Rules update 2026 - Revision history

Twiggy at 11:03, 14 July 2026

2026-07-14T11:03:49Z

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	We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.		We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.

	The new Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield will receive a two writs that they can use at the Saturday Conclave after they are elected at the forthcoming event.		The new Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield will receive two writs that they can use at the Saturday Conclave after they are elected at the forthcoming event.

	===Reasoning===		===Reasoning===
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	We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.		We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.

	We've giving the new Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield two writs for use in the Saturday Conclave at the next event, to compensate for them losing out. This is a one-off change because we are over-turning the previous event's decision.		We're giving the new Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield two writs for use in the Saturday Conclave at the next event, to compensate for them losing out. This is a one-off change because we are over-turning the previous event's decision.

	===IC Justification===		===IC Justification===

Matt: /* Grandmaster and Candidacy */

2026-07-14T11:00:36Z

Grandmaster and Candidacy

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:00, 14 July 2026
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	We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.		We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.

			The new Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield will receive a two writs that they can use at the Saturday Conclave after they are elected at the forthcoming event.

	===Reasoning===		===Reasoning===
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	We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.		We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.

			We've giving the new Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield two writs for use in the Saturday Conclave at the next event, to compensate for them losing out. This is a one-off change because we are over-turning the previous event's decision.

	===IC Justification===		===IC Justification===

GuiltyConscience: /* Reasoning */

2026-07-14T10:20:10Z

Reasoning

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:20, 14 July 2026
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	Having taken the time to review that decision after the event, it is clear it is the wrong one. Firstly, it is not consistent with the rules for challenging a grandmaster, which do allow for an emergency election. Arguably the Rod and Shield would have had to challenge their slain grandmaster under the old rules, which makes little or no sense. Whenever any title is vacated, it creates in-character problems for the Empire and its citizens, but the grandmaster has a unique role to play in enabling other characters to take part in the debate, which is why challenge exists. We want players to play a full role in Conclave, so it makes sense to have the election happen quickly, even though that involves a trade-off that means more players will be unaware that the election is taking place.		Having taken the time to review that decision after the event, it is clear it is the wrong one. Firstly, it is not consistent with the rules for challenging a grandmaster, which do allow for an emergency election. Arguably the Rod and Shield would have had to challenge their slain grandmaster under the old rules, which makes little or no sense. Whenever any title is vacated, it creates in-character problems for the Empire and its citizens, but the grandmaster has a unique role to play in enabling other characters to take part in the debate, which is why challenge exists. We want players to play a full role in Conclave, so it makes sense to have the election happen quickly, even though that involves a trade-off that means more players will be unaware that the election is taking place.

	The new rules should allow a slain grandmaster to be replaced in short order, if needed. We've put it as the first order of business of Conclave, and while that will lengthen Conclave slightly, the elections should be relatively swift and it means that anyone who has turned up to Conclave but was unaware an election was due can still part if they are a member of the order. It also creates the IC situation in which Conclave can see and validate who is being elected as a grandmaster.		The new rules should allow a slain grandmaster to be replaced in short order, if needed. We've put it as the first order of business of Conclave, and while that will lengthen Conclave slightly, the elections should be relatively swift and it means that anyone who has turned up to Conclave but was unaware an election was due can still take part if they are a member of the order. It also creates the IC situation in which Conclave can see and validate who is being elected as a grandmaster.

	We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.		We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.

Dre at 10:19, 14 July 2026

2026-07-14T10:19:22Z

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	The Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield died at the previous event, causing considerable problems for the order. At the time we ruled that the election would need to take place at the following event, inline with other Imperial positions that become vacant. That gives us time to prepare for the election and crucially gives as many players as possible a chance to discover that the election is happening so they can take part if they want to.		The Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield died at the previous event, causing considerable problems for the order. At the time we ruled that the election would need to take place at the following event, inline with other Imperial positions that become vacant. That gives us time to prepare for the election and crucially gives as many players as possible a chance to discover that the election is happening so they can take part if they want to.

