We want our members to stand strong with us, not leech off of us and use us for their own selfish needs. That just makes everyone weak. Here is a guide for what is considered begging, and how to properly seek help:

When asking for help, be willing to offer help yourself, or to work together.

Click here!

It's in the way you ask. Two people can ask for the same thing and one will get help, but the other won't. Why? The person who gets help understands that people aren't there only to serve his needs, but they have needs and desires themselves. The person who gets help asks in such a way as to recognize the needs and desires of others. It's basically the difference between "Can you help me?" and "Can we help each other?"

To expect people to help you without being willing to help them is considered begging.

When asking for help, be willing to make an effort on your own part, and be able to show that you're not just looking to get something for nothing.

Click here!

If someone is asking just to be powered through a quest or dungeon by someone several levels above them, that's definitely skirting the edge of what could be considered begging. If, however, someone asks if anyone else has that quest or wants to go through that dungeon, and maybe saying they could use help with it, that's asking in the right way.

If a person asking for money for something has obviously squandered their savings on frivolous things like excessive respecs or overpriced items from the Auction House, they need to learn to live within their means and shouldn't be asking for help. If, on the other hand, the person has been farming and saving and just needs a boost to get the rest of the way through, then that person has demonstrated a willingness to earn their own way. Know the difference between in-game necessities and in-game luxuries, and don't ever expect anyone to help you live a pampered, posh lifestyle.

To expect people to help you live a life of in-game luxury without being willing to grind and farm for yourself is considered begging.

A person asking needs to be patient and willing to use the tools we have available for getting help.

Click here!

If you need help with anything, feel free to send a message over guild chat, the OOC channel, or pull up the roster and find a few people online to send whispers to. If you don't get an immediate response, there could be many reasons, but don't give up!

Our guild offers MANY tools and ways to get help. We have a website and message board, with Twilight's Refuge, the Four Councils boards, and a calendar. It's all there for our members. When asking for help, if an immediate response isn't forthcoming, then head to the website and drop a line in Twilight's Refuge or LOTRO Refuge, or an applicable Council board. It might be helpful to post your level range, what times you're available, and see about setting up some type of regular group with other people around your level.

You can also submit an event on the Calendar. Dreamers and up can submit events, but Wishmakers can request events via this thread. Also, check the calendar, there may already be an event for your level range. It's always a good idea to check the calendar every time before venturing into Azeroth, that's the best way to find other guildmates doing things you might want to do too.

Once you've made use of one of our online tools, go back into the game and announce it to the guild, like "I just submitted a request for help with Blackrock Depths in Advanced Encounters on our Guild Hall. Thanks in advance if anyone would like to help out with that!"

Also in-game, we have ranking members who are there to help, with notes on the in-game roster and on the site showing which Council they're with. You can bring up the in-game roster, show player notes, and find a ranking member of the Council that covers the area you need help with, and send that person a whisper. Don't be shy, that's what the leaders are here for!

To show impatience, expecting people to drop what they're doing to run and help, and showing a refusal to use the tools we have available seeking help is considered begging.

Finally, when you do get help, display a sense of gratitude, and don't take the help for granted.

Click here!

Don't make the person(s) offering help wait for you to show up at the dungeon or quest area. Don't continually go AFK. Don't be rude, pushy, needy, clingy, or demanding in any way. Roll out the red carpet for the person(s) offering help and do everything you can to make their experience a pleasant one. And then when it's all done, thank them and offer reciprocal help if they ever need you for anything. Try to make them feel good about helping you.

To provide a bad experience for someone offering to help is considered retroactive begging.

We want our members to feel like they're well taken care of here, and that they can find everything they're looking for. Our goal is for our members to have more fun and to feel more fulfilled with Order of Twilight than in any other guild, or with no guild at all. However, we don't allow begging.

We like to kid around with each other about things. That's fine. It's almost as bad to be easily offended as it is to be overly offensive. Always be mindful of the feelings of others.

