Bylaws of the Kingdom of ShadowMist

1. Kingdom Officers
   1. President:
      1. The President shall be elected every six months at the AllThing.
      2. A person must be 18 years of age to run for President.
      3. The President shall be referred to in character as President, Monarch, Emperor, or other suitable title according to the wishes of the current President.
      4. The President is indirectly responsible for all kingdom functions.
      5. If it is necessary, the President may delegate a person to run a given function or duty.
      6. The President, with the consent of the Vice President, can make any changes to the by-laws.
      7. This duty may not be delegated to any other person.
      8. The President is responsible for the oversight of all other kingdom officers.
      9. The President is not required to pay for site or feast fees when attending ShadowMist events, as they are required to attend as part of their official duties.
      10. As a reward for their service, the President is not required to pay dues for the term FOLLOWING their completed term in office.
      11. Upon completion of their first term in office, the President will receive an increase in rank to the next rank according to the ShadowMist structure of rank and nobility.
      12. The president must have Internet access in in some fashion.
      13. Decisions regarding clans, houses, guilds and companies can be appealed to whole kingdom.
      14. At the beginning of each reign all kingdom funds will be calculated and 10% will be set aside for an officers slush fund the can be spent at the discretion of the President with the agreement of the Treasurer. 10% of all profits from all kingdom fundraising will be added to the slush fund throughout the reign. Other kingdom funds must have a 2/3 populous vote. This vote need not be held at an allthing, but may be held at any normal Battlegame.
   2. Vice President
      1. The Vice President shall be elected every six months at the AllThing.
      2. A person must be 18 years of age to run for Vice President.
      3. The Vice President shall be referred to in character as Vice President, Regent, Prince /Princess, Councilor, or other suitable title according to the wishes of the current President and Vice President.
      4. The Vice President is the President's assistant.
      5. Should the President be unable to complete his/her term in office, the Vice President shall step up to assume the office of President.
      6. Should the Vice President be unable to complete his/her term in office, an election shall be held to find a replacement Vice President.
      7. The Vice President and the President must agree upon all bylaw changes.
      8. The Vice President is in charge of keeping track of all Households, Guilds, companies and Clans.
      9. The Vice President is in charge of promoting the Arts and Sciences in the Kingdom and organizing any Arts and Sciences events such as classes and/or tournaments.
      10. The Vice President is not required to pay for site or feast fees when attending ShadowMist events, as they are required to attend as part of their official duties.
      11. Must have Internet access.
      12. As a reward for their service, the Vice President is not required to pay dues for the term FOLLOWING their completed term in office.
      13. Upon completion of their first term in office, the Vice President will receive an increase in rank to the next rank according to the ShadowMist structure of rank and nobility
      14. Decisions regarding clans, houses, guilds and companies can be appealed to whole kingdom.
   3. Chancellor:
   1. The Chancellor shall be elected every six months at the All Thing.
   2. A person must be 18 years of age to run for Chancellor.
   3. The Chancellor must have and maintain some form of internet access for the duration of his/her term in office for the purpose of updating and keeping updated the points, financial standing and other information stored on the ShadowMist web page. The Chancellor is the organizational assistant of the President
   4. The Chancellor is responsible for organizing court, elections and other meetings of the people.
   5. The Chancellor is responsible for all bookkeeping.
   6. The Chancellor must keep a record of who attended meetings on what dates.
   7. The Chancellor must keep a record of all financial transactions to or from the kingdom treasury. Updates must be made at least every week.
   8. The Chancellor must insure that each sitting officer gives a class on the duties of that office during their reign. The class must be announced at least two weeks in advance and held at a time when all prospective entrants for the election may attend.
   9. The Chancellor is responsible for seeing that all rules are followed for awarding points and titles. The Chancellor is not required to pay for site or feast fees when attending ShadowMist events, as they are required to attend as part of their official duties.
   10. As a reward for their service, the Chancellor is not required to pay dues for the term FOLLOWING their completed term in office.
   11. Upon completion of their first term in office, the Chancellor will receive an increase in rank to the next rank according to the ShadowMist structure of rank and nobility.
   12. Decisions regarding clans, houses, guilds and companies can be appealed to whole kingdom.
   4. Champion:
   1. The Champion shall be elected every six months at the AllThing.
   2. Election Qualifications: To run in the Champions election a person must be:
   1. A current dues-paid member;
   2. Sponsored by the current President, Vice President, or Chancellor, a noble of ShadowMist, or a member of ShadowMist holding the title of Guardian of the Realm;
   3. A certified reeve.
   4. At least 16 years of age.
   3. The Champion is responsible for planning and overseeing all battle games.
   4. The Champion is responsible for interpreting the battlegame rules during any battlegame.
   5. The Champion is the chief safety officer and is responsible for seeing that all activities are conducted in as safe a manner as possible.
