The Templar Knights

The Templar Knights
Led and created by experienced members, The Templar Knights' main focus is on defending our members as well as helping them grow to their full potential. All member nations will be able to access our aid system as well as get directions and advice on how to grow their nation. Looking forward to having good relations with other alliances, we will aim to protect and serve our members.

The Charter
We are "The Templar Knights"

I. Introduction

In the recognition of the right to exist free from the threat of attack or oppression, we the undersigned nations, have bound ourselves to this document putting our faith in the ideals and beliefs that it espouses. In declaration of this fact, we take the following the Knight’s Code as our oath:

I, (insert name) as a Knight Templar, hereby solemnly swear to act at all times with the utmost honor towards ally and enemy. I will insult neither my brother knights nor friend nor foe. I shall only wage war when called upon or when I or a brother knight is attacked. As a soldier of The Templar Knights I will stand firm against all threats foreign and domestic. By using fear as my sword and courage as my shield I will defend my alliance. I fully acknowledge that the welfare of The Templar Knights is my first and fore- most priority and I will give my nation up to defend it. If I fail in my quest to uphold this oath I will freely place myself before the Disciplinary Council for judgment.

II. Membership

1. No members will be discriminated against for any reason and all applications will be evaluated fairly. 2. Applicants can not be in any offensive wars during the process, and they also cannot be members of   another alliance, and must complete and post the following information: Nation name and ruler: Nation strength: Nation resources: The Knights’ Oath with the applicant's name inserted in the correct place. Is not involved in any wars: (Y/N) Is not involved with any other alliance: (Y/N) 3. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a denial of membership into the Templar Knights alliance. 4. No Templar Knight can hold more than one leadership position. when it is discovered that this has occurred, they will default to the higher position unless otherwise stated. The Grand Master can make exceptions to this rule when necessary on a temporary basis. All effort will be made to find a   replacement person by who is responsible for that division of the alliance.

Example: A Marshal will make all effort to refill a Deputy Marshal position. Example: The Grand Master refilling a Marshal position. Example: Marshal of Defense refilling a Division Commander position.

III. Returning Members.

1. Any Member who has left The Templar Knights and wishes to return shall be subject to the following conditions before being admitted back to TTK.

1st re-entry - No conditions;  No government or military positions for 45 days. 2nd re-entry - No conditions upon return. No Government or military positions for 90 days. 3rd re-entry - Must explain repeat departures*;  No government or military positions for 180 days. Absolutely no re-enlistment after this point. Four chances is enough.

* This will include why you left and will most always require that the reason be due to Real life situations that have precluded you from playing the game. Proof will not be required as that is your personal business, but if found to be lying you will be ZI'd and immediately banned from TTK permanently to include diplomatic status or visitor of any kind.

IV. The Priory

1. The Priory A. Every member of The Templar Knights is a member of the Priory and will be treated with respect. B. Priory members will vote on charter amendments and Elder Councilor positions, as well as be able to overturn any and all government decisions with a 75% reversal vote. i. The reversal decisions shall be final and binding to include Grand Master veto's or judgements.

V. Government

1. Grand Master A. The Grand Master is the leader of the alliance and makes all of the final decisions in regards to       alliance affairs. B. Any aligned nation or alliance Declarations of War and treaties must be approved by the Grand Master. C. Upon resignation, The Elder Council will come together and compile a list of new candidates for Grand Master. i. Candidates must be confirmed as interested before the list is passed to the priory for voting. a. This will be the responsibility of the Sargeant-at-Arms to ascertain an answer from each candidate and a screen shot will be posted in the priory if a candidate refuses to run for the position. ii. A vote of the priory will determine the new Grand Master with a majority vote unless the top two candidates are within 5 percentage points of each other requiring a run-off election for the position. iii. The majority winner of the run-off when required shall be named Grand Master. D. Once retired, the previous Grand Master will assume the title of Patriarch by default. E. A vote of confidence will be taken every 3 months and may only result in a new Grand Master if       they fail to receive a simple majority of the votes.

