landed guilds who wish to become sub guilds shall, in addition to D., turn over key buildings (tree of life, barracks) to the Word of the Suzerain, and any Safirs appointed. Additional stipulations may be placed on such guilds, such as a prohibition against siege buildings. These guilds will maintain effective control of their city's nonmilitary buildings, to run as they see fit, as long as they are not grossly negligent.

F. Outrider Sariyas shall report all hostile activity against them to their Khan, any Safirs appointed to their Sariya, or the Word, or the Master of Whispers, if all other options are unavailable.



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III. Khans
A. Khans are charged with the organization and administration of their Sariya. Khans should act as representatives of their Sariya, organizing, among other things, combat, resource gathering, and recreational activities.

B. Khans shall keep their Safir apprised of the general status of their membership. This includes concerns of their Sariya, and any hostile activity directed against their Sariya. If the Safir or his assistants are not available, the Word of the Suzerain should be contacted.

C. Khans shall be selected from the membership of their Sariya, by the members of the Sariya. The previous leader(s) of the sub guild are good candidates, but it should be the decision of the sub guild. A Khan not performing the duties of his position may be replaced by either another member of his Sariya or a member of the Council of the Suzerain, as the Sariya sees fit. The Sariya membership, the Safir, or the Khan himself can initiate this change, if they deem it warranted. The replaced Khans may return to a status of Outrider in their Sariya, another Sariya, or leave the Suzerain entirely, as their actions, and desires warrant.

D. Assistant Khans should also be selected from the membership of the Sariya, by the membership of the Sariya. They should perform the duties of the Khan if their Khan is absent, to maintain the lines of communication. Some sort of chain of command should be present, so that the Sariya does not fall apart when the Khan(s) are offline.



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IV. Daris
A. Daris is a temporary rank for Outriders before they become full Council of the Suzerain members.

B. Daris shall be drawn from the Outriders. The Safir to an Outrider Sariya has the power to nominate Outriders to be tested from the Sariya they monitor, if they have the requisite desire and ability. Members may also earn nomination for their performance against the Suzerain, or through nomination by Suzerain members who know them well, or directly from the Word himself. For a nominee to be considered, he must be willing to abdicate any rank in his previous guild, in favor of full Suzerain of Sloth Membership.

C. Upon nomination, these Outriders will be put through a test by at least one member of the Sirdar's Majlis and no fewer than two other Suzerain of Sloth members. Such a test could involve any number of factors, military, philosophical, or otherwise. The nominee must gain the approval of any members of the Sirdar's Majlis included, and at least half of the Council of the Suzerain present. Members of the group the nominee joined with may not nominate them, or participate in the testing of the nominee. Nominees that pass this test are immediately promoted to the rank of Daris.



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V. Council of the Suzerain
A. The Council of the Suzerain composes the base membership of the Suzerain of Sloth.

B. The Council of the Suzerain must abide by all the general rules of conduct in this document, including Terms of Engagement (XIII) and Contact With Nonmembers (XIV). Noncompliance is grounds for expulsion.

C. The orders of the Sirdar, whether given directly or through his appointed officer, shall be followed in a timely fashion. If circumstances prevent a member from complying with the Sirdar's orders, the member should inform an appropriate officer as soon as is feasible.

D. Membership in the Council of the Suzerain are drawn from the Dariss. Once an outrider has received the rank of Daris, they must spend some time in that position, to grow accustomed to the methods of the Suzerain, and to get to know the full members. Once their loyalty and dedication are assured, they may be promoted to full Council of the Suzerain membership, in a similar manner to how they obtained the rank of Daris.

E. The Council of the Suzerain may vote to eject members based on violation of Suzerain law, treason, or some other offense that warrants expulsion.

F. The most important duty of the Council of the Suzerain is the selection of the Sirdar of the Suzerain of Sloth. The Sirdar is elected by the Council of the Suzerain, to administer the day to day operations of the guild. The Sirdar shall serve an indefinite term, but is subject to removal by a supermajority (2/3) vote of the Council of the Suzerain.



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VI. Caliph
A. Caliphs serve as leaders of Caliphates (groups) during times of war, and communication links between their Caliphates and the Scimitar.

B. There is no static officer position of Caliph; Caliphs are selected by the Scimitar from the available Suzerain membership in guild combat scenarios. They perform their duties for the duration of the conflict, and return to their previous position when the conflict is over.

C. Caliphs are responsible for the performance of their Caliphate. Caliphs should be in contact with the Scimitar during the conflict, relaying relevant data and receiving orders to relay to their Caliphate.



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VII. Safir
A. Safir is an ambassadorial position, and the line of communication between Outrider Sariyas and the membership of the Suzerain, specifically the Word, the Scimitar, the Master of Whispers, and their subordinates.

