- "Throughout our history, the cycle has repeated itself, never failing. There is a Master and an Apprentice. The Apprentice learns from his Master, and in turn, becomes a Master in his own right, finally taking a student of his own, to whom he passes on his knowledge and experience. This cycle must never fail, else the Dark Side itself shall fail."
- ―paraphrase of the Rule of Two
These words remain true today in the Dark Brotherhood and within Clan Naga Sadow. Young Apprentices are assigned to their Master, who in turn teach the Apprentice the ways of the Brotherhood and often the Force. As these Apprentices themselves rise through the ranks, they too are given the opportunity to share their wisdom with new Apprentices to continue the cycle. This is the very basics of the Master Student Program.
Becoming a Master is one of the many things young Journyeman look forward to as they complete their trials and become Journeyman 4. It is seen as an honor and a privilege to instruct others in the way of the Brotherhood and the Force. It is a great honor to see ones Apprentice take the final steps into Knighthood. Becoming a Master can be a very rewarding experience on many levels. Beyond the materialistic rewards, which are great and many, successful Masters are viewed as leaders within the Clan, and it can be the first leadership role many young Journeyman have.
Successfully mentoring students can lead to a wealth of possibilities in the Brotherhood, but being a Master is not for everyone. Masters are placed in a trusted relationship, where they have a great deal of influence and clout with their students. Therefore, it has been mandated that those wishing to become Masters meet certain requirements, to ensure only the best of Naga Sadow are trusted to mentor our new members. This document lays out the responsibilities of the all those in the Master Student Program, from the Rollmaster to the Masters and the Students, as well as the supporting roles of the Clan Summit.
Purpose of the Program
As each young apprentice joins the ranks of Naga Sadow, they are taken into the care of the Clan Rollmaster, who will ensure that each member is given the attention to answer any questions they have about the Brotherhood and ensure they have the tools necessary to receive their first promotion, Novice. At the rank of Apprentice, the Rollmaster will contact each new member, formally welcoming them to Clan Naga Sadow, and inviting them to the Master Student Program. The Rollmaster, along with the student, will work to select an appropriate Master, who will guide them in the ways of the Dark Brotherhood.
The Rollmaster will continue to work with the new member, along with the Master, until the member reaches the rank of [Protector]]. During this transition period, the Master will place a primary focus on the new member achieving the steps necessary to earn promotions, and ensuring those members are active within the Clan . The Rollmaster will continue to work with the members on various outlets in the Brotherhood, such as the ACC, various competitions, and other forms of activity outside of House Naga Sadow.
At the point of promotion to Protector, the Master will assume the full responsibility for the students progress, and the Rollmaster will end their formal relationship with the new member. During this time, the Master will begin priming the student for their upcoming Trials of Knighthood. Upon successful completion of the Quaestor's Task in the Trials, the formal relationship between Master and Apprentice shall end, but it is believed and indeed hoped that this relationship will continue for many, many years, and that these members have each other to fall back on throughout their careers in the Brotherhood.
Rule of Two
Always two there are... a Master and an apprentice...
Each Master will be allowed only one Student at a given time, unless given special permission from the House Rollmaster. This is for many reasons including; so that each student will get the full attention of their Master, to keep Masters from overloading themselves or neglecting one Student while favoring another, and to make sure all available Masters are utilized. If at any time the number of available Students exceeds available Masters then multiple students will be allowed.
Titles of the Master Student Program
The title of Learner is awarded to those that have taken their first steps into the House Naga Sadow Master Student program. A member is a Learner in title, under a Master - until they have achieved Journeyman 1 in rank.
Once achieving the rank of Journeyman 1 the next level would be Student, which is a sign of natural bonding between the Master and Student. Once a Student has shown their willingness to serve the House and their house at any costs, they are progressing towards the ending of their training. A member is an Student until they reach Dark Jedi Knight in rank.
Once a member has hit Journeyman 4 their training is completed, but they are still bound to their Master forever. The experience gained during this time will defiantly make an influence on how the member acts, learns, and participates. Thus the title of Disciple is awarded to them for the rest of their time in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Regardless of the Disciple leaving the House, they shall always be recorded as a Disciple of their Master.