2. Advisor A. The Advisor will act in the name of the Grand Master whenever the Grand Master are away or is       unable to complete his or her duties. B. The Advisor position must be filled at all times and the current office holder may be removed at any time by the Grand Master. No warning is necessary for this removal to take place. C. The Advisor is second-in-command and can act on the behalf of the Grand Master if the Grand Master is unavailable, either due to absence and or where an immediate decision is necessary. Any decisions made by the Advisor may be overruled by the Grand Master upon his return to duty. D. The Advisor is a helping hand to the Grand Master. The Advisor will assist in making decisions with the Grand Master. If an agreement is not mutually reached, the Elder Council will be consulted as       a tie breaker, should the Grand Master defer the decision to them. E. The Advisor will be selected by the Grand Master but can be overturned by a 66% vote in favor of       removal by the Elder Council. This vote is not required but can be called for by the Elder Council and the Grand Master must be notified immediately by private message concerning the vote being called.

3. The Elder Council

A. The Elder Council is the voice of the Priory, they will be elected by the Priory to represent the alliance as the Priory's voice in Government. B. One member of the Elder Council will be selected as Sergeant-at-Arms to ensure efficiency in the Elder Council chambers. The position of Sergeant-at-Arms will be selected by the Grand Master. No other powers will be granted, either expressed or implied, above any other Elder Councilor. i. The tasks assigned to the Sergeant-at-Arms will be to ensure proper time limits are met for discussion and voting in the Elder Council Chambers as well as announcements to the priory concerning decisions made by the Elder Council. C. The Elder Council's primary task is to ensure the Marshals, Grand Master and Advisor follows the Charter as written. i. If the Marshals, Grand Master and Advisor do not follow the Charter, the Elder Council may hold a vote in which they can and can overturn the charter violation with a 75 % vote. ii. The Elder Council may vote to add new amendments to the Charter by a 75 % approval vote. Once they have approved the amendment, it will be confirmed in the priory with a 75 % approval vote before it is added to the Charter as a permanent change. Any changes to the charter do           not require the approval of the Grand Master before they can be added to the Charter. D. The Elder Council members will serve a three month term. E. The Elder Council must vote as a unit when discussing treaties that will involve potential military action or military requirements on the alliance’s behalf. This must pass with a majority percentage of the Elder Council as well as approval from the Grand Master. i. This does not apply to declarations of war. F. Any actions that are voted on concerning discipline issues resulting from charter violations will require a written notification to the Grand Master. The Grand Master will defer disciplinary issues to the Disciplinary Council. The Elder Council is not granted this authority, either expressed or implied. i. If Grand Master Decisions that have been determined as in violation of the charter or detrimental to the safety of the alliance, they can be be vetoed by a 100% of the Elder Council. after an Elder Council veto, the Council's veto will then be sent to the Priory for discussion and their vote. the Priory's vote will determine if the Grand Masters decision and actions will stand or the Priory vote will uphold the Elder Council's veto of said decision and actions. if said actions are determined to         be detrimental to the safety of the alliance then a second vote by the priory will be held to          determine if the Grand Master is to remain or be asked to resign. G. The number of Elder Councilors shall be set on a sliding scale depending on the number of nations enrolled in the Templar Knights alliance. i. When membership is below 150 nations at the time elections are to be held, the number of Elder Councilors shall be set at five total members serving on the Council. ii. When the membership is between 151 and 200 nations at the time elections are to be held, the number of Elder Councilors shall be set at seven total members serving on the Council. iii. When the current membership reaches 201 and above at the time elections are to be held, the number of Elder Councilors shall be set at nine total members serving on the Council. H. In the event that a member of the Council becomes inactive, the remaining Elder Council members shall convene and vote to decide whether or not to replace the Elder Councilor in question. i. A majority of the remaining current Councilors shall vote for removal of the member from the Elder Council. ii. The Grand Master shall approve this removal once it has taken place. I. In the event of a vacant seat in the Council, a new Councilor shall be chosen based on the results of the original vote used to elect the current Elder Council. i. The replacement Elder Councilor shall be selected from the list of vote recipients in order from most votes received to least votes received of the candidates not elected. a. If he or she chooses not to serve, then the next highest vote recipient will be contacted until the seat is filled. b. In the event of 2 or more people having the same number of votes, the remaining EC members may use their discretion in deciding the order between those tied vote recipients. c. In the event, the Elder Council does not have all remaining councilors active within 48 hours, a 24 hour run-off vote will be held in the priory to finalize who will sit as the replacement councilor. 1. If less than one week is present before new elections, the Advisor shall step in to vote on issues in the EC, but will have no more voice than any other EC in matters being decided. J. Elder Council Vote results, to include how each Councilor voted, shall be posted in the priory after each vote is final by the SaA. i. All questions resulting from said vote results to a Councilor will be asked in the same thread and in a respectful manner. a. Rude or disrespectful questions or comments will be sent to the Disciplinary Council for discussion and possible action.

