Port Nassau is a haven for Pirates, Nobility, Travelers, Merchants, and folk from all walks of life. Even fae and merfolk are known to frequent her shores. The Powers that Be call to the denizens of Nassau, asking who among them has the fortitude, the courage, and the wile to face off in a bevy of trials, and the panache to capture the hearts of the Pirate Nation!
Demonstrate your talents in one of the many Challenges presented within the Nation. And be ready to grease some babies and kiss some palms as you vie for votes among the populace.
Have you the mettle? Come, join the quest! Prove to One and All that you are truly worthy of being proclaimed the Defender of Nassau!
THE BASICS
Defender of Nassau (DoN) is a quest which takes place during the Port Nassau: A SeaDog’s Refuge event. Each year, Questers will compete to see which of them can earn the highest total score and win the honor of being named the Defender of Nassau.
Points will be earned throughout the event based on how well Questers perform in the various Challenges, which will then be added to points earned based on Votes and Test results during the Final Tally. The winner will be the Quester with the highest total score and will be announced at closing court on Sunday afternoon. The winner earns the position of the Defender of Nassau and is bestowed the title of Commander. Winners hold their position and title for a period which will expire when the next Defender of Nassau is proclaimed. All winners are also bestowed with a tax-free Title for life.
BECOMING A QUESTER
The quest officially begins at the conclusion of opening court on Friday, but interested Questers have until 10:00 am on Saturday to register. Potential Questers accept that some Challenges may be held prior to their entry, and the points available for these Challenges will be lost to them. All Questers for Defender of Nassau will begin by registering their intentions at Scuttlebutt before the registration deadline.
All attendees of Port Nassau are eligible to register as a Quester except for the following:
• The current Defender of Nassau
• Current members of the Pirate Council elected at Tortuga Nights
• Current Staff for Port Nassau who hold a Department Head position
• Current board members of Pacific Northwest Pirate Nation
• Current Stakeholders in Legacy Bay Events
Special Note: Current Staff for Port Nassau, other than Department Heads, may register to compete with approval from their respective Department Head. The Event Producers reserve the right to deny a Staff Member’s registration if they believe that the duties of their Staff position may be negatively impacted by participation.
When you register, you will receive a Quest Log to record your progress in the various Challenges presented by the Nation. This Quest Log must then be submitted to the DoN Coordinator, or designated representative, for entrance approval prior to beginning the Competition.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Defender of Nassau shall be tasked with certain duties during the year of their service.
From time to time, the Pirate Council may call for a Sheriff to serve Warrants or apprehend certain “offenders” of the Nation to be brought to Trial. If no other appointed Sheriff is present, the Defender of Nassau shall serve in that capacity.
During Court, the Defender of Nassau shall stand as “guard” for the members of the Pirate Council and the Producers and shall be tasked with preventing any Shenanigans which may be attempted against them.
There may be occasion where the Lore Master and the Artificers deem that a particular Artifact must be retrieved from its current holder, and the Defender of Nassau will be tasked with obtaining it via the rules of Larceny as defined in the “Codex Pyratical”.
As we are a Nation of Pirates, there often arise rumors of a planned Heist on the Bank. The Defender shall respond to these threats and assist with the defense of the Bank.
Other situations may arise in which the Defender of Nassau is called upon to perform service to the Nation. Not every possibility can be foreseen, but the Defender shall come to the aid of the Nation when called for, with their primary responsibility being the safety and tranquility of the Nation itself over any single individual.
SCORING CATEGORIES
Each Quester will be scored in three (3) categories:
• EFFORT: Points are earned in various Challenges hosted throughout the Nation where Questers will face each other and members of the Nation
• GUILE: Points are earned by Questers for their demonstration of cunning and wit in various Tests
• STANDING: Points are awarded to the Questers who demonstrate their standing and support within the Nation by gaining their Votes
EFFORT
During the event, Questers will need to participate in various Challenges hosted throughout the Nation. Challenges are divided into five (5) categories based on the type of Contest they are. A DoN Quester MUST compete in at least one Challenge within each Category. Failure to compete in at least one Challenge within any Category will result in 10 points being deducted (per Category not completed) from your Final Tally score.