Our goal is to appeal to every type of player. Whether you're into roleplaying, raiding dungeons, battling other players, or playing several race/class combinations with a full roster of alts, you are welcome here. But one thing we do not tolerate is elitism. No matter what level, or how skilled a person is, they are due the same level of respect and dignity as everyone else.

Please refrain from criticizing your realm mates for how or when they choose to spend their time in the game. The most important thing is that they're having fun, so long as they're not violating our rules.

And finally, over guild chat, remember that sometimes young eyes may see what you type, or young ears may hear what you say. At all times, chat in public and raid channels or mixed groups (any areas accessible to guests or Wishmakers) is to remain "G rated" at all times. In private or member only areas, PG-13 chat is acceptable, but only with the consent of other members in the channel. Regardless of the time or place, anyone who has a "G rated" chat preference is responsible to communicate such in a voice chat or guild note, or verbally, and other members in the channel are responsible to make sure their chat defaults to the highest standard of the group. "G rated" means no cussing/swearing and no sexual innuendos or dirty jokes.

We have a reputation for being a kind, gentle, warm, and friendly guild. We do this by treating other realm mates with the same respect and consideration that we would our own guildmates. Good people will be sensitive to the wishes of others and not be over-sensitive if someone makes a mistake.

There are two primary areas in which members may feel it necessary to speak out against a fellow guildmate or officer, or express dissatisfaction:

Perceived mistreatment or misconduct by members or officers,
or
disagreements with guild policies or leadership.

Here is a set of procedures to follow when dealing with difficult issues in a healthy, productive, and efficient manner. Don't hesitate to bring something up if you have a concern. The sooner it can be brought out and dealt with, the better for everyone. This is the "No Whining and No Drama" rule. You can do your part to help make sure issues are dealt with thoroughly, efficiently, and promptly if you follow these steps:

Click here for what to do in cases of perceived mistreatment or misconduct from a member or officer.

Step 1: Gather evidence and take notes. If you can, take screenshots, chatlogs, and write down the names of those involved in the incident. Be as specific as possible, and make sure you're able to answer the questions "what, where, how, when, and why". What happened, where, how, when, and with whom? How and why did it upset you?

Step 2a: If one or more members or officers mistreated you, or acted inappropriately:

- If it's a mild case of a member or officer mistreating you, or if you witness a member or officer doing something you think is just wrong, first go to the person and try to work it out. At least try to understand more about the situation and what made that person do what they did. It could be a simple misunderstanding or miscommunication, or that person might not have known what they were doing.

- If that fails, or in cases where you would feel too uncomfortable trying to deal with it yourself, contact an officer using the procedure outlined in step 3 (read below).

- If it's an egregious violation where you feel threatened, harassed, or it's a reportable offense, /ignore the person if necessary and submit a ticket to a Blizzard GM. Then contact an officer immediately so the issue can be dealt with promptly, especially in cases where disciplinary action or removal from the guild may be necessary.

Step 2b: If you witness one or more members or officers mistreating others:

- First go to the person(s) you perceive has received mistreatment and direct them to our Rules of Conduct for the steps they need to take to resolve the incident.

- If you feel comfortable enough with the situation and the "victim(s)", feel free to offer aid and support, or to act as a witness, or even a representative.

- Once the mistreated person(s) has decided to pursue the case, if you choose to stay involved, use the guidelines in Step 2a.

- Representation: Just like in real life, someone can't be charged of a crime unless the victim comes forward to press charges. However, you may come forward yourself if the "victim(s)" ask you to help represent them. Either way, facts are important and it may be necessary to work with whomever was directly involved. Otherwise it's simply a case of gossip or "he said/she said", and that's almost never enough to act on.

Step 3: Once you've decided to contact the guild leadership to help resolve an issue, the procedure is different depending on whether you have a grievance against a regular member, or against an officer. In any case where officer involvement is deemed appropriate or necessary, be prepared to provide the evidence and details gathered in step 1.

- If it's a case of a regular member misconduct or mistreatment, use the Contact an Officer feature. If it's an emergency, send a whisper immediately to any officer who may be online. Remember the officers are here to have fun too so try to use the Contact an Officer feature if possible.