   6. The Champion is responsible seeing that new members are trained and know the rules and weapon etiquette before they participate in a battle game or sparring.
   7. The Champion and the Game Master of Reeves must approve any changes to battle game rules.
   8. The President will award the Champion the title of Guardian upon completion of his/her term as champion.
   9. The Champion is not required to pay for site or feast fees when attending ShadowMist events, as they are required to attend as part of their official duties.
   10. The Champion is responsible for maintaining and having available loaner weapons.
   5. Hospitalor:
   1. The Hospitalor is responsible for interaction with new members or visitors to kingdom events.
   2. The Hospitalor is responsible for seeing that new members are placed in contact with those who can help them with what they want to do (i.e. combat, garbing, role-playing, etc)
   3. The Hospitalor will maintain a "loaner chest" with garb, feast gear, and other items that are available for new members and visitors to borrow.
   4. The Hospitalor will maintain a roster of what is in the loaner chest and who has borrowed what.
   5. The Hospitalor is responsible for making sure that all new members have the opportunity to purchase a newbie packet.
   6. Newbie packets cost $20.00 and consist of:
   1. 1 medium sword.
   2. 1 tabard or tunic.
   3. 1 copy of the current ShadowMist rules of play
   4. 1 copy of the current ShadowMist bylaws.
   7. Upon completion of the term as Hospitalor, the President will award them membership in the "Order of the hearth".
   8. The Hospitalor is to be responsible for checking the kingdom e-mail address currently found at: shadowmisthospitalor@hotmail.com. They shall safeguard the password to said account and pass it on to their successor when they step down.
   6. Captain of the President's Guard:
   1. The Captain of the President's Guard is appointed by the President and may be dismissed at the President's will.
   2. Mostly a role-playing position, the Captain of the President's Guard is responsible for the in-character safety of the President.
   3. In reality, the Captain of the President's Guard is responsible for seeing the wishes of the President are fulfilled in that he "makes things happen."
   4. The Captain of the President's Guard assures that when the President sees something that needs to be done, he is there to either do it himself or find someone who can. As such, this is a service position more than a combat position.
   7. Vice President's Defender:
   1. The Vice President's Defender is appointed by the Vice President and may be dismissed at the Vice President's will.
   2. Like the Captain of the President's Guard, the position of Vice President's Defender is mostly a role-playing one.
   3. The Vice President's Defender has the same duties to the Vice President as the Captain of the President's Guard does to the President.
   8. Treasurer:
   1. The Chancellor, with the President and Vice President's approval, may appoint a Treasurer.
   2. If no Treasurer is appointed, the duties of the Treasurer remain with the Chancellor.
   3. The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the kingdom funds, including a strict accounting for all expenditures and income.
   4. The Treasurer's records must be available for inspection by members upon request.
   5. As such, the kingdom Treasury records should be stored on the Kingdom of ShadowMist web site or the hfsinchaos.com site.
   6. At every change of officers, the incoming and outgoing Chancellors will audit the Treasury.
   9. Sheriff:
   1. The President with the agreement of the Vice President shall appoint the Sheriff.
   2. If the President deems it unnecessary, a Sheriff need not be appointed.
   3. If no Sheriff is appointed, the duties of the Sheriff remain with the President.
   4. The Position of Sheriff is mostly a role-playing position.
   5. The Sheriff is responsible for investigating any out-of-character incidents involving crimes such as theft and assault.
   6. The Sheriff should in no way attempt to supplant the civilian law enforcement, but will act as a liaison with them if needed.
   7. The Sheriff is also responsible for maintaining the Lost-and-Found for the Kingdom.
   10. Herald:
   1. The Chancellor shall appoint the Herald, with the approval of the President.
   2. The Herald shall act as announcer in court.
   3. The Herald is responsible for organizing court under the supervision of the Chancellor, and maintaining the organization of the court.
   4. The Herald should ensure that he knows the proper pronunciation for the names and proper form of address for all persons coming before the court.
   5. The Herald is responsible for the disposition of all gifts brought to the court.
   6. The Herald is responsible for insuring that all awards, prizes, and any other items to be handed out are available for the court.
