The Twilight Empire was chartered on August 6, 2007 as a role-playing guild on the Ravenholdt server. While it has evolved over time, the Empire remains true to its founding vision, and this consistency has allowed the Empire to not only maintain itself, but to actually thrive over the passing years. Therefore, to gain a an understanding of the Empire, one must understand the vision, as well as the structure, basic principles, and rules of the Empire.
Vision
The Twilight Empire will provide a welcoming and supportive community, enhance role-playing opportunities, pursue peace between the factions, and represent itself admirably.
The Vision of Twilight is what gives the Empire a common foundation and the motivation for the future. It is a vision of peace between the factions, of a thriving community with strong bonds and supportive friendships. To this end, the Twilight Empire strives to promote diplomacy and friendship, exemplifying to all the excellence and benevolence that the guild stands for.
In order to best promote the vision, citizens of the Empire are encouraged to act in accordance with the common rules of decency, remembering that while they wear the tabard of the Twilight Empire, every action they perform reflects upon the rest of the Empire.
The vision is essentially the driving force behind the guild and its policy, stemming from a desire for peace, the necessity of excellence, and the motivation for friendliness
The Structure
The Twilight Empire is a unified Empire that structures itself into two distinct, but equally important, branches. This document will merely detail the structures and their general composition - Other documents will expound on the separate branches and the requirements of members in those branches. The two branches of the Empire are the Military branch and the Citizen's branch.
The Military branch, headed by the General of Twilight Empire, is geared towards the defense and protection of the Empire. Members of Twilight enter the Military as Soldiers and are expected to train and work with their brethren in order to form a coherent, disciplined, and efficient fighting force. Soldiers are expected to follow the orders of their superiors in military exercises and pledge their lives to serve the Empire when called upon. This branch serves as the sword and shield of the Empire is is relied upon to keep the members of the Empire safe.
The Citizen's branch of the Empire is home to those who wish to serve the Empire but are not called to battle as Soldiers are. The Citizens strive to serve the Empire through diplomatic skills, which may include spreading the vision of the Empire, training in their crafts, and aiding others on their journeys throughout the lands. The Citizen's branch works to promote unification and friendship within the Empire by hosting numerous events and assisting those who require aid.
The two branches culminate in the Senate of the Empire. The Senators are drawn from both branches and are encouraged to represent the vision of their branches before the Empress. The Senate is the body that makes the major policy decisions of the Empire - both diplomatically and militarily. Senators are to be available to aid members and act as mediators when necessary.
Empress Aerana oversees the Twilight Empire and acts as a caretaker for the vision of the Empire. She strives to work closely with the Senate to craft policy and ensure the continued growth and survival of the Empire, while at the same time keeping the Empire true to its original vision. She is also expected to meet with the leaders of other orders in order to solidify diplomatic relations.
Basic Principles
First and foremost, Twilight Empire is a role-playing guild. While other aspects of World of Warcraft are explored in official guild events, role-playing comes first. Furthermore, the Empire intends to cultivate strong friendships to ensure that the social aspect of World of Warcraft is as enjoyable as possible. Finally, Twilight Empire is unique: our guild does not initiate world PvP unless there is an in-character reason behind it. The Empire will come to the aid of those being attacked, participate in battlegrounds and arenas, and role-play in cross-faction wars. PvP is not strictly against the rules, and specific policies will be explained below.
PvP Policy
The PvP policy of the Twilight Empire is somewhat different from that of many guilds on the Ravenholdt-US Server. While some believe that the Twilight Empire does not PvP at all, this is certainly not the case. We have a healthy group of people who truly enjoy PvP in the guild - we just do it with some restrictions. Because the Twilight Empire advocates for peace, it is not our way to kill Horde without a cause. Thus, we will not be seen hanging out in STV to kill lowbies, camping Horde for hours, or engaging in behavior of that type.
At the same time, there are legitimate reasons for TE to be involved in PvP. We will be seen defending Alliance cities, defending Allies who are having trouble with Horde, fighting in Battlegrounds, and participating in RP-PvP and RP-PvP events. In all of these cases, the Twilight Empire has legitimate RP for ascribing hostility to the Horde and thus engaging them. The foundation of our PvP policy is that we must have a valid RP reason for engaging in PvP.