- If it's a case involving an officer, do NOT use the Contact an Officer feature. Contact the Dreamlord, Dreamguard, or another officer directly via PM, or a whisper if it's an emergency. Officer misconduct is a more sensitive matter, and potentially has greater repercussions in terms of the guild's overall health and stability, so great care and discretion must be exercised when dealing with those cases. Please be mindful of that, but for the good of the guild, don't hesitate to come forward.

Click here for what to do if you have a disagreement with the guild's leadership, policies, procedures, or overall direction.

Step 1: Build a convincing case.

- Take notes, cite examples, and gather details about the issue so that you can provide a logical and compelling argument.

Step 2: Work out possible suggestions or solutions in order to resolve the issue. Put yourself in the leadership's shoes and try to imagine what you would do.

Step 3: Present your case and your suggested solutions.

- If it's a mild disagreement, or a simple suggestion, or you'd like to start a dialogue with fellow guildmates, feel free to create a post in Members Only Discussion or use the Contact an Officer feature.

- If it's a more serious disagreement, or it's of a more sensitive and possibly inflammatory nature (i.e. it may cause drama or start arguments), feel free to use the Suggestion Box or Contact an Officer. That's what the Suggestion Box is there for, and it's why posting there is restricted to Idealists or above.

- If it's a very serious disagreement and it's causing you to contemplate leaving the guild over it, or you're feeling highly emotional about it, do NOT discuss it in public, but use the Contact an Officer feature. If it's an emergency, contact an officer directly via an in-game whisper so the situation can be addressed immediately. If the leadership decides it's an issue appropriate for public input, we may bring your case up for the guild to discuss, and if you wish, we will do our best to protect your anonymity.

Complaining:

- If you find you are unable to convince the leadership to agree with you, or

- If the leadership agrees, but they are unable to change the situation because of factors beyond their control, or

- If the leadership agrees, and is actively working to resolve the issue, but not in a timely enough manner for your liking, then...

We'll tell you why the issue hasn't been resolved. Continuing to bring the issue up without being able to provide an acceptable solution or alternative, or without being willing to act on your own to help achieve a solution (when appropriate), is considered complaining. First you will receive a warning. If it still continues, you will asked to either drop your case or you may be demoted, asked to leave, or be forcefully removed.

Confidentiality and Discretion:

The Officer Rules of Conduct contains guidelines on how your case will be handled once it's submitted for officer review, and those include standards for confidentiality. For the most part, the same standards for confidentiality apply to regular members as well. However, a breach of confidentiality or trust is permitted (and may be necessary) in severe cases, and the leadership needs that information in order to resolve a situation.

Please refrain from the following actions or behaviors in response to grievances or disagreements:

Violating confidentiality (with the above exception), excessive complaining, spreading rumors, conspiracy theories, or half-truths, demeaning or disrespecting the guild, or its members, or the officers, or acting or speaking in a demoralizing fashion (displaying excessive negativity and pessimism).

There's a right way and a wrong way to express concerns, make suggestions, and be heard. Please don't hesitate to come forward, this guild is designed from the ground up with you in mind; we thrive on input from our members. Follow the above guidelines and you'll be doing your part to help keep this guild running as smoothly as possible.

Honorable Need Before Greed (HNBG) is different from the standard NBG loot setting. To be honorable about it means that you must state whether you truly need something before you roll on it, unless the group has agreed to a different set of loot rules. To be honorable about it also means that an item is only something you need if it's better than something you already have.

If you accidentally pick something up that someone else in the group can use immediately, and it's better than what they have, then it is your duty to give it to them at no charge unless they agree to roll for it. We do this knowing that our guildmates will do the same for us next time.

In order to stay in character as much as possible, some game mechanics take some explanation.? How is it possible that we are able to hear what our guildmates are saying from vast distances across the world? What is the official "RP mechanism" by which this takes place? In WOW we've decided the explanation is our Hearthstones. Infused with a little Gnomish technology and a bit of magic, our Hearthstones allow us to hear each other as if we're carrying pocket communicators. We're also able to change channels and do all sorts of other things to control how we send and receive speech from guildmates and realm mates alike. ? In LOTRO, all guildmates are given a coin which identifies them as part of the guild.? This coin, like the WOW hearthstone, allows speech across Middle Earth.

