adzling wrote:The Charnag Maelthra will be starting up shortly and accepting applications for membership.
You should approach Cel'lith Morcane in game.
Below is a description of who they are, what their function is, and their acceptance requirements.
The Charnag Maelthra (translation "Deep Dragons")
This is the political and military police arm of the Conclave.
It's main role is to enforce the will of the Conclave through administering the day-to-day implementation of Sshamath's "laws" and the Conclave's "edicts". Upon admission initiates swear an oath to follow the directives of the Conclave whatever their personal beliefs.
In addition they are charged with supporting the Sshamathian Guard in times of crisis to protect the city from dangers, real and perceived. They are often sent out of the city on important errands for the Conclave acting as bodyguards to high-ranking emissaries, to retrieve artifacts or anywhere the Conclave needs a representative. When a high ranking drow needs to be detained or otherwise punished due to a ruling of the Conclave the Charnage Maelthra are sent to collect them.
They are given much latitude in their work as long as they do not deviate from their general mission of protecting the Conclave, the city of Sshamath and ensuring the Conclave's will is carried out.
It is important to note that unlike a police force on the surface (like the flaming fist for example) "justice" is not important to the Conclave nor the Charnag Maelthra. They are tasked with ensuring the smooth functioning of the city and the trade that flows through it, not "upholding" any law. Anything that might threaten this is to be dealt with, quickly.
This means that if they were to encounter a fight or other dangerous display in public they would likely put a stop to it, with minimal violence if possible. They could direct the combatants "to take it outside the city gates", subject them to an on the spot fine or arbitrary imprisonment. This power of summary judgement means that they are feared and avoided by the majority of the citizenry, only those drow holding very high rank are safe from their on-the-spot "justice".
Once imprisoned it is up to the Conclave to decide how long the prisoner remains there, the Charnag Maelthra has done their duty simply stopping the incident that could have endangered the city and/or trade.
Repeat offenders are at best simply banished from the city, at worst removed to the Charnage Maelthra's dungeon for a long, slow, lingering death.
Although they have great latitude in how they discharge their duty they tend to act very conservatively, at least in public. Excessive displays of force are in themselves bad for business and so they tend to rely on diplomacy or threats as appropriate. Only when these approaches fail do they fall back on violence. However once engaged they hold little back as it usually means that the offender has not taken the appropriate position of deference to them, and by extension the Conclave. They are not restrained by a normal law officer's view of public safety and respect for the individual. This can make them very dangerous to cross.
As part of the Conclave's views on practitioners of the "Art" they must ensure that all races capable of casting arcane magic remain free and not subject to slavery. This extends to affording them the basic right of being safe from harm when within the city. While it is perfectly fine for a drow to exhibit his racist tendencies towards the other resident races of Sshamath through verbal taunts if they cross the line to physical or magical violence the Charnag Maelthra will get involved. They care little if there was good reason for the attack, they only care that it stops immediately so that business isn't damaged.
This shouldn't be taken to mean that it is possible for a non-drow to continually taunt or embarrass an illythiri without threat of reprisal. All non-drow are, after all, guests in the city. They are resident non-citizens. In such instances the Charnag Maelthra will simply impose a fine on the offender to be paid to the offended party as recompense. This fine is scaled according to the severity of the offence but it typically will not exceed 500 gold. In the event that the offender cannot pay they will be sentenced to debtors jail to work off their fine.
Membership is limited to pure-bred illythiri; half-breeds and non-drow are not accepted. Due to the oath of fealty they must swear (and the Conclave's bias) females and divine casters are barred from joining.
Membership requirements: Level 10 or above
Any non-divine caster (rangers & blackguards are ok, clerics and druids are not).
No monks (their oath of loyalty to their order precludes it).
Males only.
Applicants who have some knowledge of the art (arcane casters) are preferred.
Sorcerers, bards & warlocks are accepted but are not viewed as positively as arcane casters.
An initiation test/mission is required for applicants.