Theocracy Titles

Camille wrote:

Sir Whoa - Harvester

Hahahaha. I wish. I am still on my way to get rank 13. I currently fly a Reaper.

No matter - a Reaper would still make the proposed 3+ Skulls and 450+ Armour requirement

Sir Whoa wrote:

Camille wrote:

Sir Whoa - Harvester

Hahahaha. I wish. I am still on my way to get rank 13. I currently fly a Reaper.

Camille1 wrote:

Captain Bacon - Rover

Of the above, only Bacon's Rover wouldn't make the 3+ skulls AND 450+ Armour requirement - but the Reaper he presumably gets next would qualify.

I never plan to pilot a Reaper. Although a fine ship, my next ship is going to be a Hawk.

Captain Bacon wrote:

my next ship is going to be a Hawk.

What sort of timescale are you looking at ?

Once I hit comp 9. So a in a while. I just got my Rover, I'm not ready to leave it for quite a while.

Suggested edit of full Solarix post, with subsequent suggestions added. The idea is that the below can serve as the Alliance Forum post.
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Formerly an alliance, the Theocracy of Kai-Rang can now be considered as a kind of 'unofficial syndicate'. It's main purpose is to provide pilots with new challenges, role playing opportunities and 'something different to do'. Consequently the Theocracy is open to members of all factions (or none) all alliances and all syndicates. There are no obligations imposed that may clash with existing loyalties, though Theocrats are expected to consider aiding their brothers and sisters in Kai-Rang when called upon to do so.

The Theocracy believes that the universe was created by Kai-Rang, the Sky-God Dragon. It mainly revolves around worshipping the Space Dragon Queens (big red ones) by releasing them temporarily from their mortal forms (i.e. defeating them in combat). But the other two dragon types are important as well.

When encountered in certain Dragon Dens across the pardus universe, Theocrats call these Space Dragon Queens "Matriarchs". Matriarchs are the Wives of Kai-Rang, and the only divine beings that can be visited and communicated with. Kai-Rang the Sky-God Dragon rarely appears, mostly only when Summoned by the Rune Master.

Becoming an Acolyte of Kai-Rang is simplicity itself: Pilots merely have to demonstrate that they are worthy (by killing a Matriarch - or rather, freeing her temporarily from her mortal form - and sending the combat logs to a Priest/ess, Guardian or the Rune Master) and declare the intention to embark upon a Pilgrimage at some point. (Details of Pilgrimages can be found here: Pilgrimages ). Interested parties who are not yet skilled enough to free a Matriarch should refer to the following section about the Theocracy's Novitiate.

NOVICES

Generally, the Theocracy of Kai-Rang is accessible only to those able to kill SDQs - and it takes quite a while for graduates of flight school to reach that level. The Theocracy has just insitituted a Novitiate to cater to less experienced pilots, however.

A Pilot who has 10 YSD kills can request to join the Novitiate, acceptance guaranteed. They receive the title of Probationer Novice and their High Priest / Guardian / Runic Guardian mentors then have an obligation to help them acquire the necessary skills and equipment to ultimately release a Matriarch from her mortal form.

When Probationer Novices have killed 100 YSDs they lose the 'Probationer' tag (becoming Junior Novices) and can also adopt the title of Dragon Executioner.

When Junior Novices have killed 100 ESDs they lose the 'Junior' tag.

When Novices of any level kill their first SDQ they leave the Novitiate to become fully fledged Acolytes and the responsibilities of their mentors cease.

Acolytes and above (i.e. Initiates, Priest/esses and High Priest/esses) have doors to a number of 'career paths' within the Theocracy opened for them. They may become Templars, charged with keeping the pilgrimage routes safe for Pilgrims, if they fulfil the requirements. (See Templar Titles below). Those entering the Priesthood may become Guardians of specific Matriarchs. (See Guardian Titles below). Acolytes may also adopt the Dragon Hunter titles below provided they meet the required criteria.

The Theocracy is governed by the Runic Council, made up of the (Runic) Guardians of the 16 Matriarchs. The Runic Council chooses one of their number to be the Rune Master/Mistress, who leads the Theocracy, organises the Festivals, keeps track of the Cycles, and guides the Pilgrims on their Pilgrimages.

All Templars are members of the Theocracy's Red Dragon Fleet whose commander, the Grand Templar, is also appointed by the Rune Master from the ranks of the Templar Knights.

A full list of Theocratic Titles, with details of how these titles are bestowed, appears below.

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Acolyte
Full title: "Acolyte of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang."
Acolyte is the basic title for any Theocrat. You are acknowledged by the Rune Master and/or the Runic Council as part of the Theocracy.
To obtain the title, you must demonstrate that you are worthy (by killing a Matriarch - or rather, freeing her temporarily from her mortal form - and sending the combat logs to a Priest/ess, Guardian or the Rune Master) and declare your intention to embark upon a Pilgrimage at some point.
As an Acolyte you are automatically eligible for the Dragon Hunter titles when you fulfil their requirements. Similarly, you can become a Templar and fight for the Theocracy should you meet the required criteria.


Religious Titles
The religious titles are for when you eventually want to progress into becoming a Runic Guardian.
The Matriarchs all have their Temples. A Temple is a group of theocrats who have shown a progressively stronger allegiance to a specific Matriarch, with Runic Guardian being the embodiment of that Matriarch's "Aspect". (ie: Koo-Rir is the Matriarch of Wrath, making Koo-Rir's Aspect "Wrath")

Initiate

Acolytes who have served the Theocracy for 30 days or more and have completed any Runic Quest are awarded the title of Initiate. Acolytes who have completed FOUR Runic Quests or a complete Standard Pilgrimage are also considered Initiates, even it they have served for less than 30 days.

Priest
Full Title: "Priest of *Matriarch*'s Temple" (for example: "Priest of Koo-Adauchi's Temple")
The Priest is a Theocrat who has shown allegiance to a specific Matriarch. To become a Priest of a certain Matriarch, an Initiate must announce this, then kill the mortal form of that Matriarch 3 times and send the logs to the Rune Master or that respective Matriarch's Runic Guardian (if applicable) to confirm the kills.
Once a Priest, the Priest can switch allegiance to any other Matriarch at any time they wish. To do so, they must inform the Runic Guardian of the Matriarch they want to switch to, and/or the Rune Master, and kill the mortal form of the Matriarch they want to switch to the required three times.

