Heaven and Earth is many things: a guild, a home, a family, a group of like-minded individuals who enjoy playing the game together, and for a limited group a raiding team. Our goal is to maintain an environment in which all of our members can enjoy the game, can succeed in their various goals, and in which the reputation of this guild is upheld. While we enjoy having fun and acting like children, the simple truth is that Heaven and Earth is a guild for adults.

I. General Member Conduct

Our members, to put it bluntly, will not act like “assholes” to people in or outside of the guild. Members will deal with one another, and with those outside the guild, with courtesy and respect.

Our successes as a guild, however big or small, entitles no member to behave poorly. Our members do not boast about our progression in raid content outside the guild. You are of course welcome to tell your friends, or anyone who asks, when we accomplish something new and exciting, but we do not participate in trade channel bragging contests, or forum posts announcing our kills.

Our members abide by the World of Warcraft terms of service, the EULA, and the Roleplay Terms of Use for the server. While participation in roleplay is not a focus of this guild, no one shall harass those who play on this server for that purpose.

Our members conduct themselves with decency. This is a guild of adults and as such it is acceptable that guild chat and Ventrilo chatter include adult humor. That being said, the guild does not tolerate racism, excessively foul language, sexual harassment, or ongoing harassment between players.

Simply put, our members refrain from conduct that is deliberately intended to make the game less fun for other people. If you are not happy unless you are making someone else miserable, or if celebrating yourself as an “asshole” is how you have fun, then we are not the guild for you, and you will not last long with us.

Specific examples: (1) Members will not treat members poorly in guild chat, (2) will not stalk people though whispers, (3) will not cheat members or non-members in financial transactions, (4) will not file a complaint with Blizzard as a way to “get back” at a member, and (5) will not stir up angst against other members through rumor and gossip.

II. Ventrilo Member Conduct

Ventrilo is a tool to facilitate raiding, guild communications, and general game play. It is not to be used as a tool to harass, malign, or disrupt other individual's enjoyment of the game. This includes jumping into a channel and making a loud noise, playing music in a channel, causing feedback when you have been informed that your mic is not working, and any other behavior that disrupts the use of this technology.

Our Ventrilo server is divided into non-member and members areas. All guild members of all ranks shall have access to both areas. Guests (non-members) shall not be given the member's area password, and unless an officer drags the guest to a member area, shall not be in member areas.

In the member areas there are private rooms. These room will not have passwords, but all members including officers will respect the private nature of these rooms and will “knock” and obtain permission before entering them.

No user of Ventrilo will record conversations without first informing all individuals that the recording is taking place. Please keep in mind that in some state's making such a recording is illegal.

No user or administrator will “ghost” and listen in on a channel without users' knowledge.

Failure to comply with Ventrilo courtesies may result in banning from the Ventrilo server. Please keep in mind to keep the rank of Squire or to be a Progression Raider you must be in good standing and have access to our Ventrilo server.

III. Conflict and Dispute Resolution

Drama is strongly discouraged in the guild. One of the best ways to deal with drama is to address it quickly and head on. We therefore encourage all of our membership to report drama to an Officer, so that it may be addressed.

Problems between personalities may not be avoidable, but they are also usually not unsolvable. We expect that in most situations, one or more persons involved in a conflict will find the maturity necessary to see it worked out among those players. No member of the guild is to put another member on /ignore without the permission of the High Lord or Lord; this is a tool used only in cases of serious or ongoing harassment.

If you personally are experiencing problems with another member of the guild, and you are not able or are not comfortable resolving the issue with that person yourself, the next step is to inform an Officer of the issue. This is crucial. The Officers can only help if they know about the situation, and what is going on. Allowing a problem to fester and build up for months only makes the inevitable consequences that much worse.

When the Officers need to become involved to settle a dispute between two players, the result may vary. Where appropriate, Officers may try and work with both parties to resolve the matter, or issue a warning to those involved in cases of behavior that simply, unquestioningly, needs to stop. In the event of more serious harassment or misconduct, or problems which, due to the unwillingness of the members, cannot be resolved and are going to continue, removal from the guild is a possibility, though this as an extreme sanction.

