[Rules & Protocol] Ranks & Responsibilities

[The Jedi Council]

~ Ranks & Responsibilities ~
The following outlines the ranks within JEDI and explains their respective responsibilities.

I. Ranks

While ranks act as an important in-character device and adds to the role play experience of a Jedi, the levels of progression within our community are also reflective of the activity, contributions, quality of role play and compatibility of the player with the values and rules of the community. Below is a list of the ranks in JEDI, including a short description on each one:

• Hopeful/Applicant: A player who has submitted an application to the Council Secretary Droid and has had it approved, is considered a Hopeful and a recognized resident of the enclave. Hopefuls are expected to engage fully in the role play by being social and interacting with others as well as learn more about the Jedi Order.
  
  The Knight body and the Council observe the performance of all hopefuls and then privately discuss their eligibility for training. The decision on who is initiated ultimately rests with the Council.

• Initiate: Newly initiated members are considered Initiates. Despite the limits on what subjects an Initiate is able to study, they are encouraged to actively seek basic training from a variety of mentors. Initiates must be chosen to be a mentor's apprentice to progress. Learning rudimentary concepts and skills, being active on the server, regular posting in a student journal, role-play ability and attitude are all likely to be considered by a Knight or Master when taking on a Padawan Learner.
  
  The Council recommends at least two weeks after initiation before mentors can request students as an apprentice.

• Master-less Padawan: While not an official rank, the title Master-less Padawan refers to students who have split from a previous mentor or who have been promoted from Initiate by the Council due to merit. Master-less Padawans are equally eligible as all Initiates who meet prerequisites to be taken on by a mentor .
  
  Occasionally, decent Initiates will be overlooked for training by a mentor for a number of reasons. In these instances the Council can step in and promote Initiates to Master-less Padawans, allowing them to study more challenging techniques, within reason, and apply for roles in/get involved with the departments within the Order. The department heads determine the level involvement students can have in their respective fields. While having access to more advanced areas of study, Master-less Padawans, like all students, are strictly forbidden from conducting lessons themselves. This still applies even if the student is knowledgeable on a particular subject. Teaching is a right exclusive to Knights and above.

• Padawan Learner: The title Padawan Learner is applicable to students who have progressed beyond the Initiate rank and is under the tutelage of a Knight or Master.
  
  When picked by a mentor, a student's training truly begins. The job of a mentor is to ensure his or her apprentice is prepared to be a full fledged Jedi Knight by guiding them through necessary tasks, lessons, exercises, assignments, and trials.
  
  All XP grants are approved by a student's mentor, who becomes responsible for the Force template and allocated XP of their Padawan.

• Jedi Adept: Under normal circumstances, Padawans will be promoted to Jedi Knight. The title, Jedi Adept, is primarily used as a probational period for returning players who wish to be fast tracked back to Knighthood. This rank can be harnessed by the Council for both old or new characters for returning players.
  
  However, newly Knighted players who show they are not worthy of the title can be demoted to Jedi Adept. The purpose of the rank is to be temporary and exists to help guide members back to Knighthood. If continued issues persist, a player's membership in JEDI will be reconsidered.

• Jedi Knight: Jedi Knights enjoy a great deal of new administrative powers and access as well as additional responsibilities. As a Jedi Knight, a player will experience new obligations to the student body, to ensure regular training and temple wide activities are routinely carried out. Knights will be able to conduct classes, apply XP to the attendees and can also organize/direct missions and outings.
  
  Administrative roles are available for Knights to undertake. Most positions include an in-character and out of character component professions. All possible contributions a Knight can offer are encouraged and can include being a department head, mission director, pack maintainer and era coordinator. All mentors are required to keep on top of the required workload of their selected roles.
  
  Jedi Knights are encouraged to take on Initiates or Masterless Padawan Learners as apprentices. Please note that Knights and Padawans are forbidden from discussing potential pairings. If a Knight wishes to apply for an apprentice they must come to the Council privately, without any consultation with others in the community. The Council can then mediate any conversations if necessary.

• Jedi Master: Jedi Master is an honorary title and reflects both in-character and out of character achievements. While all the of the duties for Jedi Knights still apply to Jedi Masters, there is the added expectation for Masters to lead by example.
  
  As a Jedi Master, players will be able to take on two Padawan Learners, while Knights are limited to one. However, exceptions apply to this rule when announced by the Council.
  
  As a Jedi Master, one is entitled to the use of a Holocron, a device able to be edited even retroactively and even after the player rerolls to a new character or steps away from the active resident list.
  
  A Mastered Character is also not required to adhere to the 6 month ruling in regards to bringing back that specific character, so long as the character is realistically still alive both in terms of age and their figurative 'exit' from the RP scene (i.e. death or any RPed event that resulted to their loss of life or further unavailability). That 'gap of time' is extended to 2 years instead.
  
  The rank of Jedi Master cannot be transfered, to one's new character. The title and journey should be validated anew. In addition, should a Jedi Master be removed as a result of misconduct, their character will automatically be demoted and recognized as a Jedi Knight (or a Jedi Adept, depending on the offense) in JEDI's archives.

