Unreviewed Rave Merrill Academy

[Mishel]

RAVE MERRILL JEDI ACADEMY​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To finally create a great big Jedi Academy but one that honors many of the older Jedi writers of the past.
• Image Credit: ChatGPT
• Music Credit: The Dawn Will Come/Enchanters/Once We Were Freya Catherine
• Canon: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: Romi Jade | Cotan Sar'andor | Rave Merrill | Allyson Locke | Coren Starchaser | Jamie Pyne | Ben Watts | Sor-Jan Xantha | Dax Perl | Julius Sedaire | Marakai Al'Orren | Corvus Raaf | Arisa Yune (currently searching for her bio!) | Joza Perl | Healing Nexus | Jedi Temple

SETTING INFORMATION

• Structure Name: Rave Merrill Jedi Academy known simply as the, Rave Merrill Academy
• Classification: Jedi Academy
• Location: Monastery
• Affiliation: Jedi Enclave of Monastery
• Accessibility: Restricted to Force-sensitive students, Jedi, and approved guests. Located within a shielded valley with Force-lodestone interference and hyperspace masking. Requires guidance to approach safely. The Academy is nestled within the greater Jedi Enclave of Monastery, with specialized wings and labs carved into the upper terraces of the temple complex. It is moderately accessible, pilgrims and Force-sensitives may apply to study, but entry is regulated. Certain archives and workshops require specific credentials or instructor sponsorship. Portions of the Academy, especially labs and vaults, are restricted.
• Description: The Rave Merrill Academy is not a traditional Jedi school. It is an interdisciplinary Force learning center dedicated to the advancement of Force-based sciences, healing arts, combat ethics, artifact recovery, and alchemical experimentation. Named after the legendary Rave Merrill, the Academy embraces her pursuit of dangerous knowledge tempered by compassion and self-awareness. Its curriculum includes training for Sentinels, artifact conservators, crystal researchers, and healing diplomats.
  
  The Academy sorts its students into four basic houses, each house reflects different temperaments. Different paths, and curriculum that fits students of each of these houses. The houses were named for legendary Jedi, Jedi who Mishel knew or knew of, and respected. None are perfect and for that Mishel thought they were the best to embody what it meant to be a Jedi in this day and age.

POINTS OF INTEREST
Foundational Houses & Dormitories: Year 1 through 5

• House Watts – Guardian Discipline
  
  • Dormitory: Watts Reflection Hall
  • Library: The Flamebound Archive
  • Learning Center: The Bastion Room
    
    • Focus: Saber forms, defensive tactics, situational control, battlefield decision-making
    • Description: A reinforced, echo-dampened training hall with modular terrain. Holographic campaign reenactments are run alongside physical drills.
• House Starchaser – Sentinel Exploration
  
  • Dormitory: Starchaser Wayfarer Hall
  • Library: Celestial Cartographica
  • Learning Center: The Wayfinder Annex
    
    • Focus: Covert operations, investigative technique, galactic cartography, intuition training
    • Description: Star maps, slicer training modules, and stealth scenario simulations. Jedi Sentinels learn to listen without acting, and act without being seen.
• House Sar’andor – Redemption & Return
  
  • Dormitory: Sar’andor Ember Hall
  • Library: The Ember Codex
  • Learning Center: The Ember Chamber
    
    • Focus: Self-mastery, trauma processing, ethical analysis, philosophical rebalance
    • Description: Fire-lit stone chamber with journaling alcoves, confession circles, and guided visionwork sessions. Often visited by post-Council students seeking reflection.
• House Jade – Intuition & Renewal
  
  • Dormitory: Jade Blooming Grove
  • Library: The Verdant Spiral
  • Learning Center: Orchid Hall
    
    • Focus: Living Force study, empathy in combat, healing arts, nature-woven ritual
    • Description: A living garden atrium where lessons occur under tree canopies or floating meditation platforms. Lessons prioritize balance and grace.

Advanced Houses (Merit or Nomination Only): Year 6 through 8

• House Merrill – Philosophical & Force Theory
  
  • Dormitory: Ecliptic Spire
  • Library: The Paradoxum
  • Learning Center: The Axiom Niche
    
    • Focus: Metaphysics, paradox study, Force-bound artifact theory, alchemical roots
    • Description: Quiet stone room hidden beneath the Paradoxum. Glyphwork-covered blackboard walls. Students here study by asking better questions, not seeking answers.
• House Locke – Shadows & Resilience
  
  • Dormitory: Locke Shadow Refuge
  • Library: The Obscured Ledger
  • Learning Center: The Lowlight Wing
    
    • Focus: Subterfuge, Force-null tactics, sensory deprivation drills, mental defense
    • Description: Dim-lit stone passageways with shifting light fields and isolation chambers. Here, students learn to disappear, endure, and return.
• House Pyne – Leadership & Poise
  
  • Dormitory: Pyne Crownkeeper’s Salon
  • Library: The Sovereign Codex
  • Learning Center: The Crown Circle
    
    • Focus: Diplomacy, presence, command under pressure, decision ethics
    • Description: Polished stone forum with open seating and orator’s platform. Students engage in leadership exercises, negotiation sims, and moral debate.

