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Lost Soldiers of Darkness Guild Charter
Table of Contents
1. History
2. Guild Motto
3. Purpose
4. Description of Divisions
5. Guild Rules/Laws
6. Disciplinary Actions
7. Rankings List
8. Promotions
9. Description of Sponsorship/Apprentice Program
10. Councils
11. Special Rankings
12. Specialized Units
UO Charter
1. Rankings List
2. Promotions
3. Sponsorship/Apprentice Program
4. Guild Meetings
5. Guild Uniforms
6. UO Moon Gems System
7. Treasury
8. War Units
9. Trade Units
Guild Story/History:
"When the weak are suppressed, they will always unite and return"
THE EXILED ARE BACK!!
(Before LSD started Ultima Online (UO) and EverQuest (EQ), it was a guild of another game called NeverWinter Nights (NWN), an AD&D online game by SSI on AOL. As of April 19th 1997, NWN was terminated and LSD was drawn with a little problem. We no longer had a home or game to play in. We did not fall apart like other guilds much larger and powerful than us, but instead stuck it out to find another home. The first game we found was The Realm. We were unsuccessful in creating a guild there since it was not too welcoming to guilds. Parts I and II of this story were written while we were playing NWN, and are epilogues of the Lost Soldiers of Darkness and include the History of the Guild; thus, we kept them in the Charter).
Part I:
A hundred years ago, Lord Nasher's ancestor beat back a great horde of men, in a titanic battle, the Lord Avatar slew Nasher's ancestor, but was driven back by his Army. The dark army fought valiantly, but was defeated. Many were killed, but none of them deserted. Using every last ounce of magic he had left, Nasher's ancestor cast the Lord Avatar and his army into the abyss. Then, before Nasher's ancestor could finish
Sealing the portal, and finishing his curse, he died.
Until a couple of Moons ago, a hurt, but Mighty Dragon stumbled onto a Tablet.
On it was scribed:
"The Strong, Made Weak,
But Will Return;
By Fault of A Dying King,
For His Curse Was Deterred,"
In the background of the tablet, was an insignia of a Dragon flying in the air with the Moon behind him. The Dragon, seeing no harm, flew up to the reflection of the full moon, and assumed the pose in the tablet. Then, the tablet grew, and locked itself into a wall. It slowly grew into a portal, and out stepped the Lord Avatar. The Dragon Flew Down, and instantly, felt healed, just being in the presence of this man. The Lord Avatar looked at the Dragon, and claimed "DeathWing, Our Savior!" as he raised a sword into the air. The Dragon Roared out its approval.
The Lord Avatar then said. "100 years have passed since our exile into the abyss.
Freed by the power of the Moon and the Dark Dragon ... we are finally back. Now we have made our way back to NeverWinter. Now we wait for the day where we can reclaim our lost positions as rulers of NeverWinter and spread our power. Then the throne of Lord Nasher will once again be in the hands of the Lord Avatar!!" The Soldiers who stepped out of the portal yelled out their encouragement.
------------------------------------------------1 year later------------------------------------------------
Part II:
(During the next year LSD grew and prospered, but the Lord Avatar did not look as strong as he once looked. It seemed that the Lord Avatar had grown ill and could no longer support his own guild. It was said when the Ancestor of Nasher cast the Lord Avatar into the Abyss; he also put a curse on him that would one-day kill him. Because the Lord Avatar was sick there was not a true leader to look to, The High Council Members had all been putting in their best to deal with the responsibilities of GM. No ordinary person could run this job, though the Lord Avatar was no person, he himself was a Deity. LSD started to lose spirit. A war started, but it was not with another guild; it was us).
The Remaining Soldiers Sauntered into the new found Guild Hall. There was destruction everywhere. The only thing that remained unscathed was the Dragon Insignia painted on the floor of the High Council room where many members knelt while they asked questions and thanked them for their promotions. Many of their fellow soldiers now lay dead on the ground. Slowly, they moved around and tried to figure out what went wrong. The memories came back to them, as a nightmare always reoccurs. The enemies of LSD Poured into the Courtyard, and Many Brave soldiers rushed head on, to slow their advance. Many a Brave soldier died that hour. They made their advance into the Base of LSD, and into the Grand Hall. There, the weakened Lord Avatar, and his most trusted companions waited for the enemy. A great battle raged, but in the end, the weakened Lord Avatar was slain, and so were most of his members. This man may have not won if the Lord Avatar was at his full strength. Then someone spoke; " It was all the Lord Avatar's Fault!" yelled one rebellious soldier. " It was..."
A Bolt of Lightning stole his next Word. He looked down Stupidly, and saw the Hole in his chest. He fell onto his knees, and dropped dead. All eyes went to the door. Standing there, was a man, Dressed in all black, with the Dragon Insignia on his Platemail. His Gauntlet glowed; Blue from the Lightning Bolt.
All was silent when he walked to the center of the room. " Our Lord Avatar, is Dead, and we, the remaining faithful, have come back, to fulfill his Dying Wish. We Lost that War, not because of our Lord Avatar, But because of our Own Weakness. We were once the Lost Soldiers, but we are no more. We have found a place in NeverWinter. We have found a purpose in our meager lives. We will avenge our Lord Avatar, and fulfill his Wish. We will become the guild, which all will fear. The simple mentioning of our name, will strike fear into people's hearts."