Guild chat is roleplay or Azeroth/Middle-Earth-related only. We have an out-of-character chat channel that we can use for technical issues, or for discussions regarding modern life or other things that do not fit into the context of the world of Azeroth. If you feel the conversation on guild chat is not appropriate, then continue the conversation on the OOC channel. If a person continues to stay OOC on Guild Chat, then use the same protocol used in rule #3 to handle the matter. Too many violations may result in a reprimand, demotion, or even removal from the guild. But don't let that scare you, it's really not hard, and it's actually pretty fun!

The easiest way to determine if something belongs in guild chat or not is to ask yourself "Can I imagine a character in a fantasy novel saying this?" The answer to that question should tell you either how to say it, or where to say it.

Acceptable guild chat:

- Roleplaying, in-character, strictly within the context of Azeroth.
- Quest information, locations, directions, requests for (or offering) help with various things, professions, etc.
- Abbreviations like LOL, OMW, IMO, etc., as well as smileys and emoticons, while frowned on, are allowed.
- Game mechanics, such as stats, levels, talents, etc. is also okay, but please try to use creative descriptions. Have fun with it.

Chat that belongs on the OOC channel:

- Common MMO slang like ding, mobs, aggro, etc.
- Internet (AOL/IM/FPS) style shorthand like b4, cuz, plz, u, ne1, etc.
- References to the real world; technology (game related or otherwise), Earth culture (past, present, or future), or non-Warcraft related fiction.
- Modern slang such as "Yo, sup? Sweet, dude, that rocks!"
- References to anything that does not exist in Azeroth, or that your character would not know about.
- D00dspeak or "leet speak" like "wtf, i pwnz0rz j00," etc.

The above list doesn't cover all of the possibilities, but it does cover the most common questions that come up. Consider this list as the law of the land, but keep in mind that there may be other items that are not covered here. Please use your discretion. If in doubt, then use the OOC channel. Honest mistakes are honest mistakes. But a blatant disregard or lack of trying is an indication that a person probably doesn't belong on a roleplaying server, much less in Order of Twilight. So think before you speak, and soon good roleplaying will become second nature.

If any of our members are found to be in violation of any game manufacturer's (games we currently have chapters in) rules of conduct, then that is grounds for immediate removal from the guild.

In WOW, Idealists and above are allowed to set their own Public Notes. This is to give each member a choice of what they would like other members to be able to know about them just by looking.

Due to the way guilds work in World of Warcraft, the ability to modify your own Public Note also means you can modify other people's notes as well. Therefore, you may only modify another person's note with their explicit permission.

Public Notes may only contain the following:

- The name(s) of your other character(s).
- Your professions.
- A title, motto, or quote that is in character, which adheres to standard roleplaying guidelines.

If you are found to be abusing your privilege to edit Public Notes, then you may find yourself with a warning at best, or at worst, that privilege being taken away.

In LOTRO, only players can edit their notes.? Kindly put in the name of your main, professions, and a title/quote/motto if you wish.

1. Read the Charter and Rules of Conduct.

2. Once you have read and agreed, register a new account. It would be helpful if you register as the name of the first character you'd like to join as, but not necessary. Create a new post under New Membership to describe yourself, how you heard about us, and why you would like to join.

3. Once done, contact any member of Order of Twilight or e-mail Zanriel (zanriel@orderoftwilight.com) to state that you have read and agreed to the Charter and Rules of Conduct, and that you're interested in joining. There's a good chance that someone will have seen your post by then anyhow. Whoever is available to process your request will spend a little time talking to you to get to know you somewhat. If you have any questions, that would be a good opportunity to ask.? An officer will also be attempting to contact you at the same time.

