As handed down by our forbearers, the motto of the Paladins of Asheron is:
A Knight is sworn to Valor
His Heart knows only Virtue
His Blade defends the Helpless
His Might upholds the Weak
His Words speak only Truth
His Wrath undoes the Wicked
His Word is his Bond
All members of the Paladins of Asheron swear to uphold this motto with all the might they can muster.
Sec. 1. Selection of the Monarch. The Monarch is to be selected by the general body of the monarchy by popular vote. The candidate who receives a simple majority of the total number of votes cast shall be elected Monarch. This vote grants the Monarch the right to stay in office as long as he wishes.
Sec. 2. Powers and Responsibilities of the Monarch. The role of the Monarch is to interpret the Charter in cases of dispute, resolve conflicts, enforce rules passed by the general body, carry out all votes, conduct a monthly meeting, and assure the smooth operation of the monarchy. All decisions made by the Monarch are final and cannot be appealed, although the Monarch may be petitioned to reconsider his decision. The Monarch is also responsible for taking a monthly census of the population of the monarchy to determine the size of the Corps of Advocates and Sentinels. The Census should measure the total number of players, not including retired, secondary, or mule characters. Additionally, the Monarch shall assume the obligations required of an Advocate. The Monarch may not enact rules without the consent of the general body, nor may he appoint Sentinels or Advocates, except during declared times of emergency.
Sec. 3. Emergency Powers of the Monarch. Within the first month of the inception of the monarchy and at any time a motion to grant emergency powers is approved, the Monarch shall have additional powers and responsibilities. These powers include the right to promote any member to the rank of Advocate or Sentinel, up to the number regularly allowed by the Charter, and the authority to enact any rules he sees fit, so long as they do not conflict with the Charter. Any promotions made are not subject to review by the general body; however, any rules made under this authority may be stricken by a simple majority of the votes cast against the measure by the general body. A motion to grant emergency powers requires a 2/3 majority of the votes cast by the general body.
Sec. 4. The Veto. The Monarch has the right to a limited veto. The Monarch may veto a candidate’s petition for office only in cases where the candidate has garnished less than a 2/3 majority of those voting. Should the Monarch veto a candidate, he is required to explain his reasons to the candidate. The Monarch may also veto rules regardless of the outcome of a vote, but only when the Monarch feels the rule is in conflict with the Charter. In such cases, the Monarch is required to provide a thorough explanation of why he feels the rule conflicts with the Charter. Once the Monarch provides his explanation, the ruling can only be reversed by amendment to the Charter. The Monarch may not use his veto power to disallow a rule he does not like but which is not in conflict with the Charter.
Sec. 5. Right of No Confidence and Succession. The Monarch is subject to a vote of no confidence. If the Monarch fails to perform his duties or is absent without explanation for a period of one month, the general body has the right to motion for a vote of no confidence. If this motion passes by a majority of 2/3 of the votes cast, the Monarch shall be removed, and the Executive Officer shall assume temporary control of the monarchy. In the event that the Monarch is removed or retires, anyone interested in succeeding the Monarch should submit his name to the Executive Officer for an election to be held within one week of the Monarch’s retirement. The Monarch is entitled to request leaves of absence from the general body. Such leaves may last for up to one month and may be extended at the request of the Monarch subject to approval by the general body.
Sec. 1. Selection of the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer is appointed by the Monarch within a week of his election. The selection of the Executive Officer is not subject to popular vote and the Executive Officer may hold his position as long as he wishes.
Sec. 2. Powers and Responsibilities of the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer acts as the chief assistant to the Monarch, carrying out any duties the Monarch delegates to him. Any time the Monarch is not available, the Executive Officer assumes the role of Monarch. All decisions made by the Executive Officer in the absence of the Monarch should be reported to the Monarch in a timely fashion and may be reversed by the Monarch upon his return. The Executive Officer does not receive the right to veto candidates or rules, even in the absence of the Monarch. If, at any time, the Monarch retires or is removed by vote of no confidence, the Executive Officer shall assume temporary control of the monarchy until he conducts new elections. Additionally, the Executive Officer assumes the obligations of an Advocate.
Sec. 3. Right to No Confidence. The Executive Officer is subject to a vote of no confidence in the same fashion that the Monarch is, as laid out in Article II, Sec. 5. Additionally, at any time, the Monarch may replace the Executive Officer without discussion or vote. The Monarch shall appoint a new Executive Officer within a week of the retirement or removal of the former Executive Officer. The Executive Officer is entitled to request leaves of absence from the general body. Such leaves may last for up to one month and may be extended at the request of the Executive Officer subject to approval by the general body.