The Lord Avatar's powers left his body and took the form of DeathWing, it then spoke, "Though my body is dead my power remains, and I can carry it in one of you, though this may not be anybody, it must be one of leadership and commitment. You, you are the one." As the Lord Avatar pointed to a man dripped in blood from the fight in the back of the crowd. Bent over taking huge breathes the man stepped forward to reveal his face. It was Lothar, Holy Knight of the First Knights and High Council member. Lothar walked towards the Dragon. He then got down on one knee and bowed his head to the mighty beast. "Lothar, you have shown yourself worthy of Being a true leader and spent hours on end to satisfy the needs of our members weather they be Dragon Knight or Squire. That is what a real leader is about, suiting the needs of thy members. You shall now behold the powers of the Dragon and the Moon; you shall decide weather the Darkness reigns over the sun covered by the Moon. Though your powers may be weakened at first, you'll soon be at full power in no time. If you are to venture outside this Plane, you shall experience the same thing, though your powers will come back slower, you are no longer a man, you are now a God, a Deity, an Avatar!
-------------------------------------------Many Months Later-------------------------------------
Part III:
As the New Lord Avatar stepped in as the new Guild Master, and sat in the royal throne, he thought how the old Lord Avatar left him with much work to be done. He said, "I cannot take this sitting down." He stood up and quickly ran to his quarters. For days and nights he say at his desk writing new ideas for the guild. He only hoped the guild could support itself while he tried to turn the guild around. After weeks of work at his table, Lothar noticed change in the guild. Though many did not see the improvements because things were not good, they were just better. Lothar chose a new Ranking system which many objected to, but was harder for members to attain the positions sitting below High Council, instead members had less quests to do and more leadership skills to show. After two weeks Lothar had worked at his new job well but there wasn't enough time and members were getting impatient. One night he went walking through the halls of the Head Quarters and glanced at the Bulletin Board and noticed a new post. It read, "NeverWinter has been attack by a powerful wizard." Lothar thought it was a joke, he thought how one human could conquer all of the NWs and all the guilds including the Soldiers of Darkness be destroyed. Although; if it was true, not even he could stop it because his powers were not at full power yet. He woke the next day walking down the same hall and noticed it was covered with new posts from every single member in LSD. Lothar's heart started to beat faster. As he read the unbelievable letters he thought to himself, "Why now?" He started to pace back and forth in his quarters. He then sat back at his table and began to write his own letter, actually they were not letters, they were more like speeches. He was finally ready to make his speech, he told a private to gather a meeting in the Guild Hall. As he stepped to the stand, many members were puzzled what this was about. He then spoke, "Loyal Members of LSD, we have faced everything imaginable that could go wrong in a guild and have overcome them. If we joined with our allies and enemies we can easily destroy any Wizard weather he be Elminster himself! The time has come where every single guild in NeverWinter has a common enemy and we shall lead this fight to victory." Although the Lord Avatar had no idea how powerful this man was, his members took it well, as they all charged at the assault. The Wizard barely moved as he cast wishes upon wishes of death and decay. This war of NeverWinter versus one Man went on for almost 2 months. Finally someone fell, though it was not the Wizard, the walls of NeverWinter collapsed and soon the Lost Soldiers of Darkness no longer had a headquarters to go back to. Lothar motioned his men to retreat to LongSaddle, which still stood. Their LSD made camp and Lothar said, "I need Scouts on the Double…who shall volunteer?" Every single member rose their hands, "good then, lets get to work!" For the next few weeks members were cast into other realms: Through the teleporters, to other planes in LongSaddle Under. The first Realm to be discovered was the land of Britannia. Although this land was new, and huge, it was also blocked from getting to as of yet. Only through the pools of guidance, could you see the land that showed much to stare about, though it would have to wait, and LSD kept looking.
The next place to be found was plainly called The Realm. A name used by a lot of people for the city of NeverWinter and its surroundings. Dough, the new AGM of LSD and Ace, the Captain of the Darkness Elite both journeyed there and had settled down. They sent word that weather or not LSD went here, this is where they would be. This put the Guild in a problem….
We later moved to The Realm, but our stay there wasn't too long, the mist soon rose and the world was mostly destroyed as well as our strengths, the mists made us weaker, and we quickly retreated to another land we had heard of which was called Britannia. This world was much larger, a most powerful goal to try and accomplish. The Soldiers were up to the job. It shall be our home, now and forever, and if anything ever comes to attack it again, we will be ready for it, because…
"We are Soldiers, and we do what is expected of us."
-------------------------------------------Another year later---------------------------------------
Part IV:
After the Lost Soldiers of Darkness members settled into their new land of Britannia, some members lost interest in their current homes. They wished to seek new lands and hopefully find some of their friends and members that had disappeared after the destruction of NeverWinter. While this was happening, the Lord Avatar encountered some internal problems. He felt weary from the overwork he was doing for the guild. His solution was to step down as Lord Avatar and hand the powers over to Taran, the current Baron of LSD. Taran was disappointed that Lothar was joining the Elder Council and leaving Britannia, although honored to be crowned Lord Avatar and sit on the royal throne in the Head Quarters of the Lost Soldiers of Darkness Camp. Many members were feeling down for Lothar leaving, but Lothar told them even though he would no longer be Lord Avatar, he would be there for anybody needing aid. The members took note of his words and continued to work at our goal and not give up faith that one-day, the destiny of the Lost Soldiers of Darkness would come true and they would be the strongest and largest guild the realms had ever seen. Both good and evil would fear them, for they show the dedication to achieve immortality and supremeness!
Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way everyone wanted it to go. Members spent little time going out of their homes and continuing the legacy that is and was LSD. Lothar remained Dormant himself while Taran worked hard to keeps things alive. He himself, regretfully, did not have much time to do his duties. The guild suffered terribly, but there was nothing he could do for LSD. LSD still had not reached its golden age once again, and members wondered if it would ever get to the size it once was. Lothar reappeared once in awhile to see how things were going, he felt sad that things weren't in the best of shape, but it was no longer his duties. He was now just another elder, there to watch and give guidance to those who needed it. Members started to get upset with what was happening, and a little power struggle arose which was quickly extinguished by the Lord Avatar and the Elders. People started talking about wanting to change the whole system of things because they weren't working for the guild in its current size. The High Council agreed as well.