High Priest
Fully named: "High Priest of *Matriarch*'s Temple"

The Priests of a specific Matriarch can become her High Priest when they have fulfilled the following criteria:

Completed a Standard Pilgrimage AND

- obtained the titles of Dragon Slayer & Templar Squire OR
- Started a Runic Pilgrimage with the Quest of their Matriarch OR
- Started a standard Pilgrimage with the killing of the mortal form of their Matriarch .

Priests who wish to be considered for their Matriarch's High Priesthood must make the Rune Master and/or the relevant Runic Guardian aware of the fact.
Each month, the candidate who has killed the most Space Dragon Queens will be selected.
In the unlikely event of a tie, Priests who are also Templars are given priority, the amount of theocracy-endorsed PvP kills being used to determine the successful candidate if more than one.
If there's still a tie, then a PvP fight between the competing Priests will ensue. But the chances of this actually happening are very slim.

Once a candidate has been selected, the former High Priest becomes an Elder Priest (in other words it is not possible to remain a High Priest for more than a month if there are any other qualified candidates available).

If no Priests are eligible at the monthly selection, then a selection is made from the Elder Priests and Champions, guaranteeing a switch.

If no Priests are eligible, and there are no Elder Priests or Champions to choose from, then the current High Priest can keep their title indefinately.

Priests that are eligible but were not selected, may be selected in a future month, provided they don't change allegiance.

High Priests can challenge a Runic Guardian for the title. If they win the challenge, they will become the Guardian of their Matriarch and give up the High Priesthood.
If they lose the challenge, they will keep their High Priest title, but may not challenge the Runic Guardian again for at least two months.

Elder Priest
Fully named: "Elder Priest of *Matriarch's Temple"
A former High Priest who has been replaced during the monthly selection.
A Temple can contain any number of of Priests, Elder Priests and Champions.
If an Elder Priest switches allegiance to another Matriarch, they will keep their Elder Priest title.


Guardian
Fully named: "Guardian of *Matriarch*" (ie: "Guardian of Koo-Waimiz")
A Guardian is a High Priest who has successfully challenged a Guardian of Runic Guardian. If a Matriarch has no Guardian then upon securing the High Priesthood the High Priest is automatically promoted to become Guardian, thus progressing from the High Priesthood immediately.

Defeated (Runic) Guardians receive the title of Champion, retain their Priesthoods, and can attempt to become their Temple's High Priest once more at the monthly choosings if they wish.

Runic Guardian
Fully named: "Runic Guardian of *Matriarch*"
The religious leader of a Matriarch's Temple. A Guardian who has undergone the the Ascension Ceremony and has had the Rune of his/her Matriarch bestowed during this event becomes a Runic Guardian.

Runic Guardians are also part of the Runic Council, which plays a big role in the Pilgrimages and Red Dragon Fleet. With the Rune Master, they make up the leadership of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang in the absence of the Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang.

Champion
Fully named: "Champion of *Matriarch*"
A champion is a (Runic) Guardian who has been defeated in a challenge for the position.
They are eligible to become a High Priest again, much in the same way as Elder Priests.
Champions cannot change allegiance to a different Matriarch, however.


Religious Titles Factoids
- High Priests or better, can build a physical Temple in their respective Matriarch's den, offering shield recharges to passing Pilgrims and other pilots who free dragon souls from their mortal forms. The general consensus is that 5 credits per shield point is a reasonable fee. Sometimes, 'rental' arrangements are secured with the owners of existing Energy Wells instead.
- It is perfectly okay in the Theocracy of Kai-Rang to kill offline pilots in Matriarch dens. The dens are sacred and loitering in these sanctuaries is not allowed. Of course, non-Theocrats may not see this in the same light.
- Because of the relative ease to become a High Priest at the first attempt, but it becomes significantly harder to become a High Priest multiple times, it is smart to not make a run for High Priest until you're ready.


Pilgrimage Titles
Pilgrimages are fully explained in a different thread on the pardus forums: http://forum.pardus.at/index.php?showtopic=65154&view=findpost&p=1326403

A pilgrim has gathered the wisdom of the universe, and more. They have travelled the far reaches of space to understand the divine. They have completed Quests that would give them knowledge of all the different kinds of life in the universe.

Pilgrim
A theocrat who has completed a standard Pilgrimage in any order.

Runic Pilgrim
A theocrat who has completed a Runic Pilgrimage in any order.

Obsidian Pilgrim
A theocrat who has completed the Obsidian Pilgrimage. This is a secret pilgrimage, unlocked only for theocrats who hold the title of "Runic Pilgrim" and "Obsidian Guard".

Pilgrimage Title Factoids
- Runic Pilgrims act as an extension to the Runic Council, giving advice.
- Pilgrims and the Pilgrimages are under complete control of the Rune Master. The Runic Council serves to give advice.
- Runic Guardians, in discussion with the Rune Master, can suggest modifications to the Quests of their Matriarchs, changing the criteria that need to be fulfilled by theocrats on a Runic Pilgrimage.


Red Dragon Fleet Titles
Red Dragon Fleet is the Theocracy's military arm, dedicated to the hunting of bounties and theocracy foes and protecting the pilgrims on their perilous journeys. Many priests, pilgrims, and dragon hunters, also are part of this group.

Templar Serjeant
Protectors and fighters of the Theocracy tasked with keeping the pilgrimage routes safe for Pilgrims, these pilots are acknowledged to be skilled and willing to fight for our cause.
A Templar Serjeant is a member of the Red Dragon Fleet rank and file.

Minimum requirements to become a Templar Serjeant:
- Ship class of 3 skulls or more.
- Dragon Hunter rank of Dragon Executioner or better.

Theocrats achieving the above are automatically inducted into the Red Dragon Fleet on request, but the Grand Templar and Rune Master are empowered to summarily dismiss those guilty of insubordination or bringing the Fleet into disrepute.

