OOC note:
This TP is designed to kick off some changes to the craft structure. Before you decide that you want to join us, you may want to makee sure you understand how the Healercraft at Harper's Tale works. Try reading, especially, 'help promotion,' 'help ranks,' and 'help courses', all available in the helpfile menu on the webpage.

Check out the information that has been posted and is now IC knowledge: Mails

IC beginnings:
Talmer has been Masterhealer for as long as most people can remember. After many dedicated turns of service, rumors have been flying that Talmer is ready to step down. Recently, a notice has been sent out across Pern, confirming that Talmer is looking to retire and requesting that all Healer Masters reply with their own recommendations for the position of Craftmaster.

A new Craftmaster is not something to be taken lightly. Gossip is flying about who will be named to the position. Rumor has it that several extremely traditional Masters are being considered for the post, and some worry about what that will mean for the craft.

IC future plans:
Within the next month, Valeos will be named Masterhealer, and he is in fact something of a traditionalist. About an RL year ago (4 turns), Ista’s Healer Hall had a crisis in which an imposter claimed to be the new Masterhealer and caused more than a few problems before there was enough evidence to risk ‘defying’ the man and taking him to trial. The incident was finally cleared up with the help of a Fortian Master, Khaneos, who revealed the imposter to be Ageron, a wanderer turned conman. (There are numerous logs of this TP for anyone who's interested)

The new Masterhealer trusts Khaneos and his judgement – they go quite a few turns back, and have worked together for longer than most Healers have been in the craft. When the traditional Valeos declared that he would be taking a hard look at the craft and its policies, Khaneos was quick to mention the ineptness that the Istan Healer Hall had displayed a few turns earlier. Not only did they not identify and expel Ageron promptly, but they also incurred several debts and more than a few embarrassments due to the man. When Khaneos visited, he also thought the apprentices were lacking and questioned the wisdom of a few recently-made promotions.

In the name of reform, Valeos decided to send a Journeyman to Ista with instructions to report back to the Fort Hall. Eventually, this Journeyman will be given the authority to rearrange Hall structure, review promotions, and generally clean up the Hall as he or she sees fit. The Istan Healer Hall is, in general, more laid back and less formal than it’s Fortian cousin - whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of opinion.

OOC future guidelines:
This TP is designed to be less TP and more story arc. It’s ongoing and organic – very flexible depending on how the RP goes and what reaction we get. We hope that those characters who choose to join us for this TP will stick around, and that entering during this plot will give them an interesting place to start from and a fun way to build relationships inside the Hall.

Needed:
We are looking for people willing to join as as Healers who have come from Fort's Healer Hall. We will allow as many Insta Journeyman and Senior Apprentices as we like, and as always, Junior Apprentices are unlimited (though we'd love to see an 'application' from you so that we can fit you into the group that's coming up).

In particular, we need:
A Journeyman who will be ‘in charge’ of the changes to be made at Ista’s Healer Hall. Many changes have been made in OOC structure recently, and this is a way to incorporate those ICly. The most important of these is the restructuring of apprentice ranks and class system. He or she should be prepared to be viewed by many Istans as the 'bad guy' (and by many Fortians as the voice of reason), but the character's actual motivations are up to the player - it's possible that the Journeyman truly believes Ista needs revambing, or that he or she simply craves a position of power.

Wanted:
Several more Journeymen who will be brought in from other posts and/or Fort Healer Hall. Some may be brought to assist in implementing the administrative changes, while others may be brought in simply to ‘dilute’ the ‘bad influence’ of the Istan Journeymen, and to teach the apprentices.

Several Junior Apprentices and Senior Apprentices brought in from the Fort Healer Hall. As a part of the ‘reform,’ many Istan apprentices (NPC) will be shipped to Fort and replaced with Fortian apprentices, in an attempt to ‘dilute’ the influence of Ista and create a better learning environment.

If you are interesting in applying, be sure that you have looked through our helpfiles, and then fill out an Insta application. We will accept applications until April 11.

