(http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook/images/blacksunflag.png)
Black Sun Union
Retrospective
Besides the historic content (http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook/chapter2.html#history) of the now obsolete, but still important for register purposes, Informational Handbook (http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook), past events have driven the Union to the need of being reviewed regarding its modus operandi, as mentioned in this brief history:
Ideals over Practicity
Too many words, too little action, that resumes the way that the Black Sun Union started. Let not dismiss the great importance and role of Annera Klorn in its existence, but even though she did excel in making its headstart and fundamental principles, she was less than brightful on maintaining it running smoothly and on presenting it to the public. Analyzing its aspects, the main flaw was the overtly idealistic mentality that dominated the organization, and the way it expressed itself to the public. Bloated, impossible-sounding goals and several overly rhetorical statements have created, at best, an indifferent reaction to its existence, and at worst, a displeasant view of it as "another horde of politicians". Finally, an ambitious plan of expanding it into several specialized groups leaded it to spread out too thin, breaking coordination and causing the myriad of factors that would eventually lead to the death of the so-called Legion of the Black Sun if nothing was done about it.
Decadence: A long descent
The small organization did not hold up much appeal to the general public, with its overtly rhetorical choice of words and a contradicting behavior of restricting access to certain information to only key members among a gloomy existence of a counter-intelligence operation that could in theory violate the privacy of its members. Its growth then suddenly stagnated, and in fact it began to reduce in number of members instead of growing, as not only it failed on attracting members, but also on keeping the old ones interested on it. According to report of the existing members, Annera went into an existencial crisis based on her disappointment with Yliakum, to make things even worse, and renounced to her position as president, while still retaining her position as a member of the Union. Although apparently this crisis was solved, from the reports its wound never healed, and in the end she, through unknown means, created a temporary portal through which she went to an unknown destination and left Yliakum behind. A significant quantity of members abandoned the organization after Annera's departure was known, while others remained, and attempted to run it as a direct democracy, according to the principles of its constitution. However, lack of interest from members turned the Union in a dead organization, proving that such types of arrangements are currently nothing but delusions of utopian dreamers.
Overhaul: The Recovery
Arunis Redwings, one of the first members of the Union, has met and befriended Doria Muntz, a very charming and cunning diaboli woman, former member of a civilian militia, and in one of their conversations, her interest for the organization became clear, for personal reasons that she asked to not be disclosed. In the turbulent environment that the Union was, Doria managed to slip past recruitment formalities to go inside its core, from where she start to lay her own plays to assume its control. After making her own proposal for an overhaul, which details are below, and after disappointing presidential election where almost nobody voted, she boldly challenged the constitutional law (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=82) by self-proclaiming herself as the president of the Black Sun Union. For now, nobody questioned her decision.
Renewed Organization (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=75)
Under the goals of increasing effectiveness, efficiency and minimizing bureaucracy, but respecting and keeping its basic principles, the Union was completely restructured into a more compact, but better integrated form:
New General Goals
These goals encompass all the organization, and supplanted the previous ones. Only thing kept was the "Freedom, Science and Progress", not as goals in themselves, but as the motto. The new goals are ahead:
- Achievement of freedom through the promotion of progress and scientifically-founded education for everyone.
- Incentive to innovation and support to great ideas from outstanding individuals and to scientifical advancement.
- Support of members for their own individual achievement of freedom.
- Self-development and growth of the organization itself
- Build-up for the Settlement of the future Republic of Eljar (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=9)
We also seek to establish a more effective communication with the public, and more interesting activities to the members. Recreation will not be neglected anymore. Parties, events, commemorations and even some bits of humor in relationships with both members and the public will become commonplace among other activities that will ensure that joining the Union does not sound like getting a typical job and that it will be loved by the public.
