Guild:Twilight Empire (Ravenholdt US)

Overview
The information on this page and more can be found on Twilight Empire's website:
 * Twilight Empire - Homepage
 * About Twilight Empire - Guild information and policies
 * Public forums - Guild and friends community
 * Twilight Empire - On the The Armory

General
Twilight Empire is a heavy roleplaying guild the Alliance side of the Ravenholdt US server. Founded in August of 2007, it has grown to be a large role-playing guild, full of players who enjoy the roleplaying aspect of World of Warcraft. While one of the larger RP guilds on the server, the players in the Empirestrive to maintain close relationships, building a fun community where people can enjoy the game and the company of others.

In addition to the guild channel, the Empire also has an out of character channel and the website to help facilitate easy communication.

Roleplaying
The Twilight Empire is a heavy RP guild. As such, guildchat in In Character (IC). All Out Of Character (OOC) comments in guildchat are denoted by the standard double brackets - (( OOC Comment )). Guildchat communication is accomplished through the use of enchanted scrying stones. These stones allow the players to hear the voices and even discern basic facial expressions of others using the stones (hence, emotes are allowed in guildchat).

PVE
While the focus of the Empire is on roleplay, the Empire does have a group of people interested in exploring PvE content. These raiders worked together to progress through current content. For more information on raiding or what the Empire has accomplished, please visit the website.

PVP
Because of the Empire's diplomatic ties with the Horde (see below), PvP for Twilight is somewhat different than that of other guilds. Horde are attacked only after hostility is shown (e.g. an Alliance town is attacked, you are hunter-marked, a friend of yours was attacked, etc.). However, because certain resources are necessary for the survival of the Alliance, Twilight Empire members are allowed (and encouraged) to participate in Battlegrounds. There are many members in the Empire who also participate in Arenas and RP-PvP events.

The Empire does participate in World PvP attacks on Horde territories, however these raids are not undertaken lightly. A well thought out RP reason behind the raid must be had before the Empire will participate.

Diplomacy with the Horde
''Though victory was theirs, the mortal races found themselves in a world shattered by war. The Scourge and the Burning Legion had all but destroyed the civilizations of Lordaeron, and had almost finished the job in Kalimdor. There were forests to heal, grudges to bury, and homelands to settle. The war had wounded each race deeply, but they had selflessly banded together to attempt a new beginning, starting with the uneasy truce between the Alliance and Horde.''

-From official history of Warcraft

While hostility rages across Azeroth, the Twilight Empire holds true to the unstable truce forged between the Alliance and the Horde. It is for this reason that those who stand under the banner of Twilight are not to attack the Horde wantonly or without cause. Each individual must be judged by their own merits, not by vague generalizations ascribed to their race, over which they have no control. All members of the Empire are to behave in accordance with this truce and thus leave peaceful Horde alone in the interest of diplomacy.

However, it is a sad fact in the world that not all recognize or follow the truce. And I will not have the Empire be defenseless against those Horde who disrespect life and who seek to destroy all we hold dear. Thus, we urge all of Twilight to be cautious and wary around the Horde. If hostility is shown, we will not hesitate to defend ourselves. Those who disrespect life do not deserve it and the Empire stands ready to ardently defend any who seek to harm the peaceful Alliance.

It is a difficult tenet to grasp for some, but it comes down to this: We seek peace and yet gird ourselves for war. It is all a balance.

The Structure of the Empire
The Twilight Empire is a unified Empire that structures itself into two distinct, but equally important, branches. The two branches of the Empire are the Military branch and the Citizen's branch.

The Military Branch
The Military branch, headed by the Generals of Twilight Empire, is geared towards the defense and protection of the Empire. Members of Twilight enter the Military as Soldiers and are expected to train and work with their brethren in order to form a coherent, disciplined, and efficient fighting force. Soldiers are expected to follow the orders of their superiors in military exercises and pledge their lives to serve the Empire when called upon.

The Citizen's Branch
The Citizen's branch of the Empire is home to those who wish to serve the Empire but are not called to battle as Soldiers are. The Citizens strive to serve the Empire through diplomatic skills, which may include spreading the vision of the Empire, training in their crafts, and aiding others on their journeys throughout the lands.

The Senate
The two branches culminate in the Senate of the Empire. The Senators are drawn from both branches and are encouraged to represent the vision of their branches before the Empress. The Senate is the body that makes the major policy decisions of the Empire - both diplomatically and militarily. Senators are to be available to aid members and act as mediators when necessary.

The Chancellor
The Chancellor of the Empire serves at the sole discretion of Empress Aerana. The Chancellor is completely trusted by the Empress and acts in her stead when she is unable to attend meetings or events. At any given time, this position may or may not be utilized.

The Empress
Empress Aerana oversees the Twilight Empire and acts as a caretaker for the vision of the Empire. She strives to work closely with the Senate to craft policy and ensure the continued growth and survival of the Empire, while at the same time keeping the Empire true to its original vision. She is also expected to meet with the leaders of other orders in order to solidify diplomatic relations.

Recruitment Requirements
There are no level requirements to join the Empire. We only ask that you understand our structure and our Horde policy and agree to abide by our tenets. Also, since the Twilight Empire is a heavy roleplaying guild, it is expected that you are a roleplayer (or at least willing to learn to roleplay). Please register on our website, read about our guild, and fill out an application should you wish to join the Empire. Once your application has been read, you will be contacted regarding your entry into the Empire.

Who do I contact?
Please feel free to contact a member of the Twilight Empire in-game. You will be directed to an officer for an interview. You can also visit the recruiting page of the website.

Basic Rules
1) Twilight Empire is a role-playing guild – So please role-play in guildchat. If you are unsure of how to roleplay, please feel free to ask. A basic guide will be posted on the guild website.

2) Keep things PG – children play the game and some of them may be in the guild. Some things may be allowed in order to make the RP more believable, however, if you're asked to tone it down, please do so.

3) Don’t do anything to break Blizzard’s rules – this includes griefing, account-stealing, and other things. Violating these rules will not only get you in trouble with Blizzard - it doesn't represent the Empire well and will result in demotion/booting.

4) Play in a way that commends the Empire to others – Don’t give the guild a bad reputation. When you are with other people, remember that our guild tag is under your name. If your RP is mean, a little whisper with ((Just to let you know, this is So-And-So's RP! I'm not really like this)) can go a long way towards avoiding misunderstandings.

5) Remember: It’s just a game. We’re all here to have fun. Don’t let things get too personal.

6) The officers of the guild are officers for a reason. If one of them asks you to stop doing something, please respect their wishes. As leader, Empress Aerana trusts her officers. That said, nobody is infallible. Don't think that just because you disagree with an officer, Aerana will automatically side with them.