"Wide open and unguarded stand our gates, Named of the four winds, North, South, East and West; Portals that lead to an enchanted land... Here, it is written, Toil shall have its wage And Honor honor, and the humblest man Stand level with the highest in the law. Of such a land have men in dungeons dreamed And with the vision brightening in their eyes Gone smiling to the fagot and the sword. O Liberty, white Goddess! is it well To leave the gates unguarded? On thy breast Fold Sorrow's children, soothe the hurts of Fate, Lift the down-trodden, but with hand of steel Stay those who to thy sacred portals come To waste the gifts of Freedom."     - Unguarded Gates, Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Clenched Fist actively searches for people who like to play, as well as those who want to occasionally try to extend the measure of their reach - we want to learn the tactics of the game.

The fundamental principles of the Guild are:

1. A member does his or her research;
2. puts the group ahead of themselves;
3. is not afraid to tell people when they make mistakes, and accepts constructive criticism gracefully;
4. is not primarily motivated by experience points and loot; and
5. communicates clearly and maturely, and does not use foul or sexually explicit language.

Clenched Fist is an EST-timezone guild. Events will be planned to coincide with a schedule based upon typical availability of players based in that timezone. This distinction is made only for the basis of planning, and does not exclude or should be considered as discouragement for players based in other timezones.

The official means for communication between the Guild and Guildmembers is the Clenched Fist Website, http://www.theclenchedfist.com/. Guild policies, events, and other information will be provided to Guildmembers through this resource. Guildmembers are expected to regularly read and participate. Questions and comments about the Guild Web resources should be directed to the Webmaster at [email protected].

In-game communications will be maintained through /gu and additional password-protected chat channels and voice-chat servers. Members are expected to protect the security of the shared chat channel passwords and not disclose them. The sole method of distribution will be through the Clenched Fist Website. Passwords are not to be given out in-game. Do not set channel passwords on public or shared-use computers that are not trusted, as the game writes the channel password in plaintext to the configuration file. If passwords are suspected to be compromised, please inform a Guild Officer as soon as possible.

Many guild and allied organization functions require the use of voice communications. Participation in voice channels is often mandatory. Members should familiarize themselves with the various software programs and their operation prior to coming to events where they are to be used. Make sure that the software is installed, configured, and functional. Having a microphone is usually not required, but members must be able to hear spoken directions.

The most commonly used Voice Over IP (VOIP) software used is TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, and the in-game chat channels introduced in Game Update #47 (Thursday July 31, 2008). It is highly recommended that members have all three available and configured.

"Freedom is not synonymous with an easy life... There are many difficult things about freedom: It does not give you safety, it creates moral dilemmas for you; it requires self-discipline; it imposes great responsibilities; but such is the nature of Man and in such consists his glory and salvation."
    - Right Thinking, Margaret Thatcher

Clenched Fist is based upon exceptional trust in its members. Please remember that your actions reflect upon not only yourself, but on your fellow Guild members. The Guild expects and requires the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and good gamesmanship from its members at all times.

The Guild asks that Guildmembers keep communications in "public" channels (such as /say, /shout, /ooc, and /guild) civil and free of objectional or offensive content and sexual innuendo.

The Guild would also remind its members to keep a level head. On-line communications do not carry the same emotional and non-verbal content and cues that verbal or face-to-face communications have. Be aware of what you write, and how it may be interpreted. Don't take a bad day out on your fellow Guildmates or players - they don't know how you're feeling unless you communicate!

Be aware that in-game communications are not reliable. Other players may not receive pages or be unable to respond for any number of reasons. The Guild encourages communication between its members, and would ask that you give special consideration and priority to other Guild members when chatting; however, please respect other Guild members and realize that they may be unable to respond, or may need time to themselves.

Guild Participation

The guild does not mandate a miniumum level of participation. However, some events (especially allied raid events) do give preference to individuals who have participated consistently when having to allocate the limited number of open spaces available in a raid. Members are reminded to show courtesy when volunteering for events or taking on positions of responsibility in the guild. Make sure you communicate clearly when you cannot participate, and let event planners know as soon as possible if you must cancel.

