House Daingneach Onoir

House Daingneach Onoir is a Meeting Hall Organization near Wehnimer's Landing.

Current Officers

Lady Paladin	Roelaren
Lord Warlord	Elbromo
Lord Seneschal	Goldstr
Lady Scribe	Aurla
Lord Chamberlain	Barzillia
Lady Tyler	Wintersylph

Information

The house currently meets every 15th and 30th of the month at 9PM at their fortress located in the Coastal Cliffs.

Bylaws

Section One — Membership

Note: Pages, Squires, and Master Squires are all required to attend as many House meetings and events as possible.

Method One: Pages/Squires

Any person of five trainings or more may become a Page to a full Member of this house. Any full Member may take anyone as a Page that meets the minimum training requirements. The manner in which Pages are found is entirely up to the Member, but once the Page becomes a Squire they must join one, and only one, of the Member's guilds or orders. It is the Mentor's duty to provide a copy of the new Squire's history to the Lord/Lady Scribe so that it may be posted in a manner that all full Members, Squires and Pages may access it.

The prospective member, referred to as a Page, is required to study the Talismans of Kai and learn to live by The Code of Chivalry, a process which will continue well into their years as a full Member of the House. Upon doing this, give a brief report on one of the Talismans to the house, with emphasis on what it means to them in the Lands. After these requirements are met, the new Page will then be inducted as a full Squire or Master Squire of the house.

The Squire must spend at least three (3) months in this capacity, must also be questioned by the house on bylaws or any other aspect of the house, must have turned in their biography and be at least titled in age to be considered for full membership. Once all the above requirements have been met, the Squire's Mentor may present the Squire to the Lord/Lady Paladin, and request a formal vote be taken, using voting method one, so that the Squire may become a full member.

The Mentor of any Page or Squire may stop the apprenticeship at any time. In this event the Page or Squire may seek a new Mentor, and if one is found, their time as Page or Squire under their old Mentor will be counted towards their requirements. Additionally, the Squire may request of the Lord/Lady Paladin to find them a new Mentor, in the event they feel they are not able to learn what they need from their present Mentor.

Method Two: Master Squires

In the event that a legend over 70 training person wishes to join the house, they may opt for this method instead. They will be treated much the same as a Squire, in that they will have the same rights of a Squire, but are considered Master Squires, and are relieved of most of the menial duties of a Squire. They will also be questioned by the house on bylaws or any other aspect of the house, before they can be voted into full membership. The Master Squire should spend time learning The Code of Chivalry and demonstrate living by them. The Master Squire's Mentor shall assign a task that must be completed with or without the help of the Mentor. Upon completion of the task, but not less than 1 month after it being assigned, the Mentor may present the applicant to the Lord/Lady Paladin, and request a vote on them becoming a full member, again using voting method one.

Section Two — Officers

House Daingneach Onoir shall have the following formal officer positions.

Lord/Lady Paladin	Chairman
Lord/Lady Warlord	Co-chairman
Lord/Lady Seneschal	Secretary
Lord/Lady Scribe	Co-secretary
Lord/Lady Chamberlain	Treasurer
Lord/Lady Tyler	Co-treasurer

Terms of office are for life. Any officer may resign from their office at any time. Doing so excludes them from holding any other office for a period of one year. In this instance the Lord/Lady Paladin using voting method two shall call for a vote. Any officer may be removed from their position in the following manners. In the event that an officer is unable to fulfill their duties for a period of at least 3 months, the Lord/Lady Paladin may declare the position vacant, and call for a vote to fill the position using voting method two. Any full member may call for a vote of impeachment against any officer in the house. The impeachment votes are handled under voting method three.

Section Three — Duties/Rights

Pages/Squires

• All Squires shall have the right and responsibility to attend our regularly scheduled meetings.
• They have the right to request a transfer to another Mentor.
• Their history and names will be included in the house roster.
• They are to serve only their Mentor, and may not be asked to perform any task in service of the house without the permission of their Mentor.
• They have the duty to learn all that can be learned of the house history, and goals.
• They must meet any entrance requirements of their guild.
• It is the Squires responsibility to make certain they have time to spend in formal training with their Mentor.

