Smith's Guild (reposted from the vocations discussion)

I hereby propose the formation of Haven's first Guild: The New South Haven Schmiedennarren (Forge Fools), open to weaponsmiths, armorsmiths, and to tailors who work especially with weapon covers or with garb that incorporates armor. After it seems that everyone who wants to join has, we'll hold elections to determine our guildmaster, who may or may not be a master smith (as in it isn't a requirement). We will offer accolades in the ways of titles and ranks (which are mostly arbitrary) in recognition of particularly meritous pieces of work, especially relative to that particular smith's previous efforts, I.E. a designated reward for someone's first passable Blue weapon, their first spear (aww, it's so cute). Top value shall be placed on finding and refining technique, as well as education of both less experienced guildmembers and the general public in the ways of smithery. Pushing oneself to new heights of smithing ability should go hand in hand with raising up those below you. Anyone wanting to join may contact me at s-bush@ou.edu, pm me here at Gates of Haven, call me at 8168960726, send me a message on facebook if that is an option, or contact me through any of my numerous acquantances, assuming they are willing to be utilized in such a fashion.

I hereby second the formation of the New South Haven Schiedernarren.

Why New South Haven though?

lol, because I thought it sounded better.
*edit* also because I'm kind of south of you guys, in case no-one had noticed...

This sounds doable. I'm in.

Ok, well, we've got four if Angus wants to join as well as support it's foundation, does anyone else want to join up?
If so, let me know by the end of the week, and starting this weekend we'll start carving out just exactly what we want our guild to be.

O.o i'm not sure if i qualify..i don't do much for armor, but i do believe myself to be a good weapon smith along with tailoring weapon covers. i know my stuff isn't the worst on the field, that's for sure.

but i'll join!

you qualify 100%! The guild aims to promote and support crafting of Dag-useful pieces of armor, weapons, and shields, not to be some sort of exclusive crafter's club. If you had never made a weapon, you could join. If you've never made armor, you could join. We'd expect you to try to produce a passable blue, or a piece of armor, a buckler, w/e but (at least as far as I'm concerned) there's no requirement for joining other than an interest to make or help make weapons or armor. Position and rank will probably be based on skill and experience, but not eligibility for membership.

Sorry, that's a bit verbose, but it's aimed at everyone, not just you (Odin). I was afraid that people thought they had to already be good smiths to join, when my original intention (which might get changed by whoever we elect to be guildmaster) was to help people get better and to build a framework of smiths to promote crafting in Haven.

I haven't yet finished my first piece, but I would be interested in joining if possible?

as far as i'm concerned, you're in! That makes what, 6 of us now?

Solinus
Angus
Tygreive
Chwiwgn
Odin
Iohn

and the list can go nowhere but up

Yes, consider me in. also, has anyone heard any more about the Order of Knights of the commonwealth Idea? Or did we decide to put off discussion until war?

... the wut?

Should there be a cap on the number of guild members? Otherwise it seems as though the whole realm could end up in the guild. At least at this rate. Unless I'm mistaken in my concept of a guild.

hmm, I dunno. I had imagined it to include anyone and everyone who wanted to be a part of it, and while there there aren't currently any membership obligations, once we get together and really discuss where the guild is gonna go we should decide on some, which should prevent everyone and their mother joining the one guild. Obligations would probably be along the lines of "a prospective guild member must craft a passable single weapon, shield, or piece of armor in the first two months of membership to be able to call themselves a member"

Plus there isn't really any inherint benefit to being a member, it's more a resource for us to get in contact with other people in the realm who are interested in foam/armorsmithing and to define and strive towards achieving certain realm-wide goals.

My idea is that if we can get more pplz together crafting weapons, shields, etc we can produce more loaner weapons for practice (esp. for newer members) as well as supplying the realm with an excess of weapons for inter-realm events, but not only weapons. My highest goal is to form a respectable Haven Armory, paid for and maintained with dues money or some other Haven-centralized source (If we sold weapons at IR events or at midieval fairs, for example), that would include a variety of weapons but also a respectable supply of shields and some amount of armor, the use of which might prove to be even further incentive for members to join. However I also want to be able to tap the rest of Haven's smithing community and find out what their goals/wishes are, and hopefully work towards achieving those.

My point: I don't want to restrict who can join, but there aren't any real incentives for someone to join who isn't going to want to work together with other crafters in a foamsmithing or armorsmithing capacity. If everyone in Haven joined and committed themselves to crafting more/better weapons (or armor, or garb, w/e) while working together with other smiths, I'd see no problem with that. I don't think everyone should join, though, because I don't tihnk everyone is willing to commit their time and money to crafting. Some people just want to fight with weapons while wearing armor, and they only craft so that's a possibility. If you are that kind of person (which there is nothing at all wrong with) or if you don't craft at all and you aren't very interested in crafting for the realm or improving your and others' crafting ability, you probably shouldn't join the crafter's guild.

