[Ordo] Officium Curia Documenta - 15JULY09

[Aryte]

>> The Ordo Imperialis

>> Officium Curia Documenta

>> Table of Contents

I. Introduction and Explanation of Services

II. Roles and Duties

III. Standards of Operation

a. Court Procedures

b. Investigative Procedures

c. Reporting Procedures

d. Curia Regulatory

e. Extent of Authority

f. Issuing Regular Punishments

IV. The Nature of Investigation

V. Standards of Punishment

VI. Ethics and Value

VII. Closing Statement

>> I. Introduction and Explanation of Services

As the complexity of the military community increases, the need for specialized departments becomes more prevalent and obvious. The Ordo Imperialis, as early as service years in the Venuma Coalition, has always fielded a secondary, irregular unit intended specifically to process judicial concerns. In Venuma, these operatives went under the term of “commissar” and typically dealt justice in person, at the time of offense, with a handgun in one hand and the rulebook in the other. Modern ideals of judicial justice would consider that a radical approach, and rightly so. During the Venuma era, the organization was no greater than a hundred in strength. At the time of authoring this document, the Ordo is nearly three times that size. By numbers alone, the paradigm has shifted dramatically.

It is said that one can judge an entire nation based upon the quality of its justice program. To be fair, that is somewhat naïve. However, the importance of a fair, balanced, equal program of administering and enforcing law is critical. To many, Curia service means paperwork and filtering through drama. In reality, Curia is the beacon and foundation for proper function within the community and a huge contributor to the Ordo’s high retention rate. It is a difficult job, to be sure, but it is one that is highly rewarding for those who seek callings far beyond the field of combat. Curia staff members have incredible levels of responsibility, correlated around their duties as magistrates, investigators, and enforcers.

To be a part of the Curia staff is to be a guardian of justice, a protector of honesty, a seeker of truth, and an advocate of the rights of every Ordo member. No position within Curia is too small or insignificant. Every individual is part of an intricate mechanism, who’s every action directly affects the quality of experience for applicants, current Ordo members, and the groups we interact with. Curia members are held to a standard far beyond that of the average individual: Curia are role models, representatives of our law and order. As such, some actions or appearances that may otherwise be acceptable for most Ordo would result in strict rebuking. The hallmarks of Curia are: ethical routine, due process, honorable representation, impeccable character, and flawless conduct.

>> II. Roles and Duties

In order to function properly, the Curia staff has a range of positions with specific duties and limits of authority assigned to them. Some roles are designed to function within a specialized field, providing the maximum level of efficiency within a given area of operation. The purpose of this list is to demonstrate each role, their respective typical duties, and if applicable, outline the level of military authority assigned to the position.

[Consul – Primus]: The Prime (Primus) Consul of Curia serves as the highest echelon of authority within the branch. At any given time, there may only be one primary Consul in active service. The individual within this position has a wide range of authority, encompassing the supervision and control of the entirety of Curia. Per their position, the Prime Consul is assigned the equivalent military rank of Legates [O-3] and is granted a position within the tier of succession. The Prime Consul is specifically appointed via the authority of the Imperator, based upon their expertise and presentation of impeccable talents. The Prime Consul may not be dual enlisted (maintain status within a branch outside of Curia).

Duties include, but are not limited to:

 Oversee the function of the entirety of Curia;

 Administrate judicial proceedings and administer punishment;

 Coordinate the efforts of Curia staff;

 Hire, dismiss, and maintain the conduct/tenure of Curia staff;

 If necessary, fill vital positions throughout Curia, assuming extra duties in the absence of other staff;

 Review incident reports that require attention;

 Review applicants for admissibility;

 Mitigate feuds between Ordo personnel;

 Conduct monthly examination of all Curia staff to ensure proficiency with latest Ordo regulations;

 Represent the Ordo Imperialis, when necessary, in situations where Ordo personnel are implicated abroad;

 Participate in triumvirate proceedings to determine guilt;

 Report weekly (or assign an individual to do so) on recent changes or necessary issues during meetings;

 Address policy concerns and review Ordo regulations for acceptability;

 Suggest and assist in the construction of policy when required;

 Maintain a comprehensive detail of Curia rulings for public view;

 Ensure the cooperation of personnel in investigation and reporting of incidents;

 Routinely review the work of Curia staff for ensure compliancy with quality expectations;

 Provide office hours weekly, during which any member of the Ordo may sit down and discuss policy or raise concerns;

 Issue warrants and determine the acceptability of internal investigations in cooperation with Frumentarii;

 Review the routine of other Ordo divisions to ensure ethical and proper procedural practices.

