The Overseer Branch - Rules and Regulations (Revised), by Apprentice Varrixon

[Rhysand Sekker]

Overseer Branch - Rules and Regulations (Revised)

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"This document is to be used as a reference for whom the Acolytes may turn to for teaching, a chance at reward, or otherwise. For Apprentices and Neophytes, this will outline allowances, as well as what they may do to aid. For Household Sith, this will outline what is allowed without being Conservancy, what needs consultation with an Overseer, and otherwise what duties certain Sith roles will be able to perform. For Overseers and Assistants, this will be your definitive guide to your duties outside of official channels. Disregard all previous iterations of this document, for education must always adapt to changing times."

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Teaching Rules

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Spoiler: Teaching Forms:

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Lesson Request:

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Lesson Topic: [insert topic from syllabus here, see rest of documentation for rules]


Tutor:


Acolyte(s):


Reason for reward: [acolyte task/operation/other]

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Pre-Lesson Notification:

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Lesson Topic: [insert topic from syllabus here, see rest of documentation for rules]


Tutor:


Acolyte(s):

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Acolyte Feedback Form:

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Lesson Topic: [insert topic from syllabus here, see rest of documentation for rules]


Tutor:


Acolyte Name:


Date:


Acolyte Performance: [if they behaved well, or poorly. add simple notes to their behaviour during the lesson.]

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Example Lesson Plan:

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Lesson Topic: [insert topic from syllabus here, see rest of documentation for rules]


Tutor:


Target Pupils: [which group of acolytes, if applicable, will this lesson benefit the most]


Date (if yet known):


Style: [theoretical or practical]


Summary of lesson timeline: [in your own words, briefly outline what points you intend on covering in the lesson.]

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Spoiler: Acolyte Introductions Guide:

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"In affiliation with those introducing new Acolytes, this document is retained by a former Overseer, Rikki Syndathik. It should serve as an effective tour guide for those unfamiliar or just learning how to introduce Acolytes - if at all possible, this should be conducted by Household Sith or those at Apprentice-level. Some Imperials are also able to conduct these tours, as well, so this should be kept in mind."

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Acolyte Introductions Guide

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Rules for Apprentices/Neophytes:

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All lessons given as reward must have the consultation of the Overseers.

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Reward	Rules
Core Power/Shii Cho lesson - 1 on 1	Pre-approval is required. For Acolyte Tasks or Operations, any member of the Overseer branch can deal with this request - it shall be made prior to the operation or Task being posted, and once you know who will be receiving it and on what subject, inform the branch of this prior to the lesson.  For any other reason, the request must be authorised by the Head-Overseer personally.  Acolyte Feedback form must be completed and submitted to a member of the Overseer branch.
Core Power/Shii-Cho lesson - Public	Pre-notification is encouraged.  Public lessons must be announced over the public Holo. Acolyte Feedback forms must be completed for each Acolyte and submitted to a member of the Overseer branch.
Adept Power lesson - 1 on 1	Pre-approval is required. Only the Head-Overseer can authorize these requests. The request shall be made prior to the Operation or Task being posted, and once you know who will be receiving it and on what subject, inform a member of the Overseer branch.  Acolyte Feedback form must be completed and submitted to a member of the Overseer branch.
Adept Power lesson - Public	Pre-approval is required. Only the Head-Overseer can authorize these requests. Public lessons must be announced over the public Holo. Acolyte Feedback forms must be completed for each Acolyte and submitted to a member of the Overseer branch.
Philosophy/History - 1 on 1	Pre-approval is required. For Acolyte Tasks or Operations, any member of the Overseer branch can deal with this request - it shall be made prior to the operation or Task being posted, and once you know who will be receiving it and on what subject, inform the branch of this prior to the lesson.  For any other reason, the request must be authorized by the Head-Overseer personally. The Sith Purifier and Purifiers may fill in for the Head-Overseer and Overseers respectively. Acolyte Feedback form must be completed and submitted to a member of the Overseer branch.
Philosophy/History - Public	Pre-notification is encouraged.  Public lessons must be announced over the public Holo. Acolyte Feedback forms must be completed for each Acolyte and submitted to a member of the Overseer branch.
Vibroswords	No.
Armour	No.
Secondary Forms	No.
Specialised Diet	No.

