User blog:Notmyresident/Keep your eyes peeled



  “Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through.”

VIGILANCE

It's time, folks! Welcome to the official "save me a spot" and overview blog for the vigilante group I posted a poll about last week. Existing characters are welcome as well as new ones!  History The group became organized after the end of the First Wizarding War to clean up the remnants of Voldemort's followers. Once the Order of the Phoenix disbanded, the job was left to the Ministry, but several like-minded people decided to take it upon themselves because they believed the Ministry was too lenient in its sentencing for the people it was able to catch. During the lull between the wars, the group expanded its membership and mission parameters to include going after criminals in general and patrolling high-crime areas with a low auror presence. During the Second World War the group maintained its mission, but with the Order of the Phoenix doing a decent job they didn't interfere with the Order's operations. They stayed under the radar and focused on picking up the slack left by the focus on the Big Threat. Post-war the group underwent reforms due to the losses and became much more organized and coherent. They grew greatly in size once the country saw the corruption in the Ministry since many wanted to make a difference but didn't trust the government. Over time, the Ministry became trustworthy again, and membership dropped slightly but stabilized quickly. They established leadership positions and chapters dedicated to certain areas of the country. They reached out to international groups and began establishing connections to keep tabs on developing issues and to gain allies. Through some such allies they gained corporate sponsors and were able to create full-time positions and official meeting places instead of gathering in old warehouses and members' homes.  Philosophy To bring about justice swiftly and efficiently by any means necessary. Vigilance understands the Ministry believes it does its best within the confines of the law, but they also believe the law is too restrictive and creates too much red tape to deliver justice as quickly and consistently as it should be. They generally avoid interacting with the Ministry, but they are certainly a thorn in the Ministry's side.  Purpose 1. Crime prevention. Some high-risk areas that leadership feels are overlooked by the Ministry are discreetly patrolled, and if a member sees something shady going on they either act or report it for further investigation. 2. Punishment. Vigilance feels that the Ministry is not stringent enough when sentencing criminals, and some crimes go unreported or the perpetrator gets off or away on a technicality, and they make a point to correct that. <font size="2" color=#666666 face="Courier">3. Robin Hoodery. Vigilance has been known to pull off a heist occasionally, if corrupt business practices or employee underpayment are brought to their attention. <font size="2" color=#666666 face="Courier">4. Contract work. Within good reason, and with much vetting, Vigilance will do contract work for a price. <font size="5" color=#666666 face="Courier"> Areas of Employment <font size="2" color=#666666 face="Courier">1. Patrollers. These members are primarily eyes and ears for Vigilance and are expected to report ASAP about anything suspicious they see or hear and act if they encounter a crime in progress. This is the only position that allows underage wizards and witches. <font size="2" color=#666666 face="Courier">2. Avengers. These members regularly undergo missions to right wrongs of many kinds. Many of their missions either directly involve violence or will likely become violent, as Vigilance operates outside modern law. <font size="2" color=#666666 face="Courier">3. Administrators. These members stick to the office and keep the group running. <font size="2" color=#666666 face="Courier">4. Healers. Every chapter tries to keep at least one healer on staff. It's not that they have something against hospitals, but it's best they avoid having to explain their injuries.

Sign-Up
I'll be keeping track of who's interested/character looking to join to below, so please comment!