[Consul – Secondous]: The Secondary (Secondous) Consul within Curia provide a second tier of authority within Curia. There are no more than two Secondous Consuls within Curia at any given time, each with a specific field of expertise to focus upon. However, to ensure cover and streamlined action, the authority of either Secondous Consul can be extended into either field when necessary. One of the Secondous Consuls is detailed specifically to overseeing the review of applications, while the other Secondous is assigned to oversee incident reports. Secondary Consuls may maintain membership within a military branch with Primus Consul’s approval, and provided that the Secondary Consul has ascertained an officer-grade rank within the said branch. Secondous Consuls are granted military authority equivalent to a [W-1], unless the dual-enlisted position supersedes said ranking—for example, an [O-1] in Astra would maintain [O-1] level authority as a Secondous Consul. Secondary Consuls are appointed by the Primus, with the approval of the Imperator.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

 Operate within the given orders of the Primus;

 Directly administrate assigned personnel to area of operation;

 Report to Primus weekly, detailing any decisions or rulings made in an official report;

 Provide office hours weekly, during which any member of the Ordo may sit down and discuss policy or raise concerns;

 Participate in triumvirate proceedings to determine guilt;

 Coordinate the efforts of assigned staff within given area of expertise;

 Ensure all incident reports/applications are dealt with at the greatest level of expediency affordable, without compromising quality;

 Review the work of Lictors and ensure reports are timely;

 Provide opinion and rule on the issued reports;

 Interview applicants when further examination beyond Lictor level is required;

 Directly coordinate investigation of incident reports; ensure proper case built and all elements of the situation are examined; ensure all reports documented and findings reported appropriately;

 Address appeals from applicants and review data for accuracy;

 Review requests for re-trials and determine acceptability;

 Communicate with applicants to provide feedback and update on the process of their review;

 Personally investigate rumor of misconduct or conflict; routinely check-up on involved parties of prior feuds to ensure cohesion;

 Ensure all data from Lictors are properly logged and documented within Curia database;

 Routinely spot check Lictor’s investigation logs for inaccuracy and bias; investigate any claims or concerns of such personally.

[Lictor]: Members of the Lictor staff are the backbone of Curia operations, functioning as investigators and information gatherers. Lictors are responsible for most of the day to day work within Curia, providing the Consuls with the time to focus on making judgment rulings. Lictor positions do not carry an enumerated military rank, as such any individual not dual enlisted will be classified as [E-0] unranked. Numerically, Lictor staff may be increased or decreased per the will of the Primus Consul. For efficiency, each Lictor is assigned a field of specialty—applications or judiciary—however their talents and authority extend within both realms as needed. Appointment to the Lictor staff is done per the approval of the Primus Consul.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

 Review applications and incident reports for foundation;

 Operate within the orders of the Curia Consuls;

 Interview applicants assigned to Curia;

 Investigate incidents to find facts, gather testimony, collect evidence, and compile a comprehensive report in a short period of time;

 Act, if necessary, as a representative for prosecution or defense during a triumvirate trial;

 Assist members in preparing incident reports, if necessary;

 Provide specific knowledge on the law, application process, etc;

 Cooperate with Schola staff to determine which applicants require Curia review;

 Report infractions to the Consul for review;

 Assist in minor duties, such as gear approval, with Consul oversight;

 Assist the Consul in administrating examinations on regulations to the general members;

 Act as a representative for assigned applicants, advocating their position and the position of the Ordo to arrive at a highest level of justice;

 Review documents within the Ordo for accuracy and consistency with current regulations and paradigm; including Terra, Astra, etc.

