Codes of the Guard

The founding code · 2002

The earliest recovered code belongs to the Guard’s Shadowbane identity. It names Braialla as the world’s Mother and places protection, tolerance, and understanding at the center of the Ranger’s Brotherhood.

• Protect the natural world and its people, without requiring gratitude.
• Stay true to the calling despite suspicion, superstition, or provocation.
• Recognize kinship with living creatures, Rangers, and Druids; assist fellow protectors.
• Oppose Chaos, undeath, and threats to nature.
• Distinguish disagreement from persecution: defend against the Temple of the Cleansing Flame without attacking its followers simply for their faith.
• Forgive the past and work toward undoing the Turning.

These are fictional commitments within Shadowbane, not instructions about real-world religions or people.

Shadowbane’s chapter code · 2008

This chapter version keeps Braialla, Aerynth, and the Unholy Legion in its oath. Its player-facing rules are broader than the 2002 in-character code and differ from the general 2009 document.

• Conduct and roleplay: maturity in serious situations; roleplay encouraged, with respect for other players’ immersion.
• Community: mutual aid in peace and guild needs taking priority during war.
• PvP and allies: conflict required a roleplaying basis. Allied members were to receive respect, with roleplayed exceptions only in appropriate settings.
• Other characters: neutral affiliations were possible, but hostile affiliations required council permission; leaking guild information risked removal.
• Player safety and fairness: no harassment or deliberate exploitation of serious game defects.

Oath & conduct · 2009

The later Vesta en’Vara names Milaia rather than Braialla. Its oath retains care for nature and people, resistance to Chaos and undeath, forgiveness, mutual aid, and kinship.

The out-of-character expectations

• Maturity. Avoid deliberate annoyance, uncontrolled anger, insults, and trash-talk.
• Roleplay. Encouraged, not compulsory. Respect immersion; character conflict requires the other player’s welcome.
• Mutual support. Help kindred, share resources, and prioritize collective needs during conflict.
• Honorable PvP. Competitive play should remain enjoyable; chapter approaches could differ.
• Other characters. Membership in neutral or friendly guilds was permitted. Enemy-guild characters required chapter approval; disclosing sensitive guild information was prohibited.
• Harassment. Resolve disagreements privately and calmly; seek chapter mediation, or the Elders for cross-chapter issues.
• Fair play. Do not deliberately exploit serious game defects.
• Accountability. Chapters handled in-game discipline; the Elder Council handled broader community matters under the bylaws.

Rules of engagement · Darkfall

The Agon chapter adopted NRDS: strangers were not automatically enemies. Its rules connected roleplay obligations with in-game PvP decisions.

What counted as an offense

Recorded triggers included attacking kindred or allies, unauthorized hunting in Guard territory, excessive resource farming, support for undeath or domination of Agon, trash-talk, and cheating. These belong to the chapter’s fictional setting and historical game rules.

How relationships were classified

Ally · Khenah

A mutual defense commitment.

Friend · Therah

Friendly treatment without an automatic obligation to join wars.

Hostile · Kesheh

A target for combat, still treated as an honorable opponent.

Enemy · Numkeh

A declared adversary in the chapter’s fiction.

Wary · Numerah

The default for an unknown group; no attack without an observed offense.

The old page also contains dated faction lists. Those names have not been turned into present-day alliances or enemies here.

The community bylaws · 2009

Scope

These historical bylaws addressed forum content, in-game conduct and disciplinary review. They described standards for a mixed-age community.

Content and conduct

• The Glades prohibited explicit sexual material and personal attacks, discouraged profanity and expected respectful disagreement.
• Elders could edit or remove inappropriate posts, privately explaining the removal and possible consequences.
• Chapter Inner Councils handled in-game offenses under their own charters. Severe incidents or wider community harm could reach the Elders.

Review and consequences

• Typical first offenses brought a warning or forum suspension of up to two weeks.
• Second offenses could bring a 30–90-day forum ban, rank loss or temporary suspension of Proper membership.
• Three serious offenses within six months triggered loss of Proper privileges and banishment. Proposed permanent expulsion went through Elder review, a week of discussion and a Proper vote.
• The Elders could adjust penalties to circumstances, with a written explanation to Proper.