4. Once an officer or leader has verified your post, and has spoken to you and considers you a good candidate, then you are sent an invitation to join Order of Twilight at the probationary rank of Wishmaker. Congratulations!

Stay Active:

There are five basic levels of involvement, which is how we determine how active a member is, ranked from highest to lowest, along with how your level of activity may impact your status in the guild: (Click each heading to expand...)

Extremely active...

You schedule and/or sign up for events on the calendar several times a month. Almost every day you post on the forums and/or can be found in Azeroth or Middle Earth as a member of our guild, often grouping and socializing with other members. You also make it to practically every type of meeting we have.

Result: You set a fine example for everyone. If you're mature and you have the desire, you're probably up for promotion if you haven't been promoted already!

Active...

You schedule and/or sign up for events occasionally, and a few days out of the week you post on the forums and/or can be found online. Most people in the guild know you, and vice-versa. You make it to most of our meetings.

Result: You're free and clear, great job! We couldn't ask for more.

Semi-active...

You can be found in Azeroth/Middle Earth and/or you post on the forums at least a couple times a week, but you almost never participate in or schedule calendar events, and you only occasionally make it to a meeting. Or perhaps when you're online, you seldom interact with other members.

Result: You're not at risk of demotion unless you're an Idealist or above, in which case we'll work with you to see if you're at the appropriate rank. Sometimes you might encounter a little difficulty getting help or recognition since people won't know you very well. Step up, speak up, and get involved!

Somewhat inactive...

You're almost rarely seen or heard from except maybe a couple or few times per month. Many people may not recognize your name, and vice-versa. It could also be that the few times when you are on, you rarely say much, or you almost never group with your guildmates.

Result: You are likely to be demoted if the condition persists beyond 30 days.*

*Exceptions may be made if the inactive member can provide a compelling reason for the inactivity, and the inactivity is only a temporary condition with an estimated return date.

Inactive...

We haven't seen or heard from you in a month or more.

Result: You will be removed immediately if a Wishmaker, or at the next scheduled Purge if a Dreamer or above.*

*Exceptions may be made if the inactive member can provide a compelling reason for the inactivity, and the inactivity is only a temporary condition with an estimated return date.

Stay Loyal:

Loyalty means a lot of different things, but for the purpose of this rule, you are considered a loyal member if:

Required

1. You, and all of your actively played characters are members of Order of Twilight and/or one of our branch guilds (Children of Twilight or Dawn of Chaos).? For LOTRO, you and all of your actively played characters become members of the Order of Twilight (there is not alt guild for OOT in LOTRO)

2. You plan on staying with the guild for the long term, raiding, questing, PVP'ing, roleplaying, or leveling your alts with us.

Optional

3. Most of the time, when you have a choice between going with the guild to an event, activity, raid, etc. or an outside/non-guild group for a similar event, you choose to spend your time with the guild.

4. You plan on ranking up to Idealist or beyond. If so, you're considered very loyal. Hats off to you!

Click here for details and exceptions.

#1 and #2 of the above Loyalty traits will be enforced to some degree, the second two are optional. If you don't adhere to the first two, you may be warned, demoted, or removed depending on the circumstances (your current rank, severity, other contributions to the guild, etc.).

A few rare exceptions are possible for #1 if you ask, and you can provide a compelling reason why you would have alts in other guilds. "Actively played" means you play that character at least once week for a few hours at a time. For example, a character you use for a regular raiding group would be considered "actively played".

If all of the above Loyalty traits apply to you, you're exactly the kind of member we're looking for! (But #3 and #4 are not required.)


If you leave the guild because of accidental mistreatment towards you, or you're removed for inactivity, you may return at your previous rank as long as it's within 30 days of your leaving. If you leave for any other reason, or you've been gone for over a month, you may only return upon reapplying, and at the discretion of the leadership.

We constantly strive to be the top choice in guilds for whatever you enjoy. We don't just do it all, our mission is to do it all better than anyone else. Whatever you're looking for in a guild, our members are working hard to make sure it can all be found right here. That's who we are, and it's why we're here. But it takes good people. It takes people like YOU to make it happen.