Title 2 — Governance Council

The Governance Council (“the Council”) is the nine-seat executive and judicial body of NAP 9.
It is composed of one (1) Voting Representative from each Full Member alliance, with one (1) designated Alternate empowered to vote only when the primary Representative is unavailable.

The Council interprets the Covenant, adjudicates disputes, and issues binding rulings that apply uniformly across all Member alliances.

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Definitions Table

The following terms are used throughout Title 2 and carry the meanings defined below.

Term	Definition
Council	The nine-seat governing body composed of one Voting Representative from each Full Member alliance.
Representative	The primary designated Voting Representative for a Full Member alliance, responsible for casting official votes.
Alternate	The secondary representative who may vote only when the primary Representative is unavailable or recused.
Seat	A position on the Council tied to a specific Full Member alliance; each seat carries one (1) vote.
Vote	A binding expression of a Council seat: YES, NO, or ABSTAIN. Once cast and logged, votes cannot be altered except by Clerk correction.
Quorum	The minimum number of Council seats required to submit a vote for a decision to be valid.
Simple Majority	A threshold requiring five (5) YES votes. Used for standard rulings and procedural decisions.
Supermajority	A threshold requiring seven (7) YES votes. Used for amendments, blacklists, expulsions, and serious penalties.
Emergency Vote	A time-sensitive vote designated by Clerks, typically related to active violations or urgent matters.
Procedural Motion	A request raised by a Clerk or Council member to clarify, enforce, or correct process, excluding deliberation on outcomes.
Case File	The full body of evidence, logs, Clerk notes, and associated materials relating to an offense or violation.
Certification	The Clerk’s formal action finalizing a vote, verifying quorum, confirming accuracy, and declaring the result.
Recusal	The required action for a Representative or Alternate to abstain from voting due to a conflict of interest.
Automatic ABSTAIN	A mandatory ABSTAIN recorded when both a Representative and Alternate are conflicted. Counts toward quorum.
Absent	A seat whose Representative and Alternate fail to vote and are not recused. Absence does not count toward quorum.
Council Review	A Simple Majority process triggered when a Full Member repeatedly fails to meet participation requirements.
Council Record	The official log of votes, case files, evidence, and procedural actions maintained by the Clerks. Only designated NAP Discord channels constitute the official record.

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Article I — Mandate and Authority

Purpose

This Article defines the scope of authority granted to the Council and establishes its role within the NAP 9 governance framework.

Section 1 — Core Responsibilities

The Council is empowered to:

1. Interpret and enforce the NAP 9 Covenant, including any duly ratified amendments.
2. Classify offenses, evaluate evidence, and issue penalties consistent with established procedures.
3. Oversee membership transitions, including promotions, demotions, reinstatements, removals, and expulsions.
4. Adopt, amend, or revoke governance policy, subject to amendment thresholds defined in this Title.
5. Authorize inter-alliance actions, including coordinated responses to violations.
6. Delegate procedural tasks to Clerks while retaining final decision-making authority.

Section 2 — Separation of Duties

• Council members determine outcomes, deliberate on cases, evaluate evidence, and cast binding votes.
• Clerks manage process, including verification, logging, case preparation, evidence management, procedural enforcement, and recordkeeping.

Council members may not assume Clerk duties except when formally appointed in accordance with Title 4.

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Article II — Quorum and Voting Thresholds

Quorum & Voting

Defines what constitutes a valid vote, how many votes are required to act, and how absences affect proceedings.

Section 1 — Quorum Requirement

A quorum is achieved when five (5) of nine (9) Council seats submit a vote of:

• YES,
• NO, or
• ABSTAIN.

An ABSTAIN counts toward quorum.
An absence does not.

Section 2 — Voting Thresholds

• Simple Majority:

  • Requires five (5) YES votes.
  • Used for standard rulings, penalties, membership adjustments, and procedural motions.

• Supermajority:

  • Requires seven (7) YES votes.
  • Used for:
    1. Blacklisting
    2. Expulsion of Members
    3. Constitutional amendments
    4. Overturning severe penalties
    5. Authority expansions not already granted in the Covenant

Section 3 — Vote Duration and Early Closure

• Votes remain open for the full duration defined by procedural rules unless all nine (9) seats cast votes early.
• Once all votes are cast, the Clerk may immediately certify and close the vote.

Section 4 — Finality of Votes

Votes are locked upon submission and may not be edited except in cases of Clerk error or misclassification, which must be corrected before certification.

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Article III — Participation Requirements

Attendance

Ensures consistent participation from Council members and preserves the integrity of decision-making.

Section 1 — Minimum Participation Standard

Within any continuous fourteen (14) day period, a Full Member alliance is considered non-participatory if:

1. It fails to vote in two (2) Emergency votes, or
2. It fails to vote in three (3) total votes, regardless of type.

Section 2 — Response to Non-Participation

Upon Clerk certification that participation standards were not met, the matter is placed before the Council.

Possible outcomes, determined by Simple Majority, include:

• Temporary suspension of voting rights
• Reduction to Associate Member status
• Formal warning with conditions for reinstatement
• No action (if mitigating circumstances are presented)

Section 3 — Vacancies and Temporarily Disabled Seats

If both a Representative and Alternate are unreachable, unresponsive, or explicitly recused, the seat:

• Counts toward quorum only if an ABSTAIN is filed, and
• Otherwise is classified as Absent for procedural purposes.

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Article IV — Conflict of Interest

COI

Defines when Council members must recuse themselves to preserve fairness and impartiality.

Section 1 — Mandatory Recusal

A Representative must recuse (or enter an ABSTAIN) when:

1. Their alliance is the alleged offender,
2. Their alliance is the alleged victim,
3. Their alliance is the subject of the proposed amendment, penalty, or sanction.

Section 2 — Alternates and Dual Conflict

• If the primary Representative is recused, the Alternate may vote.
• If both the Representative and Alternate are conflicted, the seat is recorded as Automatic ABSTAIN and counts toward quorum.

Section 3 — Disputed Conflicts

If a Representative contests the requirement to recuse, the Clerk may submit a procedural motion to the Council.
The Council determines recusal by a Simple Majority.

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Article V — Standards of Council Conduct

Conduct

Ensures orderly, respectful, and legally compliant governance.

Section 1 — Professionalism

Council members shall maintain:

• concise and factual discussion,
• respectful engagement with all participants,
• avoidance of inflammatory language or personal attacks.

Section 2 — Procedural Integrity

Council members shall not:

• pressure or influence Clerks in the performance of procedural duties;
• circumvent or undermine evidence rules;
• attempt to negotiate rulings outside the designated governance channels.

Section 3 — Official Channels

• Only designated NAP Discord channels constitute the official record of governance.
• In-game chat, DMs, or unofficial servers are not binding, except where evidence rules explicitly allow them.

Section 4 — Finality and Recordkeeping

• Once votes are cast, they cannot be withdrawn or revised except under the correction procedures defined in Title 4.
• The Clerk must preserve full logs of deliberations, votes, evidence submissions, and procedural motions.

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Last amended by Council vote [not amended].