Conclave order

Revision as of 19:52, 4 April 2014

Overview

The orders are political bodies with clear philosophies about how magic should be used. They are made up of like-minded individuals and exist to bring together mages who share a common vision for how magic should be used in the Empire. There is no requirement for a magician to join an order, and many magicians involve themselves in the discussions of multiple orders.

Any individual present who is not a member of an order can still take part in Conclave business. They can still raise items to the agenda, suggest gambits to an archmage, speak before the Conclave (if they have the support of a grandmaster), and complete the resourcing of gambits as individual members of the Conclave.

Each order also controls their own Conclave vault. The vault contains mana crystals and materials that are distributed by the Conclave to the order for their use. As they are the property of the order, they can only legally accessed through a gambit. The grandmaster of the order announces the decisions of their order when dealing with the contents of the vault, but any member can call for a vote to over-rule a grandmaster with whom they disagree on the allocation of materials.

Joining an Order

Any Imperial magician may join any order. To become a member requires the use of a simple magic ritual. Several civil servants associated with the Conclave have mastered this ritual and can perform it on an Imperial citizen at no additional cost beyond the crystal mana required. The ritual places an invisible mark on the target which can be revealed with detect magic and several other rituals.

During character creation, a character with the magician skill can join an order without needing to expend any crystal mana. A character who chooses not to take this option will need to join an order in play at the usual cost.

Changing Order

A magician can change order by replacing their Arcane Mark with the Arcane Mark of their new order. As a new member of an order, the magician counts for precedence at any subsequent Conclave meetings they attend and may speak against their grandmaster's statement for resourcing a gambit.

However, a magician who changes order cannot vote in the election for a new grandmaster, if they were a member of another order when that order voted for a grandmaster in the last year. In effect you cannot participate in the election for a new grandmaster if you were previously eligible to vote when a grandmaster was elected at any of the previous three summits. Attempting to influence the election of a grandmaster without due authority is electoral fraud and can carry harsh penalties.

Powers of membership in an order

Electing a Grandmaster

A member of an order can vote to determine who the grandmaster of the order will be. The grandmaster must be a member of the order to be eligible to stand.

Participation in Gambits

A member of an order can request and participate in a vote to over-rule the decision of their grandmaster when resourcing a gambit.

Establishing Precedence

During a Conclave session, the number of members of an order present determines precedence. The precedence of an order determines when they speak, what share of the Conclave resources they receive and the order in which they announce their response to a gambit. The first step in each conclave session is establishing precedence which means counting the members of each order present.

Only members of the order, who bear the order's Arcane Mark, count for precedence. Attempting to deceive the count is considered electoral fraud.

Precedence is also used to determine the distribution of resources into the vault belonging to that order.

Right of Challenge

Claiming to be in an order one is not a member of is considered electoral fraud. Any member of an order may request that another member prove their membership in the presence of a magistrate; in this case the onus is always on the challenger to provide the magic needed to examine the target's Arcane Mark.

Existing orders

In the modern era, the following Orders are legally recognised as part of the Conclave:

The Celestial Arch: The Celestial Arch maintain that the skill and knowledge required to master magic mean that magicians are naturally better leaders and statesmen. They champion the cause of magicians and magic in choosing the Empire's course.

The Golden Pyramid: The manifesto of the Golden Pyramid centres on the role of magic in generating wealth across the Empire. This Order also champions the causes of artisans, and the right of all magicians not to be treated as servants or slaves.

The Rod and Shield: The most martial of the orders, the manifesto of the Rod and Shield centres on the role of magic in defending the Empire and expanding its borders. The Rod and Shield is a popular order with battlemages and healers.

The Sevenfold Path: The Sevenfold Path manifesto centres on the belief that magic serves the Empire best when it is used virtuously, and that the virtuous should not fear magic. It often serves as a bridge between the Conclave and the Imperial Synod.

The Shuttered Lantern: The Shuttered Lantern focuses on the protection of the Empire and the accumulation of knowledge about allies and enemies alike. They are known to favour scrying, espionage and other subtle uses of magic.