One day Taran met up with Lothar and Dough, who was once the other Baron and now another Elder. They met up in Britannia and sat down to discuss the fate of LSD. They spoke of how and what would be done to restructure the charter and then the guild. Taran said if he had some work lifted off his back, he would be able to do what he's been trying to do for a year, and that was to summon forth the power of the "web" to create a "Lost Soldiers of Darkness Home Page." This would surely aid us in making new recruits join the guild. The only problem is that he wouldn't be able to do this while being Lord Avatar for the other problems he has to deal with. Lothar knew what Taran was getting at, but he wasn't at leisure to take up the responsibility with that power again. Taran just came out with the question asking if Lothar would return as Lord Avatar and lead them to their Golden Age again. Lothar agreed and once again, the powers of the Deity, the Lord Avatar were passed back to him. His elderly age regressed back to an immortal with the power of DeathWing, and the Essence of the Moon. Thus the renewing of the Lost Soldiers of Darkness begins….
------------------------------------a year and a half later--------------------------------------
Part V:
The first step the Lord Avatar took once he came back was from the advice and knowledge of a new land. Norrath, a place that had been discovered by several people. Many old members who had left Britannia and ones who have been waiting patiently for a place they could call home were to move here. The Lord Avatar took up the opportunity to gain a foothold in these new lands with many other members. Over the next few months, our numbers grew rapidly there. While Lothar maintained both the rank of Abyssal Lord and Lord Avatar for the infancy of this Division, he finally thought it time for his second in command, Ace, now known to all as Azrael to be given the powers to command the legions of the division.
Lothar returned to Britannia to find it doing quite well under the command of Abyssal Lord Belzadar and Baron Gorath. Numbers had risen to new highs here, and we had hit a short Golden Age. Anywhere you would go, you’d see a Soldier of Darkness. Unfortunately, history repeated itself once more for LSD. Just like the great influx in Neverwinter, where in a few months, we went from the 5 founding members, to 100 strong, LSD shook at its peak, and the numbers came crumbling down, things went bad for awhile. Belzadar and Gorath were having less time to share with the guildmates, and so did the Lord Avatar. This caused a drop in activity.
Meanwhile, in Norrath, Azrael had worked his magic in raising LSD’s numbers in the now over-populated lands. Azrael would soon command a size larger than LSD had ever had, in Britannia or Neverwinter. Lothar was extremely happy to see this. He then started turning his attention to the expansion of the Lost Soldiers of Darkness into farther lands. He searched the waters and lands. To his great surprise more than a handful of lands were found. Unfortunately, only one of these lands could be reached. It seemed no one wanted to move these lands though, so Lothar looked towards other lands. He saw something in the corner of his eye…
Neverwinter!?! Impossible! He rubbed his eyes, to see if he was seeing some sort of magical illusion. NO! It was true, it was there. A sudden emotion came over the Lord Avatar. Lothar’s birthplace, the birthplace of the Lost Soldiers of Darkness, and the lands the Lord Avatar had once controlled was once again there, and not in Ruins, it was almost like when he had left. Something was different though. He wanted to check further, but he could not, it was not reachable yet. Lothar pushed the awesome powers he had gained while in the abyssal plain, but to no avail, the barrier would not budge. He was shocked, and furious with this, but he decided to sit and wait and watch. He spread the word to all of the 12 members that had come with Lothar out of Neverwinter of the reappearance, and they too felt a great longing to return, weather or not it may be a different reality of the original, it was home, their home.
Belzadar’s Division in Britannia had gone up once more, and regained its foothold, only to have it fall apart after the betrayal and deception of several members. The Shadow Guard went into full action once more, after being dormant for so long, and learned of some interesting things. We had been scarred, but all was better; or was it? No, we didn’t regain our numbers, we continued to drop, we had hit an all time low in Britannia. Why was this? Perhaps the own aging of the lands, and the appearance of all these new lands, took the good people from Britannia. The Lord Avatar noticed this to be partially true. But LSD was at fault also; it had lacked a full High Council for a long time. It is something he realized needed to be fixed.
Azrael’s Division in Norrath had hit a peak of 160 members, almost the combined numbers of the peak of Neverwinter and Britannia combined. New things were happening though, the numbers went down a bit, but nothing to even fear, and we had become one of the strongest in the lands. We had also gained great allies. One that we would soon absorb into our own, nearly doubling our size. A guild known as Age of Wisdom would soon be known as Lost Soldiers of Darkness, we would welcome these friends and family now, and fortify our numbers, and become the largest and most powerful guild in Norrath!
Unfortunately, Azrael’s time in Norrath was decreasing fast. He was rarely seen in the lands. The High Council pleaded for him to do something. He did not respond. Finally, one member of the High Council, Wistie took a stand, started pushing to keep Guild Activity going, she had stabilized a crumbling Division, she also contacted the Lord Avatar for his advice. Azrael finally returned and saw the wonders Wistie had done. When Azrael finally stepped down, Lothar had to choose a New Abyssal Lord, and it came no supprise that Wistie was the one. She had become our first female Abyssal Lord and helped push the guild back up on its feet. Finally a sadness came over the Division held in Norrath. A plague swept over the Soldiers of Darkness. Several started leaving for new lands, like they were starting to do in Britannia. Nothing seems to have replaced Neverwinter as a good home to its most loyal of citizens, the Lost Soldiers of Darkness. Again the Search was on…
The lands Lothar had found, were finally almost ready to open their portals to us, and let up their barriers so that we could traverse to them. Neverwinter as well as a newer land called Hibernia awaited to be populated. This new world, one of great fame, where a king known as Arthur had pulled a mighty sword called Excalibur out of a stone once lived in this world. He had passed, and the world was in a Dark Age, the Neighbors of Albion’s border, the home from which King Arthur had lived in had declared war on their lands, and. The Lost Soldiers of Darkness Settled into the mystic lands of Hibernia, lands of the Celts and Elves to fight in this ongoing war. It seemed fit for us to be in these lands, as it was our fighting nature as Soldiers.