Martial & Special Training Dojos

• Sedaire Dojo – Adaptive Dueling (Julius Sedaire)
  
  • Warden of the Green
    
    • Forms Taught:
      
      • Form II: Makashi – Precision, economy of motion, one-on-one mastery
      • Form V: Shien / Djem So – Power-based counters, controlled aggression
      • Form III (selectively) – Defensive fundamentals layered over offense
    • Special Training:
      
      • Reflex drills with unpredictable terrain and angles
      • Combat breathwork and “pre-moment” training (intentional stillness before strike)
      • Dueling in mirrored chambers to train misdirection and restraint
    • Philosophy: “Read, don’t rush. The first mistake is often the last.”
• Fyre Dojo – Covert Combat & Emotional Temperance (Dax Fyre)
  
  • Warden of the Emberbearer
    
    • Forms Taught:
      
      • Form IV: Ataru (Modified) – Agile movement, evasive positioning
      • Tràkata Techniques – Lightsaber deception, feints, grip switches
      • Unarmed Combatives – Focus on redirective grappling and takedowns
    • Special Training:
      
      • Stress endurance under darkness, noise, and sensory confusion
      • Emotional regulation drills (“ignite, temper, release”)
      • Partner-based trust combat (fighting blind or guided)
    • Philosophy: “Control the fire,don’t fear it.”
• Al’Orren Dojo – Primal Instinct & Living Force (Marakai Al’Orren)
  
  • Warden of the Wayclimber
    
    • Forms Taught:
      
      • Form I: Shii-Cho – The roots of saber combat; breath-aligned strikes
      • Force-augmented martial arts (non-formalized, instinctive strikes and dodges)
      • Beast Form Mimicry – Movement patterned after local predators (pounce, sidestep, lunge)
    • Special Training:
      
      • Barefoot jungle runs to train foot alignment and agility
      • “Listen-sparring”,duels with no visual cues, only Force intent
      • Climbing & low-gravity free movement over rock and tree scaffolds
    • Philosophy: “The Force doesn’t wait for your stance. It moves you.”
• Raaf Dojo – Classical Defensive Forms (Corvus Raaf)
  
  • Warden of the Stillblade
    
    • Forms Taught:
      
      • Form III: Soresu – Pure defense, form integrity, and energy conservation
      • Form VI: Niman – Holistic style blending saber and Force techniques
      • Jar'Kai (dual wield) offered as advanced elective
    • Special Training:
      
      • Rotating-speed blaster deflection drills
      • Centerline defense forms with endurance-based pacing
      • “Mirror Mute” dueling,facing one’s own motions in silence
    • Philosophy: “When others rage, hold still. The storm breaks on stone.”
• Xantha Dojo - The Third Option (Sor-Jan Xantha)
  
  • Warden of the Calm
    
    • Form VI: Niman (The Way of the Rancor)
      
      • The central form taught in this dojo
      • Blends Forms I, III, IV, and V into a balanced, adaptable whole
      • Ideal for Jedi who favor moderation, integration of Force abilities, and duel-flow adaptability
    • Supplementary Training:
      
      • Jar’Kai (Dual-Wielding) – Optional advanced technique layered into Niman flow
      • Form III: Soresu (Refinement Only) – Emphasis on defensive continuity, paired with Niman’s flow
      • Force-Integrated Combat – Using pushes, pulls, stasis, and mind-sense within saber exchanges
    • Philosophy: Sometimes you win not by striking, but by knowing what not to strike.

Centers of Reflection, Art, and Culture

• Joza Perl Center – Creative Force expression, healing, meditation
• Hera Syndulla Plaza – Central communal square for announcements and festivals
• Mosaic Path – A living meditation garden that visualizes one’s Force journey
• Council of Restoration Chamber – Sanctuary for former darksiders and those in realignment
• The Living Archive – Starlit observatory for rituals, prophecy, and historical resonance.
  
