The Custodial Charter
“In Darkness, Shall Stars Go Out?”
Preamble: The world constantly remains upon the precipice of complete and total collapse. Whether these threats come from beyond our realm or are birthed within, the very nature of our civilized existence is always placed under grave and immediate danger. Through will, determination, and perhaps even sheer luck we have managed to endure nearly two-thousand years, though every hour, minute, and second of this time was never guaranteed, nor will it be. But if there is one thing that allows descendents of any creed to carry on, it was their ability to answer any question presented. So when the question arose of how we may be able to further fight for our right to exist, the answer came forth as the Custodians. Founded in the 87th year of the Second Age, we carry ourselves as an organization aimed not to the pursuance of personal fame or glory, but a group that dedicates itself to the maintaining of our fragile way of life from assimilation into that of primordial chaos and all which it entails. Duties:
In order to preserve the very nature of descendant-kind, the Custodians are expected to perform a wide variety of tasks without question or complaint. Of these many undertakings, the most important are that of the following:
To investigate areas of particularly anomalous or dangerous activity.
To document important information and disseminate such to the public.
To neutralize hostile flora & fauna which pose outsized risk to the public.
To conduct research and experiments which positively impact the public.
To act as peacekeepers for regions outside of any defined territorial boundaries.
To maintain civil society and all that such entails.
To combat the presence of malicious entities, groups, or individuals.
The Custodial Codex:
The codex was a response to the very real possibility of straying from the path outlined above. The Custodians shall only be allowed to exist if they maintain the duties and core tenets of the philosophy dictated above. In order to help ensure that this happens, the codex was created as a series of rules which all Custodians must follow in order to stay within the organization. I: No Custodian shall ever perform acts, magical, alchemical, or mundane which utilize or otherwise ‘use’ souls for any purpose, nor will they allow such actions to be performed by others. II: All Custodians shall be beholden to the local laws and customs of the nations in which they operate in, unless said law is in direct conflict with the core beliefs of the Custodial Charter. III: No Custodian shall infringe upon another being's free will, as defined by their power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate. IV: No Custodian shall be a government worker in any state, regardless of status or rank within said government. No Custodian shall take up arms in interstate or civil wars. V: No Custodian shall place undue misery or harm unto sentient life without just cause, even if such beings are inherently malicious and go directly against the beliefs of the charter. There shall be no cruel or unusual punishments inflicted, nor shall any member endorse such behavior.
VI: No Custodian shall infringe on the sentience of another being without just cause, in which just cause being defined as an direct, identifiable threat to the world around them.
VII: No Custodian shall be, at time of joining, wanted for a felony or equivalent in any nation. This includes actions of high treason, murder, crimes relating to carnal pleasures, and all other felonies of such a disposition. Crimes that persecute against religion, race, or other physical features are not included within this stipulation.
The Hierarchy of Classes: The Custodians are organized in a hierarchy of classes, starting from the lowest rank of Class III to the highest Class I. These classes have been made to denote authority, seniority, and general aptitude within the group. Of which, there is a singular ‘Custodial Head’ which acts as the main authority over the Custodians as a whole. This position holds no term limits, however any Head may be removed at any time with two-thirds approval by all members within the charter, regardless of class. The classes are arranged in the following manner:
Class I
Class II
Class III
The veteran members of the Custodians which have proven themselves time and time again to be not only capable, but in control of any situation thrown at them without fail. These are meant to be the leadership of the Custodians, helping guide and further refine the mission of keeping chaos at bay. They may act as expedition leaders, diplomats, and caretakers of extremely dangerous anomalies that are preserved and kept guarded from society at large. They are the only members capable of inducting people into the Custodians.
A member of the Custodians who has proven themselves willing and capable to fight and potentially even die for the causes outlined in the Codex. They are given a fair range of autonomy, and are generally allowed to partake in their own missions and endeavors as they see fit. These individuals are expected to be of good character, and hold the general intellect and perception to understand (and solve) complex situations.
The general rank given to those first inducted into the organization. Unproven, yet prospective, these members are trained in the ways of the Custodians, tasked with understanding the philosophy of the charter, and given instruction on how to perform whatever task they have been deemed best at doing, whether that is clerical work, investigatory duties, or acting as general staff to help run the Custodians effectively. They are subordinate to Class II and I members, and are expected to better themselves at any given opportunity.