[Consularii]: Per special assignment, the Consularii acts outside of the judicial realm and applies a more empathetic, ethical touch to Curia. Consularii are assigned to Curia under the discretion of the Primus Consul and do not have a military rank equivalency assigned to the position, as such any individual not dual enlisted will be classified as [E-0] unranked. This position is concerned with the well being of the membership, acting as a neutral counselor and a conflict management specialist. Consularii are available to converse and offer solutions within confidence; however, they are required to report any discussion that could potentially be detrimental to the well being of the organization. The Consularii reports directly to the Primus Consul, providing feedback on the aftermath of decisions, membership feelings on policy and current outstanding conflicts.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

 Provide the Consul Primus and pertinent personnel with feedback from members;

 Mitigate conflict between personnel;

 Provide officer hours and methods of approach to allow personnel to communicate with regularly;

 Contact and maintain rapport with individuals experiencing conflict or in need of guidance;

 Assist personnel in finding a lasting relationship within the organization, through advocating needs to pertinent personnel;

 Provide advice and opinion based upon membership ideals during the creation and review of policy;

 Cooperate with Frumentarii or enumerated (pertinent) personnel during investigations;

 If necessary, assist in the inspection/interview process of applicants and those involved with incident reports.

>> III. Standards of Operation

This section is intended to encompass the basic operational code of conduct to be carried out in the commission of Curia related duties. Each section will cover a specific area, providing a comprehensive examination of procedural necessities. Adherence to these regulations is of paramount importance in order to ensure proper due process and construction of a balanced judicial atmosphere.

> IIIA: Court Procedures

A-101: Infractions that would result in a permanent or grievous outcome of punishment may be entitled to a court proceeding, punishments such as: ejection, extended suspension (greater than 24 days), major demotion (greater than one tier).

A-102: Court proceedings may be carried out with the approval of the Primus (or a power greater than), in order to determine guilt or innocence in a formalized atmosphere.

A-103: Court proceedings require the presence of a triumvirate, typically comprised of all three consuls. In the absence of aforementioned, officers greater than or equal to the grade of [O-1] may substitute. A proceeding may not be carried out with less than three presiding officials, spare with approval from the Imperator.

A-104: A court proceeding should not take longer than [24] hours of elapsed time from start to finish; time may be split over multiple days.

A-105: A court proceeding must include the following phases: statement of charges, defendants plea (guilt/not guilt), presentation of evidence by prosecuting party, presentation of counter evidence by defending party, prosecution rebuttal, closing statement from defense, closing statement from prosecution, private discussion among triumvirate, ruling on evidence, and (in the event of guilt) adjudication/charging of the defendant.

A-106: Court proceedings are intended for public view: any individual with valid membership within the Ordo Imperialis may be permitted to attend, unless their presence would be detrimental to the outcome, disruptive to the process, or the information included in the proceeding may be termed as classified/sensitive.

A-107: Rulings within a court proceeding must be properly documented and published for precedence.

A-108: Security for court proceedings shall be administered, preferably, by uniformed members of the Praetorian Guard. Failing that, individuals at the discretion of the ruling Consul. The place of meet, region side, should be secured for the sake of shirking interruption by external forces.

A-109: During court proceedings, a designated recorder must document all evidence presentation and conversation.

A-110: Prior to a court proceeding, all evidence must be prior presented to presiding triumvirate in order to discuss admissibility. Evidence not offered for review may not be utilized or considered.

A-111: Prior to court proceedings, both the defendant and the accuser must be subject to a deposition hearing by a Curia official. During the deposition, the individuals are to provide an account of the situation. During this period, Curia officials may ask questions for a better understanding or for fact finding purposes.

A-112: Prior to court proceedings, any witness or individual who will be presenting on behalf of either party must be subject to a deposition hearing by a Curia official. During the deposition, the individuals are to provide an account of the situation. During this period, Curia officials may ask questions for a better understanding or for fact finding purposes.

> IIIB: Investigative Procedures

B-101: Under no circumstance may investigation be arbitrary, without foundation, causation, or outside of official duties.

B-102: Investigations may only be initiated within the authority of a Consul, per the following circumstances: incident report, application, proactive pursuance of rumor of conflict.

B-103: Investigation may be initiated without the pre-approval of a Consul under the circumstance of being present during the commission of the act.

B-104: All investigation proceedings and information gathered are to be considered classified and restricted to pertinent personnel. Any dissemination may only be done with Consul approval.

B-105: Investigations must be private and timely: an incident is considered stale after three days of elapsed time.

B-106: All information gathered during an investigation must be reported.

B-107: Frumentarii cooperation during information gathering may be arranged with the authority of a Consul.

B-108: Investigative procedures, as listed within this document, must be adhered to without stipulation.

>IIIC: Reporting Procedures

C-101: All official events and unofficial events that may be deemed pertinent to any personnel, active or inactive investigation, must be documented and reported.