  • The Ashen Grove: Nestled behind the Living Archive, masked by Force-fed flora and steep forest ridges, the Ashen Grove is a sacred outdoor ritual space where Nightsister-rooted traditions,reinterpreted through Rave Merrill’s teachings,are practiced without fear or stigma. Bound by a ring of smoothed obsidian stones and strung with red-thread glyphs, the Grove carries a palpable hum: the Force woven into breath, soil, memory.

Academic, Scientific & Force Research Facilities

• The Orrondan Hall – The Academy’s core educational wing for Initiates and Padawans in Years 1–5. Teaches foundational Jedi theory, history, ethics, Force control, and the galactic language traditions.
• The Halcyon Spire – Advanced academic tower for Years 6–8. Offers specialized path-based instruction aligned with Guardian, Sentinel, Consular, or hybrid disciplines. Tracks include alchemy, diplomacy, healing, and justice.
• The Wayfarer’s Hearth – A dormitory and sanctuary for students not placed into Advanced Houses after Year 5. Offers one-on-one Master mentorship and flexible training tracks. Quiet, humble, and deeply respected within Academy culture.
• Rave Merrill Library – Core archive and holocron vault for Jedi/Sith philosophy and relic studies
  
  • The Vault of Echoes: Year 6+
    
    • Hidden beneath the Rave Merrill Library, this sealed chamber holds holocrons, vision-glyphs, and memory-crystals recovered from across Jedi and Sith legacies. Students permitted entry do so only in silence,and leave with more questions than they entered with.
• Coren Starchaser Library - An archive dedicated to the teachings, learnings and missions of Master Coren Starchaser, including but not limited to astrogation, tomb raiding, seeking and countering the darkside. Along with copies of Starchaser’s own legendary actions against the dark side.
• Romi Jade Library - An archive dedicated to the teachings, learnings and missions of Master Romi Jade, including but not limited to copies and excerpts from the Jakku Jedi Enclave library, and 25 Chambers: A Jedi Training Philosophy, along with copies of Jade’s own legendary actions against the dark side.
• Tik’kla School of the Magistrate – Justice, civic structure, diplomacy education
• Chatos Center of Learning – Multidisciplinary education: galactic history, science, ethics
• Crystal Grove Program – Lab + field school for kyber purification and resonance
• Sabla-Mandibu Research Lab – Alchemy, Force-imbued materials, prosthetics, artifact study.
  
  • The Imbuement Chamber:A Force-quieted vault beneath the Sabla-Mandibu Labs, where Jedi practice Merrill-style imbuement. Rooted in Jal Shey and light-aligned alchemy, it allows the crafting of small, symbolic artifacts attuned to memory, intention, and healing.

Life Support and Communal Spaces

• Glowmoth Café – Relaxed mess hall and refueling space for all
• Qual-Yusanis Pavilion – Athletics and aquatic training complex
• Hearthwell Hall - A vaulted hall carved into a natural stone formation, where bioluminescent lichen and luminous butterfly-shaped glowlamps gently light the space. A communal place where students and staff break bread with one another.
• The Starwell – Force starmap dome; celestial alignment and student orientation hub.

The Youngling & Initiate Center: The Sanctuary

• Heavenshield Academy for Younglings – Early learning center focused on empathy, the Living Force, and group harmony.
• Celeste Rigel Hall – Housing for both younglings and older first-time entrants; divided by age and developmental path.

Security & Tactical Training: Year 6+

• Temple Security Wing – Entry-level physical training and safety preparedness, taught through nonlethal methods.
• Arisa Yune Tactical Dome – Tactical simulator hall for fleet coordination, mission planning, and saber/flight mixed scenarios.
• Kyber Interceptor Dome – Primary flight and starfighter training facility, tuned for Force-sensitive pilots and hyperspace acumen.

Technical & Constructive Arts: Year 4+

• Artisan’s Atrium – Hands-on forgework and lightsaber construction wing, accessible to students after their pilgrimage in year four. Students must have their master’s permissions to enter.
• The Foundry – A rainforest-carved forge where students build, maintain, and program droids, tools, and saber-related devices.
• The Emberfall Yards – A traditional weapon-crafting complex near the Artisan’s Atrium. Here, students forge staffs, bows, blades, and ceremonial arms from phrik, songsteel, and bone. Weapons may remain traditional, be ritually imbued, or later transformed into saber hybrids.

Pilgrimage & Sabercraft: Year 4+

• The Resonant Trail – A sacred rainforest path leading from the Academy to the Crystal Valley of Monastery. Walked only by upper-year students under guidance, it is where Jedi find their kyber crystal through resonance and vision.
• The Luminous Forge – A concealed saber workshop nestled near the Valley, established by Master Mishel Kryze. Jedi construct their lightsabers here in quiet communion, guided by crystal harmonics and ancient crafting rites.

