Southampton In Noctem (SIN) Troupe Charter

1. Officer Roles and Appointments

Lead Storyteller (LST)

• Duties: Manages the overarching story arcs across all venues, ensuring narrative cohesion. Resolves in-game conflicts between Storytellers, or between Storytellers and players. Approves and audits all characters (though specific auditing tasks may be delegated).
• Limitations: May operate only one venue directly.
• Appointments (Advice & Consent): May nominate one Venue Storyteller per venue, and any necessary Assistant Storytellers. All Venue Storyteller appointments must be confirmed by a simple majority vote of the other elected officers (Lead Admin, PA, STA). If a candidate is rejected by majority vote, the LST must submit an alternative nominee within 30 days, during which time the LST or an interim VST may run scheduled games. 

Venue Storyteller (VST)

• Duties: Runs games for their specific venue, coordinates with the LST to maintain narrative cohesion, and ensures an enjoyable experience for the player base.
• Limitations: Nominated by the LST and approved by the officer board.

Lead Admin (LA)

• Duties: Serves as the first point of contact for all out-of-character (OOC) conflicts and issues involving non-members. Handles outreach, recruitment, and new player welcoming and onboarding.
• Appointments: May appoint any number of Assistant Admins.

Treasurer

• Duties: Manages troupe finances, site contracts, budget monitoring, and bill payments.

• Financial Transparency: The Treasurer must publish a quarterly financial summary (total income, total expenses, current balance) to the player base. Any single group expenditure exceeding £100 requires documented approval from at least one other elected officer.

Player Advocate (PA)

• Duties: An office entirely independent from the Storytellers and Admins. Serves as a safe, neutral point of contact for players who feel unsure or unsafe reporting a concern directly to the ST or LA. They coordinate discussions, act as a sounding board, and can take charge of formal investigations if requested.
• Appointments: May appoint Assistant Advocates as needed. There may be up to one PA per active venue.

Storyteller Advocate (STA)

• Duties: An office independent from the Lead Storyteller and Admin. Serves to speak on behalf of and support a Storyteller (Lead or Venue) in the event of a conflict or formal investigation. They ensure the Storyteller’s perspective is fairly represented, mediate OOC disputes involving STs, and act as a neutral sounding board for STs facing burnout or player-base friction.
• Appointments: May appoint Assistant Advocates as needed.

Conflicts of Interest

While acknowledging that true neutrality is difficult in a small troupe, officers must recuse themselves from elections or conflict resolutions if they have a relationship (romantic or otherwise) with an involved party. The recusing officer must appoint an alternate to take their place.

• Officers are expected to self-identify these conflicts.
• Players may also flag potential conflicts of interest privately to any officer.
• If no officer without a conflict is available, a board consisting of all elected officers and VSTs will manage the situation. Investigating officers must present the facts but recuse themselves from voting during the secondary/appeal board review. 

If a position remains vacant, an appointed active member may step in as Interim until an election is held. 

2. Elections and Terms of Office

Terms of Office

• Lead Storyteller (LST): Because the overarching chronicle is ongoing with no planned conclusion, the LST serves an indefinite term. They remain in office until they voluntarily step down or are removed via a Recall Election (see below).
• Lead Admin (LA): Serves a fixed 3-year term. (Last election:; Next scheduled election: ).
• Venue Storytellers: Serve until their specific venue’s storyline concludes, they step down, or they are removed.
• Player & Storyteller Advocates: Serve until the end of the current LA’s 3-year term. They may be retained post-election or the position may be opened for a new vote.

Recall Elections (Vote of No Confidence)

Because the Lead Storyteller serves an indefinite term, the Recall Election is a vital community mechanism. It exists to ensure strict accountability, prevent burnout, and allow the player base to course-correct if any leadership no longer serves the troupe’s best interests.

• A recall against any elected officer is triggered immediately if either 30% of active members sign a petition, or a supermajority of the remaining elected officers vote to trigger one.
• Once triggered, a special election will be held within one month to determine whether to retain the current officer or elect a replacement.