Also, I kind of imagined (though I don't know why) that if we were succesful as a guild, other guilds might pop up promoting, I dunno, other pieces of art (flags, decorations, maybe garb) or writing (Bard's circle?) or better heralding or funner practices (Battlemaster's guild, writes scenarios, discusses balance issues, composed mainly of Heralds and maybe Scouts, commits themselves to helping the Field Marshall or whoever run practice as well as possible, oversees the procurement of field accessories such as walls for forts or just rope for bridge/water battles). Then maybe we could restrict people to only joining one guild, if it seems that everyone is just a sort of half-member of multiple guilds.

speakin of an armory, Svip i still have the fuzzy's they are really yours and Angus' if you two would like i will give them to Haven for your armory, my armory is quite big for jsut me. i have no need for them really anymore, i must warn though that they only pass ans blues.

I see what you're saying, Svipdag, and I think it's a great idea. Also, some people are better at one aspect of weapon making than others. For example, one person may know the perfect way to make a barrel mace or an axe, but can never get the pommel right, so another person could make the pommel. You'd have the skills of a bunch of different people making weapons, which would be awesome. I'm not very good at making weapons, and I don't have a lot of money to devote to it, so I probably won't join the guild, but I definitely support it.

I support it a 100% and though I don't have the money to put forth into it I do wish to join, because in the future I will have money to put into it. So basically I want to try to increase my craft skill but it won't go to fast unless there are Haven funds I can use and the weapons/armor I make will just go to the Armory to be used by those who don't have weapons. I'd even make garb if I was shown how.

what armor i make i will give.

can we have a list of the compiled armory? i have many weapons that i don't want to donate but i don't mind if others borrow them

I think if we do make an armory it should be funded by Haven and not made up primarily of loaned weapons. The idea being that the armory will be present at every practice, so we don't wind up with a practice where people can't fight because there aren't enough swords. So all weapons would belong to Haven as a whole, and would need to be permanently donated. We should have separate ones for each chapter.
If you want to loan out your weapons to fighters, that's great! But I think Haven as a realm itself should be able to field weapons of her own, too, that way we have them as a resource at 100% of practices and events.

At tyr: -o-;; I'd like to talk to Angus about it before we decide what to do with them.

Also I think once upon a time we required people to donate a single blue or other weapon before achieving knighthood, so if we've got a list of those somewhere and they fall under the category of Haven's "property" then that'd be my idea of the start to our armory. I don't know if we have a list, but I think I know who might know if we do *cough Iohnorkairi cough*

... Ima shoot 'em a pm...

Can I suggest that a requirement to join the guild is to donate a weapon to start? That way, you'd get a set of good weapons going to begin with. You can set up other things to keep the store growing, too, so that every so often they should donate another item, or every time they advance a rank they need to make a new piece showing their skill level, etc. However you wish to do it. I think the donating one to join would be a nice place to start, though.

The main reason I'm not joining this is because I'm going to try and start up a second guild once yours gets off the ground (that, and I don't get the same amount of enjoyment out of smithing as you all do, I don't think, haha). I'd be willing to help you guys get things going, though, in the meantime. So if I can do something, let me know. Till then I'll probably randomly make suggestions like I just did. >.>;

I imagine the only problem with donating a weapon to start would be having one that doesn't pass for some reason. So maybe a person seeking to join should receive some guidance from existing guild members while making the weapon that he/she will donate to become a member.

I agree with Constantine. they can apprentice to the guild, and they receive journeyman status and full guild "privileges" when they submit their completed, sturdy, and consistantly passing weapon to complete their apprenticeship. its a very sound idea.

*edit to avoid double posting* yeah, I kinda dig that idea. This weekend I'll start a thread just to discuss the guild amongst the existing members, and we can talk about wether to have that be a requirement for entrance.

Also at Kairi;s post's |P #2: Sw33tn3ss. More guilds = better, and teh helpzorz are also better than no helpzorz

I move to name SolinuSvipdag the interim Guildmaster of the New South Haven Schmiedernarren, until such time as a proper Guildmaster can be elected.

This means for you Svip, (assuming the motion carries) go ahead and write us up a guild charter/set of rules. Whatever hasn't been addressed in this thread, go ahead and fill in on your own, as necessary. When you're finished, send it to us, and each of us will give you our feedback. When we're happy with it, It shall become guild law.

for everyone else, keep coming up with ideas, and posting them.