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Warder Students (309)
For generations Noble daughters have been sent to the White Tower to be
trained in the ways of Aes Sedai, and for as many generations noble sons have
also gone to be trained in the art of combat. Trained by the Gaidin, the
Warder Students form one of the most prestigious and respected academies of
the sword in all of the Westlands.
Drawing members from all ranks of life, the students may be training under
the patronage of a respected benefactor, or be fulfilling a scholarship
offered them by a senior staff member or an Aes Sedai. In either case, a
student is bound to respect the values of the White Tower for the duration
of their membership, and to be ready to defend them whenever called upon.
In order to successfully complete training, a warder student will have
attained a high level of finesse with the blade, as well as being able to
identify and avert danger from a prospect ward. They must also be ready
to ensure due respect is granted their ward any time they are in public.
On finishing training and achieving the rank of Weapons Master, a student
should be ready to act as an elite bodyguard, able to defend their charge
in even the most hostile of environments.
Rank Structure
The ranks of the Warder Students are divided into two tiers, the students
themselves, and the Staff that trains them. These are further divided as
per below:
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Students
The student ranks are divided into three main circle of expertise, starting
with Apprentice, then Journeyman, and later achieving Adept status. Each of
these levels is split further into two degrees of competence, with students
new to a circle being granted the title Weaponsman, while those more senior
and awaiting testing are recognised as Guardians. A Guardian may be request
testing at any time, and if they pass they will be eligible to advance to
the next circle as soon as their other basic training requirements are met.
To complete their training as a warder student, an Adept Guardian must
undertake the Graduate exam, where they will be required to draw upon all
of their training and intuition. Should they pass this gruelling test,
they will be promoted to the rank of Weapons Master, with the best being
offered a position among the staff.
Staff
Upon reaching the rank of Weapons Master, some warder students seek to
further extend their training, and in return assist in the training of
others. These persons are granted rank in respect to their years of hard
work and training. From lowest to highest they are Weapons Master,
Warder Ready, Weapons Teacher, Head Guardian, and Tower Guardian.
At this time, Gaidin Gregdal commands the ranks of the warder students,
while Weapons Master Gunthar Draye oversees training. Gaidin Rhoachan
is current Master of Swords, and will be overseeing all forms training.
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ENLISTMENT
All potential students will be checked for any outstanding warrants. Any warrants
found are to be investigated, with serious cases being turned over to the Shining
Guard. Warrants such as one from the Children of the Light for being a darkfriend
will likewise be investigated, with dismissal in most cases.
Potential students are also to be questioned as to their intentions, with their
basic morals and loyalties found to be in keeping with the White Tower. Also,
any relevant experience they may have from their background should be noted, with
combat experience being tested in the sparring yards.
If a candidate is found to be acceptable, they may be sworn in at an induction
ceremony (Appendix A) and their name will be added to the student ledger as an
Apprentice Weaponsman. Also at this time they will be issued with the cloak of
an apprentice, which they are to wear from that day forward.
APPRENTICE Weaponsman/Guardian
As an Apprentice, a student can expect long days of training as week by week their
body is tempered into the weapon it will need to be for the future. The standard
day for an apprentice will consist of a morning jog and exercise routine coupled
with an afternoon of weapons training in the practice yards. As it is the opinion
of the Warder Student staff that there is no substitute for the real thing, parties
of apprentices generally lead by a more senior student may be sent out to deal with
reports of shadowspawn activity.
PROMOTION EXAM:
As a student aims to one day be responsible for the health and safety of another,
an important skill that must be gained is the ability to detect potential danger.
For the purpose of this exam, the student is acting in an advance roll, where they
have been given a series of events that their 'ward' will be enacting the next day,
and they are to make sure that everything goes by safely.
Possible threats may involve food being poisoned, an intruder, enemy agents in
ambush, or an over zealous fan being able to get too close. The student should
check for recent disturbances in the region, and the presence of any hostile forces
nearby (eg The Children of the Light). Marks will be allocated for threats uncovered,
with clan points awarded for exceptional results.
Any student passing this exam will be promoted to Journeyman as soon as they have
sufficient clan points to do so.
JOURNEYMAN Weaponsman/Guardian
Upon becoming a Journeyman, a student will have already proven themself able to
recognise many of the dangers that threaten a ward and have dealt with some of the
lesser ones personally. The life of a protector, however, is also faced with greater
challenges, and this is reflected in this circle of training. Not only are Journeymen
required to spar against each other in the practice yards so as to hone their skill,
but Guardians are also required to assist in hunting down any reported halfmen.