B. Safirs should be as involved as possible with their Khans and Sariyas, since they will be the main source of nominations of Outriders to membership in the Council of the Suzerain. Safirs are encouraged to group with outriders, and introduce them to regular members.

C. In the event of a landed sub guild being pledged to the Suzerain, Safirs shall be on the list of people with control of the landed sub guild’s tree of life and barracks, as well as enforcing the terms the sub guild agreed to become an Outrider contingent of the Suzerain.

D. Safirs should be selected from trusted members of the Council of the Suzerain. Willing members shall be appointed by the Word. Safirs in charge of sufficiently large Sariyas may hold Sirdar's Majlis positions, but will only do so as long as they have a Sariya.

E. Assistants for the Safir should be selected, because the Safir cannot be online all the time. Assistants will not have the powers listed in section C., but will serve as an alternate line of communication and support for their Sariya, when their duties are needed, or the Safir is not available. Assistants are selected from the membership of the Council of the Suzerain.



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VIII. The Sirdar's Majlis
A. The Sirdar's Majlis shall be composed entirely of officers of the Suzerain, filling various positions in the Hierarchy.

B. The Sirdar's Majlis shall be privy to all information relevant to their position, and serve as the direct advisors of the Sirdar in their respective fields.

C. Membership in the Sirdar's Majlis shall be selected from the available Council of the Suzerain members by the Sirdar.

D. Membership in the Sirdar's Majlis is secret to outsiders, and its membership may rotate as people need to take time off from leadership positions, or more capable people rise through the leadership.

E. The Sirdar's Majlis positions are numerous, from the Safir already mentioned, to the various Grand Vizier positions, the Master of Class positions, and any Vizier positions whose importance warrants Sirdar's Majlis membership, as noted in each Grand Vizier section. The Sirdar's Majlis must communicate with each other constantly, as their duties often overlap, and information possessed by some will be required by others.

F. Members of the Sirdar's Majlis have control of any Trees of Life nurturing the Suzerain. This ensures we have people online who can alter tree healing if needed, and gives us some protection against vile assassins.



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IX. Master of Class
A. For each of the Suzerain preferred professions, there will be a Master of Class (e.g. Master of Assassin, Master of Bard, etc) position. The Master of Class position shall be filled by someone considered as an expert with that profession by the Sirdar, familiar with all skills that profession and its disciplines have available to them.

B. Master of Class officers shall provide assistance and information to all members of that profession in the Council of the Suzerain. Information shall be provided to the Outriders relative to their access to guild knowledge; the more trusted the Outrider, the more knowledge will be shared with them.

C. These officers should be familiar with the Suzerain membership that falls under their domain, their status, and abilities. Master of Class officers should communicate this information to the Scimitar of the Suzerain, so that he may be kept up to date with the internal status of the guild.

D. Master of Class officers have all the duties and obligations of other members of the Sirdar's Majlis.



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X: Adept
A. Adepts serve as assistants to their Viziers, and must perform the duties of that position, if called upon, when their Vizier is absent.

B. Adepts may be members of the Sirdar's Majlis, or the Council of the Suzerain, as the duties and responsibilities of their positions warrant.

C. Adepts should keep in close contact with their Viziers, to ensure that they are up to date with the affairs of their position. They should also provide advice and council for their Vizier when it is needed.

D. There may be scenarios where there is more than one Adept for each Vizier position, either because of the importance or complexity of that position. When this occurs due to complexity, each Adept should have an area of control, so that they are not overwhelmed, and it is clear which Adept holds authority (e.g. for the Castellan, there might be a Adept of Building Management and a Adept of Banking). When this occurs due to importance a clear chain of command must be present so no conflicts arise.



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XI: Viziers

A. Chronicler of the Suzerain.

1. It is the duty of the Chronicler to keep the Sirdar informed of the mood of the Sirdar's Majlis and the Council of the Suzerain, so that the Sirdar may take their wishes into consideration when making decisions.

2. The Chronicler is the historian of the Suzerain, responsible for keeping track of the history and events that have transpired to provide a sense of continuity between the present and the past glories of the Suzerain.

3. The Chronicler is charged with weaving the tales of the many nobles of the Suzerain into one cohesive tale. In an effort to provide a more coherent history, the Chronicler may ask individuals to revise their accounts of present events to better fit with past glories.

4. The Chronicler should be familiar with the history of the world of Shadowbane, so that our history is not too contradictory, and should provide information on the history of the world, and of the Suzerain, to those who wish to improve their role-playing.

5. Adepts to the Chronicler should not hold positions in the Sirdar's Majlis.




B. The Voice of the Suzerain.

1. The Voice is the Suzerain's official contact with other guilds of the All-Father and all heathens.

2. The Voice must also report any news of note from the various web forums associated with our server and any other contact with heathens to the Sirdar's Majlis.

