House of Joy Chantry

Ratings
Chantry ◉◉◉	Small-to-medium-sized, new, not politically juiced
Allies ◉◉
Cult ◉◉◉◉◉	The chantry is supported by a legally-recognized religion named the Temple of Divine Joy; it qualifies as a cult because one of the tenets of belief involves one’s sense of wonder and belief being divine. There is a small but growing group of believers around them, and the people running the religion part of things are doing so non-cynically, with genuine hope and belief.
Gauntlet (main grounds)	5 (wooded residence)
Horizon Realm:	None yet.
Influence ◉	This is a new teaching chantry; nobody’s sure what to make of it yet
Library ◉◉◉◉	Mostly Ailey’s own
Membership:	Mostly Initiates and Disciples
Node ◉◉	Location: local (Pacific Ocean)
Node ◉◉◉	Location: distant (NYC)
Sancta	By individual mages, though some supplies can be provided
Security ◉◉	Wards on properties, portals can be collapsed. Portals are sorcerer-made.

The main chantry

This includes four buildings, all wheelchair-accessible on the first level. All doors are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility devices without issue. The only multi-story building has a small elevator.

• Building A is also known as the Crafting Center, a single-level building
  • A forge
  • Crafting stations and supplies for:
    • Enchantment
    • Alchemy
    • Sewing
    • Jewelcraft
    • Pottery
    • Painting
    • Assorted other crafty things
  • A room and bath for guests
  • Portals to all of the other chantry locations
  • A small common kitchen, kept vegan specifically for vegan members. There is a separate non-vegan fridge and snack area on the other end of the building as well for things people bring to snack on while they craft, so that the vegan fridge is not ‘contaminated.’

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• Building B is the Chill-Out Space, with the open spaces devoted to hanging out and being social, along with any group activities people want to get into. It is three stories high; the second and third floors are disabled-accessible via a small elevator at the end of the hall.
  • First floor: the common spaces, including the laundry room, are open to all chantry members and associates, as well as approved guests.
    • Pool table in the lounge 
    • Karaoke machine, likewise
    • Fireplace and cozy seating along with a TV in the living room
    • The kitchen contains common food, but there is a separate fridge with allocated spaces for each of the four bedrooms as well as other ‘label your stuff’ space. There is also a lot of pantry space for staple items and storage of all sorts. 
  • Second floor: The 4 bedrooms are all devoted to crash space for chantryfolk. Crash space is meant to be a short-term solution for chantry members, as there is an apartment building owned by the chantry for long-term solutions. 
  • Third floor: This contains the rooms for chantry staff and retainers and a small private lounge/snack kitchen for their use. This should be considered private space and respected as if it were a separate private home. 

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• Building C is the Chantry Core, meant for meetings, lectures, and small classrooms.
  • Common spaces are geared toward teaching and learning, with most of the furniture being easily moveable. They can also be used socially by signing up on the calendar – please respect scheduled events. 
  • The common kitchen is more geared toward snacks, sandwiches, and small nibbles of various sorts, though you can definitely cook in it. 
  • The former TV room is now a technology space, for computers and other hardware of that nature, along with a number of workstations and the chantry’s supply of borrowable laptops and tablets. It has a pulldown screen and a projector, as well. 
  • 1 of the three bedrooms is Noel’s.
  • The other two bedrooms are converted to workspace/tutoring rooms.
  • There are bookshelves throughout the house with some useful tomes as well as stationery and office supplies, and there’s a rolling whiteboard available as well.

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• Building D is private, containing the Chantrymaster’s Suite (Ailey’s apartment)

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Other on-site features

• Outdoor ritual space is provided behind the Chantry Core building, within a copse of trees. It has a circle cleared and walled with a short rock wall, and is ringed with natural wildflowers and grass, as well as the aforementioned trees. 
• Outdoor bbq area and recreation in the area directly behind the Chantry Core.
• Crash space (4 rooms in the Chill-Out Space)
  • These rooms are meant wholly for emergency crash space. 
  • These rooms each have 2 single beds and basic amenities, albeit comfortable and clean ones. 
  • The chantry owns an apartment building as well, which can be used for longer-term lodging.
• 5 acres of land, including privacy fence around the whole of it and trees and shrubs for visual privacy
  • There are also visual illusion wards that will kick in on command 
  • Entry wards will warn staff and members if someone unauthorized is coming; these wards can be shut off or passed with an escort. 
  • Hostile entry is warded against; details to come
  • Earthquake wards exist; they don’t completely reduce the force of the tremors, but rather, diffuse them in a plausible way so that damage to the chantry is minimal.
• Space for about 2 dozen cars (if you pack ’em in tight)