The Unfettered Mind: The Unfettered Mind believe that the study and use of magic are ends in their own right. They work to expand the Empire's arcane knowledge and power, and oppose measures to curtail or constrain Imperial magic.

Creation and Dissolution of an Order

New orders can be created, and existing orders dissolved, by a constitutional vote of the Senate. A newly created order requires a clear statement as to its purpose and attitudes to magic, and a symbol, similar to those possessed by existing orders, that is used with the Arcane Mark ritual. When an order is dissolved, the contents of it's vault are redistributed among the remaining orders.

Costume by Costume Mercenary

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-The orders are political bodies with clear philosophies about how magic should be used. They are made up of like-minded individuals and exist to bring together mages who share a common vision for how magic should be used to strengthen the Empire. Any member of the Conclave may elect to join an order. It is considered inappropriate to try and be a member of more than one order, but this does sometimes happen. There is no requirement for a magician to join an order, and many magicians involve themselves in the discussions of multiple orders.
+==Overview==
+The orders are political bodies with clear philosophies about how magic should be used. They are made up of like-minded individuals and exist to bring together mages who share a common vision for how magic should be used in the Empire. There is no requirement for a magician to join an order, and many magicians involve themselves in the discussions of multiple orders.
-==Existing Orders==
+Any individual present who is not a member of an order can still take part in Conclave business. They can still raise items to the agenda, suggest gambits to an [[archmage]], speak before the Conclave (if they have the support of a [[grandmaster]]), and complete the resourcing of gambits as individual members of the Conclave.
-In the modern era, the following Orders are formally recognised as part of the Conclave:
-* '''The Celestial Arch:''' The [[Celestial Arch]] maintain that the skill and knowledge required to master magic mean that magicians are naturally better leaders and statesmen. They champion the cause of magicians and magic in choosing the Empire's course.
+Each order also controls their own [[Conclave vault]]. The vault contains mana crystals and materials that are distributed by the Conclave to the order for their use. As they are the property of the order, they can only legally accessed through a [[gambit]]. The [[grandmaster]] of the order announces the decisions of their order when dealing with the contents of the vault, but any member can call for a vote to over-rule a grandmaster with whom they disagree on the allocation of materials.
-* '''The Golden Pyramid:''' The manifesto of the [[Golden Pyramid]] centres on the role of magic in generating wealth across the Empire. This Order also champions the causes of [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]], and the right of all magicians not to be treated as servants or slaves.
-* '''The Rod and Shield:''' The most martial of the orders, the manifesto of the [[Rod and Shield]] centres on the role of magic in defending the Empire and expending its borders. The Rod and Shield is a popular order with battlemages and healers.
-* '''The Sevenfold Path:''' The [[Sevenfold Path]] manifesto centres on the belief that magic serves the Empire best when it is used virtuously, and that the virtuous should not fear magic. It often serves as a bridge between the Conclave and the [[Imperial Synod]].
-* '''The Shuttered Lantern:''' The [[Shuttered Lantern]] focuses on the protection of the Empire and the accumulation of knowledge about allies and enemies alike. They are known to favour scrying, espionage and other subtle uses of magic.
-* '''The Unfettered Mind:''' The Order of the [[Unfettered Mind]] believe that the study and use of magic are ends in their own right. They work to expand the Empire's arcane knowledge and power, and oppose measures to curtail or constrain Imperial magic.
-===Creation and Dissolution of an Order===
+==Joining an Order==
-New Orders can be created, but the process is not simple. It requires a clearly defined manifesto, or mission statement, about how the magic of the Conclave would be best used for the benefit of the Empire. It also requires the approval of the Senate, which, for these purposes, must meet the requirements of a constitutional change.
+Any Imperial magician may join any order. To become a member requires the use of a simple [[Arcane Mark|magic ritual]]. Several civil servants associated with the Conclave have mastered this ritual and can perform it on an Imperial citizen at no additional cost beyond the crystal mana required. The ritual places an invisible mark on the target which can be revealed with [[Spell list#Detect Magic|detect magic]] and several other rituals.