SECURITY
High: While the world currently rests within the High Republic, it hasn’t always, and Mishel knows better than most that nations and their governments come and go like the solar winds.

Perimeter Security

• Rainforest Cloak Protocol – The Academy is shielded from standard sensor sweeps by a biometric and Force-harmonic disruption field, which subtly bends scans and masks heat signatures within a several-kilometer radius.
• Force-Melded Perimeter Stones – Hidden crystal beacons tuned to trigger silent alarms if non-authorized Force-sensitive entities breach the compound.
• Sentinel Watch Droids – Cloaked observation droids placed throughout the jungle, programmed for long-range surveillance, pattern recognition, and non-lethal deterrents (e.g., stasis nets, stun fields).
• Perimeter Shield Dome – A low-power energy shield activates when the Academy is under lockdown, capable of absorbing orbital surveillance pings and low-orbit precision strikes.

Internal Defenses

• Temple Security Wing – Trains students and staff in emergency protocol, evacuation, and combat fallback positions.
• Staggered Safe Zones – Strategic architecture allows for the rapid sealing of dormitories, libraries, and youngling halls behind blast-resistant, Force-sealed doors.
• Containment Glyph Arrays – Ancient-style Jedi containment runes reinforce key chambers (such as the Paradoxum, Vault of Echoes, and Artisan’s Atrium) to delay or trap hostile Force-users.
• Emergency Starlift Protocols – Concealed tunnels beneath the Academy lead to emergency evac pads equipped with stealthed shuttles, maintained in cooperation with sympathetic elements in the Outer Rim.

Personnel & Live Response

• Security Chief: A retired Jedi Sentinel Knight assigned to oversee all tactical drills and lockdown protocols.
• Roving Security Teams – Small units of Jedi Knights and senior Padawans rotate through watch duty, ensuring 24/7 living Force presence throughout the grounds.
• Obsidian Guard - Former Knights Obsidian from the now defunct-CIS of old, became the Obsidian Guard vowing to protect not just the former Order of the Sacred Lotus, now Lotus Enclave (Jedi Enclave of Monastery). They vowed to protect the Academy, and reside near Moorwood Peak. [A shuttle ride away]. A contingent of this guard resides at the Academy.
• Shadowpetal Wing: A wing of starfighters, often patrolling the area surrounding the Academy. [Future Submission]

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

"I had zero clue about what I was doing."

If you had told Mishel Kryze,decades ago, when she was barely holding herself together,that one day she’d be building a Jedi academy where Master Bethany Kismet once came to build something sacred?

She’d have laughed. Or punched you. Maybe both.

She never intended this. The idea of some grand structure with Houses and songs and starmaps? That was someone else’s dream.

But when the whispers started, when she began imagining a place not ruled by dogma, but guided by empathy, she paused and thought:

Why not?

Why not build something that welcomed Jedi who had fallen and gotten back up? Why not teach students that strength wasn’t the absence of shadow, but the courage to walk through it?

She called on the names of those who shaped her, Coren Starchaser, Romi Jade, Cotan Sar’andor, and then thought about legends like Ben Watts, Sor-Jan Xantha, Rave Merrill herself, and a few ghosts from the old days. And slowly, what began as a notion became a plan.

Not a perfect one. Not a clean one.

Mishel came and went. She doubted it. Let it go. Picked it back up again.

But when she settled on Monastery, when she took custody of the old temple that Tellu Talon had tried to build, that she herself had once abandoned and returned to…

That’s when it clicked.

She didn’t need to build a monument. She needed to build something that could breathe.

Something that could outlive her, and serve anyone who dared to reach for the Light.

Something flawed, and wild, and resilient,just like the people who would call it home.

TIMELINE

Origins in the Shadows (Pre-870 ABY): The idea of the Rave Merrill Academy did not begin in council chambers or under banners,it began in the wilds, among those who had lost faith in rigid Jedi orders, but not in the Force itself.

Whispers of an academy built not on conquest, but compassion, contradiction, and resilience, traced back to:

• The writings and recordings of Rave Merrill, a philosopher-alchemist, Nightsister descendent, and wayseeker who walked both light and shadow without succumbing to either.
• The teachings of Jedi Masters like Coren Starchaser, Romi Jade, Ben Watts, and Sor-Jan Xantha, whose students had long sought a less dogmatic, more humane way to live as Jedi.

Former Padawans, burned by war or silence, began gathering in neutral space,some on Monastery, some on passing vessels, some in overgrown ruins with kyber crystals pulsing beneath them.

