While we do not religiously practice the virtues as sought out and brought to glory by the Avatar of Sosaria, we do respect the teachings that the virtues give. We have therefore intertwined some of these virtues into our own laws and customs.
In the Elven Courts, an elf is innocent until proven guilty. The judgement as decided by our Monarchy or Eldership is to be accepted without question and is final. Penalties are dependant upon the crime committed and are explained within the elven scroll:
Criminal Code of Eldador
Out-Of-Character (OOC) Laws:
ELF is an honorable, hard-working and tolerant guild. Our primary OOC expectation of our members, and a key part of our application process, is maturity. Expect that not all decisions made will be to your liking; this is life and this will occur in all facets of your life. Debate is welcome on most subjects as the membership is consulted frequently for their comments and opinions. This will be your opportunity to help shape the course of this guild. When decisions are finally made, they are usually done according to the majority's will. Once a decision is made, we expect this decision to be respected and accepted, regardless of whether you agreed or not. We are all friends and family, we play this great game together as a group and must co-exist peacefully for the enjoyment of all. Our Leaders are not paid, they are volunteers: People who put many long hours of hard work into creating enjoyment for YOU, the member, and who experience stress during major decisions while also putting aside their evening hours to make this guild work and increase your enjoyment. Please respect our Leaders when decisions are made as they are made with wisdom, discussion and with the best interests of the guild at heart. Questioning and arguing about decisions that are already made only decreases the enjoyment that our leaders get from the guild. This is not a business, this is not a government--these are volunteers who want to enjoy the game just as we all do. Show them respect and kindness. Honor them for their contribution to this guild.
Respect:
All members of the Ancient Order of Elves shall respect one
another, treat one another with kindness and be courteous as well as
helpful. Personal disputes that exist between members
are expected to be resolved by the members involved in a
mature manner. Elders will not get involved in personal
disputes unless it become disruptive to the guild as a whole.
We understand that in a guild this size,
friction will occur yet we also trust that our members are
mature enough to deal with their disputes privately. Those
members who are unable to do this and get along with fellow members
may very likely find themselves no longer in our guild.
Guild Reputation:
The Ancient Order of Elves has seen a long history of excellence
in our realm. Much of this excellence is due to our good
name and our good standing in the community at large. Any
member of ELF who experiences discontent with the guild or its
Leadership is expected to handle this maturely with the
Leadership only. Any member of ELF who slanders the
guild's good name to the community by spreading this anger or
discontent shall find themselves severely reprimanded and very
likely removed from ELF. Our good name and our tradition
is very important to the health of this guild and we expect
each of our members to respect this. We do not expect
our members to agree with all decisions made by the
Leadership as this is impossible. We do, however, expect
that you respect these decisions and act accordingly in a
mature manner.
Leaving ELF: If you should feel the need to depart the Ancient Order of Elves over
policies, decisions or discontent, we expect that you will
do so quietly and show respect for the members of this hard
working guild. Public displays of discontent shall be
dealt with in a severe fashion.
IRC:
We have a set of rules governing our IRC chatroom. All members in our #elvenorder
chat room must abide by these rules.In-Character (IC) Laws:
Honor and Respect:
We of the Ancient Elven Order serve both the elves of the
present and those elves of the past who are our forefathers and
founders. We must respect, honor and assist our fellow
elves, respect our history, and our customs. Any Elf who
intentionally and maliciously harms a member of our Order or a
member of an allied organization shall be brought before the
Elders for judgement. Any elf who knowingly endangers
the welfare of the Ancient Elven Order as a whole is guilty of
treason, will be ejected from our fold and made an enemy of
the Order.
Honesty:
All elves are expected to be honest and truthful. We do
not gain anything by being deceitful or dishonest. Any
elf who causes harm through dishonesty, either by leading an
elf to harm through their words or actions, or directly
causing this harm through theft or other means, will be
subject to punishment by the Elders and required to pay for
all damages caused.
Humility:
Humility is a virtue that has long been ingrained in elven
culture and customs. Elves must accept their role in
life, their role in the guild, and accept the leadership
of those who have been appointed positions above them. Likewise,
those who are in leadership roles understand their duty to the
guild and the royal elven family and must never abuse their power.
Role Playing:
We are a proud race and this guild has a long standing
tradition of excellence in these realms. As such, our
members are expected to adhere to our laws and customs while
conducting themselves in a manner that is befitting of our great
race in the image of what we wish all elves to be.
Acting in a non-elven way on a continual basis is
grounds for punishment and eventual removal from the Order.
Respect the great tradition that elves before you have
laid down from the past and show your respect for all that is
Elven in Sosaria, adhere to the old customs and ways of
your forefathers and foremothers.[You are an elf, you are not a human. Role play an elf.]
Guild Uniform:
As a majority, we are creatures of the forest. Bright
colors do not capture our eyes and we consider them eyesores
and inappropriate for forest travel. We prefer to wear
the colors of our surroundings; greens, browns and other soft
earthen colors. Some elves, however, are city dwellers,
either in the Elven Marketplaces of the realm or even in the
bustling heart of the great Human cities such as Britain.
Their clothing style may more accurately reflect their
surroundings and styles of the places in question. Reguardless
of the clothing style you clad your elf in, please be
conscious of the RP reasons for what others may be wearing.
Some paths such as the Path of Nature may have a more restrictive
uniform requirement. Please consult within your
individual paths for path-specific restrictions. [Hooded Shroud of Shadows and Robes of Umbra are often used to distinguish the evil beings within our realm from the average elf and therefore are unacceptable clothing of the Ancient Order.]
Sarlock Longbow, October 9, 2002
Updated August 4, 2009