4. Marshals

A. Marshals shall be selected by the Grand Master and serve in permanent positions. i. They will not outrank Elder Councilors in the government hierarchy but rather be considered equals. ii. Marshal selections made by the Grand master can be overturned by a 66% vote in favor of           removal by the Elder Council. This vote is not required but can be called for by the Elder Council and the Grand Master must be notified immediately by private message concerning the vote being brought forth. a. If a vote is called for, it must be completed with 72 hours of the announcement of the Marshal's appointment and the results forwarded in writing with a reason for disallowing the appointment.

B. Marshal of Foreign Affairs (herein, MoFA) i. This person shall be completely responsible for maintaining alliance relationships with other alliances within the Cybernations realm to include the Wiki page, Committee of the Senate, and CN Announcements excluding Declarations of war. ii. Selection of diplomats for the alliance will be the responsibility of the MoFA. iii. Items such as treaties, diplomacy and other issues primarily concerning external issues shall be           the responsibility of the MoFA. iv. Selection of Deputies of Foreign Affairs will be the responsibility of the MoFA. v. Aligned rogues will be handled by the MoFA, until such time that talks break down and arrange- ments are deemed impossible. At that point the Grand Master and Advisor will be contacted by           the MoFA. vi. If they have not already been involved, the situation will be turned over for review and action to the Grand Master and Advisor. vii. The MoFA is responsible for encouraging other alliances to interact with the Templar Knights involving any format of his choosing from inter-alliance events to introduce and grant awards to           other alliance’s members.

C. Marshal of Internal Affairs (herein, MoIA) i. This person shall be completely responsible for maintaining intra-alliance issues to include recruiting, alliance guidelines, economics and testing of TTK applicants. ii. Selection of Recruiters for the alliance will be the responsibility of the MoIA. iii. Selection of Deputies of Internal Affairs will be the responsibility of the MoIA.

D. Marshal of Defense (herein, MoD) i. The Marshal of Defense will be responsible for all issues pertaining to wars. ii. Selection of Deputy MoD's, Division Commanders and Squad Leaders shall be the responsibility of           the MoD. iii. The MoD will have the authority to authorize attacks on unaligned rogue nations that endanger members of this alliance. iv. The MoD does not have authorization to declare war on alliances or aligned rogues without approval from the Grand Master. v. The MoD will be responsible for the training of the military hierarchy that serve under his span of           control, to include the military training of all of the membership in the priory. He will be responsible for the Armory and military training section of the Academy.

E. Deputy Marshals i. Deputy Marshals shall serve as second-in-command to the Marshal's of their respective area. ii. They will fulfill the duties assigned by their respective Marshal. iii. Deputy Marshals will not have access to the Elder Council.

VI. Non-Government Entities 1. Patriarch A. All retired Grand Masters are automatically given the title of Patriarch. B. Influential members of The Templar Alliance may be nominated by both the Grand Master they served under as well as the currently serving Grand Master. They will be made a Patriarch if they are confirmed by a simple majority by the Priory. C. This position allows the Patriarch to take on an advisory role within the government where they may assist the Elder Council and the Grand Master in the decision making process. D. Patriarchs are not allowed to vote on any discussions within the Elder Council Chambers.