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The apartment complex 

• Ailey purchased an old motel in the area and refurbished its rooms into 12 one-bedroom apartments and 3 two-bedroom apartments, with a communal pool, an onsite sorcerer superintendent, and parking 
• The apartments are available to all Chantry members at a reasonable rental rate per month, so long as they are unoccupied
• First priority will be given to Chantry officers and/or people in the greatest need (financially or situationally)
• Additional apartment complexes may be added later if the need and demand are there
• Portals to the complex are sorcerer-made, and all people passing through must have a coded key to an apartment in the complex, or be accompanied (touching) through the portal by someone who does. Ailey and Noel have their own keys to the office, which suffice for transport purposes. 

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The nodes

• There is not one node but two: one 2-dot, one 3-dot. Neither is located on the chantry grounds; both are accessed through portals. 
• Nodes are located in:
  • One (the Pacific Node, ◉◉) is underwater in the Pacific, about a hundred yards out from the coast. The portal to it is from above, so that mages can meditate above it in the water and still breathe. They can also use diving gear if they want, or magic. This portal has the condition that it is in water, of course, and to enter the Node beyond a point on the surface requires diving gear. It also requires a chantry-coded amulet, which is given to members upon acceptance. Every member has access to this Node.
  • The other (the Northern Node, ◉◉◉) is located under Ailey’s family house in NYC, and has a portal opened to it. Said Node was relocated by a Mage ally of Ailey’s years ago, taken from a chantry that was destroyed and given into her care. The portal to this node is also based on the condition of possessing an amulet worn by a Full Member or higher rank. The node is placed in an abandoned section of an old Art Deco subway tunnel, several stories underground. 
• Access to the node is for those who have bought background dots in Chantry to contribute; we may find/add more if we have enough dots. All Nodes are accessed with the aid of the chantry member amulet given upon joining. 

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The library

• The library (◉◉◉◉) is located in a reclaimed small factory turned loft building here in Sonoma. Ailey owns it outright under the name of the Temple of Divine Joy. 
• All of the books here belong to the chantry. Many are also accessible through the chantry’s internal server, in digital form. It is currently a 4-dot Library, and features probably millions of dollars in books alone. 

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Sanctum

Building a Sanctum of one’s own will be encouraged

• The chantry has discretionary funds set aside to get real estate for this
  • Already owned: A small farm in the agrarian areas of the region, for nature-based paradigms. It’s not luxurious, but is clean and well-kept.
    • No portal is in place yet, but once the farm is active there will be a portal placed with appropriate conditions and keyed amulets.  
    • There is adequate land for mages with a green thumb to grow herbs and other useful plants for chantry use, and that would be considered their contribution to the chantry.
• Ideas for future sancta:
  • A small chapel for a Chorister sanctum
  • A lodge/library for Hermetics
  • A tech lab for technomancers
    • This may end up happening on a local college campus.
• Materials and the like may be able to be provided through the chantry; volunteering to aid others in doing so is encouraged. 

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About the chantry structure and organization

The chantry is set up legally as UU-style church retreat grounds, with the organization itself being a legally-recognized church with all appropriate benefits of the same. There aren’t many actual members, but enough people on the registration rolls to make it workable as a church. 

The main office of the church is a small business office maintained near the apartment complex, with a single office employee who answers phones and email and schedules events. Said employee is a friend of Noel’s, and a fellow sorcerer. 

