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Path of the Jedi

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"You have chosen the lonely path. The Jedi teach denial of self. That is their weakness. No sentient can long abide that."
―Saes Rrogon, Jedi-turned-Sith Lord

Becoming a Jedi required the most profound commitment and astute mind; the life of a Jedi was one of sacrifice. To hinder transgression, those who showed an aptitude for the Force were taken directly from birth (or soon afterward) to train in the Jedi Temple headquarters on Coruscant or at smaller Jedi Enclaves as Padawans. From the beginning of their training, a Jedi was expected to adhere to a strict Code that included concepts such as rational thought, patience, and benevolence. Uncomfortable emotions such as hate, anger, and fear were thought to be destructive and lead to the dark side, so such things were banned from Jedi practice.



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"Master Ooroo, I have been very busy here with my tasks as a Jedi Knight…I certainly miss the days of my peaceful tutelage."
"Yes, but a Jedi must learn action as well as knowledge…"
―Jedi Knight Odan-Urr and his Master, Ooroo

Padawans would typically go on missions with their Jedi Masters to learn from experience.

Children being trained as Jedi were called younglings and instructed in "clans" by a venerable, experienced Jedi Master, learning the ways of the Jedi and the powers of the Force. After Ruusan it had become normal that the Jedi trainees were always children. Once Yavin 4 had been established as Jedi headquarters, the Jedi initiates, which were no longer children, were trained first under the direction of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and, in time, under another Master's direction in groups. When the New Jedi Order began, the younglings were again trained in clans from childhood.

When an individual student achieved satisfactory understanding of the Jedi way, they were usually taken under the wing of another Jedi member and instructed individually to complete their training. Masters typically brought their Padawans along on missions, and later sent them on missions of their own, to allow them to gain experience and learn from practice.

Not all students were promoted to direct study as Padawan learner under a Jedi Master. In the days of the Old Republic, it was common practice for younglings who were not selected to be Padawans by the age of 13 to be shifted into one of the divisions of the public service organization, the Jedi Service Corps. Such was to be the fate of young Obi-Wan Kenobi until the events at Bandomeer caused Qui-Gon Jinn to accept Obi-Wan as his Padawan.

Training in SW: Genesis


All Jedi Padawan are to partake in threads detailing their training in the use of the Force, lightsaber combat and whatever else. This training can be over multiple threads, or just one. Across as many planets and ships as you like. The training of a padawan is up to to the individual, and should not be limited outside of common sense.

Upon joining a padawan is to begin an introductory RP, that will become the basis for their training. Once started a knight or Master will reply, taking on the padawan as their guide to role playing in the Star Wars Universe.

Trials for Knighthood


"This is to be a test of your knighthood.
You and your companions must make your own way through the difficulties you will encounter."
- Master Arca Jeth

The Jedi Trials are in place to test the knowledge and skill of Padawan and to challenge them to use what they have learned through the completion of three tasks. Upon completion, the Padawan’s performance will be judged for the possibility of being ‘Knighted.’

The proposed Trial-system is that which was used by the Almas Academy from the Old Order era prior to the First Great Jedi Purge, where Padawan had to endure just three Trials as opposed to having to do five distinct Trials. These Trials will be administered to those Padawan who feel themselves worthy or have been deemed worthy by their PC Masters to take the Trials. Once both Master and Padawan deem ready, the Padawan would be free to start a trials RP, which will be over seen my the padawan's PC master. Once the first three trials have been completed the Padawan is to embark on an 'unsupervised' Fourth Trial.

- THE JEDI TRIALS -

"The trials are difficult. Many try and fail, so I advise you not to be complacent."
- Grand Master Satele Shan

The First Trial

The Padawan is required to partake in an interview/discussion where his or her knowledge and utilization of the Jedi Code will be assessed and critiqued, by the PC Masrer, to ensure the Padawan has a thorough understanding of Jedi Philosophies and what it means to be known as a Knight of the Jedi Order.

The Second Trial

The Padawan will be asked to seek out isolation and meditate for five days. Enduring without any sustenance or contact with any other living being. This Trial will require the Padawan to look deep within them in a manner never before. What they see, what they encounter within the depths of their conscience and what they bring out of their meditation is entirely up to the Padawan (that being you taking the Trial). The Padawan will be closely monitored by their master for the benefit of the Padawan.