Once at Journeyman 4 a member may take on a learner of their own to restart the circle of the Master Student program. Though the teacher is called a "Master" during the time they train their first member - the title is only probationary until they have trained a member to the rank of Dark Jedi Knight. Once they have done this once - they are permanently scripted as a Master in the House Naga Sadow Master Student program. In short, the only way to become a Master is to have a Disciple.
After training five Disciples a Master has earned the final title one can achieve in the Master Student program, Guru. Guru's of the House hold special rights as far as training goes and may open their own school under the Master Student program.
<<TITLE TABLE TO BE PLACED HERE - PLACEHOLDER>>
Responsibilities
Duties of the Rollmaster
The Rollmaster is tasked with the overall supervision and administration of the Master Student Program, and his specific duties include, but are not limited to:
- Welcome and greet each new member of the House
- Ensure each member is given the necessary resources to ensure they are able to reach the rank of Novice
- Assist in and approve all Master/Student pairings.
- Supervise All Masters.
- Make regular reports to the House on the status of the MSP.
- Provide guidance to Masters and Students.
- Approve all new Masters.
- Oversee the removal of unfit Masters.
- Continuously document the Program.
Duties of the Masters
The masters, after being selected, work without much supervision, and are trusted to mentor his students without the need for constant oversight. The master does have a wealth of responsibilities throughout the career of his student. The exact duties of a Master are not covered in this document, nor are they publicly available to the House . However, these select duties are included in this document:
- Report not less than every two weeks to the Rollmaster, detailing the progress their student(s) have made in that time period.
- Complete any and all duties mandated in the Trials.
- Set a good example for their students.
Duties of the Students
While joining the Master Student Program is not a requirement, it is very strongly encouraged for all new members joining Naga Sadow. Because of this, a very large amount of time and dedication is placed into this program by the Masters and Rollmaster. For this reason, it is expected that each Student in the program will follow a few basic rules:
- Ensure communication is maintained on a regular basis with the assigned Master.
- Contact the Rollmaster if unable to contact assigned Master for over three days.
- Report no less than bi-weekly to your Master.
- Make every possible effort to follow the time restraints as laid out in the Promotion Trials.
Entering and Leaving
Students
Students enter the Master Student Program upon achieving the rank of Novice, and receiving an invitation from the House Rollmaster. Any student who does not enter the program in this fashion, for whatever reason, may petition the Rollmaster for entry into the Program. No member may enter the program after attaining the rank of Jedi Hunter.
Members may, at their leisure, opt to remove themselves from the Master Student Program by emailing the Rollmaster. However, it should be noted that a member that leaves the Master Student Program will not be able to return, barring extreme circumstances. If a member has a problem with their Master, they should immediately report the problem to the Rollmaster.
Masters
Members who have attained the rank of Dark Jedi Knight have the privilege of becoming Masters. However, this process is not to be taken lightly. Any member wishing to become a Master should first meet these requirements:
- Achieve the rank of Journeyman 4 (or higher)
- Have served continuously to present day in Naga Sadow, for at least four months
- Have never been found guilty of a charge before the Chamber of Justice **
- Possess an email response time of, at the very most, 72 hours
- Possess, at the very least, a minimal IRC presence
- Ability and willingness to report to the Rollmaster at least twice per month
- The ability to perform all expectations of a Master in this document
Members who have accepted positions outside of the House, but not in another House (such as a Dark Council position), are free to continue to serve as Masters within House Naga Sadow. Upon leaving said position, the member must return directly to Naga Sadow to maintain their status as a Master.
Individual cases will be reviewed on a case by case basis, in an attempt to determine if the offense would have any bearing on the expectations of a Master in this program.
Members who meet these requirements should petition the House Rollmaster for entry into the Master Student Program. Please note that these criteria are not negotiable.
Removing a Master / Barred Masters
There have been instances in the history of our House, where certain members have committed such acts, or developed a history of certain behaviors that are very much undesirable in this program. As such, criteria have been developed to ensure that these persons are not admitted into the Master Student Program, or allowed to continue to serve, should they be discovered after incorporation into the program. Each case will be dealt with by the Quaestor of the House in question and the Rollmaster.
Roster
Current List of Masters/Students
Unpaired Masters