Bands

Overview

We encourage players coming to Empire to attend as part of a group of friends. Groups can help to add depth and enjoyment to characterization, making all the characters feel more real and be more fun to play. The group can have its own identity and history and gives characters a way to belong to something that is bigger than they are, yet is still something they can create a history and background for. Groups give OOC friends good IC reasons to roleplay together and good groups are great for helping new players get involved in a game.

The brief for every nation in Empire includes at least one concept for a group, effectively the most common format that a group may take. For instance a noble house in Dawn, or a chapter in Highguard. There are pages for some of these group concepts explaining the part they play in the setting and offering advice on how to create and play one. These group concepts have been designed to be fun to play, but the list is not meant to be restrictive. You can create a travelling band of Dawnish troubadours, or a secretive guild of Highborn artisans if you wish to. Working with your friends, you have the same freedom to create a group concept as you do to create your own character.

Joining a Group

• Groups may be secret or public
• You may select a single public group to join when you create your character
• You may join other groups in play
• You may only join a secret group in play

A group can be secret or public. If the group is public, then the name of the group and the nation it is associated with is public to all players in the game. Players making a character can choose to begin play as part of a public group. If the group is secret, then the name of the group is not visible to any player, but new characters must join the group in play, they cannot begin play as part of the group.

If you are creating a new character then you may choose a single public group to be part of. The character creation system lists all public groups for the nation you have selected and you can opt to join. Please ensure that you have the permission of the players who are part of a group before joining.

Bands

In Empire it is possible to make a group that allows characters to extend their abilities or powers to work together. These groups, called bands, use the hearth magic power of oaths combined with magical bonds created by magicians.

Bands are intended to build on the characterisation of the group concept that you have created for your characters. They are there to recognize and support the choice to act as part of a Dawnish noble house, a League guild or a Freeborn family. Players creating characters together are encouraged to use the potential abilities of bands to add depth and character to their group concept.

There are three types of band: banners, covens and sects. A group does not have to be a band, but if it is then it must choose to be a banner, a coven or a sect. A character can never be a member of two banners at the same time, or two covens or two sects.

E.g. The Highborn chapter of Exile's Hold is a banner. The members gain all the benefits of being a banner but any character that joins this group cannot join any other group that is a banner.

Your group doesn't have to be a band, but only bands have any game effects, you can create a group on the system, and submit details and background about it, even if it isn't a band.

Oaths

• Oaths must be appropriate for the setting
• An oath can never be changed

Bands use the hearth magic of an oath to give them power. For this reason, a band must choose an oath when it is created. The oath is usually reasonably short - because it must be recited by any character who joins the band in play. The player creating the band online should enter the text for the oath when they create the band. The only requirement for the oath is that it is in-character and suitable for the setting, any oath that meets these requirements is fine.

Although an oath is required to create a band, it is not magically enforced - there is no automatic magical consequence for any individual that breaks their oath. It is a matter for the roleplaying of the characters who are members of the band to deal with any character who breaks their oath.

Once created, the oath cannot be changed, a new band must be formed if characters wish to change their oath.

Restrictions

• You can only join a group with members of the same nation
• You cannot be a member of more than one band of the same type at the same time

Only members of the same nation are able to join a group together. If you create a group then you must choose the nationality of the group at that point. Only members of the same nation may join the group.

You can only join one of each type of band at once. For example, if you are a member of an existing banner, then you cannot join another band that is a banner without first breaking the bonds that join you to your existing banner.

If you have used the abilities of your band that day then you cannot use the abilities of any other band of the same type that day. For example, if you have performed a ritual with a coven that day, then you cannot perform a ritual with any other coven that day.

Banners

• A banner may benefit from using a magical standard

If your group concept incorporates the idea of a group of close-knit warriors that fight together then you may wish to create a banner to represent this. A banner is named for their ability to use a magic standard, which is a magical item created by an artisan. A magical standard provides a benefit to every member of the band that is bonded to it.

Covens

• A coven may combine their skills to perform rituals together
• A coven can perform up to two rituals a day
• A coven may benefit from paraphenalia

Groups that intend to perform rituals together need to create a coven. A coven is a band of oath-sworn magicians who choose to work together to perform powerful rituals that they could not do alone.

Members of a coven can work together to perform a ritual with each participant contributing crystal mana to a ritual up to the limit of their ability. This allows a coven to perform much more powerful rituals than an individual could achieve alone. A coven may also benefit by being bound to ritual paraphenalia, a powerful magical item created by an artisan.

A coven can only perform up to two rituals each day. A character may perform any number of rituals by themselves and they may include others in the ritual performance. But the power of the coven can only be used to combine magical strengths twice per day. Some magical paraphenalia increase the number of rituals a coven can perform in a single day.

If a character is part of a coven that have already perform a ritual together that day, then they may join another coven but they cannot participate in another ritual conducted by that coven until the next day.

Sects

• Some liao ceremonies may be performed on every member of a sect who is present
• A sect may benefit from using a magical reliquary

If your group concept incorporates the idea of a shared set of beliefs and worship then you may wish to create a sect to represent this. A sect is a band of oath-sworn devotees of the Way who choose to work together to further their common goals.

If an anointing, dedication, excommunication or exorcism is performed by a member of a sect, on another member of a sect, then they may choose to extend that benefit to other members of the same sect up to, and including, all members of the sect who are present when the ceremony is being conducted. The priest leading the ceremony may be supported by other priests, including those from outside the sect, but the effect will only apply to the lead priest's sect.

For example, if two priests of a sect devoted to Vigilance perform a ceremony together to anoint a member of their sect, then they may choose to apply the same effects to some, or all, members of the sect who are present. If one of the priests is from a different sect, they may only apply the effect to the members of the sect to which the priest leading the ceremony belongs.

A magical reliquary provides a benefit to every member of the band that is bonded to it.

Linking Groups Together

Although a group can only be one type of band at most, it is common for players to have a background concept that includes characters who are linked in multiple ways. In these situations it is perfectly appropriate to create more than one group whose concept and background is linked. New characters must choose which group they wish to begin play as part of, but if it makes sense for their character to be part of the other linked groups then they can join them in play.

For example, a group of players intend to play a Marcher Household but some of them want to play monks while the others play yeomen. They create a banner called House Cawford and a sect called Cawford monastery - to represent the large monastery on the Cawford lines. House Cawford players can choose to start as members of either group and join the other group in play.