Alternian Empire Charter

Article 1: Membership
''The Alternian Empire (AE) seeks to establish the eternal prosperity of its member nations through growth, expansion, and brutal and uncompromising conquest– where necessary. All ‘nations’ within the Empire shall work together to advance the development and prosperity of fellow members and themselves, while also aiding the Empire in its quest to unify the cosmos.''

§1. Entry Protocols

 * 1. Membership in the Alternian Empire may be obtained either by invitation, or application.
 * 2. Only nations which have the sponsorship of two or more members may be accepted via invitation.
 * a. Sponsors must be a member of the Alliance for a minimum of 30 days prior to sponsoring.
 * 3. The applicant must have a clean past record with their current nation with relation to other Alliances and be willing to divulge it.
 * a. EZI status must be declared if active, but may be waivered at the Tetrarchy’s discretion, in accordance with Imperial Law.
 * b. Applicants that are the enemy of another Alliance (including ZI or PZI requests) will not be accepted.
 * c. Applicants that are a current member of another Alliance will not be accepted, unless clearance has been sent and received from said Alliance’s authorities.
 * 4. The applicant must lodge their membership application on the Imperial Forum, in accordance with instructions therein, and must display their applicant status within their ‘Nation Slogan’ (AE Applicant) during the Application process.
 * a. The applicant must follow all further directives and instructions of Alternian authorities during the membership process.
 * 5. Nations that have been newly-admitted into the Alternian Empire shall hold probationary status for a period of 30 days, following the date of admittance. Probationary members must list this status in their ‘Nation Slogan’. Upon successful completion of this probationary period, they shall be recognised as a full member of the Empire.
 * 6. The Tetrarchy has the right to deny any nation full membership in the Alternian Empire by majority vote, unless overturned by the Assembly.

§2. Member Obligations

 * 1. All AE members are required to swear an oath of loyalty to the Empire, have their nation's alliance affiliation set to ‘Alternian Empire’ and their team set to the official Team Colour of the Empire.
 * 2. All AE members are to treat fellow members with dignity and respect, and to heed the directives of the Empress and/or Tetrarchy, while they hold membership.
 * 3. During peacetime, a member nation may submit formal notice of resignation of membership to the Agent of Auspisticizing. Member nations are not permitted to resign while the Alliance is at war, unless granted express permission by the Tetrarchy.
 * 4. All AE members are encouraged and expected to participate within the Alliance, and to act in accordance with the Charter and laws of the Empire.

Article 2: Hierarchy of Command
''The Alternian Empire's leadership contains three distinct central pillars. The first pillar is the Empress, whose sovereignty is unquestionable and distinct. The second is the Tetrarchy, which is the primary driving force behind the day-to-day running and administration of the Empire. The Third pillar is the Assembly; a body representing all Alliance members and their interests. These three pillars form the primary source of legitimacy and authority, and all other positions exist only via powers dispensed from one or more of these sources.''

§1. Her Imperious Condescension, Empress of Alternia

 * 1. The Empress is the primary authority of the Alternian Empire. Her word is Law, and may only be vetoed either by a 3/4 supermajority of the Tetrarchy, or 2/3 supermajority of the Assembly.
 * a. The Empress must be either a ‘Founding Member’ of the Alternian Empire, or one that has been a member for a minimum of 6 months.
 * b. The Empress also serves as Chair of the Alternian Assembly, but may delegate this task to another individual should she so wish.
 * c. When the position of Empress is vacant, or the Empress is otherwise unable to exercise Her authority, the Tetrarchy shall assume these duties, with the Archagent acting as its official leader.
 * d. An Empress must be elected within two months of the title becoming vacant, unless the position has been assumed by the former Heiress.

