IC:
Since its beginning, Azeroth has been treated as little more than a pawn in a larger game that spans the cosmos. Whether it’s the demons of the Burning Legion, Old Gods sent by the Void, or the armies of Death itself, we have long been forced to defend our home from forces beyond as they seek to claim what’s rightfully ours.
Thankfully, thus far, we have been successful in that endeavor, but how long will our fortune hold? The conflict with the forces of Death remains uncertain in its resolution, the vast powers of the Void remain a constant threat, and even though the Legion is shattered, demons still have the capacity to unleash untold destruction. Who should we trust to hold the line against the innumerable threats that lie beyond our world (and indeed, our very plane of existence)?
The Kirin Tor? A cloistered bureaucracy of mages held back by fear of their own power. We can’t expect them to be anything other than reactive in their approach.
The Church? Also a bureaucratic, self-important organization but this time mired by religious dogma. They produce fierce warriors of the Light, but to truly combat these forces we cannot be guided simply by religious sentiment.
The Alliance or Horde? They’re more focused on fighting each other until circumstances force them to stop.
It is upon analysis of the many weaknesses of these organizations that we hereby charter The Veil Society. Who are we? We are researchers of the Beyond, adventurers seeking lost artifacts, covert agents seeking to uncover plots by the servants of our enemies. Truly, a member of our Society can be just about anyone as long as they are committed to the goal of uncovering knowledge and attaining power for the sake of defending Azeroth.
We are not like the more official organizations of our world. We allow for a more open minded approach to combating cosmic forces. To that end, we are guided by three rules:
1. You are free to conduct your research however you see fit, but you must also own the consequences of your actions.
2. Information and knowledge must be shared with the Society at large. Research does no good if it is jealously kept to oneself.
3. You must, at all costs, protect the secrecy of our Society. Exposing the Society by your words or actions would bring ruin on us as the bureaucrats and their enforcement arms seek to insert themselves into our affairs.
As long as these three rules are observed, we encourage our members to approach their projects however they see fit. This libertarian approach might seem dangerous, but how can one be expected to truly understand the forces of the Beyond without taking risks? Piercing the veil requires boldness and audacity.
With the discoveries we make, we can use our newfound power and knowledge to better defend our world and establish ourselves as a legitimate power in the universe.
Amerea Brightcrown
Hindmost of the Veil Society
OOC:
The Veil Society is a brand new guild concept focused on the cosmology of the Warcraft Universe. Whether it’s the Void, Light, Chaos, Death, etc., we seek to understand the secrets of the Beyond and utilize them for our benefit.
To that end, we are a heavily character driven guild with an emphasis on individual stories and character development. The libertarian approach mentioned in the IC section is designed to give you the maximum amount of leeway to develop your character(s) however you see fit while still having the overarching storyline/goals you’d expect from a guild. We’re a neutral guild, so you can be a generally good character or a more self-serving, evil character.
It doesn’t matter as long as the rules are observed. Literally any class or race can find a niche in the Veil Society.
Structure
As a new guild, things will be refined and developed as we mature, but right now the guild will consist of the following sections:
- Researchers
Researchers are dedicated individuals that seek to unlock secret and forbidden knowledge concerning the forces that drive the cosmos. Researchers can spend time studying various magical arts (ranging from the arcane to necromancy), pouring over ancient texts, or holding academic debates with their peers.
- Away Team
The Away Team fills multiple roles within the Veil Society, but as their name suggests they represent the boots of the ground to advance the Society’s objectives. Away Team members can function as adventurers, security for research personnel, or any number of tasks that requires a strong sword arm or a collection of offensive spells. The Away Team typically works very closely with the researchers.
- The Eyes
The Eyes serve as the enforcement arm of the Veil Society. They ensure compliance of the three rules and deal with dangerous individuals that risk exposing the Veil Society’s secrets. Did a researcher delve too deeply into Void research and end up losing their mind? The Eyes will be there to clean up the mess and ensure nothing traces back to the Society as a whole.
Although it may seem like these sections are geared towards one specific class fantasy over another, there is nothing stopping any class from joining any section. A Paladin can be an Eye and a Rogue can be a Researcher. Moreover, none of these sections exist on islands. Members are encouraged to collaborate with other sections as much as or as little as desired. Just because you’re part of the Eyes doesn’t mean you can’t join an expedition with the Away Team and some Researchers to uncover and study an ancient Titan artifact.
