The Structure and Succession of Power within OoSR

I. The Governing Bodies of the Order:

The structure within the Order of Sith Realists functions as an alternate version of a Theocracy. In this structure, there are various roles but ultimately, the Order operates under the "Rule of Two", modified from Darth Bane's fictional version to fit our reality. In this Theocracy the heads of the Order is one Master and one Apprentice which take on the title of Dark Lord/Lady. Beneath them is the body of government which is the Dark Council. The Dark Council will initially be comprised of Lords and Ladies of the Order who have held their title and remained active in their participation and current position for at least one year. After the "Succession of Power" has commenced and those bearing the Darth title are added into the fray, the Dark Council (ideally) will be comprised of Darths serving their council terms.

The Dark Lords and Ladies of the Order are responsible for upholding the Order's code and the Rule of Two, as well as creating a curriculum for future Aspirants. The Dark Council's main function is to provide advice and suggestion to the heads of the Order, discuss any other important matters, and aid towards the main goals of the Order (whatever those may be at the time) while carrying out the orders of the Dark Imperium. The Dark Council also acts as a failsafe in case a Dark Lord/Lady does not uphold the codified rules of the Order, that being the Rule of Two and the Order's code as set by Dark Lady Scorn in 2023.


II. Titles:


Titles will be used to separate the accomplished from those that are still working through the curriculum. There will be different privelages based on the rank/title one bears. As members of the Order rise through the ranks, different opportunities become available. Here is a simple breakdown of the various titles and what they mean:

⦁ [Interloper]
- Requirement(s): NONE
Those that first join the forums will be given the title of Interloper. Interlopers have limited access to the forums and are unable to create a Legacy journal. Interlopers will have access to a starter's course which they must complete in order to be given the title of Aspirant. The completed coursework will be submitted to the heads of the Order for review before an Interloper is promoted.

⦁ [Aspirant]
- Requirement(s): Completion of the Starter's Course
After the completion and submission of the Starter's Course, the Interloper will be given the title of "Aspirant" via the heads of the Order. From here, the Aspirant will have access to create their own Legacy and they will be able to start the required training course/curriculum (The Dark Odyssey).

⦁ [Sith Acolyte]
- Requirement(s): Active Forum Participation / Dark Odyssey Coursework / Trial
After the Aspirant has started their coursework within the Dark Odyssey, that Aspirant begins their road towards becoming a Sith Acolyte. A Sith Acolyte are those that take their journey seriously, and they show this by being active participants within the forum, finishing the coursework in a timely manner, and, when they have shown themselves as dedicated enough...they will be given a trial in order to earn them this particular title. What Separates a Sith Acolyte from an Aspirant is that only a Sith Acolyte can apply for an apprenticeship.

⦁ [Sith Apprentice]
- Requirement(s): Being accepted to be taught under a Lord/Lady of the Order
A Sith Acolyte has the ability to create a formal petition for an apprenticeship as soon as they earn their rank. An apprenticeship is something that is "taken" in that the Sith Acolyte must know whom they want to learn under and then pose that challenge to the Master. Once a Master has accepted the challenge and declaration of a Sith Acolyte, that Acolyte will be given the Sith Apprentice title. The Apprentice then may learn under their Master instead of working through the rest of the required curriculum. An apprenticeship must be held for a period of 3-5 years. It is only after this amount of time that an Apprentice may challenge their Master. If the Apprentice is successful in defeating their Master (see Succession of Power for further details) that Apprentice is then given the title of Lord/Lady of the Sith.


⦁ [Lord/Lady of the Sith]
- Requirement(s): Completion of the required curriculum and subsequent trial OR the completion of Succession of Power from Apprentice.
The title of Lord/Lady of the Sith is gained one of two ways. Either a Sith Acolyte has gone and completed the required curriculum and then passed the trial given to them by the Dark Lord/Lady OR a Sith Apprentice that has been learning under their Master for a period of 3-5 years has challenged their Master and defeated them. As a Lord/Lady of the Sith one can now take on an Apprentice of their own if they choose (but they may only accept someone with the title of Sith Acolyte as an apprentice). If the Dark Council is in need of members, those that have held the position of Lord/Lady of the Sith for 1 year may then apply for the position.


⦁ [Dark Council]
- Requirement(s): Applied for by Lords and Ladies that have held their title for a minimum of 1 year OR given to Darths that must now complete their council term.
The Dark Council is to be comprised of those bearing the title of Darth. Darths are to serve the Dark Council for a period of 3-5 years as a requirement of their taking the title. In the scenario in which there are not enough Darths to fill the Council seats, a Lord/Lady who has held their title for over 1 year may apply. The Dark Council works as advisors to the current Dark Lord/Lady(s) and act as a failsafe in case the codified rules have been broken. 


