For a giant crab, he has some good penmanship
The Citadel stands as a symbol of the resilience and enlightenment of Mann. It serves many purposes, but its ultimate mission remains to support the self-determined prosperity of Mann and its defense from destruction and enslavement by ancient powers or those who would use them in such a way.
The Citadel gathers and holds knowledge be it as written records in books, memories in the minds of its members, or skills ingrained in the work of their hands. This knowledge is used to educate the people of Coventry and its allies, so that they may bring prosperity and safety to the land by the sweat of their brow and the industriousness of their skilled labors. This knowledge is brought to all corners of the land by members so that all may have opportunities to learn and contribute. It also seeks to gain knowledge of the land and its natural history. Its explorers embark to survey lands domestic and foreign to aid in development and defense, as well as to seek out archaeological sites to learn the natural history of the land and of ancient events, and to return artifacts and arcane knowledge to the Citadel for research and safekeeping. Magical power carries great potential for corruption and members of the Citadel must be ever watchful of those who practice it, even their own. Relics and magic may be used by members only if necessary to protect Mann from these threats.
The Count stands as Lord Regent of the Citadel. He is effectively its patron and sponsor using county funds to supply land, facilities, and materials. Those who join and assist in the mission of the Citadel will have accommodations within, and have all their basic needs met. They may also request materials and transportation when needed. Some compensation is also awarded for services.
Due to balancing other duties the Lord Regent appoints one or more regents to manage the organization along with him. These duties include financial and logistical concerns like managing funding, dealing with other groups the Citadel is contracted or allied with, recruiting members, bringing in food and supplies and setting up travel and collaborations. They may also work to set up additional schools in other lands that wish to sponsor one.
A Provost may be appointed to run day to day operations of the branches of a location if needed. This could include offering teaching to different groups, sending professors to different settlements, fulfilling contracts, provisioning explorers, and coordinating expeditions. They may also consult with professors to test students on skills before issuing a certification and work with researchers to provide them with whatever they may need or pull together interdisciplinary research teams.
While the Citadel will be split into different branches, these are mostly for organizational purposes. It is common for members to be involved in multiple branches and to use whatever title applies or they prefer. They are as follows.
This is the academy branch and will focus on teaching crafting trades, but may expand into other skills as it grows. Members of this branch have the title of Professor. One of its major duties will be providing education to guilds in the county which will be a perk guilds are provided with for being located in Coventry. Many of the professors may be members of guilds as well. The Collegium's goal is to bring prosperity by empowering its students to improve the land and build trade and produce with the skills they learn. Professors will travel as part of Citadel groups to settlements throughout the county and possibly to allied lands as well to bring knowledge to all corners of the land so that all areas have the ability to work together to profit and provide the various resources and products that they will be mutually dependent on each other for. It is expected that the members that provide these services are given fair compensation by settlements within reason and ability to pay, but otherwise this is a provided service for tax paying citizens or settlements at large with more specifics to be worked out as the game develops. A particularly useful feature of the Collegium will be the ease of access to interdisciplinary training that students will have. This will allow for students to target their studies toward producing specialized goods and services that may require knowledge in multiple areas such as weapons and armor, alchemy, animal husbandry, farming, and woodworking for example. This interdisciplinary structure will also lend itself to the research branch.
This branch focuses on research and is basically a direct offshoot of the Collegium. It is generally composed of Professors from the Collegium, but members who are particularly focused on a field of study may also style themselves with the title of Philosopher. Here masters of various disciplines can focus on expanding their fields and work together to discover new areas of study and inventions that may otherwise be out of reach of any singular discipline. The Lycaeum will have separate testing areas for research as these experiments have been known to produce disastrous results at times. It shall also house a forum where the philosophies and progress of research can be discussed and demonstrated which shall also double as a meeting place for various groups of members and the leadership of the Citadel.
This is the library branch of the Citadel. Members of this branch have the title of Scholar, Historian, or Arcanist. Its primary function will be to house learning materials like books and other items as well as maps, survey data, and other findings of the Arcanum. In this branch the training and practice of scribes and other bardic skills is conducted. The Athenaeum would like to extend a sincere welcome to all with the desire to preserve and propagate the written word. Those who create learning materials will be needed, but this branch is also looking to host those who wish to create histories of world events be they natural, political, or mythic as well as accounts of events and groups. This will not only be of great service to all of mannkind, but will quite possibly be a factor in developing CoE and its community. There is interest in developing these accounts for the community, and it would be an honor for the Count to host these. This would include creating a website area for these scribes to post their works for everyone in the community to see. In addition this branch will work on creating a place to introduce new players in game to the world and its order, and explain the spirit and basic concepts of the game. The Athenaeum will also house the office of the Regents and may work directly with them and the Count managing many of the operations of the Citadel. In some cases Scholars may even travel with Citadel groups on research trips or gathering census information and relaying messages, laws, proclamations, documents, etc.