The rank structure is as follows:
Hindmost - The leader of the Veil Society
Viceroy - The second in command of the Veil Society who serves as the chair of the Veiled Council. The Viceroy will work to maintain order in Council meetings and ensure the agenda is followed accurately.
Councilor - There are three Councilors, each representing the head of a different section of the Veil Society on the Veiled Council. Councilors answer to the Viceroy and the Hindmost.
Enlightened - The Enlightened are junior officers that assist the Councilors in the day-to-day operations of their respective sections.
Seeker - More senior standard members of the Veil Society. They aren’t officers, but the rank is there for members who are active and maintain a long tenure with the guild.
Acolyte - The standard rank-and-file of the Veiled Society. Most members will be Acolytes.
Initiate - A new member of the guild that has not gone through the full induction process.
OOC Rules
Although the guild has few “in character” rules, we have more OOC rules to ensure a safe, fun environment for all members.
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Be respectful of your fellow members. No discrimination (whether it’s based on sexual preference, gender identity, race, etc.) will be tolerated.
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I’m not a believer in a blanket “no drama” rule as I think the word “drama” is generally used to describe literally any conflict. Since conflict is inevitable in any group of people, I cannot rationally ban it all together as that only causes problems to fester. Therefore, my rule on conflict is the following: If you have a conflict with another guild member, we encourage you to hash it out with those parties in private rather than publicly in guild chat or the Discord. If the conflict is so insurmountable that you cannot solve it amongst yourselves, an officer will step in to mediate the conflict and, if necessary, remove toxic parties. I expect members to behave like mature, well adjusted adults. If you’re in the wrong, I expect you to own it and apologize so we can move on.
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Do not behave in a way that gives our guild a bad reputation with the community. To that end, do not gossip about other players, harass them, grief them, or anything of that nature. Even if they “deserve it” or “started it” I’d rather you recuse yourself of the situation by ignoring the other person rather than escalating the problem. A reputation is a difficult thing to build and an easy thing to destroy.
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Keep your OOC to a minimum in IC situations. We’re all here to role play and have a good time and constant OOC chatter diminishes the fun for other people. Feel free to banter about what’s going on in the guild chat (which is OOC), but keep the double parentheses to a minimum.
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An officer’s word is the final word. If you feel as though you have been treated unfairly by an officer, bring it up to me directly and I will investigate, but do not behave in direct, willful defiance of an officer’s instructions.
Tl;dr: Just be cool, have fun, and don’t ruin other peoples’ fun.
Activities
The main focus of the guild will be events centered on things relating to WoW’s cosmology. Some times we might delve into Uldum to find a Titan artifact, other times we’ll work to infiltrate a secretive Void Cult to steal their secrets. All members are allowed (and encouraged) to put together events and lead them.
Beyond RP events, we will do various organized ooc events to gear up and have fun with the game itself. You can expect us to eventually do PvP (rated BGs, arenas, regular BGs, etc.) raids, Mythic+, or anything else people want to do. The goal is for this guild to be a complete community.
How Do I Join?
The central premise involves the guild being a secret society, so you won’t find us recruiting in the Cathedral District or in the Yellow Pages. The process of joining involves a brief RP event developed in collaboration with an officer where your character ultimately finds their way to the Veil Society. Each of these events will be unique and catered to your specific character based on their proficiencies and goals. Ideally these rp flashpoints will be relatively short and sweet, but they will serve as an introduction to the guild for the individual seeking to join and a way to introduce your character to the guild. Throughout the flashpoint, we will be looking at how well you rp and whether or not your character would be a good fit for the guild. If all looks to be in order, you’ll be a guild member by the time the mini-event is over.
Notes
To be clear, this is a brand new guild that still exists in the charter phase. I am looking for creative, active individuals to join and help build this guild from the ground up. Officers will be selected as the guild grows based on activity, RP ability, and the level of OOC respect the player commands. Officers are expected to be approachable, dependable, and responsible and those who exhibit those traits along with the other factors will be the first considered for senior positions.
Please feel free to reach out to me (Amerea) if you have any questions.