3. The Voice should be aware (as much as possible) of which heathens and All-Father faithful are currently engaged in battle.

4. As the official diplomat of the Suzerain, the Voice is charged with approaching the heathens with official inquiries from the Suzerain. Any agreements made by the Voice are considered to be endorsed by the Sirdar himself, and are fully binding on the Suzerain as a whole.

5. Any Adepts to the Voice should also occupy positions on the Sirdar's Majlis.




C. The Word of the Suzerain

1. The Word is in charge of information and advice for the Outriders. He should be in contact with all the Safirs, their assistants, the Khans, and any of the other Outriders who require his assistance.

2. Any concerns that newer members of the Suzerain have should be convoyed to the Word, via appropriate channels, or directly, as the situation warrants.

3. The Word has the responsibility of sorting through members for appointment to the Safir position, and their assistants, as well as being a source of promotions into the Council of the Suzerain.

4. The Word is responsible for ensuring that contact with Non-Members (XIV) is performed with due discretion.

5. A Adept to the Word may occupy a position in the Sirdar's Majlis, but this Adept should also serve directly as a Safir.




D. The Master of Whispers

1. The Master of Whispers is to direct all covert operations in heathen lands. This secretive officer directs any scout members of the Suzerain in their activities.

2. The Master of Whispers should provide the Scimitar with all relevant, reliable data before each attack.

3. A record of heathen guilds, their membership, and their national affiliation (including national alliances where applicable) should be kept by the Master of Whispers, so that the Scimitar may refer to it when making military recommendations to the Sirdar.

4. Reports of heathen activity should be stored and analyzed by the Master of Whispers, so that unknown aggressors might be identified, and treaty infractions can be investigated.

5. Adepts to the Master of Whispers should be members of the Scout Contingent.




E. The Scimitar of the Suzerain

1. The Scimitar is responsible for evaluating military data on the heathen throng and keeping the Sirdar informed of the strength of the various heathen guilds.

2. When the time comes to unleash the military might of the Suzerain, the Scimitar is to recommend a foe worthy of the Sirdar's attention.

3. The Scimitar is to arrange groups for the military maneuvers of the Suzerain, taking into account the strength of the heathen forces and the strength of those loyal to the Sirdar. Groups should be constructed in accordance with Suzerain strategy, and small unit tactics applicable to the scenario should be part of the instructions given to each group.

4. Adepts to the Scimitar should hold Sirdar's Majlis positions.




F. The Castellan of the Suzerain

1. This is the administrative "GM" of the Suzerain of Sloth. He is part banker, part quartermaster, part super NPC.

2. The Castellan is charged with physically admitting members into the suzerain, keeping a current roster of the members of the suzerain, and performing various administrative duties, such as keeping merchants paid, storing and retrieving items, and other such duties.

3. The Castellan should know what physical resources the Suzerain has available to it, in the form of gold, items, NPCs, runestones, and the like.

4. Adepts to the Castellan should not hold positions on the Sirdar's Majlis.




G. The Grand Vizier of the Suzerain

1. The Grand Vizier of the Suzerain is responsible for taking over the duties of the Sirdar should our prophet become entangled with more mundane matters.

2. The Grand Vizier of the Suzerain is not second in command, or in joint command of the Suzerain. This office holds responsibility only when the Sirdar is absent for an extended period of time. At all other times, the Grand Vizier has no authority whatsoever, other than his position in the Sirdar's Majlis.



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XII. The Sirdar
A. The Sirdar is the absolute ruler of the guild. The Sirdar should heed the advice of his Majlis, but may implement any program he deems necessary as long as the Sirdar remains in office. The Sirdar's Majlis has no authority to contradict the Sirdar's decisions. The Sirdar's Majlis may only remove the Sirdar from office, and elect another if the Suzerain is not pleased with the Sirdar's performance.

B. The Sirdar appoints all members of the Sirdar's Majlis to assist him in management of the guild.

C. The Sirdar is responsible for the general well-being of the Suzerain and its member states. In particular, the Sirdar is responsible for declaring war and peace, coordinating the armies (mundane or magical) of all member states during times of war, and structuring alliances within the Empire.

D. The Sirdar may immediately expel members for repeatedly disregarding the tenets of this document, or suspicion of treason.



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XIII. Terms of Engagement
A. No member will launch an attack, through methods of military, sorcery, or subterfuge, on another nation, without the consent of the Sirdar. If a member is attacked militarily, that member should notify the Sirdar or his duly appointed officer (usually their Khan, or Master of Class officer). The Sirdar will be responsible for any further reprisals against the aggressors. Scouting attempts or acts of sabotage should be treated in the same fashion.