This could be considered the exploratory branch of the Citadel whose members are actively searching for knowledge in the world. The Arcanum has a natural division where members have the title of Naturalist or Surveyor, and the arcane division where members have the title of Arcanist. Both divisions engage in similar activities but are focused on different types of knowledge. Naturalists and Surveyors are focused on learning about the natural world and its features, formations, processes, and resources. Naturalists may also style themselves as Geologist, Archaeologist, or other titles depending on the specialty. This branch will be where those who want to learn skills related to survival, travel and navigation, and natural resources reside. These members will be able to provide services as surveyors, guides, hunters, gatherers, scouts and may travel as leaders of Citadel groups or expeditions to exploratory sites of interest. Arcanists are focused on learning about the secrets of the past and whatever remnants of the ancients and their knowledge remain. Any texts with clues of the powers and history of ancient peoples and gods are of interest to Arcanists and they seek out their ruins for knowledge and artifacts. While Arcanists are seen as necessary, even other members of the Citadel regard them with caution as their studies carry the possibility of gaining magical knowledge and the corruption that accompanies it. The Citadel feels that it is part of its mission to understand and safeguard the information and artifacts involved, and the Arcanists may be called upon to use their knowledge and power to be the saviors of Mann if the darkness of the past and the Burning returns.
This is a semi-monastic order within the Citadel who have dedicated themselves to the training and perfection of combat skills and styles. These members hold the title of Master or Sir. Masters may stay at the Citadel or affiliated locations and train and meet their oath to defend their fellow members and the knowledge of the Citadel. They may also be called upon to help defend Coventry in times of war. It is understood that practice makes perfect and so the Knights Scholar are permitted to venture forth and take other members of the county that hunger for battle to contract as combatants as long as they do not participate in battles that would have them facing against the county's liege lord, The Kingdom of Aranor or its duchies, counties, settlements etc., and are not to personally assassinate or initiate battle with any noble. They are also permitted to train other members of the Citadel and those who comprise the militias and military of Coventry. Training others beyond that is subject to the discretion of the Count. The Knights Scholar may travel in Citadel groups and expeditions to provide protection. Knights who dutifully serve the Citadel shall have access to all branches of training in the Citadel as well as quality gear made by its members. However, when a Knight chooses to go on leave to contract they are to take only what they have on their person and the mount they leave with, unless otherwise negotiated. When on leave they are beyond the protection of the Citadel and Aranor and are not to bear the standard or arms of the Citadel, the county of Coventry, or any house of the Kingdom of Aranor. In this instance they are acting as mercenaries and are advised to be confident in their skills and companions before undertaking such tasks. Gentlemanly conduct in battle is encouraged but left to the discretion and judgement of the Knight. Knights who betray their order and kingdom in any capacity will be blacklisted and banished although a trial may be held to determine the specifics before judgement is made. They may become targets of the order if they continue to fight against Aranor and the Citadel.
Those interested in the Citadel may see Coventry’s website here or find the Count on discord via the contact page here.
I'm....surprised I read all of that. vonZoidberg? Like Futurama?
Deus lo Vult!
That's right. After all who wouldn't want Zoidberg for their leader? I know I would! Let's just say I want to be a good count but not lose my sense of humor hehe. We are trying to play this to have fun after all. Also if a Dev reads this and wants to let me know if this name will work in game it would be much appreciated. There is a von in it, so its not the same right? riiiiight?
The Citadel's goals are most noble indeed. Preserving knowledge and spreading it should is of the utmost importance if we are to thrive in Elyria.
Second only in nobility and importance to the Red Hare's goals, obviously.
Also wanted to highlight that guilds will have perks to joining the Citadel in the capital. A good deal on land, access to the Citadel for member training and employment of some members as professors. Will also supply some training materials as well, and access to advancements from your guild working with others guilds via the Citadel to create new tech single guilds may not be able to come up on their own. Your members will also be able to be tested and gain certifications of their education that will give customers assurance of the quality of your work. Guildmasters will also have their own forum section to promote the guild in.