The Dark Voice
New Dark Maven Guidelines
Freelance Coorespondant Anshar
After numerous questions about how to earn the degrees, the Headmaster has decided that the Dark Maven degrees will be offered to the general membership, rather than be restricted to the Shadow Academy staff. The degrees were originally part of the extensive role playing system that did not make it off the ground. Only the Dark Maven degree will be opened to the entire Brotherhood; the other Dark Side Degrees (Savant, Sage, and Master of Dark Lore) will remain restricted under the original guidelines, as laid out by former Headmaster Spears. “Setting some basic guidelines for the Dark Maven is easy,” commented the Headmaster. “When you start getting to the other degrees, though, it gets very complicated, and far less concrete.”
There will now be three methods by which a member may earn a Dark Maven degree. First, as in the past, the degree will be awarded to an Eclectic Pedagogue in good standing who has served the Shadow Academy for a decent amount of time. Secondly, the degree may be used by the Headmaster as an award in special Shadow Academy competitions. These first two methods are entirely at the discretion of the Headmaster.
The third method is a nomination process by which each clan will be allowed to award the degree to one person every six months, much in the same manner as Seals of Loyalty. However, the nominee must have been in the Brotherhood for at least six months, have passed at least ten Shadow Academy courses, and they must have been active in their house and clan. “Ultimately,” said the Headmaster, “Clan Summits will have to decide what criteria they want to use to determine a person’s activity. And if the Clan Summit doesn’t want to award the degree, then that is their prerogative.”
The Headmaster has also decided that the degrees may be revoked if the recipient ever does anything to warrant revocation of the degree. “Cheating or doing anything to harm the Shadow Academy is a guaranteed revocation,” said the Headmaster. “In fact, any Chamber of Justice conviction will result in a revocation of a degree. Beyond that, I’ll handle things on a case by case basis.”
For the time being, the only benefit from the degree will be honorific. However, other uses for the degree, such as under the Clan and Order Powers System, will be explored. “I promise nothing,” said the Headmaster, “but, I will ask around and see if the degrees can be used in other aspects of the Brotherhood.”
The first nominations from the clans will be taken in June.
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