   11. Scribe:
   1. The Scribe is responsible for all written work done officially in the Kingdom, including taking notes at meetings, making awards and titles to be given out, and keeping Kingdom information repositories up to date.
   2. The Scribe should attend all Kingdom meetings to be as well informed as possible.
   3. The Chancellor appoints the Scribe with the approval of the President.
   12. Jester:
   1. The Jester is responsible for all entertainments to be presented in court, including traditional jester comedy, music, poetry readings, etc.
   2. In addition the Jester is responsible for morale of the kingdom and should advise the president accordingly with regard to matters of morale.
   3. The Jester answers to the Vice President on these matters.
   4. The Vice President with the approval of the President appoints the Jester.
   13. Ambassador:
   1. The Ambassador is a liaison to other kingdoms.
   2. The Ambassador is responsible for communication between the President of this Realm and the President of the Realm to which he is assigned.
   3. The President appoints ambassadors.
   14. Chiurgeon:
   1. The Chiurgeon is the Kingdom medic.
   2. The Chiurgeon is responsible for seeing that the Kingdom First Aid kit is available at all events, and is well stocked at all times.
   3. The Chiurgeon is responsible for keeping kingdom records up to date in regards to allergies and health issues for members of the kingdom.
   4. The Chiurgeon should be at a minimum Red Cross certified in First Aid and CPR, but higher qualifications should be considered in the decision for selecting the Chiurgeon.
   5. The President appoints the Chiurgeon.
   15. Game Master of Reeves:
   1. The position of GM of Reeves falls by default to the President.
   2. The holder of the position of GM of Reeves must be a certified Reeve.
   3. If the President is not a certified reeve they must appoint someone to the position.
   4. If the President is a certified reeve they may choose to appoint someone to the position.
   5. The President may not appoint the Champion as the GM of Reeves.
   6. The GM of Reeves main duty is to see that game play remains balanced and to be the final authority of game questions and disputes off the field.
   7. The Champion and the GM of Reeves must agree upon any changes to battlegame rules including new classes for play testing.
   16. Certified Reeves:
   1. A person must be a certified Reeve to reeve a battlegame.
   2. To be a certified Reeve, a person must be at least 16 years of age.
   3. To be a certified Reeve, a person must also pass a series of tests.
   4. The first thee tests will be ten questions consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions that can be answered from the rulebook or by common sense.
   5. Test one will cover battlegame rules, weapon construction and general safety.
   6. Test two will cover class abilities and spell descriptions.
   7. Test three will cover Monsters and Monsters abilities
   8. The final test will be an on field test to include weapons inspection and all aspects of overseeing a battlegame.
   9. A reeve must re-certify every two years.
   10. The GM of reeves and the champion may agree to require any reeve to re-certify at any time, but no more frequently than once per term.
   17. Minister of Heraldry
   1. The Minister of Heraldry is responsible for knowing the historical rules of heraldry and for assisting members in creating their devices and coats of Arms.
   2. It is not required that the historical rules of heraldry are used in the creation of coats of arms, however it is encouraged.
   3. The Vice President appoints the Minister of Heraldry.
   18. Minister of Children:
   1. The Minister of Children is responsible for coordinating all activities for members under the age of 14 at events and Battlegames.
   2. The Minister of Children is not a babysitter, but is there to provide enjoyable period entertainment for our younger members.
   3. These activities include appropriate quests, games, stories, and competitions.
   4. The Parents or guardians of children placed in the Minister of Children's care are responsible for all food, clothing, and other items that may be needed by their children.
   5. The President appoints the Minister of Children.
   19. Kingdom Armorer:
   1. The Champion, with the approval of the GM of Reeves, may appoint a "Kingdom Armorer".
   2. The Kingdom Armorer is responsible for rating armor and approving it for safety.
   3. The champion may over ride the armorer in regards to safety.
   4. The Kingdom Armorer should be skilled and knowlegable in the construction and design of armor.
   5. If no Kingdom Armorer is appointed, the duties will remain with the Champion and the GM of Reeves.
   20. Guild Masters:
   1. Each class that is considered to be complicated (including Wizards, Druids, Healers, Non-Fighting classes and Monsters) shall have a Guild and a Guild Master, to be elected by a majority of Guild members.
   2. To be eligible to vote or run for Guild Master, a Guild member must have played in that class at least once in the last six months and be eligible to run in other elections.
   3. If a class is too small to have a Guild Master (i.e., less than five active Guild members), the duties for that Guild Master fall to the Champion.