Recruitment

The guild wishes to create an open an friendly atmosphere, and encouranges interaction between its members, especially between members and applicants. Members of the guild are expected to make efforts to get to know applicants, and to participate in groups and events not only to allow applicants to get to know the members of the guild and feel welcomed, but also so that members can form an opinion regarding applicants when it comes time to vote.

Members should also remain aware of potential recruits found while participating in non-group events. Candidates should be directed to the guild website and/or the Guild Recruitment Officers. Keep in mind that the guild does not condone "poaching" members from other guilds. Members should refrain from soliciting members of other guilds for membership. Offering information to members of other guilds that approach them with the intent of seeking membership in other guilds is acceptable, however.

Deguilding

Clenched Fist highly values its membership. For this reason, we respectfully ask that members please contact the Guild leadership before choosing to deguild. Clenched Fist wishes the Guild experience to be a fun and positive one, and would like the opportunity to attempt to resolve any differences that its members may have.

Membership

"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
    - Frank Outlaw

The Guild extends membership to individuals, not characters. For this reason, and in order to preserve the integrity and reputation of the Guild and its members, it is important that applicants have exclusive access to their character accounts. Shared accounts (i.e. accounts used by more than one person) are generally not acceptable. Account holders must deguild characters prior to permanently transferring ownership of accounts. Certain exceptions may be made in advance by the guild leadership on a case-by-case basis (such as allowing a character or account to be used by a family member, or having another person "bot" a character for a specific purpose); however, it is your responsibility to ensure the trustworthiness of such a person and ensure that they are aware that they need to identify themselves at all times as someone other than the primary account holder. Players are cautioned to use the utmost care in maintaining the security of their accounts.

Potential applicants to Clenched Fist are asked to be unguilded at the time that an application is submitted to the Guild. The Guild asks that an applicant please remove the other guild tag prior to applying for membership with our guild. If you are found to be wearing another tag during the application process the Guild will consider the application terminated. Similarly, an applicant must not have pending applications to other guilds during their application period.

Clenched Fist Recruitment Process

Applicants are expected to familiarize themselves with the Guild polices and the recruitment process before applying. In addition to the policies applying to the general Guild membership, the additional policies apply to applicants:

1. As a temp tagged recruit, you are still a representative of Clenched Fist. It is expected that you will abide by all the rules and policies set forth for the guild. Failure to do so will result in the possible removal of the temp tag, and ineligibility for membership.
2. A recruit is expected to have a strong desire to be a part of Clenched Fist, and to that end, it is not acceptable for you to remove your temp tag without prior written permission being granted in the general board by either the recruitment officer or the guild leader. Removal of the temp tag will indicate to us that you no longer desire to join us, and will remove you from consideration for membership. Similarly, an applicant must not have pending applications to other guilds during their application period.
3. As a recruit, it is expected, that barring real life obligations and or prior in-game obligations, that you will attend all regularly scheduled events. Failure to do so, or to offer reasons for your failure to attend, may result in removal from the recruitment process and ineligibility from membership.
4. Recruits will have one character temp tagged, your Main - the character you are applying with to join our guild. It is expected that you will spend a majority of your in game time on this character, so that you may get to know the membership, and determine if we are the guild for you.
5. As a recruit, it is expected that you will read the Clenched Fist Webboard for updates and for useful information, and contribute any questions you have to the board. As a recruit, it is expected that you will seek out the membership to get to know them, and do your best to shine for us, so that we know you are exactly the talent we are looking for.
6. As a recruit, it is strongly suggested that you actively group with other Clenched Fist members when you are on-line, so that the members can get to know you.
7. It is expected that recruits will have patience, and listen closely to all instructions given for raids, groups, events, and for recruitment, and that you will do your best to follow them in a timely manner or communicate if you have questions or concerns over the information provided or requested.