Eligibility for Full Membership:

• Any mage or sorcerer in good standing of the Nine Traditions
• Any mage or sorcerer of the Disparate Crafts who wishes to join 
• Any sorcerer who is a member of a sorcery society not allied with Enemies of Ascension
• Any mage or sorcerer who is unaffiliated, and not allied with Enemies of Ascension (“Orphan”)
• Psychics affiliated with any of the above groups, or none

Eligibility for Affiliate Membership:

• Any of the above, plus also: 
• Mortals for whom Shade has already been lifted prior to encountering chantry members. (You don’t get to break Shade for your friend and then bring them in. You don’t get rewarded for breaking Shade.) 
• Consors/Custos of members who are not affiliated with an enemy group
• Allies designated by the Chantry Leader and/or Seconds

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Requirements for Becoming a Full Member

• Investing at least two points in the Chantry background and one point in the Node background, or
• Investing at least three points in the Chantry background
• Taking on some Chantry work, even if small 
• Taking the Oath of Loyalty

Privileges of Full Members

• Use of a chantry-owned and chantry-linked apartment, with rent kept to an affordable amount
• Use of all chantry facilities, including the Library and the Nodes, within the confines of the usage rules
• Access to all chantry properties except for the ones deemed ‘private space.’ 
• Eligibility for leadership positions

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Requirements for Becoming an Affiliate Member

• Investing at least one point in the Chantry background within 2 weeks of IC joining, or
• Investing at least one point in Base of Operations for characters who cannot buy the Chantry background
• Taking the Oath of Loyalty or swearing a comparable accord with the Leader and/or Seconds of the Chantry

Privileges of Affiliate Members

• Access to most of the chantry grounds and facilities, except areas deemed ‘private space’ or assigned to full members
• Use of chantry crash space subject to the Seneschal’s approval
• Use of the chantry Library within the confines of the usage rules
• Second-tier use of one of the Chantry’s Nodes. 

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What members can do to contribute:

• Contributions of cash, stock, real estate, etc
• Contributions of work and skills
• Buy background points to reflect doing things to help the chantry offscreen
• Take on jobs within the chantry
• Magical workings, e.g. Transmutations that allow the selloff of scrap metal 
• Help to maintain Shade per the Security staff

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Recognized Cabals

• None yet; pending membership
• Cabals will be recognized in some way as part of the chantry’s structure. 

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Policies

Use of facilities

• All facilities are for use of the Chantry and its members, consors, and employees only.
  • Allies will be permitted access to a selection of the amenities per the Chantrymaster and/or Seconds.
• Nodes are not for use for anyone but members.
• The Library is for member use only; digital copies may be allowed for loan to allies. 
• The apartments are either one-bedroom flats suitable for a single person or a couple (there are 12 available) or two-bedroom flats suitable for a small family (3 available). Each can be rented on a month-by-month basis, or with a longer lease, per the Building Manager.
  • The rates for the apartments are very reasonable compared to the market. 
  • A chantrymember in dire need can apply for some one-time funds to furnish an apartment. (In game terms, if you have Res 0 or 1, you can ask for help in getting basic needs met like cookware, dishware, a bed, some storage, a table, etc.) 
• The farmhouse is currently unoccupied; it is the Chantrymaster’s hope that a cabal with an appropriate paradigm will take it on and use it to grow herbs for the chantry supply.
  • Rooms at the farmhouse may be available; it will be best to talk to the person chosen to manage it. 
  • All crops grown must be legal. The house is owned by the Church and must adhere to law. 

Resolution of conflicts

• Conflicts should be resolved, wherever possible, peacefully and without rancor.
  • If a conflict has become untenable, please talk to an appropriate Chantry officer to help resolve the issue. The Chantry Leader and Seconds can mediate in these cases, as can Tradition Heads and Cabal Leaders. 
  • If a conflict becomes something that destroys the harmony of the Chantry, one or both members may be asked to leave. They will have whatever they have invested into the chantry refunded in whatever form possible, not including rent on apartments. These situations will require a vote of at least the Chantry Head and Seconds; adding the Tradition Heads would be preferable. 
• Methods of working out conflicts
  • Mediation: We have a number of people with the skill to mediate impartially. 
  • Agreement to disagree and leave the matter alone: If this is a personal matter, it can be left behind and the members can agree to civil, polite interaction without that matter becoming an issue.
  • Mutual forfeit: Each can agree to some punitive measure for themselves in exchange for a handshake and a ‘let’s put this behind us.’
  • Certamen: This is not the fucking Order of Hermes, people. We don’t need to do wizard war to solve an argument. That said, if this is the method chosen, we do have people who can safeguard you both against death, and we can secure a location in which to have the battle safely. 
  • Departure of one or both members: We would prefer not to lose members to disagreements, but if it becomes too unmanageable, that may be the course that has to happen. 

