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Membership
****The Guild is now open and taking applications for membership. The Guild will be open to anyone with an interest in the crafting of edged weapons and will be comprised of members who are serious about the construction of authentic weapons and dedicated to the ideals of the Klingon Warrior. Membership in the KIDC is not required. Because of my 17 years of experience in making edged weapons, and by the authority of the Lady K'Zin epetai Kasara and the Emperor Kahless II , I (K'Daq) will be the Master of this Guild. My goal as Master of this Guild will be to further the knowledge of fine weapons making , increase the member's proficiency in making of edged weapons (including my own) and to increase the availablity of fine weapons to the Klingon Warrior stationed on Terra. It is also a primary goal of the Guild to promote the heritage and honor of the ancient Klingon Knifemakers
Members will start out as apprentices (unless their application shows established skills) until such time as they complete a project of their choice for their Status as Journeyman and finally - Master Weapons maker. This Guild status is irregardless of your rank in other Klingon Organizations including the KIDC. If you have established experience as a weapons maker then that can be submitted on application so you can be afforded the respect that your experience dictates. An undertaking of this size cannot be taken on alone - many skilled artisans will be needed. It is my intent to bring together the finest craftsmen on Terra so that the glory of the blade and those who used it honorably will not fade away.
If you have an interest in joining the weapons guild, please send a message to my e-mail address. The doors are open to all who love the blade and publication of our newsletter *mupwI'* will begin 9709.15.
The Traditions of the Guild
We would be honored to add your name to the rolls of the Klingon Imperial Weapons Guild. The main purpose of the Guild is to protect the knowledge of our ancestors in the area of designing, and constructing weaponry for the Klingon warrior and to pass this knowledge on to future generations. We maintain the ancient and traditional skills and beliefs of the Klingon weapon smith. The ability to fashion weapons is an ancient art and the weapon smith is, and always will be, an honored member of the Klingon Empire. The hammer is an ancient symbol of honor and power and it is the ancient codes and beliefs that we promote in the Guild. Your only requirement of service is to enjoy yourself. The Guild grows from the contributions of its members in numerous areas of creativity, but at no time are you required to contribute. Activity within the Guild is strictly voluntary but it is always welcome. For this reason the following items are not manditory - they are merely outlines of current areas in which you can share yourself with the Guild.
1. Family Histories. We are all warriors, craftsmen/women and comrades. Sharing your family history strengthens the heart of the Guild.
2. Forges. Forges are sub-units of the Guild in which you can let your personality and creativity shine. A Forge allows you to *fine tune* your history as a craftsperson - it is your *niche* in the realm of weapons making. You do not have to be creating weapons to name a Forge, nor do you ever have to create a weapon to maintain a Forge. Forges are usually organized around one member, but the option of petitioning a current Forge for membership is always open. Forges are listed at the web site with their own personal *icon* and the current *Keeper* of record.
3. Member's Gallery. If you have created something and you'd like to share this with the Guild, it will be proudly displayed in our member's gallery. Your creations do not have to be limited to weapons - the Gallery is headed up with poetry by one of our members and other entries include sketches, graphics and airbrush work. Whatever you are proud of, we will be proud of.
4. Commendations. Members are recognized for two things. 1. Service to the Guild and 2. creation of weapons. When you provide a service to the Guild you are awarded the silver axe and when you create your first weapon (or if you have already been making weapons when you join) you will be awarded the silver hammer. These both can be worn on your uniform to signify your status within the Guild.
5. Ranks. There are no ranks in the Guild. We are craftspeople. This does not mean you have to abandon your personna to join, we just don't want you to be offended when we refer to you on a first name basis. Everyone is on a first name basis. For this reason, it is *handy* to have a first name by which we can refer to you.
6. Status. You will see members referred to occasionally as *master*, *journeymen* or *keeper*(novice). These are not ranks, they only point out the level of proficiency that the individual has reached. A keeper is a member who is learning, or observing and has not yet fashioned a blade of any sort. A journeyman is a member who has created a blade - either from premade parts, or from wood. A master is a member who has created an edged weapon (from scratch) from steel or in the case of the larger blades, from other metals.
7. The KIWG Yahoo Forum and chat room. Lady K'Zin set up a private site within the Yahoo organization in which we can post questions & pictures and discuss topics, either through a forum or live in a chat room. Admission to this site is by invitation only, and is extended to members of the KIWG. For this reason, you will receive this invitation when your name is added to the membership lists. Feel free to organize your own meetings in the chat rooms whenever you have the time. Make a brief announcement to the membership so we all can attempt to attend.
8. The KIWG eGroup mailing list. In order to create an orderly flow of information, we have set up a mailing list to handle Guild communications. The list is tightly moderated to keep out *frivolous* postings. Only Guild and knife related topics are sent out. This mailing list is also open only to KIWG members and admission is by invitation only. If you join the Guild and wish to be *up to date* on current projects and topics, you need to sign on to this list.
9. Guild web site. The current address for our web site is http://www.kingwoodcable.com/kdaq/index.htm with links to http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/5094/index.htm in order to maintain enough memory to display the many creations of the membership.
We also have an archive set up at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/crater/8331/index2.htm
The first site will link you to all the information held by the Guild as well as to the weapons created by the membership. As we grow, more blueprints will be added to the site as well as designs and technical specs on known Klingon weapons and original designs that follow Klingon design concepts. Some of these blueprints will be for member's eyes only.
As mentioned earlier, we post a monthly newsletter *mupwI'* (The Hammer). This publication contains teaching articles, technical articles, current projects and member's submissions. It is posted on the 15th of each month.
We also have *Guild Updates* that I generate as needed to announce new members or other items that might be of interest to the membership.
This concludes the initial information package concerning the Guild organization and goals.. If you have any questions pertaining to Guild operations, feel free to direct them to me or to K'Beck at the links below. If you have any particular weapons questions, you may write me or post the questions on our forum to allow for a broader range of interpretations to be discussed. If you do become a Guild member, you will be contacted by our Keepers of the Lists, with additional information. You can attain guidance from these honored members as well.
mupwI' yI'uchtaH!! (Keep Holding the Hammer)
K'Daq
Master of the *Heart of Kri'stak*
KIWG