The next step in the recruitment process is to visit the Clenched Fist Webboard in the "Applicants Look Here!" Forum. Register an account and start a new thread containing your application letter that states your intent to apply to the Guild.

The application letter should include, at a minimum:

• Tell us the details of your character (class, level, AA tradeskills, keys and flags, and other pertinent information).
• Tell us why you would like to join Clenched Fist. What do you expect to get out of the guild, and how do you expect to contribute back to the group?
• Tell us about your playing style, and what you like about EverQuest.
• Tell us about what you dislike, why, and how you deal with those situations.
• Tell us your guild history (if any), the other guilds you belonged to and why you left.

If the character has been transferred from another person, or has been renamed, please provide that information as well. Within the game, reputations are attached to a character's name, rather than to the player (as would be more appropriate). Since the player's identity is generally unknown, it is important that the guild is informed so that a fair assessment of the application may be made. Players attempting to "whitewash" their reputations through name changes or character transferals will NOT be tolerated.

Knowingly falsifying or omitting requested information contained in an application is cause for immediate rejection of an applicant. Applicants removed for this reason will not be eligible for reconsideration.

From the time your application is accepted, you will be considered a recruit of Clenched Fist.

The recruit is responsible for getting to know the current Guild members. Clenched Fist is an exceptionally social guild - frequent planned activities, raids, and we like to hunt together. Participation in Guild activities and interacting with Guild members not only helps the Guild form an opinion you, but will also serve you in gaining the support of three (3) current Guild members who are willing to sponsor you.

Once the support of three sponsors has been posted to the applicant's thread on the Clenched Fist Webboard in the "Applicants look here!" Forum (or at the discretion of the Guild leadership), the applicant will be contacted the Guild Recruitment Officer of the Guild.

The recruit will need to attend at least two (2) Guild-organized events, and will need to have spoken with and obtained the approval of his or her Recruitment Officer or the Guild Leader.

Pending the sponsors being indicated and the Recruitment Officer's approval, at the second event you will be eligible to be temp tagged. It is expected that temp tagged recruits will make every effort to group and play with members, as well as attend as many guild organized raids as possible. This is your probationary period, and it is important that we see that you have the right fit for our guild. After a suitable period of time as a temp tagged recruit - this will vary from recruit to recruit, depending upon the schedule of the guild, and at the discretion of the Recruitment Officer and the Guild Leader - a poll will be placed in the members section, allowing members to share feedback about their experiences with the recruit, and the recruit will be advised that they are up for poll by the membership.

At the end of the recruitment period, you will either be advised by either the Recruitment Officer or the Guild Leader that you are now a full member, or you will be given the reasons we can not grant you full membership at this time and be asked to remove the temp tag from your character.

Voting Process

Each member of the Guild has one vote, regardless of the number of characters played.

Votes will last for a minimum of one (1) week, and a maximum of three (3) weeks. Reasonable effort will be made by the Votemaster to formally declare the opening of a vote, its close, and the results.

The Recruitment Officers, Guild Officers, and the Guild Leader will hold ultimate discretion as to an applicant becoming a member or being let go from the process regardless of the voting results.

Membership polls will be posted once a week. This means that applicants may experience a delay as long (but no longer than) as a week after they are tagged, just depending upon which day it is that the polls are posted.

Candidates who are not accepted for membership may resubmit themselves no sooner than sixty (60) days from the point they are released from the recruitment process. There is no limit on the number of times that a candidate may be presented for membership. Candidates who have been administratively removed from the recruitment may be barred from reapplication.

Returning Members

Individuals who have left the Guild while still in good standing or are eligible for immediate readmission to the Guild. Similarly, current Guild members who wish to add additional characters to the Guild roster (and who are the sole players of those characters) may do so. Verification of the player's identity will be required.

Arbitration

"Who shall decide when doctors disagree,
And soundest casuists doubt, like you and me?"
    - Moral Essays, Epistle iii, Line 1; Alexander Pope

The Guild encourages cooperation between its members, and desires strongly that Guild members work out problems within the Guild between themselves. However, in cases where this is not practical or desirable, arbitration may be requested. Contact a Guild Officer or the Guild Leader to make arrangements for an arbitration meeting.