• Councilor: Councilors are elected by the Council and are responsible for the overall well being of the community and work collectively to decide upon the rules that govern JEDI. Players with a position on the Council are tasked with rule enforcement, general upkeep of the community and management of members. Council duties, in regards to member management, include:
  
  • Promotions.
  • Approving mentor/apprentice pairings.
  • Approving administrative roles for Jedi Knights.
  • Managing member suggestions and other concerns.
  • Managing internal disputes.
  • Approving plots and personal arcs when required.
  • Allocating members to Padawan clans (if available).
  • Managing initiations, returning members and reviewing applications.
  • Ensuring that tasks and duties are being carried out by the correct members.
  • Ensuring members are adhering to the rules.
  Councilors possess additional administrative powers to help them maintain the Comport, Jediholo and servers.

• High Councilor: High Councilors manage Council affairs and members of the Council. They also have additional access that effectively allows full control of all JEDI's assets.

II. Rank Hierarchy

Respect for the ranks in role-played interactions is important to maintain a sense of hierarchy and structure, both in-character and out of character. This is to ensure that the authorities in JEDI are respected as well as encourage realistic and atmospheric role-play, reflective of Jedi traditions. The following set of guidelines are to be respected:

• An Initiate or Padawan should bow to a Jedi Knight or Master.
• A Jedi Knight should bow to an acknowledged Jedi Master.
• A Jedi Master should bow his head (aim/look at his feet) to students and Jedi Knights.
• A Jedi Knight should bow his head (aim/look at his feet) to students.
• Senior ranking Jedi, including Knights, Masters and Councilors, should always be addressed with their appropriate title, 'Master', at all times, unless otherwise indicated by the Master.

Although friendships may exist across ranks, there is an expectation that a good example is set in the presence of your fellows.

~ Trials & Promotions ~

I. The Jedi Trials

The time spent as an apprentice is one of the most vital learning curves in the Jedi Order. A student will become enlightened and given vast knowledge to further their learning under the tutelage of a mentor until the pinnacle point of their career. However, it is not the student's place to presume when they are ready to transcend into the role of a Jedi Knight. Instead, they are expected to continue in their role as a student until those who possess the wisdom to judge when the apprentice is ready to become the Master rule accordingly. It is expected that the student should acknowledge and respect the traditions of the Jedi Order whilst continuing their learning until they are deemed ready to advance into the ranks of the Knighthood.

Both in-character and out of character factors are considered when a player's appropriateness for Knighthood is assessed. Both the character and the player must be compatible with the values of JEDI to be eligible for the rank of Jedi Knights, as the position allows new administrative abilities as well as both IC and OOC responsibilities. The following list of requirements are all important to the Council's decision to promote members to Knighthood:

Out of Character:

• The Player must have a constant role-playing performance above the standards.
• The Player must be respectful towards the other members of JEDI.
• The Player must have deep knowledge of JEDI rules, customs and values.
• The Player must behave in accordance to JEDI rules, customs and values.
• The Player must be active and contribute to JEDI both as a role-player and in the assistance and introduction of other players to JEDI rules, customs and values.

In-Character:

• The Character must have reached the full maturity of a Padawan, without acting like a Knight by his/her own initiative.
• The Character must behave in accordance to the Jedi values and ideals.
• The Character must have acquired a high level of experience and competence in all the basic fields of knowledge and practice.
• The Character must have the ability to pass on knowledge to others.
• The Character should have passed the Jedi Trials and must have built a lightsaber.

When a mentor believes their Padawan is ready to be evaluated for Knighthood, he will send his/her Knighthood request to the Jedi Council. The Council will then proceed to analyze and evaluate the career of the Padawan, in order to see if he/she matches the Knighthood requirements.

Candidates for Knighthood are tested with several trials, that are organized by a student's mentor. The trials are conducted over time and serve as an opportunity to test and teach a Padawan important lessons that will also allow him/her to qualify for Knighthood. Such trials need to be recognized by the Council either before they are performed or upon the Knighthood request of the mentor.

All the following trials must be fulfilled before a Padawan can be considered for Knighthood, a decision that ultimately rests with the Jedi Council:

Trial of Skill
The Trial of Skill usually consisted of a lightsaber duel with either another person or a manifestation of the dark side.

Examples:

• Revan's lightsaber duel with Juhani in the grove near the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine.
• Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber duel with Darth Maul on Naboo.
• Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber duel with Asajj Ventress on Yavin IV.
• Luke Skywalker's lightsaber duel with Darth Vader on the planet Bespin and onboard the Death Star II near Endor.

Trial of Flesh
The Trial of the Flesh involved the Jedi overcoming great physical pain, hardship, or loss. It could also test the Jedi's mastery of detachment from physical pleasure and people.

Examples:

• Obi-Wan Kenobi lost his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, during their duel against Darth Maul on Naboo.
• Anakin Skywalker's loss of his right arm during a duel with Count Dooku on Geonosis.
• Luke Skywalker's loss of his right hand on Bespin during his duel with Darth Vader.
• Revan's first duel with the fallen Bastila on the Rakatan Temple.

