Civil Service Guide: Synod

An Introduction to the Synod

Membership of the Imperial Synod is an important calling and carries with it a number of Duties and Rights. This guide is intended to aid new members of the Synod in fulfilling their duties, and remind them of the purpose of the Rights.

Duties

As a member of the Synod you have the following duties:

I – Appoint a Cardinal for your Virtue Assembly

Your Virtue Assembly is determined by your Virtue Dedication or, if you are Undedicated, you are considered a member of the Assembly of the Way
If the Assembly has no Cardinal, you should ensure that your voice is heard in the appointment of the Cardinal
If the Assembly has a Cardinal, you share in the responsibility for the judgements and decisions they make as part of the Assembly of the Nine
If you feel that the Cardinal is not representing the Virtue or The Way in the manner they should, it is your duty to take action

Consult with the Functionaries of the Synod on how to take necessary actions in relation to this duty. This can include identifying a Cardinal if they are unknown to you.

II – Exercising of Judgement

As a religious leader, it is accepted that you are possessed of good and virtuous judgement
Your duties including passing judgement on matters presented to the Synod Assemblies
There are no formal meetings at the Synod, as you are expected to spend time attending to the needs and wellbeing of the lay citizens
You should check in at the Synod across the day to check with the Functionaries if any matters have been presented for your judgement
In time, you will get a sense for when to visit. If in doubt, we recommend once every three hours for a few minutes as a guideline.

Consult with the Functionaries of the Synod on seeing the judgements and how to register your own.

III – The Spiritual Wellbeing of your Nation, and the Empire

As a religious leader, you already minister to the spiritual wellbeing of several Citizens from your home nation.
Within the Synod, you are a member of three Assemblies: Virtue, National and General
Your duties within these Assemblies are to ensure that the Empire remains virtuous and that any corruption, idolatry, heresy or blasphemy is identified and dealt with
You have access to a number of powers to take action against threats you have identified.

If you wish to use any of the powers of the Assemblies to oppose wickedness, consult with the Functionaries of the Synod as to what options are available to you, and what may be the easiest way to access them.

Rights

As a member of the Synod, you are afforded various Rights to ensure that you are able to carry out your crucial role in the Empire:

I – Witness

As a member of the Synod, you have the right to enter any common space within the Empire, including the Military Command Tent, to observe that all citizens are behaving virtuously
If you are prohibited from exercising this right, you may notify the Synod Functionaries or the Judiciary
This right exists only whilst you are maintaining a discreet presence. Causing a disruption, or disturbance, forfeits this privilege in that time and place.

II – Sanctuary

If you are in the Synod tent, or on consecrated ground, and an individual asks you for Sanctuary from the Imperial Law, you may grant it for the turn of an hourglass
This right is intended to ensure that the Imperial Law is being enforced with reference to the Seven Virtues.
The turn of the hourglass is so that the individual may either gather the proof of their innocence, or confess their crime and the virtues that informed it
You, or a fellow Synod member, may appeal to the Judiciary for an extension of the hourglass

III – Confession and Clemency

Where an individual has been granted sanctuary in the Synod, or on consecrated ground, you may take their confession.
The confession will be in relation to the crime for which they have sought sanctuary
Having taken confession, you may accompany the individual to the Judiciary and appeal for clemency on the grounds of the virtues that informed the crime
Be warned, this right is not to be taken trivially or abused. If the individual offends again in the future, it will reflect poorly on you and charges may be brought.

IV – Judgement

As your duties include giving your judgement on matters before the Synod, you too may call on your fellow Synod members to pass judgement
Judgements can cover a range of matters including inquisition, revocation of Imperial positions, reward of virtuous acts, changing doctrines of the faith and more
The Functionaries of the Synod can advise you of the options available to you, and effective ways of accessing them.
When a judgement is put before the Synod Assemblies, a deadline will be set by which Synod members will be expected to have expressed their judgement.
After the deadline, the Functionaries of the Synod will tally the judgements of the Synod members and document the Judgement of the Synod.
Although the Synod is not required to meet, some Synod members have found it advantageous to explain the judgement they seek to make to their peers to ensure their support during the judgement process.

If you have any questions or require further clarifications regarding these Rights, it is advised that you consult with the Functionaries of the Synod regarding their interpretation.