C-102: All reports must be headed appropriately if within note form, with the following standard: [ORDO] Curia: FIRSTINITIAL.LASTNAME – DDMMYY.

C-103: All Curia documents are to be considered internal-classified, unless otherwise noted and authorized by a Consul-level authority.

C-104: Reports, incident or otherwise, are preferably filed via the database. Paper (notecard) and forum based reports are acceptable.

C-105: In the event of a notecard based report, it is necessary that it be posted properly upon the secure forum section provided to Curia personnel.

C-106: All information must be provided up the channel of authority, progressing from point of arrival to the highest echelon of Curia. Ex: Lictor>Secondary Consul>Consul. Failure to transmit information is unacceptable.

C-107: All reports must be appropriately formed and organized, per the standard of any official prefabricated outlines.

C-108: Reports, regardless of stale date, must be kept on file for the sake of precedence and future inquiry. Reports may only be expunged with Imperator approval.

C-109: Inquiries to view reports from outside of Curia (by other Ordo personnel with valid reasoning) must be approved via the Consul.

C-110: Inquiries to view reports from outside of Curia (by those external to the Ordo) must be approved by the Imperator.

>IIID: Curia Regulatory

D-101: All Curia personnel are subject to extended levels of punishment: all infractions are to be treated one grade higher in severity to the mandated standard punishment.

D-102: All Curia personnel must be processed for review and punishment by the ruling Consul.

D-103: Discussion of Curia matters with unapproved personnel is strictly forbidden and will result in immediate suspension of privileges.

D-104: Repeated tardiness or failure to complete assignments will result in dismissal.

D-105: All Curia personnel may not wear or utilize out of the norm equipment unless it is explicitly approved by the Imperator: it is, per their nature, preferable that Curia personnel provide the example of basic gear.

D-106: All Curia personnel must be subjected to routine examination on standards, operation protocol, and updates to the handbook. Such is to be administered by the ruling Consul.

D-107: Curia personnel may be dismissed from their duties for irregular concerns, including, but not limited to: erosion of trust, poor representation, morality concerns.

D-108: Recruitment into Curia is to be done based upon qualification, time in service, history of service, and quality of work presentation. Additional examination is preferable, including regulatory review and presentation of the capability to do detailed reports.

D-109: Curia personnel are to be considered altruistic in nature, as such, failure to act during the witnessing of an incident or receiving hearsay of an incident, will result in prompt suspension of privileges.

D-110: Failure to carry out all enumerated expectations, ex: office hours, will result in suspension of privileges.

>IIIE: Extent of Authority

E-101: Curia authority is defined herein, based upon statues, operational expectations, and the regulations so issued by the Imperator.

E-102: Operation or abuse of authority beyond levels otherwise provided is forbidden.

E-103: Use of Curia powers to coerce, threaten, or influence other individuals beyond the rule of law is forbidden.

E-104: Necessary additions to Curia powers must be formally constructed, through the ruling Consul, to be requested of the Imperator.

E-105: Lictor personnel may not reference, state, insinuate, or discuss the possibility of punishment with any individual implicated within a situation. Punishment is the sole responsibility of the Consul staff.

E-106: All decisions handed down by the Secondary Consuls may be overridden by the ruling Consul within [7] days of the ruling. After which, the case would have to be reprocessed from the beginning to determine a separate outcome.

E-107: Any decision issued by Curia may be overridden by the Imperator.

E-108: Curia decisions, in the form of applications, supersede Schola decisions.

E-109: Curia decisions, in the form of punishment, supersede mandates handed down by the standard officer staff.

E-110: Policy that is otherwise in need of review may be examined by the Consul staff. Rulings on modification or nullification are to be issued by the primary Consul, for review by the Imperator.

E-111: Critical level punishments, which result in an irreversible condition of punishment; ex: ejection, execution, requires the Imperator’s approval to conduct.

E-112: Severe level punishments, which result in a damaging, but potentially reversible condition of punishment; ex: demotion, suspension, requires the Imperator’s review for due process prior to conducting.

E-113: Moderate to minor level punishments may be carried out by the authority of the ruling Consul, but should be reported appropriately to the Imperator for courtesy review.

>IIIF: Issuing Regular Punishments

F-101: All sanctions issued by Curia are to be considered confidential and available only to Curia personnel and officer staff.

