City Council and The City Guard

The original City Guard was begun by Dane of the Order of the Sable Moon, and was partly responsible for bringing peace in a time of war.

Elder Balthiir tasked Isun to take over the reigns of the ancient City Guard, and Soulthief to revive the old City Council.

The Council was to be a law-making body that would help govern the Dream State, and it was intended that the City Guard would join with the council and enforce its edicts.

The ideas for the City Council fell through, but the City Guard remained and would help the City through difficult times.

City Guard Preamble

Nunquam non paratus!

Always ready

Guard Creed

We the dreamers of the City Guard, are committed to defending the city from any and all threats and to assisting new dreamers as they enter the dream.

In upholding our mission we are driven:

To protect Underlight from the force of Chaos

To help prevent our generation and those to come from the destruction of war.

To restore the City to its previous strength and glory perhaps even to improve it to insure the continuing social progress of the City.

To accomplish these goals, we vow:

To unite our strength to maintain peace and security

To spread acceptance and tolerance through example

To evoke our arts for the benefit of other dreamers and the City

To share the power of our knowledge with the newly and recently awakened, in the hopes that they too, will use it in the service of Underlight.

Statement of Protocol

The City Guard is to conduct itself professionally at all times, regardless of situation or involved affiliations.

The Guard represents the City of Underlight in the aspects of keeping the peace for the entire dream, and not just a particular organization.

All house beliefs are to be set aside when making a judgement call, and no Guard member is to be forced to ignore his/her beliefs when handling a violent situation.

If necessary, it should be handed off to a Guardsman that can defend using violence.

Guard Uniform

Chalk clothing To be worn while representing the City Guard.

Protocol

If alerted of a situation after it has occurred:

Find both involved, victim and suspect, and any available witnesses.

Find out the background to the situation from both parties, one at a time, not allowing the opposing party to speak during this initial questioning.

Then question the witnesses to confirm or deny the validity of both sides.

Determine from this questioning whom to speak with first, be it suspect or victim.

Keep in mind that a witness may be biased, due to affiliation, so find out all applicable information, not opinion.

Question the facts presented.

Allow both sides to speak calmly and comment on facts discussed.

Maintain control of both parties, not allowing the discussion to escalate into a dispute or possible violent situation.

After listening to the facts, separate the two parties involved and question each individually for information they may feel inclined to withhold, due to being intimidated.

After you feel you have all available facts, determine who is at fault, and report it to the proper authorities. (I.E. any available house guardian or ruler, if applicable, or make note on a codex and turn it in to the administration department to keep record of the offense.)

If necessary, escort the parties to a safe location, such as threshold.

Keep in mind, we are not the law. We cannot lay judgement or punishment without consensus of either the organization/house responsible for the suspect, or the majority of the Guard.

If you witness a situation:

Resolve the immediate problem.

Attempt to intervene without violence.

Isolate the two parties for questioning.

Continue with investigation as outlined above.

If the problem involves a violent act:

Identify yourself as a City Guardsman. Use the saying "City Guard! Cease and Desist!"(fire a warning shot into the air-to get attention)

Demand that both parties cease the act of violence.

If necessary, try to forcefully break up the situation. (I.E. Paralyze, Scare, Stagger, etc.) Do NOT damage either party.

If all else fails, threaten to fire upon them. If you have exhausted all options, and either your safety or any other innocent's safety is in danger, fire upon the aggressor. (the Guard should be using low-lvl effect chaks. Chalk chaks should only be used if there are no effect chaks available).

Do NOT collapse the aggressor unless he'she continues to resist. This is a LAST resort and is not condoned by the administration of the Guard, unless is dire need.

Remember, we try to protect, not harm.

Inform the proper authorities of the actions. Involve any house officials if applicable.

If time allows, evacuate any by-standers. Make sure all innocents are safe.

Try to find some form of back-up. If none is available, try to find a representative from both parties affiliations. Guardians of their house is preferred, if House members.

The Security Protocol:

Follow the above protocol when handling altercations at social events with the following exceptions.

Protect all the innocents first and foremost.

Isolate the parties involved from the gathering. Do not allow the situation to continue in public.

Protect the integrity and privacy of the group asking our assistance.

Do not allow unwelcome d guests into the group under any circumstances.

Offer to relay a message if necessary, or find and escort the requested party to the uninvited guest.

At any gathering, if you must leave the event, find a replacement.Never leave the gathering without security, if they have requested it.

Detective Protocol:

Follow all above questioning tactics with the following exceptions:

On any undercover operation, maintain your cover regardless of situation. Find a uniformed Guardsman if you need to confront a suspect.

While undercover, you are not given the authority to disobey the three basic laws of the City, nor are you permitted to violate oaths and strictures given by a house or organization. All houses' rights must be observed.

Administrative Protocol:

All Guardsmen involved in a situation should take note of the event and notify the Administration dept as soon as possible, but no longer than at the next Guard meeting. If possible, take notes and include entries from your "Journal of memories".

If any witness wishes to remain anonymous, do not release names to any of the Guard or parties involved OTHER than to Erasmus. Make sure to include ALL details in any reports, even the most obscure details.

Internal Conflict Protocol:

Any internal conflicts between Guardsmen should be handled through your Squad leader or the Captain of the Guard.

If it involves your Squad leader, notify the Captain of the Guard.

