The Decorum Collaborative / DECORUM

Welcome!

— This is a place for truly enjoying the ‘verse. (We will support each other out there in the black, so if you need crew, a job, fuel, supplies, or other support— your fellow Collaborators will have your back.)

— This is a place where you will find encouragement and decency. (We exist to rock an amazing atmosphere of fun— without nsfw content, immature conduct, elitism, toxic attitudes, or defensive egos to ruin your gaming experience.)

— This is a place where you can play your way. (Roleplay will neither be forbidden nor required; different branches can decide how much or how little immersion they will utilize in their sectors.)

— This is a place where you can thrive. We believe in lifting one another up. (We will strive to help you advance in almost any profession, though we don’t do piracy or griefing.) The Collaborative supports all areas of industry, Murray Cup Racing, the Responsible Mining sector, Passenger Transport Industry, Exploring in all forms, contracted freelance privateer and bounty services, search and rescue operations, the Salvage industry, merchants, scientists, haulers, journalists, medics, courriers, overclockers, and more.

History

“Decorum” means “decency of conduct.”

“Collaborative” means “produced or constructed by two or more parties working together.”

The Non-Governmental Organization known as “The Collaborative of Decorum” has held this name since 2789, but it traces its roots back more than 1000 years earlier than that— to two early-Earth progressive think-tanks:

The Ancient Order of the Philophrosyne was an undergraduate secret society founded by John Winthrop in 1730. Philophrosyne— spirit of friendliness, kindness, and welcome— was chosen as the patron of the group that sought to encourage one another and to seek solutions to the greatest societal problems of the day. Members of the secret society took a vow to uphold the values of the Order, and the original members of the Order are said to have signed their names to the handwritten codex in blood. Though a hand-bound book is no longer used, the Decorum Collaborative still refer to their manifesto of values as “the codex.”

The Ancient Order of the Philophrosyne, though highly clandestine, is widely believed to also be the inspiration for another group— the Eucleian Society. A similar (only slightly less covert) student organization founded at New York University in 1832, was the second “parent of the modern Decorum Collaborative. Eukleia, the sister of Philophrosyne, was the ancient Greek spirit of good repute. The ancient Eucleian Society was an early open supporter of gender equality, the abolition of slavery, and the protection of Native Americans’ rights. The Eucleian Society was also a debate fellowship that offered a departure from the learn-by-rote instruction that prevailed at the time. Both Philophrosyne and Eucleian groups amassed their own libraries, invited brilliant guest lecturers, and assembled resources to counter the largest problems in society at the time.

In the early 1940s, both groups became even more secretive, and many speculate the groups began collaborating on ways to bring a peaceful end to World War Two. The two groups did not merge formally until after first contact with the Banu in 2438. The NGO changed it’s name to The Collaborative of Decorum in 2789 as an attempt to replace human-culture-specific nomenclature with a name that could convey their values to other beings more immediately and clearly.

The phrase “the collaborative of decorum” appeared in the first human language translation of the first X’ian response to the Terran peace talks of in 2789. Though the phrase has since been more accurately translated as “building the peace together,” it was such a foundational element of the initial, groundbreaking discussions, that the phrase has taken on a powerful meaning throughout the galaxy.

Throughout the centuries, the Collaborative has not shied away from being a voice for positive change. Many members of the 2806 Truth and Reconciliation Commission were members of the Decorum Collaborative NGO, and worked tirelessly to bring to light the atrocities of the Messer era.

Today, the Collaborative retains the original symbol of the Order of the Philophrosyne as a reminder of the group’s core ideals. The symbol is the Halcyon— a bird that, in Greek mythology, had the power to calm the angry, dangerous wind and ocean waves while it nested on the water during the winter solstice. Homage to this Halcyon is still retained today in the form of stylized wings that appear on each side of the shield of Decorum.

The Decorum Collaborative is no longer a secret society, and today all members of the Collaborative invite others to join them in their quest to further the cause of probity in the universe. Today, inductees no longer sign their names in their own blood, but they do take vows to uphold the values recorded in the Codex… especially probity, equity, comity, ecumenicity, and eminencity:

Probity:
The condition of complete and confirmed integrity.
The word derives from the Latin probitas meaning “good.”
Probity requires the unencumbered embrace of true goodness, and demands faithfulness to strong moral principles, honesty, trustworthiness, and decency.

Equity:
The condition of striving to be truly just.
The word derives from the Latin aequitas, meaning “just.”
Equity requires creating systemic instrumentality that is impartial, fair, and honorable; providing opportunity for all without prejudice, so that everyone can attain full potential; and securing resources sufficient for basic needs to be fulfilled— from each according to ability, to each according to need— in a manner such that burdens and rewards are not spread too divergently.

Comity:
The condition of civility and considerate behavior.
The word derives from the Latin comis meaning “courteous.”
Comity requires kindness, looking out for the welfare of others, and mutual earned respect.

Ecumenicity:
The condition of striving for unity among all inhabitants of the universe.
The word derives from the Greek oikoumene, meaning “oneness of the known world.”
Ecumenicity requires an inclusive spirit to heal bitter divisions, banish jingoistic aggression, and turn enmity into kindness.

Eminencity:
The condition of striving to uplift others to greatness.
The word derives from the Latin eminere, meaning “to elevate.”
Eminencity requires creating an environment where others can thrive, encouraging one another, trusting one another, holding each other in high esteem, being there for one another with solace and empathy, and supporting others, so they can be the absolute best they can be.