Your esteem within your guild is measured by your Guild Rank, ranging from the misfortunate Probationary through Fellowship and Mastery to the most respected Elder.
PROBATIONARY member is a sub-rank, a punishment doled out by the guild leaders to restrict the freedom and influence of a member - generally pending more enduring judgement.
APPRENTICE is the rank gained when first entering a guild and denotes neophyte status, not yet known and trusted nor fully admitted to the secrets of the guild proper. It is a period of trial and observation, of learning and proving oneself. In many guilds it can be surpassed by dint of advancing specialist skills beyond a certain threshold, but just as often the guild reserves the right to end apprenticeship only when the guild leaders deem the fledgling member ready.
Beyond apprenticeship the guildranks proper begin. These ranks all come with various privileges and commands, though the idiosyncracies of a guild's interpretation of the ranks are a matter for each to formulate as they see fit.
Lower tier ranks are initiate, novice, understudy then guildsman (full voting and access privileges) followed by the upper tier ranks of fellow, trustee, tutor, master and grand-master. The highest attainable guild rank is deputy guildmaster, restricted in number by many guilds and always significant of a status and trustworthiness second-to-none. It is a rank kept only by those active members (elder statesmen aside) and dormant deputy guildmasters are automatically reduced to grand master rank. There are certain special status ranks a Guildmaster (or suitably high ranked guildmember) can bestow. These are ELDER, CAPTAIN, FIELDLEADER, FIELDWORKER, QUARTERMASTER. See HELP 11 (help section 11 is 'The Guild and the Guildmaster') for an index of helpfiles covering numerous aspects of the guild, its structure and ranks, the guildhouse and tutors, etc.
Every Avalon year you will gain guildrank by dint of longevity of membership providing you have avoided probation and been a member for the whole year. Once every Avalonian month each guildmember may give their favour or disfavour to another member of the guild, which will influence the other's rank according to their standing. Type GUILDFAVOUR <member> or GUILDDISFAVOUR <member> to record your intentions. Thereby the regular favour of fellow guildmembers will cause your guild rank to rise, or their disfavour cause it to fall. Guild rank, whilst indicating your popularity within the guild, is also associated with other privileges including, at the higher levels, research into items. Type RANK to ascertain your rank in the guild and PRIVILEGES to review any privileges you have gained.
