Planning and Applying for a New House

Applications for new Houses will be accepted from Tier 3 MHO’s (Meeting Hall Organizations) in good standing at sole discretion of the House Controller. Due consideration will be given to all applicants, with the House Controller making the final decision, based on a variety of factors. A person who has an interest in forming a House must submit a letter of intent to GS4-CHE@PLAY.NET of the following format and information:

"I, (Name Here), hereby intend to establish an officially recognized House of Elanthia, to be named (Name of House). A petition for acceptance will follow."

An initial interest must be demonstrated for the House; therefore a minimum committed membership of 20 characters must present their signatures on the petition for acceptance. This is done by each potential member (who meets membership requirements) sending an email to GS4-CHE@PLAY.NET a letter stating their intention to join this organization.

An initial fee of 1,000,000 silvers is required once the application has been accepted. This fee provides for the establishment of the House accounts and record-keeping by the CHE. An application will not be reviewed for acceptance until the initial fee is paid.

The Chairman may include any letters of recommendation by other players which he/she feels may further the cause. An endorsement by another respected House is also a plus.

Heavy consideration is given to the status of a person in the community. The Petition for Acceptance must be prepared and submitted with the following information:

1. The names of the minimum starting number of six House Officers.

2. A Statement of Purpose which describes the intended purpose of the House organization. This can be as simple or complex as necessary.

3. A Statement of Governing. The style of internal government in a House organization is self-determined. The statement of governing becomes part of the 'bylaws' of the House and may not be changed (since this is the condition upon which the House is accepted by local government).

Sample styles of governing:

Autocratic: The Chairman has total authority and responsibility over the organization's activities.

Democratic: Decisions are made by a vote of the majority with the Chairman breaking all ties and controlling the agenda for issues to be brought before a vote.

4. The term of officers and method of selection of new ones must be stated. The two most common methods are:

For Life: each officer is the established officer for life, and their heirs are empowered to take their place upon the death of an officer. Unfilled positions are appointed by the consensus of existing officers.

Limited: the officer has a term which is established (1 year, etc.) and at the end of the term elections are held within the membership to elect new officers.

5. The Bylaws of the House must also be included in the petition for acceptance. The Statement of Governing is considered part of the bylaws, but detailed separately due to its importance. The Bylaws must include the following details:

- Membership Requirements/Procedures
- Membership Services Provided
- Membership Rules and Regulations

Building Construction

Each House must obtain a building permit, and construct a building from which they will operate their organization. This building is technically property of the House; however, the establishment and utilization of it is tightly controlled by local government. After the Petition for Acceptance has been approved, the membership must submit a construction plan for their House building.

The cost of the building permit depends on the location of the building. The classification of the area is determined by the House Controller. The House is allowed to decide in which of the following areas the building will be constructed; exact locations may incur a surcharge.

Low Class District: 250,000 silvers
Middle Class District: 500,000 silvers
High Class District: 750,000 silvers
Commercial District: 1,000,000 silvers

Each House may have only one main building constructed and, at a later date, may arrange to have annexes built if the membership grows enough to warrant them.
Applicants that already have a structure built will receive a discount on the fees outlined below, to be agreed upon by the House Controller and the Chairman before any further construction (if needed) would begin.

The Building Proposal must include the following details:

1. Outside Facade

Supply a description of the building's outside and the object which will be the 'door' into the building.

2. Rooms

The proposal must number each room (1, 2, 3, ... ) and include a description for each plus exits (north, east, etc.) and which room they connect to. All objects included in the room (furnishing, doors, etc.) must be specified with both type and name. All room descriptions must be under 512 characters, preferably under 256 characters.

3. Objects

All objects must specify their type and where they are located (they must all be non-moveable) and their object name. Objects may include an examine description. All object names must be of the form "article, adjective, noun".

(Examples: "a,wooden,table" "some,ornate,chairs" "several,,casks")

Desks and tables are intended for use as furniture, and not as storage areas. For proper storage of objects the House must acquire a storage facility (i.e. House lockers).

4. Financial

The base cost for a building is 15 million silvers. For that base cost the building will be constructed with:

- Ten common rooms (dining room, foyer, kitchen, basement, attic, etc.)
- A forty item locker with two entrances.
- A single node.
- Ten private rooms with three touchable objects apiece.
- Two bars with a total of ten food or drink items each.
- A Gatekeeper.
- A Coat of Arms.

Included with all of the above are doors, stairways and regular compass exits for all rooms.

Additional rooms can be added at the cost of 750,000 silvers per common room and 1,000,000 silvers for a private room (three objects per room included).
The following items are not acceptable for any House:

- Shops or stores.
- Complex systems more appropriate to the game as a whole.
- Special powers or skills for members.
- Anything deemed unsuitable by the House Controller.

Plans must be submitted no later than 30 days after obtaining a permit, or the permit will lapse. Extensions may be had for half the original permit price if done before expiration.
Any required revisions must be made by the House in a timely manner. Remember, 'As ye submit, so shall ye be built.'

Ground Rules

1. To preserve the integrity of the global game system, all decisions by the House Controller are considered final, and those participating in the House system must respect these decisions.

2. All actions by House members or leadership are expected to be carried out using the highest standards of roleplaying.

3. Malicious abuse of the House system, such as the financial components, beyond the scope and intent of the House concept presented here will result in the disbanding of the House or replacement of its leadership, at the discretion of the House Controller. Furthermore, those involved will be blacklisted from forming another House, or belonging to any other House.

4. Houses must conform to the basic 'feel' of Elanthia. Thus no cable TV or chrome-plated bar-stools with Nauga-hide covers (unless you can provide actual Nauga skins) will be considered. The House Controller will review the plans and make recommendations for changes. Plans will be amended and revised by players and resubmitted. The House Controller reserves the right to make ad-hoc editorial changes to the building to fit properly into the environment or to remove logical incongruities.

5. Any additional rooms added for continuity or technical adjustment will not count against the House total unless the House is provided a chance to modify their plans to eliminate the need for such. Reasonable attempts will be made to consult with House Officers during construction and for any changes deemed necessary but Simutronics retains final judgment on suitability of any design. Private rooms are done at the discretion of House Officers and any designs must be routed from the player to their Officers for approval. All designs will be final upon acceptance by the House and any changes after that point will count as either new construction or re-design and will be priced accordingly.

6. By participating in the House system, players indicate that they have read these ground rules and all relevant articles and agree to them. It is the responsibility of each House Chairman to instruct potential new members and other officers to read the House documentation before joining and inform them of the dictates of this paragraph.