The Disciples of Ragnos are a theocratic cult that believes in the divinity of Marka Ragnos. In organisational terms, the Disciples are part of a role-playing system created by Ashura Isradia to encourage character development in House Marka Ragnos.
Introduction
Hailing from deep within the Sepros system, the Disciples of Ragnos are the manifestation of their namesake's dark will. Within the ranks of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, the newest revival of the Sith Lord's ancient cult carry out the orders of his spirit, channeled through the great sorcerer, Trevarus Caerick. Encompassing all three orders and all levels of power, the Disciples exist officially as a House of the Clan Naga Sadow, and it's honorary members who have left for other positions within the Brotherhood.
The Council
Maleficarum
- "Some there be whom shadows kiss..."
- ―Attributed to Zeen Deheval, Krath archivist, circa 2,237 BBY
The Maleficarum of the Disciples of Ragnos is the nominal leader of the Cult. Trevarus Caerick, as the Overlord of House Marka Ragnos, holds this position for life; when Caerick is not present at Ragnos Cathedral, the Anguis and Tigrist of the Disciples of Ragnos consult a council made up of the shades of powerful Dark Side users who stand in for the Overlord.
The Maleficarum has a position of spiritual dominance over the rest of the Disciples; they have the final say over whether a Disciple can move from the Noctosalutae into the rank of the Progenies, and they decide whether a Progeny can become a Scion. The rituals undertaken by the Disciples are ideally led by the Maleficarum or, in his absence, by the Anguis and Tigrist.
Anguis
- "Some there be whom shadows burn..."
- ―Attributed to Zeen Deheval, Krath archivist, circa 2,237 BBY
Tigrist
Description of the Tigrist position to go here- held by the Aedile of Marka Ragnos.
Cultus Ordinem of Ragnos
Description of the Cultus position to go here- held by the most active member of the Disciples.
The Scions
Scion of Ragnos
A Scion is the proclaimed descendant of Dark Lord Marka Ragnos; in the original Disciples of Ragnos a Scion was the actual blood relation of the Sith Lord. However, the modern Disciples realise that any blood relation of the Sith Lord has long since died off. This title now serves to honour the most prominent members.
A potential Scion is always selected from the pool of Progenies; in fact this lesser title was created to help select future Scions. In times long past the Maleficarum would invoke the spirit of Lord Ragnos to appear and select a Scion from the available Progeny; but in recent years the spirit of Ragnos is respected in a more ritualistic, less literal ceremony.
Before being proclaimed a Scion by the Maleficarum, a Disciple must spend time in a drug-induced trance to reach a stage of illumination and clarity, using a drug that was created by Lord Ragnos to aid him in deep meditation. It was also said that this drug had the ability to shape a Scions own genetics to enhance their mind and body; which was why some believed Marka Ragnos lived as long as he did. The effect of the drug is of course only a rumour, and for security purposes it is locked away.
Scions of Ragnos answer only to the Maleficarum, as well as the Anguis and Tigrist of Ragnos.
Progeny of Ragnos
A Progeny is something of a stepping stone towards a greater power. With the attainment of this title, and the approval of the Anguis and Tigrist, the member will be invited to a ceremony where they will be presented with a signet ring with the Disciples of Ragnos emblem inscribed onto it.
The Progeny is an important asset to the Council and will be valued over all mere Disciples. They are tested constantly by the Anguis and Tigrist both physically and mentally. The Maleficarum pays close attention to their education, hoping that one may show the foresight and endurance needed to become a Scion.
If the Progeny undergoes the trial and their body shows the necessary changes that mark a Scion of Ragnos, then that title will be granted to them. If not, and the Progeny didn’t die, then the testing will resume until they are proclaimed a descendant of Lord Ragnos or until their lifeless corpse is buried.