Gorath who had recently been appointed to Abyssal Lord after Belzadar had left the lands of Britannia finally had expressed great interest with several older member from our days in Neverwinter with also members who had left Britannia and Norrath to all meet in this new lands. We soon had easily 30 current members living there within a Moon’s cycle. We hadn’t even started to recruit and we already had a excellent number to start a new Division. The best chance yet for LSD. Gorath took charge in Hibernia and worked hard to put things together. Lothar, the Lord Avatar came to see these new lands as well, not liking them, and quickly going back to him house in Britannia left the Division up to Gorath, who he knew it would be in great hands. Gorath was appointed the new Abyssal Lord of Hibernia. And as the next days came, The Lost Soldiers were proving they were already one of the greatest guilds in the lands.
There was yet one last land to be discovered though. It had been spotted very early on, but the powers that blocked its entrance were very strong, and would not let us in. It was a world in total devistation. This new Realm, although the looks of it at first, with its Black Sun, and blood soaked soil may not look like somewhere LSD might want to Settle, it has shown great potential. Unlike the three lands of Hibernia, Albion and Midgard, the land of Aerynth is but one large continent in total anarchy. Guilds fighting against each other, trying to keep a foothold on their cities, and trying to gain control of the lands in their name. Lothar thought this would be yet another excellent chance for the Soldiers to prove themselves in battle and he saw they were eager to do so. Kael, who had gone by other such names in the past as Kwargh in Norrath, and Famine in Neverwinter had taken up the task of running the Division. He worked hard to assemble the men, and get things set up early on, which Lothar was very pleased to see. Chaos, now known as Zilis also was following his long time friend to these lands with many other older members. It seems the Lost Soldiers are only getting bigger and better.
While Britannia and Norrath’s Divisions may be weary, they still persevere. Hibernia has proved its potential and soon Aerynth will too and we still wait for NeverWinter to open its portals where we definitely know LSD will be rulers once more. We shall see the Lost Soldiers of Darkness become that of Legends. Are you ready Soldiers?
GUILD MOTTO:
"May The Moon Shine Forever And The Dragon Never Die!!!"
OUR PURPOSE:
Our Original Goal back in the days of NeverWinter Nights, We were to avenge the Curse of the Lord Avatar's banishing in the Abyss by Lord Nasher's Ancestor by killing Lord Nasher himself. Unfortunately, our purpose was so close to achieving at the time, the game was almost at an end. Since we have ventured out into more than one game now, we have now a much broader view on life. We have now one purpose in our lives, it is to CONQUER ALL and destroy such needs on our paths to gain this goal. Though we are a Lawful Neutral Guild, we don't sit around watching the forces of good and Evil fight, we may participate in them in order to further our goal of 'Realm Domination'. Our goal is now simpler, we must devise a large army, and to rule every land we touch. Until that goal is finished we shall not rest or sleep. It is a Soldiers duty to fulfill this deed!
DIVISIONS:
A Division is a section or chapter of LSD. Each division is a different part of LSD in a certain game. At our current time, we only have 2 Divisions (UO, and DAoC). Each Division has their own Divisional Guild Master (DGM), and 2 Divisional Assistant Guild Masters (DAGM). The Grand Council and the Lord Avatar are the ones who maintain the whole guild. A member can be in several Divisions and not bound to one. This makes members having multiple ranks.
DUTIES OF MEMBERS/GUILD LAWS:
1.) Real Life comes first! We understand that this is just a game, and we have other lives that are more important, and of course even promote you to have a social life, but this guild still expects you to be as active as possible.
2.) You are to swear your Loyalty to the High Council, and its Leaders.
3.) All soldiers must report at least once a week to a commanding officer (Knight +) within The Realm.
4.) All problems that arise should be reported to the Lord Avatar (GM), Abyssal King (AGM) or Abyssal Lord (DGM).
5.) Below the GM all ranks must obey orders from a Superior Officer. A superior Officer is any member, who is higher in the ranking system even if it is one rank above. If you think the order he gives you is unfair, please bring it up with a High Council member.
6.) Give unnecessary items to the people that need them, weather they are a guild member or not (this helps build the Guild name).
7.) Members should make it their duty to be on as much as possible since an inactive member isn't much of a member, or one we would want in our guild.
8.) Do not Player Kill (PK) anybody of good nature or alignment. That is anybody whose name is blue for UO.
9.) We are a Lawful Neutral Guild. This means we are an honorable guild, who follow a code, and work to protect it. We hate people who kill or harm the innocent or good, if you see one, you should try to eliminate them. Of course if he far more powerful than you, call for help from fellow members.
10.) Do not loot people. This is not an honorable thing to do.
11.) Do not Steal from other members or innocents.
12.) You may not have another character in another guild. This causes confusion not only for the possible security of information of this guild, but more importantly the questioning of your time and dedication to this guild alone, and none others.
13.) Guild Meetings are Mandatory.
14.) Last, is to have fun in The Realms!!
*Disciplinary Actions*
When a Member is out of line, it may result in a Demotion, Expulsion, or just a probationary period. If a Member is reported to be doing something against Guild Rules, he will be put on a Probationary Period. During this Time, his Rank must be changed to "Civilian of the Realm" or “Civilian”. When the Truth is revealed, then the probationary period will be lifted.
RANKINGS:
(in decending order)
Grand Council:
GM - Lord Avatar
AGM - Abyssal King
DGM - Abyssal Lord (DAoC)
DGM - Abyssal Lord (UO)
DGM - Abyssal Lord (SB)
2 DAGM - Dukes of the Abyss (DAoC)
2 DAGM - Baron/Baroness (UO)
2 - DAGMs (SB)
War Council
(Includes High Council for that Division and Elder Council)
Divisional High Councils
(See Divisional Charters for each unique HC rankings).
