Can anybody with the Tir Tairngire book handy fill me in on what takes place during the Rite of Progression? I would like my character, whom you may remember as the Albino Elf with a phobia of large gfatherings of elves, to try and participate in this. His reasoning is that if he can become a high social standing elf, then he can be privey to or be above the machinations of the other elves. i know this won't work that way, but I think it could be a great RP experiance, and a fun story, but my GM needs to know a bit more about what this will all entail.

thanks for your help.

McSass

It's a mix between the SATs and the Olympics. Non-elves can also compete, in their own divisions (non cybered troll vs. moderate physad human in wrestling, maybe).

Basically, if you do well, you go up in social status. If you do poorly, you go down. You do not have to enter. Your firends and family are allowed and encouaged to besiege the judge, even months in advance, to favorably effect your chances of going up the ladder.

The Rite of Progression consists of two parts: knowledge and athleticism. From the picture, knowledge would be tested at individual terminals in classrooms, and seems more or less to be the equivalent of a citizenship test. As Ancient History notes, athletics might be the Tir's equivalent of the Olympics: certainly the public spectacle is equivalent, with trid broadcasts of all events and close-ups even of facial expression. Candidates choose four from among seven events in which to compete: sprint, long-distance running, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, javelin (?) and hammer (?): [edit] and will end up competing in three of those four events. The events are remarkably "clean" with the exception of long-distance running which has seen the occasional shenanigans ... the results of which seem often to have been cleared with the Board of Standards in advance. (Shadowtalk mentions a competitor who managed to "remove" a candidate, then of ducal rank and seeking advancement - and who ended up being granted that candidate's ducal lands.)

Another traditional part of the Rite of Progression is lobbying for the candidate and getting others influential in Tir Tairngire to lobby on their behalf. (Edit: per Ancient History's "besiege the judge, even months in advance" )

The catch in all this is that because of an "invisible" aspect of judging - call it "quality of character" as it comes across in the various tests - good performance in the actual tests is no guarantee of a good outcome. Nor can the method by which the results were obtained be accessed by the candidate: all calculation is done by computer at Williamette University, and the results cannot be appealed ... although the next Rite of Progression can always give a candidate another chance.

The prize is rank. First-timers establish their rank from scratch at the first Rite after their Rite of Passage/Naming (basically after age 18): anything from your average plebe up to prince. (Feudal titles are used.) Anyone resettling in the Tir has a basic provisional citizenship of the lowest rank, and is required to take the next Rite to establish their actual rank. Three major differences between commoners and those of noble classes: freedom of travel to and from the Tir, freedom to own land, a de facto freedom from two years military service (although any Tir citizen can purchase that last - I think it ran around 23 k IIRC). Higher ranking nobles are additionally granted lands ... although newer dukes and princes will probably end up with vertical pieces of Mt. Hood. One can always attempt to increase rank at the next Rite of Progression - but it could decrease as well. Basically one won't win a ducal or prince rank unless one has already achieved parallel accomplishments independently of that rank, or unless one is born into that rank (but that last can depend on how popular the parent is with the Tir Council just then - the threat of stripping rank during a Rite seems to be common as a deterrent).

And I'm facing it next (game) year. Joy. If it weren't for the freedom of access thing, I'd just declare myself rankless and have done with it.

It's made all but black and white clear, however, that the Trials are just a bunch of pomp and circumstance and that the promotion and demotion is decided politically just like everywhere else. You know the right people, grease the right palms, hide your skeletons well, and know where everyone else's are buried, and you will most definately get raised in ranking. Get on the bad side of one of the princes or a duke, and you will go down in rank. That's the point of all the secrecy of results. So that even the idiot child of a prince <cough><cough><Glasgian><cough> will be guaranteed his "proper" rank.

The Abstruse One

When did it stop? I remember that SoNA states that it has just been called after a period of silence, when did this one start?

They still do the Rite, it just don't mean anything really because it's all political. That's why you can't find out how you did or challenge in any way the results.

The Abstruse One

Anyone said why it was postponed then?

The Abstruse One

I thought the "official" reason Lugh gave was b/c of the Big D's death. Close the borders and all that. Am I right, was that just coincidental circumstance?

Didn't someone disappear or get kidnaped during the Rite, and that was followed by the indefinite postponement -probably as punishing the people for the crimes of the few in typical <spur the population to revolution> fashion?

Or to prevent social climbing during a time when stability was needed. Too bad, would have made a nice bread and circus.

The BS of the Rite is one of the reasons Rinelle enjoys some measure of popular support.

I was actually reading this in SoNA two nights ago and I noticed what seemed to be a change- or sloppy editing- that says you are born into your parent's rank and can advance through the rites, but the old TT Sb said that everybody had to take part once they became adults to confirm what they're own status was, the message to the masses is that the noles must earn their place in each generation to prevent them from being like the french nobles prior to the revolution.


The bottom line though was that when you get through the rites, you don't get to see your scores or get told how your status was achieved, you just get told your rank and there's no appeal.

I wonder if the council suspended it because they lost control of the regulartory system-someone hacked the computers or maybe the princes had a falling out and threatened to go public with the sham, until certain things were settled-like several princes steppnig down recently.

Interesting thought ... and I know just the person to do it

I'm glad I read this. This changes my characters background a bit. Maybe he will have to be born eight years earlier. I kinda see the rite of progression as one of the key parts of my characters background. It proves what a fragged up place he lives in and all the bull crap that the nation is about.

Rank also set the amount of Taxes you pay, IIRC (race is also the other big factor, it is no surprise that non-elves pay more). That's one BIG reason to try climbing up the ladder.

Don't have the book right here with me, but I'll try to remember browsing through it as soon as I get my hands on it. I think it was either on the Rank section or in the Economy section.

I believe it's in the rank section. Basically, the TT equivilent of the IRS figures up your taxes and just sends you a bill. You have no way of knowing exactly how they came up with what you owe either, just you pay it. Just like everything else in TT...

The Abstruse One

So it's a racket of major proprotions. The bosses determine your rank, which determines your taxes and you don't get any say on how it's done and there's no appeal. You're in with the right people, you go up, you po someone you go down. and the rite give the princes a chance to make a big show of how everyone has a chance, while all along it's rigged. Thep roblems in TT come from the fact the people are being stripped of even this illusuion but you have to wonder how long it would have stood up anyway.

Basically, the elves in charge of TT are basing their government loosely on how it was during the 4th Age. Unfortunately, this is not the 4th Age and they're slowly learning that no matter how many smokescreens you throw up, someone's going to see through the right one and nail you on it. Thus giving us the terrorists running around TT right now. Oh, and the (implied but never explicitly stated) help of a certain face-painted IE doesn't hurt things much

The Abstruse One

Noble Rank also determains if you can own land and if you can rent out the land you own.

Actually your job and the pay is determined by a test. If you do better then your manager you get the managers job. Or if you do worse then an underling the underling gets the job. They don't believe in senority, of course chances are its just more wool over the sheeps eyes.

Lower ranks can own land (not Gentry and I believe the one above it as well, but from there on you can), but they aren't given any land for their rank.

Basically, the TT system of government is a really good idea except it requries putting a lot of power and trust in the central government, which in this case is a bad idea because they abuse it.

The Abstruse One