The Tribunal

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[OPENING BANNER]

Impartial viewers, sharp-eyed and thoughtful, mixed with a dose of muscle -- the Tribunal are self-proclaimed judges, a group of kin who travel the swamp and offer their services to settle disputes, to mediate or arbitrate and make sure all parties are satisfied. Their goal is not to step in and force themselves on unwilling kin but to be available when an unbiased voice is needed....  

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[TRIBE POLICIES]

the where

Unlike many tribes, this is not a close-knit group of friends/family; they do not live in a cluster, do not travel together. They do not live in a particular part of the swamp. Instead, they are nomadic and disparate, and expected to be so. After all, if they're all clustered in one place, how will they be where they're needed? How can they cover the swamp, and help out when they can?

the what

It is difficult to maintain the balance that the Tribunal so wants -- both putting themselves out there, so that other Kin know they're available, but also to keep their noses out of it when they're not wanted. The goal is to be helpful but not pushy, and this is something that they think they achieve. Other kin, however, might wince a little to see them coming, unless their help is immediately needed. Either way, they help their fellow Kin as wandering judges.

the why

The founder of the Tribunal, Drifter, is a bit of a contradiction himself. Patient but nomadic, not quite able to stay in one place, he accepts all kin as best he can but has little tolerance for petty disputes disrupting everyday life. Some might say that his desire to bring peace between friends and neighbors is condescending, and his derisive sniff at this probably would do more to prove this than he'd like -- but the fact of the matter is that his goal, and the goal of the Tribunal by extension, is to help handle the small things so that people can focus more on their friendships and getting along.  

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[SETTLING DISPUTES]

the how

Sometimes, yes, members of the Tribunal can be a bit pushy, stepping in when they see a dispute rising out of proportion and offering their services to fairly settle it. The hope is, however, that with time their reputation will proceed them and that arguing friends and family will instead hunt out Tribunal members to aid them, will welcome them with open arms. Until theny, they make themselves known while keeping themselves apart from society, spreading the word and doing what they can.

Note, however, that once all Kin involved in a dispute agree to bringing a Tribunal member in on their problem, they are expected to follow the decision of that judge. Part of what makes this tribe so effective is that they not only make a decision -- they enforce it. Should one of the involved parties choose to go against the final judgment, an enforcer will be brought in to make them obey. This is never pretty.

More information on requesting a Tribunal member / an OOC form to post in this thead will be here.  

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[MEMBERS POST]

the who

Need to come up with titles but here's the breakdown:

TRIBUNAL HEADS - Drifter & maybe Old Music? They call the tribe together for meetings, and are the only ones able to exile/kick members out.

ELDERS - These are people who prove themselves wise within the Tribunal, and thus are able to bring more judges into the tribe.

ARBITRATORS - Those who have been deemed able to reach impartial decisions, and thus can act as arbitrators in the swamp

GO-BETWEENS - Fresh recruits, each one will be assigned an Elder or Arbitrator to serve as mentor until they have been deemed able to go off on their own.

ENFORCERS - This is a position for those not well suited to making the decisions -- but excellent at making people follow through. Enforcers should be tough and loyal, called in when kin choose to go against the judgment of a Tribunal member.  

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[PAST DISPUTES]

As Tribunal members settle disputes, information will go here.  

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[JOINING THE TRIBE]

There are two ways to join the Tribunal:

the active

Any kin who considers him or herself to be a good judge of character, capable of stepping out of a situation and regarding it in an unbiased light, and offering an impartial, fair solution to the problem at hand is more than welcome to court the Tribunal for entry. One of the senior members will provide them with a difficult riddle that they must solve, to show that they are capable of thinking outside the box. If they pass this test, they will be asked to leave their home and family to take up the nomadic life. They will be assigned a mentor to guide them until they are ready to move off on their own.

If one of your kin is interested in joining, please fill out the following form, and a Tribunal member will contact you via PM:

FORM GOES HERE

the passive

In addition to the above, wandering Tribunal members may also single out those who they believe have shown exceptional judgment, whether it be in their own personal lives or in aiding those around them. In this case, the riddle is abandoned, and fresh recruits [assuming they are interested] are handed immediately into the hands of mentors. This is, however, much more difficult to pull off, so most of their members will likely come from those actively interested in the tribe.  

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[TRIBE GATHERINGS]

The Tribe is expected to gather every few months for a meeting of minds, and to share their experiences. Through these gatherings, their various judgments and decisions are collected into the tribe oral tradition. This is useful not only to increase their public image, showing how they've helped various kin throughout the swamp, but also so that they can discuss various decisions to reach a group consensus on how to deal with certain situations. Once a precedent is set by one member, it is up to the group to choose if it will be honored forever following or if there is a better solution to the problem posed.

These gatherings aren't the wild parties of some other tribes, but that makes them no less enjoyable for the Tribunal members. This isn't a group of frolickers or dancers or kin who tell wild stories. This is a generally serious crew, more focused on conversation and contemplation than on feasting and debauchery. Not to say, of course, that they don't indulge periodically -- it's just not the focus of their celebrations.

These meetings are also where fresh-faced recruits are finally turned into full-fledged members, in a brief and serious ceremony.

Information about the next tribe gathering will go here! There will be some fun ORPs, hopefully.  

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