The Structure of the Disciples
The lowest rank of the Disciples are known as the Solifugae, or 'those who flee from the Sun'; they are
expected to carry out the will of the higher ranks of the Disciples. It is worth noting that the rank or
position that a member holds in the Dark Brotherhood is irrelevant and unconnected to their rank in the
Disciples; the ancient leaders of the Disciples adhere to traditions much older than those of the Brotherhood,
so a Journeyman may outrank an Equite in the Disciples.
If a member of the Solifugae applies themself to their duties with diligence and dedication, they may be
chosen to ascend to the ranks of the Noctosalutae, or 'those who hail the night'. This grants them greater
responsibility and authority within the ranks of the Disciples, although they are still considered greatly inferior
to the Progenies, Scions and Council of the Disciples.
Possessions System
More information on this will be forthcoming. The possessions system will offer tangible rewards for progression
in the Disciples program; by obtaining new ranks in the Disciples, members will be able to choose from a small selection
of 'loot' that can be displayed on their Wiki page and hopefully be used in the ACC and their own writing.
Behind the Scenes
Disclaimer
The Disciples of Ragnos holds no official titles within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood or Clan Naga Sadow. It is purely a fictional device to reward members for their activity and dedication in House Marka Ragnos, and to promote character development for every member of the House. This article itself is being developed by members and is to be an amalgam of their work.
Vision Statement
House Champion
Just before the end of each month, the House Summit will get together with the Battleteam Leaders and select the most active member to become House Champion for that month; candidates are based on activity, participation in competitions on a BT/House/Clan/DB scale, and general House involvement. The House Champion becomes the Cultus Ordinem for the next both; fictionally he or she gains access to the untold knowledge stored in the Dark Library, while non-fictionally this person is allowed to House Summit meetings to bring his or her ideas to the House. Also, as an optional choice, the Cultus can insert a mini-report into Quaestor's weekly reports to inform the House of any ideas/project/thoughts; this allows the Cultus to get a feel of writing reports for a future leadership position within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
Roster 2009
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Past House Champions:
Zaxen Dauketrenal (March 2008)
Vorion (April 2008)
Zaroth (May 2008)
Nassin Zye (June 2008)
Mal'ari'carun (July 2008)
Noctosalutae, Progenies and Scions
This is basic rank system to reward House-related accomplishments. If a member has completed some of the requirements
for a certain Disciples rank while completing the requirements for a promotion to the next Brotherhood rank,
they may contact the Aedile, Quaestor and Rollmaster to obtain their next rank in the Disciples system.
Noctosalutae Requirements
- Rank of Novice or above
- Completion of one (1) page of fiction describing their time as one of the Solifugae (Ariel, font size 12)
- Final approval by Quaestor
Progeny Requirements
- Must be one of the Noctosalutae
- Rank of Protector or above
- One Dark Maven (History, Writing or Philosophy) or Leadership/Service Dark Maven
- SA Core Exam (Sith, Krath or Obelisk depending on Order)
- Completion of two (2) pages of fiction describing their time as one of the Noctosalutae (Ariel, font size 12)
- Final approval by Quaestor
Scion Requirements
- Must be a Progeny
- Rank of Dark Jedi Knight or above
- Participated in Vendetta (GJW, Clan Feud, ect)
- At least a minimum of five (5) Seals earned
- Three (3) pages of fiction describing their time as a Progeny and the process of becoming a Scion (Ariel, font size 12)
- One (1) Merit Medal of Dark Cross or above for House-related accomplishments
- Final approval by Quaestor
Role Playing
This is the most fictional part of the Disciples of Ragnos and is heavily involved with character development. Role playing allows members to expand and explore their characters in House canon through writing, anything from one page to ten pages depending on the person. The idea here is to just to Role Play and explore
their character's development and time as one of the Disciples of Ragnos.
Solifugae to Scion (House Summit Guideline)
The Quaestor and Aedile of House Marka Ragnos should pay attention to the following criteria. You both serve a fictional role in the Disciples of Ragnos and thus the development of a members status in this fictional structure is your responsibility.
