Once again I'd like to welcome everyone, now straight to more business.

The revised first article proposed by Toa_Ausar is as follows:

Toa_Ausar hereby proposes that the group be called "The Confederated Inter-Related Collaborative League of Epics" and be also known as "The C.I.R.C.L.E.".

 

Furthermore, "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Charter" shall be a partnership between authors that allows for greater consistency of storyline between various members' writings and thus creates a more fan-friendly product.

 

There shall be three different levels of membership within "The C.I.R.C.L.E.", although it is possible that other positions may be added later. These three ranks are "TURAGA", "TOA", and "MATORAN". In addition, there will be honorary titles given to one specific member of each rank that are primarily intended to provide distinction, yet also serve a functioning purpose within the group hierarchy. All three ranks have voting privileges in terms of deciding on important issues that unify our joint fictional endeavor.

 

The vote of a "TURAGA" or "TOA" will count as "5/5" of one tally. The only difference between the rank of "TURAGA" and the rank of "TOA" is that a "TURAGA" has the "Power of Veto". This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the central storyline and the fabric of the Alliance's existence, however the "Power of Veto" shall be nullified during votes on "C.I.R.C.L.E. Articles" concerning "Expansion", "Promotion", "Probation", "Demotion", or "Expulsion" of any prospective or current "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member(s)". Meanwhile, the vote of a "MATORAN" will technically count as "3/5" of one tally, although typically a full tally shall be given, unless the vote is particularly close and strict accounting becomes necessary.

 

Moreover, the vote tally of all "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" during a given round of voting on "C.I.R.C.L.E. Articles" that include "Promotion", "Demotion", or "Expulsion" shall be counted at the value outlined by each "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member's Rank" prior to the present round of voting. This means that if a member is a "TURAGA" or "TOA" at the beginning of a given voting session involving "Promotion", "Demotion", or "Expulsion", then their vote still counts as "5/5" of one tally. Meanwhile, if a member is a "MATORAN" at the beginning of the voting session in question, then their vote technically still counts as "3/5" of one tally, until such time as the vote is certified when the voting session deadline passes. At that point the vote tally value of any effected "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" will be adjusted.

 

Next, any "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" may cast their vote however they please, however it is encouraged that the vote be accompanied by some sort of reasoning that furthers and enhances the debate surrounding the issue under discussion. Once a vote is cast, it can be changed as many times as the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" likes prior to the voting deadline. However, if a vote is being altered the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" who cast that vote must plainly identify that their vote is being modified, as well as provide a brief logical reason for the changing of their vote, in other words, not "just because".

 

All "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" with the rank of "TURAGA" shall collectively be known as the "TURAGA COUNCIL" and an honorary designation of "CHIEF TURAGA" shall be given to the "TURAGA COUNCIL Member" who has been an active part of the group the longest.

 

All "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" with the rank of "TOA" shall collectively be known as the "TOA TEAM" and an honorary designation of "TOA TEAM LEADER" shall be given to the "TOA TEAM Member" who has been elected to that position by a secret ballot held amongst all "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members". The "TOA TEAM LEADER" shall serve as a primary tiebreaker in the unlikely event that an even vote following strict accounting of the tally has occurred for any given "C.I.R.C.L.E. Article".

 

All "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" with the rank of "MATORAN" shall collectively be known as the "MATORAN TRIBE" and an honorary designation of "MATORAN CHRONICLER" shall be given to the "MATORAN TRIBE Member" who has been elected to that position by a secret ballot held amongst all "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members". The " MATORAN CHRONICLER" shall serve as a secondary tiebreaker in the unlikely event of an even vote following strict accounting of the tally has occurred for any given article and, for one reason or another, the "TOA TEAM LEADER" did not vote on the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Article" in question.

 

Initially the rank of "MATORAN" shall be for "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" whose Epics are so drastically different from the others and although these authors' creative input is desired, the fact is that their stories are virtually non-congruent with many of the others. This causes the decisions of the group to have less of an impact on their tale, when compared to the impact on the story of a "TOA" or "TURAGA". Over time however, the rank of "MATORAN" shall also be used to bring in new members to the group through "Expansion", however the number of "MATORAN" should always be such that a tie vote on any issue is rarely possible. Moreover, anyone nominated for future membership in "The C.I.R.C.L.E." must obviously be a member of BZPower and must also have either an Epic of their own and/or a vast library of short stories that they have written.

 

Moreover, in addition to voting, all "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" will also have the right to submit proposals to Toa_Ausar via PM, where they will then be brought forward for debate by the entire group and subsequently voted upon in a future blog thread as "C.I.R.C.L.E. Articles".

 

Next, by becoming a member of "The C.I.R.C.L.E.", all participants will abide by "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Non-Disclosure Agreement", which prohibits them from knowingly revealing or openly discussing "Spoilers" about another member's Epic.

 

Any "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" who willfully and knowingly violates "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Non-Disclosure Agreement", by revealing or openly discussing "Spoilers" concerning another member's Epic, will be subject to the consequences of either "Probation", "Demotion", or immediate "Expulsion", depending upon the severity of the offense.