Master Squires

• They have the right to attend our regularly scheduled meetings.
• Their names and histories shall be included in the house roster.
• They do not serve their Mentor in the same manner as a Squire, and shall not be expected to perform "menial" tasks.
• They shall be required to perform one task in the service of the house. To be mutually agreed upon by the Mentor and the Master Squire.
• In addition to this task, they shall be expected to learn the house history, and learn the duties of a full member, including duties of their chosen guild.

Full Members

• Full members have the right to attend all meetings of the House.
• They have the privilege to take on Squires.
• If they take on a Squire, they have a duty to spend time with this Squire. And to teach the Squire of the house, its customs, and his/her future role in it.
• They have the right to vote in all manners described below under section 6
• They have the right to call for an impeachment of any sitting officer.
• In the event the house becomes official in Elanthia, they shall have all rights members of other houses in the lands would have. <lockers etc.>
• The right to request the granting of a charter.

Officers

• Lord/Lady Paladin: The Lord/Lady Paladin is the chosen leader of the house. As such he/she has virtual dictatorial powers within it. The only things untouchable to the Lord/Lady Paladin are the bylaws. The Lord/Lady Paladin oversees all functions of the house, is our military leader in times of conflict, and provides the direction that the house takes. It is his/her duty to respond to all threads appearing on any "official boards". He/she may designate others to do this duty, but it is hisher duty to make certain it is done.

• Lord/Lady Warlord: Second in command, the Lord/Lady Warlord is the strong right arm of the Lord/Lady Paladin. He/she generally handles all day to day activities of the house, and serves in place of the Lord/Lady Paladin in his/her absence.

• Lord/Lady Seneschal: Reporting directly to the Lord/Lady Paladin, the Lord/Lady Seneschal is responsible for all contacts of an official nature. He/she shall have the Lord/Lady Scribe at his/her disposal as needed.

• Lord/Lady Chamberlain: Keeper of the coins for the house, it is the Lord/Lady Chamberlain's duty to maintain the accounts of the house. He/she shall have the Lord/Lady Tyler at his/her disposal as needed.

• Lord/Lady Scribe: The Lord/Lady Scribes duty is to maintain a history of all information pertinent to the day to day business of the house. He/she serves under the Lord/Lady Seneschal, and also may at times aid him/her in their tasks.

• Lord/Lady Tyler: It falls on the Lord/Lady Tyler to maintain discipline in the ranks of the house. He/she is responsible for enforcing the will of the Lord/Lady Paladin.

Section Four — Charters

To further enhance role-playing, there shall be "orders" within the house. All full members must be a member of at least one order. They may join as many orders as they wish, as long as they meet whatever entrance requirements each order has. An order will be a formation of like thinking members of the house. The formation of an order is done by charter of the Lord/Lady Paladin. Any full member may approach the Lord/Lady Paladin and request a charter to start an order within the house. Before a charter will be granted, the person making it will provide a detailed out line of what the orders function will be, the order's organization, and any duties it will assume.

There must be at least 3 full members who agree to join each new order. Each order will have its own unique set of "rules". These will include how the order raises silvers, whether Squires are charged silver, or if the entrance fees are paid by the order. They will also include what is required to be a member of the order. Any special skill requirements. For example a priestly order might require all members to be able to cast raise dead, even if only from a scroll. Or a knightly order may have some type of ritual combat that may have to occur. And also what is required of all Squires of this order.

All of this will be spelled out before the charter is granted, and is included as part of the charter. Once this has been presented to the Lord/Lady Paladin, a vote will be called for as outlined in method four. It may only be changed with the approval of the officers, and if required, the charter could be revoked under voting method four. An officer may also be master of an order, but only in the beginnings. Once the order reaches a size of 5 members, the officer must resign either his/her status as an officer, or his/her status as head of the order. Assuming the officer resigns the order's leader the officers hold a vote under method four and choose a replacement from the ranks of the order. Resigning the officers position is explained in section two.