-An Order can be officially disbanded by a vote of the Senate in the same way that it was created, i.e. through constitutional change. To do this without the express request of the Conclave would be a serious assault on the independence of the Conclave.
+During character creation, a character with the [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill can join an order without needing to expend any crystal mana. A character who chooses not to take this option will need to join an order in play at the usual cost.
-{{CaptionedImage|file=Mage-Group-0398.JPG|title=A discussion between orders|caption=Costume by [http://costumemercenary.blogspot.co.uk/p/costumes-for-empire.html Costume Mercenary]|align=left|width=480|height=292}}
+===Changing Order===
+A magician can change order by replacing their Arcane Mark with the Arcane Mark of their new order. As a new member of an order, the magician counts for precedence at any subsequent Conclave meetings they attend and may speak against their grandmaster's statement for resourcing a gambit.
+However, a magician who changes order cannot vote in the election for a new grandmaster, if they were a member of another order when that order voted for a grandmaster in the last year. In effect you cannot participate in the election for a new grandmaster if you were previously eligible to vote when a grandmaster was elected at any of the previous three summits. Attempting to influence the election of a grandmaster without due authority is electoral fraud and can carry harsh penalties.
+==Powers of membership in an order==
+===Electing a Grandmaster===
+A member of an order can vote to determine who the [[grandmaster]] of the order will be. The grandmaster must be a member of the order to be eligible to stand.
+===Participation in Gambits===
+A member of an order can request and participate in a vote to [[p/Gambit#Challenging_the_Grandmaster|over-rule]] the decision of their grandmaster when [[gambit#Resolution|resourcing]] a [[gambit]].
+===Establishing Precedence===
+During a Conclave session, the number of members of an order present determines [[Principle of Precedence|precedence]]. The precedence of an order determines when they speak, what share of the Conclave resources they receive and the order in which they announce their response to a [[gambit]]. The first step in each conclave session is establishing precedence which means counting the members of each order present.
+Only members of the order, who bear the order's Arcane Mark, count for precedence. Attempting to deceive the count is considered [[List_of_Criminal_Offences#Crimes_against_the_Processes_of_the_State|electoral fraud]].
-==Grandmasters of the Orders==
+Precedence is also used to determine the distribution of resources into the [[Conclave vault|vault]] belonging to that order.
-Each order is represented to the Conclave by a single grandmaster. Grandmaster is an Imperial title which prevents the holder having any other Imperial title. The grandmasters vote on behalf of their order, and choose a single [[Conclave session#Hearing the Gambits|gambit]] to submit for consideration by the [[Archmage|archmagi]].
-Grandmasters encourage members of their order to participate in conclave affairs, and to contribute crystal mana for use in votes. Most grandmasters also work to maintain cohesion within their order and to encourage members to pursue and advance the manifesto of the order. A strong grandmaster can organise the magicians that are part of their order and help them wield political and magical power throughout the Empire. A weak or self-serving grandmaster often ends up representing a fractious, divided order incapable of wielding power in the Conclave.
+===Right of Challenge===
+Claiming to be in an order one is not a member of is considered electoral fraud. Any member of an order may request that another member prove their membership in the presence of a magistrate; in this case the onus is always on the challenger to provide the magic needed to examine the target's Arcane Mark.
-A grandmaster serves until the start of the next election, or until a [[Conclave session#Declaration of the Balance|declaration of the balance]] is made. A grandmaster ''cannot'' be [[General Assembly#Revocation of office|revoked]] by any chamber of the [[Imperial Synod]].
+==Existing orders==
+In the modern era, the following Orders are legally recognised as part of the Conclave:
-===Election of a grandmaster===
+* '''The Celestial Arch:''' The [[Celestial Arch]] maintain that the skill and knowledge required to master magic mean that magicians are naturally better leaders and statesmen. They champion the cause of magicians and magic in choosing the Empire's course.
-On the Friday night of each Imperial Summit the civil service convenes the Conclave specifically to form the Orders and appoint the Grandmasters. The precise details depend on the arrangement of The Hall of Worlds, but the appointment of the Grandmaster generally follows the following process:
