I think you severly underestimate people’s ability to pick up on initiative and be imaginative in many of the cases you present. Roleplaying initiaves, like expeditions, hunting dangerous magical artifacts, investigating rogue magi or warlocks, and holding a Grand Mass are not new and entirely within reach even with limited participants. All it needs is a joint effort, and people willing to DM on occasions.
#1 Magic and Faith can’t really merge because there’s a solid divide between the two, The Light and Elune for an instance standing in stark contrast and opposition to Arcane as it stands. They can of course as any of the ministries cooperate on a case by case basis.
#2 Listing relevant scenarios under each ministry could well serve a purpose, but we of course want to be open to almost every initiave. Listing a selection of scenarios often excludes several different angles. All in all, it will be up to each character to forward his case and for other representatives to oppose or support while the Council decides, provides a framework and elects characters to take charge of the operation. Once delegations have been made we’ll of course cooperate OOC and IC to see the “quest” performed in whatever way is considered most reasonable. Ideally, no “impossible” case will ever be decided on to begin with.
#3 It is important to note that this council will serve as little more than an administrative body. It will still hinge on individual and collective initiatives and dedication, and in essence enable everyone to participate in the creation and development of our roleplaying community moving forward. It will be a fundament and a structure, ordering and ratifying initiatives in-character in a proper manner. It will of course demand effort from those that are given responsibility, as you rightly put, but no player will ever shoulder any burden alone if not desired.
#4 Concerning your point regarding Justice, it is stated in the draft that thr criminals themselves must always AGREE on wanting to be trialed by the Council. They will never be forced to, that would be beyond our authority. And yes, IC-criminals would obviously be required, but mummer-characters can also be utilized for certain storylines. Regardless, justice will only ever play one part in the Ministry of State.
#5 Regarding External Affairs you’re once again a little restrictive on your view of what is within reach. We have several mercenary companies, several trading companies, and we have several neutral characters both on the Alliance side and the Horde side. If to establish trade with Booty Bay there’s also the possibility of having one or several mummers pick up the temporary role of traders for the sake of DM-ing. As for overlapping, yes, every ministry overlaps on some level. That is a strength more so than a weakness, giving room for cooperation and coordination as well as to transfer responsibilities should one Ministry be overloaded. That said, if any Ministry becomes unneeded as time passes we are only right to discuss eventual merges.
As a final note I’d like to make clear that yes, much if not everything will need to be made up. That is what roleplaying is about and why I think a Council like this is needed. It will help in making what is “made up” clear to all that participate, and thus actively implement it as a part of our server lore and later history. It will also help in not leaving too few with too much Dungeon Master-responsibility for too long, thus avoiding people overworking themselves, instead relying on the community as a whole.
*mummer is a temporary character played by a toon for the occasion of a storyline or several (for an instance if “Leonir” becomes and acts as “Trader James of Booty Bay” for the duration of a trade coalition meeting)