Templar Squire
Elite members of the the Red Dragon Fleet who are required to have better skills and more powerful ships than the rank and file.

Minimum requirements to become a Templar Squire:
- Ship class of 3 skulls or more with armour of 450 or more.
- Dragon Hunter rank of Dragon Slayer or better.
- Unmodified Skills (Maneuver, Hit Accuracy and Tactics) of 50+

Templar Knight
A Templar Knight is a Templar who has experience of joint 'wartime' operations and is able to lead multiple Templars into combat.

To become a Templar Knight, the Templar must have the following:
- The title of Pilgrim, having completed a Standard Pilgrimage
- Dragon Hunter rank of Dragon Guard or better
- A ship with 3 or more skulls with armour of 450 of more
- Completed the Quests of Koo-Kaj, Koo-Rir, Koo-Adauchi, and Koo-Pakanga as part of a Runic Pilgrimage
- Have gained 300+ War Points during an official faction war OR (have gained at least 300 notoriety AND taken part in at least one Theocratic joint military operation).
And at least one of these accomplishments:
- Successfully led any form of combat operation on their own initiative while being a Templar.
- Got the winning kill in a Hunt for the Fallen*
- Got 10 Theocracy endorsed kills*

Grand Templar
The Grand Templar leads the entire Red Dragon Fleet in unity. He or she is appointed by a majority vote of the Rune Master and the Runic Guardians of Koo-Rir, Koo-Kaj, Koo-Adauchi, and Koo-Pakanga.
Only Templar Knights and the aforementioned Runic Guardians are eligible to be chosen as Grand Templar.

Templar Title Factoids
* Hunt for the Fallen is a bounty hunt which can be initiated by Templar Knights, Grand Templars, and the Rune Master. A bounty is set at any one pilot with this as the reason, and a group of Templars is assembled to hunt that pilot. In general, the pilot would be a theocracy-endorsed kill.
* Theocracy endorsed kills: Faction Bounties worth over 250,000 credits. Docked pilots in illegals. Offline pilots in Matriarch dens. Hunt for the Fallen targets. Theocracy public enemies.
- Switching to a trade ship while a Templar automatically removes that title from you. Switching back to a combat ship with 3 skulls and 450 armour or better reinstates the title you already had.


Dragon Hunter Titles
Dragon Hunters specialise in the destruction of Space Dragon's mortal forms, releasing their souls.

Dragon Executioner
Has 100 YSD kills.

Dragon Slayer
Has 500 YSD kills, 100 ESD kills.

Dragon Guard
Has 1000 YSD kills, 500 ESD kills, 100 SDQ kills.

Obsidian Guard
Has 1000 YSD kills, 1000 ESD kills, 500 SDQ kills.


Runic Halls of Kai-Rang Titles
These pilots are remembered by the Theocracy, with stories told about their actions.

Archon
inactive/retired followers of Kai-Rang that have meant a lot to the Theocracy and have transcended to the Runic Halls. Sages become Archons by a vote of the Runic Guardians and the Rune Master.

Sage
Respected followers of Kai-Rang that have been retired or inactive for over 3 months while part of the Theocracy.



Theocracy leader titles
As the name implies, these are the leaders of the Theocracy.

Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang
The absolute leader of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang. All other titles fall below him. Is the embodiment of Kai-Rang, the Sky God Dragon himself.

Rune Master
In charge of the Theocracy in the absence of a Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang.
Keeps track of the Cycles, organises Festivals, is the head of the Runic Council, and guides new theocrats on their pilgrimages.

Rune Scholar
These pilots assist the Rune Master in his task, and may become Rune Master themselves one day. Are hand-picked by the Rune Master. Can represent the Rune Master in his/her absence.
They study the Codexian Archives; the centre of all Theocracy lore.


Other titles
Writer: Someone who has written extraordinary lore for the Theocracy.
Artist: Someone who has made extraordinary visual art for the Theocracy.
Musician: Someone who has made extraordinary music for the Theocracy.

These titles are awarded by the Rune Master, with feedback from the Runic Guardians of Koo-Kangenraga and Koo-Paibisundarat.(new)

_

Quote :

Well, yes, I agree that Templar Knights are the ones who should be leading operations, but the material they have to work with shouldn't be too shabby.

So you view new players as not useful, not interesting?

I think excluding newer, unskilled pilots in this manner, is unfair.
I myself think if you want to PvP, it's less about the ingame stats, and more about mindset.

In the few operations I've done and led in Artemis, and where I allowed unskilled new pilots to join in an MO bust, it got easier than I was used to. Why? Because those new pilots would mean that the quality skilled pilots would have to spend less APs on damaging the building condition. The new pilots would love to spend 1000-2000 APs on building attacks, happy to be part of it all.

I can give you names of lucy-maxxed pilots in Doomstars that avoid PvP, afraid to lose their precious skills that they gained for no reason other than because they could.
I can give you names of 30-skilled pilots that PvP in an interceptor, taking up the "big guys" and are having a blast at it despite dying in 1 round against a reasonably skilled pilot.

Guess which of the two is more suited to be a Templar by your system, but which of the two is someone I really want to be part of the Templars if possible?

Skills and ship don't matter as much. Sure, better skills and ship is absolutely useful in PvP, but not the defining factor that we should be looking for.

It's some ingame trend that other, large groups follow. It's however, very unlike the Theocracy I joined 7 years ago, and grew to love.
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Another thing. Just a thought, wondering if people agree with me or not:
I don't think the initial title of a certain career should require initial titles of a different career.
ie: currently, to become a Priest, you need to be involved in the Pilgrimages as well.

This would force a theocrat to get involved in a certain side of the Theocracy they perhaps might not find interesting, just to do the thing they do find interesting. It would lock off the Theocracy and prevent people from doing what they want to do, because of the new requirements for certain titles.

Now if they want to progress in that career, then we can expect them to have some broader experience of other elements in the Theocracy.

As such, I think the titles of Priest, and Templar, should not require the titles of Pilgrim, Dragon Executioner, or Dragon Slayer, at all.
But to become High Priest, or Templar Knight, we could expect them to be involved in Dragon Hunting and Pilgrimages.