Construction & Cultivation (874–889 ABY): From 874 ABY onward, what would become the Rave Merrill Jedi Academy slowly took form in the jungles of Monastery, a planet known for its crystal-rich valleys and deep Force harmonics.

• Under the guidance of Master Mishel Kryze, herself a survivor of darkness and student of multiple traditions, the Academy was laid out not as a fortress,but as a garden, a ritual site, and a living memory of those who had to unlearn before they could teach.
• Foundational Houses were established,Watts, Starchaser, Sar’andor, and Jade,each offering a different path to harmony within the Jedi self. As students aged, they found new purpose in Advanced Houses like Merrill, Locke, and Pyne,spaces for theory, shadow work, and leadership.

Key locations like the Resonant Trail, Crystal Valley, and Luminous Forge connected training to the land. Combat was taught not just to win, but to choose when not to draw. Philosophy was debated not to be right, but to be ready.

Founding & Recognition (900 ABY): By 900 ABY, the Academy stood complete, not as a replica of the Jedi Temple of Coruscant, but as its natural opposite:

• It featured five martial dojos, each inspired by legends: Sedaire, Fyre, Al’Orren, Raaf, and Xantha.
• It housed Jedi of all ages, paths, and backgrounds,from children raised in the Heavenshield Youngling Cluster to ronin returning from the dark.
• Its educational system was structured across eight years, with centers like Orrondan Hall and Halcyon Spire, supplemented by House learning annexes.
• Its philosophy was symbolized by the Nightward Canticle, sung each evening in unison.
• And at its heart, beneath stone and jungle, were two quiet places: the Paradoxum and the Vault of Echoes, where the Force was not explained, but encountered.

Though not governed by the Galactic Alliance or any Jedi council, the Academy was recognized by multiple enclaves across the Core, Mid and Outer Rim. It became a sanctuary for lost Jedi, a proving ground for new ones, and a testament to what could be built when tradition is tempered by truth.


THE MESSAGE

For those who have come through RMA, for those who have heard what echoes on the rely beacons. This was Mishel Kryze’s message to the Jedi, and to those who sought the light:

“If you’re expecting perfection... then this isn’t the place for you.”



But if you’re looking for hope? For forgiveness? For care and love,then you’ve come to the right place.



We’re here together. To learn. To grow. To shine a light into the dark. And no one,no one,understands how hard it can be to stay in that light better than I do… better than the Foundational Houses who built this Academy.



No matter where you go, no matter how far you roam,know this: once you’ve walked through these doors, you are now, and always will be, part of this Jedi Order. You will never walk alone.



In the Shadows, we serve.

Like Sentinels, we watch.

Through the blossoms of the forest, we heal like Consulars.

And we stand ready, like Guardians of old.


The Jedi path is not easy. It’s steep. It’s lonely. And sometimes it breaks you.


But falling to the dark side isn’t failure.

You can come back. You can find your way. We believe in that. We believe in you.

Because we are resilient. Because you are resilient.


So if you ever find yourself questioning who you are,questioning your place,know this:


We are here. For you. Always.


And if you’re hearing this, somewhere out there… whether you’re a lone ronin walking the path of the light, or a Jedi preparing to face the dark…



I am with you.

We are with you.

And may the Force guide you,

and keep you safe.”​

CEREMONIES & RITUALS

Here’s what you really came for, yes we have a sorting ceremony.

The Sorting Ceremony – The Crystal Calling
Conducted upon a student’s formal entry into the Academy (Year 1 Initiates)

Ceremony Name: The Crystal Calling
Location: The Starwell , the Force starmap dome
Process: Students enter the Starwell barefoot at twilight, accompanied by soft chimes and their House mentors in ceremonial robes.

• At the center is a Resonance Pillar: a large, transparent crystal column made from kyber-rich stone carved from the edge of the Crystal Valley.
• Each student is invited forward, one at a time, to place both hands on the pillar and open themselves to the Force.

The pillar responds with a projection of sound, light, and sigil,a harmonic pulse unique to each House.

• For House Watts: A deep, resonant tone, flickering flame and stone motif
• For House Jade: A slow, blooming glow of green and silver light, like leaves unfolding
• For House Sar’andor: A warm ember-pulse, like a song remembered
• For House Starchaser: A high, bell-like ring with streaks of starlight, evoking navigation

After: The chosen House’s banner unfurls silently above the student from the starmap ceiling, and a Master + Knight step forward to welcome them.

The Ascension Rite – Pathward Ceremony
Held at the end of Year 5; determines if a student enters an Advanced House

Ceremony Name: The Pathward Rite
Begins in the Reflection Pool, ends in the Vault of Echoes

Process: Year 5 students prepare for several days in solitude or mentorship, reviewing their journey through Orrondan Hall and Halcyon Spire.

