Clans

The adventurers of Threshold RPG form bonds for many reasons. Some will find friendship or companions within their guilds or churches. For a close group of like-minded adventurers, these bonds might not be enough. For those, there is Clan Vindicator who have formed the system of clans. Within a clan a group of adventurers can unite under a common Charter, seek safety within an abode, or vie for dominance to be named the Hand of Vindicator.

Formation

Clan Formation

Clan Names

The clan name is the simple, shorter name by which the clan is known. This name is used as the prefix for your channel, for example. If you plan to have an elaborate name for your clan, you should figure out a way to use one or two words of it as the clan name, and use the appearance name for the longer and more descriptive name. The clan name must be 20 characters or less but the appearance name can be as long as 30 characters.

Clan and Cult type clans are not required to have "Clan" or "Cult" as part of the appearance name, but they cannot use any of the other clan types as part of their appearance name (exception: Cults can use the word Clan in their public appearance name). Other clan types must include their clan type as part of their appearance name.

Theme

A good clan theme can be summarized in one or two sentences. If you are unable to summarize your clan's theme and purpose this succinctly, you need to come up with a new clan concept. There is nothing wrong with an elaborate clan theme, but if it cannot be summarized briefly then it will almost certainly fail.

Charter

The charter should be no more than a couple pages in length (shorter is fine) and must lay out a well-developed theme and purpose for your clan. Simplistic, generic themes like "a bunch of friends who are loyal to each other" or "we work for the forces of good/evil" will not be approved. You may include details about membership requirements, initiation procedures, rites, ceremonies, clan creed, etc. in this section as well if you like.

Clan Options

The clan system was designed with extensive flexibility and customization in mind. Almost every aspect of your clan can be designed to your personal tastes.

Clan Type

The following table describes all the different types of clans which are available, their features, and their restrictions.

Type	Features
Clan	Fully customizable. The most flexible and fully featured type. Only clan type where the name of the type (house, sect, order, etc.) does not have to appear in the appearance name of the organization. For example, you could form a clan with the name "Champions of Vengeance" and the word clan does not have to appear anywhere in that name. You cannot, however, use any of the other clan types as part of the clan name. A clan-type clan cannot be named "House Sirocco" or "Cult of the Dead Cow" for example.
House	Only Rank 1 (founder) can initiate/exile members. Cannot Change name of Rank 1 (Patriarch/Matriarch) All ranks can wager honor.
Sect	Only Rank 1 (founder) can initiate/exile members. All members must be official followers of the same religion. Only has 6 Ranks available.
Order	Only Rank 1 (founder) can initiate/exile members. Only has 6 Ranks available. All ranks can wager honor.
Cult	Only Rank 1 (founder) can initiate/exile members. Cannot change name of Rank 1 (Apostate) Cannot join an alliance led by any chosen cleric. Chosen clerics and paladins cannot be members. Can disguise itself outwardly to appear as a clan.
Band	Only has 5 Ranks available. All ranks can wager honor. All ranks can initiate new members. All members can wear the insignia. All members can define their own herald announcements.
Syndicate	Only has 5 Ranks available. All members can wear the insignia. Cannot join Alliances.
Cabal	Only has 2 Ranks available. All ranks can wager honor. All members can wear the insignia. All ranks can initiate new members. All members can define their own herald announcements.
Society	Only has 3 Ranks available. All ranks can wager honor. All members can wear the insignia. Cannot join Alliances. All members can define their own herald announcements.

Region of Origin

You can choose to form your clan in either Thrace or Sable. There is a Hall of Clans on both continents. Wherever you form your clan is the only Hall from which you can access your clan abode. If you purchase outdoor rooms for your abode, their weather will be that of your region of origin. Additional regions may be added in the future depending on interest.

Colors

Your clan has a primary and secondary color. These colors are used for your insignia, for your abode, for your clan commands, and similar things. The colors are chosen at creation but can be changed at any time by the founder.

Ranks

For the purposes of discussing ranks, this explanation will assume the general clan type of clan. Other types have slightly altered rules for rank customization.

Clans have 10 ranks numbered from 1 to 10. The founder is rank 1. Initiates are rank 10. The founder can customize the name of every rank (up to a max of 16 characters in length) as well as the specific permissions and features enjoyed by members of that rank. The types of permissions the founder can configure on a rank by rank basis are:

• Hear the Clan Channel.
• Speak on the Clan Channel.
• Censure Members on the Clan Channel.
• Maintain the Clan Board(s).
• Wear the Clan Insignia.
• Initiate Members into the Clan.
• Exile Members from the Clan.
• Promote Members in the Clan.
• Demote Members in the Clan.
• Wager Clan Honor.
• Access the Clan Abode.
• Decorate the Clan Abode.
• Set One's Own Herald (login/logout) Announcements.

Clans that have less than 10 ranks always have Rank 10 as their initiate rank.

The remaining ranks count down from Rank 1. Clans are encouraged to use their Rank 10 as a low privilege rank for new members who need to prove themselves (or who have been punished).

Clan Vindicator

Clan Vindicator is the original clan. It is from this clan that all other clans are derived. The membership of this clan is unknown as well as its age.

Hand of Vindicator

The Hand of Vindicator is an ongoing contest between clans. When one clan is the most dominant, it is said to have the Hand of Vindicator.

The Reformation of Vindicator

Around 2004, the clan system was revamped into an entirely new system. This event is referred to in-game as the Reformation of Vindicator.