All information will remain classified.

Charter

The City Guard will:

Act as mediators in disputes between dreamers and Houses.

Investigate the complaints of alleged victims of crimes.

Assist the newly and recently awakened in locating certain areas in the dream, escorting them if necessary.

Enforce security measures at large gatherings.

Mobilize as a militia in the last line of defense for the City against the impending Chaos.

Organization

The Captain of the Guard will:

Be commander-in-chief of the militia in the event a mobilized force is needed to protect the City.

Act as chairperson of the Advisory Board, receiving reports from Squad Leaders and issuing Guard directives.

Coordinate squad activity when inter-departmental cooperation is needed.

Represent the Guard at City Council meetings.

The Patrol Squad will:

Periodically police high-risk areas such as the Cenotaph of Dread.

Deal with crimes against dreamers when witnessed or when called to the scene of a crime in progress.

Mediate disputes between those who agree to abide by the impartial judgment of the Guard.

The Security Squad will:

Handle crowd control at large gatherings such as tournaments, open meetings, and weddings.

Guard entrances to closed meetings, private group endeavors, and restricted social functions.

Assist dreamers in navigating the City, escorting them if necessary.

The Detective Squad will:

Register complaints of victims of crimes such as dreamer-collapse, theft of items or mare experience, sexual harassment, vandalism, and other offenses.

Interview witnesses, victims, and accusers in the course of an investigation, reviewing logs if necessary.

Maintain investigative records and records of City Guard duties.

The Administrative Squad will:

The Squad Leaders will:

Coordinate actions of their squads and assign specific duties to the appropriate guards.

Serve on the Advisory Board to report on squad activities.

Interview new members at their own discretion or at the recommendation of the Captain.

Act as a vehicle for the concerns of House and Free Spirit liaisons in their squads.

The Advisory Board will:

Include the Squad Leaders from the Patrol, Security, and Detective Squads; a liaison from the City Council, and the Captain of the Guard as chairperson.

Discuss future duties and review past operations in an effort to continually improve effectiveness.

Hear the requests of the City Council and House and Free Spirit liaisons, through the appropriate Board member, concerning the City's needs that fall under City Guard jurisdiction. [City Council will speak through their liaison;House and Free Spirit liaisons must relay their concerns to their Squad Leader to take to the meeting.]

Propose amendments to the Charter.

Membership:

To be assigned to service in the City Guard, dreamers must:

Be in good standing in their House or the Free Spirit community as an honorable dreamer.

Be skilled in displaying the qualities of an impartial enforcer of law in the demeanor they present to others while on duty.

Have a working knowledge of the realms and areas of the Dream.

Never let House affiliations or philosophical beliefs affect their sense of justice.

Obtain the recommendation of at least one active guard and the recommendation of a House ruler or Free Spirit teacher, depending on their own affiliation.

Pass an interview with the Squad Leader and, if needed, the Captain and other guards from the squad.

Must attend one City Guard training class.

Balance of Power:

To insure that no House or Free Spirit group obtains too much power:

One slot is available in each squad for each active House, and there is one Free Spirit position per squad.(This is dependent on active membership and is flexible)

Guards must submit to a periodic review of their service by their Squad Leader and the Captain of the Guard in order to continue as a member of the City Guard.

The Squad Leader will be elected by a majority of squad members for a term of six months.

A Squad Leader may serve no more than two consecutive terms in office.

The Captain of the Guard will be appointed by the existing Captain for a term of six months.

The Captain may serve no more than two consecutive terms in office.

The Squad Leader position fills the one seat in the squad allowed to the group to which the Squad Leader belongs.

The Captain may be of any affiliation and does not fill a slot in any squad.

All guards act as liaisons for their affiliated group to their squad and may represent House and Free Spirit concerns to their Squad Leader.

Termination of Service:

A guard's service may be terminated if he or she:

Is found to have committed a crime or acted dishonorably.

Continually neglects to complete assigned duties.

Shows partiality to a House or group when making decisions.

When a Squad Leader's service is ended, he or she may:

Choose to stay on in the squad under the new leader.

Step down and leave his or her slot to another of the same affiliation.

When a Captain's service is ended, he or she may:

Fill any empty slots of their affiliation and join the ranks of the guard.

Amendments to This Charter:

Amendments to this Charter must be approved by a 2/3 majority of the Advisory Board and, if passed, approved by a majority vote of the guards.

The guards can force a vote of a proposed amendment by the signing of a petition by the majority of their number and presenting the petition to the Captain of the Guard.

Lyra Era City Guard Members

Haleth Dagore - Captain of the Guard

Erasmus - Administrative Squad Leader

Brother Timothy - Patrol Squad Leader

Cygne, Zardac -Guard Herald

Lexicon, Kage - Head of Town Criers

Flash333, Enitupsar, Dayride, Hobbs, Damlog, Torizar, Calysto - Eldest Guard

References

• https://web.archive.org/web/20001217211900/http://pages.prodigy.net/cdkramer/ul_city_guard_scrolls/cg_page.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20001217211900/http://pages.prodigy.net/cdkramer/ul_city_guard_scrolls/cg_page.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20001217211900/http://pages.prodigy.net/cdkramer/ul_city_guard_scrolls/cg_page.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20030805163904/http://www.underlight.com/php/story/history.php?histID=00011