Astral Order

'Astral Order believes in fostering a community of friends focused on build projects and adventuring. While most groups on 2b2t focus on memes, hoard treasure, or the conquest of the proverbial crown of the server, the Astral Order principally focuses on friendship, encourages respect for all, and welcomes those who seek a genuine community on 2b2t.' -the opening passage of the Astral Constitution

ASTRAL HISTORY

For as peaceful as the Astral Order may appear, it is steeped in a rich history of internal conflict and betrayal.

Pre-unification

Before the existence of the Astral Order, three independent fledgling groups existed on the server. These groups were the Church of Eden, the Ardent Shield, and the Knights of Spawn. The Church of Eden was a theocratic group of no more than three people as a cult of Adam and the World Serpent. The Ardent Shield, as a pair of two friends who believed in establishing peace on 2b, and the Knights of Spawn, the guardians against griefers now reduced to a single member since their destruction by the hands of Emperium. With their low member count, each organization banded together under the banner of the Church of Eden.

The Church Period

The Church began with few members, but with the prospect of building and exploration, membership rose to approximately 10. The burgeoning Church began plans to create an extravagant cathedral with unrealistic expectations for size and media. Meanwhile, members of the Church migrated to three locations which include Constantinople, Malachor, an undisclosed location in the negative quadrants, and spawn. Constantinople was griefed within weeks, which led the group to aimlessly wander until they returned to spawn to bolster their numbers. The spawn interlude successfully increased member count, though some individuals presented with questionable character. The constant movement left many members discouraged. In addition, the Church under SuperViperMan lacked a coherent ranking system. Consequently, the excitement of Church members dwindled and group functioning began to degrade into chaos. This caused concern among the higher ranking members, most notably FreefieldWarrior, Giganox, jay_monroe, and LordGalvatronMC regarding the future of Eden. Tensions between jay_monroe and SuperViperMan heightened as decisions regarding salvation of the the group came to the fore. During this time, jay_monroe in conjunction with LordGalvatronMC commanded loyalty among Eden members. This led to the Purge of Eden in which the majority of Eden members left the group within minutes with the direction of jay_monroe into a new discord owned by LordGalvatronMC. Defeated, SuperViperMan begrudgingly accepted a position among the high ranking members in the new group.

The Transition Period

The construction of the temple of Malachor marked the beginning of the emerging Astral Order. Subsequently after the Purge of Eden, the Astral Order (then known as Ordo Aurora) established a council system with seven seats. This system was created to improve fairness, foster unity, and to produce achievable goals. This method was successful; however, Fronk the Human and SuperViperMan began to bicker between each other and with other members. Emotions flared with neither side willing to concede to the other. Member activity began to decline and people began to spread across the map without participation in main group activities. Fronk the Human had become increasingly belligerent and hostile toward criticism, and demanded positions of power within the UGE and other liberties not granted to him without council approval. Out of spite for failing to receive what he wanted, Fronk the Human leaked coords to Malachor. Within hours, the temple had fallen to asunder with the few remaining unlit tnt blocks among the rubble and lavacasts. On a few signs read the names Armorsmith, Retronaut, and IHackedWalmart. Coming to his senses, Fronk the Human realized the ramifications of his actions. He was stripped of his noble title and banished from the Order. Within days, it is said he had nothing but a steel sword in his posession. .LordGalvatronMC, SuperViperMan, and jay_monroe mourned for the loss of the temple, and cleared what was left to let the temple not as a griefed base, but as a memory of what was.

The Monastery Interlude

Outraged at the sheer inactivity of members, jay_monroe with LordGalvatronMC, SuperViperMan, and FreefieldWarrior founded a new community high above the earth known as the Monastery. jay_monroe called upon all Astral members to attend or fear reprecusions. Though forceful, this successfully increaesd member activity and successfully increased members by a few. However, with time, members began to participate in their individual intersts again and forgetting about the Monastery. problems continued to plague Astral.

The Astral Order Period

Tired of their lack of unity as a group, jay_monroe obtained popular support from the majority of council members and Celestium to assume the mantle of Astral Lord which allowed him to tell players where to go and to provide a general outline for group goals which all members are required to follow. After he seized power, he ordered members to a new settlement closer to spawn dubbed Lugdunum. This decree increased member count and continued to foster a renovation of the Order. Soon, the Order's size had ballooned with the creation of new responsibilities for Meteorites and settlements were constructed throughout spawn. Wealth increased by at least three fold with the discovery of a duped stash. Due to timezone differences, preoccupation with real life, and the sheer number of members, jay_monroe decided to abdicate his position as Astral Lord in hopes that the Council would be able to unite the Order independently. With the council in tact, and the most deleterious members gone, Astral has gained in strength and numbers. Astral currently inhabits several location which includes their main base Lugdunum, Exitium, and Eagle's Rock. Uninhabited but in tact bases which Astral claims include Ardent Stronghold, and the Monastery.

ORGANIZATION

The Astral Order can be described as a meritocracy due to the emphasis on productivity and group involvement to ascend ranks. The exception is the Astral Council which is unobtainable for any members. The ranking system will be described in detail below:

Astral Council

The Astral Council is the main legislative and executive body of the Order consisting of seven members which come to a consensus majority vote to rule on internal group decisions. Their main responsibility is to mange members, work on major builds, and to build inter-group relationships.

Celestium

Celestia's (plural) are the rank-and-file of the Astral Order. Celestia assist Council members in projects and as advisers, but may also create their own Astral projects. A sub-rank of Celestium is the Celestial Emissary which is a special appointment created by the Astral Council. Celestial Emissaries take special responsibilities which may include settling of a Celestium base, resource allocation, and managing other Celestium and Meteorites on projects. Celestium may vote in the case there for some reason there is a tied vote in Council.

Meteorites

Meteorites are individuals who have passed the initial trial to enter the Astral Order and are continuing to undergo trials to determine their eligibility to become full-fledged members. They may be described as 'fledgling members' of the Order since they have few responsibilities and may leave before they become true Celestia. Their responsibilities include establishment of Meteorite bases, Crater bases, and Astral Shrines.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Voco: Neutral

Emperium: Allies

Infrared: Distrust

Highland: Distrust

UGE member groups: Allies

Last Templar: Neutral

Spawn Masons: Neutral