Welcome/Initiation Ceremony

[Wayfarer]

Rightio.

 

Well, when I first became a White a little bit back, I discovered that there wasn't any ceremony worked out at all.  I started to get one organised with Robin but he then ducked over to the other site so meh to that :)

 

Now, what we have to figure out is a new ceremony since there only seem to be bits and pieces of the old floating about.  Here is what was posted on the offsite boards when we were trying to work it out.

 

 

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James:

 

When a sister chooses the White Ajah, the White Sisters present all embrace the new sister and welcome her. Once this is done, the sister is escorted to the White Hall, a place used for debate and discussion.

 

Basic Description: You walk in and after three or four columns the room ends in a half circle. This half circle is lined with two foot high steps. Think of a basic Greek Ampitheatre or Odeum, it faces inwards to an open space in the centre where any orator may make a presentation, or pair may argue while others can watch. Walls are likely lined with tapestries or such (though they'd need a logical reason for being there, depicting particular historical scenes perhaps or more philosophical questions).

 

Once every sister present in the Tower is seated, a new sister is presented with a challenge by one of the other sisters (not the head). The challenge can be a philosophical question, they could be given something to interpret, they could be presented with a more practical problem. The sister then has to grapple with it before her sisters and both present an answer and assert valid reasons for the answer.

 

Whether the answer was right or wrong is irrelevant and is never answered within the ceremony. The point of this is to confirm the aspirant's basic abilities as well as give them a taste of the basic role of the White Ajah, to question and to seek the truth.

 

(Perhaps more than one challenge could be presented to an aspirant, each by different sisters that feel they wish to test a person in a certain way. Maybe a philosophical problem, something to interpret and a more practical problem, three things to do in the ceremony, that might be cumbersome though).

 

Once the challenge is complete... Something happens, anyone got any ideas? Or want to change stuff?

 

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Perine:

 

I like the idea above. Proving themselves worthy for the Ajah.

 

I have a sort of idea for the continuing of the ceremony. I was first trying to think of something more radical but the following came to mind instead.

- The initiate is to choose a flower of her choice and place it in large bowl on a shelf in the Hall that is now filled with flowers. One for each sister. She places a ward of keeping on the flower to preserve it. So now the wall holds one flower for each sister. And when the sister is killed her flower is taken out of the bowl and left to die down also. *ponders* It sounded better in my head.

 

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James:

 

I'm not sure about that, I'll need to roll it about in my head, but it did give me an idea for a place we could make specific for White Sisters. A burial ground specifically for White sisters, when a sister dies she is buried much in the way of the Shienaran and a new tree is planted upon the grave. The death of the sister serves to nourish new life, was thinking of a Grove for White Sisters. An act of giving back one's life to the pattern, defeating death through using it to create new life.

 

Something along those lines, I need to think about it more

 

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Ok :)

 

So I've been thinking about this more.  I think we need to keep the ceremony simply focused on the questioning because its a particularly useful element.  It allows any new sister to show what their character is like, their opinions, etc.  Not only to her fellow sisters, but especially if its someone's second or third char whatnot and a period as novice and accepted hasn't been played, I think it'd maybe help a person get into the mind of their character.

 

Thoughts?

[Raeyn]

.... I swear, you people are out to ruin me trying to get off my arse and write another character.

 

::shudders::

[Wayfarer]

*laughs* Well its far from locked in.  What do you reckon would be fun to play instead?

[Raeyn]

Nothing that smacks of training, ceremony, or organization?  I'm also the party pooper who thinks bonding parties are lame, so...

 

I think that as far as a post-raising/acceptance to the Ajah things go?  It's quite to the point and useful.  As someone who hates what I call "format" roleplays (oaths, arches, training classes, etc) and who is REALLY bad at arguing?  OUCH! :D

 

((People also do need to keep in mind that some of us are casual RPers - I'm quite content doing maaybe 1-2 a month, if that.))

 

However, if the general consensus is that this would be a great thing to do?  Fine, dandy, awesome!  Just don't make me do it :(

[Wayfarer]

Its like any form of shared suffering, misery loves company :P  And bad at arguing?  You are a woman aren't you? :D

 

But seriously...  Personally I think its good to have at least some form of shared RP that every char does within the White Ajah so we all have a common cornerstone.  Especially if it can be made pertinent rather than something that is done simply for the sake of doing, one of the reasons I tend to dislike format RP's as well.

 

What do other people think? :)

[perine]

Not a big fan of formal rp's myself either, though I dont really hate them.

