Below outlines information regarding the various Ranks within The Ashguard.

Ranks		Level
	Freelancer	0
	Initiate	1
	Member	2
	Vanguard	3
	Warden	4
	Paragon	5
	Ascendant	6

Rank Eligibility

Rank Eligibility shall be determined based on time in rank and accrued Points.

Promotion Requirements

As we don't have a lot of statistical data to work with regarding how quickly people will be (for example) accruing Points toward advancement, the eligibility requirements for each rank presented below will be subject to revision based on game state or if they are determined to be improperly calibrated.

Rank Rewards, Privileges and Duties

Our intention is that each rank should come with some tangible reward and/or privilege so that progression gives a meaningful sense of accomplishment and progress. However, lack of rank should not lock anyone out of participation in community / org Activities. These rewards, privileges and duties are subject to change as game systems come online and the org develops and grows.

Promotion Council

The Promotion Council shall consist of a group of persons upon whom is bestowed the privilege and responsibility of processing promotions within the Rank Structure of the Ashguard Initiative.

It shall consist of the subset of Officers who have been selected for the self-styled "HR Committee"

They shall process requests for promotion by members who have met the Requirements for a new rank, as well as be responsible for designating Discord moderation roles, and processing (for want of better terminology) "Personnel Tickets".

Points and the Activity Log
Rank Eligibility shall be determined by "points", which are accrued through activity in the Org and the greater Community. Activities are to be a superset of both what we previously considered to be Events and Services. Anyone of any rank can begin hosting an Activity, and they may but are not required to be, scheduled in advance.

Points

Points are the primary mechanism through which members attain Eligibility to be promoted to a higher Rank. They can be earned through Activities, which will be recorded for posterity on the Activity Log.

Activities

When groups of 3 or more are playing together in Star Citizen or other games inside of the Ashguard Initiative Discord server, the members of the group can put in an activity log on the Ashguard dashboard. Activities grant 1 point per person. Anyone can log activities with the exception of Events. These activities must be open to the org as a whole.

Activities can include however are not limited to:

Services
Running bunker
Group expeditions to the IAE Showroom
Extended mining or salvage groups
Cargo runs
Events
Things that other activities not listed that occur inside of Star Citizen.

*Some events may earn greater than 1 point per hour based on a ruling from the Ascendants. This should not exceed a 3 point multiplier.

Services

A "Service" is any operation involving a member or group of members going out of their way to assist another player in need, be it medical, fuel, transport, combat, or a lost kitten. No minimum party size.
- 1 Point per participant making a good-faith effort to lend assistance

Events

An "Event" is an activity, usually planned in advance, designed to bring a group of people together in common cause and purpose, usually in-game

1 Point per participant

Promotion via Acclaim

One month after the ranking system goes into effect, members will become eligible for promotion through a process called acclaim.

Any member of higher rank may nominate a lower-ranked member to be promoted by one level. That nomination must then be seconded by another member who is also at least one rank above the nominee. Once seconded, the Promotion Council will commence a review of the nominee.

From that point, there is a 48-hour window for objections. If no objections are raised—or if any that are raised are reviewed and found to lack merit—the promotion will take effect at the end of the objection window.

If a valid objection is submitted, the Promotion Council will review the concern and make a final decision based on the merit of the objection. Valid objections should be based on conduct, participation, or eligibility—not personal grievances or vague disagreements.

To ensure fairness and avoid abuse, the following rules apply:

• A member may only nominate the same person once per rank level.

• Members who were promoted through acclaim must use another method for their next promotion before becoming eligible for acclaim again.

• A member may only receive one acclaim-based promotion for every two total promotions.

• Coordinated or repeated nomination patterns involving the same small group will be reviewed and may result in denial if favoritism is suspected.

• Acclaim cannot be used to fast-track inactive or disengaged members. Nominees must still meet general expectations for participation and presence within the community.

The Promotion Council reserves the right to deny acclaim promotions if any part of the process appears to be manipulated or misused.

Seeding New Ranks

Within one month of adoption of this ranking system, any person with the "Ashen" Discord Role may petition the Promotion Council for a promotion to a higher rank representative of their tenure in RS1 and their contributions to The Ashguard Initiative.

This will be a one-time option and only briefly offered and will not be used as a normal promotion regimen.

Ranks

Below outlines the Ranks within The Ashguard Initiative, starting with the lowest rank.