WHEREAS conventional warfare against the Horde has typically led to disaster;
WHEREAS the loose nature of our enemy’s command has offered them operational flexibility;
WHEREAS the sacking of Dazar’alor has exposed a weakness in the enemy’s navy and coastline;
WHEREAS the Horde seeks to recover from its losses and still poses an existential threat to Azeroth and her people;
THEREFORE the Sixth Fleet of the Alliance shall be empowered to develop a Marine contingent to aid the Alliance’s domination of the seas;
THEREFORE the Marines shall operate across the waterways and coasts of Azeroth, and shall be authorised to enter behind enemy lines and utilise irregular tactics in service of the Alliance;
THEREFORE flexibility in unit composition and tactics shall be expected, in accordance with the disparate threats to the Alliance;
THEREFORE shall First Lieutenant Branon Tellingworth be raised to the rank of Captain, given command of the Heart of Oak, and charged with recruiting a contingent in service to these goals.
For the Alliance.
Admiral Talrand Felmet
Alliance Sixth Fleet
INTRODUCTION
Hello, and thank you for your interest. The guild is now actively open, seeking recruits and running events!
The intention of the Heart of Oak Marines is to create a guild focused on character-driven RP events alongside co-operative RP-PvP campaigns and skirmishes with our friends on the red team. The command of the guild is deliberately set up to differ from most traditional Alliance military guilds, allowing its members a greater say in its organisation and a more informal structure that should hopefully allow some otherwise unsung characters a chance to excel.
In a sentence, the Heart of Oak is a mixture of a traditional military squad and the crew of a privateer ship - enlistment and missions are strictly on a volunteer basis (True to their motto - No Conscripts, No Cowards) and important matters in the unit are voted on. In exchange for this freedom, Marines are expected to show loyalty to the Alliance as a whole, and to their fellow Marines in particular. As the Marines will often be the first forces in to an engagement, trust will form an important part of the dynamic of the group.
Things to note, though our guild will be based on a ship we are not a naval guild - our ship is a hub between missions and a means of deploying across the world, so while certain events may be set on the Heart, the majority of our roleplay will be done in hub zones or on the battlefield. I won’t be expecting or enforcing a full encyclopedic knowledge of military or naval terms from members, either - details like that are good to add flavour to roleplay, but aren’t necessary to get the most out of the guild.
RANKS
The unit has a few ranks which are mostly based on merit and are fairly freeform.
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Reservist: Someone attached to the Marines, but not a part of the command structure. For example, a character representing the Sixth Fleet Admiralty.
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Bluecoat: A new recruit, referring to the fact that they have not yet shed blood in the unit.
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Bloodied: A full member of the unit. Will have an equal vote on matters, and will usually be given a specific duty on board the ship.
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Pioneer: A veteran of the Marines, entrusted with the more delicate supplies of the ship and empowered to be able to lead missions as a squad leader.
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Officer: Somewhat self-explanatory. The officers of the Heart will be, in IC terms, very similar to Pioneers; the tag will denote the OOC responsibilities of moderation and helping to run events.
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Captain: Commander of the unit, responsible for the ultimate well-being of the ship and her crew, and beholden to them for supplies and pay.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The nature of the Marines as a pan-Alliance force and its flexibility means that any race or class could, in theory, be a part of the crew - and a mix would work well for what we’re intending. The restrictions are more focused on who your character is - someone loyal to the Alliance, but is willing to ‘get creative’ with their abilities and tactics in order to serve the greater good. As a result, recruits shall be given an IC and OOC interview, to make sure that the person is the right fit for the guild, and vice versa.
Those who are new to RP are welcome to join, as long as they are willing to learn the ropes alongside us.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER
As mentioned, we have many friends in guilds across the Horde, which gives us a fantastic opportunity for RP-PVP, restricted and unrestricted, as well as more extended campaigns for those who appreciate things on a larger scale.
Outside of the war effort, I can promise regular deployments and events focused on more free-form roleplay, with a focus on finding ingenious solutions to the problems thrown the crew’s way, and allowing characters a chance to express themselves and their talents. Don’t just kill the orc - distract the orc! Backstab the orc! Diplomance at the orc - and then kill them!
The Marines will be based on the ship Heart of Oak - though sadly budget limitations mean we can’t sail around on a Kul Tiran vessel all the time, the hope is that during missions it can be seen as a central hub and a home for the unit, and can be well used whenever in-game circumstances allow.
RULES
Here is the IC Code of Conduct for the unit:
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From All To One: When deployed or in active combat, the Captain’s word is law, and orders will be followed without refusal or hesitation. In exchange, when out of combat each bloodied member shall have equal voice on matters of import.
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From Each, To Each: The Heart shall provide members with as much necessary equipment and supplies to achieve their objectives as is feasible - any supplies or treasure taken from the enemy shall be divided according first to best need and otherwise shared equally. It is the duty of crew members to keep this equipment combat-ready at all times. Any who steal more than their due will be discharged, marooned or executed, according to severity.
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No Conscripts: No Cowards: Except in direst need, all deployments are voluntary - none wear the tabard or are brought to a mission unless they have accepted the role. Any who desert or otherwise betray the crew after taking the oath will be executed or marooned.
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We’re All Soldiers Now: Regardless of the past, station, race or creed of any marine, all who wear the tabard are siblings in arms, and soldiers of the Alliance. The respect of that station shall be given to them, and the responsibility thereof shall be expected of them.
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No Blood On Deck: Disputes between crew members are saved for after deployment, or brought to the Captain or an Officer first. No exceptions.
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Seats At The Table: Any topic relevant to the crew may be brought to vote, should it be raised by one crew member and brought with two other voices. Changes of officer and Code require three-quarters majority; all other matters may be passed with simple majority. The Captain will act as deciding vote in case of tie, and may declare that a result require a three-quarters majority.
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Those We Take: Prisoners of the enemy shall be taken and held only if they should be useful to the crew’s objectives and suitable provisions can be made to hold them. Otherwise they are to be stripped of arms, armour, and valuables, and either left to the elements or executed.
On top of that, a few OOC rules:
- No ERP, no exceptions. Anyone found ERPing while in the guild will be removed without warning.
- While in the guild, avoid any negative talk of other guilds or communities. We all have alts, after all.
- Take care of the fact that we are all humans behind the computer, and also that you are roleplaying a character. This means both avoiding any blatantly OOC actions in IC areas and channels (/s, /y, /e) as well as avoiding things such as power-emoting that attempt to take agency from other characters.
The guild has a Discord, which will be given to members or can be shared on request for people who wish to be guests - please PM me if you would like it.
Contact: Tellingworth (Mittoo#2676 battletag) / Mittoo#2331 on Discord
![:smile:](https://d1bg94bbsh66ji.cloudfront.net/en/wow/images/emoji/twitter/smile.png?v=6" ":smile:")