Elder Councils
UO Ranks
DAoC Ranks
SB Ranks
Knight Master
Lord/Lady
Dragon Knight
War Knight
Exultant
Moon Knight
Knight
Scion
Lancer
Vassal
Squire
Serf
Page
Petitioner
Initiate
Pre-Member-
To become an Initiate, you must fill out the application for membership, and
E-Mail it to the High Council. Initiation is a 2 week Evaluation.
PROMOTIONS:
Initiates:
Before actually joining the guild, you will be at this rank for exactly 2 weeks where we will evaluate your candidacy for LSD. Be certain to be on during this time and participate in guild events and get to know current members.
Abyssal King (AGM)-
He comes from the Abyssal Plane with the powers of a fallen King, he has become a follower of the Lord Avatar’s rule, and has been bestowed with some of the powers of DeathWing to assist the Lord Avatar in continuing his rule over all he touches. In doing so, He must take on the powers of the Deity that is the Lord Avatar if the Lord Avatar goes on a Leave of Absence (LoA). He doesn’t have any set duties, but the Lord Avatar appoints him with those needed at the time, and he must comply with them, to retain his extreme powers of DeathWing, and remain that in the Hierarchy. He as well is not set to one realm; he is there, to overseer events and relay them. There is only 1 Abyssal King; he is chosen wisely for his years of devotion, dedication, and leadership skills by the Lord Avatar.
Lord Avatar of LSD (GM):
The Lord Avatar, though the origins of his powers are vague, weather he got them from DeathWing, or from somewhere else, one thing remains. He is an awesome power of knowledge and strength. He brings Prestige and Fear into the surrounding people. The Lord Avatar is the Leader of the Entire Guild. He is there to make sure everything runs smoothly. They can count on him for his knowledge, wisdom, and great leadership abilities. The Lord Avatar exists in many realms, and is not set in any Division, but may or may not participate freely in that division if he so chooses to. He also develops the Charter and keeps an entire Guild Roster on every member of LSD, as well as being in charge of assigning Abyssal Lords to each new Division. Any member in the presence of the Lord Avatar should bow as lowly as possible, and give a “Hail Lord Avatar!” with great respect for him, for he is The Almighty. The Lord Avatar's position may only be filled when it is empty. It will only be empty when the Lord Avatar steps down from his position or the Grand Council is unanimous on its decision that the Lord Avatar can no longer perform his duties. There is 1 and 1 alone: Lord Avatar of LSD.
Sponsorship/Apprentice Program-
In Order to gain rank in this Guild, one must get a Sponsorship from a Soldier, Mage, or Priest (for EQ) or Knight (for UO) or Higher. The member sponsored, becomes the Soldier/Mage/Priest's (for EQ) or Knight's (for UO) Apprentice. The Apprentice may only have 1 Sponsor. Though a Sponsor may have more than 1 Apprentice depending on his rank. The Sponsor may ask for up to 2 extra Quests per rank while that member is in the Sponsorship Program. A member is in the Sponsorship Program up to the point where he hits the rank of Soldier/Mage/Priest (for EQ) or Knight (for UO). Then he may be able to gain his own Apprentice. Though in order to gain a Sponsor, you must show that this member is an Eligible Sponsor that you're worthy of him representing you. Members over Soldier/Mage/Priest (for EQ) or Knight (for UO) who are only looking for more Apprentices may be punished for this. If a High Council Member sees that he is abusing his rights, They will take away his Apprentices and give them to another Eligible Sponsor. At the beginning of each Month a member with a ranking of Knight or Higher may choose 1 or more Apprentices. Though they must make sure that the Apprentice is worthy or being one since this means that the member will start to gain in ranks at a now steady pace. Once started in the program, both the sponsor and the Apprentice will gain something in value. The Sponsor will gain presents/homage in appreciation for their help and the Apprentice will gain levels in the game and in the Guild. It is a duty of a Sponsor to make time to help their Apprentices achieve their goals. If you do have too many and can't make that commitment, you are abusing your use of this program. The amount of Sponsors for each rank is listed under Sponsorship in the Corresponding Charter for each Division.
COUNCILS:
(In descending order)
Grand Council-
This Council is the highest-ranking members in all games and all divisions. The Grand Council is for any Changes, or Amendments to the Charter. It is comprised of the Lord Avatar, who is the "Judge" of the Council, the AGM and the DGMs with their DAGMs from each Division. This is the only Council where the amount of members is not predetermined. The Grand Council gets larger and larger when the guild moves into more games. The way the proceedings go is the AGM has 7 votes; each DGM has 3 votes, and their DAGMs 1 vote. After the votes are tallied, the Lord Avatar has final say. He can veto the plan if he disagrees with it and their will be another recall to voting, and if the rest of the GC is unanimous for the plan; the Lord Avatar must allow that plan to go through.
The War Council-
This is comprised of the combination of that High Council and the Elder Council of the Division wanting the War. This Council is brought together when a Division wishes to declare war against another guild. There is a War Council for Every Division. The Abyssal Lord (DGM) for that Division rules the proceedings, and the War Council decides weather or not that Division should declare war on them depending it has "Just Cause" or complies with alignment rules. *
The High Council-
The High Council is here for problems arising in a Division that needs voted on, or a way to speak of ideas the High Council has for its Division. The Council is consisted of 9 people. Each person has 1 vote except for the DGM. The DGM has 3 votes, which makes the total amount of votes 11. The GM has no real vote but if he disagrees with it, the proposed law does not happen. The GM can be over-ruled only if the entire High Council disagrees. The GM or AGM may be present during any High Council meeting, and may state their opinion, but they don’t have any votes in High Council.