Insignias

Your clan insignia is an important symbol that identifies and distinguishes your clan from others. Only your clan founder can design the insignia, and it can be re-designed whenever desired.

There are multiple ways you can wear your clan insignia. For all types, you must go to a Hall of Clans to have the insignia emblazoned upon some item for you to wear. In all cases, emblazoning costs 1,000 coin (1 orb).

It will only show when the item is worn.

Crest

The most basic is worn as a crest that bears the insignia. Insignia crests can be stored in armories or house jewelry boxes.

Cloak and Shield

You can also have the insignia emblazoned upon any shield or cloak. When you do this, both the short and long description of your shield/cloak will be altered. The short description is altered like this, for example:

Equipped as shield: Fortress Shield << Clan Vindicator >>

You will be given a choice of 5 different color configurations (using the primary and secondary colors of your clan) for the short description effect. After the insignia is emblazoned, showing your shield or cloak to someone will also show them the insignia.

Abode

A clan abode consists of various abode rooms. Several abode features and abode items can be bought to decorate and enhance your abode.

Honor

Clan Tribute is a major part of the clan system. It is through tribute that clans and clan members can distinguish themselves in the eyes of Vindicator. There are two distinct types of tribute that are very different from each other. They are Clan Tribute and Personal Tribute. For both kinds of tribute there is a required tribute that must be paid once per game year, and optional additional tribute which can be paid to earn honor for your clan or yourself.

Clan Tribute

Clan Tribute can be paid with experience points. When XP is paid, it is converted into honor. The conversion formula is designed to make the clan tribute system more balanced for people of all levels. The formula is Amount of XP Tributed / (guild level * guild level)

Thus, 10,000 XP tributed by a level 10 player would earn 100 clan honor. The same 10,000 XP tributed by a level 20 player would only earn 25 honor.

The annually required clan tribute is 100 Honor * Number of Members. Clan Tribute can be paid in any proportion by the members of your clan. A single person could pay the whole tribute if he or she was so inclined.

After annual tribute has been paid, any XP tributed is converted into clan honor. Clan honor can also be earned from competitions, submissions to the Hall of Honor, or through honor wagers with other clans. Clan tribute is, however, one of the most predictable ways to earn clan honor. The Clans are ranked according to how much clan honor they have. Being highly ranked has many effects- including making some clan abilities more powerful or more efficient. The top ranked clan is the Hand of Vindicator. This is a title of enormous honor and distinction.

Resources and Relics can also be tributed for clan honor. Unlike XP, they offer a fixed and static amount of honor based on the value of the item.

Personal Tribute

This type of tribute is between the individual and Clan Vindicator. Similar to clan tribute, personal tribute is required once per game year (1 Real Life/RL month). After annual personal tribute is paid, you can OPTIONALLY pay personal tribute as often as every 12 game days (once per RL day). Whenever you pay optional personal tribute, you earn personal honor.

There are two ways to pay personal tribute: XP and respect.

Personal Tribute through XP

The amount of XP required varies depending upon your level. To see how much XP is required for your level, go to a Hall of Clans and type: tribute personal. The amount of XP required is calculated to be approximately the amount of XP someone your level would earn from killing 5 to 10 moderate difficulty opponents.

Personal Tribute through Respect

This is where things get interesting. In every Hall of Clans there is a Hall of Honor dedicated to works of art and history honoring Clan Vindicator and all the clans beneath it. You can demonstrate your respect for Clan Vindicator in three ways:

1. Assist the Curators in Restoring and Caring for the Works on Display: Many of the statues, paintings, and tapestries displayed in the Hall of Honor are quite old and all of the are subject to the ravages of time and the elements. It is a constant battle to maintain them in pristine condition in order to preserve them for posterity. Assisting the curators in this task by polishing statues, restoring paintings, and cleaning tapestries is one way to show your respect for Clan Vindicator. It will generally take you about 30 minutes of real time to earn enough respect for personal tribute in this way.
2. Submit Works of Art and History: From the Hall of Honor you can reach the Hall of Creation where new works of art and history are being created. You can create your own statues, paintings, tapestries, and writings. In addition to the respect you show for submitting such works, exceptional works can earn additional personal and clan honor. The truly amazing works might even be permanently displayed in the Hall of Honor. Sloppy or careless works, however, can result in a LOSS of personal and/or clan honor. Submissions are anonymous to all but the curators of the Hall and Clan Vindicator itself. You can only submit 1 work per RL day.
3. Review Submitted Works: In order to help the Hall curators sort through the submitted works, you can review statues, paintings, tapestries, and writings that were submitted in the previous year. A review includes a rating of 1 to 10 (10 being best) as well as a written summary of your critique. Reviews are not anonymous so you should take care to review honestly. You will not be allowed to review works submitted by any member of your own clan. You can only write a maximum of 3 reviews per RL day.

When you have demonstrated enough respect you will receive a message that tells you to pay personal tribute in the Hall of Clans. Whenever you pay personal tribute in this way, your earned respect (no matter how much you accumulated) is reset. You can return to the Halls of Honor and Creation to earn more even if you cannot pay personal tribute again for that day. You can simply use that earned respect the next day to pay personal tribute.

Honor Debt

Honor Debt can be brought about as a punishment by Vindicator or other bodies. When a clan has an Honor Debt, it will display in the clans command.

Consequences of Honor Debt:

1. 50% of all tributes that go toward CLAN (not personal) will pay off the debt, while the remainder will increase the clan's honor.
2. The clan channel is disabled until the clan debt is paid off.