As much as I might like otherwise, once my gaming group in Houston moved past High School, gaming changed a lot for us. In part, it was that we added new players, and to an extent it's that we added new games (Vampire is an experience we will likely not repeat). Really, we ceased to be, either in character or out, a group of close friends adventuring for fun, profit, and to make our world a better place. Heck, even my brother Ryan ran our first evil character (Marsael, the magician with a 15 intelligence who kicked royal butt), we were still friends looking out for each other.

The surest sign that things have changed, though, was with the last game (now on hiatus due to a lack of players). In short order, my younger brother's Priest Glynnon had been killed while he slept by a party member, and then buried in a shallow grave where the others couldn't find the body. Thus, the party contract. The text of the contract is below. I think it is a fine contract... but I am saddened by its necessity. The Innocence is gone.

The Knights of Bloodstone have been formed due to great inefficiencies seen in the Knights' founders' previous party, the Swords of Justice. First of all, it has been realized that the party's very name, taken from the war banner of a party member's deceased father, could very well cause problems. It is very likely that other people within the kingdom of Bloodstone would have heard of the Swords of Justice and have certain expectations of its members, expectations that they would not necessarily want or be able to live up to. Furthermore, the party charter of the Swords of Justice was filled with inefficient rules that one could interpret any number of ways. Finally, due to an incident a party member's death, it has become obvious that even the flimsy rules set forth could easily be ignored with little or no repercussion. Therefore, it was decided by a majority vote of party members present to disband the Swords of Justice and create a new adventuring party with a more comprehensive charter; thus, the Knights of Bloodstone are born. The party's rules, hierarchy, and explanations of such follow.

The party leader is defined as the party member responsible for making the decisions that involve the party. His or her word is considered to be law, though, if questioned, he or she must explain his or her reasons to the party. Furthermore, such decisions made by the party leader can be overruled by a two-thirds vote among party members. The party leader, elected by a two-thirds vote among current party members, must always make his or her decisions to better the party as a whole. At any period of downtime (period between adventures), a party member may call for a vote of no confidence in the party leader; this call for no confidence must be seconded, and it requires a two-thirds vote among party members. The party leader receives a vote in all decisions, and receives a double vote in doing so. All votes will be made by secret ballot, and the party leader, his or her second, and the party treasurer will tally the vote.

The party second is a position appointed by the party leader, who will make certain to choose a reliable and constant party member. The party second has no special power or authority when the party leader is present. However, when the party leader is absent from an adventure or otherwise incapacitated and unable to make coherent decisions, the party second takes on the full mantle of party leader. However, the party leader cannot be deposed while absent or incapacitated; he or she must be able to defend his or her actions and a vote must be taken.

The party treasurer is a position appointed by the party leader, who will make certain to choose a very reliable and constant party member. The party treasurer is in charge of holding and keeping track of the party fund (described lower). It is his or her duty to tally the amount of monetary treasure gained during the course of an adventure and distribute it per the directions found in the party charter.

There will be an equal division of monetary wealth gained during the course of an adventure. The monetary wealth will be divided equally among those members of the party who participated in the adventure, with another equal share (and any odd leftover monetary wealth) going into the party fund (described lower). Monetary wealth is defined as non-magical coins, gems, jewelry, works of art, and other such items. The party fund, which shall be held and guarded by the party treasurer, shall go towards defraying the costs of party expenses which include, but are not limited to, official party charters, resurrections of slain party members, and things of that ilk. Furthermore, individual party members may petition the party leader to draw money from the party fund for specified purposes; the party leader will discuss this need with the party treasurer, and if he or she finds it to be feasible, the expense will be allowed. Finally, a written count will be kept of the amount of monetary wealth remaining in the party fund. At the end of every adventure, at least two party members (appointed by the party leader) will tally the party fund to be assured that none of it is missing. It is the party treasurer's duty to report any monetary wealth missing from the party fund to the party leader immediately upon its discovery.

The party leader, who must keep the party's best interest in mind while doing so, will decide the distribution of magical treasure. As with all decisions made by the party leader, decisions about the distribution of magical wealth may be questioned and, if so, must be explained. Magical wealth is defined as all items with magical properties or potential; all such items are considered to be the property of the party, not of any one party member. Though they are for the most part non-magical this does include captured spellbooks, which shall be considered party property. Spellbooks and magical items that a party member came into the party already possessing are not considered party property, as they were not gained by the party, but by that individual. Upon entering the party, each new member must undergo a screening by a detect magic spell, to ensure that each of the magic items they possessed upon entering the party is catalogued as their personal property. Furthermore, items gained individually by party members, with no assistance from other party members, shall also be considered that individual's property. However, that party member must bring the item to the party leader's attention, lest it be considered a party-owned item.

When a party member wishes to leave the party of his or her own free will, he or she must make his or her intentions known to the party. When leaving on good terms, the former party member is allowed to keep all monetary wealth gained while a member of the party. Magical items and spellbooks that are considered to be party property must remain with the party. However, the departing party member may elect to compensate the party (either monetarily or otherwise) in order to keep one or more magical items or spellbooks. The party leader will decide upon a price by which the party can be compensated fairly for the loss of the magical item or spellbook in question. This price can range from a pittance of a few gold pieces to one million platinum pieces and beyond, depending on what the party leader believes the item is worth to the party. If a price is met, the item or items become the sole property of the departing party member. The wealth gained (monetary or otherwise) will be divided as per the pertinent rules. If a party member leaves the party without its blessing and he or she takes an item owned by the party or another party member, the departing member shall be considered a thief and will be hunted down by the party and given what justice the party deems fitting.