The Elder Council-
These are the members that might have originally founded this guild or are very old and well-known members. They are either inactive or do play much, but are part of the History of this guild. They were once members of the High Council, but have stepped down. They are not subjugated by most LSD laws and regulations. All members look up to them for their wisdom, knowledge, views and Leadership.
*= The Alignment Rules mean that that opposing guild is of opposite alignment of ours.
SPECIAL RANKINGS:
It is possible for any of these ranks to Remain Empty. Until one can complete the quest, it shall remain unfulfilled. If a Person has done some of the requirements, it will stay with them, so that if they fail, they can continue from where they left off. There can be only one of each ranking. If another person desires the Position, then at the appointed time, there shall be a Guild vote on who shall be the bearer.
Head Scribe-
This is the Head of all the Bards. He is not necessarily the best Storywriter, but he can write good role-playing (RP) stories. His main job is to keep a log (including making a timeline of when a certain member has joined) of the Events taken in that game for the Guild. The Head Scribe then reports to the Lord Avatar who keeps a Log/Timeline of the Entire Guild. There may be 1 Head Scribe for each Division. The Scribe must send the information to the Lord Avatar each day of the new Month.
Bard-
This goes to the Best Writer(s) of the Guild. Guild stories should be put on the Web Page. Good stories (ones recognized by this person) will be subject to rewards.
1. Has to be able to write well.
2. There may be up to 5 bards per Division, if all the positions are filled a Vote will be taken by the ENTIRE guild for the result. Votes will be sent to the GM, AGM and Lord Avatar.
Weapons Master-
This rank is given to the person who is in charge of the Free Armory for the Guild. He/she is in charge of the distribution in the guild. He takes donations from members who have extra stuff and gives them to new members. There is one Weapons Master per Division.
In order to obtain this position, you must:
1. Have been interviewed by the GM and considered by the High Council.
2. Be a member of the guild more 3 months or more.
Captain of the Darkness Elite-
Best of the Best in Player vs. Player (PvP) Combat. He is also the leader of the Darkness Elite.
In order to obtain this position you must:
1. Be in the Darkness Elite and have a rank of Knight/Warlock/ArchPriest (for EQ) or
Moon Knight (for UO) or higher.
2. The High Council Must Recognize the Skill of the Person.
3. You Must Formally Challenge the Current Captain of the Darkness Elite to Combat.
If you win, 2/3, you will be the New Captain of the Darkness Elite. If you lose, you are demoted to Grunt/Apprentice/Aide, and must start over again. You cannot challenge for the position again until you regain Knight/Warlock/ArchPriest (Or Higher) again (This does not apply to Ranks of GM, AGM, DGM or DAGM).
Ambassador/Diplomat-
These People are our link to Other Guilds. We may have to send these people out in order to get information. These people know LSD's stand on practically everything.
These people are the ones who determine if there is Good Ties, or bad blood between our guilds. In order to become one, there must an alliance with a Guild first. There is to be only one Ambassador per Alliance/Treaty (unless told otherwise by the GM). In order to become an Ambassador you must first be assigned a guild to be Ambassador to. You cannot just be an Ambassador and not be assigned to a guild.
1. Must have been in the guild for at least a month.
2. Must be at least a Soldier/Mage/Priest (EQ), or Knight (UO).
3. Must be interviewed by the GM or AGM.
4. Must be able to negotiate.
5. Must be able to gather information.
SPECIALIZED WAR UNITS-
After you have reached a certain rank in your Division, you are required to join one of these Units. If you do not choose the Unit yourself, the High Council shall choose for you within 2 weeks of your promotion to that rank. There are 2 types of Units, those of Warring Nature, and those of Trading. For each War Unit their is a Captain, who you are to report to at least once a week in the game, (even if its just a "Hail", this tells weather the member is active or not). There is also a Lieutenant, who is in 2nd Command of the Unit. The Captain must choose this person wisely. This person must be a trusted and close friend of yours in LSD and a member of that Unit already. Trade Units have no Captain or Lieutenant for their Unit, they are just a collective group depending on their skill. Trade Units are committed to selling their goods for Guild Profit (not Self-Profit). Members may be in both War and Trade Units. While only allowed in 1 War Unit, they can be in several Trade Units. All members in Specialized Units must be active ones. You must ask your Captain if you can transfer to another Unit. If there are too many members in one Unit, you might not get the luxury of getting into that Unit. There is no maximum amount of members for a Unit, but if the Guild grows large Enough and/or another purpose is needed, another Specialized Unit (either War or Trade Unit) will be made.
Ranking List:
High Council:
Abyssal Lord (DGM)
2 Baron/Baroness (s) (DAGM)
2 Duke/Duchess (s)
2 Count/Countess (s)
2 Commander (s)
Elder Council
Elder
Pre-Member:
To become an Initiate, you must fill out the application and be interviewed for membership by the High Council.
After being evaluated, members become a Page. You are now a full time member, and must further show yourself that you are going somewhere in the guild. At this point in time, you should start thinking already what Unit you wish to be in. Now is the time where you need to start looking for a Sponsor to help you advance to the next level.
Must have shown your worthy to be considered a member of our Guild and its purposes. Must know this Charter down cold, a member chosen by the GM or AGM will be assigned to interview you. This will decide weather you will obtain Squireship or not. This is also where you must find a Sponsor.
Must have shown you are capable of gaining skill on your own and shown good thinking. Remember; you must be loyal and trustworthy to your Sponsor and give him the respect he deserves. You must also complete a Quest to gain this rank. Your sponsor may or may not assist you with your Quest, as he deems necessary to your development. Your sponsor may require you to complete additional Quests to that same purpose.
