Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Domain Praxis

I have officially become as the young folks like to say 'The Man.' The Domain has seen fit to elect me as their Prince. This is an exciting opportunity to provide a stable and responsive government for the people. Despite the screams of my fellow Carthians, stability is not a swear word. There is a distinct line between stagnation and stability. Stagnancy means that all progress stops. Stability simply means that the people can depend on any changes within the system to be done with solid reasoning and handled with minimal conflict.

The sheer volume of work that comes with the fancy title can be staggering. I can see where the temptation to lazy abuse of power comes from. My vane hope is that things will slow down some, once we strike a few problems off the list. Well, wish in one hand and shit in the other... All I can truly hope is to get the Domain organized enough that things can be dealt with effeciently. Lets reduce the amount of cat-herding necessary to run this damn Domain.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Governmental Ideas

WORK IN PROGRESS!!

PRINCE
Membership: One individual with the political and physical power to hold the position.
Powers: Right of Destruction, Right of Progeny, and the ability to grant those two Rights. Ability to modify other's status.
Responsibilities: Chief judicial arbiter and Head of State.
Restrictions: Subject to review by a joint meeting of the Priscus and Primogen Councils every four years.

SENESCHAL
Membership: One individual chosen by the Prince.
Powers: Acts as the Prince's proxy when the Prince is not present.
Responsibilities: Prince's point of contact for those wishing appointments and vets the concerns of Unaligned
Restrictions: Powers do not include Destruction or Progeny; or the ability to grant them.

HERALD
Membership: One individual chosen by the Prince.
Powers: Speaks with the Prince's voice on official announcements.
Responsibilities: Makes official Domain announcements on lists and at Court. Keeps up to date census.
Restrictions: Has no real power.

SHERIFF
Membership: One individual chosen by the Prince.
Powers: Enforces the Law through physical capabilities. Can designate Deputies.
Responsibilities: Investigating crimes and enforcing the Prince's judiciary decisions.
Restrictions: Powers do not include Destruction or Progeny; or the ability to grant them.

MASTER OF ELYSIUM
Membership: One individual chosen by the Prince.
Powers: Enforcing the rules of Elysium with status gains and losses, as well as through physical capabilities.
Responsibilities: Maintaining the peace of Elysium and organizing social events for the Domain.
Restrictions: Enforcement powers are only for protecting Elysium and do not include Destruction or Progeny; or the ability to grant them.

PRISCUS COUNCIL
Membership: One individual from each recognized Clan in the Domain; chosen by the Clan's own rules and methods.
Powers: Recommend Clan based feeding territories. Select a Priscus Harpy. Others as determined by their Clan. Can remove Prince during 4th year review with 2/3 majority of joint meeting of Priscus and Primogen Councils.
Responsibilities: Assist the Sheriff in enforcing the Law within their Clan's territories. Others as defined internally by their Clan. Must keep an accurate census of their Clan within the Domain and regularly provide the Herald with this information.
Restrictions: Enforcement powers are only effective within their Clan's feeding territory and do not include Destruction or Progeny; or the ability to grant them. Cannot vote for the Priscus Harpy if also a Primogen. Cannot be Harpy.

PRIMOGEN COUNCIL
Membership: One individual from each recognized Covenant in the Domain; chosen by the Covenant's own rules and methods.
Powers: Prince's council of adivisors. Others as defined internally by their Covenant. Can remove Prince during 4th year review with 2/3 majority of joint meeting of Priscus and Primogen Councils.
Responsibilities: Provide a point of contact for their Covenant members to bring concerns to the Prince. They are the voice of the people within their Covenant. Must keep an accurate census of their Covenant within the Domain and regularly provide the Herald with this information.
Restrictions: Powers do not include Destruction or Progeny; or the ability to grant them. Unaligned may not use any member of the Council to access the Prince. Cannot be Harpy.

PRINCE'S HARPY
Membership: One individual chosen by the Prince.
Powers: The ability to modify status.
Responsibilities: Keep an accurate and up to date log of the Domain's status as well as Prestation debts owed by and to the citizens of the Domain.
Restrictions: Powers can only effect status. Cannot be Prince, Priscus or Primogen.

PRISCUS HARPY
Membership: One individual chosen by the Priscus Council.
Powers: The ability to modify status.
Responsibilities: Keep an accurate and up to date log of the Domain's status as well as Prestation debts owed by and to the citizen's of the Domain.
Restrictions: Powers can only effect status. Cannot be Prince, Priscus or Primogen.

Friday, August 17, 2007

More Cabin Thoughts...

This is much more of a work in progress than the previous post.

These articles are in reference to Kindred released from their state of Childehood; whether by act of their Sire, Domain or other agency as defined by the law.

Article 1.

All Kindred are free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as Clan, Covenant or other status, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the Domain or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No Kindred shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 6.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 7.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 8.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 9.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 10.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offense was committed.

Article 11.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, haven or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 12.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each Domain.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any Domain, including his own, and to return to his Domain.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy another Domain's asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes.


Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No Kindred shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 15.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 16.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No Kindred may be compelled to belong to an association.


Article 18.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his Domain, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 19.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the fundamental stages. Fundamental education shall be compulsory.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the Kindred personality and to the strengthening of respect for Kindred rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all Domains, Clan or Covenant groups, and shall further the maintenance of peace.