Trial of Courage
To pass the Trial of Courage, a Padawan would fight couragously in battle, complete a mission with a low chance of survival, or defeat a superior enemy.

Examples:

• Obi-Wan Kenobi defeating Darth Maul during their final duel on Naboo.
• Luke Skywalker confronting Darth Vader and the Emperor on the second Death Star.
• Revan confronting his fallen love, Bastila and redeeming her, then finally facing off with Darth Malak in the Star Forge.

Trial of Spirit
The Dark Side is a threat incumbing on all Jedi, hence facing the darkness within oneself is a categorical requirement to become a Knight. The circumstances in which such experience may take place are always inner experiences, such as visions caused by the intense Force energy of certain places strong in the Force.
Such experience is often a highly traumatic for the padawan, because it consists of a grueling self-examination that leads him/her face and, in case of success, defeat their inner demons.

To pass the Trial of the Spirit, the Padawan would have to look deep within him or herself, and see what they were truly made of. Often times, the Padawan did not like what they saw, and it could be a highly traumatic experience.

Examples:

• Anakin Skywalker's vision during his mission on Nelvaan.
• Luke Skywalker's vision in the Dark Side Cave on Dagobah.
• Revan resisting the temptation of the Dark Side that Bastila gave him on the Rakatan Temple.

If the Padawan does not match the requirements, the possibilities for him/her are the following:

• Prolong their training under the same mentor.
• Remove the Padawan from their mentor's care, making them a Masterless Padawan, and open alternative paths of progression.
• Send them to the Agricorps, which means removal from the active residents page. Whether the player can return as a new character and at what stage will be a matter for the Council to decide on a case by case basis.

II. Master Promotions

Those largely responsible for selecting new Jedi Knights for promotion are the current Council of Jedi Masters. One of the responsibilities of the branch's Masters is to hand pick Jedi Knights to join them and take the honorary rank.

While the Council will try not to intervene with this process, they reserve the right to prompt discussion among the Jedi Masters, if they feel it's time to promote more Jedi Knights. Additionally, the Council can go even further and promote new Jedi Masters themselves if they are not satisfied with the current functionality of the Council of Jedi Masters.

~ Leave of Absence ~

JEDI understands that real life comes first. Sometimes members lack the time to stay active in JEDI but still wish to retain their membership. For this reason, members can request a leave of absence, or LOA, by posting in the Inform the Council section, which is also used for in-character audience requests. A LOA will act as a temporary exemption from clan duties and is only applicable if the player expects to be absent for a period of a week or more.

Ideally, a lodged LOA will include an out of character an in-character reason, as well as the expected duration of the absence. The following will apply to members who are on leave:

• JEDI membership and rank are retained.
• Knight XP grants will be suspended.
• If the Council deems the length of the absence to extensive, a mentor may find their apprentice removed from their care, if the absence of one of them begins to stagnate the other.
• If the Knight or Master holds an official class, it will either be transferred to another mentor or put on hold.
• Journals remain accessible and can be updated during an absence. This will not affect the status of a LOA.

Where to lodge a LOA can be found here: Inform the Council.

~ Content Creation ~

I. Holonews Articles

All members of JEDI are welcomed to submit articles for the Holonews section of the website. Topics for articles can include local news, political stories, sports and entertainment and events related to personal arcs happening on the servers. Additions to the Holonews feed are encouraged as they make JEDI a more enriched and immersive place to role-play.

Content relating specifically to clan-wide arcs being overseen or produced by the Council will require special approval and are ideally left to the Era Co-ordinators. Articles for larger arcs are usually drafted in private sections of the Comport.

To submit a Holonews article for approval, send a draft to the Galactic HoloNews account. The Council will approve then post all articles directly from this account. While the maintainer of the account will proof read all submissions, please ensure everything sent has been properly spell checked and uses proper grammar.

II. Mission Notices and Applications

If mentors are interested in discussing ideas for events or missions they are encouraged to do so in the Storyboard section of the Comport. In the storyboard section, ideas and drafts can be shared between Knights and Masters and built upon in a free and non-formatted way. The Storyboard is not necessarily just for discussing ideas relating to missions, but all forms of content that can add to JEDI's role-play.

Mentors who have a mission ready to be posted in the Mission Notices and Applications must send a message to the Council Missions Office containing the necessary information for the mission profile. Please note that the date and time of a mission must already be decided upon before sending. Mission profiles should follow the general structure of the template below to be considered eligible for public posting:

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[b]Various Other Roles:[/b]
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[*] [b]Skins[/b]: ([color=#BF0000]TBC[/color])


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Missions posted in Mission Notices and Applications cannot have the JEDI actors organized before posting. Exceptions to this may apply for clan-wide arc missions, where JEDI roles are determined well in advanced to ensure opportunities are spread out.

Once the mission is posted, the director can ask, via responding to the topic of the mission, that applications for the JEDI roles be sent to him or her via personal message. This task can also be delegated to the Council Missions Office if the director trusts the Council to assign the roles. This process is not ideal if directors want to direct something catered to specific JEDI characters. While the Council is open to making exceptions, it is strongly advised that private or personal arcs/missions be organized among the relevant players and not shared on the Mission Notices and Applications board.