Must Have a good head on your shoulder, and prove you are worthy to be called a Knight. Must complete another Quest before gaining this Rank. Before your make it to this rank, you must also give homage to your Sponsor who has helped you through adventures. Your Sponsor may require any gift(s) as part of that homage (Keep in mind; although what they request may seem excessive, they too had to pay homage: As you too will receive from future sponsored members). From this point on you will no longer have to have a Sponsor, and you can now sponsor your own member, though make sure it’s a right decision because he/she will be representing you. Knights must show that they are able to support themselves money wise. Knights are the rank that mostly deals directly with New Members and it is their duty to help the new members with any problems they have, and should report these to a War Knight, or another Higher Ranking member if they cannot deal with an issue themselves. What one must understand to become a Knight is that you must first learn to lead before a position to lead is given.
You must have shown yourself worthy the rank of War Knight this means you are ready for battle and may lead your Apprentices into Battle. War Knights are required to schedule at least 2 Activities a Month. Activities can include regular Dungeon Crawls, whether they be Spur of the Moment, or Pre-Planned large crawls. They can be PvP Tournaments or RP Quests, or they can be something entirely of your own creation. The Fact is, the more you do this, the better you are, to taking that first step in leadership. It is the Knights of LSD that are to run the majority of the Events in the guild, not the HC. A High Council Member must recommend you to be promoted to this rank.
A Moon Knight is sworn by the Moon and can use its magical powers to his/her advantage. MoonKnights are most deadly and it is very hard for someone to obtain this rank without making a serious commitment. Moon Knights should be there to provide Assistance to the War Knights if they need help performing their duties and as well should be doing their own events. They should start looking on making more Pre-Planned Crawls, than Spur of the Moments ones. A Moon Knight is required to schedule at least 3 activities a Month. A High Council Member must recommend you to earn this rank. You must as well recruit another 5 members.
Like the Moon Knight, the Dragon Knight holds some of the powers of the Dragon. This member has truly worked hard to gain this rank. The Dragon Knight is required to schedule at least 4 Activities a Month. The Dragon Knight is well on his way to being in the High Council. You must again recruit another 5 members.
This is the highest rank to be gained from normal means. After this rank there is a limit cap on who can gain them. You must need a recommendation from a DAGM to gain this rank. It is a true honor to make it this far, but with this rank comes many responsibilities. You must take charge more of what goes on with the lower ranks; you don't need to ask permission to carry out commands to others. Like the Moon Knight, the Knight Master must provide assistance to the Dragon Knights if they need help performing their duties. Dragon Knights main duty is to assist all the other lower ranking Knights in their Monthly Activities/Events. You must again recruit another 5 members.
This is the lowest rank in the High Council, though anybody within the HC has earned it by showing his or her greatness. He or she must be chosen by the DGM and interviewed for entrance into High Council. The Commanders usually helps in Army Movement in the guild and are battle oriented. They are their to keep Troops occupied, and busy and help with any problems members might have and report them to the DAGM and DGM. They are also responsible for Interviewing new members to the guild. There are only 2 of this rank. If the position is full, no one else shall be able to obtain this rank. You must recruit another 4 members.
This is the Second lowest rank in the High Council; this person is of great wisdom and honor. Making it to this rank means you have finally become of Nobility. He is there to make everything run smoothly, and help the DAGM and DGM with their duties. They are also required to maintain the Guild Treasury and help any members who wish to donate to it, or wish to trade in their Moon Gems for Items in the Treasury. You must be chosen by the DGM. There are only 2 of this rank.
This is the rank below DAGM and DGM; he/she controls many problems in the guild if the DGM or DAGM is not available. They must be very wise, and know much of what the guild is about as must all HC members should, plus be a great leader. The Duke/Duchess(s) are also in charge specifically of Organizing Events that members have, and making sure they are successful. Must be chosen by DGM. There are only 2 of this rank.
This rank has many responsibilities and may have to act as DGM while the Current DGM is on a Leave of Absence (LoA) or while he is not online. The DAGM must take actions representing the guild when the DGM is not on and must make key decisions. The DAGM may one-day be the future DGM when he steps down, though this is not always the case. The DAGMs are the ones who deal with majority of the day-to-day activities that need answering if the DGM is not present online within his/her boundaries. The DAGMs also assist in adding new members to the Guild Stone. There is a max of 2 DAGMs.
Abyssal Lord (DGM)-
The Abyssal Lord is the leader of the Division he/she is in. He/she has direct control of actions made in the game. He/she can ask for revisions of the Charter by the Lord Avatar to better have the control on his Division. He/she is there to lead his Division into the future; any member should supply him with a formal greeting with a bow, and a “Hail”. The up-most respect should be given to this person. He/she is in charge of Promotions for his/her Division, and must keep an active Roster for that Division as well. He/she also is in charge of Guild Meetings. The Abyssal Lord is a follower of the Lord Avatar, and is his eyes and ears the Division, for the Lord Avatar cannot remain in direct control of all the lands LSD rules in. Thus, the Abyssal Lord must make regular meetings with the Lord Avatar to discuss plans and ideas for the Division.