The Third Trial

Immediately after the five-day meditation Trial, the Padawan is then ushered into their Third Trial. This Trial will be a combination of the following: the Trial of Skill, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of Flesh, the Trial of Spirit and the Trial of Insight.

The Fourth Trial

"The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi.
You are one."
- Master Luminara Unduli

Once the Padawan has passed the first three Trials, they are eligible to embark on this, the Fourth and final of the Trials. This Trial requires the Padawan to construct their lightsaber. The Padawan must gather their crystals, while being given all the tools to construct a lightsaber how they wish. Various hilts can be machined to their specification quite easily; however the Crystals must be quested for. You will not be required to describe the actual building of your lightsaber or other such technical details, though you can if you desire. What is required is that you describe the quest for your crystals, your thoughts on meditating with them and attuning them to yourself. Your story on what makes that lightsaber yours. To those who have, in their biography, stated that they have already constructed their own lightsaber, consider this Trial passed.



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"Training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, and even if you succeed, it's a hard life."
―Qui-Gon Jinn

In following the Code, Jedi behavior was rigidly structured to uphold self-discipline, responsibility, and public service. The Jedi conquered emotions and materialism. They honored life, the law, the Order itself and the master-student relationship. Jedi rendered aid to support and defend the weak; compassion was "encouraged." Rules of engagement included such notions as understanding the dark and light in all things, learning to see accurately, opening their eyes to what was not evident and exercising caution, even in trivial matters. Above all, Jedi upheld their duty to the Republic and embraced the Force. The Jedi before the Ruusan Reformation typically had more leeway in their dealings, as the Order was more loosely organized and the individual Knights and Masters granted greater personal freedom. Afterward, the Order was more centrally regulated by the High Council.

Early Jedi were known to utilize shields and armor to protect themselves in battle, and used blaster pistols as well as lightsabers in combat. Later, as the lightsaber became a more self-contained weapon without an external power pack, the Jedi chose to carry it as their sole "tool" of defense and offense. The lightsaber was considered more a tool than a weapon. The lightsaber came to fulfill both a symbolic and pragmatic role for the Jedi; it identified the wielder, had a powerful visual impact, and given the availability of cybernetic replacement limbs might have been seen as a more 'clean' weapon than the blaster, which Obi-Wan regarded as "uncivilized," "clumsy" and "random."

The Jedi of the pre-Reformation era, (Old Jedi Order), also do not seem to have had any formal dress code, and dressed more or less as they saw fit, although traditional robes were favored by most Masters. These included a tunic, a cloak, and sometimes a tabard—usually in varied tones and shades of white and brown, though, gray was also quite common for the overtunic. The left side of the dress was always turned on the right part of the torso. After the Reformation, these robes became the typical Jedi clothing, even in battle. The Jedi also wore trousers, an obi, a leather utility belt, where they carried specialized field gear for their missions, and leather boots. The Jedi colors, which showed harmony with the Force, formed a stark contrast to the antithetical Sith, who were draped primarily in black.

In accordance with their philosophies of non-attachment, clothing was viewed as quite disposable. Indeed, possession itself was seen as forbidden as another form of attachment, and most Jedi lived out lives of material poverty, though the Order's infrastructure and the support of the Republic meant the Jedi did not lack for food, housing, or clothing.

Some time prior to the Great Sith War Jedi were forbidden to hold strong attachments, as they were believed to lead to the emotions of the dark side. For this reason, Jedi were not allowed to marry. Reess Kairn had an attachment, despite this being a violation of the Code. After finding his lover with another man, he killed them both in anger. This led him to the dark side. Anakin Skywalker would become a testament to such Jedi circumspection, as his fear of losing his undisclosed wife, Padmé Amidala, ultimately caused his fall to darkness, but his connection to his son, Luke Skywalker, would later drive him back to the light. Although Jedi were not required to be chaste as well, many Jedi were due to sex being considered self-indulgence and an unnecessary act. At least one special case was recorded in this arrangement: Ki-Adi-Mundi who, due to low Cerean birth-rates, was permitted to have a polygamous marriage, and fathered seven daughters. Ranik Solusar was disciplined by the Council for his marriage and the child it produced, but was not expelled from the Order.