Priorities for resources

• Priorities will be assessed based on:
  • Need
  • Rank of the one requesting
    • A full member who has invested time and money and work into the Chantry will be entitled to more reward, because that’s fair.
    • However, an associate member who has contributed a lot in a short time will be evaluated on that basis as well.
  • How much the requestor has given to/invested in the chantry 
  • How often that person has requested special privileges
• Priorities will NOT be based on:
  • Tradition, group, or society affiliation
  • Cabal
  • Any trait such as race, disability, origin, heritage, gender, faith, LGBTQIA+ status, immigration status, mental health
  • Friendship with ranking members
• If two people need the same thing at the same time, we’ll work it out as best we can.
  • Some of us have other allies, and can borrow things if need be
  • Sometimes, though, we’ll need to channel our inner Mister Rogers and share
• Trading is possible, too
  • If Mage A has access to a certain amount of Tass per month, and Mage B needs some now, they can negotiate a deal where Mage A provides Tass in exchange for something else. 
  • Oathbreaking is one of the most offensive things to a mage. If you give your word and break it, you will be removed from all privileges for a time in order to reconsider poor choices. 

Diversity

• The House of Joy is committed to having a diverse membership.
  • Membership will not be granted or revoked based on any trait such as race, disability, origin, heritage, gender, faith, LGBTQIA+ status, immigration status, mental health
  • The only exceptions to this rule will be when there is an issue of the safety and security of the existing members. We will not be admitting known serial rapists, for example. 
• Maintaining a safe and secure place to discuss and work our Art is paramount.
  • Acts of bias against any of the above categories, or others we did not list, is a warning offense at best. If you do harm, expect harm in return. 
  • We cannot and will not police your beliefs, but if your beliefs become an issue to chantry safety and security, you will be asked to leave. 
• Please check your biases at the door. 

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Leadership positions 

• Chantry Mage Leader: Ailey Huxley (Dr. Adele Leigh Huxley)
• Chantry Sorcerer Lead: Noel Huxley
• Mage Co-Seconds
• Ranking members of each Tradition
  • Each tradition chooses its own head democratically
  • A Tradition Head can choose a Tradition Second to serve in their absence; the rank requirement is waived for a Second
  • Non-Tradition mages like Hollows or Disparates can also have representation
• Sorcery Society Leaders
  • Chosen the same way as Tradition heads
  • Each can choose a Second in the same way
  • Any Sorcery Society can seek representation
• Chantry Security
  • Maintain wards (Corr/Prime and other effects)
  • Maintain physical security
  • Give the word to take down portals in the event of a breach
  • Keep track of any weapons and offense/defense items and rotes
• Seneschal
  • In change of what tasks need doing and what workers need hiring, as well as ensuring that said workers are hired and see only the ‘publicly okay’ face of the Chantry
  • Keeps groceries ordered, pays the bills, etc. 
  • Provides, or arranges to provide, meals or snacks when needed
• Mediator
  • Serves in the role of counsel or peacemaker when conflicts arise
  • Aids the Leader 
• Ambassador to (Group)
  • Serves as the liaison to that group
  • Negotiates on the chantry’s behalf for peace, non-aggression, etc.
• Node tenders
  • Need Prime 3 or Quintessential Manipulation 4
  • Maintain the nodes and track access, as well as keeping tabs on all the Tass and allowing it to be signed out with Council approval
• Librarian(s)
  • Add or suggest books for the library
  • Order books
  • Reshelve and organize books
  • Digitize books
• Administrator
  • Works with all of the above to keep track of scheduling
  • Writes reports on what’s going on
  • Maintains the room use schedule
  • Maintains whatever is needed to keep up the church facade
• Instructor(s):
  • Teach relevant subjects
    • Lore
    • Sorcery
    • Sphere Magic
    • Occult topics
    • Crafting
    • Technology
    • Chantry protocols and policies
  • Note that someone can be an instructor in one thing and a student in others!