-* A Conclave functionary calls all members of an order together in an antechamber of the Conclave Hall and seals it.
+* '''The Golden Pyramid:''' The manifesto of the [[Golden Pyramid]] centres on the role of magic in generating wealth across the Empire. This Order also champions the causes of [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]], and the right of all magicians not to be treated as servants or slaves.
-* Every magician in that hall is considered to be a member of that order.
-* If there is a sitting grandmaster, and they are present, the order can choose for them to continue in their role with a general aye that includes at least 60% of the order members present.
-* Each candidate who wishes to be considered as grandmaster of the order identifies themselves. They must be Imperial citizens. There may be a short debate.
-* The magicians declare their support for the candidates, usually using the [[Navarr]] technique of simply standing beside the candidate of their choice.
-** If one candidate has received at least 60% of the available votes, the candidate with the most votes is declared grandmaster.
-** If one candidate has not received at least 60% of the available votes, the candidate or candidates with the least votes are asked to reallocate their support among the other candidates.
-* This continues until there is a clear victor. That magician is declared grandmaster until the next election is held.
-===Voting Strength===
+* '''The Rod and Shield:''' The most martial of the orders, the manifesto of the [[Rod and Shield]] centres on the role of magic in defending the Empire and expanding its borders. The Rod and Shield is a popular order with battlemages and healers.
-The voting strength of an order is determined when the order chamber is sealed. A grandmaster cannot contribute more crystal mana for votes during a [[Conclave session#Voting on declarationns|vote]] than the recorded voting strength of their order. The grandmaster still needs to have the actual physical mana with which to place votes on behalf of their order, of course.
-The voting strength of an order is ''only'' reassessed at the point a new grandmaster is elected. If a grandmaster dies or resigns, then the civil service arrange an emergency re-election. It is possible under these circumstances for voting strength to be manipulated adversely, but the civil service do their best to support the order in ensuring everyone voting is actually a legitimate member of the order.
+* '''The Sevenfold Path:''' The [[Sevenfold Path]] manifesto centres on the belief that magic serves the Empire best when it is used virtuously, and that the virtuous should not fear magic. It often serves as a bridge between the Conclave and the [[Imperial Synod]].
-The other way that voting strength may change is when a [[Conclave session#Declaration of the Balance|declaration of the balance]] is made; in this case all grandmasters are re-elected and voting strength recalculated.
+* '''The Shuttered Lantern:''' The [[Shuttered Lantern]] focuses on the protection of the Empire and the accumulation of knowledge about allies and enemies alike. They are known to favour scrying, espionage and other subtle uses of magic.
-Efforts to allow the adjustment of an order's voting strength due to the deaths of magicians, lack of confidence in the grandmaster or personal whim have been unsuccessful. The civil service generally point out that the most effective way to actually alter the ability of a grandmaster to vote in the Conclave is to refrain from supporting them with crystal mana, and instead use the crystal mana to support the grandmaster of a different order.
+* '''The Unfettered Mind:''' The [[Unfettered Mind]] believe that the study and use of magic are ends in their own right. They work to expand the Empire's arcane knowledge and power, and oppose measures to curtail or constrain Imperial magic.
-===Reappointment===
+==Creation and Dissolution of an Order==
-In the event that a Grandmaster has died or disappeared the civil service will attempt to arrange a re-election. The voting strength of the Order may change during an Imperial summit as a result.
+New orders can be created, and existing orders dissolved, by a constitutional [[Powers_of_the_Senate#Creation_and_Dissolution_of_a_Conclave_order|vote of the Senate]]. A newly created order requires a clear statement as to its purpose and attitudes to magic, and a symbol, similar to those possessed by existing orders, that is used with the [[Arcane Mark]] ritual. When an order is dissolved, the contents of it's vault are redistributed among the remaining orders.
+{{CaptionedImage|file=Mage-Group-0398.JPG|title=A discussion between orders|caption=Costume by [http://costumemercenary.blogspot.co.uk/p/costumes-for-empire.html Costume Mercenary]|align=left|width=480|height=292}}
 [[Category:Conclave]]
-[[Category:The Empire]]
+[[Category:Conclave order]]
-[[Category:Imperial Titles]]