Despite this restriction, Jedi were known to have secret, clandestine relationships, whether with non-Jedi, such as the marriages of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz, Nejaa Halcyon and Scerra Halcyon, and Etain Tur-Mukan and Clone commando Darman Skirata; or within the Jedi Order itself—such as the relationships of Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tahl, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi, and Tholme and T'ra Saa. Some were developed even as Padawans, such as Mak Lotor and Kass Tod, who died together, with Tod directly stating there was the Force, death and love. Many of these relationships did not lead to mishap. Further, Revan shared a romantic affection with Bastila Shan, who was redeemed by him after her fall.

Others openly defied the High Council on this matter. This led to particular strife with Jolee Bindo and his wife, Nayama Bindo, during the Great Sith War. Bindo trained his wife in the ways of the Force, but she soon fell to the dark side. He was not expelled from the Order, and instead was to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. He then lost faith in the wisdom of the Council and left the Order.

Up to the Great Sith War, some Jedi did practice marriage and were known to have families of their own. There were even cases of families consisting entirely of Jedi, such as that of Andur Sunrider. The children of Jedi families were often gifted in the Force. Even later in the Order, such families existed—though the continuation of the line was through those family members who did not become Jedi. Famous Jedi families of the late Republic included the Koon family and the Diath family.

However, it appears that some Jedi might have been granted the right to marry, not as a special case, but as a norm. Several Corellian Jedi (Keiran Halcyon during the Old Republic, and Corran Horn in the time of the New Republic) were allowed to marry and raise children without repercussion. Whether this was due to an agreement between the Jedi and the planetary government—Corellia is known for its family-centric culture—or purely personal choices made against the Jedi Code is not known, except in the case of Nejaa Halcyon, who married his wife secretly without the approval of the Council. Corellian Jedi often had many other noticeable differences from the traditional Jedi ways, such as in clothing and a reluctance to take on missions outside of their home system.

By the time of the New Jedi Order, the practice of forbidding or discouraging marriages had been discarded, as many of the Order's members had spouses and children, including the Order's Grand Master himself, whose wife was another Jedi Master.

The way of the Jedi was a life-long path, and a Jedi usually remained part of the Order their entire life—learning more about the Order and the Force and following the will of the Jedi Council. Up until the beginning of the Clone Wars, only twenty Jedi (of rank Master or higher) were said to have ever left the Order (although there is some debate as to whether this means the post-Ruusan Order, the Order after some earlier point in its history, or literally in its entire history), of which the most prominent were Count Dooku and Master Phanius. These were commonly referred to as the Lost Twenty, or simply "The Lost".



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"My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."
―Yoda

The Jedi were unified by their study of the Force: an "energy field" that emanated from every living thing.[1] The force is channeled by microscopic bacteria in the bloodstream, midichlorians, sometimes spelled midi-chlorians. They are in every living thing and communicate with the force. The Jedi sought to understand the Force so that they could use its power to protect and aid the people that they served. The Jedi believed that the Force could be harnessed through careful study and contemplation to benefit the user and the universe around them. As they studied the light side of the Force, the Jedi encouraged their members only to use the Force for healing and defense—never in anger or fear. However, several members of the Jedi order throughout history disagreed with this view, believing that darker uses of the Force should be embraced because they offered a quick and easy path to power, while contemplation of the light side of the Force required patience and effort. This disagreement gave rise to the Sith, the constant enemy of the Jedi.

The Jedi focused their lives on understanding and strengthening their connection, or oneness, with the Force to allow them to manipulate it as an extension of themselves (by contrast, Sith merely exercise control over the Force). This connection was increased by rigorous training and meditation to achieve a state of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual harmony, a kind of inner peace. As the path required such great discipline and may have extended a Jedi's life, most Jedi never reach their true potential. Further attempts to achieve this potential may have met with failure and caused frustration in Jedi, resulting in a lesser connection and more frustration in turn. This is the main reason why the Sith considered themselves stronger than the Jedi, for whereas they were trained to use the dark side with maximum effectiveness and power, few Jedi had shown the true limits of the light side's power and those who have seldom used it.

The dark side of the Force brought with it a great temptation for many Jedi; to many the dark side seemed a quicker and easier path. Pursuit of the dark side, however, was a self-destructive endeavor, and many Jedi who tasted dark powers found it harder and harder to turn away. Though some Jedi could be redeemed back to the path of the light, many fell and became Dark Jedi, some of whom became members of the Sith Order. Further, the pall of the dark side could diminish Jedi ability, clouding their insights into important matters. For these reasons, practice of dark Force powers was expressly forbidden by the Jedi Council. Those fallen to the dark side, however, the Jedi tried to save. To the Jedi, killing was a last resort. This quality was at once a strength and a weakness of the Order.