   4. The Guild Master is responsible for introducing all new players who wish to play that class with the rules of that class.
   5. Guild Masters should provide basic instruction and assist new players in whatever way possible, including equipment construction and ability memorization.
   6. Guild Master shall be appointed by guild members at all thing
   7. Non-Class Guilds:
   8. A Non-Class Guild may be formed for the purpose of promoting a given art, craft, or theme.
   9. Examples include Music Guild, Dance Guild, Carpenter's Guild, Poet's Guild, etc.
   10. No Guild shall be formed that overlaps the area of another Guild within kingdom.
   11. A Guild must hold at least three active members at all times to be valid.
   12. Guild Masters will be elected as per guild bylaws.
   21. Holding Multiple Offices:
   1. A person may hold more than one office at any given time.
   2. Any person who holds multiple offices may only get credit for one office in so far as titles of nobility are concerned.
   3. It is the person holding offices choice which of the offices held they get credit for.
   4. The following combinations of offices are not allowed to be held simultaneously.
      1. President and Vice President
      2. GM of Reeves and Champion. If the President is also Champion they MUST appoint a GM of Reeves.
      3. President and Treasurer. If the President is also Chancellor they MUST appoint a treasurer.
2. Elections:
1. Elections will be held every six months.
2. All elected officers may run for re-election.
3. Elections shall be announced no less then 30 days before it is to occur.
4. Pre-voting:
1. A pre-vote shall be cast by providing your vote in a sealed envelope to the official conducting the election.
2. The envelope shall not be unsealed until the counting of the votes.
5. Voting by proxy :
1. Voting by proxy is giving another person permission to cast a vote in your name.
2. Voting by proxy is NOT allowed.
6. The Chancellor shall conduct all elections.
7. In the event that the chancellor is running for re-election, the President shall appoint a person of integrity who is not running in the election to conduct the election.
8. At least one person other then the person conducting the election must verify the counting of the ballots.
9. To vote in any group election, the person must be an active dues paid member.
10. To run in any election, you must:
1. be eligible to vote in that election
2. meet any and all requirements to hold that office.
3. have been a dues paid member for the past six months.
4. have previously held the office, or attended a class on the duties of the office within the past six months.
11. Active Membership
1. To be an active member, a person must not have missed more than four out of the last eight meetings.
2. A person must be a current active member to run in any election.
3. All officers of the kingdom must remain active members of the kingdom through out the duration of their term.
4. Any officer who fails to maintain active membership status will be subject to a vote of no confidence to remove them from office.
12. Removal from office:
1. Any officer may be removed from office by:
2. A 2/3-majority vote of no confidence by the populace.
3. A unanimous vote by the Conclave.
4. A vote of no confidence shall be held for an officer if said officer:
1. Fails to maintain an active membership status.
2. Willfully or negligently violates the bylaws of the kingdom.
3. Betrays the trust of the kingdom.
4. Willfully and knowingly violates real world laws and ordinances in the performance of their duties as an HFS officer.
5. Is questioned by a populace petition of at least 50% of the current active members of the kingdom.
6. Fails to perform the required duties of the position held.
7. Upon demand by 2/3 of the Conclave.
5. All current active dues paid members may vote in a vote of no confidence except the officer who is under vote
6. Members who are not dues paid or are not active may not vote in a vote of no confidence.
7. Should the President be removed from office, the Vice President should become the President and a new Vice President shall be selected.
8. If a new Vice President is needed, the new President shall appoint one who must first be approved by the populace.
9. If a new Chancellor is needed, the President shall appoint one who must first be approved by the populace.
10. If a new Champion is needed, the President shall appoint one who must first be approved by the populace.
11. Approval votes must be conducted within two weeks of the vacancy of the office. The vote must be announced as soon as possible. Announcements must be by e- mail, phone, face to face, or some combination there-of, which has a reasonable chance of reaching every member of the group.
3. Guilds, Houses, Companies, and Clans.
1. Guilds:
1. A Guild is formed of members who hold a like interest.
2. A Guild is formed of no less then three members.
3. To form a Guild, the members who wish to form the Guild should form a petition that includes the bylaws of the Guild.
4. The petition should be signed by all members wishing entrance to the Guild and then given to the Vice President for approval.
5. If approved, then the Guild may hold an election to select the Guild Master.
6. There are two types of Guilds: Fighting and Artisan.
7. A Fighting Guild is open to all members that play the class or classes to which the Guild pertains. 1. To be eligible to vote in the Guild election, they must have played that class for a point at least once during the previous six months.