⦁ [Dark Lady/Lord of the Sith]
- Requirement(s): This is a title given to the Apprentice learning under their Master who is one head of the Order and the same title is bore by the Master as well.
 Under the Rule of Two, the Dark Lord/Lady(s) are the heads of the Order, consisting of one Master and one Apprentice. The Dark Lord/Lady(s) are responsible for carrying out and accomplishing the Order's goals, running the Forum, and creating a curriculum for Aspirants. This role will shift and be given more responsibility as the Order grows.
The Apprenticeship between the Dark Lord/Lady(s) is a binding thing, lasting for a period of 5-10 years. After 4 years, the Apprentice may take on their own Apprentice from the pool of Lord/Lady(s) within the Order. After year 5, the Apprentice may then challenge the Master. Upon a Master's defeat by their Apprentice, the former Master takes on the title of Darth and must serve upon the Dark Council. 


⦁ [Darth]
- Requirement(s): This title is claimed by a Dark Lord/Lady upon the completion of their rule as a Master and after the Succession of Power.
The title of Darth can only be obtained by a Dark Lord/Lady that has been defeated by their Apprentice. Once the Succession of Power is complete and the former Master takes the title of Darth, their final duty is to serve on the Dark Council for a period of 3-5 years. In the event that a Darth quits the forum and/or chooses to bow out of their service to the Dark Council before their term is complete, they will lose their Darth title and be demoted down to the rank of "The Fallen". Due to how long a Master must train an Apprentice, if a Darth does die during their service, the report and proof of death must be presented to the current heads of the Order. Upon a Darth's death, they are allowed to keep their title and are added to the Monolith along with the other Darths who successfully completed their terms.


⦁ [Traitor to the Order & The Fallen]
- In the event that a Dark Lord/Lady breaks the codified rules of the Order, the Dark Council will act as a failsafe and evacuate all members to a new Forum (this will be updated as we add physical locations, so-on and so-forth). After the evacuation, the former Master of that particular Dark Lord/Lady will become the new head of the rebuilt Order and follow the same rules of Apprenticeship and Challenge. If the former Master is not present or cannot complete this task due to age, then the newest Darth of the Dark Council that is eligibile will take this role instead. If the former head of the Order does join the new Order for whatever reason, they will be branded and given the title of "Traitor to the Order" if allowed to participate.Likewise, if a Darth does not complete their term on the Dark Council for any reason other than pure medical emergency and/or death, if their account remains active on the Forum, that Darth will then be demoted to "The Fallen".

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The Succession of Power is the transferring of power and the gaining of titles between Master and Apprentice. A Lord or Lady of the Sith (someone that has completed the required curriculum or has succeeded over a Master) is allowed an Apprentice which is taken from the pool of Sith Acolytes declaring their will to be taught by any eligible Lord or Lady. Upon taking an Apprentice, a Lord or Lady must then train that Apprentice for a period of 3-5 years. In order to become a Lord/Lady of the Sith, an Apprentice must make a formal challenge to their Master within the Forum (via the Proving Grounds). The type of challenge can be of the Apprentice's choosing and must be something agreed upon by the Master as well. Their challenge will then be planned with a given date and must be witnessed by at least 2 members of the Dark Council or by the current heads of the Order. Upon claiming victory over their Master, an Apprentice will be given the title of Lord/Lady of the Sith. The defeated Master keeps their current title and may then take on another Apprentice, thus the cycle continues.

When it comes to the heads of the Order, very similar rules apply. The Master must have trained their Apprentice for a period of 5-10 years. At the minimum of 5 years, the Apprentice may then issue a formal challenge (via the Proving Grounds) to their Master. Likewise, this challenge must be witnessed by at least 2 members of the Dark Council. Upon claiming victory over their Master, the former Apprentice now becomes the head of the Order with their own Apprentice (who will now claim the title of Dark Lord/Lady of the Sith) and the former Master will be given the title of Darth and will now be required to serve upon the Dark Council for the next 3-5 years. Darths are not allowed to take on another Apprentice but may still contribute to the Forum in other ways, likewise, the new Master may only ever take on one Apprentice, thus the Rule of Two.

In the case that Succession of Power fails to be transferred properly, the Dark Council will execute its failsafe measures, the Order will be moved, one of the Darths will become the new head of the Order, and the former head of the Order that did not relinquish their power to defeat will be marked as a Traitor to the Order.