Section Five — Funds

The house raises silvers by taxing each order. At time of acceptance, each order will be required to hand over 50,000 silvers to the Lord/Lady Chamberlain, for each person in the order. Each time a Squire becomes a full member of an order, the order shall pay 50,000 silver to the Lord/Lady Chamberlain. Every instance where a house member joins a new order, the order will pay 25,000 silvers to the Lord/Lady Chamberlain. The Lord/Lady Paladin may, at his/hers discretion, call for emergency funds to be generated by the house. In this instance the Lord/Lady Paladin may impose "taxes" in whatever manner he/she deems necessary.

Section Six — Bylaw Changes

The bylaws may only be changed by a vote of 75% in favor of the change. All full house members may vote on this change. This is handled under voting method five.

Section Seven — Disciplinary Action, and Removal of Members and/or Officers

All house members are expected to follow the house codes in section nine. Any full member or Squire of this house may have charges brought against them by any other member, or Squire. The charges are made directly to the Lord/Lady Paladin, who then brings the matter before all the officers. The officers are expected to interview anyone required that may provide witness, and the person who is being charged must be allowed to make a statement. The officers then vote on whether to seek a trial on this matter using voting method four.

If they decide that a trial is required, they inform the member. At this time the member may either decide to bring the matter before the full house in open trial, or resign. This is the only officer meeting that may be held without other house members present, or that the Lord/Lady Scribe does not make a complete set of minutes available of. In the event of a trial before the full house, a date will be scheduled, within two weeks of the choice to have one. The trial will be open to all full members and Squires, recorded in full, and scrolls made available to all house members and Squires. The jury will be made up of all officers, and present leaders of orders. If one person is both an officer, and the head of an order, they do not get more then one vote. They will then meet, and decide what, if any punishment is called for. This may be anything from full exoneration, to removal from the house in extreme cases, with The Lord/Lady Paladin breaking all tie votes.

Section Eight — Voting Methods

All votes must have 10 full members casting a vote. In the event that there are less then 10 full members in the house, all members must vote. All votes must allow at least two weeks for members to respond.

Method One, Squires

This method is used to confirm a Squire, or Master Squire as a full member. After the master/Mentor has presented the person in question to the Lord/Lady Paladin, the Lord/Lady Paladin shall call for a vote to take place starting no later than two weeks from the time the petition is received. All full members of the house shall have one vote. Voting will be open for a period of two weeks, at which time the Lord/Lady Paladin will declare the voting finished, and announce the results. It takes a 50% plus one majority in favor, of all votes cast, for this person to be accepted as a full member. In the event that the required votes minimum of 10 are not received, the Lord/Lady Paladin may, at his/her discretion, either allow a one week extension, or call for a new vote no later than two weeks after the first. If enough votes are cast, but the person does not gain the required 50% plus one, the Mentor may petition the Lord Paladin at any time for a new vote.

Sample votes for method one: 12 votes cast six in favor, six against result......Failed. Must be re-presented to the Lord/Lady Paladin for another vote. 9 votes cast nine in favor, none against. result......Failed. Lord/Lady Paladin may either call for extension, or a re-vote. 12 votes cast five in favor, four against, three abstentions. result......Failed. Must be re-presented to Lord/Lady Paladin for another vote. 12 votes cast seven in favor, four against, one abstention. result......Success! See the Lord/Lady Paladin so you can be initiated.

Method Two, Officers

This method is used to fill vacant officer positions.

If an officer position is vacant, the Lord/Lady Paladin shall call for nominations for the post. The nomination period shall be two weeks from the time of the call. All nominations must be seconded. Once all nominations for the post are received, there will be a vote called for at the earliest opportunity. This method follows a similar 50% majority as used for Squires. The differences are as follows. In the event of more than one person running for the position, one person must obtain the 50% majority. If none of the persons get this total, the two highest vote receivers shall face each other in a runoff election to be started immediately at the close of the first election. In the event of any ties, the Lord/Lady Paladin casts the deciding vote.

Sample votes for method two:

12 votes cast: six for "a", three for "b", three for "c."

Result: The Lord/Lady Paladin (or Lord/Lady Warlord in case of a vote on the Lord/Lady Paladin) declares a runoff between "a" and either "b" or "c" whether its "b" or "c."