	Having taken the time to review that decision after the event, it is clear it is the wrong one. Firstly, it is not consistent with the rules for challenging a grandmaster, which do allow for an emergency election. Arguably the Rod and Shield would have had to challenge their slain grandmaster under the old rules, which makes little or no sense. ~~Whenver~~ any title is vacated, it creates in-character problems for the Empire and its citizens, but the grandmaster has a unique role to play in enabling other characters to take part in the debate, which is why challenge exists. We want players to play a full role in Conclave, so it makes sense to have the election happen quickly, even though that involves a trade-off that means more players will be unaware that the election is taking place.		Having taken the time to review that decision after the event, it is clear it is the wrong one. Firstly, it is not consistent with the rules for challenging a grandmaster, which do allow for an emergency election. Arguably the Rod and Shield would have had to challenge their slain grandmaster under the old rules, which makes little or no sense. Whenever any title is vacated, it creates in-character problems for the Empire and its citizens, but the grandmaster has a unique role to play in enabling other characters to take part in the debate, which is why challenge exists. We want players to play a full role in Conclave, so it makes sense to have the election happen quickly, even though that involves a trade-off that means more players will be unaware that the election is taking place.

	The new rules should allow a slain grandmaster to be replaced in short order, if needed. We've put it as the first order of business of Conclave, and while that will lengthen Conclave slightly, the elections should be relatively swift and it means that anyone who has turned up to Conclave but was unaware an election was due can still part if they are a member of the order. It also creates the IC situation in which Conclave can see and validate who is being elected as a grandmaster.		The new rules should allow a slain grandmaster to be replaced in short order, if needed. We've put it as the first order of business of Conclave, and while that will lengthen Conclave slightly, the elections should be relatively swift and it means that anyone who has turned up to Conclave but was unaware an election was due can still part if they are a member of the order. It also creates the IC situation in which Conclave can see and validate who is being elected as a grandmaster.

Matt at 10:18, 14 July 2026

2026-07-14T10:18:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:18, 14 July 2026
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	==Grandmaster and Candidacy==		==Grandmaster and Candidacy==
	We have changed the rules for electing a [[grandmaster]] so that the election takes place as the first formal vote of Conclave, if the position is vacant. We have allocated half an hour before Conclave begins for the orders to use the Hall of Worlds to carry out hustings for the positions. If a grandmaster dies at an event, then the title will be reappointed at the following Conclave session provided the Prefect is given sufficient notice to be able to publish the details for the Conclave agenda. We have made clear that the writs that are issued to a grandmaster are their legal possession and may be given to any member of the order, so they are still valid and can be used after the grandmaster's death. We've also amended the rules for challenging a grandmaster to bring them into line with the new rules for replacing one if they die or step down.		We have changed the rules for electing a [[grandmaster]] so that the election takes place as the first formal vote of [[Conclave]], if the position is vacant. We have allocated half an hour before Conclave begins for the orders to use the Hall of Worlds to carry out hustings for the positions. If a grandmaster dies at an event, then the title will be reappointed at the following Conclave session provided the [[Prefect of the Conclave]] is given sufficient notice to be able to publish the details for the Conclave agenda. We have made clear that the [[declaration\|writs]] that are issued to a grandmaster are their legal possession and may be given to any member of the order, so they are still valid and can be used after the grandmaster's death. We've also amended the rules for challenging a grandmaster to bring them into line with the new rules for replacing one if they die or step down.

	We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.		We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.

Matt at 10:11, 14 July 2026

2026-07-14T10:11:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:11, 14 July 2026
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	We try to include a section after each update to explain the reasoning behind the change, as well as providing an in-character rationale for what has changed where appropriate. As ever, it is important to remember that the rationale is there purely to provide a way for characters to explain any changes, it's not an actual plot development.		We try to include a section after each update to explain the reasoning behind the change, as well as providing an in-character rationale for what has changed where appropriate. As ever, it is important to remember that the rationale is there purely to provide a way for characters to explain any changes, it's not an actual plot development.

