Maesters are WesterosCraft's community moderators and the guides who bring new members onto the server. Their main jobs are moderating the community and shepherding applicants from their first post through to full Builder.
Responsibilities
Community Moderation
Maesters enforce the server Rules, keeping an eye on in-game chat, player behavior, and other spaces like Discord. They're usually the ones addressing problems, through friendly warnings, kicks, or bans, and they answer questions and watch for griefing or unauthorized changes.
When disputes between members surface, Maesters step in to mediate and make final rulings (or the Admin does). They also help develop the policies that govern the server. When server rules or community guidelines need revision, the Maesters are a part of that conversation.
Guiding New Members
Maesters own the start of the builder journey. They:
- Review and run builder applications, issuing build challenges and deciding when an applicant is ready for the Apprentice role
- Work alongside Stewards to supervise probationary periods
- Confirm promotions to full Builder once a Steward recommends an Apprentice
How Decisions Get Made
Maesters use collective decision-making for major server-wide issues. These usually require discussion among the group and the admins:
- Changes to server rules and building guidelines
- Promotions to Steward, Maester or Warden rank
- Major server initiatives and events
- Disciplinary actions for serious violations
- Server-wide policy decisions
Individual Maesters also carry some independent authority: any of them can open an investigation when they suspect a rule violation, and the role comes with advanced logging tools. For anything touching project approvals or regional building standards, point members to the Wardens and the Project Types page.
Day-to-Day Conduct
A Maester sets the tone for the community, so the role is as much about presence as authority:
- When you log in, say hi. Answer questions in chat and respond to Discord DMs. No builder's question should go unattended.
- If a builder needs help, address it, whether that's terraforming, a question about forum rules, or guidance on a current build.
- Encourage builders with both compliments and constructive criticism. It genuinely motivates people to improve. Set a good example.
- Stay relatively available on Discord and keep an eye on the staff channels. Let the team know if you're taking an extended break.
We also provide an anonymous feedback form in our Discord for community members to raise concerns about staff behavior, policy, or other sensitive matters. Maesters review and discuss these submissions as they come in.
Handling Misconduct
A Maester has discretion to mute, tempban, demote, or ban. Open a mod-report in the #mod-reports Discord channel, and for controversial or unpopular calls, start a private discussion with other Maesters before acting if you feel that's appropriate.
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With a Guest: give a warning. If they ignore it, ban them. Racist, sexist, or otherwise intentionally offensive behavior is a ban without warning.
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With a Builder: stay calm and ask them to stop the behavior. If they don't heed the warning, use your best judgment: a mute, tempban, demotion, or ban. Some bans can be appealed after a stated period, decided case by case.
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With another Maester: contact the Admin. If they're not available, try to resolve it privately or stay out of it.
Tools and Access
The role comes with the tools to do the job.
Common Maester commands:
- Promote a user -
/lp user <username> promote builder-track. This will promote the user up a promotion track in this order: default (guest) -> apprentice -> builder -> steward -> warden. To promote the user to builder, run the command twice. - Ban a player -
/ban <username> [<reason>]. The reason is optional but a short description is helpful. - Tempban a player -
/tempban <player> <duration> [<reason>] - Kick a player -
/kick <player> [<reason>] - Mute a player -
/mute <player> [<reason>]
Becoming a Maester
The Maester role is appointed by the Admin and existing Maesters. What current Maesters have in common:
- At least 6 months as a Builder, with real experience
- At least one completed Canon Project led from start to finish
- Consistent, positive community engagement and receptiveness to giving and receiving feedback
- A strong understanding of building standards and comfortable in the community
You can apply for Maester here: WesterosCraft Maester Application (opens in a new tab)
Stepping Down
This is a volunteer project, so Maesters can step down at any time. Just give the team a heads-up about extended inactivity so we can keep an active staff on the server. A member who goes completely dark for a long stretch without a word may be demoted for inactivity, and in cases of serious violations a Maester may be removed from the role.