VII. The Disciplinary Council

1. The Disciplinary Council shall be comprised of five priory members chosen at random by a random number generator located here. The numbers shall correlate to the member knight’s rank within the alliance excluding the Grand Master and Advisor from said Council seats. 2. The Disciplinary Council shall reside over all cases deemed as administrative punishment including expulsion issues and other disciplinary issues that do not require expulsion from membership. 2. The Disciplinary Council members will review all of the evidence proposed to them, then vote on guilt or innocence. The act will pass if a simple majority is reached in favor of the accused member's   dismissal or appropriate punishment as established by the disciplinary guidelines. i. The Council shall have five days (120 hours) to reach a verdict. 3. If the member knight is found guilty but the punishment does not warrant dismissal from the alliance, the disciplinary guidelines located here are to be used for determining the final punishment. 4. The Grand Master or Advisor in his absence will be responsible for applying the disciplinary guidelines as written. i. Application of guidelines shall be carried out within 48 hours of a verdict by the Council. 5. Expulsion of a Knight by Disciplinary Council Approval i. Any member may put forth a motion to the Disciplinary Council to have another Knight expelled with valid cause by post in the priory. The thread will be locked by an admin once charges are made and it will be referred to the Council for determination of guilt. ii. Evidence must be presented must be in the form of screen shots, IRC logs or similar context in a     priory thread. In instances where the logs pose a threat to the alliance or violate the rules of the forums, the posts or may be edited for content when absolutely necessary. iii. Results and punishment will be posted in the evidentiary thread located in the priory once the determination has been made by the Council within the disciplinary guidelines. a. Posting of said results will be the responsibility of the Grand Master or Advisor.

VIII. War

1. Diplomacy is expected to be conducted before any hostilities erupt although the amount of discussions will be left to the judgment of the MoFA, Advisor and Grand Master. 2. An alliance wide war may only be conducted upon approval or declaration from the Grand Master. 3. Joke wars will NOT be allowed period and will face severe penalties as this is against the rules of CN. It is considered war slot filling and will not be tolerated. A. Penalties for this will be determined by the Disciplinary Council, up to and including aggressive actions and or intra-alliance sanctions carried out by the Grand Master or Advisor. 4. NO WARS ARE TO BE INITIATED WITHOUT PRIOR GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZATION! A. The ban on wars includes tech raids and joke wars.

IX. Amendments

1. Any member of the alliance may put forth an amendment proposal for voting. 2. Discussion on the amendment will last for 48 hours. 3. Voting will last for 72 hours. 4. Voting deemed as an "Emergency Vote" will last for 24 hours.

X. Voting Procedures for Elder Council Seats.

1. Any member may run for an Elder Council seat. 2. All candidates must nominate themselves before being placed on the ballot. The nomination period will last for two days. 3. Immediately following nominations, a 48 hour question and answer format will be required of all nominees. The questions will be from any and all members of the alliance. If the questions are not completed in   the time allotted by the nominee, they will be removed from the ballot for reasons of inactivity. A. All of the questions must be answered period. No exceptions. 4. Once the question and answer session has expired, the voting will commence for a period of 72 hours. All alliance members will be requested to vote for the candidates of their choice with a maximum number of votes being equal to the total enrollment number of the Priory. 5. The total election period will encompass the seven days prior to the start of the new Elder Council Term. 6. The newly elected Elder Councilors will begin their three month term on the 1st day after elections are completed and the results posted in the Priory.

XI. Emergency Vote Procedures by the Priory

1. An "Emergency Vote" will be considered in cases such as a treaty needs to be cancelled immediately or an Emergency protectorate status needs applied the "Emergency Vote" will last 24 hours. All attempts will be made via forums and in game to contact all the Elder Council, Grand Master and Advisor.