8. An Artisan Guild is for promoting an Art or Science.
9. The Guild should be open to all members who wish entrance.
2. Houses:
1. A House (also called a Noble House) is formed by a noble with people who wish to associate with them.
2. The House must consist of at least three people with the founder as the leader of the House.
3. The founder MUST be of noble rank.
4. The founder petitions to the Vice President for a "charter of lineage" along with the signatures of their proposed vassals.
5. The Vice President must approve of the creation of the Noble House.
6. Because the House is lead by a noble, no bylaws are required: the noble leads the House.
7. The current leader of the House determines all changes in leadership, but House leadership MUST always be by someone who is of noble rank.
3. Companies:
1. Three or more people who hold something in common may form a Company.
2. This might be a desire to fight together on the field (a Fighting Company), or work together for a specific art or science (an Artisan Company). It could even be a desire to work together in character for some goal.
3. To form the Company the founders must petition the Vice President with the signatures of all who would be in the Company and the Company bylaws.
4. Leadership in the Company is determined by the procedures in the Company bylaws.
5. The Company must retain at least three active members.
6. The Vice President should take a census at every AllThing.
7. If a Company fails to maintain at least one active member in kingdom, they should be warned and given six months to recruit the required membership.
4. Clans:
1. A Clan is formed of members who wish to associate with each other.
2. The Clan is formed of at least three members who will petition the Vice President.
3. The petition should include the bylaws for the Clan.
4. Clan leadership can be determined in any method the Clan wishes.
5. Clan membership can be limited however the Clan desires.
6. Clan bylaws should include methods for changing the bylaws.
7. If a Clan fails to maintain at least one active member in kingdom, they should be warned and given six months to recruit the required membership.
4. Dues:
1. The Kingdom of ShadowMist is a non-profit group.
2. To give the Kingdom resources to for the desires of our members, such as three- day events, feasts, and quests, and to provide needed equipment, membership dues of $5.00 per six months are requested.
3. Note that dues are NOT required to play, but are required to vote or run for any office.
4. A member must have been a dues-paid member for at least six months at the time of the election to run for office.
5. Dues are to be paid at every all-thing. Dues are not to be accepted at any other time.
6. Exception: A member may choose to pay their dues early, however the period of being dues paid shall not begin before the AllThing. This is to keep record keeping simple.
5. Character Transfers:
1. Members from Ampgard or other similar LARP games may transfer their experience to the ShadowMist in a limited manner.
2. They may transfer up to half their levels, rounded down, in any class that is "unlimited," provided they can show that they know the HFS rules for that class up to the level they will receive.
3. These transfer points MUST be documented by the current chancellor of ShadowMist with some person in authority at the Ampgard chapter.
4. No point transfers will be allowed for "limited" classes due to the complexity of those classes.
5. Point transfers will be allowed only once.
6. If the player chooses, they may transfer the FULL levels for one class but may not transfer points for any others classes.
7. Awards, titles, and knighthoods from other groups will not be accepted.
6. In Kingdom point transfers.
1. A player may transfer points from one class to another class once during the first six months in the HFS.
2. To transfer points the player should request a point transfer from the chancellor in writing (standard or e-mail).
3. The request should include exactly what points the player wants put where.
7. Role Playing Rules:
1. The rules of role-play are to insure that players do not cause hard feelings by creating plots that run contrary to the desires of the players of characters involved in the plots.
2. That player must approve in advance all role-play, both live and on-line, that affects his or her characters, lands, or possessions.
3. Violations of this will be dealt with in character as appropriate.
4. The president, vice president, or a mutually agreed neutral party should mediate any disputes over these actions.
5. Disputes may also be resolved by battlegame with the agreement of both parties.
6. Any action deemed "illegal" by the president (in character) may also subject the role player to in-character punishments.
8. Changes in Battle Game Rules
1. The GM of Reeves and the Champion must agree on any change in battle game rules. This includes new classes for play testing
2. Any member may submit suggestions for battle game rules to the Champion
3. All rule changes are law until the next AllThing
4. The people will vote on all rule changes at the AlIThing with a simple majority required to overturn a decision
9. Changes in Bylaws
1. The President and the Vice President must agree on any change in Bylaws that occur at any time other than the AlIThing
2. A vote of the people is required with a 2/3 majority to enact a Bylaw change at the AlIThing
3. All Bylaw changes are law until the next AlIThing
4. Any member may submit suggestions for Bylaw changes to the Chancellor
5. The people will vote on all Bylaw changes at the AlIThing with a simple majority required to overturn a Bylaw change made by the President and Vice President
10. Personal Religious Symbols
    1. The kingdom of ShadowMist does not endorse any specific religious beliefs.
    2. Members of the kingdom of ShadowMist may not wear or display any religious symbol that is over three (3) inches in length and/or width while participating in any kingdom function.