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Rules for Household Sith (except Conservancy members):

Reward	Rules
Core Power/Shii Cho lesson - 1 on 1	No Rules.
Core Power/Shii-Cho lesson - Public	No Rules.
Adept Power lesson - 1 on 1	Pre-notification is required - which Acolyte, which power.
Adept Power lesson - Public	Pre-notification is required - which power.
Philosophy/History - 1 on 1	No Rules.
Philosophy/History - Public	No Rules.
Vibroswords	With permission or guidance from a full Overseer or above, the Sith Blademaster, or a Conservancy member.
Armour	With permission or guidance from the Head-Overseer ONLY, the Sith Blademaster, or a Conservancy member.
Secondary Forms	With Head-Overseer’s permission.
Specialised Diets	Yes, provided they are willing to facilitate it themselves.

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Correction of Acolytes

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While punishment may occur, it normally comes from the Powerbase as a whole, or from the corrective guidance of the Purifiers and Sith Purifier. Nonetheless, should it be fitting, punishment should be doled out accordingly, and reward may be administered in a similar manner. For all outside the Overseer Branch, one should look to the Purifiers first on proper punishment techniques. The Overseers and Purifiers will be in clear communication on this matter - Assistant Overseers are not permitted to punish as an official responsibility, and all personal punishments committed by such do not carry the weight of these departments.

Punishments can include, but are not limited to:

• Physical torture - by use of the Force or the blade.
  
• Humiliation - i.e. crawling to a location or scarring/branding (in extreme cases on this latter)
  
• Mental torture - by the application of Force Fear or Force Illusion.
  

Rewards can include, but are not limited to:

• Bestowing a vibroblade upon an acolyte.
  
• Offering the acolyte an opportunity to lead or attend a mission.
  
• One-on-one tutoring (not necessarily teaching new things, but also advancing old)
  

Do note that punishment still occurs by any and all wishing to dole it out for occurrences of slighting, but if one does not consult an Overseer, they may cross political lines. The Overseers are not required to punish, and should not be expected to unless under explicit orders - it is encouraged they are informed of such, however, for definitive notes on the Acolyte so that they may correct the behavior in the long-term instead of the situation ending at an immediate reprisal. Failure to keep the department informed may result in backlash from involved parties with the Acolyte, or even the Arbitrators/Purifiers if it is deemed to be improper at the highest degree. Be aware that an Overseer is perfectly within rights to let one finish a punishment, only to have consequences for doing so appear later as they inform interested parties - a wise Apprentice/Neophyte will do well to defer to their presence when it is known.


The rest of this document will set out the duties of each role within the Overseer Branch, and what is within their remit. 

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Overseer

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There are three core duties that will be the ultimate focus of each Overseer. These duties are carried out day to day, week to week, and make up the bulk of the Overseer’s actions. In no particular order, they are:

1. To regularly teach lessons to the acolytes of the powerbase concerning Force Powers, Combat, History and Philosophy, in partnership with such offices as the Lorekeeper, Sith Blademaster, and Sith Purifier.
   
2. To monitor the behaviour, ability and potential of the acolytes for the use of the Overseers in guidance and for prospective masters, as well as be points of contact for observed data from others.
   
3. Administer punishment to the acolytes for wrongdoing and encourage them to become better Sith by using the data obtained through monitoring them - correction of behaviors is a constant process that occurs in conjunction with the Purifiers.
   

All of these duties are put upon the Overseers as a matter of trust, and as their full, dedicated role within the House. All are crucial to the elevation of Academy ragamuffins into proper Apprentices. Personal goals or connections are secondary to this duty, and actions performed under the title of Overseer may reflect on the department as a whole - if the title is abused for personal gain, such will be punished severely. The department is a unified front, and breaking that unification is unacceptable - all should expect that the Overseers are Sith of caliber, tested definitively for their ability to raise the lowest generation into the next crop of Apprentices, Sith, or even Lords. This expectation does not end with Acolytes - an Overseer can be expected to know much to fill in on an Apprentice's education should a Master ask.

