Of Gods and Guilds

Posted by Mandy Oldroyd on Oct. 6, 2011, 10:27 a.m.

Welcome, intrepid traveller, to the mysterious and eldritch phenomenon that will come to be known as the 2012 Discworld Convention! And in particular to the Guilds and the Guild Competition.

From their eternal pavilions of Dunmanifestin, the Gods of the Discworld watch your every move (1)...and play inscrutable and generally capricious games with the lives of those living on the Disc.

Yet the Gods' meddling and games are mere ants in the picnic of life when compared to some of the Others. We don't want to go into too much detail here, because they might notice us, and that would be Bad. When faced with the possible arrival of one of these entities, even the Gods recognize the good sense in putting aside their petty quarrels and working for the common good.

Well, mostly. 

Sort of.

...because bragging rights are bragging rights and no God worth their ambrosia wants to be in twenty-seventh place in the Most Valued Deity stakes.

So, their followers, their mortal game pieces, their special agents (that's you!) are presented with the challenge of making your God the first among equals; and if your efforts are suitably divine, you may even save the Disc from a fate ...well, rather worse than the *usual* death.

Originating in 2004, the Guilds are a social icebreaker, a (friendly!) competition, a chance to shine in the spotlights and - we fervently hope - a chance to cause and have a whole load of fun. To keep things fresh (and a little bit unpredictable), the precise rules and running of the event changes every time.

So what's new in 2012?

We are aiming for a much closer integration with the rest of the programme, and are liaising closely with the Programme Team to achieve this. That said, we don't want to spoil the Convention in any way for those who don't want to take part in the Guilds; the Guilds are voluntary and will remain so.
 

We are aiming to make this Guild Competition open to all comers from start to finish. There will be daily rewards for the Guilds, and any of the Guilds should be in with a chance of winning at the end. So even if your Guild has a slow start or a quiet patch, you will still have everything to compete for! Also, it allows you to actively join in with the Guilds at any day or moment in the convention.

We are aiming to reward all sorts of contributions by Guild members. If you like performing, great! If you like volunteering, also great! - we want anyone to be able to support their Guild and will be running a selection of events that cover all talents, ages and levels of fitness.

And most importantly, the Guild Competition is and always will be about creating and finding fun! And we are there to help you to share the fun around all and sundry.


You may have a few questions at this point. So here are a few answers for you!
 

...so why still call them Guilds when they're nothing to do with Guilds?

Because you will (...probably).

We could call them factions, we could call them sects, we could call them George ...and on the day, you (the members) will in all likelihood call them the '...er, Guilds'. We figure it saves time and effort to continue calling them Guilds for now, even if they're not actually based on the Guilds of Ankh-Morpork.

...Wot, no Guilds?

No Guilds. None. Nada. In terms of yer actual civic Guilds of Ankh-Morpork, a great big zero.

We understand that some of you are quite fond of suitably-reimbursed murder and prancing around in neggliggles dispensing favours to those in need of relief – and that this may come as a bit of a blow to you.

Remember, though, that this is Old Ankh-Morpork.

Free of the moderating influence of the Guilds; free of licenses, permits and lines of demarcation.

Remember also that 'faith-based initiative' covers a multitude of sins and virtues; and that, as no Guild has a monopoly on a given practice, you can get creative.

So don't think 'I'm not a Seamstress any more!'.

Rather, ask yourself: what would Offler do?

...but what if I'm not religious?

You will be. (no, not really!)

The Gods move in mysterious and oblique ways, and their games are frequently played by mortals like Rincewind, who have little or no idea of why life has suddenly taken a turn for the weird. We won't make you chant or perform ritual sacrifices. Unless you really want to.

...and if you do, please speak with us *before* setting up any grim rites, wicker beings or ominous altars.(2)
 

… so how do I get religion?

At the appointed hour, the gods will grab the gameboard, look for the lost pieces, argue who gets to play the bank, and rattle their dice meaningfully. This is when you will learn your Guild –  it will be noted on your personal membership details part of our website. This Guild membership is merely a suggestion, intended to start out with a fairly even distribution of Guild members, so it is possible to switch Guilds. And of course, you can defy the gods if you don't want to take part in any Guild-related activities.

(If so, we would recommend that you avoid wearing copper armor while on the roof of the Hotel during the Convention. Just in case, you understand.)

Next summer, you lucky mortals will be chosen to defend the Discworld against the crawling horrors of the Beyond. Do you have it within you to rise to the challenge?