The Election Process

1. Timing: Scheduled elections for the LA, PA, and STA begin 3 months before the LA’s term ends. Elections for the LST are held only when the position is vacated voluntarily or via a successful recall. Outgoing officers act as advisors during the handover period.
2. Oversight:
   • LST oversees the Lead Admin election.
   • LA oversees the Lead Storyteller, Player Advocate, and Storyteller Advocate elections.
   • Note: Presiding officers may appoint an Election Officer (EO) if they are unavailable or have a conflict of interest. If both the LST and LA are subject to a simultaneous recall or are unable/conflicted to act, the Election Officer (EO) shall be appointed by the independent Advocates (PA and STA). 
3. Announcement: An all-call for applications will be announced at games and on troupe social media. This will include minimum qualifications, deadlines, and a projected timeline.
4. Applications: Open for exactly one week. The EO vets applications, returning denied ones with an explanation. Accepted applicants are announced publicly. (If only one valid candidate applies, they win by default. ‘None of the above’ is not a valid vote).
5. Q&A Period: Members have one week to submit questions to the EO. Candidates then have one week to publish their answers on a designated, accessible platform.
6. Handover: Outgoing officers must surrender all official email accounts, passwords, and digital assets to incoming officers within 48 hours of the election’s conclusion.

3. Chapter XP and Chronicle Rules

While specific XP structures vary by venue (and must be clearly stated in the Venue Style Sheet – VSS), the following standards apply across all SIN games:

• Standard XP: XP is granted monthly. Attending at least one game in a month secures the Monthly Allotment.
• Staff XP: Assistant Storytellers receive standard monthly XP for any month in which they run a game.
• Catch-Up Mechanics: All venues must utilise an XP Floor for latecomers, allow the spending of Volunteer Points (VP) to reach the XP cap, and detail any built-in catch-up systems in their VSS.

4. Volunteer Points (VP) System

VP rewards members for supporting the troupe. VP can be converted into XP (up to the chronicle cap) on a 1:1 basis, or used for specific in-game benefits detailed in the VSS.

To Submit a Request for VP Please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/6KMLJzcXFAFKjEiCA 

Earning VP

Activity	VP Reward	Notes
Standard Volunteering	1–5 VP / month	Site cleanup, supply/snack donations, carpooling.
Officer Duties	5 VP / month	Chapter Officers, Assistants, and VSTs.
Recruitment	20 VP	Awarded to both the recruiter and the new/returning player (after they attend 3 games).
Mentorship	5 VP / month	For mentoring a new player (max 6 months). Must be approved by LST/LA.
Good Death	Up to 50 VP	One-time reward for a narrative-driven character sacrifice, at ST discretion.
Org Transfer Bonus	Up to 150 VP	One-time bonus for experienced players joining from other organisations, subject to officer approval.
Fundraisers	Variable	Exchange rates set at the start of specific chapter drives.

Spending & Refunds

• Annual Boost: Once per year, per character, a player may spend 30 VP to purchase an ‘XP Boost’ (equal to one month of XP). This raises the character’s personal cap, does not count as ‘earned’ XP, and must be noted on the sheet.
• New Character Guarantee: VP spent on a new character is fully refundable (or transferable to a new sheet) if the character dies or is retired within their first 3 sessions.

5. Code of Conduct and Conflict Resolution

Value Statement: Southampton In Noctem (SIN) is dedicated to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for gamers of all backgrounds and identities. We place a heavy emphasis on community trust. Officers are expected to act with neutrality and integrity, and players are expected to treat each other with respect.

Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Conduct

To maintain a safe environment, all members must understand the difference between acceptable game-play (which can involve dark, dramatic, and intense in-character themes) and unacceptable out-of-character (OOC) conduct.

Acceptable Conduct Includes:

• Communicating clearly with other players about your boundaries.
• Respecting when another player drops out of a scene. Any player may end a scene or conversation at any time, for any reason, without providing an explanation.
• Separating In-Character (IC) conflict from Out-Of-Character (OOC) feelings.