Means we gotta find something else for those titles though.

I agree with Solarix here. In Arty during GoP's war with the EWS Coalition, I had about mid 50s skills, but I participated in every possible operation I could. Pilots with less skills can be very important to OPs. It means they can spend their APs on things that would be a waste for high-skilled fighters.

No, of course I don't view new players as not useful or interesting. I just don't see much point - or 'honour' - in Templar Knights leading wide-eyed ficon pilots to multiple discouraging deaths.

The reason the bar for Templars is as high as it is - and don't forget it's considerably lower than your first suggestions of 300 warpoints etc., Solarix - is that, like all the ranks mentioned here, their main purpose is to give Theocrats something to aspire to.

OK, to cater for the super-keen Intie pilots you wish to recruit, let's just put in a lower tier of Templar and have the progression Templar Serjeant -> Templar Squire (current Templar title) -> Templar Knight -> Grand Templar. (Last draft post edited accordingly).

> Another thing. Just a thought, wondering if people agree with me or not:
I don't think the initial title of a certain career should require initial titles of a different career.
ie: currently, to become a Priest, you need to be involved in the Pilgrimages as well.

Not true. To become an Initiate you need to complete ONE Runic Quest, and a number of them involve quite easy things that all pilots do anyway (stock buildings, amass cash, do faction / neutral missions and so on). No great hardship by any means.

I don't really see what your problem is with Pilgrimages anyway. They are inately religious in nature and it seems that pilots have always been required to pledge to undertake one in order to become Acolytes of the Theocracy...

> This would force a theocrat to get involved in a certain side of the Theocracy they perhaps might not find interesting, just to do the thing they do find interesting. It would lock off the Theocracy and prevent people from doing what they want to do, because of the new requirements for certain titles.

Just not so. From Acolyte, the only requirements for which are to declare the intention to go on a Pilgrimage at some point and provision of proof that you can kill a SDQ, you can go straight on to the Templars, Religious Path, Dragon Hunters, Pilgrimages...pretty well anything you want. And with the institution of the Novitiate, even those who aren't yet up to killing a SDQ (which, as has been stated before, is what the Theocracy is built on) can make a beginning on some paths.

> As such, I think the titles of Priest, and Templar, should not require the titles of Pilgrim, Dragon Executioner, or Dragon Slayer, at all.

All Priest requires, after becoming Initiate, is killing a Matriarch 3 times. Templar (Squire) requiring Dragon Slayer isn't too onerous - a lot of pilots get those Dragon ribbons in the course of ranking / comping / xping anyway. It is already that case that only High Priests, Templar Knights and above need to demonstrate a high level of commitment to Theocracy activities...

> I agree with Solarix here. In Arty during GoP's war with the EWS Coalition, I had about mid 50s skills, but I participated in every possible operation I could. Pilots with less skills can be very important to OPs. It means they can spend their APs on things that would be a waste for high-skilled fighters.

Well, mid 50s skills and the Hawk you're getting would qualify you for Templar (Squire) anyway...

You know what, I'm gonna go with the "Rune Master authority" here to finish this discussion.
I think we've heard all points of view by now, and we have to come to a resolution at some point. I'm sure we can discuss a couple more days, but there will always be something else. I really like how it looks now, with some minor modifications that unfortunately, will need to be taken for granted.

I think we can speculate all we want, but changing the titles like this will have unforeseen consequences anyway, and only by putting it to practice we can see the full implications that we can then respond to and make adjustments based on that.
Perhaps we can simplify things because they are barely used. Perhaps we have to expand certain things in order to make better distinctions. Perhaps we will have to clarify certain things.
We will have to see.


And, thank you Camille!
Your enthusiasm, especially in this regard of (re)defining titles, has helped a lot in bringing me back to Pardus and the Theocracy.
I hope that, while I did not blankly accept everything you wanted to change in the titles, you can see your own significant effects of your ideas on this clarified overhaul of the progression system within the Theocracy!


The final modification. At least until there is reason to modify it.
Please read it carefully because it is yet another "hybridization", and the modifications are small.
Some noteworthy changes:
- Templar Serjeant -> [s]Inquisitor[/s] Warrior
- Templar Squire -> changed back to Templar.
- Acolyte -> Initiate (would be more logical to have Initiate after the Novitiate)
- Acolyte (formerly Initiate) is removed from the religious progression, since there is no need for another title before Priest, and the requirements you mentioned are more in the realm of basic titles or could even be a pre-Pilgrim title.
- Acolyte will be used to determine an Initiate who has been a part of the Theocracy for 30 days or more, but has not (yet?) progressed into Priest or Templar careers, or has completed 4 Quests of the Runic Pilgrimage, even if that has been done in less than 30 days.
- Some little changes in minimum requirements for certain titles. Especially noticable with the Templar progression, making it significantly more difficult to rank up in that progression, but still making a clear distinction in skill and ships.

Quote :

Formerly an alliance, the Theocracy of Kai-Rang can now be considered as a kind of 'unofficial syndicate'. Its main purpose is to provide pilots with new challenges, roleplaying opportunities and 'something different to do'. Consequently the Theocracy is open to members of all factions (or none), all alliances, and all syndicates. There are no obligations imposed that may clash with existing loyalties, though Theocrats are expected to consider aiding their brothers and sisters in Kai-Rang when called upon to do so.

The Theocracy believes that the universe was created by Kai-Rang, the Sky-God Dragon. It mainly revolves around worshipping the Space Dragon Queens (big red ones) by releasing them temporarily from their mortal forms (i.e. defeating them in combat). But the other two dragon types are important as well.

When encountered in certain Dragon Dens across the pardus universe, Theocrats call these Space Dragon Queens "Matriarchs". Matriarchs are the Wives of Kai-Rang, and the only divine beings that can be visited and communicated with. Kai-Rang the Sky-God Dragon rarely appears, mostly only when Summoned by the Rune Master or Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang.

