• Be active
• Use common sense
• Don't ask for handouts, give more than you take
• No excessive profanity (especially in audible chat)
• Do not degrade other members/players (zero tolerance)
• Settle all disputes with tells (do not use kin chat and excite drama) 

THE PREMISE

"In the beginning, the Creator made the Wheel of Time, which spins the Pattern of the Ages using the lives of men and women as its threads. The Wheel has seven spokes, each representing an age, and it is rotated by the True Source from which the One Power, a source of energy, is drawn. The One Power is divided into male and female halves, saidin and saidar, which work in opposition and in unison to drive the Wheel; those who can use this power are known as channelers. One organization of channelers is the Aes Sedai, a name meaning "Servants of All" in the Old Tongue.

The Creator imprisoned Shai'tan, known as the Dark One, a powerful, evil being, at the moment of creation, sealing him away from the Wheel. At some point, however, the Dark One was given purchase in the world through the machinations of people who opened his prison, and began his efforts to conquer the world, creation, and even the Wheel itself. In response to this, the Wheel spun out the Dragon, a channeler of immense power, to be a champion for the Light. Due to the cyclical nature of the Wheel, there has been no definitive victory for the forces of the Light; the war has been fought innumerable times since the dawn of Creation. The Dragon would defeat Shai'tan and seal him from the Wheel, only to have him break out (or be released) several millennia later, forcing the Dragon to be reborn and repeat the entire process.

Robert Jordan's novels concern themselves with one particular incarnation of the Dragon. About 3000 years have passed since the last war between Shadow and Light. This war ended when the Dragon, then born as Lews Therin Telamon, led a daring raid to Shayol Ghul and sealed the breach in the Dark One's prison with the help of a group of other male channelers known as the Hundred Companions (female channelers, due to recent gender politics and the extreme risk of the strike, refused to assist). Though Lews Therin succeeded, the Dark One managed to spread a taint on saidin itself, bringing madness and a wasting sickness to any who channeled it. The taint quickly overcame nearly every male channeler in the world, including Lews Therin and his companions, with catastrophic results that radically changed the face of the earth. From then onwards, Lews Therin was also called the "Kinslayer", as one of the last results of his madness was to destroy everyone who carried his blood as well as everyone he loved.

For these reasons, the return of the Dragon is a cause for both hope and fear amongst the populace. On the one hand, the Dragon Reborn is the only person capable of defeating Shai'tan, who will inevitably begin to escape his prison. On the other, the Dragon Reborn will still be prey to the madness caused by the taint of evil in saidin, and is a harbinger of the horrifying fact that Shai'tan is once more breaking free. The only man who can save the world is also the man most likely to destroy it." ~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time

Wanted to give all you Band members some background info, for those of you who were unaware of where our name comes from. The Band of the Red Hand is a group of soldiers who are personally loyal to Matrim Cauthon, one of three main characters in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Mat is a trickster, gambler, especially with dice, lucky, and has a reputation of never losing a battle. Y'all should definitely check it out if you haven't already.

For any visitors to the site, the Band of the Red Hand plays on the Silverlode server of Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO). We are a fun loving crew who are mostly here for friendship and fellowship. We like to help each other out and are relaxed and laidback. Our players range from all levels and activity, although we do have some dedicated hardcore members. :) Our kin is quite large, boasting hundreds of members. We have numerous SM crafters in all crafting professions who would be happy to craft you something. If you would be interested in hearing more about our kin, or in joining it, please send an in-game tell or email to Dador or any Officer (who are listed on the side of the home page). They will be happy to talk with you. Sign up on the website and get to know us!

For all you kinnies, if you haven't done so already, please register with the site.

If you have any questions about or problems with the website, contact Rakein via in-game tell or mail, or via the website.

Lord of the Rings Online Vault - The Ultimate Resource

Lord of the Rings Online Vault - The Ultimate Resource

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