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Assistant-Overseer

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The Assistant-Overseer is a position which does not hold the same dedication requirements as a normal Overseer - as such, anyone from any department may take on the Assistant-Overseer title, and duties, as a way to form a connection and be more able to contribute to the success of the next generation. A full Overseer is still exclusive, meaning one may not be both an Overseer and a Lorekeeper's Assistant, for example, but said Assistant can be an Assistant-Overseer. The duties are far simpler, in that an Assistant-Overseer is mostly responsible for collecting data on Acolytes where the Overseers or Head-Overseer may not have eyes. Said data includes behaviors, knowledge of powers, proclivities such as a warrior or a sorcerer-type, and goals the Acolyte has for the future.

Assistant-Overseers, then, are effectively a first point of contact for the Acolytes, people they may talk to in lieu of the Overseer that may guide them. They can teach Core Powers, but are not authorized to teach Adept Powers as a responsibility. They are not responsible or accountable for punishment or reward in any manner, nor in teaching Philosophy as a whole unless so authorized by the Overseers or Purifiers. The Assistant-Overseer may be someone who is learning to teach, who is learning to become an Overseer themselves, or who simply wishes to aid the department, but cannot be expected to take the place of a dedicated Overseer should consultation occur.

They may accept queries and pass them on to the Overseer Branch proper, Lesson Feedback submissions, and update notes on the Acolytes as they are discovered. Any other questions as to the abilities an Assistant-Overseer has in education should be directed to the Head-Overseer or an Overseer proper.

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Administration

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Overseers are not permitted to make changes to the structure of the Overseer Branch without consultation of the Head-Overseer, or overseeing Conservancy member. This includes promoting or demoting Overseers, and making exceptions to rules. The branch is a centralized structure with a hierarchy, and all power to make final decisions is in the hands of the Head-Overseer. The Head-Overseer will keep consistent communication with the Overseers, and the Overseers are free to offer their suggestions or advice, unless told otherwise. The Head-Overseer is encouraged to listen to this feedback, but may elect to ignore it or correct the Overseer if seen fit. Executive power over the Overseer branch lies solely with the Head-Overseer, only to be overruled by the Dark Lord or her Conservancy. Anyone who makes decisions of an administrative nature barring the Head-Overseer will be reprimanded.

At the current moment, Sith Zevasa, Envoy of Tradition, should be considered the Acting Head.

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Teaching Lessons

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In order to maintain a steady education, lessons are encouraged to be held regularly - at least one a week, whether by an Assistant or otherwise, every other week in times of strife. Each full Overseer should hold a public lesson once per month so as to fulfill their duties, but it should be assumed that they are also in communication if activity is not possible. The number of attendees does not matter, so long as it is not zero. Acolytes showing to these lessons should be commended, even if it becomes one-on-one, for their initiative and ambition, and it is encouraged for the Overseers to personalize instruction for them. Blatant lack of attendance will be taken note of. The Overseer branch must be relied upon to be able to educate the Acolytes as each solo entity, and it is encouraged that one does not interrupt lessons in progress - education is paramount to the future of the Powerbase.

At the current time, the Purifier branch may hold lessons in the same vein as Overseers, though are not necessarily privy to the notes of the Overseer branch - when consulting on an Acolyte, one will still ask an Overseer as to the state of their education.


Lessons will revolve around three core subjects, all of which are crucial to the survival and growth of an acolyte:


The first of these subjects is combat. - This can mean the teaching of Form I: Shii-Cho, but also includes combative Force Powers, such as Force Shock, Force Telekinesis and Force Slow. An acolyte must know how to fight, and must know many ways in which to do so. Every lesson in these powers can be expected to involve a spar at the end, preferably centred around the use of the power or form, which can be left to go on unattended if no clear victor emerges in a timely manner - though Overseers are encouraged to correct this and end a spar if it goes too far off-topic. The Sith Blademaster is one who can relied upon outside the Overseers for teachings of this manner.


The second of these subjects is Force Powers. - This encompasses all Force Powers that are not explicitly combative, but more for utility, such as Force Sense, Dampen Presence, Force Tapas, and Force Telepathy. Acolytes will need these powers to effectively plot and gain edges over their competition, or in order to function in capacities such as stealth, foul weather, or otherwise. Not all abilities of this type are immediately useful, but one would be a fool to be caught without them when needed.