(3) Kindred have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their Childer.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

Article 22.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any Domain, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Cabin Thoughts... Legal Code

Kindred should have scaled levels of crime. Rather like the misdemeanor/felony system. That way punishments can be scaled to the crime in a logical process. Its best when our citizens know what to expect when they violate the law. The traditional and rather arbitrary system in place in most Domains is messy and doesn't encourage law abiding behavior. Repeat criminal behavior will be treated differently than the 'accidental' one time. Your third offense immediately scales into the next category of punishment. Also, all the penalties have internal flex. This would allow the individual case to be judged on its own merit. Honest screw ups get shorter sentences than malicious intent.

CRIMES

MINOR CRIMES
1. Poaching
2. Theft from a Kindred
3. Murder of a Vessel
4. Masquerade breaching actions that other Kindred were forced to cover
5. Second refusal to pay owed Prestation debt (ie: boons): Trivial or Minor

MODERATE CRIMES
1. Inciting unrest within the Domain
2. Assault of a Ghoul
3. Murder of a Ghoul
4. Assault of a Kindred
5. Second refusal to pay owed Prestation debt (ie: boons): Major

MAJOR CRIMES
1. Masquerade breach
2. Conspiracy against the Domain
3. Murder of a Kindred
4. Violation of Elysium
5. Blood Bond of a Kindred
6. Second refusal to pay owed Prestation debt (ie: boons): Life

SPECIAL CRIMES
1. Unsanctioned Embrace (first offense is a Moderate, second offense is a Major, third offense is immediate Death)
2. Diablerie of a Kindred (Death only)
3. Refusal to pay owed Prestation debt (first offense handled by the Harpy through loss of Status, second offense is listed under crimes, third offense scales automatically to the next degree of offense)

LEVELS OF PUNISHMENT

MINOR PENALTIES (minimum status loss= 0)
1. Vitae Fine (amount determined by by judge based on circumstances of crime)
2. Surrender of Retainer/s (number and duration determined by judge based on circumstances of crime)
3. Surrender of Vessel/s (number and duration determined by judge based on circumstances of crime)
4. Prestation debt of a Trivial or Minor Boon

MODERATE PENALTIES (minimum status loss= 1)
1. Branding or Disfigurement (duration and severity of mark determined by judge based on circumstances of crime)
2. Eviction from Haven (duration determined by judge based on circumstances of crime)
3. Loss of Feeding Access (duration determined by judge based on circumstances of crime)
4. Prestation debt of a Minor or Major Boon

MAJOR PENALTIES (minimum status loss= 2)
1. Exile (duration determined by judge based on circumstances of crime)
2. Torpor (duration determined by judge based oncircumstances of crime)
3. Death
4. Prestation debt of a Major or Life Boon

Thursday, August 16, 2007

REMINDER: Feeding territories!

This is as agreed upon by the Priscus Council and approved by Prince Iono.

PERSONAL DOMAINS
See the individual owners on rules and regulations. The rights of the owners are verifiable through the Prince's office.

Ze'ev (Gangrel/Crone)= 700 south to 1500 south, by 300 east to 900 east in Salt Lake City, Utah; centered
upon Liberty Park
Jason (Ventrue/Invictus)= University of Utah as well as associated Medical and Research Parks in Salt Lake City, Utah
Jeorje (Mekhet/Dragon)= 1300 south to 1-80, by 900 east to 1300 east in Salt Lake City, Utah; Sugarhouse
district
House Viscus (Misc/Sanctified)= Prisons and Jails in the Salt Lake Valley
Ia (Nosferatu/Dragon)= Sewers and Undercity in the Salt Lake Valley
Brett (Mekhet/Invictus)= Park City, Utah and I-80 corridor approach from Salt Lake Valley

NO FLY ZONES
Sugarhouse Park= unless you want to die horribly at the hands of giant furry people
Cemetaries= due to spiritual and ghost activity this is for your own safety
Salt Lake International Airport= do not feed here, use it for its intended purpose only.

FEEDING GROUNDS
The designated territories are for the Clan associated with them only. Others can haven, shop, etc in these areas, but they cannot feed there. Permission to feed in another Clan's territory can be saught through that Clan's Priscus. The Clan responsible for that territory is responsible for the behavior of Kindred feeding in that territory. Any area that is not designated is considered 'open' by the Court. If for some reason you hate the rest of your Clan, feed in these areas.

The Rack (do not feed here without the Prince's specific permission)= N Temple to 1300 south by State Street to 600 west, S Temple to 1300 south by 300 east to State Street, S Temple to 700 south by 300 east to 700 east
Clan Daeva= South Salt Lake City and Murray
Clan Gangrel= Draper, Sandy and Southern Outskirts
Clan Mekhet= West Valley City and Taylorsville
Clan Nosferatu= Granger, Kearns, West Jordan and unincorporated zone bordered on 4700 south to 6200 south by 4000 west to 5600 west
Clan Ventrue= Salt Lake City

There will be visual aides available at Court. Also, if you have claimed personal Domain in an area that has been approved by the Prince and it isn't on this list, please contact me so that it can be mapped for your and others' safety.

Cpt. Alan Kahn
Pennsilvania Irregulars
Ventrue Priscus
Master of Elysium
(OC- City Status x3)