I'll try not to say anything that is too hot-headed (heaven knows
I've already done that) while I try to explain what is happening.

Here is exactly what happened to with Acid Sin.

Acid Sin has been our favorite PK for some time. He is a class act
as far as I can tell. He asked me if we'd consider taking on a couple of
ex-PK's (his vassal Dark Arkon is joining as well) I said that I wouldn't be
adverse to the idea. We had about a 45 minute conversation, covering such
topics as his motivation for going PK in the first place (sick of antis
gangbanging and then talking shit, sick of some antis being hypocritical,
sick of newbies talking trash), the fact that his change of heart was
prompted by the great people in the Source monarchy, and discussing whether
or not he could make the transition and resist the temptation to kill
indescriminately. His answers satisfied me.

I asked him if he knew our rules. He said yes. I asked him if he
had read our website, he said yes. I told him to make Dark Arkon aware of
the rules. He said he would do it. I told him to subscribe to the mailing
list and write an introductory letter. He said he would do that.

Acid Sin was to exist outside the tree until the next reorg. That
was made clear right away. He couldn't have any vassals or it would create
a new branch of the tree, but as usual, I made the standard exception for RL
friends, allowing him to keep his vassal Dark Arkon. Since I didn't want
him in the tree, the only option was to store him outside of the tree.
Until now, this has been done through Fletch McGee.

Acid is LV 40, and that "Fletch-Storage" isn't an option. Neither
is putting him at the bottom of the tree. The only choices were to stick
him under me, or under C.

If he goes under C, C is asked to be accountable for (not in our
eyes but in the eyes of everyone who reads his patron tag) a total newcomer
who is a reformed PK. For this reason, putting Acid under C would not have
been appropriate. As such, he has sworn to me, the person who made the
decision to let him join in the first place.

You might ask yourself: "Why not confer with the rest of us, let
him try out the anti waters for a while, and let him join once you we get to
know him?"

If you're a reformed PK, you need an Anti monarch tag or antis will
kill you. That was my motivation. If that weren't the case, he would not
have been invited to join so quickly. Still, that brings up another point:

It wasn't as sudden as you think.

The point of preliminary testing of prospective vassals is to get to
know them. We have to weed out the assholes so that none of them get in.
Well, I think if you ask Druss, myself, Mizu-No, and any number of others,
you'll realize that we know Acid Sin better than you think. Our dealings
with him in-game (even if we were on opposing sides) have shown him to be
worthy, and certainly Source material.

This is what happened with Elerain Keuldan...

He gets referred to me, and I hear: "'m know Miko, I know Druss and
C but they don't know who I am, I just inherited this account from my
brother and I want to join you."

I am skeptical, but the way he talks about Vermont and cards and
such convinces me that we might have something here. What better source
member than a (non-stalker, non-pedant) Wakefield chum?

Well, I could tell by the way he talked that he wasn't an ass. I
had little doubt that things would work out well, so after one of those
infamous 45 minute conversations, he was allowed to join.

Again, he joined right away because he is a reformed PK and needs
and anti tag or he will get wasted. He got killed at the OHN where we were
burning Vitae by Eomer (another very nice guy) because he didn't have my tag
on him.

As it turned out, this mystery man ended up to be a buddy of the
Wakefields as he claimed (I never really had any doubt the way he talked)
and all is well :)

So how should decisions be made.

Want to form a council?

...

LOL, ok...seriously.

I'm the monarch. What do you want me to do? I have to refer all
prospective vassals to me for a reason. That reason is that I am the best
judge of whether or not a vassal will conform (such an ugly word) to the
guidelines that I have set for the DT Source. Why am I the best judge?
Because I set the guidelines in the first place. And even if you don't
think I'm the best judge, I'm certainly, as the monarch, the most
appropriate person for the job.

That doesn't mean that if I find a prospective vassal I have to pass
him around for comments. It doesn't work both ways.

All of the level two assclowns that bug you in town? I'm the one
who has to deal with those guys. Their begging, requests for template
advice, language skills that would make Oscar Wilde turn over in his
grave...it's all mine. (I'm sure in many cases you've dismissed a few
yourself. I'm not going to take all the credit.)

Since I get to deal with obvious top-notch vassal material like
"Negro Masta" and "death n kill" on a day to day basis (not to mention
ASSHOLES like Sinful Sar who kiss my butt and want to join in exchange for
items) and I alone am responsible (again, this is theoretical, I'm sure
you've all told a few off) for getting rid of the genetic throwback portion,
why should I subject the joinings of Acid Sin and Elerain Keuldan to a
committee?

Do you or do you not trust my judgement? As obvious as it was to me
that "vadne is a bitch" and "big poppa pump" weren't quite right for the
monarchy, it was equally obvious to me that Acid Sin, Dark Arkon and Elerain
Keuldan were good people who deserved a chance.

And what do you guys have to lose? I'm the one who takes the heat
if they turn out bad.

And if anything goes wrong, I will unleash a booting of them (this
is another reason I like having them as direct vassals.)

Dark Arkon kills a guy and one of you verifies it? He will be
booted so fast it will make his head spin. Acid Sin gets out of line.
Sorry bud, I like you but you're not Source material. Check you later.

"Your allegiance to Acid Sin has been broken!"

So many possibilities concerning where to go from here.

There was no easy way to set up the tree for even XP.
So we went 2x2x2x2x2.
This was a group decision.
Of course, it was made before many of you were here. Maybe it's
time to break that structure. I'm opnly enforcing a rule that the group
voted on. But if it's causing problems maybe it needs to go. Everyone gets
the patron they want regardless of any other concerns.

Every decision could be made this way. But that would cause
problems too.

Last question: What do you guys want my role to be? I'm getting
confused.

And my last word.

If you are ultimately unhappy you can leave. I promise you that
that is what I will do.

TSS