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NAP 9 Council Guide

Guide

Operational manual for R5s and Delegates serving on the nine-seat NAP 9 Council.

Council members are decision-makers. Clerks run procedure; you interpret rules and vote.

1. Your Role

Council seats exist to:

  • represent your alliance in all governance decisions
  • review case files and classify behavior using NAP 9 rules
  • vote on penalties, appeals, membership changes, and amendments
  • ensure your alliance complies with issued rulings

You do not:

  • validate or reject evidence (Clerks do this)
  • edit case logs or vote messages
  • pressure Clerks on outcomes
  • run informal “side processes” outside NAP Discord

Your power is expressed through votes and compliance, not through DMs or threats.

2. Participation Requirements

Council legitimacy depends on active participation.

  • Aim for ≥80% participation in all votes.
  • Under Title 6, missing 2 Emergency votes or 3 total votes in any 14-day period triggers a participation review.
  • The Council may, by Simple Majority, downgrade your alliance to Associate or temporarily suspend your voting rights.

If you cannot be active:

  • appoint a reliable Alternate
  • announce absences clearly in #nap-council-chat

Empty or silent seats undermine your own alliance’s protection and influence.

3. Communication Protocols

All binding governance activity happens in NAP Discord.

Use:

  • #case-log — active cases and status changes
  • #nap-votes — vote announcements and results
  • #nap-council-chat — Council discussion and questions
  • #nap-announcements — final rulings, sanctions, and amendments
  • #nap-proposals — amendment proposals and discussion
  • #evidence — evidence (read-only for Council; posting is for reporters)

In-game chat, Moments, and DMs:

  • may be used for notification and informal diplomacy
  • are not binding governance channels
  • must not be used to submit evidence or conduct votes

Do not DM Clerks with evidence or outcome requests. Keep governance visible and logged.

4. Working a Case from Start to Finish

When a case goes live, follow this exact sequence.

4.1 Detecting an Active Case​

A case becomes active when a Clerk posts it in #case-log with:

  • Case ID
  • Timestamp
  • Reporting alliance
  • Offender(s)
  • Summary
  • Preliminary Classification
  • Status: ACTIVE

Do not begin deliberation or voting before this appears.

4.2 Review Phase​

For each case:

  1. Reference the Case ID post in #case-log.
  2. Follow the evidence link(s) in #evidence.
  3. If discussing, confirm you understand:
    • what happened
    • who was involved
    • when it occurred (Server Time)
  4. If something is unclear procedurally (missing timestamp, broken link, etc.), ask a Clerk for clarification (not the reporter).

Example prompt:

“Requesting clarification on timestamps for C-YYMMDD-01. I cannot see time in the screenshot.”

4.3 Classification and Discussion​

Using the Offense Categories and Escalation logic:

  • map behavior to Minor / Moderate / Severe
  • consider mitigation and aggravation factors as defined in the covenant
  • keep discussion in #nap-council-chat short and rule-based

Good discussion focuses on:

  • correct tier
  • escalation triggers
  • precedent
  • clarity of evidence

Avoid:

  • debates about personality or history
  • speculative intent analysis
  • arguments about who “deserves” leniency outside defined mitigation rules

4.4 Voting​

Once you are ready:

  • cast a vote in #nap-votes under the correct case
  • use explicit, unambiguous text (see Section 5 below)

After voting, do not attempt to change your vote. Votes are locked by rule.

5. Voting Mechanics

Votes must be machine-readable and unambiguous.

5.1 Valid Vote Format​

Use this structure:

  • CASEID [TAG] YES
  • CASEID [TAG] NO
  • CASEID [TAG] ABSTAIN

Examples:

  • C-251202-01 [GMOB] YES
  • C-251202-01 [BZST] NO
  • C-251202-01 [RFW] ABSTAIN

Reactions, emojis, or phrases like “I lean yes” are not votes.

5.2 Thresholds​

  • Quorum: 5 votes (YES / NO / ABSTAIN)
  • Simple Majority: 5 YES
  • Supermajority: 7 YES

Supermajority is required for:

  • blacklists
  • expulsions
  • amendments
  • overturning Severe penalties

Abstain:

  • counts toward quorum
  • is appropriate during conflict-of-interest, uncertainty, or when your alliance lacks enough information to support YES or NO.

If all 9 votes arrive before the window ends, Clerks may close early and publish results.

6. Conflict of Interest

You must avoid voting when your alliance’s direct interests are at stake.

Conflict-of-interest examples:

  • your alliance is the offender or victim
  • the amendment or penalty explicitly targets your alliance or role
  • the outcome creates a unique benefit or shield only for your alliance

Required behavior:

  • self-recognize conflicts
  • publicly state you are recusing or choosing ABSTAIN
  • allow your Alternate to vote if they are not conflicted

If both primary and Alternate are conflicted, the seat effectively ABSTAINS for that vote.
Do not lobby other alliances to vote on your behalf in a way that circumvents recusal.

7. Land Governance Responsibilities

NAP 9 protects land held by members in accordance with the Land Governance title.

As a Council representative, you must:

  • ensure your alliance honors rulings about land it currently holds
  • report interference with member-held land through normal case channels
  • respect the distinction between Full Members, Associates, and Non-Members in land-related disputes

Non-Members:

  • have no land protection under NAP 9
  • may still be engaged diplomatically, but enforcement is outside NAP protection unless a case is explicitly opened and accepted

When in doubt, request clarification from Clerks or raise a procedural question in #nap-council-chat.

8. Emergency Response

During active attacks or urgent land conflicts:

  1. Notify Clerks in #nap-council-chat and, if necessary, ping them.
  2. Provide timestamped, valid evidence in #evidence.
  3. Request an 8-hour Emergency Vote when appropriate.
  4. Once the emergency vote opens, coordinate with your alliance to follow any ceasefire, stand-down, or restitution directives that pass.

Do not try to enforce emergency outcomes informally. Wait for a logged case and a formal vote unless the Covenant explicitly allows immediate defensive action.

9. Best Practices for Effective Council Work

To function as a reliable representative:

  • Vote early in the window whenever possible.
  • Keep a simple internal log for your alliance (case IDs, votes, and outcomes).
  • Anchor every argument in text (Titles, Articles, Sections), not in memory or history.
  • Keep messages short and neutral; long arguments slow the process and raise the temperature.
  • Avoid backchannel lobbying. If a point matters, state it once in #nap-council-chat.

The healthiest pattern is: read → clarify → classify → discuss briefly → vote.

10. Council Macros (Discord-Ready)

Use these copy-paste messages to keep communication consistent and clear.

Requesting Procedural Clarification​

Requesting procedural clarification on [Case ID].
I need confirmation on: [timestamp / evidence link / classification].

Requesting Additional Context (Without Challenging Clerks)​

For [Case ID], I understand the evidence but need more context before voting.
Can the reporting alliance provide a brief description of prior diplomacy attempts?

Declaring Conflict of Interest​

For [Case ID], [TAG] is directly involved.
I am recusing due to conflict of interest and will ABSTAIN from this vote.

Noting Uncertainty (Using ABSTAIN Correctly)​

For [Case ID], [TAG] will ABSTAIN.
We do not have sufficient information to support a YES or NO vote under the Covenant.

Confirming Compliance to Council​

Compliance update for [Case ID]:
[offender IGN/alliance] has completed the required penalty.
Evidence: [link/screenshot description].

End of Guide

If you follow this guide, you will:

  • read cases correctly
  • communicate inside the proper channels
  • vote in a way that is countable and legitimate
  • keep your alliance both protected and accountable under NAP 9.