B. Guild members may not make agreements and alliances with foreign powers without the consent of the Sirdar. Any member approached by a foreign power with a diplomatic offer should immediately report the offer to the Voice.



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XIV. Contact with Non-Members
When sending missives that may be read by heathens or members of other guilds of the All-Father (such as those through: the chat system, web forums, or email), and speaking as a known member of the Suzerain, the following tenets must be adhered to. Members are free to speak as they choose if the message is in no way associated with the Suzerain.

A. The Suzerain of Sloth shall be known as a guild of nobles. We do not make personal attacks on anyone - even heathens who have slandered us. A polite reply stating fact and/or acknowledging any shortcoming is much more effective than mudslinging. We shall not correct another's spelling or grammar, no matter how poorly educated the heathen may be.

B. All diplomatic contact should be reported to the Voice.

C. Rules of web forum etiquette shall be observed at all times: no flaming, no vulgarity, and no accusations of cheating.

D. There will be no out of character posts in a 'Reports from the Suzerain' thread, or any role-playing thread. This includes the role-playing threads of other guilds.

E. The Sirdar is to be kept as a mysterious figure with awesome powers. No one will post claiming to be the Sirdar himself, and all references to the Sirdar will be in the most cryptic and intriguing manner possible. Despite any internal conflicts, there will be no public show of disrespect or lack of confidence in the Sirdar - even if one has been removed from office. The Sirdar is an office, not a person.

F. Internal conflict of any sort is not to leave the guild.

G. Compliment our enemies when applicable, do not disparage them.

Aelfborn: Half-elf.

All-Father: The primary god the Suzerain worships. The All-Father created the world by waking Braialla, the Green Mother, and starting the rebirth of the world. He returned to the world to purge the forces of chaos during the War of Tears before He vanished and stopped speaking to even the most devote and worthy of his followers. The Suzerain remain faithful, holding to His teachings and seeking to bring His word to all the heathens of the world while awaiting his eminent return.

Aracoix: Avian Humanoids (Birdmen).

Caliph: Leader of a Caliphate assigned during by the Scimitar during a time of need. As the leader he is the means of communication between their assigned Caliphate and the Scimitar.

Caliphate: A group formed during a time of guild combat, and disbanded after the Suzerian’s glorious victory. Membership is determined by the Scimitar at the time of need, thus membership may change between campaigns. People may claim to be part of various caliphates as a role-playing distinction.

Castellan: Person responsible for all buildings, city upkeep, interaction with and management of all hirelings (NPCs), and inventory.

Council of the Suzerain (CotS): The nobles of the Suzerain. Formerly called the Inner Circle. Membership is obtained by promotion from the rank of Daris.

Chronicler: Person responsible for recording and retelling of all lore and stories in the grand history of the Suzerain.

Daris: Term used to denote new members of the Suzerain during their probationary period. Dariss are generally promoted from loyal and exemplary Outriders. This is the first step to joining the Council of the Suzerain.

Grand Vizier of the Suzerain (GV): The GV has no specific power save to assume control of the Suzerain should the Sirdar be unavailable. The Grand Vizier is a Vizier position.

Irekei: Desert dwellers of deep red complexion. They are corrupted (even more than normal) elves who reject and fight against the teachings of the All-Father. They are the primary enemy of the Suzerain.

Khan: Leader of a Sariya.

Master of Class (MoC): The authority and primary source of information, strategy, and tactics both during and after character generation for their assigned profession. They are responsible for collecting, collating and conveying that data to any member of the Suzerain who desires to join their profession. The MoC is a member of the SM.

Master of Whispers (MoW): The person responsible for organizing the gathering of all information regarding the heathens and reporting said information to the Sirdar.

Outriders: Term used for those who’ve sworn loyalty to the Suzerain but are not officially members. Intelligence information and technology are disseminated by the Suzerain to the Outriders (through the Safir) as needed.

Safir: An ambassador to a Sariya who carries the instructions and information from the Word.

Sariya: A Group of Outriders or sub guild, not necessarily 10 people, lead by one or more Khans. Formerly referred to as a Cardinal.

Scimitar: In charge of setting up groups, and coordinating the war efforts of the suzerain.

Sirdar: The absolute leader of the Suzerain chosen by the All-Father to lead the righteous against the heathens in diplomacy and battle.

Sirdar's Majlis (SM): The top advisors to the Sirdar selected from the Council of the Suzerain. Each member of the Sirdar’s Majlis is a specialist in their chosen field.

Suzerain of Sloth (Sometimes referred to as Suzerain or SoS): The name of the guild

Viziers: Members of the CotS with titled positions and their assistants.

Word: Person placed in charge of the outriders. He is supported by the Safirs under him.

Voice: Person placed in charge of relations with all heathens and those who have not sworn to the Suzerain.