Ranks of Blood and Shadow

Below, the current guild ranking structure is listed, with a description of each rank and what is required for a member to attain it. Keep in mind that in addition to the listed requirement, what matters the most is time spent with and loyalty towards Blood and Shadow. Level of experience is not as important if a member does not adventure with his or her fellow guildmates, is hardly ever in the game, or never takes part to guild events and raids.

The Executor is the leader of the guild: all decisions must get his or her approval, although a considerable degree of freedom is left to the Archons to decide for and organize their respective branches as they see fit. The Executor can promote and demote members, invite new players to the guild, change the Message Of The Day and guild description, and has power in all matters of Blood and Shadow.

The current Executor is Maulamar.

Archons are the primary officers of the guild. Each Archon supervises one of the branches of the guild, and there is currently only one Archon per branch (this may change in the future):

• The Blood branch - Adremelech
• The Spirit branch - Maulamar
• The Shadow branch - Gulzug

Archons have freedom in the way they manage their specific branch, although the Executor always has the final word on all issues. Archons can sponsor members for promotion or ask they be demoted, always supplying evidence to support their decision. When a promotion is agreed upon by Archons and the Executor, the Archon supervising the branch that the candidate member is in has the option to decide on additional requirements for the candidate before the actual promotion takes place (quests, deeds performed on behalf of the guild, gathering or crafting of items, and so on).

All officers also can invite new players to the guild freely, although the current general policy is to have the aspiring new member adventure with current members briefly before actually joining, in order to let him or her make sure Blood and Shadow is the guild they’re looking for and avoid early quitting. Afterwards, the aspiring member is welcome to join as uninitiated member, and not long after as Acolyte.

Arbiters are the secondary officers of the guild: they are diplomats, and act as guild relations officials. As such, they can invite new members to the guild, are knowledgeable about guild policies and rules, and can help when no Archon is online. The general policy for accepting new members still applies when one is invited by an Arbiter rather than an Archon or the Executor. Arbiters have no power to promote or demote members.

An Arbiter gains no other practical privileges in the guild save the ability to invite new members, therefore careful consideration must be taken both when choosing to aspire for such rank, and when deciding that an existing member is mature enough to represent the guild with others. Arbiters may be chosen among the most loyal Dragoons or in some cases Zealots, but not among Templars (and they do not become Templars).

Currently, the Arbiters of Blood and Shadow are:

• Radganesh
• Alasthor

Templars are highly skilled members who proved their loyalty to the guild many times. They form the elite guard of Blood and Shadow, the most trusted inner circle of fighters and raiders. They accompany guildmates in dungeons and raids whenever the occasion comes, and perfectly know their role in the party or raid.

Only the most trusted and loyal of Dragoons may aspire to become Templars. The path is not an easy one, as it must be evident that the candidate is willing to sacrifice for the guild when necessary, and will not leave his or her comrades in danger. They are, however, the first and most natural choice when it comes to form a party or raid for a difficult instance or encounter, and may thus receive a larger share of the spoils by having more chances to earn it.

Dragoons form the cavalry of the guild. More skilled than Zealots, they will also have more privileges in the guild, such as being able to vote on sensitive guild matters. In order to become a Dragoon, a Zealot must first complete quests given by the Archons; these may include, but are not limited to, quests to gather materials or craft items for the guild, quests of arms skill, and quests of lore. These tests are generally harder and more demanding than those for Zealots.

Zealots are the base members of the guild. Unlike Acolytes, they have been fully accepted by all officers and guildmates and have proven their trust towards Blood and Shadow. It’s normally not hard at all to be promoted from Acolyte to Zealot, provided the requirements of adventuring with fellow guildmates and those listed below are met.

An Acolyte is a person who recently asked to be a member of the guild and is proving his or her skills and traits. All new members initially join as uninitiated before becoming Acolytes after their initiation ceremony which normally happens quite soon. Then, they will stay Acolytes for a time that is dictated not only by the requirements for advancement but even more by their own behavior. The time spent as Acolyte is the perfect chance to show guildmates how one reacts to and cares about Blood and Shadow. Acolytes have no privileges, and will be subject to scrutiny and judgment of their commanding Archon, who may decide that a promotion to the rank of Zealot is appropriate at the right time – or that the Acolyte would be better off leaving the guild. In the former case, the Archon will sponsor the member’s promotion and will pass evidence and comments on to the Executor for the final decision.

Uninitiated members have most recently joined Blood and Shadow. This is a (short) first step for them to gather their bearings and make sure they haven’t taken the decision to join too hastily. It is also a first chance to show other guild members what their personality is like, and deal with any problems that may arise. After a short time, if there are no unresolved problems and the uninitiated is still convinced of his or her choice, an initiation ceremony is normally held and he or she is asked to swear allegiance to Blood and Shadow. On that occasion he or she also becomes an Acolyte and has the full right to wear the guild tabard. The new member’s path to proving him or herself to the eyes of the guild has only just begun.