§2. The Tetrarchal Agentocracy

 * 1. The Tetrarchy is composed of four Agents, of which one will be appointed as Archagent by the Empress.
 * a. Should a vote by the Tetrarchy be hung, the Archagent may choose to resolve the tie, at their discretion.
 * b. The Archagent may assume the authority of the Empress, at the behest of the Assembly, or the Empress herself, where she is unable to fulfil Her duties. This temporary role may last no longer than two months, upon which a new Empress must be elected and the Archagent must return to their duties.
 * c. Each member of the Tetrarchy shall serve a term of no more than three months, at the end of which a Vote of Confidence must be held for each individual member, which if failed, shall have their title revoked.
 * 2. The Agent of War ( ♠ ) shall be entrusted with the task of managing, expanding and commanding the military might of the Empire, both in War and Peacetime.
 * 3. The Agent of Diplomaneuvering ( ♦ ) shall be entrusted with the task of managing, balancing and directing the foreign political relations of the Empire, in support of the Empress.
 * a. The Agent of Diplomaneuvering shall direct the appointment of Ambassadors and/or Envoys, to assist in the handling on specific foreign relationships and subsequent balancing of the Empire’s Allegiance Mesh.
 * b. Ambassadors and/or Envoys may be recalled by majority member nation vote, the Empress, or the Agent themselves.
 * 4. Agent of Prosperity ( ♥ ) shall be entrusted with the task of managing and supporting the development, growth and vitality of the Empire and its members, as well as primary responsibility in managing the Imperial Schoolfeeders.
 * 5. The Agent of Auspisticizing ( ♣ ) shall be entrusted with the task of managing the internal affairs of the Alliance, including communication, forum administration and member management.

§3. The Noble Circle of Horrorterrors

 * 1. The Noble Circle is an advisory body, assisting government bodies and officials in order to ensure the optimum running of both government and general alliance affairs. To be eligible for admittance into the Circle, a member must fulfil at least one of the following conditions:
 * a. Has a minimum of two years or more prior experience within Cybernations;
 * b. Have previously held a seat within the Tetrarchy;
 * c. Is a former Empress, or has been a member of the Empire for nine or more months.
 * 2. Members of the Circle may be entrusted with responsibilities and duties at the behest of the Tetrarchy, but only with the member’s express approval. It shall also act as the primary political oversight body of the Empire.
 * a. The Noble Circle shall appoint from their number an Emissary, to act as its formal spokesperson; they shall be provided access to all Tetrarchal meetings, but may not vote on procedural matters within that chamber.
 * 3. Members of the Circle are appointed by the Empress but may be forcibly expelled by the Assembly alone.
 * a. This title may be retained by former members of the alliance, but only with the express approval of the Assembly and Empress; non-members are barred from acting as Emissary and cannot be entrusted with official duties by the Tetrarchy.

§4. Alternian Assembly

 * 1. The Assembly consists of all active Alliance members, and shall be responsible for voting on important affairs of the Alliance, and ensuring the fortitude of its leaders.
 * 2. A vote by the Assembly cannot be recognised unless a quorum of 1/3 is reached.
 * a. Assembly votes shall run for no less than 48 hours and a maximum period of 72 hours, unless a 2/3 majority of members has voted within that time, in which case discretion may be used by the Agent of Auspisticizing to recognise the vote before the 48-hour deadline.
 * b. Voting time may be extended for up to 24 hours at the Agent of Auspisticizing's discretion should quorum not be reached, a maximum of three times.
 * 3. The Assembly is responsible for the ratification of the laws of the Empire. Laws drafted must be submitted to the Assembly for approval.
 * a. A draft law requires a majority plus one vote to be ratified and codified into official law.
 * b. Laws must not conflict with the terms of the Imperial Charter, but may augment it; should a Law violate the Charter, it cannot be accepted into law.
 * 4. The Assembly shall be responsible for electing members of the Tetrarchy, where and when a vacancy may appear. It shall also oversee Votes of Confidence as per A2§2.1c
 * 5. The Assembly may appoint one of its members to the titular position of Heiress. Should the Empress no longer respect the wishes of the Empire as a whole, said Heiress may challenge the Empress for supremacy over Her position via a Vote of No Confidence. Should a 2/3 supermajority be received in the Assembly, the Heiress shall assume the position of Empress, with the fate of the former Empress to be determined through consultation of the member body as a whole.