IV. Discipline.

Violation of the charter may result in demotion of rank, request that you /gquit, or simply a /gkick.

Squire rank and Progression Raiders:

When a complaint is made, or an officer observes misconduct, the offending party will be contacted by an Officer. Officers will listen to both sides and will attempt to make a fair decision.

Gross offenses may result in immediate removal from the guild, but in most cases the initial penalty will simply be speaking with either the High Lord or Lord and again agreeing to comply with the charter. A second offense will result in a request to leave.

In addition Progression Raiders have a duty to comply with the raid rules, to be prepared for raids, and to use the calendar. Failure to comply with the raid rules or general rules of the charter may result in demotion or even removal from the raid team.

In a like manner those non-progression raiders who have obtained the rank of Squire may lose that rank as a penalty.

Errant rank and Errant (Applicant) status:

Errant rank members and Errant (Applicant) members are “at will” members of the guild. Even minor offenses may result in immediate sanctions including removal from the guild. Errant (Applicant) members are extremely new members of the guild, and therefore early violations of the charter simply will not be tolerated and will result in removal. Errants are Errants either (1) because they have not proven themselves to be Squire material yet, or (2) they were previously demoted to the rank of Errant. In either case, the guild's tolerance for violations of the charter will be minimal for the Errant rank.

V. Recruitment

Heaven and Earth has two separate application processes, depending on what you are looking to gain from the guild. A more detailed description of our individual ranks can be found in the following section.

Knight Applications are for those looking to join our main “progression” raiding team. The application template for a raid position is fairly detailed, and after being posted your application will be read and often questions asked or comments made both by officers, and other raiders on your spec, on your gear, on your gem and enchant choices, and on past experiences with you as a player. Generally speaking, within a few days we will have an answer for you, and either extend an invitation for you to join us as an initiate, or turn you down. Knight applicants who are denied are usually still welcome to apply to join us as Errants (see below), if they wish, but this does not promise any special consideration if they reapply for Knight in the future.

Errant Applications are for those looking for a more casual experience within the guild. Errants are, simply put, any member of the guild who is not a participant in the guild's main raid team. The application template is simple, and our screening is almost open-door: you post an application, we'll sometimes let it sit a day or two for comment from our members, and unless something negative comes up about you, you're welcome to join us. For more on what exactly you can expect from the guild as an errant, see the rank breakdowns below. In addition those Errants who prove themselves may acquire the rank of Squire. Squires are non-progression raiders who have shown that they know how to play the game and, who can be trusted, if called upon, to do their job in pre-progression content. Squires are also members who have show their loyalty to the guild and their ability to comply with the guild's charter.

Heaven and Earth does not poach players from other guilds. This means members should not specifically seek new members from other guilds. However, this does not prevent friends of the guild from applying and leaving their former guild.

Recommendations
In many cases current members will choose to recommend potential candidates for membership. If you choose to do this, please make sure that the candidate has read the Charter and will abide by it. Also, please make the recommendation carefully because recommending a player, who is later sanctioned or removed for violating the charter, will reflect on you and may impact your rank and/or position in the guild.


VI. Ranks

A. Officers

High Lord: Hzala coordinates all aspects of the guild's operation, and acts as raid leader when present in our progression content raids. While guild policy and leadership decisions are generally made in consultation with the other officers, Hzala maintains the final say (and the final responsibility) over all guild matters.

Lord: Nox (Ferusnox) is second in command. He is Hzala's right hand man, and speaks for Hzala when he is not present. He is specifically in charge of recruitment and Nightshift activities. In addition, he is available to deal with guild drama when Hzala is not online.