I have to agree that the welcoming rp should be of a same form for each character. It's just one rp after all. :)

 

And everyone can choose how deep into the questions they ellaborate. Myself I'm bad at arguing, but I suppose it will build the ooc me as well to at least attempt to do so. ;)

 

 

[Raeyn]

See, Perine agrees!  ::hides behind Perine and peeks over her shoulder::

 

>_>

 

But yeah.... it really isn't a bad idea; we've supposedly had something similiar set up for the Brown since the time of my "reign" there.  I can't remember what for the life of me though :D

[Liitha]

joins the agreeing factor...also cause *white voice* what sort of logic can you expect from a woman who just been through her test and then should have been up all nite meditating etc...a tired head dont work as well as a fresh

 

and the whole seeking an answer takes meditating and maturing in the mind..which means its an illogical way to test it the same day they are raised

 

then if anything like this should deny them to the ajah as such on standard  base like the green do, asign a mentor for them to find a question togheter with (chanse to personalise and affect the rp to a level that the ooc writer can grasp with as perine point out while the char might be white, the person behind aint nesicarily so)

 

then to present this to the ajah later on and based on that be taken up as they prove that they can work out a logical answer to something, and have a mentor who can voutch for them having shown quality in their method of reaching said answer

[Guest nephitess]

I like the Ceremony idea. I'm not a fan of the Formal RPs but i see the need for them. The challenge and argue Idea is good *likes to argue* LOL.

 

do you still want idea for after the Argue session? We could make it traditional for the Sister to be in Meditation and Contemplation for the night with two sisters standing vigil out side the new sisters quarters. This is just something to included as a history thing for a PC...does not need to be RPed.

[Liitha]

i still think they should have one problem or something to think about over a period to show their skill at reasoning and logic

 

after OP test+nite of meditation+raising to AS taking the oaths that feels like entering a to thigth straigth jacket, i hardly think on the first day you can be expecting to get reasonable answers...more like overtired state acting as if drunk...

[Sam]

I figure that the White Ajah is all logic and formality, right? So let's do something different for our indocrtinat . . . I mean, induction ceremony. Let's break open some kegs and have a karaoke night! Y.M.C.A! Okay, maybe not the kegs, or inevitably someone is going to start trying to do keg standings and no one needs to see a two hundred year-old woman upside down with her skirts about her ears.

 

 

[Wayfarer]

So, we're good with this ceremony as is? :)

[Guest nephitess]

Yeah i think so...

 

*spanks Sam the gimp*  you nutter you know that..*ggls*

[Sam]

Unhand me, wench!

[Guest nephitess]

*gropes Sam firmly*

[Sam]

Gee, the natives are friendly. Sorry, I was looking for the White Hall and I seemed to have stepped into the Green one.

 

[Guest nephitess]

*smirks*

[Raeyn]

Now now Sam -  it's never good to cross a Red with a Green ::weg::

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

*SMIRKS*

[Wayfarer]

Rightio, I'll get it up on the site sometime soon then :)

[Sam]

The Red Ajah is about as useful as hitting a trolloc with a rolled up newspaper. And no, not a one-power wrought . . . though, this does give me a smashing idea for a weapon for a character.

 

And you know why the Green Ajah is green? Well, one day when you're all older, I just may tell you!

[Liitha]

no, not as it stand in first post i aint, i think i gave very valid reasons that even though the test is good ic, the timing is not due to human limitations

[Wayfarer]

It would be unreasonable if the expectation was for the person doing the test to come up with the perfect answer.  The point of it is not to show spectacular skills and dazzling insight, though it might happen.  The point is to put the sister on the spot.

[Liitha]

The sister then has to grapple with it before her sisters and both present an answer and assert valid reasons for the answer.

 

The point of this is to confirm the aspirant's basic abilities

 

its this confirmation that i belive not everyone would be able to prove in their state of being, some yes, all no. My char would be among the later, her mind would be to tired to contemplate things properly, and the more she pushed herself (as she would) the more blank her mind would go, frustration would raise, desperation, fear, and she would be in a bad circle where there just would be no way she could reach any logic due to all the other contemplations going through her mind. While rested she would be able to get through it, not with excelence, but enough to prove she had abilities to be trained, though never expected to be one of the front figures of the ajah, yet a lesser sister of some use.

[Sam]

If your character has been guided to the White Ajah after thirty or so years of training then she would be able to reason. It is the reasoning we're after, not the answer. The ability of a mind to deduce, indduce, surmise, extrapolate, traject; whatever, from basic information. If your character is not very versed in the subject, well her answer won't be well informed but it'll still display the way her mind turns, which is what they want to see.