9 votes cast: six for "a" , one for "b", one for "c", one abstention.

Result: Incomplete. Lord/Lady Paladin may either call for extension, or a re-vote.

12 votes cast: seven for "a", four for "b", one abstention.

Result: Success! Candidate "a" wins the election.

Method Three, Impeachment

This method is used for impeaching a current officer.

Any full member requests an impeachment vote from the Lord/Lady Paladin. Any other full member must second the request. The Lord/Lady Paladin will schedule a vote at the earliest available time for the vote. The vote will remain open for two weeks. In the event that it is the Lord/Lady Paladin being impeached, the Lord/Lady Warlord shall tally the votes. A total of 66% is required to impeach a current officer. In the event the officer is voted out, a new officer will be chosen using voting method two.

Method Four, Officer Votes

This method is used in all instances where an officer vote is called for.

After a full and complete application for charter has been filled out, the Lord/Lady Paladin will call for a vote of all officers. In the case of a tie vote, the Lord/Lady Paladin vote is the deciding vote. This same majority is needed in any instance where an officer vote is called for.

Always 6 votes cast Three for, three against, Lord/Lady Paladin votes against. Result: Fails. The measure fails to gain the support of the officers.

Method Five, Bylaw Changes

Open this can of worms at your own peril. The Lord/Lady Paladin must present all bylaw changes. If he decides to not call for a vote on any proposed changes, the only remedy is to attempt to impeach him. You have been warned. Do this only in the direst of circumstances. A vote on bylaw changes requires a 75% majority of the entire house in favor of the change.

Section Nine — General Codes of Conduct

The Code of Honor

To be an honorable person is not just to be honest, truthful, and fair; it is also to place a premium on these qualities and the behavior they require.

To be an honorable person is not just to do the right thing, nor simply to give moral considerations a central place in our lives. It is also to want to be known and trusted by others - especially by other honorable people- as this sort of person. And honorable people will go to great lengths to maintain these bonds of trust or to re-establish them when they are broken.

To be honorable is to affirm the importance of moral considerations both in one's own life and conduct and in the life of the community to which we belong. Without the latter we may have many saints and much good behavior, but we do not have honor.

The Code of Chivalry

• Prowess: To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

• Justice: Seek always the path of 'right', unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and mercy. If the 'right' you see rings true with others, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure.

• Loyalty: Be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals you choose to live by. There are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them.

• Defense: Seek always to defend your nation, your family, and those to whom you believe worthy of loyalty.

• Courage: Being a knight often means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one. Be prepared to make personal sacrifices in service of the precepts and people you value. At the same time, a knight should seek wisdom to see that stupidity and courage are cousins. Courage also means taking the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedient lie. Seek the truth whenever possible, but remember to temper justice with mercy, or the pure truth can bring grief.

• Faith: A knight must have faith in his beliefs, for faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create.

• Humility: Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights.

• Largesse: Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required.

• Nobility: Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that though the ideals cannot be reached, the quality of striving towards them ennobles the spirit, growing the character from dust towards the heavens. Nobility also has the tendency to influence others, offering a compelling example of what can be done in the service of rightness.

• Franchise: Seek to emulate everything spoken of here as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is right. Do not restrict your exploration to a small world, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you will be well remembered for your quality and virtue.

1. Thou shalt flilow the dictates of moral conscience.
2. Thou shalt be willing to defend thy principles - no matter the outcome.
3. Thou shalt have respect and compassion for the weak, and steadfastness in defending them.
4. Thou shalt love Elanthia, and observe its laws.
5. Thou shalt refuse to retreat before the enemy, waging unceasing and merciless war against all that is evil.
6. Thou shalt show loyalty to truth and to thy pledged word.
7. Thou shalt be generous and giving of thyself.
8. Thou shalt be champion of the right and good at all times, and at all times oppose the forces of evil.
9. Thou shalt train the youth in the honorable ways whenever the opportunity arises.
10. Thou shalt make the flilowing terms thy life's work: Honor, Valor, Faith, Honesty, Duty, Strength, and Loyalty.

External Links

• Website for House Onoir