Veterans: Chosen by Hzala and Nox for their loyalty and trustworthiness. They are members of Heaven and Earth who have demonstrated leadership, intelligence, and an acute knowledge of their own and often other classes. Veterans help to organize and run progression content raids, participate in loot decisions in those raids, and are involved in class-specific recruitment and training, as well as moderation and dispute resolution among members of Heaven and Earth.

While the officers are generally at the disposal of members of the guild, it is important to keep in mind that they are players too: there's a better time to ask us for things like alt invites than when we're in the middle of a raid, and you should not expect a hasty response if you whisper one of us in an arena, etc. While we have a responsibility to you as a member of the guild, we ask you to be considerate of our more immediate responsibilities to those in our groups who we are playing with.

Current Veterans: Iltisarr, Laura, Motrin, Naari, Nahstara, Khayven (Lockbane), and Sparticus


B. Progression Raiders

Initiate: New members of the progression raid team during what we consider to be their “review” stage. The initiate one is temporary, while we determine whether and how well a person fits in and performs with the raid team. There is no set amount of time for a player to remain an initiate: they will be promoted when the leadership of the guild believes they have a good understanding of their ability and believes them ready, or demoted, if we reach the determination that you are not a good fit for us.

We view the Initiate rank as a probationary, rather than a trial one. We expect strong performance and strong attendance from our progression raiders at any level: this is not a come-as-you-please rank.

Knight: Knights are the staple, full-fledged members of our raiding team. They have proven themselves through their initiation period, can be counted on to do their job in a raid, and while they may not have attendance that is perfect, they are consistent in their participation. They are always prepared with consumables, enchantments, and appropriate gems, and have read the strategies.

Crusader: Crusaders are those who at any given time are considered the Core of our progression raid team. This a rank that is hard to gain, but easy to lose. These are the individuals who always come to raids prepared, The always sign up on the calendar and keep the Officers apprised of their availability. Not only do they read the strategies, but they know them and are capable of adapting and changing them. They can always be counted on to follow directions and assignments, and excel at managing the responsibilities of their class in a raid. Crusaders receive extra perks in exchange for their level of commitment, and while these are fluid, they may include things like access to guild repairs, and increased privileges with the guild bank.


C. Non-Progression Members

Errant (Applicant): New members of the non-progression ranks. They will have the rank of Errant but will have the word “Applicant” in their guild note. When invited officers will put the inviting officer's name and the date of invitation in the applicant's officer's note. New members will remain an Applicant for 7 to 30 days (varying depending on the amount of actual play time the individual has). The goal is to actually see how the individual operates in the guild and whether or not they (1) get along with people and (2) can follow the charter's rules. Applicants may only have one character in guild. After reaching the rank of full Errant their Alts may be invited.

Errants: Errants are many things. Generally, however, they are any member of the guild who does not participate in progression content raids. Whether they are friends, family, retired or aspiring raiders, or simply people wishing to be a part of our community, Errants easily make up the bulk of the guild.

Errants are not required to participate in any activity or content that they do not wish to, but by the same token are not promised that participation either. There are many events throughout the week that Errants participate in. They run 5-man instances, 10-man instances, and even pre-progression 25-man instances, but these events are all essentially self-governing. They are not necessarily run by the guild leadership, not subject to the rules that apply to our progression content raids, and are organized and put together at the discretion of the people running them. Questions, comments, complaints, or requests to be involved should be directed to those persons first.

Squires: Squires are Errants that have proven themselves capable players and guild members. They may be former raiders, who have decided to stop raiding for awhile, or simply skilled players, who are not on the progression raid team. They have access to all the content that Errants do, and indeed are more likely to be included in runs because of their skills and abilities.

The promotion from Errant to Squire is a subjective one made by the officers. There is no application process. Errants shall not ask to be made Squires, and doing so will hurt their chances of later becoming a Squire. Squires, Progression raiders, and Officers may recommend an Errant for the rank of Squire, but keep in mind that the recommendation will reflect on you, so choose well.