Unacceptable Conduct (Zero Tolerance):

• Hate Speech & Discrimination: Any communication (verbal, written, or behavioural) that attacks or demeans a person or group based on protected characteristics (e.g., race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability).
• Hate Symbolism: The display of recognised hate symbols or explicitly discriminatory merchandise. This includes (but is not limited to) Nazi/neo-Nazi iconography, symbols of proscribed extremist groups, or explicitly hostile political slogans. 

Action: The member will be asked to immediately remove the item or leave the premises, pending investigation.

• Harassment: Unwelcome attention, physical or verbal threats, stalking, pushing/shoving, lewd or dangerous behaviour, excessive directed profanity, or using slurs.
• Physical Violence & Sexual Harassment: Will result in an immediate, permanent ban and full cooperation with the Police. We do not tolerate real-world violence or sexual misconduct.
• Cheating / Bad Faith Play: OOC lying to officers, falsifying character sheets, or intentionally ignoring venue mechanics.

Conflict Resolution Process

When conflicts arise, the primary goal of the troupe officers is to de-escalate disagreement, find compromise, and avoid making a situation worse.

Step 1: Mediation

Most negative interactions stem from misunderstandings or personality clashes. Before formal investigations begin, the presiding officers will act as neutral mediators to help the aggrieved parties resolve the conflict amicably.

• Note: If the issue involves flagrant cheating, physical safety, or severe harassment, this step is skipped and moves immediately to formal investigation.

Step 2: Formal Investigation

If mediation fails or is inappropriate, a formal investigation begins. To ensure neutrality, at least two officers (one of which must be a Player Advocate, Storyteller Advocate, or Lead Admin) must handle the complaint, provided they have no conflict of interest.

1. Filing the Complaint: The aggrieved party emails an official officer inbox detailing the issue, naming witnesses, and providing any evidence.
2. Notification & Defence: The accused member is notified of the complaint. They have 72 hours to provide their own statement and name corroborating witnesses.
3. Review: Officers will maintain strict privacy, conduct necessary interviews, and take 72 hours to review all information and reach a decision.
4. Updates: Investigating officers will provide progress summaries to involved parties within 24 hours of any request.

Step 3: Remediation & Disciplinary Action

Remediation aims to correct behaviour and protect the troupe. Officers will consider mitigating factors (e.g., intent, good faith, scope of impact) when levying disciplinary action.

Infraction Type	Standard Remediation
Cheating / Rules Abuse	3 months of mandatory mentorship by an officer/senior player, alongside potential VP stripping, character de-sanctioning, or suspension.
Poor / Abusive Behaviour	3 months of mandatory mentorship alongside suspension or banning.
Site Policy Violation	Immediate removal from the event and forfeiture of all XP earned during that session.
Physical/Sexual Assault	Immediate and permanent ban.

Bans and Suspensions:

• Suspensions: Can be issued in increments of 3, 6, 9, or 12 months.
• Permanent Bans: A total revocation of the ability to attend events or engage on troupe social media.

Reviews and Transparency

Appealing a Decision

If either party is deeply dissatisfied with the outcome of an investigation, they may email the presiding officers to request a review.

• The presiding officers will present the original evidence and their investigation notes to the entire troupe officer board.
• The full board will conduct a secondary review. The decision made from this second review is final. (Note: Any officers who participated in the original investigation must recuse themselves from voting on the appeal decision.) 

Publicising Investigations

To protect community safety, official notices regarding suspensions or bans will be published on troupe platforms. Internal mediations and minor warnings will remain confidential. This will take the form of a clear, concise statement approved by a minimum of two officers. Comments on these posts will be permanently restricted.

6. Amending the Charter

Proposed amendments to this Charter can be placed on the ballot in one of two ways:

1. A unanimous vote by the elected officer board.
2. A formal petition submitted by at least 5 active playing members.

Once proposed, the voting will be conducted online to ensure accessibility, run for exactly two weeks, and must pass by a simple majority of the active membership. The results will be announced publicly.