Sapphire Dawn Charter & Background

The Sapphire Dawn Exploration Company Charter [this is an Group Purpose and Principles document - version 9/12/23]

Our overarching purpose is the physical exploration of the fringes of this realm, both by land and by sea, and to utilize these discoveries for the advancement of technology, culture and the well being of all residents of Spira.

Sapphire Dawn wishes to chronicle and map what lies beyond the paths most traveled; and to ensure that this realm is kept safe from any external threats we encounter on our journeys. In order to achieve our goals, the **core directives** of our group will be 1) production of equipment & supplies needed for our exploration work, 2) embarking upon missions of discovery, 3) cartography and record keeping of our findings, and 4) fostering a greater sense of community among the residents of this realm.

1) Exploration work is demanding, expensive and dangerous. Therefore, we will establish a robust capacity for production of the finest quality equipment and consumables to keep our members safe. A significant portion of our daily efforts will focus upon materials production, mission planning and training exercises. We anticipate utilizing some of our in-house production capacity to outfit non-members in order to raise necessary capital for our costly ventures.

2) Sailing voyages as well as terrestrial excursions will be conducted in pursuit of our primary purpose, the betterment of life for all of those who dwell in Spira. We shall seek to find new herbs, strange beasts, and exotic ores in hope that such discoveries of novel flora, fauna and minerals might help further our cause of advancing society. The safety of our members on these missions is paramount and so tactical measures will be employed to ensure that we return home from our ventures unscathed. Members of other factions with an interest in our exploration work will be welcome to join us on our endeavors.

3) Discoveries are of no use to society unless they are recorded and shared, and therefore the Sapphire Dawn will avidly pursue the art of cartography, creating fine maps and sea charts detailing where we have traversed, as well as outlining what we seek to investigate further. The cataloging of plants, animals, and minerals yet unknown to Spira will be a prominent focus of our work, and interested visitors will be permitted to browse our library of maps and records and meet with our members to discuss our findings.

4) The Sapphire Dawn seeks to promote a sense of connection to the world in which we live and to foster a greater sense of community among the residents of Spira. Charitable work is strongly encouraged for all members in some way or another, be it volunteering in one of the clinics of Spira, sharing the expertise of our artisans with the public, or offering a helping hand in whatever way it is needed. We aim to approach the politics of this realm in a neutral fashion to avoid unnecessary conflict; however, the Sapphire Dawn will act to preserve innocent life, even if those actions might bring us into strife with other groups at times. Individuals who commit acts of violence toward our group will be barred from trade with our members and the viewing of our records, but entire factions will not be blacklisted solely on the actions of one or two of their members. Hostile threats encountered on our missions of discovery as well as concerted efforts by other groups to target our organization with violence will be countered with force.

Overall we are a group whose focus is upon looking outwards and towards the future, we seek those who possess curious and kind hearts.

Sapphire Dawn Exploration Company Background [this is an Group Purpose and Principles document - version 9/12/23]

The origin of the Sapphire Dawn Exploration Company name and its insignia stems from a chance literary encounter many years before the group was chartered. One of the future founding members of the exploration company was on a trade journey outside of Spira, wandering through a market in an older section of a far-off port city. She came upon an antiquities trader with stacks of old tomes, many in languages she was unfamiliar with. One of the volumes which the adventurer could decipher captured her attention as it was bound in exotic azure leather that had been gilded with silver and inlaid with sapphire cabochons. The book was titled the 'Annals of Exploration of the Sapphire Dawn,’ and gave accounts of expeditions to unknown places, featuring beautiful illustrations of herbs and minerals that this adventurer had no knowledge of. Unfortunately many pages were missing from this old tome and so little could be gleaned about where this Sapphire Dawn operated, what their goals were or even when their journeys had taken place. The first page of the book featured an illustration of an ornate silver and azure compass rose that became the inspiration for the insignia that the Sapphire Dawn Exploration Company uses today. The antiquities trader had also provided a small spyglass that had apparently been found with the book, and this pair of items are to be entrusted to whoever is the current head of the Sapphire Dawn Exploration Company.

The modern day Sapphire Dawn Exploration Company formed as a partnership between various individuals who wished to pursue a venture that sought to better life for all of those who call Spira their home. Many of the founding members hailed from other influential factions, and they brought their valuable experience, connections, and expertise with them, which allowed for the Sapphire Dawn to rapidly coalesce into an organized exploration company. One of the group's founding members came into possession of a small seaworthy vessel through bartering that has been named the ‘Coral,’ allowing the exploration company to embark upon sea journeys.