Ranks
Overview |
Since our founding in October 2004, we've had many different ranks in the (JAWA) Clan. Some have been with us since the beginning, while others have developed over time, and some have come and gone, having served their purpose. PathwaysAs of April 2023, we're allowing members to choose between two different pathways, Jedi and Sith. The ranks of the Jedi pathway are mostly the same ranks that we've used, with slight modifications, since 2005. The Sith pathway features something that members have been requesting so long that it's become a meme: Sith ranks! The basic rank structure parallels that of the Jedi pathway, but with different rank names, and evil-infused red tags! Blue and Yellow RanksPrior to April 2023, our traditional ranks came in two sets: "blue" or "cyan" ranks, which were obtained by new members, up to the rank of Guardian. Members were promoted to these ranks based primarily on activity and length of service, although members who contributed to the clan in various ways could sometimes be promoted a little faster. Above these were the "yellow" ranks, which could only be obtained through long service, substantial contributions to the life of the clan, or by passing trials of skill, for which members became eligible after reaching the top of the blue ranks. All of the traditional "blue" ranks remain part of the current ranking system for those on the Jedi path, while the "yellow" ranks are part of both the Jedi and Sith pathways. Restarting the Ranks & Lord ChangesAs of April 2024, members who have achieved the Lord rank and have held it for at least 2 months minimum will be allowed to restart the ranks from the beginning, if they should choose to. They will be able to choose whether to restart their current pathway or switch to the other one. As of right now there is no limit on how many times a member may restart the ranks once they reach the Lord rank again. This new change also comes with an edit to the Lord rank moving forward. Any member who has achieved the Lord rank will get a significant reduced waiting time. They will have to wait four to six months to receive the rank once again. This applies to both members restarting the ranks and to those who've left (JAWA) and returned, having to start from the beginning of the ranks. Got questions?See our "Frequently Asked Questions" section, immediately following the summary of our current ranks! After this is a list of discontinued ranks used at various points in the history of the clan, although a few have been resurrected as part of the new rank structure. Still confused? Ask any member of the (JAWA) Council to help you navigate the process! |
Current Ranks – Jedi Pathway | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current Ranks – Sith Pathway | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Frequently Asked Questions |
General QuestionsQ. How do I earn promotions? Subsequent promotions will be based primarily on activity and length of service to the clan. Members who are active and contribute to the clan in various ways may earn promotions slightly faster. All promotions are given by council members, usually on the server, and sometimes with a ceremony, during which the member being promoted kneels before one or more members of the council. All promotions are discussed and approved by the council, although the clan leaders have the privilege of granting or approving promotions without prior discussion. It is considered bad form to request a promotion, since the council usually likes to surprise members with good news. However, if you think you've been overlooked beyond the point at which a promotion might have been expected, you may ask a council member whether anything is wrong. It may simply be that no council member has noticed you on the server, and realized that you were due for a promotion! Q. What if I fail my trial? Q. Can a member be demoted? Questions about PathwaysQ. How do I choose a pathway? Q. Can I change from one pathway to the other? Q. Are there any non-Jedi pathways? Q. What about former or retired members? |
Discontinued Ranks |
These are ranks that have been discontinued, or which are no longer used for their original purpose. In some cases, ranks that were discontinued have been re-instated, or the names used for new ranks in other ranking systems, including the current one. AssassinThis was one of the possible choices for the Sith Pathway when being promoted to Warrior. This rank was retired in December 2023 to lessen the confusion in the ranking system and to simplify it. AdeptOriginally called "Apprentice", this rank was introduced as an intermediate stage between Padawan and Jedi. In 2015, the rank was merged into the Jedi rank as part of a ranking structure change. Members holding the rank of Adept at that time became Jedi. This rank was revived in its original position in April, 2023. ApprenticeThis was the original name of Adept, a rank coming between Padawan and Jedi. It was renamed because "Apprentice" is very close in meaning to "Padawan". With the implementation of Sith Ranks in April, 2023, this name was adopted as the Sith equivalent of "Padawan". ChancellorThis rank was created as part of a Light Side-Dark Side system in 2006. Each faction had its own leader: Kel was the leader of the Light side, and Draggy of the Dark Side. The Chancellor rank allowed Link to remain neutral. The system was discontinued after about a week, and Link returned to the Leader rank. ConsularThe original version of the Consular rank was the Light Side replacement for Disciple in the Light Side-Dark Side system in 2006. It was discontinued along with that system after only a brief trial, but various proposals to revive Consular as a rank have been made from time to time since. The rank is now part of the Jedi pathway, corresponding to the traditional Guardian