A panel made up of House Masters and a Council of Five (one representative from each House, rotating, plus a non-House Master) evaluates:

• Trial of Skill (combat or sabersmithing, as appropriate)
• Trial of Understanding (philosophical or ethical challenge)
• Trial of Purpose (a reflection presented aloud in the Vault of Echoes)

Students who pass may be invited to:

• House Merrill (for those who show balance of wisdom and curiosity)
• House Locke (for those who exhibit endurance, precision, and discretion)
• House Pyne (for those who lead with grace, presence, and decisiveness)

Symbols: Those accepted receive a sash embroidered with their new House sigil, handwoven with Force-infused thread by senior students from each House.

The Vault echoes their choice back in a harmonic tone that only they hear.

The Continuance Path: Not everyone is chosen for an Advanced House, and this is not considered failure,instead, these students are honored with a different sash, embroidered with The Wayfarer's Knot, a symbol of continuity and self-mastery. They are then paired off, one-on-one with a Master or Council-approved Knight for further mentorship and education. These Master–Student pairings often result in specialist tracks: wilderness watch, Lightsaber artisanship, historian-archivist, or field healer.

The pair crafts a training charter together that is reviewed once per cycle by the Council. These year six through eight students live in a separate dormitory known as the Wayfarer’s Hall, where the architecture resembles older Jedi hermitages,arched wood, Force-inscribed beams, and quiet spaces for contemplation. No House colors are flown here,only a single banner bearing the symbol of the Wayfarer’s Knot, representing movement, growth, and non-linearity.

The Rite of Resonance - Lightsaber Crystal Celebration
Held at the end of Year 4, near the new moon, signaling the start of the pilgrimage to the Crystal Valley. Return is followed by a Festival of Echoes, an Academy-wide celebration

Departure Ceremony: The Crystal Night Vigil
Location: The Reflection Pool
Ceremony Flow:

• Gathering at Dusk: Year 4 students wear plain traveling robes tied with a cord matching their House. They kneel in a semicircle facing the Pool, while their Masters or senior students place a single kyber shard in their palms (non-resonant, symbolic only).
• The Quiet Candle Walk: Students walk slowly from the Pool to the edge of the jungle, each carrying a floating lantern. Along the path, students from Years 1–3 line the route in silence, holding small glowbeads. House Masters and Dojo instructors walk behind them, humming the Nightward Canticle’s “Once We Were” section.

At the Rainforest’s Edge: A brief moment of silence.

One Master speaks the ritual line: “The Force calls. You walk. May you return with Light in your hand, and peace in your spirit.”

Return Ceremony: The Festival of Echoes
Location: The Hearthwell Hall, The Starwell, and open terraces
Celebration Elements:
The Welcoming Song: Sung by students from the lower years as the pilgrims re-enter campus.

Lyrics reflect returning changed, but never alone.

Lantern Reversal: Each Year 4 student returns their lantern,now containing a fragment of their actual kyber crystal,to the Pool, where it floats for one night.

Feasting and Storytelling: The Hearthwell Hall serves a Rainforest-grown feast. Returning students are invited to share one story from their journey.

Duel-Lighting Ceremony (Optional): Some students engage in a brief, non-lethal spar using the newly constructed saber as a rite of integration.

Symbolic Gift: Each student receives a Resonance Braid,a wrist cord woven from threads in their House color and silver leaf to symbolize harmony with the Force.

These braids are tied by the Artisan’s Atrium staff

The Vigil of the Flame - Year 8 Graduation
Marks the graduation of Year 8 students and their recognition as Jedi Knights (or, in rare cases, fully trained Seekers, Consulars, Sentinels, or Wayfarers of the Order). Held at dusk on the longest day of the year,symbolizing the height of Light.

Location: Begins in the Mosaic Path garden. Concludes in the Starwell Dome under a fully projected night sky.

Ceremony Flow
Procession of the Eightfold Path: Graduating students walk the Mosaic Path one final time, each one carrying a small lantern flame lit from the Ashen Grove,symbolizing the balance of light, shadow, and identity. The flame is said to reflect their inner path: quiet, pulsing, wild, steady,each unique.

They are accompanied by their:

• House Masters
• Final-year mentors
• Fellow students who sing the refrain: “You walk in Light, and Light walks with you.”