F-102: The issuance of punishment is to be done formally in documentation, privately and within a timely manner.

F-103: Punishment documentation must include current date, date of infraction, time of infraction, named of the accused, summary of incident being acted upon, ruling on the incident, and the issued punishment.

F-104: Issuance of the punishment must be appropriately logged for review.

F-105: Issuance of punishment must be done with contact: offline messages and a delivery of notecard is an unacceptable practice. Individual to be punished must acknowledge receiving the notecard for formality.

F-106: Minor sanctions, such as laps, may be issued at an informal manner: ex; messaging the infringing party and ordering the laps. However, the existence of the punishment must be documented for foundation and provided for viewing within the Curia forums.

>> IV. The Nature of Investigation

Curia is best known as an investigative department, as per the necessity of personnel to arrive at the best avenue of honesty and quality justice. Investigation is neither simple nor easy: it is a unique ideal that shifts per the encountered individual. No single solution will solve every situation, so it is important to understand the complexity of the human effect on an investigative process. For the sake of routine, however, Curia personnel are expected to follow a regimented category of processes, designed at influencing a greater outcome in any given situation. This routine is: control, collect, report, and analyze.

In any given event, the primary concern of any personnel is to control the incident or the individual in question. In the case of an incident report, it should be the primary position of the investigator to ask: is this event currently ongoing? How long ago did this occur? Is there a lasting malice? Is there danger of more infractions within a short period of time? Any situation is best examined in a controlled atmosphere, as such; the investigator is responsible for ensuring that the stability has been enacted. This may require the involvement of outside forces, for example . . . the use of an officer to clear COMs during an argument, or contacting an estate manner to ban a griefer.

Control also encompasses damage mitigation: are the involved personnel ok? Do their commanders need to be involved? Does this require immediate attention of a higher power for resolution? Mitigation is critical: many events are simply misunderstandings, as such stopping the event as it unfolds, or ensuring further conflict doesn’t occur greatly increases the probability of a favorable outcome for both parties.

Once a situation is within control, it is then the duty of an investigator to collect information. Who was involved? Who witnessed the incident? Who may have information that could be useful? Are there screenshots? Did anyone file an incident report? Is there something more to this than face value? An investigator must collect from all of his available resources, building an idea of what happened from all available perspectives: the offender, the defense, the outsiders, and those who simply are third party to hearsay. Collection must be thorough. The term “leave no stone unturned” applies: examine everything. An abundance of useless information is far more valuable than a lack of any information.

As part of the collection process, individuals in question should be interviewed. This includes gathering testimony from third parties, providing an encompassing, ample supply of review.

Upon compiling sufficient resources, it is then the necessity of the investigator to report his findings. Reporting must include all of the materials gathered in an unprocessed form: reports should include meticulous detail, without bias or analysis from the investigator (unless specifically asked for). It is the primary goal in the reporting phase to provide information in an organized, well documented manner.

The analysis phase is the part of investigation that includes filtering, filing, deciphering, cross checking, and filling in the blanks. Analysis determines the credibility of information. An investigator should ask: are any of these reports bias? Who has something to gain by an outcome in this report? Who is responsible for the incident? Was the incident instigated? Are there any aggravating or mitigating circumstances? Is anyone hiding information or purposefully doctoring their account of the situation? Do I have the big picture?

If these steps are followed, there is an increased probability that an investigation will provide a more thorough and in depth review. It is the responsibility of Curia to ensure that.

>> V. Standards of Punishment

Judicial procedure is the realm of Curia. Listed below is a comprehensive outline of the various grades of punishment, including a brief explanation as to the level of authority outside officers are capable of exerting during issuing of a punishment.

> VA: Minor Sanctions

Minor sanctions are the most common of punishments, designed to deal with the lightest of offenses. For example, unintentional reckless, poor speech conduct, first time offenses—random firing, failure to demonstrate respect. Minor sanctions include: verbal warnings, written warnings, light issuance of laps (under 5).

>VB: Moderate/Medium Sanctions

Medium sanctions are stricter, intending to impose a temporary or brief devaluation of an individual’s status. These may be utilized for repeat offenses, failure to improve, purposeful disrespect, and other intentional acts. Medium sanctions include: heavy issuance of laps (greater than 5), written complaint to the individual’s direct commander, recommendation for promotion hold (to be issued to Curia or the Imperator; time restraint typically one cycle), recommendation for reassignment, direct reassignment or denial of privileges (eg; ejecting from an elite squad if you happen to be the leader of said squad), recommendation for suspension from a medium of offense (eg; individual unable to watch their language on Ventrilo, they may be recommended for removal).

