Don't you think it would be better if Orders had more positions than the simple Orderhead? This doesn't really, thus far, give much chance for better relationships within an Order other than just "leader - inferiors"

Although the ranks should still exist, maybe there should be positions like:

Head Envoy - The one who sorts out relationships with other Orders and organizations. Basically the ambassador of the Order.

Head Scribe - The one who cares for the religious texts of the God, controls the library, (as well as adding library aides), and writes new texts. This person would have to be knowledgeable in the realm of the Divine to write books and scrolls.

Orderhead - Although the Divine Patron would be the one who delegates certain people to certain positions at His or Her will, the Orderhead would be the most faithful follower in the eyes of the Divine. The one who looks after the clan and the Order, and represents the Order in public, (although the envoy would be the one who actually gets down and dirty with dealing with other organizations, the Orderhead would be the one who actually goes out into the crowd and waves as a sign of good faith.)

Champion - Protector of the Order - the best combatant in the eyes of the Divine.

Teacher - Should be the one who is most precise and knowledgable in their perception of the Divine's realm, and would teach the realm (and potential Ordermembers), whether through public posts (or speaking to potential ordermembers personally)

not a bad idea but I'm sure order can do that if they want without coding. Since unlike guilds and cities, orders don't have public listings of the leadership positions.

Ah, I thought about that but forgot to post it. Although Orders don't generally want a list of their members open to the public, it COULD be an OHelp file. OHELP LEADERSHIP.

I'll just take examples:

Ausekils Order - I know of no one in the order, they like to be secretive, I'm assuming.

Isune's Order - Who would want the enemy to know who is in the 'Light' Goddess order? Thats a deathwish.

Fain's Order - The only person I've ever heard of in that order is Morslade.

Raezon's Order Pre-Visaeris - So I've heard a couple and know, but other then that.. never heard of them.

I'm assuming most of those has kept their order members on the down-low to protect them.

When I was in an order in Achaea, We had a pyrmaid strcutre, with contests to raise ranks in the order. Each rank felt important, as long as there were a few ranks below you.

EDIT: I'm not comparing Acahea to Lusternia... I just have order experience there.

That's why the leadership scroll wouldn't be open for public viewing.

Some orders already do have structure set up. Do this, or qualify in that way, and go up. It doens't need to be some codded in thing, nor does it have to be actually part of the order.

The order is run how the god chooses to run it. If he/she wants differing ranks and this and that, then they can set that up easily. If they don't, then they don't have to have the ranks there.

In my order, there is kind of a neat structure.

God.

Three people.

More people.

Most people.

They have functions, etc. I think it works nicely.

I don't even know who the leaders of Lisaera's order is, or if there will be only one. There's a bunch of highranked people, but really haven't been told anything.

Just let each divine to set ohelp scrolls with the people on leadership, and set their return messages to point to the persons they want to be contacted, for example joining the order (Lord Lacostian has that on his return message).

Each Divine will like His or Her order to be organized the way it better applies to their ways. In the Order of Lisaera they're already working on a 3 path system, you just have to check now and then the OHELP scrolls.

And I think Lord Auseklis hasn't got an Order yet, but I say this from an old post in Serenwilde. Of course, each divine will decide on how secretive he wants his order to be (for example, Lady Isune ordermembers are pretty well known in Celest, and Lady Lisaera aren't exactly a secret, at least most of them, but I suppose Lord Raezon, wich is a forbidden order in Serenwilde and Celest, prefers to keep them more private.

Roark's Order - The most secret of all!

I would really like to see Order's off the crack-based Achaea system. I have played with them over over two years and they aren't that exciting nor do they provide a great deal of conflict. I think Imperian's congregational system and major and minor miracles for order and congregation members is very unique. I think it would go along quite nicely with feats at that. Feats unique to that order.

Current Order powers effects aren't even that exponential. There is no reason to use any of these shrine powers and besides that they are just unreliable. Who takes the time to fight near a shrine? The only useful power I can think of would be worldburn. Willpower regeneration isn't even that great not for 10,000 essence. Thats at least one zap from a Divine. (I think)

For that matter they still have the WITNESS SHRINE and writ system so I am not sure what they plan to do with that.

There definitely should be more things happening with shrines than simply offering. Here's an idea:

START RITUAL
Starts a ritual at a particular shrine. Once six people or more within an Order have joined the ritual, the particular Divine will recieve a very slow essence gain. There will also be beneficial effects for the prayers - mana and health will be replenished, and power will very slowly recharge at no cost. The shrine will also be sanctified.

JOIN RITUAL
Joins a Holy Shrine Ritual. Once there are six Order members within the ritual, the Divine in question will recieve a small essence gain. Every member of the Order will have to "pray shrine" when prompted, or the ritual will be disrupted.

PRAY SHRINE
Adds your prayer to a Holy Shrine Ritual. You must do so when prompted during a ritual, or the ritual will be disrupted.

Sounds like a cool idea.

Wrong wrong wrong. Serenwilde allows free worship. Follow whatever God you wish, but if what you're doing harms the commune, you'll be asked to choose. This means if someone starts killing Lisae and says they're doing it for Fain, that person will be allowed to leave, not all of Fain's order.

And the Lisae aren't secret at all, we're proud dernit. We kinda stand out with our order item, anyways.

Just like they freaked out when serenwilders started following Raezon.

The way Orders work is being looked at.

However, it is unlikely that there will ever be a coded system that limits Our decisions in the Order. The Order is not like other organisations, it does not need a set system of leadership or organisation, rather it's an extension of the God.

We decide who we want in it, who gets what powers and what ranks (ranks actually mean only as much as We want them to mean, for example My Orderrank 2s, 3s and 4s are actually the same rank for all intents and purposes apart from the fact that they have powers specialised to their paths). The Order is entirely the domain of the God.

Also, My followers can choose whether or not they wish to proclaim the fact that they're in My Order, and whether they wish to wear the rather unmistakeable gift I gave them. I don't honestly care who knows, as the Order is not about them and other mortals, it is about them and Me.

I see what you mean...it's just that Orders in other realms have just become very bland. A bunch of people, ranks, one Orderhead.

That Ritual idea would be very fun.

I've always deeply disliked politics within an Order, and powers such as rituals relating to being within one are frankly immaterial to me. Joining an Order is an affirmation that you want to study the teachings of the Divine in question. It certainly also implies belief in the worthiness of those teachings. That's the sum of it to me...an Order being 'bland' because the only things there are scripture and interaction with the Divine is a bizarre concept to me. Those are the very reasons to join.

You can still join to show your dedication to a Divine if there are fun things to do. A ritual would be a good piece of coding that would boost roleplay, (how often do you have people roleplaying rituals or communal prayers by shrines), and give them something to do.

Maybe I'm a little bias from what the Divine were like in Aetolia. Excepting Varian and maybe Slyphe, no Divine has never been in torpor for a long time. So if what you want to join for is Divine interaction, you'll end up being very bored for a while at least.

EDIT: Oh, and Galleus. But he's only a month old now - not had much time to go into torpor.