			==Grandmaster and Candidacy==
			We have changed the rules for electing a [[grandmaster]] so that the election takes place as the first formal vote of Conclave, if the position is vacant. We have allocated half an hour before Conclave begins for the orders to use the Hall of Worlds to carry out hustings for the positions. If a grandmaster dies at an event, then the title will be reappointed at the following Conclave session provided the Prefect is given sufficient notice to be able to publish the details for the Conclave agenda. We have made clear that the writs that are issued to a grandmaster are their legal possession and may be given to any member of the order, so they are still valid and can be used after the grandmaster's death. We've also amended the rules for challenging a grandmaster to bring them into line with the new rules for replacing one if they die or step down.

			We have also amended the declaration of [[candidacy]] so that it now takes place at the start of Conclave, in the hope that magicians can take advantage of the period of hustings before Conclave begins to interrogate the candidates if they wish to do so.

			===Reasoning===
			The Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield died at the previous event, causing considerable problems for the order. At the time we ruled that the election would need to take place at the following event, inline with other Imperial positions that become vacant. That gives us time to prepare for the election and crucially gives as many players as possible a chance to discover that the election is happening so they can take part if they want to.

			Having taken the time to review that decision after the event, it is clear it is the wrong one. Firstly, it is not consistent with the rules for challenging a grandmaster, which do allow for an emergency election. Arguably the Rod and Shield would have had to challenge their slain grandmaster under the old rules, which makes little or no sense. Whenver any title is vacated, it creates in-character problems for the Empire and its citizens, but the grandmaster has a unique role to play in enabling other characters to take part in the debate, which is why challenge exists. We want players to play a full role in Conclave, so it makes sense to have the election happen quickly, even though that involves a trade-off that means more players will be unaware that the election is taking place.

			The new rules should allow a slain grandmaster to be replaced in short order, if needed. We've put it as the first order of business of Conclave, and while that will lengthen Conclave slightly, the elections should be relatively swift and it means that anyone who has turned up to Conclave but was unaware an election was due can still part if they are a member of the order. It also creates the IC situation in which Conclave can see and validate who is being elected as a grandmaster.

			We've moved candidacy forward in the running order as an experiment to see if that allows players to use the hustings period to engage in useful politics around Conclave elections. We hope it will give more opportunities for players to interact and discuss any possible candidacy.

			===IC Justification===
			The Constitutional Court have reviewed the existing rules for electing grandmasters, following a challenge submitted to the Court by a member of the Rod and Shield, and judged them to be unconstitutional. The Imperial Constitution requires Conclave to be "guided by fraternities of magicians" and the previous arrangements left the Rod and Shield unable to carry out their constitutional responsibility to provide that guidance. As a result they have issued new instructions to the office of the Overseer of Imperial Elections to conduct elections in a more timely fashion in the future.

	==Trade Envoys==		==Trade Envoys==

Matt at 21:49, 3 July 2026

2026-07-03T21:49:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:49, 3 July 2026
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	We try to include a section after each update to explain the reasoning behind the change, as well as providing an in-character rationale for what has changed where appropriate. As ever, it is important to remember that the rationale is there purely to provide a way for characters to explain any changes, it's not an actual plot development.		We try to include a section after each update to explain the reasoning behind the change, as well as providing an in-character rationale for what has changed where appropriate. As ever, it is important to remember that the rationale is there purely to provide a way for characters to explain any changes, it's not an actual plot development.

			==Trade Envoys==
			We've removed the six [[trade envoy]] titles from the game.

			===Reasoning===
			These titles have not been appointed in many years. They represent an insurmountable challenge for us since it requires a huge amount of work to create the plot for the foreign nations each event. We will never have the resources we would need to provide the level of response that would be needed if there were twice as many official Imperial titles whose responsibility it was to converse with all the foreign nations each event. We simply cannot support these titles and the ambassadors at the same time in Empire, without unfairly neglecting other parts of the game. If we allowed players to appoint these titles, it would be to the detriment of the rest of Empire. As such we've taken the decision to remove them from the game.