rank, for those members who choose to join the Consular class of Jedi. DarthThe Darth rank was created as the Dark Side equivalent of the Elite rank during the clan's brief Light Side-Dark Side experiment in 2006. It was discontinued along with that ranking system, but proposals to create a new rank by this name have been part of numerous suggestions for Sith ranks. It was not made part of the new Sith pathway in April 2023, because Sith of various ranks would want to be called "Darth". DiscipleMembers who had shown great loyalty or made significant contributions to the clan over the years were awarded the rank of Disciple. Prior to the establishment of the Master rank, it was the highest rank that could be held by members not serving on the (JAWA) Council. The rank was typically given to long-serving members, as well as former council members who had stepped down. Disagreement over whether the name of this rank made sense led to numerous proposals to rename it over the years, with suggestions including "Master", "Elder", and "Sage". In 2007, "Master" became a separate rank, bestowed on members who had both passed the Elite Trials and earned the Disciple rank. In 2015, Disciple was merged with the rank of Lord, formerly a higher rank granted to long-serving former council members, but subsequently the equivalent of the former Disciple rank, between the ranks of Guardian and Master following the elimination of the Elite rank. FounderThis is a special rank bestowed upon Matt when he returned to the clan after a long absence in 2006. Not part of the clan's regular rank structure, it was meant to convey our respect for the clan's founding members, and uniquely the tags for this rank are dark blue. After a number of years away from the clan, Matt returned a second time, and elected to begin as an active member at the bottom of our rank structure, instead of using Founder tags. Full MemberAt the time of the clan's founding by Matt and Iniowe, this was the highest rank obtainable by members. The rank was the equivalent of the traditional Guardian rank, which similarly was the highest rank obtainable without passing the Elite trials, serving on the (JAWA) Council, or being awarded a higher rank by the council or leaders in recognition of some special service. There was no tag for this rank, which consisted solely of our clan tag followed by a member's name. This style is currently used by retired members on the server. The phrase "full member" is still used occasionally upon a new member's induction to the clan, but it no longer represents a distinct rank. HopefulThis was the lowest rank in the Dark Side ranks during the clan's brief experiment with Light Side-Dark Side ranks in 2006. Members with this rank could be promoted to Student. The rank was discontinued along with the Light Side-Dark Side system. InitiateThis was originally a temporary rank to which new members would be assigned upon completing their trials and joining the clan. An initiate's skills would then be assessed by one or more members of the (JAWA) Council, typically over a few days, and then the member would be assigned either the rank of Padawan or that of Jedi. Some members were assigned at the time of their initiation into the clan, and so never held this rank. Later, Initiate became a regular rank, and the first one held by new members, typically for about two weeks. It was discontinued in 2015, but revived in its original position in April, 2023. RecruiterRecruiter was introduced by Link in early 2005 to allow trusted members to recruit without first obtaining a council member's permission. They had access to a recruitment board, giving them some of the same responsibility as council members, but could not issue promotions. The first member to hold the rank of Recruiter was Muffin_Man, followed by Kel, SilentBlueFire, Draggy, Tuti, Gunmetal, Wodec, Koga, and 1UP. The rank was discontinued in 2006, as recruitment duties became a regular function of the (JAWA) Council. SageA rank of this name was proposed on various occasions, usually as a replacement for the Disciple rank, or as an alternative for the first version of the Lord rank. However, like "Elder", the name never caught on. A version of this rank was contemplated by Nightwing at the end of 2017, probably with the intention of retiring from leadership duties to this rank. A rank template for "Sage" was prepared, but no promotion bar was ever uploaded, so this plan seems to have been abandoned. SorcererThis was one of the possible choices for the Sith Pathway when being promoted to Warrior. This rank was retired in December 2023 to lessen the confusion in the ranking system and to simplify it. SenatorThe Senator rank was created for Zantos in 2008, as a rank intermediate between Link and the (JAWA) Council. As communication between Link and the council improved, the rank became unnecessary, and was discontinued after just a few months. Zantos, the only member ever to hold this rank, went on to serve as Leader in 2014. SentinelDuring the clan's brief Light Side-Dark Side rank system in 2006, Sentinel became the Dark Side equivalent of the traditional Guardian rank. It was discontinued along with the other new Light Side-Dark Side ranks, but suggestions to create a new rank by this name have resurfaced every so often. In April 2023, this became one of two alternatives to the Guardian rank in the Jedi pathway, the other being Consular. In December 2023, this was retired once again to lessen the confusion in the ranking system and to simplify it. StudentThis was the second of the Dark Side ranks during the clan's 2006 experiment with a Light Side-Dark Side ranking system. It came between the ranks of Hopeful and Sentinel. Like the other Dark Side ranks, it was discontinued after just a short time, when the clan reverted to its previous ranking system. |