New Structure
The official Union is now compacted as a single organization, to promote better relationship and communication lines between members of different specialities instead of setting them apart. The previous planned organizations, for now, are simplified into directorates of the Union, and each of them also have their degree of autonomy and exclusive goals[Linked names point to their specific symbols already done as WIPs]. There are four directorates in total: Progress, Economics, Militia (http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook/images/militiablazon3.png) and Public (The unique colors used are to indicate each of them on the "ranks" list). All of them, plus the president compose the Union, in the following structure(With some brief descriptions of some of their principal rights and functions):
- President (http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook/images/presidentseal.png): Diplomacy, representative power
- Scientist: Research and teaching of scientific knowledge
- Artist: Innovation, creativity and promotion of popular culture
- Worker: Self-ruled non-hierarchical workplace, production and design of products and services, shareholder
- Merchant: Distribution, sales, merchandising of all workers produce, shareholder
- Captain (http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook/images/commandersymbol.gif): Training of militiapeople to tactical independence and combat skills, raiser of morale, elected
- Militiaperson (http://www.freewebs.com/yrmbook/images/militiasymbol2.gif): Self-defense, defense of the community, access to weapons crafted by workers
- Propagandist: Public relations, recruitment, promotional events and parties.
- Fixer: New member, undecided member or jack-of-all-trades
Plus we have one out-of-charts position: Enterpreneur, that will be the name given for those inside the Union who decide to open their own ventures and that have well-structured ideas, engaging their own organization into mutual support with it. Hierarchies are from minimal to non-existant, as the Captain is elected by the militiapeople and his function is charismatic leadership to keep the militia morale high and give guidance, not a constant direction of their paths as an unquestionable authority, and the President is subjected to the opinion of the other members and again, both may be dismissed at any moment. Also, another important notice of a minor, but symbolically significant change, is that each position has its own exclusive badge (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=81), that they may wish to display or not publically. Lastly, here are the unique goals of each directorate, the very specific types of freedom they embrance:
- Progress: Free flow of information and art.
- Economics: Free market based on cooperation and enterpreneurship.
- Militia: Freedom to wield weapons
- Public: Freedom of association and expression
New Opportunities and Offers
The Black Sun Union is now much more open to embrace those willing to support its cause, either for their own future personal benefits from doing it as it grows economically, or for moral motivations based on altruistic principles or ideals that match those of the organization, and will not neglect the needs of its members, if you are interested, leave your message asking to join with a resume of your competences at the Public Messages Boards (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=23) of the Public Relations Area, or meet Doria Muntz or any other public member personally. Also, you still have the opportunity of joining as a non-official member, even if you are already inside another organization, as long the other organization does not oppose ideologically the Black Sun Union, for consistency reasons.
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OOC Rules:
- Roleplay Focus: This Organization(And its equally named "guild") is focused on Roleplay, so you should do it regularly. Equally, guild chat, although tolerated, is deemed as completely Out-of-character and should not be used for IC conversations between "guild" members
- Roleplay Quality: What is the point of roleplaying *Disguised as RPer Uberleet kills Character A with a single blow ? Roleplay should be reasonable and not absurd, and thus people who have their characters known for engaging in similar types of "roleplay" will not be accepted until there is enough evidence they improved. Equally, repeated reports on such practices being made by one of the members will result in the removal of this member from the organization. Lastly, people who take things too far and do not differentiate IC from OOC, mixing both in the way they react in game, will difficultly be accepted
- OOC Respect: Although having one or more occasional conflicts In-character between the members is nothing to worry about, the same cannot be said about people who verbally agress others personally. Note though that respect is important, but not as much as honesty, if you have any grievance with anybody inside it, you should not hide it, but contact me through Doria using /tells or sending a PM.
- Activity measurer: The "prestige points" will function as OOC ways to measure one's relative activity(as IC a character cannot just "poof" and disappear). Every day someone logs in, the points will be resetted to 100, and will degrade into 1 for each day that pass until it reaches 0(meaning 100 days of inactivity = 3 months plus 10 days). Once this limit is achieved, the member will be considered as "inactive", but will remain in the organization, as a name(Characters do not poof and disappear forever either).