The Circle of Affirmation (In the Starwell)
The students form a wide circle around the Starwell crystal map. Each is called forward one by one to:

• Present a single artifact representing their journey (saber, journal, totem, or even a scar)
• Bow before their House banner
• Be acknowledged by the Council of Five and given their Knight’s mark: a silver-threaded tabard or sash, embroidered with the sigil of their House and the symbol of the Academy
• They then step into the center and kneel, while the Council speaks the Rite:

“You have walked the Trail. You have held the ember, woven the thread, stilled the blade, and turned from shadow without shame. Rise now as Jedi,not perfect, but present.”

Lighting of the Vigil Flame: A communal flame is lit in the center of the Starwell,a Force-fed fire with crystal shards from the Foundry and Emberfall Yards. Each new Jedi adds their lantern to it.

This fire burns through the night and is said to reflect the strength of the class in hue and brilliance.

The Feast of Eight (Hearthwell Hall)
A joyful, Academy-wide feast held in Hearthwell. Meals from each House’s regional or cultural inspirations are served. There is music,yes, even Force-approved dancing,and plenty of “first mission” stories swapped among staff and students alike.


Releasing of Light:

• A speech by Master Mishel: “You are not leaving. You are becoming. Wherever you go, you carry us with you, and we, you.”
• Lanterns released into the jungle sky via gentle Force-lift by younger students
• Each graduate's name inscribed in the Starwell floor,a small glowing glyph that remains until the next year.

The Festival of Blades: An Annual Saber Tourney
A mid-year Academy tournament for Years 4–8, celebrating lightsaber discipline, Force integration, and clarity through sparring. Competitions are held by class year, with winners earning titles such as Blade of the Year or Starwell Champion. Not focused on victory,but on refinement, restraint, and the joy of shared progress.

Locations:

• Duelscourts
• Starwell Arena (for finals)
• Rainforest Course Fields (for specialty and non-saber disciplines)

For: Years 4 through 8. Matches are held within age divisions (Year 4 vs. Year 4, etc.), with special exhibitions for advanced students.

Format: Single combat sparring, non-lethal sabers only

Three tiers of match types:

• Form Mastery – judged on technique, fluidity, adherence to saber style
• Flow Combat – adaptive freeform dueling, emphasizing clarity and control
• Force-Aided Trials – sparring with environmental effects, light illusions, or Force manipulation

Exhibition Events:

• Staff vs Staff duels
• Flight vs Ground coordination drills (Kyber Interceptor Dome vs Temple Security Wing)
• Al’Orren Dojo’s Primal Challenge – instinct-based “blind” duels in a cordoned jungle ring

Culture: The tournament is celebratory, not competitive,matches begin and end with bows and often soft laughter. Students decorate the Duelscourts with House glyphs and crystal lanterns.
The Glowmoth Café runs a “Duels and Dumplings” special for the week. Even those who don’t compete participate by serving as commentators, healers-in-training, or match judges.

The Pilgrimages to the Living Light - Semi Annual Trek to Healing Nexus & Jedi Temple
Pilgrimages to the Living Light – Semi-annual spiritual treks to the Tra’Saa Healing Nexus and Jedi Temple of Monastery. Year 5 students reflect and prepare for path selection, while Year 8 students let go of the past before embracing the mantle of Jedi. These walks are considered sacred, silent, and transformative. Year 5 travels during the Spring Equinox, Year 8 travels during the Autumn Equinox.

Destination: This hike and paddling path requires great fortitude. Students are grouped by no more than seven per Jedi Master and Knight duo. There are shuttles and speeders to aid when and where necessary. However this journey is meant for those involved to reflect, meditate and grow.

The paths wind through protected rainforest trails to:

• The Tra'Saa Healing Nexus – a Force-sensitive sanctuary rooted in renewal and deep healing
• The nearby Jedi Temple of Monastery – ancient, weathered, and attuned to contemplative silence and ancestral memory

Year 5 Pilgrimage: The Journey Inward
Occurs shortly after the Resonant Trail
“You have found your crystal. Now find your stillness.”

Meant to deepen students’ emotional clarity, guide them into reflective silence, and prepare them for either Advanced House nomination or Continuance pairing

Includes:

• A day of silent walking meditation
• Healing and cleansing rituals in the Nexus pools
• A guided reflection beneath the trees at Tra’Saa’s roots, each student writing or sketching their “name of intent” (a word or phrase that captures who they wish to become)

Year 8 Pilgrimage: The Journey Beyond
Occurs shortly before The Vigil of the Flame
“All light returns to its beginning before it becomes the sun.”

Symbolizes the Jedi’s return to the Source before fully stepping into responsibility and service. Emphasizes release, forgiveness, and quiet strength.