Sec. 1 – The Purpose of Advocates and Sentinels. Advocates and Sentinels serve the monarchy by teaching others, running events, and resolving conflicts. Each Sentinel and Advocate will specialize in a field, including but not limited to Questing, Crafting, Recruitment, Publicity, Lore and Storytelling, Hunting, or Combat Tactics. Advocates and Sentinels are not a legislative body and have no special authority to create rules beyond that of any other member of the general body. There shall be no more than one Sentinel for every 10 members of the monarchy, as determined by regular census, and one Advocate for every two Sentinels. Should the size of the Monarchy decrease, all current Advocates and Sentinels will retain their positions, but no new applications will be considered until the monarchy expands again.
Sec. 2. Promotion of Sentinels. Any member of the general body who has been in good standing with the monarchy for at least one month is eligible to apply to become a Sentinel. Any interested Paladin should first seek out a mentor from the existing group of Advocates and Sentinels, including the Monarch and Executive Officer. After discussing the requirements of the position, the applicant and the mentor shall both write brief letters detailing in which field the applicant has specialized and why he would make a good addition to the corps of Sentinels. Both letters should be given to the Monarch, who will make them public. Voting will then commence and end one week after the publication of the two letters. All the members of the general body will have the right to cast their vote and a simple majority of those who vote will be sufficient to promote the applicant to the rank of Sentinel, subject to the Monarch’s veto.
Sec. 3. Promotion of Advocates. Advocates are to be promoted by simple majority vote within the Corps of Sentinels and Advocates. Any time the number of Sentinels exceeds the number of Advocates by a ratio greater than 2:1, the Corps of Sentinels and Advocates will nominate candidates for the vacant spot. The Corps will then have 3 days after the first nomination to add additional candidates to the list before nominations are ended and the voting begins. Voting will last 3 days, and the candidate with the most votes will be promoted. Should only one candidate be nominated, he will be subject to an immediate aye or nay vote and will need to garnish a majority of the votes.
Sec. 4. Duties of Advocates and Sentinels. Advocates and Sentinels are primarily charged with helping others, through teaching and conflict resolution. Advocates and Sentinels should be willing to dedicate a portion of their time to answering questions or helping anyone who has made a reasonable request. Should a Paladin come into conflict with another person, he has the right to call on an Advocate or Sentinel to resolve the conflict. In the event a Sentinel or Advocate mediates a dispute, he should inform the Monarch of what transpired and that decision will be subject to review by the Monarch. In addition, Advocates and Sentinels should plan, organize, and run events for the general body to enjoy on a regular basis. Sentinels should run at least one event per month in their chosen field of interest while Advocates should run an event at least once every two weeks. These events should be announced publicly and sufficiently early so that everyone who wants to participate may do so. Unless extenuating circumstances exist, any Advocate or Sentinel who does not run the appropriate number of activities in a month will be placed on probation and expected to make up the missed event. Should a Sentinel or Advocate not run his share of events for 3 straight months, he will be removed from his position. Advocates and Sentinels are entitled to request leaves of absence from the general body. Such leaves may last for up to one month and may be extended at the request of the Advocate or Sentinel subject to approval by the general body.
Sec. 5. Reelection of Advocates and Sentinels. Advocates and Sentinels are subject to reelection at regular intervals. Everyone up for reelection will be required to inform the Monarch of his intention to seek reelection within two weeks of the election date. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the Corps. All Advocates must submit their requests to the Monarch by January 1 of each year and all Sentinels must submit their requests by the First of January, April, July, and October of each year. The Monarch will then post the names of each person up for reelection for an aye or nay vote. A simple majority of the votes cast by the general body will be sufficient to reelect the Advocate or Sentinel.
Sec. 6. Absorption of other Monarchies. In the event that the Paladins of Asheron absorb another monarchy, the Monarch has the authority to promote a Sentinel for every 10 new members and one Advocate for every 20. The leader of the merging group will be promoted to Advocate, regardless of size, and should consult with the Monarch regarding which of his followers should be granted title.