Looting

One of the most common difficulties in player interaction is the division of treasure. The game makes this process extremely difficult, and what is just can often be very different from what is fair. It is the Guild's desire that members be honorable in their division of treasure and keep in mind that the value of "virtual" goods is not worthy of strife and contention.

Guild members receiving an "upgrade" item are encouraged to help our their fellow Guildmates by handing down no longer needed equipment to those in the Guild who have a need.

Leaving a guild event after winning an item to play elsewhere during the event will not be tolerated and may lead to removal from the Guild or the recruitment process.

Players are not permitted to play multiple characters simultaneously or "parallel park" characters at a raid site for the purposes of looting without the express consent of the entire raid party being maintained at all times. While the Guild is loath to allow items to rot, players that are splitting their attention across multiple characters, or that delay a raid switching characters can significantly disrupt a raid. For example, exceptions to this may be made in cases where necessary classes are missing, or when it is expedient to use other characters than those intended to receive the items.

A guest is a character that is not a current Guild member nor a Guild recruit that is participating in a Guild event.

A guild event is a planned multi-group guild "raid" with a specific goal in mind.

Default Looting Policy

In general, only participating party members are eligible for any loot from camps or raids. Members of the group who can and will actually use the item, are entitled to the item, no questions asked, and the item will be given to the high roll on a random lotto (generally /random 1 100 is traditional). However, should there be no members who can use the item, or if all those who can use the item have no interest in it, then the item is lottoed between all interested party members. In any case, the winner of this lotto may then dispose of the item as they see fit, whether the item goes to non-participating Guild members, or is traded or sold.

Guild Event Looting Policy

In general, guests are eligible for looting. Guests are treated as honorary Guildmembers for the night, and subject to the same looting privileges.

The following additional terms apply:

1. Should no participants have priority for an item under the Guild Event rules, the roll will be opened to the default "Need before Greed" (NbG) policy.
2. Under special circumstances, all the participating members who are ordinarily eligible for an item may choose to forgo the looting process and choose to vote to give the item. It is highly suggested that the terms (lotto or vote, and the results of the vote) under which loot is divided be clearly communicated to the participants prior to commencing the event and that decision be communicated to anyone joining after it begins. It is also suggested that items should not be given to an individual who is otherwise ineligible to receive it under the looting terms.
3. Guild Officers and the Guild Leader have final discretion as to the distribution of items.

Class-specific Rare Items

Participating Guild members of the class who are present at the event are given priority for these items.

Consumables And Other Fees

The guild recognizes that raids consume materials for spell components. Where guild events make exceptional demands on individuals to support guild events, every effort will be made to reimburse members for expenses made on behalf of the Guild during Guild events. However, individual members are responsible for stocking common consumables appropriate to their class and role (poisons, arrows, repair kits, etc.).

In order to fund such expenses, cash items dropped on Guild events go to the Guild Leader, to defray future Guild expenses. Tradeskill items will be retained by later distribution to Guild tradeskillers, or sold to create additional working capital.

The Guild Leader may, if required, levy fees or fines to fund the guild and/or exercise disciplinary action.

Cash items are defined as gems that have no quest-related uses, statless jewelry such as ruby crowns, etc.

Tradeskill items are defined as items that are used and valued for their use in making items, such as blue diamonds, acrylia, stonewood sap, etc.

The Clenched Fist is a Qeynos-aligned guild. Members are expected to use discretion in choosing faction, and that their faction will allow them to participate constructively in in-game events. [Prior to gamplay changes, Guilds were registered to one city and guild status/experience is only earned for/from that city. This is no longer true, and city faction has been heavily de-emphasized as a gameplay element.] Certain quests and events require that participants have specific faction with one or more of the faction groups present in the game. Members are expected to be aware of their faction status and ensure that they have the appropriate faction prior to participating in such an event.