    3. Exception: heraldric devices (coats of arms, etc.) may contain religious symbols if they are approved by the President and the Vice President.
11. Awards
1. Awards shall be given out as a thank you to members of the kingdom or visitors to the kingdom for service to the kingdom
2. Awards will never be given out for acts performed for personal gain with the following exceptions
1. Personal items such as garb may be given an award for winning a competition
2. Awards for excellence in battlegames may be given
3. Awards for outstanding performances of role-play, bardic, or other artistic endeavors may be given
3. The President and the Vice President must agree upon all awards given.
4. The new President and Vice President only may give awards to the former President and/or Vice President after their reign is complete.
5. Awards to the outgoing President, Vice President and Chancellor may only be given for acts of service beyond the scope of their duties.
6. All awards except the Spark, Ember, Fire Brand and Defender of the realm are given in copper (one award), silver (five awards) and Gold (25 awards).
7. All gold awards include the title of "Master of the (award title)".
8. Awards totaling two master-hoods shall include a promotion in rank providing all other requirements (time spent in current rank) are met. These awards do not need to be given in the same field.
9. The President may create new awards with the agreement of the Vice President. Awards to be given include:
1. Combat
1. Sword: Skill with melee weapons.
2. Wand: Skill with spell casting.
3. Arrow: Skill with missile weapons
4. Gryphon: Chivalry in combat.
5. Lion: Perseverance in the face of adversity.
2. Service
1. Staff: General service.
2. Dove: Chivalry off the field.
3. Spark, Ember, FireBrand, and Defender of the Realm.
1. Four different awards.
2. Each may only be received once.
3. No master hood is received for Fire Brand or Defender of the Realm.
4. Given for loyalty and great service to the realm.
3. Arts and Science.
1. Mask: General role-play.
2. Quill: Writing and on-line role-play.
3. Needle: Clothing and garb arts.
4. Rose: General Arts and Sciences.
5. Anvil: Armor and weapon making.
6. Flute: Bardic
7. Gosling Awards
1. Will be given to members under the age of 14.
2. Children under 14 may receive normal awards, however the same standards apply for receiving these awards as they do for others.
3. The minister of children, with the approval of the President and Vice President, will give the awards.
4. Gosling awards do not count for computing master hoods or titles.
5. Gosling awards will not be given at events but should be given within one week of the action deserving of the award.
6. Gosling awards will be given as follows
1. Gold Star: Service
2. Rose Bud: Arts and Sciences
3. Demi-Mask: Role-play
12. Sumptuary Laws:
1. Clothing reserved for offices and nobility:
1. Only the president may wear a circlet or crown of gold or gold colored metal with more than one point.
2. Only the vice president may wear a circlet or crown of silver or silver colored metal with more than one point.
3. Only a person with a title of Baron/Baroness or higher may wear a metal or metal colored circlet or crown with one point.
4. Only a person with a title of Lord/Lady may wear a meal or metal colored circlet or crown with no points.
5. Points are protrusions from the body of the crown pointing upward
6. Only a Knight may wear a white or a gold colored belt.
7. Only a Knight may wear a heavy gold colored chain without pendant.
8. Only a Squire may wear a red or a silver colored belt.
9. Only a Squire may wear a heavy silver colored chain without pendant.
2. Personal Religious Symbols
1. The kingdom of ShadowMist does not endorse any specific religious beliefs. These rules are for the public reputation of the group
2. Members of the kingdom of ShadowMist may not wear or display any religious symbol that is over three (3) inches in length and/or width while participating in any kingdom function.
3. Exception: heraldric devices (coats of arms, etc.) may contain religious symbols if the President and the Vice President approve them
4. This rule shall be enforced if complaints are received. If no one has a problem with a religious symbol, there is no reason to remove it.
5. This rule shall be enforced regardless of the religion of the symbol.
13. The Conclave:
1. The Conclave represents the spirit of the original intent of the founders of the Kingdom.
2. The Conclave exists to ensure that the group does not stray too far from its roots and to stop a President and Vice President who are abusing position.