 

"Probation" is for first time offenders who have made an honest mistake when they forgot to abide by the rules of "The C.I.R.C.L.E." and therefore receive a warning. Provided that the offending member does not repeat the offense during a subsequent six to twelve month period, the specific duration of which shall be determined at the time of the consequence, then their membership status shall return to normal.

 

"Demotion" is for offenders who blatantly disregard the rules outlined within the "The C.I.R.C.L.E." and have possibly already received a warning of "Probation", although it is not a necessity that a member be on "Probation" prior to "Demotion". The offender in question would then face reduction in rank by one level up until the point at which the position of "MATORAN" is reached.

 

"Expulsion" is what happens when a "MATORAN" experiences "Demotion" and is therefore sadly no longer part of "The C.I.R.C.L.E.".

 

The type of consequence will be established on a case-by-case basis following discussion between the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" whose Epic has been spoiled and the "TURAGA COUNCIL", however the action that is ultimately brought to a vote before the entire group shall be determined solely by a secret ballot amongst the "TURAGA COUNCIL".

 

Lastly, there will be a "C.I.R.C.L.E. Participation Policy".

 

Henceforth, all "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" must first notify the group of their intentions for any prolonged absence lasting more than one week. Failure to attend two or more consecutive rounds of voting without having first provided notification shall result in a "PM Notification" being sent to said member, identifying that a consequence will be handed down within "The C.I.R.C.L.E.", one week from the time of "PM Notification". The consequences can range from a "Probation", all the way to "Demotion", or even "Expulsion", depending upon the duration and level of flagrancy related to the truancy.

 

The type of consequence will be established on a case-by-case basis following discussion amongst the various "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" in a blog thread during the week between when the a "PM Notification" is first sent and when the deadline expires. This does not mean however that the ultimate consequence is determined directly by the group as a whole. The action that is in fact eventually brought to a vote before the entire group shall once again be determined solely by a secret ballot amongst the "TURAGA COUNCIL".

 

Now, feel free to discuss this proposal in this thread and then vote.

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY".

The eighteenth article proposed by RingMaster Zee is as follows:

RingMaster Zee hereby proposes that in addition to the "Kemet Nui Blaster", the "Alpha Cordak-.47", also known as the "AC-47", be considered one of the most sought after weapons within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe", due in large part to its' "kill-to-cost" ratio.

 

The gun is manufactured and sold at a relatively cheap price and has both incredible accuracy, as well as an immense level of firepower. Though the La Nui military doesn't allow most inhabitants to utilize the "AC-47" without express permission and a valid reason, somehow several powerful underground organizations still manage to obtain the weapon for standard use. It is believed that greedy weaponsmiths from the Isle of Xia, in an effort to garner a little extra money, have been known to sell the schematics of the "AC-47" to these less than scrupulous organizations so that they can produce the item themselves.

 

Now, feel free to discuss this proposal in this thread and then vote.

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY".

The forty-seventh article proposed by Koji is as follows:

Koji hereby proposes that within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" there resides a species of creatures known as the "Memory Changers".

 

These beings live within "The Void", that is to say the space between dimensions. They are shapeless entities that must first seed themselves into another's memories before they can then take the form of a being that would most resemble whomever they've implanted themselves into. A "Memory Changer" has only one power, to affect another's memory, however they can overload the mind with memories as a momentary offensive strike, but are more or less primarily infiltrators rather than combatants.

 

An example would be a "Memory Changer" who implanted itself into a Toa's memory and then physically manifested in a Toa-like form to blend in.

 

Now, feel free to discuss this proposal in this thread and then vote.

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY".

The forty-eighth article proposed by ChocoLvr13 is as follows:

ChocoLvr13 hereby proposes that within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" there resides a species of savage beings known as the "Nuvarians".

 

The "Nuvarians" live primarily within the Dome of Wesko Nui and the armor that they create there is utilized across "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" for its' renowned high quality and popularity.

 

Their armor is distributed by a lucky few "Nuvarians" who proudly refer to themselves as "Ulik Tener faa Nuvarak", a "Nuvarian" word meaning "The Traders of the Nuvarians". The primary distribution hubs include the Dome of Xia, the Dome of Stelt, and a central region of the Northern Continent that is largely uninhabited.

 

During the "Time Before Time" the "Toa Wesko" discovered that the King of the Nuvarians - His Majesty Gehor - was supplying the "Brotherhood of Makuta" with armor for their servants and other followers, however no action was taken due to the fact that there was no indication that the "Brotherhood of Makuta" did not serve the will of the Great Spirit Mata Nui at that time.

 

Now, feel free to discuss this proposal in this thread and then vote.

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY".

And with that said, I open this thread up for discussion on the various articles for the proposed enhancement of our group structure and joint storyline.

Please be sure to vote on all four articles in this thread.

Also, note that this discussion and the corresponding voting will end at 1200 PST (Noon in the Pacific Time Zone) on Saturday, April 25th, 2009 provided that at least 2/3 of C.I.R.C.L.E. Members have voted at that point.

Lastly, the C.I.R.C.L.E. Members will be notified of the results via the C.I.R.C.L.E. Results Overview & Discussion thread, however, when there are other blog threads where authors can vote on the proposals surrounding the details of C.I.R.C.L.E., that communication will still happen via PM.

Thanks.