Each year, the Categories will be posted, including the Challenges within them, before the event, and will be included in the Official program for Port Nassau: A SeaDog’s Refuge. A listing of the Categories and Contest will also be posted at Scuttlebutt during the event.
NOTE: The official DoN Challenges are the only Challenges which will award both Sterling (NS) and Points to the winners. There may be other games and Challenges running during the Event which are on the schedule and which may offer prizes of Sterling, but Questers will not receive points for competing in them.
Non-Questers should always be welcome and encouraged to participate in any of the DoN Challenges. This creates more challenge for the Questers and encourages involvement within the community. But only Official DoN Questers can win points needed for the Effort portion of the quest. Non-Questers who win will be awarded the same prize in Sterling as the DoN Questers would, but no points. Any limit to the number of Non-Questers allowed to participate will be up to the Challenge Coordinator for each Challenge, as this may be necessary for tournament style Challenges.
Each Challenge will be facilitated, run, and scored by that Challenge’s Coordinator. Each Challenge will have full rules made available to the Questers and will be listed in the official Event Program Schedule.
Challenges will be scored as follows:
• 1st Place = 10 Points plus 100 Sterling
• 2nd Place = 8 Points plus 50 Sterling
• 3rd Place = 6 Points plus 25 Sterling
Questers who do not place in the top three will receive 4 points (but 0 NS) simply for participating in a Challenge.
As there are more than one Challenge within each Category, Questers are welcome to attempt each and every Challenge. The highest score within each Category is what will be used during Final Tally of the Quest.
Upon conclusion of a Challenge, the Quester must present their Quest Log to the Challenge Coordinator, who will record the Quester’s score for that contest and then validate the entry with their initials and a stamp.
NOTE: Be sure to get BOTH the initials and the stamp from the Challenge Coordinator or the points will not be counted.
CHAMPIONS
Each Quester is permitted to appoint one (1) Champion to represent them in one (1) Challenge. Appointing a Champion is in no way a requirement, but it is an excellent way to win a Challenge which you may not be able to win on your own. For someone to represent you as a Champion, they must sign in as your Champion with the Challenge Coordinator prior to the start of that Challenge. Champions must also declare which Quester they are standing in for BEFORE the Challenge begins. The Challenge Coordinator will record your Champion’s name in your Quest Log, along with the points earned by your Champion and the validation initials and stamp. You may only have one Champion, and that Champion may only represent you in one Challenge. If your Quest Log shows that you were represented by a Champion in more than one Challenge, then your scores for every Challenge where a Champion represented you will be considered invalid (which could also mean that your participation requirement may become invalid and you may lose points).
NOTE: The same person may NOT act as Champion for more than one Quester in any single Challenge. A person may act as Champion for two (or more) different Questers in different Challenges, though.
At the conclusion of each Challenge, a Results Sheet will be posted at Scuttlebutt so that everyone can keep track of how their favorite Quester, or their rival, is faring during the event.
Quest Logs are required to be turned in at Noon on Sunday for Final Tally.
GUILE
Beginning after Opening Court, Questers may seek out the Tests at their own pace. The Quest Log will list who to visit to complete each Test. Some Tests may involve multiple stages in order to complete them, and others will be able to be completed in a single step. These Tests will involve riddles, brain teasers, problem solving, and knowledge. They are meant to be completed as individual challenges and anyone found to be violating the spirit of the Test may have points deducted.
Each Test will have its own scoring, with some being based on time, some based on accuracy, and possibly a combination of the two. These Tests will have their scoring and rules clearly printed on them and explained to the Quester before attempting them. Upon completion of a Test, the Quester will receive marks within their Quest Log noting their performance, as well as their Test. The Test must be submitted with the Quest Log upon completion of the Quest, or points will not be awarded for that Test.
