Scared of being squashed?

[Raiken85]

Just dont join H11, they tend to die fast.

[countjimula]

Most players (other than other new players) leave neutral players alone. It is bad taste and bad PR to attack neutrals. Unless you find yourself in a world where only one house dominated (and bad PR does not matter so much) you should be safe.

That said other than rules created in the game itself, anything goes politically. You will find helpful diplomatic players and ruthless tyrants, and everything in between.

I would not vote for anyone as a steward (or vote yourself in) until you know the consequences (if any). If you find yourself threatened you can then play a long to get a long for now, or call their bluff and see if you get reset. Then you can move to a better area. If you do decide to move do some research so you are sure you are not going to be in the same situation again.