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"One of the ways the Jedi learn to know the Force, is to use the lightsaber as an instrument of meditation. The lightsaber is not only a weapon of defense—it is important for focusing the mind. A Jedi uses his lightsaber to assist his connection to the Force."
―Master Thon to Nomi Sunrider

The traditional Jedi weapon was the lightsaber, which, in the hands of a skilled wielder, could be deadly in combat, even against opponents armed with ranged weapons. To attain this level of skill, however, required great focus and training. Students practiced the rubrics of lightsaber combat with a remote, and children used training lightsabers. They also dueled fellow Jedi as a test of their skills.

Due to all the weight being in the hilt, the lightsaber was a difficult weapon to handle. Jedi needed heightened awareness to use the weapon well, and such conditioning helped to hone their connection to the Force. Since the binding of a lightsaber's intricate innards and the initial charging of the power cell also required knowledge of the Force to implement, the Padawan was tasked with constructing their own lightsaber as part of their training, using a unique crystal, (such as the type found on the ice planet of Ilum, for example), that focuses the crystal's energy thus creating the lightsaber's blade.

During the Jedi Civil War era, many Cerean Jedi used specially-forged Kasha lightsaber crystals as a meditative tool; by incorporating such crystals into their training regimens, they helped to clear the wielder's mind of distractions, even during tense physical combat. Further, it was a task in itself to find components for the lightsaber. Meditation in a crystal cave on a planet such as Ilum or Dantooine would often produce an image in the Jedi's mind about the lightsaber they were to build. The construction of a lightsaber was considered a milestone on the path to Jedi Knighthood, and took on a heavily symbolic meaning.

During the times of the Old Republic, it was a customary practice for a Jedi Master to present their own personal lightsaber as a gift to their most accomplished student. Jedi apprentice Nomi Sunrider was the recipient of one such lightsaber, receiving the weapon from Master Thon as a testament to the potential for greatness he recognized within her. Though the apprentice was indeed grateful for receiving such an honored gift, their Master would still stress the importance of knowing how to build one, requiring or even demanding that eventually the apprentice learns to construct their own, unique, lightsaber.



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"Jedi do not fight for peace. That's only a slogan, and is as misleading as slogans always are. Jedi fight for civilization, because only civilization creates peace. We fight for justice because justice is the fundamental bedrock of civilization: an unjust civilization is built upon sand. It does not long survive a storm."
―Mace Windu

The strength of the Jedi Code and organization of the Order rested on the three core tenets of Force, Knowledge, and Self-Discipline. Built into a Jedi's everyday life, the Coruscant Jedi Temple's main entrance statuary was illustrative of the three pillars.[2]
Main corridor of the Jedi Archives

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The first pillar was the Force, the constant between all things. Given purpose by the Force, Master Sabla-Mandibu described the Jedi as "swimming in the Force in our every moment--breathing it, tasting it, riding its currents to our unique destines." A symbiosis of midi-chlorians and sentient beings was the key needed to be able to touch the Force, but this biological necessity was not a main focus of Jedi study. Instead, Jedi contemplated the will of the Force and the differences between its two aspects: the Unifying and Living Force.

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The Pillar of Knowledge maintained that a Jedi's role in the galaxy could not be filled without intense study and accumulated wisdom. To assist in the pursuit of knowledge, the Temple was equipped with a deep well of knowledge known as the Jedi Archives. In addition to the Archives and supplementary library, the Temple contained several vaults which housed the holocrons of the Order. While an individual could never learn everything within the collection, the presiding Chief Librarian that maintained the collection would argue that it wouldn't hurt to try.

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Lastly, the Pillar of Self-Discipline was rightly known as the Third Pillar. Classes on combat and physical training were not given until mastery of the first two tenets was gained. Once ready to study the art of self-discipline, students were oftentimes disappointed to learn that they would not begin intense lightsaber training, but would be encouraged to take on more stringent forms of meditation. Only after mastering oneself could an Initiate proceed to take up a lightsaber for the first time.
 
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