The third of these subjects is history and philosophy. - History, philosophy and studies of inferior cultures such as the Twi’Leks or the Hutts - all of these teach an acolyte how to think in the right frame of mind, how to command their surroundings and how to fully utilize their emotions. This is crucial not only to the acolyte’s survival and future effectiveness, but also to the continued prosperity of traditionalism and thus the Dark Lord’s powerbase as a whole. Lessons of this sort are also held by the Lorekeeper and Purifier branches, with the latter focusing on philosophy.


Consultation on what to teach, or how to teach it, should be sought out from the Overseers, but they will also refer to other departments who specialise much more in an area. The Sith Warrior or Sith Blademaster for combat, the Sith Sorcerer on Force Powers, the Lorekeeper or Purifiers on history and philosophy. Said specialists are encouraged to attend lessons of their concern, or an assistant/disciple in their absence - and they may even request to aid, or perform, said lessons at their convenience. When in doubt, consult an Overseer, as such is their duty.

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Head-Overseer

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The Head-Overseer’s primary duty is not to oversee the acolytes individually as the Overseers do, but to Oversee the Overseers. This includes:

• Ensuring the Overseers know the core powers, and therefore able to teach them to the acolytes, teaching these to the Overseers if necessary. The integrity of the department is seen through the quality of its lessons.
  
• Ensuring the Overseers behave as they are meant to - paragons of Sith virtue for the acolytes to look to as an example. They are to be above the politics whenever possible, and to be focused on education.
  
• Ensure that the Overseers carry out their duties and do not break the rules, both of which are set out in the first part of this document - and outlined in Administration.
  
• Make executive changes to the Overseer Branch in order to make it work more efficiently, and communicate issues therein to the conservancy. Education should adapt to changing times.
  
• Decide on the general direction of education for the acolytes to be sure they are fully prepared for life as a Sith, as well as weigh in on guidance of problematic Acolytes.
  
• Communicate with specialist Sith, such as the Purifiers and Sith Blademaster, to ensure the lessons taught to acolytes are of sufficient quality. The Head-Overseer is the highest point of contact for the branch.
  
• Be ultimately responsible for the entire branch reputation and effectiveness in the eyes of the powerbase and the Dark Lord. They will answer directly to the relevant Conservancy member, as well as work alongside them to ensure the integrity of education.
  

The Head-Overseer is the only one with any authority, excepting the Dark Lord and her conservancy, regarding the nature of the Overseer Branch, how it operates and who, below Household Sith rank, is allowed to educate the next generation. No Household Sith or Lord, who is not a member of the Conservancy, has the authority to order cessation of the Head-Overseer’s duties, or change the way in which the Overseer Branch behaves. If they have issues, they are to be raised in person with the Head-Overseer, not corrected by their own will.

At the current time, Sith Zevasa, Envoy of Tradition, is to be considered Head-Overseer in all mentions of overarching authority - otherwise, Overseer Sekker is the point of contact for this so as not to bombard the Envoy unnecessarily.

The effective education of acolytes requires all parties involved to act with unified intentions, the intentions of the Dark Lord, in order to produce strong Sith. This means that the Head-Overseer is responsible, not for the vision of what the acolytes should be, but how that vision comes to fruition. Interfering with this execution, especially when the interloper is not aware of the goals and intentions of the executor’s actions, could have severe consequences on the effectiveness of the entire operation, and thus the ability of the powerbase’s future Sith - as stated above, if one interferes with the process without knowing, the reprisal may be swift. Apprentices/Neophytes are discouraged from extreme behaviors with the Acolytes.

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"This should serve as an adaptive document to the needs of the Powerbase, based on the work of Sith Kelsa and Apprentice Rikki Syndathik before me. All questions on this document should be directed to myself, and I will do my best to answer. This document has been approved to be seen by the Acolytes, so that they may fully-understand the role that Overseers have in their education. If said document is quoted at me with the expectation that you think I should be doing something for you, be prepared for disappointment. Note that this is merely the public document, not the definitive guidelines for all Overseers - again, questions may be transmitted to me.
Force serve you all." -  Zartilda Varrixon, former Overseer of the Horuset Powerbase, former acting Administrator of the Overseers

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A final footnote would follow: "This document may receive small modifications as seen fit by the current host of Overseers, the acting Administrator, or the Envoy of Arcana. Details of these changes, the befores and afters, are available upon request for those for whom it would be pertinent to know." 
- Overseer Varrixon

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