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

The yet again 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 distinct levels of membership within "The C.I.R.C.L.E.", although it is possible that other positions may be added later, and there shall certainly be sublevels within each rank as well. 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, organization, and help promote efficiency. The first two ranks have voting privileges in terms of deciding on important issues that unify our joint fictional endeavor, meanwhile some of the third rank will also be allowed to vote.

 

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 qualifying "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 qualifying "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 largely 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, and blanket votes that cover an entire ballot without specification for each article are frowned upon and may be disregarded both in terms of their substance, as well as participation. Once a vote is cast, it can be changed as many times as the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" so desires prior to the voting deadline. However, if a vote is being altered the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Member" who cast that vote should 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. Furthermore, "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" with the rank of "MATORAN" who qualify to vote per their status as an participating author shall be collectively known as "CHRONICLER'S COMPANY MATORAN".

 

Initially the rank of "MATORAN" was given to "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" whose Epics were so drastically different from the others' that although these authors' creative input was desired, the fact is that their stories were virtually non-congruent with many of the others member's works. Over time however, the rank of "MATORAN" has been used to bring in new members to the group through "Expansion", however the number of "MATORAN" has always been such that a tie vote on any issue was rarely possible. Henceforth, any BZPower Member nominated for future membership in "The C.I.R.C.L.E." will still join as a "MATORAN", however they no longer need have an Epic of their own nor a vast library of short stories that they have written. In other words, it will now be possible for artists, MOCists, storyline theorists, and other non-authors to join and contribute to the group.

 

Moreover, in addition to the three groups with voting privileges, 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".

 

Likewise, there shall subsequently be a modified "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".

 

Furthermore, the ranks of all "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" shall no longer be based primarily upon tenure, rather they shall now be determined by each specific member's level of participation within the group as a whole, including the voting process, assistance on the Wiki, and other various aspects of group involvement. In other words, a lackadaisical "TOA" may find themselves up for "Demotion", meanwhile a dedicated "CHRONICLER'S COMPANY MATORAN" will almost certainly be rewarded with "Promotion".

 

Lastly, there shall also henceforth be the option for honorary designations of specific "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members" to "Legacy Status" as an "HONORARY TURAGA", an "HONORARY TOA", or an "HONORARY MATORAN". In order to be granted "Legacy Status", the current "TURAGA", "TOA", or "MATORAN" must be nominated and confirmed by a vote of all current "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members". Once a nominee is confirmed to "Legacy Status", all of their works become permanently engraved within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" and their articles upon "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Wiki" shall remain intact. Thus "Legacy Status" is different from a standard "Resignation", with the point being that in a typical "Resignation" all of the member's works are struck from "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Archives". Furthermore, members granted "Legacy Status" loose the privilege of voting, in exchange for exemption from the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Participation Policy".

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The yet again revised thirty-second article proposed by Ballom, ChocoLvr13, Kohila, Toa_Ausar, & Zahaku is as follows:

Ballom, Kohila, ChocoLvr13, Toa_Ausar, & Zahaku hereby propose that the consequence of "Probation" administered upon "TURAGA" Kohila as a result of his violation of the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Participation Policy" be lifted.

 

As a result, his votes shall once again be counted as "5/5" of one tally, furthermore, all his other membership privileges shall return to normal at the time of this article's confirmation as well.

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The once again revised thirty-fourth article proposed by Ballom, ChocoLvr13, Kohila, Toa_Ausar, & Zahaku is as follows:

Ballom, Kohila, ChocoLvr13, Toa_Ausar, & Zahaku hereby propose that the consequence of "Probation" administered upon "TOA" Cap'n K as a result of his violation of the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Participation Policy" be lifted.

 

As a result, his votes shall once again be counted as "5/5" of one tally, furthermore, all his other membership privileges shall return to normal at the time of this article's confirmation as well.

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The revised one-hundred-forty-fifth article proposed by Ballom, ChocoLvr13, Kohila, Toa_Ausar, & Zahaku is as follows:

Ballom, Kohila, ChocoLvr13, Toa_Ausar, & Zahaku, after brief deliberation with all of the current "C.I.R.C.L.E. Members", hereby propose the administration of the consequence of "Probation" upon "MATORAN" Kered as a result of his violation of the "C.I.R.C.L.E. Participation Policy".

 

The status of "Probation" shall result in his votes counting as "1/5" of one tally for a three-month period, furthermore, all of his subsequent votes shall be nullified until such time as he provides a more thorough rationale for his blatant violation, and thus his membership shall not be counted in the "Voter Turnout Calculations" until the explanation has been given.

 

Provided that he does not repeat the offense during the three-month period his membership privileges will return to normal 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" with an explanation.

The two-hundred-fortieth article proposed by Kohila & Toa_Ausar is as follows:

Kohila & Toa_Ausar hereby nominate Venom to the position of "MATORAN".

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The two-hundred-forty-first article proposed by Kohila & Toa_Ausar is as follows:

Kohila & Toa_Ausar hereby nominate Xinlo to the position of "MATORAN".

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The two-hundred-forty-second article proposed by Zahaki is as follows:

Zahaki hereby proposes that within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" an undisclosed being touched the Kanohi Ignika while it was still on Spherus Magna, immediately prior to the time when the Great Being of Bota Magna touched it.

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The two-hundred-forty-third article proposed by Arkatox, Kohila, & Koji is as follows:

Arkatox, Kohila, & Koji hereby propose that within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" the initial leader of Metru Nui was a Turaga of Stone named "Aldeå" (aal-DEY-uh). He established a Matoran City Council which continued to serve the City of Legends until it was disbanded by Makuta Teridax, in the guise of Turaga Dume, just prior to the Great Cataclsym. Aldeå fled Metru Nui and went into hiding at the first hints of the Metru Nui Civil War. A Turaga of Water named "Kailen" (KAY-lehn) replaced him and she led the city through much of the conflict. The leaders of the Metru Nui Civil War were a Ta-Matoran named "Teles" (TEHL-uhs) and a Po-Matoran named "Toru" (TOHR-oo). Both were banished to "The Pit" following the end of the war and died when the Great Cataclysm damaged the prison and the waters of Aqua Magna flooded in.

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

The two-hundred-forty-fourth article proposed by Koji is as follows:

Koji hereby proposes that within "The C.I.R.C.L.E. Universe" there exist artifacts known as "Elemental Handguns", a type of projectile weapon that can only be used by someone with untapped elemental energies, such as a Matoran destined to become a Toa.

 

An Elemental Handgun functions by drawing the untapped power from the user's body and storing it within the weapon itself. The user then has a single shot with it before the elemental energy destroys the weapon due to how raw and unrefined its' expenditure is.

 

The projectile fired is an elemental bullet specific to the user's element, in other words, an Elemental Handgun wielded by a Le-Matoran would fire a condensed Air bullet, meanwhile a Ta-Matoran's would launch a compressed fireball-like bullet, etc.

 

Elemental Handguns are extremely rare, and finding a user capable of utilizing one is even rarer yet, but it can be an effective defensive tool in the proper hands. The weapon is capable of killing a target with a torso or head shot, as long as the opponent isn't too well armored, nor too powerful, such as a Makuta.

 

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

 

All in favor vote "AYE".

 

All opposed vote "NAY" with an explanation.

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 nine 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 Monday, November 8th, 2010 provided 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.