Sec. 1. Composition of the General Body. Upon entering the monarchy, every player becomes a member of the General Body. Membership allows each member the right to vote in elections, the right to propose new rules, and after one month, the right to apply to become a Sentinel. Entering the monarchy means the new vassal understands and accepts the rules of the Paladins of Asheron.
Sec. 2. Voting Procedures. The General Body is the source of all legislative power in the monarchy. All voting done on regular policy matters will require a simple majority of the votes cast by the general body to succeed, unless the Monarch exercises his veto privilege. The number of votes required for a measure to pass will depend on the number of votes cast and all abstentions and non-voting members will not be included in that calculation. Any successful measure will be posted publicly and the Monarch will be tasked with enforcing that rule.
Sec. 3. Message Boards and Websites. All voting will take place on the message boards of the Paladins of Asheron. When a patron takes on a new vassal, he is expected to inform the new member of the site’s address and encourage his vassal to register and check the site regularly. This Charter and all other relevant documents shall be posted to the site so they may be viewed at any time. While registration on the message boards is not necessary, it is a crucial part of the operation of the monarchy and all members are strongly urged to register and participate.
Sec. 4. Removal from the General Body. In extreme cases, members may be asked to leave the Paladins of Asheron. Such cases will include, but not be limited to, repeat violations of the Code of Conduct, as provided by the developers and administrators of the game, or the rules of the Paladins of Asheron. A first offense will result in a private warning by the Monarch, which will be reported to the Corps of Advocates. The second offense will result in demotion to ‘member in poor standing’, which will prevent the offender from becoming a Sentinel until his standing improves. A third offense will result in dismissal from the monarchy. All offenses are to be thoroughly investigated and the accused may request a trial for any offense, but second and third offenses will require formal proceedings conducted by the Monarch.
Article VI – Rights Guaranteed to All Paladins of
Asheron.
Sec. 1. Right to an Active Patron. Every Paladin will have the right to an active patron. Any vassal without an active patron will be free to break his allegiance to that person and find a new patron among the active Paladins or elsewhere, if he deems that necessary. Patrons who depart for other lands are asked to inform their vassals and release them if so desired.
Sec. 2. Right to Apply for Title. Every Paladin in good standing with the monarchy for at least one month shall have the right to apply to become a Sentinel. Not every Paladin will be elected, and the Monarch has the right to veto applicants, but every Paladin will have the right to apply. Should the Monarch use his veto privilege, he will be required to offer an explanation to the applicant, if so desired.
Sec. 3. Right to Petition the Monarch. Every Paladin will be free to petition the Monarch. The Monarch will always be available to review a judgment made by the Executive Officer or any Advocate or Sentinel. Paladins will have the right to question the decisions of the Monarch by means of petition, but the final decision on every matter will be left to the Monarch alone.
Sec. 4. Right to Trial and Representation. Should a member be accused of violating the Code of Conduct or the rules of the Paladins of Asheron, he will be guaranteed the right to trial. He will also have the right to representation from the Advocate of his choosing, should he desire it. That Advocate shall be charged with doing everything in his power to prove the accused’s innocence and will assist the accused in any way the accused sees fit.
Sec. 5. Right to be free from Tyranny. The General Body shall not pass any rule that unreasonably restricts the rights of any Paladin. No taxes shall be levied, membership fees shall be mandated, and no seizure of property shall be conducted. Any power not explicitly delegated by this charter shall not be granted to the Monarch, of the Corps of Sentinels and Advocates without amendment to the charter.
Sec. 6. Right to Information. The routine operations of the monarchy shall be available for every member to observe, should he wish it. The Monarch shall announce all major news on the message boards and will be required to answer questions any member might pose regarding the regular operation of the monarchy. No exclusive private forum for a segment of the monarchy, including but not limited to the Corps of Advocates and Sentinels, shall be established. The Monarch shall not discuss any private warnings issued pursuant to violations of the Code of Conduct or the Rules of the Paladins of Asheron, nor shall he reveal any information given to him in confidence.
This charter, once adopted, will be the highest law of the Paladins of Asheron. Any rule contrary to the charter will be invalid. For this Charter to be amended, the General Body will be divided into two separate voting blocks. One block will be composed of all the Sentinels and Advocates, the Monarch, and the Executive Officer, and the other will include the remaining members of the General Body, excluding those voting in the first group. Both groups will be required to pass the amendment by a 2/3 majority of the votes cast. Failure of either group to approve the amendment will result in the failure of the amendment.