Rules
These are some basic rules that members of the Empire are expected to follow. Not following these rules will result in a warning. Further infractions may be punished by exile from the guild. We're trying to create a fun role-playing environment for everyone, so let's respect each other.
Basic Rules
- We are a role-playing guild – So please role-play in guildchat. If you are unsure of how to roleplay, please feel free to ask. A basic guide is available on the FAQ section of the site.
- Keep things PG – children play the game and some of them may be in the guild. Some things may be allowed in order to make the RP more believable, however, if you're asked to tone it down, please do so.
- Don’t do anything to break Blizzard’s rules – this includes griefing, account-stealing, and other things. Violating these rules will not only get you in trouble with Blizzard - it doesn't represent the Empire well and will result in demotion/booting.
- Play in a way that commends the Empire to others – Don’t give us a bad reputation. When you are with other people, remember that our guild tag is under your name. If your RP is mean, a little whisper with ((Just to let you know, this is So-And-So's RP! I'm not really like this)) can go a long way towards avoiding misunderstandings. Trolling trade, using inappropriate language, and engaging in other behavior that harms the guild’s reputation is unacceptable.
- Remember: It’s just a game. We’re all here to have fun. Don’t let things get too personal. If you find yourself feeling bad because of the guild, please speak with a Senator. We're here to help you have fun and promote a friendly environment in the guild.
- The officers of the guild are officers for a reason. If one of them asks you to stop doing something, please respect their wishes. If you don’t agree with an officer’s request, please feel free to respectfully continue the discussion in whispers.
- I'm sorry that I've had to add this one in here, but it seems that it's necessary: Any type of ERP (Erotic Roleplay) that comes to the attention of officers will result in a swift dismissal from the Empire. The Twilight Empire strives to maintain a professional reputation on the server and this type of behavior can ruin a guild’s reputation.
- If you leave the Twilight Empire for some reason and then ask to rejoin, you will be required to wait a period of 2 weeks. After that time period, you may rejoin the Empire by going through the application process and being inducted as a Plebeian. Please note that should you leave Twilight Empire and proceed to slander or tarnish the guild's reputation or act in any other way that is deemed inappropriate, the Officers have no obligation to allow you to rejoin the guild.
OOC Channel Rules
The Twilight Empire has a guild OOC channel. This channel provides a way for guild members to interact OOCly, build relationships, joke around, and strengthen the guild community. Having an OOC channel is a great resource for the guild but there are some responsibilities that go along with it. Since the Twilight Empire is a large and diverse guild, composed of people from across the world who hold different beliefs and tolerances, we ask that basic courtesy and respect be given to all. The OOC channel is moderated by the Officers of the guild in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the guild.
- Keep it PG - Much like guild chat and other modes of communication, the Twilight Empire enforces this rule in the OOC channel. Excessively vulgar descriptions, words, etc., will be censored by Officers.
- Sensitive issues - Conversations regarding religion, politics, sexual orientation, or other such sensitive topics are respectfully asked to be taken elsewhere. As the guild has grown, it has become simply too difficult to moderate these conversations. Sensitive issues have a tendency of spiraling out of control. Such conversations can be taken to whispers or even a party chat if people truly want to discuss it.
- Be respectful - As noted previously, the Twilight Empire is a large and diverse guild. Not everyone holds the same beliefs/tolerances/ideas. Be mindful that your words may unintentionally offend people.
- Don't be easily offended - While we try to maintain a balance of respect in the OOC channel, there are unintentionally going to be things that slip out that might offend you. If it's a minor slip, please do not make a big deal about it. If it becomes a habit, whisper an Officer. At the same time, only these rules (and common sense rules) will be enforced. If you do not eat bacon and you get upset when people talk about eating bacon in the OOC channel, maybe try to zone out until the topic passes. An officer will not ask the OOC channel to not speak about bacon.
- Listen to Officers - Again, the officers of the Empire are tasked with creating a warm and welcoming environment for guild members. If an officer asks you to cease speaking about something, please listen to them. If you have additional concerns, please bring it up with an officer in whispers.
If the Twilight Empire sounds like a community that you wish to be a part of, we invite you to check out the Join Twilight page for more information. Thank you!