Becoming an Initiate of Kai-Rang is simplicity itself: Pilots merely have to demonstrate that they are worthy (by killing a Matriarch - or rather, freeing her temporarily from her mortal form - and sending the combat logs to a Priest/ess, Guardian or the Rune Master) and declare the intention to embark upon a Pilgrimage at some point. (Details of Pilgrimages can be found here: Pilgrimages ).  Interested parties who are not yet skilled enough to free a Matriarch should refer to the following section about the Theocracy's Novitiate.

Quote :

Theocracy Novitiate
Generally, the Theocracy of Kai-Rang is accessible only to those able to kill SDQs - and it takes quite a while for graduates of flight school to reach that level. The Theocracy has just insitituted a Novitiate to cater to less experienced pilots, however.

A Pilot who has 10 YSD kills can request to join the Novitiate, acceptance guaranteed. They receive the title of Probationer Novice and their High Priest / Guardian / Runic Guardian mentors then have an obligation to help them acquire the necessary skills and equipment to ultimately release a Matriarch from her mortal form.

When Probationer Novices have killed 100 YSDs they lose the 'Probationer' tag (becoming Junior Novices) and can also adopt the title of Dragon Executioner.

When Junior Novices have killed 100 ESDs they lose the 'Junior' tag.

When Novices of any level kill their first SDQ they leave the Novitiate to become fully fledged Initiates and the responsibilities of their mentors cease.

Initiates have doors to a number of 'career paths' within the Theocracy opened for them.  They may become Templars, charged with keeping the pilgrimage routes safe for Pilgrims, if they fulfil the requirements. (See Templar Titles below). Those entering the Priesthood may become  Guardians of specific Matriarchs. (See Guardian Titles below). Initiates may also adopt the Dragon Hunter titles below provided they meet the required criteria.

The Theocracy is governed by the Runic Council, made up of the Runic Guardians of the 16 Matriarchs. The Runic Council chooses one of their number to be the Rune Master/Mistress, who leads the Theocracy, organises the Festivals, keeps track of the Cycles, and guides the Pilgrims on their Pilgrimages.

All Templars are members of the Theocracy's Red Dragon Fleet whose commander, the Grand Templar, is also appointed by the Rune Master from the ranks of the Templar Knights.

A full list of Theocratic Titles, with details of how these titles are bestowed, appears below.

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Basic titles

Initiate
Full title: "Initiate of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang."
Initiate is the basic title for any Theocrat. You are acknowledged by the Rune Master and/or the Runic Council as part of the Theocracy. From this title, you can progress into all other careers within the Theocracy of Kai-Rang. It's not uncommon for lesser skilled pilots to first join the Theocracy Novitiate before becoming Initiates, but if skilled enough, the Novitiate can be skipped.
To obtain the title, you must demonstrate that you are worthy (by killing a Matriarch - or rather, freeing her temporarily from her mortal form - and sending the combat logs to a Priest/ess, Guardian or the Rune Master) and declare your intention to embark upon a Pilgrimage at some point.

Acolyte
Full title: "Acolyte of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang"
Initiates who have been a part of the Theocracy for 30 days or more but have not yet progressed into Priesthood or Templar careers.


Religious Titles
The religious titles are for when you eventually want to progress into becoming a Runic Guardian of a Matriarch. These are some of the most prestigious and important titles of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang.
The Matriarchs all have their Temples. A Temple is a group of theocrats who have shown a progressively stronger allegiance to a specific Matriarch, with their Runic Guardian being the embodiment of that Matriarch's "Aspect". (ie: Koo-Rir is the Matriarch of Wrath, making the Runic Guardian of Koo-Rir's Aspect "Wrath")

Priest(ess)
Full Title: "Priest of *Matriarch*'s Temple"
The Priest is a Theocrat who has shown allegiance to a specific Matriarch. To become a Priest of a certain Matriarch, an Initiate must announce this, then kill the mortal form of that Matriarch 3 times and send the logs to the Rune Master or that respective Matriarch's Runic Guardian (if applicable) to confirm the kills.
Once a Priest, the Priest can switch allegiance to any other Matriarch at any time they wish. To do so, they must inform the Runic Guardian of the Matriarch they want to switch to, and/or the Rune Master, and kill the mortal form of the Matriarch they want to switch to the required three times.

High Priest(ess)
Full title: "High Priest of *Matriarch*'s Temple"
The Priests of a specific Matriarch can become her High Priest when they have fulfilled the following criteria:

- Completed a Standard Pilgrimage
And at least one of the following accomplishments:
- obtained the titles of Dragon Slayer & Templar
- Started a Runic Pilgrimage with the Quest of their Matriarch
- Started a standard Pilgrimage with the killing of the mortal form of their Matriarch.

Priests who wish to be considered for their Matriarch's High Priesthood must make the Rune Master and/or the relevant Runic Guardian aware of the fact. There will be no automatic progression.
Each month, the candidate who has killed the most Space Dragon Queens will be selected.
In the unlikely event of a tie, Priests who are also Templars are given priority, the amount of theocracy-endorsed PvP kills being used to determine the successful candidate if more than one.
If there's still a tie, then a PvP fight between the competing Priests will ensue. But the chances of this actually happening are very slim.

Once a candidate has been selected, the former High Priest becomes an Elder Priest  (in other words it is not possible to remain a High Priest for more than a month if there are any other qualified candidates available).

If no Priests are eligible at the monthly selection, then a selection is made from any willing Elder Priests and Champions, guaranteeing a switch.

If no Priests are eligible, and there are no Elder Priests or Champions to choose from, then the current High Priest can keep their title indefinately.
Priests that are eligible but were not selected, may be selected in a future month, provided they don't change allegiance to an other Matriarch.

High Priests can challenge a Runic Guardian for the title. If they win the challenge, they will become the Guardian of their Matriarch and give up the High Priesthood.
If they lose the challenge, they will keep their High Priest title, but may not challenge the Runic Guardian again for at least two months.

Elder Priest(ess)
Full title: "Elder Priest of *Matriarch's Temple"
A former High Priest who has been replaced during the monthly selection.
A Temple can contain any number of of Priests, Elder Priests and Champions.
If an Elder Priest switches allegiance to another Matriarch, they will keep their Elder Priest title.