Note: I did not register it as a [GUILD], because it will have members that will not be inside the guild called "Black Sun Union". Also, it is OOCly secret(secrecy flag toggled on), as I don't like a floating guild name over a character head, don't see it as the best way to identify people from a guild and members are not forced to identify themselves as well. This is more for critical review then for recruitment though *awaits the criticisms, hoping they will be constructive*
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[It seems "nobody" found anything to criticize(Most simply don't post when a "guild" is well developed to say it's fine, only when it has flaws), so, as an update report about what the heck happened, and to inform it's alive an running, I'm posting this, hopefully there is nothing wrong about it, and the previous post is already too large anyway ;) I intend to write periodic(not so periodic perhaps) IC newsletters here that are of more general interest(and obviously more visible) than those in the guild forums, if it's allowed ]
Update: Latest News of the Union
- Critical rumors: public mistrust based on street talk leads to unanswered popular pressure to act against the Dark Empire.
- Union is ready for diplomacy and negotiations: specific room for meetings settled and doors opened.
- Science and magic needs material: crafter being searched for manufacture of metal wires.
Critical Rumors Lead to Requests of Aggressive Actions
In a quite recent time, unreliable rumors started to surface claiming that the Dark Empire is "evil" and seeks to destroy all the freedoms the Union values so much by overthrowing Yliakum current government. As expected, some of the common folks that have knowledge of this organization started to pressure it for immediate actions to be taken against the other mentioned organization, due to our support for the values of freedom.
As already stated by Doria Muntz in an official public release (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=85), if the Dark Empire was truly a threat, as those fallacious rumors claimed, measures would then be immediatelly taken to defend the liberties of the people against it. Some few persons have protested against the Union stance regarding unproven rumors, an elderly dwarf with his grandsons shouted "Ye be cowards! Ye be running of imperials!" among other practical examples of why proper education for everyone is paramount for a successful free society.
The Black Sun Progressist Union values professionalism on its diplomatic relations with outside groups, and will not take actions based on rumors, superstitions and "prophecies". Also, the financial resources to engage into an useless violent conflict against other organization are better employed in investments of education, science and culture of the Progress Directorate.
Finally, people should not forget this is not a lawless land, and that the legal authorities will not avert their eyes to violent conflicts between organizations, or to any group that is attempting to overthrow them, so even if these rumors are true, a strong State exists to maintain the things in Yliakum on the way they are, so if such case was truthful, then the end result would be suicidal.
Union Opens its Doors for Business and Diplomacy
The Black Sun Union is inviting representatives of organizations or independent businessmen interested on new perspectives on all fields to register themselves inside its doors (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=84) and have access to its negotiations room, where they will be met by an appropriate negotiator or by the president for any kind of negotiation.
It is important to remind that the Black Sun Union is currently completely neutral regarding other organizations, and is open for making agreements with any group, regardless of ideology, as it also follows the principle that the competent organizations are those who succeed through non-violent means.
Alas, there is a special invitation for the Community of Vaalnor (http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=18327.0) to send a representative, due to somewhat similar ideological values it shares with the Union, and negotiations might lead to very good results for both. Of course this is something that extends for anyone interested in the perspectives of united initiatives between multiple organizations and formal trade and peace agreements.
Crafter Looked for Production of a Metal Wire
The scientific division of the Progress Directorate has recently requested a quite unusual material for their research efforts in both science and magic. The Black Sun Union is then looking for a crafter skilled enough to produce a long and very thin metal wire, if you think you are up to the job, and have interest, register yourself into the organization files (http://yrm.11.forumer.com/profile.php?mode=register), and you will be given access to the forementioned negotiations room where more technical details will be given and the price will be agreed about, or meet Doria Muntz and talk with her about it.
[ Thinking about it, better to have a separated thread for discussion about the Black Sun Union, it's allowed to have it right? ]