Squires are welcome to later apply for initiate status with the progression raid team, but of course they are subject to the same space limitations and performance requirements that any person applying directly from outside the guild would be. They are not guaranteed or promised special consideration on an initiate application simply because of their time in the guild as an Errant or Squire, though being known by the Officers evaluating your application will generally be helpful.


D. Alternative Toons

There are two ranks of Alts. “Alts” which are the alternative characters belonging to the rank of Squire and above. And “Errant Alts” which are the alternative character belonging to the rank of Errant.

With the exception of the Errant (Applicant) rank, all other ranks may have as many Alts in guild as they would like. There are no restrictions on adding alts to the guild, but your alt must be identified by your main character's name in its guild note. If you would like to add an alt, whisper an officer from your main character about doing so; we tend not to respond to random invite requests from complete strangers. Please be considerate when doing this. Getting your alt in the guild is not going to be a priority for officers if they are in the middle of a raid, or otherwise occupied.

Characters that are inactive for more than a month or two are periodically removed from the guild to clear up the roster, but you are welcome to re-add alts that are kicked in this manner, if you become interested in playing them again. (Errants & Squires removed in this fashion are more than welcome to re-apply).

Note that the alts of Lords and Veterans will still hold the Lord/Veteran rank, in order to retain access to the officer channel and guild controls.


VII. Raid Conduct

The tone of our raids tends to vary, throughout the night, often with the difficulty of the content we are approaching. While we spend a lot of time chatting and joking around as we progress through easier content, focus and patience are extremely important qualities when dealing with new or challenging encounters. Paying attention is vital. Raiders have to know that when the group starts having problems, whether it be people dying, mobs running amok, or tanks disconnecting, it is time to stop telling jokes and for everyone to return their focus to the game. It is fine to laugh at your mistakes, just be sure to fix them, while you are at it.

Progression raiders are expected to come to every raid with adequate and appropriate consumables, with all required mods installed and running, and with cash on hand to keep their gear repaired. While you are not required to apply consumables on every fight, when the raid leader announces that a given fight is “wet” (meaning you use all of your flasks, elixirs, oils, foods, weapon buffs, and so on), that instruction is not optional.

As far as new fights go, you should know this: we do not know everything. Quite often, we will approach a new encounter with somewhat less than a clear and concise plan for overcoming it. If you have different ideas about how we should handle a particular fight, we are more than happy to discuss them with you. However, we may ask you to do so with us after the raid is over. When we spend the week preparing and asking others to prepare to deal with a certain boss a certain way, we do try to avoid massive changes to our approach partway through a night. Mid-raid strategy sessions, though appropriate in some cases, tend to severely slow us down, and have a negative effect on attention spans.

Likewise, if you have an issue or a suggestion with regard to how a particular element of a fight is being handled, whether it be healing assignments, positioning, a kill order, etc., you are more than welcome to bring it to the raid leaders (or your class/spec leader, where appropriate). When we make a decision, however, on who heals whom or who tanks what, that's the way we expect it to be. While you are welcome to disagree, the raid leaders expect their instructions and assignments to be followed.

Lastly, it is important to understand that we view raid signups as perhaps the most important obligation upon all of our raiders. Pulling off a successful night means that we get 25 people, all with their own lives, families, relationships and jobs, to set aside the same blocks of time, several nights a week. While there are of course family emergencies, personal issues that arise, acts of god, bad weather, traffic jams, and more, generally speaking we believe that every member of the raid team owes it to all the other raid team members to keep the guild apprised of their availability.

When a raid has to be called due to poor attendance that we could not anticipate through signups, every person who set aside that time to play with us suffers.


VIII. Progression Raid Loot

Heaven and Earth uses a modified loot council system for its progression raid team. Before a boss fight, or at least as quickly as possible afterwards, every appropriate class should have a nominee able to use that piece of loot for their main spec. Those names will be submitted over Ventrilo (one per class), and the Officers will sound off individually over who they believe the item should go to. In the interests of time (and because in the past some loot decisions could drag on forever), you will not always hear every Officer address every aspect of the decision, if and when we agree largely with what has already been said, we will simply say so.