Guardian
Fully named: "Guardian of *Matriarch*" (ie: "Guardian of Koo-Waimiz")
A Guardian is a High Priest who has successfully challenged a Guardian of Runic Guardian. If a Matriarch has no Guardian then upon securing the High Priesthood the High Priest is automatically promoted to become Guardian, thus progressing from the High Priesthood immediately.

Runic Guardian
Fully named: "Runic Guardian of *Matriarch*"
A Guardian who has undergone the Ascension Ceremony and has had the Rune of his/her Matriarch bestowed during this event becomes a Runic Guardian.
The Runic Guardian is the religious leader of a Matriarch's Temple.

Guardians and Runic Guardians can not switch allegiance to an other Matriarch.

Runic Guardians are also part of the Runic Council, which plays a big role in the Pilgrimages and the Red Dragon Fleet. Together with the Rune Master, they make up the leadership of the Theocracy in the absence of the Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang.

Champion
Fully named: "Champion of *Matriarch*"
A champion is a (Runic) Guardian who has been defeated in a challenge against a High Priest.
They are eligible to become a High Priest again, much in the same way as Elder Priests.
However, unlike Elder Priests, Champions cannot switch allegiance to a different Matriarch.


Religious Titles Factoids
- High Priests or better can build a physical Temple in their respective Matriarch's den, offering shield recharges to passing Pilgrims and other pilots who free dragon souls from their mortal forms. The general consensus is that 5 credits per shield point is a reasonable fee.  Sometimes, 'rental' arrangements are secured with the owners of existing Energy Wells instead.
- It is perfectly okay in the Theocracy of Kai-Rang to kill offline pilots in Matriarch dens. The dens are sacred and loitering in these sanctuaries is not allowed. Of course, non-Theocrats may not see this in the same light.
- Because of the relative ease to become a High Priest at the first attempt, but it becomes significantly harder to become a High Priest multiple times, it is smart to not make a run for High Priest until you're ready.


Pilgrimage Titles
Pilgrimages are fully explained in a different thread on the pardus forums: http://forum.pardus.at/index.php?showtopic=65154&view=findpost&p=1326403

A pilgrim has gathered the wisdom of the universe, and more. They have travelled the far reaches of space to understand the divine. They have completed Quests that would give them knowledge of all the different kinds of life in the universe.

Pilgrim
A theocrat who has completed a standard Pilgrimage in any order.

Runic Pilgrim
A theocrat who has completed a Runic Pilgrimage in any order.

Obsidian Pilgrim
A theocrat who has completed the Obsidian Pilgrimage. This is a secret pilgrimage, unlocked only for theocrats who hold the title of "Runic Pilgrim" and "Obsidian Guard".

Pilgrimage Title Factoids
- Runic Pilgrims act as an extension to the Runic Council, giving advice.
- Pilgrims and the Pilgrimages are under complete control of the Rune Master. The Runic Council serves to give advice.
- Runic Guardians, in discussion with the Rune Master, can suggest modifications to the Quests of their Matriarchs, changing the criteria that need to be fulfilled by theocrats on a Runic Pilgrimage.


Red Dragon Fleet Titles
Red Dragon Fleet is the Theocracy's military arm, dedicated to the hunting of bounties and theocracy foes and protecting the pilgrims on their perilous journeys. Many priests, pilgrims, and dragon hunters also are part of this group.

Warrior
New members of the Red Dragon Fleet. Any pilot with a combat ship and the will to fight, will be admitted into this group.
Despite their name, they are not related to the religious career of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang.

Minimum requirements:
- Any ship with 3 skulls or better.


Templar
Members of the the Red Dragon Fleet who are required to have better skills and more powerful ships than Warriors.

Minimum requirements to become a Templar:
- Dragon Hunter rank of Dragon Slayer or better.
- A ship with 3 skulls or more, and 300+ armor.

With at least one of the following:
- 30 days as a Warrior.
- Participation in a past, present, or future war with at least 1 war point. (Patriot Medal of War)
- Average TAC/HA/MAN skills of 40 or better.
- Completed at least 1 Runic Quest of either Koo-Rir, Koo-Kaj, Koo-Adauchi, or Koo-Pakanga during an ongoing or finished Runic Pilgrimage.


Templar Knight
A Templar Knight is a Templar who has experience of joint 'wartime' operations and is able to lead multiple Templars into combat.

To become a Templar Knight, a Templar must have met the following minimum requirements:
- The title of Pilgrim, having completed a Standard Pilgrimage
- Dragon Hunter rank of Dragon Guard.
- A ship with 3 or more skulls with 450+ armor points.
- TAC/HA/MAN average skills of 50 or better.
- Completed all Quests of Koo-Kaj, Koo-Rir, Koo-Adauchi, and Koo-Pakanga as part of an ongoing or finished Runic Pilgrimage

And at least two of these accomplishments:
- Successfully led any form of combat operation on their own initiative while being a Templar.
- Participation in a past, present, or future war with more than 100 war points. (any category)
- Got the winning kill in a Hunt for the Fallen*
- Got 10 Theocracy endorsed kills*

Grand Templar
The Grand Templar leads the entire Red Dragon Fleet in the largest operations that the Theocracy of Kai-Rang can muster. He or she is appointed by a majority vote of the Rune Master and the Runic Guardians of Koo-Rir, Koo-Kaj, Koo-Adauchi, and Koo-Pakanga.
Only Templar Knights and the aforementioned Runic Guardians are eligible to be chosen as Grand Templar.

Templar Title Factoids
* Hunt for the Fallen is a bounty hunt which can be initiated by Templar Knights, Grand Templars, and the Rune Master. A bounty is set at any one pilot with this as the reason, and a group of Templars is assembled to hunt that pilot. The pilot will count towards a theocracy-endorsed kill.
* Theocracy endorsed kills: Faction Bounties worth over 250,000 credits. Docked pilots in illegals. Offline pilots in Matriarch dens. Hunt for the Fallen targets. Theocracy public enemies.
- Switching to a trade ship while part of the Red Dragon Fleet automatically removes the current Red Dragon Fleet title from you. Switching back to a combat ship will reinstate your title.