§5 Schoolfeeders

 * 1. The Imperial Schoolfeeders are members which shall assist with the training and upbringing of new members. This also includes the drafting of guides and management of education regimen.
 * 2. Any member nation may apply for registration as a Schoolfeeder, including members in other government positions. Applicants will be vetted by the Tetrarchy and trained (if necessary) prior to official appointment.
 * 3. Schoolfeeders may be demoted from their position by any of the following; the Tetrarchy, the Empress and the Assembly, by majority vote where applicable.

§6 Legislacerators

 * 1. Legislacerators are members which assist the Agent of Auspisticizing and Agent of Prosperity with the administration and organisation of Alliance members. This shall entail the transmission of directions to their charges, the gathering and tracking of important information, and the fostering of activity and co-operation between members.
 * 2. Any member nation may apply for registration as a Legislacerator, including members in other government positions. Applicants will be vetted by the Tetrarchy and trained (if necessary) prior to official appointment.
 * 3. Each Legislacerator shall be responsible for a group of 12 members (including themselves) and are to report at least fortnightly on their group’s progress as a whole.
 * 4. Legislacerators may be demoted from their position by any of the following; the Tetrarchy, the Empress and the Assembly, by majority vote where applicable.

§7 Subjugglators

 * 1. Subjugglators are members tasked with the administration and organisation of recruitment and morale activity. This shall entail the monitoring of Alliance Applicants, maintenance of official recruitment offices and channels, and the development of information and propaganda for various purposes within the Empire.
 * 2. Any member nation may apply for registration as a Subjugglator, including members in other government positions. Applicants will be vetted by the Tetrarchy and trained (if necessary) prior to official appointment.
 * 3. Subjugglators may be demoted from their position by any of the following; the Tetrarchy, the Empress and the Assembly, by majority vote where applicable.

§1. Treaties & War

 * 1. Treaties of a Mutual and Binding nature shall be honoured from the date of activation.
 * a. Mutual treaties may only be reneged in extreme circumstances by unanimous vote of the Tetrarchy, the Empress, and 3/4 majority vote by the Assembly.
 * b. Should A3§1.1a ever be activated, the acting Empress must send a sincere and apologetic letter to the relevant parties, filled with glitter. Kissing the letter is optional, but encouraged.
 * c. Should two mutual treaties overlap, the Empire may not take up arms against either party, where said combatants are in direct opposition.
 * d. Where Mutual Defence and Mutual Aggression treaties conflict, the Mutual Defence agreement shall automatically take precedence.
 * 2. Optional Treaties may be activated only with the consent of the Empress, a ¾ majority of the Tetrarchy and a majority vote of the Assembly.
 * 3. Nations within the Alternian Empire, or applying for Imperial membership, are under the protection of the Empire, and unprovoked attacks upon them shall be considered an Act of War.
 * a. This protection shall not extend to nations bearing the Empire’s colours under false pretences (‘ghosting’); such nations shall be tracked by the Empire and kept public at all times.
 * b. Nations that have violated the laws of the Empire may have their protection revoked at the discretion of the Tetrarchy and/or the Empress.
 * c. Applicants must list their Applicant status clearly for Applicant Protection to be provided.
 * 4. The Empire sees the defence and protection of its members as inviolable and will seek reimbursement for losses incurred as a result of an attack on one or more of its members – via both peaceful and military means.
 * a. Should the offending party fail to comply, the Empire shall engage it until it accedes, or until the Empire feels that the safety of its members is no longer at risk.
 * 5. Alliance members must follow the directives of the Empress and the Archagent when the Alliance is in a state of war, including terms of engagement as defined in Imperial Law.

§2. Legal

 * 1. This Charter is legally-binding, and shall come into force, upon signing and ratification by the Empress, the Tetrarchy and the Assembly.
 * 2. This Charter may only be amended following a majority vote of both the Assembly, and the Tetrarchy.
 * a. Amendments must first be Seconded by one of the following before being considered for voting; 20% of the Assembly, a member of the Tetrarchy, or the Empress herself.
 * 3. Treaties are considered legally-binding if signed by at least two of the following; The Assembly, The Empress, and The Tetrarchy. Treaties involving a mandatory defence or mandatory aggression clause require the support of all three bodies to be considered valid and/or legally binding.