PROMOTION EXAM:
On occassion, a student will come up against a situation where neither brain nor
brawn alone will get them through safely. As such, the student is to be placed
in a situation where they face overwhelming odds, and must therefore use their
wits to find some means to even the board. Such solutions may include convincing
the local guard into attacking the enemy underlings so that the student may deal
with their master personally, or convincing the villain into facing them one on one
in a duel. Extra marks will be awarded if the sanctity of human life is preserved.
ADEPT Weaponsman/Guardian
By this stage a student is well trained in both martial combat and intuitive thinking,
and as such they will find themself as much away from the tower acting as agents as
they spend in rigorous training in the practice yards. Able to move about less
obtrusely than the guardsmen, Adept are frequently granted the task of seeking out
and destroying the shadow wherever it may be lurking.
GRADUATE EXAM:
The student has spent their time at the White Tower learning the skills of a warder
and to graduate they need to show that they can use what they have learnt. In this
senario, a student will be required to act, in all ways, as a warder. The ward will
then require that they travel through dangerous territory, where they are faced by
both physical and diplomatic challenges. In addition there be at least one foe
determined to subdue the ward, at which point this exam fails automatically.
The successful student will have managed to keep their ward safe while they achieve
all the tasks they need to do while likewise keeping their ward's reputation intact.
WEAPONS MASTER (Graduate)
Having passed their graduate exam, a Weapons Master now has all the skills they
require for taking on anything a potential threat may throw at them. Ever vigilant,
a weapons master is a valuable addition to any group, able to impart teaching as
well as deliver the highest order of protection.
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If a warder student is to be able to face the chaos of battle or the myriad of
challenges that will present themselves in life, they must do so with a mind
that is clear and just as finely tuned as any of their other muscles. In order
to achieve this, they must have a firm base of priorities that must be met, and
the means to achieve them. Foremost among these priorites is discipline.
While in training with the Warder Students, all members are required to abide
by the rules and regulations of the White Tower at all times. Those particularly
of note are listed here below, while others are maintained on the Notice Board in
the The Warders' Gathering Area.
Students are not to enter the novice or accepted galleries at any time. In
the unlikely event that the Tower comes under attack, a student may enter for
the purpose of defense only, but only under the supervision and consent of a
Full Sister.
Students are to act in a curteous manner toward all Aes Sedai, Accepted, and
Novices. This curtesy should also be extended to the Tower staff and any of
the Tower guests.
In times of conflict students are to assist the Shining Guard, falling under
their command until such time as a proper chain of command can be reached,
either through Gaidin Gregdal or a Staff member.
In addition to the 'duties' roster, students should check if there are any
changes in standing orders on a regular basis so as to keep up to date with
student policy. Standing Orders will be posted on the board in the Warders'
Gathering Area
Novices and Accepted encountered outside the Tower Proper, that is beyond the
Tower Grounds, are to have their passes inspected. If they refuse, or are not
in possession of a pass, they are to be escorted back to the Tower directly
and with reasonable haste. If this course of action is resisted, the name and
location of the offending party is to be reported to the Mistress of Novices.
Under no circumstance is a violent resolution to be pursued.
Under the Light the Warder Students respect the Law but are not the Law unto
themselves. As such should the students find a member of the public under
attack they may interceed as an agent of the light to protect them, but
further prosecution of the attacker is the responsibility of the Law of that
Land.
The White Tower is always at war with the shadow. To this end the students
are tasked with destroying all spawn of the Shadow at any opportunity.
However, as the battle with the Shadow is long and enduring, foolish risks are
unacceptable. Younger students are to use all caution if faced by a trolloc,
while only the older more seasoned students should attempt to face a halfman.
Beyond shadowspawn, the Dark One has other servants to do his bidding. If one
of these darkfriends is discovered, they are to be captured, if possible, and
returned to the cells of the Shining Guard where they will await trial. It is
unfortunate that from time to time a darkfriend will be found in a position of
power, such as a higher lord, a commander, or even a magistrate. If this is
the case, any evidence of their dark allegiance is to be given to Gaidin
Gregdal or a Staff member before taking action. No action is to be taken without
consent.
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The Warder Students have a long tradition of excellence in the face of adversary.
Past and present students have served with honour, resolving hostage situations,
driving back trolloc raids, and tracking down the foulest of darkfriends. Graduates
have also lived on to serve royal houses with distinction, while others have been
bonded by ever interested Aes Sedai in the Tower itself.
In keeping with tradition, future acts of excellence will be recorded here.
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