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THE BLACK EMPIRE
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The Black Empire

The Black Empire is looking to recruit mature, skilled, and dedicated members who are looking for a community of like-minded individuals. The purpose of The Black Empire is to develop a friendly community that will last through Star Wars: The Old Republic and any future games that are released. For The Old Republic we will focus on role-playing with an emphasis on player-versus-player combat, and are currently hosting role-playing events on our forums. Any additional information about the guild can be found on our website or within our forums.

As there are many more ranks within The Black Empire than simply “member” and “officer”, there is a well-defined hierarchy with ample room for advancement. As a progressive Sith guild, positions of power within the Empire are given to those who can fulfill their obligations best. Simply put, ability trumps seniority, and the person most able to perform a role will, barring other circumstances, be given that role. A complete description of the guild hierarchy can be found at the website under the Guild Command tab, but here is an overview.


Overall Structure

The Black Empire is led by one man – The Emperor. As the only authority rank that both chapters of the guild (The Old Republic and EVE Online chapters) have in common, the Emperor is the guild leader. His personal apprentice, The Hand of the Emperor, maintains a focused rule over the Old Republic chapter. As the Emperor’s representative within the chapter, the Hand of the Emperor is considered the highest authority, and the leaders of the three primary divisions of The Black Empire - The Academy, The Temple, and The Army – are directly beneath him. The lower command structure for each branch is outlined below.


The Academy

All new members begin as recruits at the Academy. For a minimum of two weeks, they will be observed and their ability to role-play, as well as other characteristics, will be evaluated. If they succeed, the new members will be placed into either the Temple as Acolytes or the Army as Soldiers. While the staff makes an effort to promote success at the Academy, it is the recruit who is on trial, and failure to satisfy the Academy staff results in guild expulsion without the ability to reapply.

The Academy of The Black Empire is led by the Academy Commander, who is responsible for overseeing the recruitment and training of new members. Beneath the Commander is the Academy Proctor, who assists in management of the recruits. One representative each from the Temple (Academy Knight) and Army (Academy Sergeant) are staffed at the Academy in order to further assist in evaluating recruits on an individual basis.


The Temple

All Force-sensitive members of The Black Empire are housed in the Temple. New members from the Academy enter the Temple as Acolytes, the lowest rank. Through an apprenticeship, acolytes can advance to Sith Knights, the most abundant rank of the Temple. Through more advanced apprenticeship, Knights may advance as Sith Masters, who train Acolytes into Knights. The leader of the Temple is the Temple Lord, who, in addition to training Knights into Masters, maintains order and efficiency within the Temple.


The Army of the Black Empire

All members of The Black Empire who are not Force-sensitive are housed in the Army. As an Army, ranks in the branch are granted through promotion as opposed to apprenticeship. Members fresh from the Academy enter as Soldiers, the lowest and most abundant rank. Through advanced training in the military, soldiers may be promoted to sergeants. Sergeants lead a squad of soldiers, commanding and training them. Above sergeants are Captains, who oversee several sergeants. The Army is commanded by a General, whose duty is to maintain organization, discipline, and efficiency within the Army.


The Office of the Emperor

Ranks related to guild management rest under the Office of the Emperor. In addition to the Emperor, the Office of the Emperor houses several important roles. The Hand of the Emperor is the Emperor’s personal liaison, extending his orders throughout the Empire. The Captain of the Guard is a position for a skilled player-versus-player coordinator once the game is released. The guild Archivist is responsible for keeping guild records and publishing relevant information. The guild Arbiter is responsible for investigating and mediating complaints and arguments between members.