>VC: Major Sanctions

Major sanctions are the extent of officer authority, spare explicit exercise of Legates level permissions or, with special provisions enacted by the Imperator. Major sanctions are reserved for repeated offenses, severe offenses, overt and personal disrespect, intent to defame or cause damage, purposeful team killing, actions against other members of the Ordo that could be considered lasting, and authorized/purposeful disobeying of orders. Major sanctions include direct reassignment, recommendation for extended block from promotion (two or more cycles), forced extra training (eg; restarting Armatura), recommendation for demotion (one rank), recommendation for greater demotion (multiple ranks). Estate administrators, forum administrators, and Ventrilo administrators may directly remove someone from any of the aforementioned as a “major” grade sanction. For courtesy, major sanctions must be reported (even if recommendation based) to the Curia Consul for tracking provisions.

>VD: Severe/Curia Specific Sanctions

Curia is capable of employing any of the aforementioned. It is not a problem to refer any situation to Curia if the matter is extended and requires depth review. Please be certain to realize referring to Curia will result in the strictest and in depth of punishments: Curia is a neutral provision and will consider each case as such. Mitigating circumstances are best left up to officer decision. Curia may directly demote, eject, remove from the region, et cetera.

>> VI. Ethics and Value

Many would credit Curia work to be potentially cold and rigid: confiding in an inanimate book of law does not summon an image of kindness. Law is sacrosanct. It is intended to be followed and adhered to, not bent, broken, undermined or ignored. Law, however, is malleable within the official realm. Every ruling that Curia makes—every interpretation of an issue—builds an idea of judicial precedence.

Because law is intended to be fair and just, the idea of precedence is highly important. If a ruling is made that individual X shall not be permitted to wear red pants, that establishment also applies to individuals Y and Z. But that does not mean individual Y may not have a more reasonable idea of how red pants should be worn. If it is decided that individual Y may wear red pants with a black belt, then individuals Z and X may as well. Although a mundane example, that is the basic idea of judicial review and stare decisis.

When applying law and deciding how to enforce regulations, the human touch has to be remembered. Even though law itself, by the written word, is intended to be flawless . . . humans are not. A magistrate of Curia must ask: is this law within the paradigm? Does enforcing this rule satisfy the utilitarian ideal? Is the bigger picture, the greater good for the group, supported in this ruling?

A decision may be justified within the moment, but in the long run, times change and the expectations of the membership of the Ordo changes. It is both ethical and appropriate for Curia to consider the effect of law upon those it imposes upon. Failing that, law becomes abusive and unreasonable. The Ordo Imperialis may very well be a dictatorship, but our intentions will always be benevolence.

>> VII. Closing Statement

The design, application, revision and understanding of law are not exactly everyone’s idea of an exciting time. The complexity of most modern statutes is simply daunting, even to the trained eye. For those of you inclined to the studies of justice, the name Rousseau probably rings a bell. Rousseau, in the The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, developed the idea that the perfect government is controlled by the general will of the people. This will is represented within the law of the land, as empowered by a representative legislature. In exchange for this will, the governed give up certain rights to the government, in order to maintain social order and control within society.

Within the Ordo, this representation of the people’s will comes directly from the proactive efforts of Curia. We do not have a senate, nor do we have elections. It is thus necessary that the staff of Curia be attuned to the organization, to understand and enforce law under the idea of a utilitarian judgment—judgment for the good of all, not the good of one.

Those of you undertaking the task of maintaining civil order are accepting a responsibility that few people understand. No training program will really prepare you for every situation, nor will it answer every question. Law is living, like you and I. It evolves, so those enforcing it must evolve with it.

As a member of Curia, a lot will be asked of you: your time, dedication, honor, respect, diligence, thoroughness, and quality of character. I will not pretend this job will be easy. But I will promise that this job will be highly rewarding intrinsically. Quite frankly, I do not believe there are many positions within the Ordo that carry with it such a widespread capability to shape and guide the group.

You have my respect and my faith. If you require guidance, judicial review, or simply an opinion, you need only ask it of me. Do so, remembering that there are hundreds who will look to you for the very same.

Aryte Vesperia

Imperator