ANNOUNCE NEWS #531
Date: 3/1/2006 at 18:13
From: Lisaera, the Empyrean Mother
To : Everyone
Subj: Order Changes

We have just changed Orders to be three-tiered. what this means is there
is now an Outer Circle, the main Order and an Inner Circle. The Outer
Circle and Inner Circle may well be called something else in the various
Orders. The OC and IC count as ranks in terms of investable powers, and
the middle Order retains 9 normal ranks as well. Being in the Inner
Circle does NOT necessarily mean you're in the middle Order and Outer
Circle, the three tiers are entirely separate and you can be in any
combination of them.

Patron remains the power for granting membership in the middle tier, and
there is a new investable power called Baptise for inducting people into
the Outer Circle. Membership into the Inner Circle can only be granted
by the Patron of the Order.

To use the Outer Circle channel use the OTO command, to use the Inner
Circle channel use the OTI command. OWHO is still the command for
checking who is in the Order, however you will only see those in the
same tiers as yourself.

There remains only one Order newsboard, however you can write posts TO
only one tier, and only those of that tier will be able to read it. You
may address it to Outer Circle, Inner Circle (outer and inner for short)
or Order. If you want everyone to be able to read it, address it to
everyone, or to a specific person.

Everyone currently in an Order should have been moved automatically into
the middle tier of their Order, and retain their rank (except OR10s, who
are now OR9).
Penned by My hand on the 2nd of Dvarsh, in the year 141 CE.



Just because I wanted to beat Xenthos for once...
Comments?

A lot of useless clans now

I just hope Isune shows up so I can be in an order now.

Can you be in more than one outer circle?

Now... to tempt Viravain with chocolate roses

Surprised they didn't make it customizable, so one could have 5, 9, or 14 orders, and use a number. OT1, OT5, OT12 But I can understand a practical limit on this. (I could see Lacostian having 99 levels of mystery or something like that). Ancient gods supposedly had lots of forms (75 forms of Ra, for instance), and I've heard of Kabbalists and the like having several different clans or sects.

This is a good change though!

Yes, if Outer Circles become really open and we're allowed in more than one I'll probably want to be in Lacostian's and Elcyrion's, but I assume they're for people who are seriously trying to get into the middle order.

Interesting. I like it a lot... lots of possibilities there.

I think one order is enough. Knowing me, I'd try to get into all of them if possible, just to increase my contacts.

No, you can only be in one Order at a time. If you're in the Outer Circle, you're still in the Order. Outer Circles can be invested with all the powers the middle and inner tiers can be.

I should point out that the ranks can be used for other purposes, at least according to the announcements. I don't know if that's the intent, but I can see something working like this.

Historically, the Druids were actually three distinct classes of priesthood. There were the lowest ranked Bards, then the middle Ovates, then the actual Druids.

IMO, a god could use its order to create distinct seperate classes like that if it wanted to. You could create sects like the Fransicans, Jesuits, and Opus Dei.

But we will see.

I hope they do something intersting, but my expectations are a bit low.

Gods seem to be stuck to the community they are in, orders seem limited to people with strict devotion.

It appears to me that going from outer circle to inner circle is just going to be a big progression and who is in the inner circle is going to be based on activity.

Sort of like what congregations became in Imperian... you either had people trying to become part of the main order, or people who never really did anything order related.

However, I am very happy for these changes, as the progression itself is cool, I just don't predict seeing much happen "outside the box" (Meaning, I don't see order RP expanding all that much outside of where it is)

Now I just hope Fain starts his order up so I can be in it. Never been in one and would like to be.

So wait...

One of my biggest qualms about Orders is that if you die, you cost the patron essence. In the case of someone who is a high level (like myself), it becomes an enduring and never ending task to "keep that essence positive."

Do persons in OC and IC cost essence to the patron if they die?

I'm a little confused, maybe because I've never been in an order... what is the point of this change? What are the advantages of the new system over the old one?

Rather than joining a clan, now you can be brought into the outer circle. In accordance with this, you can also be assigned the same powers the middle and inner circles have.

As per essence, I don't believe the outer circle will coss essence loss, but Lisaera could explain that more fully.

For someone like Lacostian or Elcyrion it allows them to have a secret sect of the order where they can post information to them about "true enlightnment" while posts that are directed to the outer circle can all be focused on issues of non-violence. Gives a RP reason to advance in your order outside of just more privs.

Seems interesting, though I suppose Ill never know as I will probably not end up joining an Order due to my shyness of the Divine or I cant agree with Them, or I agree with them but cant enter Their Orders even if Theyd let me because of my affiliation.

Curious to know how this makes Orders better though..

These changes are pretty interesting, but since I'm not in an order, and probably have no hope of ever being accepted into any, I can't really put in my two cents about the changes.

Its probably something like a gateway to better and newer things for Orders in the future. It may not seem like a super-cool groundbreaking OMG Sooo Coool thing, but it might just lead to that later on. Like, more and different powers for various levels of Orderness, different shrine things for different levels, you know.