The structure of the club is laid out in a document called The Covenant. The Covenant outlines a handful of permanent leadership positions, how the club’s leader is elected, and various checks and balances against abuse of authority. You are welcome to consult it at any time, though the most important section—how members should treat each other—is covered in our next course.
The leader of the club is the Grand Master (GM), who is elected for a term of three years by the Electorate: the Council, the Justicar, and the leader of each clan. The Grand Master’s authority is limited only by the Covenant, but because there is so much work to do, most of that authority is delegated to other leaders, including the Deputy Grand Master (DGM).
The Grand Master is also confirmed by the Star Chamber, a group of all former Grand Masters in good standing and two temporary members chosen by the group itself. The Star Chamber offers advice to the Grand Master, but is not involved in day-to-day duties.
The only other position that is voted on is the Justicar (JST), who leads the Chamber of Justice (CoJ). The CoJ investigates violations of the Covenant such as cheating and harassment and mediates in conflicts between members. The Justicar is assisted by two Hands of Justice (HoJ) who help with investigations and have specific roles in the event of a trial. There are also three Appeals Panelists who are able to step in if the Justicar and the Hands are not properly following procedure.
The Chamber of Justice exists to protect the rights of all members and ensure this club remains a positive and fun experience. They are not there to get you in trouble.
The GM and DGM hire a number of Council members who oversee specific aspects of the club. In addition to their individual duties, the Council as a whole coordinates on major projects and the day-to-day management of the club. New Council positions can be created by the GM at any time, but this rarely happens.
At any time, you can find a full list of Council members and staff here. This list includes the staff email addresses that you can use if you need to contact a Council member. Additionally, each member’s personal contact info is visible on their dossier.
The Master-at-Arms oversees promotions and awards. Most of the MAA’s work involves reviewing recommended awards to ensure that there is a fair and consistent standard, i.e. that members receive the same recognition for the same activity. The MAA is also the final authority when it comes to approving competitions, again to ensure a fair and consistent standard.
Most of the time, it’s other club leaders who need to consult the MAA, but if you have questions on how to organize a competition or award one of your members, email the MAA staff.
The Seneschal is the club’s webmaster and developer. The SCL and his predecessors built the DB’s website, our wiki, and our chat bots. Very little of substance gets done without the SCL’s tireless support.
Contact the SCL if you find a bug or other issue with the site or bot.
The Headmaster oversees the Shadow Academy, developing and maintaining training content and ensuring that exams are graded in a timely fashion. The HM is also responsible for the club Wiki and oversees recurring trivia events on Discord.
Reach out to the HM if you need help or find an error in Shadow Academy material. For reporting errors, it is best to use this form.
The Herald’s job is twofold. Similarly to the Voice and Fist, the Herald oversees art competitions and the #art-chat discussion channel. However, the Herald and staff are also the club’s graphic designers and illustrators. They are responsible for the graphics you see on our site and produce custom graphics for members upon request.
The Voice oversees fiction activity, including fiction competitions and the Character Sheet system. Although the Voice isn’t the only person who contributes to the club’s overall fictional direction and plotlines, he typically does the bulk of the work.
You are most likely to interact with the Voice staff when submitting your character sheet, but they are also available to address questions about “DB Canon” and our setting.
The Fist oversees gaming activity. The Fist staff reviews all gaming screenshots submitted for club credit and determines how many Clusters of Fire or Clusters of Earth are awarded for each supported platform. Most importantly, the Fist maintains the Rites of Combat, the set of rules governing fair play.
The Regent oversees the possessions system. This includes adding new items, reviewing and approving member-submitted item aspects, and managing our limited-time item stores.
The Emissary oversees recruitment and retention. The EMS and their staff, along with your clan summit, can assist you with getting settled into the club.
Every Council member maintains a staff to assist in their duties. Most often this includes a Praetor, who is a second-in-command, and one or more Magistrates. These positions’ duties vary by office. For example, a Magistrate to the Voice (M:Voice) primarily reviews member-submitted character descriptions and aspects while a M:HRLD creates custom warbanners and other graphics for members.
In addition to Praetors and Magistrates, the Shadow Academy has Professors (PROF) responsible for some departments and you may occasionally see Special Magistrates (SM) who provide specialized expertise.
Many Council members limit their staff members to fixed terms to ensure that other members frequently have the opportunity to apply for these jobs. A magistrate position is a great way to learn more about how the club works, give back to the community, and earn yourself credits and other rewards.
The Combat Master (CM) oversees the Antei Combat Center (ACC) and judges all ACC matches. The ACC is a unique, member-vs-member writing competition in which two members take turns writing a battle between their characters or between their characters and another entity. The CM then grades both competitors and declares a winner.
The Exarch (EX) is responsible for coordinating text roleplaying in the Brotherhood. The Exarch and staff run sessions for the club or for specific units and help other members with RP-specific bot commands.
The Wiki Tribune is responsible for maintaining the content on DJBWiki. This includes highlighting excellent articles as well as the members who create them. The Wiki Tribune reports to the Headmaster.
The Communications Tribune is responsible for managing the club's social media presence. The Communications Tribune reports to the Emissary.
The Quizmaster runs live trivia sessions in the #trivia channel on Discord every week. The Quizmaster reports to the Headmaster.
Every clan is led by a Consul (CON) appointed by the GM. Some clans commonly refer to their CON by unique titles, like Dread Lord or High Councilor. The CON is ultimately responsible for the full member experience in their clan. The CON is assisted by a Proconsul (PCON). A very detailed guide to the Consul’s job can be found on the wiki.
Most clans are further divided into one or more subunits. These allow members to have more personalized attention from leaders, and in many cases subunits provide additional competitions and lore. A house is led by a Quaestor (QUA), sometimes with the assistance of an Aedile (AED). A battleteam is led by a Battleteam Leader (BTL)—even we have a few straightforward job titles. Houses tend to be larger, and battleteams are sometimes nested under houses. Some clans also have Magistrates to the Consul (M:CON) who perform many of the typical duties of a QUA or BTL without being assigned to a specific subunit.
The group of clan and subunit leaders are known as the summit. While the Council supports specific activities like fiction or gaming, your summit is there to support your overall experience. Summits run regular events, produce competitions and other opportunities to do fun stuff, advance their clan’s storylines and lore, ensure that their members are getting proper recognition for their activity, moderate all clan Discord channels, and serve as the social glue that binds their clan together.
While not a formal summit position, many clans have a master-student program. These pair new members with established veterans to ensure they have the opportunity for individual mentorship. If you would like to be assigned to a master, ask your clan summit.
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