3. The founding doctrine of the Kingdom is:
1. All members should be treated fairly according to their actions and abilities and not according to political desires of those who are in power.
2. Officers in the kingdom are accountable to the members of the kingdom for their actions.
3. In Role-play, the kingdom of ShadowMist represents Heroic Fantasy and the ideals of the hero should be upheld in kingdom role-play.
4. When those in power drift from this, the Conclave may step in to change things.
5. Unless specified elsewhere in this document, all actions of the Conclave require a unanimous vote.
6. The Conclave is made up of the founding members of the Kingdom and those selected by the founding members by unanimous vote.
7. The Conclave shall adopt a person to act as the leader of the Conclave. This leader shall preside over all Conclave discussions.
8. Members of the Conclave who are currently serving in the office of President and/or Vice President may not have a vote in the Conclave during their term in office. They must be allowed to participate in all Conclave discussions, however.
9. There will be a minimum of two voting members of the Conclave at all times.
10. A member of the Conclave who does not maintain an active status in the kingdom shall not be allowed to vote in Conclave matters. They may participate in Conclave discussions, however.
11. The Conclave may take any action it deems necessary provided they are in unanimous agreement.
12. No bylaws may be passed concerning the conclave except by the conclave itself or the unanimous agreement of the remainder of the kingdom.
13. Currently the Conclave consists of:
1. J. Lynn Graves
2. David Graves
3. Jennifer D' Agostino
4. Kim Howard
14. Removal of Conclave members:
1. Members of the Conclave may only be removed by a unanimous vote of the remaining members of the Conclave.
2. A member of the Conclave who is removed may again be inducted into the Conclave by a unanimous vote of the current members of the Conclave.
14. Nobility:
1. To maintain a medieval flavor for the kingdom, members of the kingdom can earn ranks of nobility.
2. Awards of nobility are given only for service to the kingdom.
3. Awards of nobility of Lord/Lady should also come with an award of land in character.
4. Awards of nobility of Baron/Baroness should come with an increase in the size of land.
5. For every set of awards equal to two master-hoods (a total of 50 copper level awards), an increase in rank shall be awarded.
6. It is the duty of the Chancellor to find that a person is deserving of an increase in rank.
7. The President and the Vice President should verify that the individual has earned the proper number of awards for the award of rank.
8. The President, Vice President and Chancellor should all agree that the conditions have been met before awarding any titles of nobility or rank.
9. The President, Vice President and Chancellor shall all sign all titles of nobility.
10. Members of the kingdom can also earn ranks of nobility for serving as President Vice President and Chancellor.
11. The first term in any of these three offices earns one increase in rank.
12. Holding any combination of three terms in any of these offices will earn an additional increase in rank. For example after holding office in each of the three offices and then holding the office of chancellor for three terms, four increases in rank would be given.
13. No more than four increases in rank may be earned this way.
14. If a title is earned by serving in office but that person has not fulfilled the time obligation required for that rank, then the time obligation shall be waived.
15. If a title is earned by earning the required number of awards, then the title shall be withheld until such time as the time obligation has been fulfilled.
16. Titles can be transferred upon verification from other HFS kingdoms.
17. The Ranks of nobility are as follows in order from lowest to greatest:
1. Lord/Lady
2. Baron/Baroness: May only be awarded after holding the title of Lord/Lady for a minimum of six months.
3. Viscount/Viscountess: May only be awarded after holding the title of Baron/Baroness for a minimum of six months.
4. Count/Countess: May only be awarded after holding the title of Viscount/Viscountess for a minimum of six months.
5. Marquis/Marquise: May only be awarded after holding the title of Count/Countess for a minimum of one year.
6. Duke/Duchess: May only be awarded after holding the title of Marquis/Marquise for a minimum of one year.
7. Archduke/ Archduchess: May only be awarded after holding the title of Duke/Duchess for a minimum of one year.
8. Grand Duke/ Grand Duchess: May only be awarded after holding the title of Archduke/Archduchess for a minimum of two years.