Sponsorship:
Knight- 1 per Month, 2 total
War Knight- 1 per Month, 4 total
Moon Knight- 2 per Month, 6 total
Dragon Knight- 2 per Month, 8 total
Knight Aspirant- 3 per Month, 10 total
Commander- 3 per Month, 12 total
Baron/Baroness- 4 per Month, 13 total
Count/Countess- 4 per Month, 14 total
Duke/Duchess- 4 per Month, 15 total
Abyssal Lord- 5 per Month, 20 total
Abyssal King- 6 per Month, 25 total
Lord Avatar- 7 per Month, 30 total
Guild Meetings:
Every Sunday Night, at 6pm PST, 7pm MST, 8pm CST, or 9pm EST there is a guild meeting. These guild meetings comprise of mostly promotions of the members, as well announcements from the High Council, who run the meetings. Guild Meetings typically run no more than an hour long, so expect it. The rules for these meetings are as follows:
1. There may only be one speaker at a time.
2. That speaker is the who has “the floor”
3. You are to be respectful of the person who has “the floor”
4. There is no chatting amongst people when a meeting is proceeding
5. There is no casting while a meeting is proceeding
6. There is a dress code, meaning you must be wearing clothes.
7. If you are a Guild Member, you must be in Uniform.
8. If you have a question, comment, or announcement, you are to *raise your hand*
Guild Uniforms:
The Guild attire consists of two colors. Dark Grey being the primary, and Navy Blue being the secondary. You must wear the Dark Grey as your main body color (ex: Shirt, Pants, Robe or Dress), You must wear Navy Blue on any extremities (ex: Cape, Hat, Half-Apron). Lastly, you have Unit Colors. Your Unit color is chosen by your Unit’s Captain, so ask them what color it is, as a Unit’s color changes with each new Captain for that Unit. Unit Colors should be least present on the body. You should only being wearing one of these, not several (ex: a sash, bandana, skull-cap or half-apron). Guild Uniforms are only required to be worn during Guild Functions. This includes, but is not limited to Guild Meetings, Dungeon Crawls, Role-Playing Events, Quests, Hunts, etc. Any other times you may wear whatever you wish.
Moon Gems System (MGs):
Moon Gems are LSD’s own type of currency. You can earn Moon Gems by doing many numerous things like certain tasks or deeds, or even trading in wanted magic weapons and armor to the Guild’s Treasury. You may use these Moon Gems to earn weapons and armor that the Guild’s Treasury has earned over the years. A list of how you can earn these Moon Gems, and what items you can get with them is detailed in the Moon Gems List.
Guild Treasury:
The Guild’s Treasury is maintained solely by you, the member. Any Contributions to the guild’s treasury is greatly appreciated. We accept all types of magic armor, weapons, rares, and gold. This in return is used to things like the Moon Gems System or for future Guild Events, like Tournament Prizes, or Quest Prizes. Donating to the guild’s treasury isn’t required to get promoted, but it is duly noted.
War Units:
These are the Trainers of LSD. These Members have devoted their time to help level members and train the Members of LSD in Regular Combat and Basic Player Combat. Most importantly, these are the members who help you be able to support yourselves in Britannia. These are the Unsung Hero's Of LSD, and the ones to thank for your big pot of gold you now have. This is a Guild-wide Unit, with a different Captain and Lt. for each Division.
These are the Ones who make LSD Strong in number. They are the only members who recruit. They also protect the guild from invasions and do security throughout the area. Stories of the Bravery of the Soldiers of Darkness can be heard through these men and women, as well as the dangers faced in this Unit. This is a Guild-wide Unit, with a different Captain and Lt. for each Division.
Best of the Best, First, Finest, and foremost in Player Combat. These are out Elite soldiers given the name Darkness Elite by on of the "founding Five", and former member of the Elder Council, 'Darkness'. He created The Darkness Elite and was the first Captain (an honorary tittle) of DE in NWN since he was the best in PvP (Player vs. Player) Combat in our Guild. These members are selected from any Pathway or Rank, and only 10 people make the cut (not including the Captain and Lieutenant). These are the Secret Weapons of LSD, the finest Warriors there are. Also these members are the ones that train other members in Advanced Player Combat. It is a true honor to be a member of the Darkness Elite. If the Guild were to go into War, they would be the first to enter the war, then SG, OS, and last SS. This is a Guild-wide Unit, with a different Captain and Lt. for each Division.
These are the Mercenaries, and Spies of LSD. Shadow Guard is broken into 2 sections by these sub-units. The Mercenaries are loyal members of LSD, but do services for people outside the guild to bring in money. This money is given to the Treasurer with a tax to it, taken by the Merc. The Spies are the ones who have alternate Characters in that game who join other guilds and obtain special information on that guild and relay it back to the Captain of SG and the GM of that Division. The Shadow Guard is Special in that it has a Lt. For each sub-group. These members also have the most information of the guild, and report them to the Captain and GM accordingly. This is a Guild-wide Unit, with a different Captain and Lt. for each Division.
These members are the ones who protect the DGM, and DGM of their Division and also the GM and AGM while their in that Realm. They put their lives on the line in order to protect their leader. It is an honor to become a Royal Guard and to serve their Leaders. This is a Guild-wide Unit, with a different Captain and Lt. for each Division.
The Serpent Riders are the Cavalry of LSD. They all ride on mighty war-horses, which they rarely even step down off of. They are the ones who are there for retrieval and intercepting battles. Their quickness is what the rest of the guild counts on them for. The most important factor the SR are responsible for, is being a quick reactionary force, they are the ones who help trapped guild members in dungeons and other dangerous parts of Britannia and bring them back home safe. They are strong and well armored and can charge into battle and out within seconds striking mighty blows. Alone one is powerful; together they strike a terrible force upon the land.
Dark Crusade (DC)-
The Dark Crusade is the Treasure Hunters of LSD. They use their skills of decoding maps they find, and unlocking the chests that hold the riches. They do this alone, for the guild’s benefit, taking along other members for fun and support in the deadly things that were buried with the treasure.
Trade Units:
Merchants Alliance (MA)-
The Merchants Alliance is comprised of all forms of craftsmen and tradesmen. They work together under one banner to help assist the Lost Soldiers of Darkness’ troops, and the guild’s treasury. Because they are all under one roof, they can benefit from shared knowledge from each other.
Original Guild Charter created by: Lothar
UO Divisional Charter created by: Lothar
Last updated by: Lothar
On: 2/03/2002
If you have any questions about this Charter please contact the Lord Avatar of LSD at Lothar@LSDarkness.com