Possibilities:

Endless. Really. There are a million nuances that this could take, that will be dependent on those who choose to come play. Some suggestions, though:

- Apprentices from Fort are a bit scornful of those from Ista – and perhaps they don’t fully trust the information given to them by Istan teachers. Ista has been getting it rough in the rumor mill.
- Apprentices from Ista are wary of those from Fort – some of their friends were shipped out to make room for them, and they sense the dislike from some Fortian apprentices.
- Apprentices compete to see which group can do best in their classes. Some may decide it’s in their best interest to brownnose shamelessly.
- Fortians have trouble adjusting to Ista in general – the weather, the customs, the food, the new Hall.
- Fortians may have had to leave best friends, or even lovers, behind
- Some Fortians may come in the hopes of gaining rank quickly and easily. Others will come because they are decent, hardworking, dedicated and driven Healers who want to see their Craft succeed and honestly think that helping Ista revamp is the way to do it, blending the old and the new together. Others may be choosing to leave something behind, or angling for a post on a warm tropical island (And Ista is that!) Some may be trying to escape nasty gossip or a relationship gone bad.
- Istan apprentices are shuffled into new ranks according to how they test, or perhaps interview – some may not agree with the rank they are placed into.
- Istan rankers are interviewed to ascertain whether they are fit for their rank, their responsibilities, and their teaching positions. Some may be promoted. Some may be demoted. Some may have classes they have taught for turns taken away from them. Some may be put on probation.
- IC leadership at the Hall is reevaluated, and perhaps replaced.
- Rankers from Ista and Fort jockey for positions as things are being rearranged. Some trust each other, while others don’t.
- Some may think the changes are good, some may resent them, but just about everyone will most likely have an opinion.
- Lessons are learned all around – Fortians and Istans will naturally have different knowledge bases, and despite the distrust and possible dislike of some, they are now forced to live, work, and learn together.

Characters

We’d love for the new Fortian characters to have ways to hook directly into the Ista Hall. Some ideas:

- We have a Journeyman, Morallen (31), who was trained at Fort and was shipped to Ista after being deemed, more or less, a ‘hooligan’. Just about anyone could have history with him, from best friends to bitter rivals to ancient love interests. Of particular note is the real reason Morallen was shipped away: Journeyman X, an older man of approximately the same age as Morallen's brownriding ex-Healer father, M'ral. M'ral charmed away X's wife, you see, and Morallen happens to look very much like his father. Grudges are especially poisonous when carried on to the next generation, and X was instrumental in seeing Morallen sent away in disgrace to Ista. The Journeyman’s appearance at Ista could have interesting consequences.

- We have several apprentices who have been Searched for a clutch at both Ista Weyr and High Reaches Weyr, and who have returned to Ista. An apprentice from Fort could have been a candidate with them, and then returned home. Celeste (20) is willing to be friends/acquaintances for anyone who wants to have been a candidate at the High Reaches clutch nearly 4 turns ago.

- Any apprentice or Journeyman could have ICly studied a turn or two at the Ista Hall, and thus have a whole range of acquaintances, as well as a familiarity with the area. They could also have started at Ista and transferred to Fort to study under a particular Master, or because Ista’s hot and humid climate bothered their allergies.

- Master Aerrin (39) is known to be a bit of a nut about herbs – she could have easily kept up a correspondence with a likeminded Healer at Fort. A long-term pen-palship between herbalists who have never actually met each other.

- A Journeyman, Jassay (24), was posted at Keroon until she was fourteen turns – a Journeyman could have studied with her (or even trained her, if they were old enough). Long lost friends, enemies, crushes – anything works.

- Ivikhanos is Khaneos' son, and currently an NPC stablehand at Ista. His uncle is the stablemaster- on his mother's side- and Khan definitely doesn't approve of his son's affiliation. Since Ivikhanos grew up at Ista, he would know a lot of Fort Healer apprentices. Contact Beka if you're interested.

- Sheer, a Healer Apprentice of 15, lived at Fort until she was about eight and while she had a thousand off-acquaintances she scarcely remembers, there was one young man, several years older than her, that stuck in her mind like a burr ... and boy oh boy, was she glad to get away from /him/. He couldn't go more than five hours without pulling some ridiculous prank on Sheer ... and, well, naturally, she had to give as good as she got?

- There are many people willing to gain a relative:
Beka (25), the Istan Herder Apprentice Master, is willing to have cousins from Fort show up.
Kylianna (35), a Journeyman, is up for cousins, aunts, or other relatives.
Morweynn (21), a Healer Apprentice, has family on her mother's side in the Fort area.

In addition, we’d love for new Fort folks to have defined relationships with each other as they are coming in. We’ll try to hook everyone who’s interested up so they can work this out. If you’re interested in filling one of these ‘roles,’ just page or @send the person involved, or email Aerrin, who will get you connected.

And if you’re an Istan Healer who has an idea to add to this, @send Aerrin or send her an email!

Conclusions:

There are none! The only thing that /must/ happen is that the apprentices must be shuffled into new ranks. Everything else is open to interpretation and RP, and there are no set conclusions and no set ending.