Scores will be calculated during Final Tally, and then Points toward the Quest awarded as follows:
• 1st = 20 points
• 2nd = 16 points
• 3rd = 12 points
8 points will be given to any Quester not in the top 3 if any Tests were completed.
STANDING
Beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday, a Ballot Box will be located at Scuttlebutt/Town Hall. Upon entry to the event, everyone will receive a Ballot which they will use to cast their vote for their favorite Quester. Questers are encouraged to campaign for Votes using favors, bribes, or any other method at their disposal*. Having a platform which you campaign on to improve the nation or the event is an excellent way to garner support and gain votes!
Prior the event, all prospective Questers are encouraged to begin campaigning via social media and word of mouth. It is also asked, but not required, that each prospective Quester submit a short bio for themselves.
A tradition among Questers is to have a “platform”. Something you want to do that will help build the nation up, add to our role-play game, or just generally improve the event experience for people. Again, while this is not required, it lets the community know how serious you are about earning the position of the Defender of Nassau and helps in gaining Standing by way of Votes.
Attendees can either cast their Ballot themselves, or they may give their Ballot to the Quester of their choice, who will then cast their Ballot for them. When casting Ballots, be sure that it’s clear who your vote is for, or it may not be counted.
A Ballot Box will be placed at Scuttlebutt beginning on Saturday at 10:00 am and will be accessible during all hours which Scuttlebutt is open. Ballots will be tallied each night when Scuttlebutt closes, with the last tally being conducted after Noon on Sunday. Any Ballot NOT cast by Noon on Sunday will NOT be counted.
Votes will be counted, and points awarded as follows:
• 1st = 30 points
• 2nd = 24 points
• 3rd = 18 points
Any Quester not in the top three who receives at least one (1) Vote will be awarded 12 points.
*NOTE: If it is found that anyone participated in ANY effort to steal Ballots, counterfeit Ballots, or tamper with the Ballot Box, that Quester will not be credited for ANY Votes they receive at any point during the DoN quest. If it cannot be determined who the offender is, the DoN Coordinator may invalidate EVERY vote up until that point.
This sort of “out of game” cheating will not be tolerated. We’re pirates, not frauds.
FINAL TALLY
The Defender of Nassau quest shall conclude on Sunday at Noon. At that time, the Ballot Box will be closed, and Quest Logs will be collected and validated. It is the responsibility of each Quester to ensure their Quest Log is delivered to the DoN Coordinator by the conclusion of the Quest. Any Quest Log not delivered by the appointed time will NOT be Tallied and that Quester will be considered to have a final score of zero (0) points. Points from each aspect of the Quest will be tallied and the Quester with the most overall points will be deemed the winner.
Final Tally will be conducted by a group, not a single individual, to assure the Questers that the count is fair and without favoritism.
To understand the importance of each aspect of the quest, the maximum number of points able to be earned for each portion of the Quest are as follows:
• 50 : For EFFORT (Total Score for all Challenges. 10 Points per Category x 5 Categories)
• 20 : For GUILE (Ability to complete Tests of wit and cunning)
• 30 : For STANDING (Votes cast for the Quester via Ballot in the Ballot Box)
In the unlikely event of a tie, the Quester with the highest total score in Effort shall be declared the victor. Should that somehow still result in a tie, the Quester with the highest actual Vote count in Standing shall be the winner. All totals are final, and points are not transferrable to another Quester. The Defender of Nassau Coordinator, and any appointed committee on site has the final say for any ruling for Defender of Nassau. Their word is, as far as the game is concerned, law.
Whichever Quester has the most points (100 points being the maximum possible) shall earn the position of Defender of Nassau, and the title of Commander. The final scores will be announced, and this award will be presented, at Closing Court on Sunday of Port Nassau.