Dragon Hunter Titles
Dragon Hunters specialise in the destruction of Space Dragon's mortal forms, releasing their souls.

Dragon Executioner
Has 100 YSD kills.

Dragon Slayer
Has 500 YSD kills, 100 ESD kills.

Dragon Guard
Has 1000 YSD kills, 500 ESD kills, 100 SDQ kills.

Obsidian Guard
Has 1000 YSD kills, 1000 ESD kills, 500 SDQ kills, 1 Obsidian Dragon kill.


Runic Halls of Kai-Rang Titles
These pilots are remembered by the Theocracy, with stories told about their actions.
These titles are prefixes to the titles the Theocrat had before inactivity/retirement from the spacelanes.
(ie: Archon Codex Delphi, Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang)

Archon
inactive/retired followers of Kai-Rang that have meant a lot to the Theocracy and have transcended to the Runic Halls. Sages become Archons by a vote of the Runic Guardians and the Rune Master.

Sage
Respected followers of Kai-Rang that have been retired or inactive for over 3 months while part of the Theocracy.



Theocracy leader titles
As the name implies, these are the leaders of the Theocracy.

Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang
The absolute leader of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang. All other titles fall below him.
Codex Delphi was the most recent Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang, reviving the ancient Theocracy of Kai-Rang in the universe, bigger and better than ever under his reign.
No other Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang is expected for another thousand years.

Rune Master
In charge of the Theocracy in the absence of a Runic Guardian of Kai-Rang.
Keeps track of the Cycles, organises Festivals, is the head of the Runic Council, and guides new theocrats on their pilgrimages.

Rune Scholar
These pilots assist the Rune Master in his task, and may become Rune Master themselves one day. Are hand-picked by the Rune Master. Can represent the Rune Master in his/her absence.
They study the Codexian Archives; the centre of all Theocracy lore.


Other titles
Writer: Someone who has written extraordinary lore for the Theocracy.
Artist: Someone who has made extraordinary visual art for the Theocracy.
Musician: Someone who has made extraordinary music for the Theocracy.

These titles are awarded by the Rune Master, with feedback from the Runic Guardians of Koo-Kangenraga and Koo-Paibisundarat.



Epilogue
Thanks a lot to Camille for her thoughts and ideas to (re)define the titles within the Theocracy of Kai-Rang! A lot of the above has been influenced by her input on this subject. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and I hope she will continue to do great things to help the Theocracy as a whole!

And of course thanks to all the pilots that remained interested in the Theocracy of Kai-Rang, despite the dissolution of the alliance. Without you, there would be no Theocracy in the first place.


The titles remain an important, but at the moment a nearly unnoticeable part of the Theocracy of Kai-Rang.
No doubt that some titles may change slightly in the future, or are removed entirely, or new titles are invented for a better distinction.
The titles are made with the assumption that the Theocracy has hundreds of pilots, but of course, our little group is a bit more humble than that. Consider joining us if you feel bored, without purpose, or are simply looking for something to do alongside the daily grind towards greatness. We are open to all.

My only concern with the above is the Inquisitor title - smacks a bit of Angels of Liberty and destroying Drug Stations etc.  How about something a little less loaded, like 'Scout', 'Pathfinder' or 'Ranger' maybe?

Otherwise, yes I guess I can live with that

Thanks for the kind words,

Camille

Addendum: actually prefer 'Inquisitor' to 'Warrior' for reasons covered previously

Man-at-Arms ?  Fighter Pilot ?

What about 'Outrider' or 'Auxillary'?

Nice work y'all!

Sir Whoa wrote:

After skimming through this, I find that this is a discussion I must weigh in on... when I have more time on my hands.

A few questions I got regarding some titles:

Solarix wrote:

Rune Scholar
These pilots assist the Rune Master in his task, and may become Rune Master themselves one day. Are hand-picked by the Rune Master. Can represent the Rune Master in his/her absence.
They study the Codexian Archives; the centre of all Theocracy lore.

Since I have guided aspiring Pilgrims and Runic Pilgrims while you were gone, does that qualify me as a Rune Scholar? Or are there other qualifications I must fill? I have no wish to conceal that one day I want to become Rune Master

snip. the second question has been answered.

Oh, Camille> I love your enthusiasm for the Theocracy a lot

Solarix, can you answer my questions please?

Sir Whoa wrote:

Sir Whoa wrote:

After skimming through this, I find that this is a discussion I must weigh in on... when I have more time on my hands.

A few questions I got regarding some titles:

Solarix wrote:

Rune Scholar
These pilots assist the Rune Master in his task, and may become Rune Master themselves one day. Are hand-picked by the Rune Master. Can represent the Rune Master in his/her absence.
They study the Codexian Archives; the centre of all Theocracy lore.

Since I have guided aspiring Pilgrims and Runic Pilgrims while you were gone, does that qualify me as a Rune Scholar? Or are there other qualifications I must fill? I have no wish to conceal that one day I want to become Rune Master

snip. the second question has been answered.

Oh, Camille> I love your enthusiasm for the Theocracy a lot

Solarix, can you answer my questions please?

You are not a Rune Scholar because I didn't hand-pick you, or anyone else for that matter.
Obviously because this subject was still being discussed, I couldn't select anyone yet.

Temple Warrior? Guard? Sentinel? Temple Guard?

There's some good work above but, sorry, the use of unadorned 'warrior' is like a hand-drawn moustache on the Mona Lisa for me

Camille1 wrote:

Temple Warrior?  Guard? Sentinel? Temple Guard?

There's some good work above but, sorry, the use of unadorned 'warrior' is like a hand-drawn moustache on the Mona Lisa for me

Aww shucks. Is it that bad?
Will change, already sent PM to you.

Solarix wrote:

Sir Whoa wrote:

Sir Whoa wrote:

After skimming through this, I find that this is a discussion I must weigh in on... when I have more time on my hands.

A few questions I got regarding some titles:

Solarix wrote:

Rune Scholar
These pilots assist the Rune Master in his task, and may become Rune Master themselves one day. Are hand-picked by the Rune Master. Can represent the Rune Master in his/her absence.
They study the Codexian Archives; the centre of all Theocracy lore.

