Novices are the lowest level of training among the Aes Sedai, and are expected to follow more rules than Accepted, who have earned their position in the Tower. It is the belief within the Tower that rules create self-discipline, which is needed for control over the One Power.
Aes Sedai and Accepted are aware of the rules governing channeling students, and would not hesitate to turn in a wayward Novice. Novices who are caught are sent to the Mistress of Novices to be punished. All students are directly overseen by the Mistress of Novices.
- All Novices are directly overseen by the Mistress of Novices. She is to be treated with respect at all times.
- All Novices are expected to obey Aes Sedai, without question, and to respect Accepted. They are expected to curtsey to both Accepted and Aes Sedai.
- Novices must maintain an neat and tidy appearance at all times, with clothing and their rooms.
- Novices are expected to wear their whites at all times, unless given permission to do otherwise for special occasions or especially dirty chores.
- Novices are to act as if they have already taken the Three Oaths.
- Novices may have relatives and friends visit, so long as they do not disrupt their studies. Novices are not allowed to become engaged in romantic entanglements. If such a thing is found, the Novice and significant other will be forbidden to see each other. Novices may -only- have visitors within public areas. Men caught anywhere near the Novice Wing without special permission will be thrown from the Tower, no questions asked.
- Novices will be assigned chores daily. They are expected to complete their chores in a timely manner.
- Novices must attend classes daily, and on time. Novices are expected to finish their lessons in a timely manner.
- Novices may not channel in order to do or complete their chores.
- Novices may not channel without permission, or without Aes Sedai or Accepted supervision.
- Novices may not speak to an Aes Sedai unless spoken to.
- Novices are not to handle ter'angreal, angreal, or sa'angreal.
- Novices may not leave the White Tower without permission of an Aes Sedai, Mistress of Novices or Amyrlin. If they have permission, they must be accompanied by an Aes Sedai or Accepted.
NOTE: Novices may RP as if they already have permission to be outside of the Tower, and emit an Aes Sedai or Accepted with them. Do be aware that an AS or Accepted will be expecting a good reason for your absence from the Tower grounds. If one is not provided, said Novice may find themselves marched into the Mistress of Novices' office.
OOC: Now, this does not mean that the rules were not meant to be broken, as it is well known that Novices try to slip away from the Tower and pull pranks quite frequently, however please be aware that if you do those things, there will be IC consequences if you are caught.
Novices who wish to be involved in unconventional plots must have OOC approval first. Such plots include, but are not limited to: running away, getting married, bonding before obtaining the shawl, killing someone, getting pregnant, leaving the island of Tar Valon, etc (this list is not all inclusive, use common sense).
When considering a plot proposal, please make certain to consider issues of how you imagine yourself getting away from the Tower or the island of Tar Valon. There are guards located at the docks, bridges, and gates of the Tower with explicit instructions on how to deal with students attempting to leave the grounds or the city. All such occurances will be reported to both the Amyrlin and Mistress of Novices. Because there are few PC guards, this does not mean that the NPCs will overlook such matters - do not abuse them.
There are times in the Tower when Novices break the rules. During such occassions, if they are caught, they are sent to the Mistress of Novices' office to receive a punishment. Often times, if the matter is a first offense, the girl will receive a lecture, and some sort of minor punishment: though there are occassions when the student requires something more.
Punishments are kept strictly between the Novice, Mistress of Novices, and the Amyrlin Seat. The only exception to this is stilling, in which the punishment becomes public knowledge and is recorded in the Tower's history records. Any punishments incrued must be completed on top of any lessons or chores the Novice is already responsible for completing.
The following is a list of punishments the Mistress of Novices might use when disciplining the students.
Extra Chores/Hard Labor
Extra chores in addition to the ones already assigned. Depending on the situation, particularly labor intensive chores may be assigned, such as: mucking out stalls, scrubbing pots and pans, etc.
Corporeal Punishment
A punishment delivered to the body - such as switching, spanking, washing one's mouth out with soap, etc.
Suspension of Priveledges
Suspending the rights and priveledges granted when one ascends to Accepted, requiring permission to leave the Tower, to channel, etc.
Complete Suspesion of Training/Dismissal
Usually only reserved for particularly harsh infractions -- one may be suspended from training and sent to the farm for a period of time or completely dismissed from the Tower entirely.
When a Novice is caught doing something she shouldn't be doing, she should be sent to the Mistress of Novices office, with a report (@mail) sent on her behavior to the Mistress of Novices and all of her designates. This way, those in charge can determine an appropriate punishment to give the student.
The Mistress of Novices and her designates are the only ones who should be punishing the students, however there are some occassions where Aes Sedai may need to do something in a particular situation. If this is the case, Aes Sedai may not issue extreme punishments. Those are reserved for the Mistress of Novices and the Amyrlin Seat to determine. Aes Sedai may issue light, minor punishments to students, such as extra chores or shielding from the OP.
It is the Mistress of Novices responsibility to make certain that the punishment is not something that over-restricts the character so much that it seals away any RP opportunities they might have. She should, if possible, work with the student OOCly to find an appropriate punishment. Though, if the student is uncooperative, she has the power and authority to issue any punishment necessary.
In the past there have been a few problems with people disregarding the rule about Novices and Accepted getting involved in a romantic fashion, so much so that we've had to devise a way to 'punish' students in an IC fashion. Below are a list of consequences of what may happen if a Novice or Accepted is caught in a romantic relationship with a Trainee or Guest of the Tower.
First Offense. Novice/Trainee will be split up and forbidden to see one another
Second Offence. Trainee will be asked to leave the Tower.
Any Other Offenses. Novice will be asked to leave the Tower.
Keep in mind that Novices and Trainees are not supposed to have time to get romantically involved. It's also -very- hard to have such a relationship without getting caught. Eyes are everywhere. Remember the NPC's, they watch, they tell. If you decide you wish your character to break that particular rule, be prepared to pay the consequences. There are no exceptions. -Everyone- is taught this when they become a student.
As a side note, Accepted should not feel as if they are exempt from this rule because their status is not pointed out specifically. Everything that applies to the Novices applies to the Accepted as well.