			===IC Explanation===
			During the appraisal of the Court of the Far Horizons, the Constitutional Court have assessed these titles to see if there is any way they could be appointed by the new sodality. As part of that review they have identified that there are significant constitutional problems with these titles due to the overlap between these titles and the ambassadors. As they are irreparably unconstitutional, they have been struck from the rolls.

	==Imperial Sodalities==		==Imperial Sodalities==

Hailmur at 14:27, 30 May 2026

2026-05-30T14:27:46Z

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	<tr><td>[[Keeper of the Last Battle]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Keeper of the Last Battle]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>
	<tr><td>[[Knight of the Greenwood]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Knight of the Greenwood]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>[[Apothecary of the Story Garden]]</td><td>[[Imperial Apothecaries Guild\|Apothecaries Guild]]</td></tr>
	<tr><td>[[Master Apothecary]]</td><td>[[Imperial Apothecaries Guild\|Apothecaries Guild]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Master Apothecary]]</td><td>[[Imperial Apothecaries Guild\|Apothecaries Guild]]</td></tr>
	<tr><td>[[Master of the Clearing House]]</td><td>[[Imperial Apothecaries Guild\|Apothecaries Guild]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Master of the Clearing House]]</td><td>[[Imperial Apothecaries Guild\|Apothecaries Guild]]</td></tr>

Emmanovi: /* Imperial Sodalities */ update

2026-05-22T20:48:10Z

Imperial Sodalities: update

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:48, 22 May 2026
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	** [[Member of a sodality]]		** [[Member of a sodality]]

	We have made some small but very significant tweaks to the rules on how a sodality can employ any legal powers that are granted to them by the Imperial Senate. The key change is that legal powers, like building a [[commission]] or similar, are followed by a [[Senate announcement]] by the Speaker of the sodality or their proxy. As a Senate announcement, they can be vetoed by the Throne. We have updated the pages for existing sodalities to make clear which powers are affected by the new rules.		We have made some small but very significant tweaks to the rules on how a sodality can employ any legal powers that are granted to them by the Imperial Senate. The key change is that legal powers, like building a [[commission]] or similar, are followed by a [[Senate announcement]] by the Speaker of the sodality or their proxy. As a Senate announcement, they can be vetoed by the Throne or General Assembly. We have updated the pages for existing sodalities to make clear which powers are affected by the new rules.

	In addition, there is a set of Imperial titles that ''ought'' by rights to be appointed by the most appropriate sodality. The Constitutional Court don't intend to reverse their previous ruling that these titles do not have to be changed, but they have made a public note that it would not be possible to make any legal changes to one of these titles (as the result of an [[opportunity]] or otherwise) without either addressing the issue of who appoints that title at the same time, or amending the responsibilities of the position so that it was clearly outside the remit of the sodality.		In addition, there is a set of Imperial titles that ''ought'' by rights to be appointed by the most appropriate sodality. The Constitutional Court don't intend to reverse their previous ruling that these titles do not have to be changed, but they have made a public note that it would not be possible to make any legal changes to one of these titles (as the result of an [[opportunity]] or otherwise) without either addressing the issue of who appoints that title at the same time, or amending the responsibilities of the position so that it was clearly outside the remit of the sodality.

Hailmur at 20:39, 22 May 2026

2026-05-22T20:39:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:39, 22 May 2026
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	<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Affected Title'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Sodality'''</td></tr>		<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Affected Title'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Sodality'''</td></tr>
	<tr><td>[[Blackroot Broker]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Blackroot Broker]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>
	~~<tr><td>[[Dean of the First Voice Glade]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>~~
	<tr><td>[[Exarch of Virtue's Rest]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Exarch of Virtue's Rest]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>
	<tr><td>[[Greenwatcher]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>		<tr><td>[[Greenwatcher]]</td><td>[[Vallornguard]]</td></tr>