Since I have guided aspiring Pilgrims and Runic Pilgrims while you were gone, does that qualify me as a Rune Scholar? Or are there other qualifications I must fill? I have no wish to conceal that one day I want to become Rune Master

snip. the second question has been answered.

Oh, Camille> I love your enthusiasm for the Theocracy a lot

Solarix, can you answer my questions please?

You are not a Rune Scholar because I didn't hand-pick you, or anyone else for that matter.
Obviously because this subject was still being discussed, I couldn't select anyone yet.

Ok, thanks

Wow I didn't see the entire 2 extra pages of posts
hopefully I don't rant but here I go...

I love the work you have been doing, Camille. The brainstorming you and Solarix have been doing is immensely helpful to the construction to the Theocracy mechanics and lore. I have thought on helping write the formal lore just to fill and beautify the dot points/short sentences that Solarix saved from the old forum, as well as keeping a complete file system on my PC and PC backup server but I'm very lazy. So as one lazy person says to a very enthusiastic and highly motivated person; Job well done. Could not have done better myself ^_^


From page 2 you talked about the red fleet being filled with "toy ships" and taht there
I can get a Hawk very soon if I jumped into a fighter and EXPed but I prefer a Chitin. That is going to be my ship of choice for my ASPing if I don't go the tank road with a BBB (it also means I will be combat ready once we all go for that fight with Mrs Pakanga and begin a war-) I'm ranting...

You are right about the YSD kills just because tracking the amount people have is too hard unless they are premium. Kinda wish there were more dragons to be able to shoot but oh well.

The new positions you made in the Theocracy will take time to start filling in just because people have to work towards them. The same thing happens with games and movies that didn't create a hype train. Over time however, word will spread and people will get those positions (I forgot what requirements  they need, I have to look through the posts again to remember XD)

I wanted to add 2 more positions which involves the Aegis (not sure if it is already added and I missed it) called the Aegis Bearer and one that is where you have the ability - after much training and dicipline - can summon the part of you that has merged with a Matriach (a summon for lack of a better word) which- *rant* called a Rosary Summoner. They need some work but I can work on that while dreaming.

I think that is all I can think of. Again, great work, I hope to see more of it.

Hi Viona,

Thanks for the kind words.

Viona Veritas wrote:

From page 2 you talked about the red fleet being filled with "toy ships" and taht there
I can get a Hawk very soon if I jumped into a fighter and EXPed but I prefer a Chitin. That is going to be my ship of choice for my ASPing if I don't go the tank road with a BBB (it also means I will be combat ready once we all go for that fight with Mrs Pakanga and begin a war-)

Quick clarification: it referes to 'Hawk Class ships', not just hawks. Hawk class is taken to encompass Hawks, Nighthawks, NHDs, PASCs, Reapers, Pantagruels and your favoured Chitin....

In light of this Q & A (from the archives detailing the first year of the resurrected Theocracy's operations:

Quote :

Q: Does one serve a particular Matriarch permanently?

A: No. A Warrior can simply make a public or private profession at a later time stating they are seeking the favor of a different Matriarch to guide them through a time in their life. Also those wishing to take part in the Ascension ceremony, a time when Warriors claim the rune of a Matriarch, they may release the rune they hold and pursue another in the same manner.

I'm wondering if we should be looking at amending this:

Quote :

A champion is a (Runic) Guardian who has been defeated in a challenge against a High Priest.
They are eligible to become a High Priest again, much in the same way as Elder Priests.
However, unlike Elder Priests, Champions cannot switch allegiance to a different Matriarch.

Although it makes sense for Guardians / Runic Guardians to be unable to change allegiance to another Matriarch (wouldn't really do for Guardians to leave their Matriarchs in the lurch like that), surely defeated Guardians (Champions) should have the opportunity to re-evaluate their paths ?

Camille wrote:

I'm wondering if we should be looking at amending this:

Quote :

A champion is a (Runic) Guardian who has been defeated in a challenge against a High Priest.
They are eligible to become a High Priest again, much in the same way as Elder Priests.
However, unlike Elder Priests, Champions cannot switch allegiance to a different Matriarch.

Although it makes sense for Guardians / Runic Guardians to be unable to change allegiance to another Matriarch (wouldn't really do for Guardians to leave their Matriarchs in the lurch like that), surely defeated Guardians (Champions) should have the opportunity to re-evaluate their paths ?

I actually agree. Let's see what the Master thinks

However, I can see why it is this way right now. Champions are former Guardians so they'd have already pledged the highest level of allegiance to their Matriarch and will still serve them after being defeated.

I think you misunderstand slightly. A Champion is a Runic Guardian of a certain Matriarch who has been defeated in a challenge. What it means for them to not be able to change that to a different Matriarch is not that they cannot switch their allegiance, but merely that that particular title will not change, as would "Priest," for example. Here's my interpretation:

Pilot A is High Priest of Matriarch 1
Pilot A challenges Pilot B, who is Runic Guardian of Matriarch 1
Pilot A wins the challenge and becomes Guardian of Matriarch 1, Pilot B becomes Champion of Matriarch 1, and Elder Priest of Matriarch 1
Pilot B switches allegiance to Matriarch 2. His titles become Elder Priest of Matriarch 2, and Champion of Matriarch 1, signifying that Pilot B was at one point Runic Guardian of Matriarch 1, but has since switched allegiance to Matriarch 2.

That's how I assumed it worked. In this way it would be possible to "collect" different versions of the "Champion" title. Maybe add a title called "Runic Champion" to signify someone who has done this with all the Matriarchs?

When the titles were written, I actually had the same interpretation as Sir Whoa.


But Captain Bacon has a nice interpretation as well.
Thinking about it, it's indeed logical: If you no longer have the highest allegiance to a Matriarch, you should be able to change.
So... that can work. If Champion and you switch allegiance, you'll stay Champion of the first Matriarch, but become Priest (or Elder Priest?) of the second Matriarch.

Not that it'll happen often, so... we'll see how to solve it when it does happen? That okay too?