Opinion: Guild Hostility

Written by Chin-Chillas, KN Editor-in-Chief.

As the mid-term challenge for the Chancellor spot unravels and Chancellor Morrenstein migrates from Axiom to the Lords Guild, this writer is becoming concerned of the potential inter-guild hostility that our own fairly sedated guild could be dragged into. The kind of personal conflict currently emanating between the incumbent Chancellor and Senator Hadisthe, coupled with recent calls for more Guild independence and sovereignty leads me to question whether in all this we're actually having a detrimental effect on the identity and solidarity of Equinox as a region.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for Guild independence in operating procedure, leadership, military and ideology, but I think a line needs to be drawn. The Crusaders of Justice [CoJ], the central hub of activity and attraction for new members of the Axiom Guild, have in the last few weeks taken their HQ offsite to an independent forum. Whilst the offsite CoJ barracks have been ruled as still under the legal codes and authority of Equinox, they have nonetheless in reality moved out of the enforceable realm of the Equinox government. What's more, their NationStates wide recognition is arguably greater than the region's, and comes largely without any acknowledgment of Equinox. Moreover, at least to me, it seems to me that the Axiom Guild is happy to take all the benefits that comes from being a guild of Equinox; a constant supply of new recruits from the region's always rising citizenry, a home on the NationStates site, and of course the constant, high quality competition from their intellectual betters at the Lords Guild (heh). Yet they constantly strive for more independence from the Equinox region, and are largely nothing but unpleasant to the other guilds. We're known as "(put your own term here) in the Lord's guild" and Sopo's recent entirely sarcastic KN piece on the Axiom Guild newspaper was said to contain "sickening hyperboles and vomit-inducing melodramatics", whilst the Ministry of Silly Walks are now frequently coined as the "Silly Wankers".

It is true however that the Axiom Guild has brought a great deal to Equinox as well. Their early rise to activity was the driving force behind early regional initiatives that have undoubtedely led to our success today, and the emergence of the CoJ has brought a great deal of interest to the region by nations in pursuit of CoJ membership.

Regardless however, is the condescending and often rude attitude of some Axiom members towards other guilds warranted? Guild competition is an inevitable, healthy and intended result of the guild monarchy, but is the level of hostility currently existing between some opposing guild members healthy or constructive for the region? Perhaps it's time for the King to step in and start stamping out some of the childish quarreling between citizens, and guild interaction have some form of regulation. At the end of the day it's Equinox that stands to suffer from this, and our dependence on the reputation and condition of our region is something we all have in common.