For a Disciple to advance all the way to Scion then spelling, grammar and realism need to be taken into consideration; also along with continuity for ACC and Run-On's. Spelling and grammar may not be essential until a member reaches a certain status; remember not everyone is a writer and to promote character development through House canon is your main objective. Below are some suggested requirements on what to look for.
Solifugae Requirements
Noctosalutae Requirements
- Basic spelling and grammar
- Realism
- Character Development
Progeny Requirements
- Good spelling and grammar
- Realism
- Continuity (ACC/Run-On)
- Character Development
Scion Requirements
- Exceptional spelling and grammar
- Realism
- Continuity (ACC/Run-On)
- Character Development
IRC Role Play
House Marka Ragnos has its own channel for members to act (I)n (C)haracter and explore House canon in a "Real Time" atmosphere. The channel will be re-opened based on interest- look for more information on this soon.
About
The Disciples of Ragnos was originally conceived by Ashura Isradia (based on House history) during his term as Quaestor of House Marka Ragnos, in an attempt to meet some of the expectations placed on him as House Leader. House Champion/Cultus Ordinem allows a member to try out short-term projects (which means projects that dont take long to set up) and to voice his/her ideas (along with any members ideas who would rather go through them instead of coming directly to the House Summit) Progeny allows a members personal accomplishments to be displayed, allowing a member to grow as an individual and rewarding that by letting them have a fictional impact within House canon. The position of Scion also allows a members House-related accomplishments to be displayed, superceding their accomplishments as a Progeny.
The idea of the Disciples of Ragnos is to give members an interesting avenue by which to develop their characters, and to suggest a direction in which members can focus their efforts in order to obtain Brotherhood promotions.
Contributors
The following people have contributed to the creation of the Disciples of Ragnos by either providing input, feedback, ideas, names and written material. Their part in the creation of this project should not be forgotten. See the trivia section for a complete listing.
- Ashura Isradia
- Raven
- Tsainetomo Keibatsu
- Vladek
- Jades "Imperial" Atema
- Faeril Munlear
- Alexander Anderson
- Vorion
- Zaxen Dauketrenal
- Zaroth Kalikrayye
- Nero Pennant
- Teu
- Tritherus
- Manji Keibatsu Sadow
- Wookieepedia
Trivia
- The Disciples of Ragnos should not be confused with the Sith cult of the same name that was led by Tavion Axmis.
- The Disciples of Ragnos have a Krath theme to them, but this is because House Marka Ragnos historically is a Krath House. Do not feel you need to change your Order to reflect this.
In the previous incarnation of the Disciples of Ragnos:
- The Dark Primus name was created by Zaxen Dauketrenal, while the description of the position was written by Vorion.
- The Dark Patriarch/Matriarch name was created by Zaxen Dauketrenal, while the description of the position was written by Vorion.
- The Hand of Ragnos name was created by Ashura Isradia, while the description of the position was written by Vorion.
- The Dark Chronicler name was created by Sai Na'Ashar Keibatsu who also wrote the description of the position.
- The Sword of Ragnos name was created by Zaxen Dauketrenal, while the description of the position was written by Vorion.
- The Dark Scholar name was created by Ashura Isradia, while the description of the position was written by Vorion.
- The Dark Librarian position was pre-established in House history and revamped for use in the Disciples of Ragnos. The description was written by Alaric.
- The Scion of Ragnos position was pre-established in House history and revamped for use in the Disciples of Ragnos. The description was written by Ashura Isradia. The Progency of Ragnos name was created by Zaroth after the idea of establishing a lesser position. The description of these positions is a combined effort from Ashura Isradia and Zaroth.
- The names for the three Castes were created by Vorion, Zaxen Dauketrenal, Zaroth, Teu and Tritherus. The descriptions were written by Zaxen Dauketrenal, Vorion and Ashura Isradia.
- The Scion and Progeny requirements were inspired by the Marked of the Wanderer article; full credit goes to Trevarus Caerick.
- The Mission Statement was written by Ashura Isradia to clarify the need and purpose of the Disciples after recieving feedback from various members.