15. Orders of Knighthood
1. The honor of Knighthood is not for everyone.
2. To be a Knight, you must be pure of heart, of good character and honorable to all.
3. The Knight has a responsibility of service to the known realms no matter what his/her order is.
4. There are three orders of Knighthood:
1. Knight of the Dragon (Combat).
2. Knight of the Falcon (Service).
3. Knight of the Hart (Arts and Sciences).
5. The belted Circle:
1. All ShadowMist knights currently active make up the belted circle.
2. The President is, by default, part of the belted circle.
3. Any decision by the belted circle requires a 2/3 majority.
6. Procedure to be knighted
1. If there are currently knights in the kingdom, a person must first squire to an existing Knight.
2. The squire may wear a red belt.
3. No one other than squires may wear a red belt.
4. It is allowable for a squire's knight to be from another Kingdom, but that is not recommended.
5. The Belted Circle of this Kingdom must approve of the Squire's ascension to knighthood.
6. The President can choose to directly knight someone with the approval of both the Vice President and the Belted Circle.
7. The approval of the Conclave may be substituted for the approval of the belted circle.
8. A Squire must serve his/her knight for a minimum of six months.
9. When his Knight feels the Squire is ready, he brings a vote up in the Belted Circle.
10. If the knight is the only member of the belted circle, he must bring the vote up to the Conclave. Both the Conclave and the President must approve of the squire's ascension to knighthood.
11. If the vote fails, he is rejected but remains a Squire and attempt again.
12. The Knight candidate decides on his ceremony including whether or not to participate in a vigil.
13. At the ceremony, he will be brought before the President for the Ceremony of Knighting.
14. He will take an oath of loyalty to the PEOPLE of the Realm and an oath of chivalry.
15. He is then given his White Belt.
16. ONLY knights may wear a white belt.
7. The duties of the Knighthood:
1. The knighting itself is not the end, but the beginning.
2. As Knights, they are expected to serve the Realm as appropriate.
3. The duties of knighthood depend upon the order under which the Knight was selected.
4. For example, a Knight of the Dragon might train new fighters to help them improve faster.
5. The Knight of the Hart might make garb for new members or gifts for the populace to present to foreign royalty when visiting other Realms.
6. Knights of the Falcon would help out in whatever way they could, including but not limited to assisting newcomers and visitors to feel welcome in the group, or helping people set up their camps at events.
7. It is important to note that while we should make efforts to assist those in charge of the group like the President, it is just as important that we help others who are common populace."
8. The ideals of honor and chivalry extend from the King and Queen down to the lowest of the lowborn.
8. Transfer of knighthood.
1. Not all kingdoms hold knights to the same high standards as ShadowMist. Because of this, not all knights will be allowed to keep their knighthood when they transfer to ShadowMist.
2. When a visitor to ShadowMist comes to our field, they should be treated with the same respect as we would treat on of our own knights.
3. If a knight wishes to join the kingdom of ShadowMist, they must first go through a six-month probationary period. During this time:
1. They may wear their white belt.
2. They will be addressed as Sir or Dame according to their wishes.
3. They may play the class of Paladin or any other class restricted to knights.
4. They are expected to live according to the ideas of all knights in ShadowMist.
5. They are not a member of the belted circle of the Kingdom of ShadowMist.
4. At the end of their six-month probationary period the belted circle will vote to decide if they should accept the knight as a member of the belted circle of ShadowMist.
5. A 2/3 vote is required to accept.
6. They then recommend his/her acceptance to the President.
7. If the President agrees the matter is then put before the populace.
8. A 2/3 majority populace vote is required to accept the knighthood.
9. If the transferring knight fails any of these steps, he/she may not carry the honor of knighthood. They may choose to squire and attempt to regain their status that way.
10. If the transferring knight succeeds in all these votes, then his status of knight remains and he/she becomes a member of the belted circle of ShadowMist.
9. Removal of a knight's belt: It is important to note that knighthood is an honor but is also a responsibility. As such, those who may have been deemed worthy of that honor, but do not live up to their responsibility are subject to have their titles revoked.
10. The procedures for revoking a knighthood are as follows:
1. A group of no less than five people must complain to the President or the Conclave about the behavior of the knight, citing specific examples of the behavior.
2. The President must then warn the knight about his behavior and observe the knight for future exhibits of "un-knightly" behavior.
3. If it continues and three more complaints are received within one year of the warning, the President must call the Belted Circle to discuss the matter.
4. The knight in question is allowed to be there, however the procedure may continue without him or her.
5. The belted circle may chose to revoke his belt on a temporary basis of no longer than one year with a 2/3 vote.
6. At the end of that term, the belted circle must review his behavior to determine if he should lose his knighthood permanently.
7. They may also choose to revoke his belt permanently.
8. Removal of a knighthood requires a 2/3 vote of the Belted Circle and agreement of the President.
9. Once a Knights belt has been revoked, the former knight may again become a knight, but they must begin the process anew by squiring to another knight.