Clerical Etiquette

A few notes:

*Sovyn does not believe in black lists

*Sovyn does not believe in allowing someone to decay if you have the ability to prevent that from occurring (whether by continual life keeping or making sure someone raises them)

*This guide is not "Ari's rules" or anything, it's a compilation of the general guidelines as set forth by those that participated in the survey, in essence, anything that sounds like preaching is simply the style I chose to write in.

Do you think it's right to "claim" a spot as your own and raise all bodies that are dragged/fogged in?

No one has the right to claim a particular spot as their own and raise every body that comes across, even if they frequent that spot every day and are the oldest cleric in the land. There is what is considered a "senior cleric" though, when it comes to raising at main areas such as North Gate or Town Square Central. The senior cleric is responsible for remembering who is there to raise, for making sure that all bodies are life kept and being taken care of, and other cleric duties. I feel the need to point out that this does "not" mean that a cleric does not need to worry about life keep, or making sure that the body is prepared to be raised. Each cleric needs to be responsible or they should not be raising at all. The common ways to determine senior cleric usually involve the first cleric there, whether by arriving first or due to other clerics wandering away, or the eldest cleric intending to sit and take care of the dead.

Must you ask before raising or do you give life to any person who 'seemingly' needs assistance?

Always ask first. Never assume that someone is yours to raise. Use common sense as well, if you ask and then immediately expect a response, you may find yourself in hot water when you raise the body that a cleric fogged in, and the cleric was moving very slowly or was very distracted (creature spells can do that to a person) to the point of being unable to answer right away. Take your time as well, there is no need to rush. Ask once, wait a bit, then if there's no response, go ahead and raise, make SURE the person is not being covered by someone else. If someone asks if anyone is working on the body, you can respond by saying that you will be unless the body or the person bringing them in states otherwise, that way you're letting them know you will be raising them if they aren't being covered by someone else.

Do you think it's right for an elder cleric to fog to every dead adventurer and raise them themselves?

There are mixed feelings on this from many clerics, some feel that it is wrong to not give others a chance, others feel that since the cleric had to struggle to where they are, they deserve to use their abilities as such. Eventually, they will run out of mana, as well as the fact that it's near impossible to rescue everyone.

How do the words "vulture" and "leech" make you feel?

The words refer to someone who is out to raise as many people as they can, however they can, just so they can advance as fast as they can. They don't care about how others feel, or even how they appear to others. It's a sad state when the cleric profession is commonly thought of as being full of these people. Returning life is supposed to be a miracle, a blessing, not a casual thing done at the snap of a finger.

If you rescue a person who's spouse is a cleric and in the room, should you let them raise the body?

It is always a good show of respect to allow the deceased to be raised by their spouse, after all, wouldn't you want the same? This does not mean that the cleric can treat you without the same amount of respect, you were the one to risk your life rescuing the body after all. Overall though, it is the person that has died that has the final say as to who raises him or her.

Do clerics have the right to 'scriptfog' to people in order to get there first and 'claim' the body?

No, but how are you going to determine if someone is using a script to fog right away, or if they're just extremely fast?

If a person doesn't want to be raised, do you raise them anyway?

It depends on the situation, more often than not, the body is asking to be raised by someone else or not by you due to perhaps your alignment with the arkati. Respect the wishes of the dead and ask them how they wish to be raised, or by who. They are still in your care, just you will not be expending your life force for them. If the person is wishing to end their existance, then proceed as your morals allow.

Are you more concerned with learning to advance than socializing?

Everyone has moments where they would prefer to meditate somewhere quiet rather than interact with another adventurer, and vice versa. There is nothing wrong with this, just be sure to poke your head up every now and then and try something different.

Do you think you could be classified as a body vulture or body hog?

If you want to raise every body that is dragged in or that is fogged in because you want to be high level really fast, then you're a vulture.

Should etiquette rules apply during invasions?

Etiquette should never be forgotten about, but during invasions, it may have to take a back seat. There is simply far too much going on for everything to be comprehended in an orderly fashion. The overall key is communication but if someone raises the body you were about to, give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn't hear you when you stated that you would be raising the body.

Should the general etiquette of a cleric be consistent in every town or should it change depending on where you are and how many clerics are present?

Generally, each town has the same rules and standards for raising the dead. If you fogged the body in, you have rights to raise, if you drug the body in, you have rights to raise. It is a good show of respect and intentions to find out from a resident cleric just how the dead are taken care of though, there may be a different protocol that's undertaken in a smaller town due to the smaller, closer community. This does not mean though, that if you fogged a body in, someone else can raise the person because that's how all the resident clerics view fogging.

Do you believe that clerics should hunt instead of consistently raising people to advance?

Clerics are a mixture of both hunters and raisers, as well as being allowed to make their own choices.

Do you believe that there should be a 'rotation' at populated areas to share the experience of raising the dead?

It depends on how busy the area is. If it's a heavily used area such as north gate, a rotation is a good way to make sure that everyone gets to help. In smaller areas such as say the abandoned inn, some clerics will just pick someone to raise instead of using a rotation. The darker side of a rotation is the fact that eventually, it just becomes a manufacturing line. My turn to raise? Yay!

How do you feel when an empath heals you without asking?

Mixed feelings and there doesn't seem to be any right or wrong way to view this. Many don't like it, many don't care. You're healed one way or the other and how you receive that fact is yours to choose.

If you are an elder member of the cleric profession: Do you think raising has changed in past years and if so, how? For better or worse?

Raising has had its ups and downs. I feel that overall, it has turned for the worst. Where raising once used to be a miracle it's now a common practice that simply involves a recital of "Raising soandso" and then boom, they're alive. Clerics used to be respected and revered, now we're nothing more than a pack of vultures hovering about waiting to feed off the dead.

This guide was compiled by Arianiss Winterfox