InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I ALWAYS GET BLAMED FOR THINGS"

Breaking Ties (breakmods) wrote,
@ 2010-06-22 18:23:00

Entry tags:

death eaters, order of the phoenix

DEATH EATERS

So, you've joined the Death Eaters. You should have known before you joined that stringent expectations will be placed upon you. Either way, as soon as you take the Dark Mark, you will be finding out about these expectations. As mods, we don't expect all Death Eaters to meet these expectations, and we know that some characters will exceed them. In fact, not meeting some of those related to magical skill especially can be an interesting source of conflict. But keep in mind that if your Death Eater can't perform the Killing Curse within three years of joining the Death Eaters, for instance, it will be considered a problem amongst the upper ranks. Since most Death Eaters should be eager to impress, it likely will cause internal conflict as well.

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

LOYALTY. For any Death Eaters, the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord come first. They come above your family, society, and your job. This is not to say that Death Eaters can't, at times, regret that the Death Eaters come first. We don't mean to limit those kinds of character development. Even the truest of believers have their moments of doubt. However, in the end, Death Eaters will ultimately choose the Dark Lord or choose death.

OBEDIENCE. You do what your superiors tell you to, and you do it without question. This is a hard and fast rule. Disobedience among the Death Eaters will be punished in-game, and not by a slap on the wrist. There is some latitude for lower-ranked Death Eaters to wonder what the heck is going through their immediate superiors' heads, but remember that these are people who view Voldemort as a savior and the second coming. Death Eaters should not go around questioning his plans. If something seems weird (and with Voldemort, you never know), the assumption isn't that Voldemort doesn't know what he is doing, but that he knows something that you don't. In canon, we see Severus Snape and Regulus Black disobey the Dark Lord, and we would like to keep them the notable exceptions.

SECRECY. Death Eaters will not always know who all of their "colleagues" are, and they will be expected not to talk about what they know outside of the organisation. No questions asked. Wives may be aware of their husbands' (and sons') involvements, but their knowledge is vague -- specifics are a no-no.

NEW RECRUITS.

EAGERNESS. The most important things for new recruits is that they are eager to learn and to obey and show loyalty.

MAGICAL SKILLS. New recruits will begin learning the Cruciatus Curse before they are officially initiated and are expected to show some ability with it. One not need be a master, but when you cast it on a human being, it had better hurt more than a hangnail. Also expected is a mastery of basic spells which are not Dark Magic, most prominently: Shield Charms, Stupefy, Body Binds, and other jinxes and hexes.

DEATH EATERS

MAGICAL SKILLS. After three years in the organization, all Death Eaters are expected to have mastery of all of the Unforgivables. If a Death Eater learns them sooner, so much the better. They are also expected to be working on other, more obscure methods of Dark Magic, such as the Smashing Curse, Inferi animation, and cursing objects. By this point, Death Eaters will also have learned Morsmordre.

OTHER SKILLS. A reasonable amount of skill at dueling is expected once you begin to train with Death Eaters. Your reflexes are expected to be sharp and you are expected to be in reasonable physical shape. By this point in time, Death Eaters should have a reasonable handle on subjects like collecting information, interrogation, ward breaking, and tracking.

TRAINING LEADERS

LEADERSHIP. These people were chosen because they have shown leadership qualities of one sort or another. They can effectively command others, are unwaveringly loyal to the Dark Lord, and also must be organized.

MAGICAL SKILLS. Aside from the Unforgivables, training leaders will be much more versed in a broader spectrum of Dark Magic. They are expected to know more curses than simply Imperio, Avada Kedavra, and Crucio. Areas of expertise may vary, but each training leader will likely have a specialty of some sort in Dark Magic, or at least another important skill they bring to the table.

OTHER SKILLS. In order to train others to duel, one must be a master of it themselves, and this is not just expected but a "must" for training leaders. They also must know how to break wards, to form reconnaissance missions, to interrogate, and to track. Some may be better at one thing than another, but you must be familiar enough at least to teach. Also expected is a dash of ingenuity -- if a training leader can think of creative ways to teach new recruits and lower-level Death Eaters, so much the better for them.

INNER CIRCLE

LEADERSHIP. The Inner Circle Death Eaters were not chosen for their leadership skills, necessarily, but after years of being the head of the organization, they likely will have developed some sort of these skills even if they are naturally lacking in them.

MAGICAL SKILLS. Inner Circle members are experts on Dark Magic, taught by Voldemort himself. These are the only Death Eaters who likely have a mastery of Fiendfyre and other extremely difficult Dark Magic.

OTHER SKILLS. And, of course, the Inner Circle would be masters of everything described above. They'e had decades to learn, after all.

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX</b>

The Order of the Phoenix does not have as many hard and fast expectations as the Death Eaters do, and there are no 'tiers' or ultimatums of 'you should have learned this by now.' However, membership in any secret vigilante organization does come with its set of expectations, and the Order has them as well. No one is expected to know everything -- that's why there are different teams. But there is a way that Order members are expected to behave, and things they should know for their own good.

MAGIC

Shield Charms -- everyone should know Protego and Protego Horibilis. It could save your life.

Stunners -- likewise with Stupefy.

Disillusionment Charm -- Another must-know.

If you don't know these things, the Order will teach them to you. Knowing more jinxes and hexes never hurts, of course, and everyone will have other skills, but these are the absolute basics.

BEHAVIOUR

LOYALTY. The Order doesn't have the same expectations of ultimate loyalty that the Death Eaters do. Dumbledore understands that sometimes, other things come first. That is why members have been allowed to leave for various reasons -- to protect their families, their jobs, and themselves. Dumbledore does not expect (and does not want) Order members to die for him. However, a degree of strong loyalty to the Order is a must. The Order may not be Priority #1, but it should come close.

COOPERATION. Obviously, we can't make all Order members love each other like one big, happy family. And a little bit of conflict and disagreement always makes things interesting and raises the stakes. Not everyone is going to have the same opinion on everything, and that's okay. However, these differences of opinion should be handled with tact and respect. Dumbledore expects his Order members to get along. Respectful disagreements are one thing, but in-fight is quite another.

SECRECY. The Order isn't as harsh about it as the Death Eaters, but secrecy about Order goings-on is still expected. You can't go telling your third cousin twice removed (or, in some cases, even your best friend or your spouse) about your involvement in the Order. All characters know that vigilante activity is both frowned upon and illegal. They are not going to go around telling just anyone what they are up to. Married Order members are expected to keep the Order a secret, even from their uninvolved spouses, at least until the spouse can be brought in themselves.

DISCRETION. You really hate Death Eaters and purism. Okay, that's great! What's more, you suspect that That Guy Over There is a Death Eater. That's great, too. We'll look into it. But Order members are expected not to draw attention to themselves as strong opponents of Death Eaters and purism. Rant and rave under wards and to your friends all you like. Voice a respectful opinion. But baiting and conflict-causing is frowned upon, for your own safety. It's not that the Order doesn't think that these opinions should be voiced, it's that those who are vocal opponents of Death Eaters often end up in dire straits.

Flagrant shirking of these expectations will earn Order members a slap on the wrist from Dumbledore. Of course, he isn't going to Cruciate you or send you on a death mission if he doesn't like what you're doing, but you will have to look into his twinkling blue eyes and see how disappointed he is in you. The worst offenders risk dismissal from the Order and Obliviation. Don't think Dumbledore won't -- he's done it before. (See: Bernie Jenkins.)