Includes:

• A nighttime fire circle beside the Temple, where students offer a piece of their old life,a worn sash, a page of early journal, or a failed saber core
• A group resonance meditation where they lie among the roots of the Nexus and “listen for the Force’s final whisper before the path opens”

Walk of Still Suns - Semi-Annual Pilgrimage for Students
Walk of Still Suns – A semi-annual pilgrimage to the Jedi Temple of Monastery for Year 3 and Year 6 students. The walk reinforces humility, introspection, and personal growth. Year 3 leaves questions; Year 6 leaves vows. Both walk away changed. Year 3 travels during the Spring Equinox, while Year 6 travels during the Autumn Equinox.

Year 3 and 6 students are grouped in no more than five, and are accompanied by a Jedi Master and Knight duo. Students are shuttled to and from the Temple.

Location:

• The Jedi Temple of Monastery, a restored, contemplative complex known for its resonance with older Jedi teachings, particularly from the post-One Sith era.
• Emphasizes discipline without dogma, ideal for a neutral or multi-traditional academy like Rave Merrill’s.

Year 3 Pilgrimage: The Middle Path Begins
Between their foundations and their resonance journey, and begin learning to navigate internal uncertainty.

The pilgrimage emphasizes:

• Gratitude toward mentors
• Discipline in action (students carry water for others, assist cooks, tend fires)
• Recitation of the Jedi Code, but each line paired with a reflection or question

“There is no emotion... but what does your emotion teach you?”

At the end, they are invited to leave a written question beneath the central holostatue,a query they hope the Force will help them answer over the next year.

Year 6 Pilgrimage: The Threshold of Mastery
Students begin Advanced House instruction, carrying deeper internal contradictions and responsibilities

The pilgrimage emphasizes:

• Silent passage through the Temple with hands clasped
• One-on-one visionwork in the chamber of echoes with a House Master
• Forgiveness of Self exercise,students are invited to name a mistake, and then burn the name in a cleansing bowl

They leave a vow of intention written on a Force-treated strip of cloth, tied to the Temple's outer columns (left until it dissolves).

Shared Rituals:

• All participants engage in “Stone Sitting”: a daily silent hour seated on the temple steps as the sun rises or sets
• Temple meals are taken in silence
• A Force harmonization chant closes the journey each time:
  
  • “I return, not as I was. I return, because I listened.”

The Nightward Canticle: “The Force turns, the stars listen, and we remember.”

A nightly ritual observed at the Rave Merrill Jedi Academy, performed before lights-out across all dormitories, shared spaces, and reflective chambers. Part prayer, part grounding exercise, the Nightward Canticle offers Jedi students and mentors a moment of stillness, unity, and trust in the Force’s quiet continuity.

It is traditionally led by a rotating Initiate, Knight, or House Representative, with participation encouraged regardless of age or rank.

Part I — Reflection: Sung in low murmur as lights dim. Led by the eldest Initiate or Knight-in-Residence.

Once we were shadows
Lost in the tide
Fearing the silence
Fearing the Light

But stars remember
And crystals hum
The ones who wandered
Still may come

Response (all):
Once we were broken
Now we are flame
The Force forgives us
And speaks our name​

Often guided by members of House Sar’andor, who carry the path of return and reconciliation.

Part II — Meditation: Whispered with eyes closed, hand over heart or saber hilt. May be recited during walks on the Mosaic Path.

Enchanters, we
Listen to trees
Listen to sky
The Force, it breathes

We are the voice
We are the stream
We are the watchers
Who carry the dream

Response (all):
We do not bind it
We do not chain
The Force surrounds us
Gentle as rain​

Commonly led by House Merrill or House Jade, whose traditions favor harmonic philosophy and the Living Force.

Part III — Affirmation: Sung standing, facing east or toward the light dome. Begins as a solo—crescendo builds as all join.

The dawn will come
The dark will break
Through ash and shadow
The Light will wake

The Force still sings
Beneath our skin
And where it calls us
We begin

Final Response (all):
The dawn will come
It always will
Though we are silent
The Force is still​

Especially powerful when sung in the Starwell, Celeste Rigel Hall, or during Academy-wide gatherings held at equinox or in times of loss.

Ritual Details & Use:

• Time: Performed nightly at the bell before lights out
• Lighting: Night crystals activate in each House commons, symbolizing the inner flame
• Rotation: Led in turn by each House or class cycle
• Tone: Reverent, never mandatory, always offered

“We don’t require faith. We invite reflection.” — Master Mishel Kryze

The Nightward Canticle is often recorded in personal journals, mirrored in Initiate robes, and echoed in farewell ceremonies. It is the heartbeat of the Academy’s spiritual rhythm.