Factors we consider include, but are not limited to: guild rank, seniority, raid attendance, raid performance and conduct, size of the upgrade, need for progression (meaning we do, sometimes, show deliberate bias to main tanks or core healers), whether the item is particularly better for one class than another, the last time each person received significant loot, and whether one or more of the people up for the item has been passed one or more times on it previously.

While it is up to the individual members of each class to nominate and put forward whomever they choose, we do advise that they do so with a mind to these same factors. Nominating a person for whom the item is a marginal upgrade over a person for whom it is a large one does not particularly help your class. Likewise, nominating a person who has just returned from two months vacation over someone with consistent attendance is foolish; that person is almost certainly not going to win if there is another person from another class up who has been attending raid consistently. Classes may also pass, if nobody is interested, or the item is not a significant upgrade for them. The Class will pass immediately upon the announcement of the item. Once names are placed for consideration, individuals shall not pass for the benefit of another individual. It will be up to the Officers to determine who will get the item once nominations are made.

In the event that no one is nominated for a piece of loot, a free /roll will be called for all of those interested for off-spec, pvp, or situational use. Winning loot in this manner does not count against you in future loot decisions. If no one is interested in a drop even under these conditions, it will be disenchanted, and the mats put into the guild bank.

The rules for patterns, crafting materials and gems change from time to time, and raid instance to raid instance. If you have questions about how a particular item like this is handled, you should ask an officer, but generally speaking our policy on this type of loot will be geared toward progression, and allowing everyone to benefit, rather than individual greed.

IX. Non-Progression Loot

The rules described above apply to Heaven and Earth's progression raid roster. They do not govern any other runs or raids of any size. The loot rules on a non-progression run are set at the discretion of the person organizing it. If a guild member is running an event they must be responsible and lay out the rules before the event. It is their responsibility to communicate those rules effectively to those participating, and it is presumed that by participating, those present have consented to those rules.

That said, generally speaking, most of our non-progression raids and events employ a system that allows people present who can use an item for their main spec to roll for it if they can and will use it, with some kind of limitation on how frequently they can win loot.

Unless otherwise stated by the leader of your run, when you roll on something under the premise of using it, and you win, the item is yours to use. It is not yours to give away or to sell to whom you choose: if you roll on an item to use and win, you must actually use it, whether it is a pattern, a piece of gear, a tier token, whatever. If you change your mind, or are not interested, it is up to your raid leader, and not you, who that item then goes to (typically the next-highest roller).

As stated above, we view non-progression raids and events to be self-governing in most cases. However, where abuse is taking place, or where Officer intervention is necessary to enforce compliance with that run's rules or to resolve conflicts between participants, we will step in as requested on a case-by-case basis.


X. Progression Raiders Class or Spec Change

There may be times that a progression raider wishes to change his/her class or spec. The individual will need to apply with the officers for this change giving them an opportunity to review the needs of the raid, as well as, the spec, gear, and enchantments/gems equipped for the new spec or class.

If there is space available for the new class/spec, and the new class/spec meets the minimum gear standards for the current progression raids then the officers will make their recommendation to Hzala and Nox regarding whether or not the individual should be allowed to make the change.

If the change is allowed then the spec/class will become the individual's “main” and the individual will be demoted to the rank of initiate.

If the new class/spec does not work out, and there is still room in the raid for the player's original class/spec then they will be allowed to switch back. If, however, the original class/spec has been refilled then their may be a delay in getting the player back into raids. This is a risk the individual takes by switching class/spec.

Note: When we are talking about change in spec, we are only discussing a permanent change that encompasses both a different role in the raid (Heal/DPS/Tank) and complete gear change. This particularly applies to druids, priests, warriors, shamans, and paladins. Otherwise, raiders should coordinate with an officer only when they desire to attend a raid in a known suboptimal spec for their role, such as (but not limited to) PvP specs (Disc Priest, Subtlety Rogue, Arms warrior) or various hybrid builds.