Trials of the Mirwood Ranger

The Trials of the Mirwood Ranger are a series of tasks and feats that a Ranger Apprentice of the Ranger Order of Mirwood must complete before being accepted as a Ranger. They were drafted by Dame Piper Cohen.

Core Requirements for Apprenticeship
In order to seek training as a Ranger Apprentice, the soldier must:
 * Be of good standing within the Regiment
 * Be of good moral character. Have respect for nature in general. (No history of poaching, animal abuse, etc.)
 * Be fit to undergo intense physical and mental training
 * Be willing to endure and pass the Trials of the Apprentice

The Trials of the Apprentice
In addition to having knowledge of and abiding by the Code of Ethics, the candidate must be willing and able to undertake the Trials of the Apprentice, which consists of three Rites each student must master. Each Rite constitutes a major portion of what the Order expects from its members. It is the Apprentice's duty to learn as much as he or she can from their respective mentors so that the student will be able to confidently pass the Trial.

After the completion of an Rite, a student is considered to have mastered that portion of their training and will be eligible to move onto the next. Upon completing all the trials, and if deemed worthy enough after thorough evaluation from his or her mentor, the apprentice will be inducted as a full member of the Ranger Order of Mirwood.

Washing out or Failure to Complete the Trials
If at any point, the Apprentice fails to complete any part of their training or discontinue their training in anyway, the student in question will be immediately dropped from the course with no questions asked.

However, if the person wishes to undertake the Ranger Trials at some point later in the future he or she must start from the beginning regardless of previous progression in the course.

=Rite of the Tracker=

''“Woodsmen and archers under the command of His Majesty, the King.”

Phase 1
In this phase, the Apprentice will be introduced to their Ranger Mentor and be taught the Code of Ethics as well as the History of Mirwood and Westridge. The mentor may choose to test their Apprentice(s) on this knowledge in order to solidify the student’s grasp on these concepts. Basic Archery and Basic Tracking will be learned here. The Apprentice will be issued a bow if they do not own one. They will need to understand the terminology and parts of the bow as well as the proper method to fire a bow. The student will also need to understand how to track wildlife such as bears or wolves.

Phase 2
In this phase, the instructor will be evaluating how well the student performs while in a controlled setting with target objects to shoot at and with little to no outside distractions otherwise. The Ranger Mentor will give the student several targets to shoot at, each with varying distances in order to test their proficiency with the ranged weapon. If the instructor deems that his or her student is ready, he will have them track a wild beast in the forest of Westridge. The mentor will be evaluating what the student has learned about tracking in Phase 1.

Phase 3
If the Ranger instructor concludes that his or her Ranger Apprentice has successfully mastered the Rite of the Tracker, the instructor will grant them the right to undertake the next Rite.

=Rite of the Hunter=

''”Cunning, Efficient, Brave. Westridge's finest huntsmen.”

Phase 1
In this phase, the Apprentice will have already mastered tracking down beasts and wild animals. The Ranger Mentor will now teach them how to track a different prey: Intelligent humanoids. Since first and foremost the Order of Mirwood is a military unit, it is important for the apprentice to learn the signs and trails of intelligent life as Rangers will be the tip of the spear with precision strikes against the First Regiment’s enemies. The student will also be taught survival skills and the methods in which would enable a lone Ranger to live on his/her own for up to months at a time while behind enemy lines.

Phase 2
This phase will constitute a practical training session in which the apprentice will go forth and track an intelligent humanoid and potentially eliminate the target(s). Poachers, bandits, and common thieves are most likely the target(s) here. The mentor would be accompanying the student on this exercise, however the trainer will be taking on a more observant role than an active one unless a clear and present danger arises.

Phase 3
This phase will consist of having the Apprentice accompany his or her mentor on one of their missions authorized by the Duke or the Lord’s Council of the First Regiment. This is to familiarize the student on what is to be expected while on duty as a Ranger.

Phase 4
The final phase will be completed when the Ranger instructor concludes that his or her Apprentice has successfully mastered the Rite of the Hunter. The instructor will grant them the authority to continue to the next Rite.

=Rite of the Slayer=

”To slay a great foe is the true measure of one’s prowess and skill in combat.”

Unlike the previous Rites, this one does not have specific phases that it is broken up into. Instead, it is the culmination of all the training the Apprentice should have learned and mastered thus far. Here, the mentor will go into details about using magical properties or poison in their arrows as well as a variety of methods and tactics used in order to take down a powerful creature of some kind. The student will also learn how to track these beasts as efficiently as possible. The creatures can range from a powerful dragonkins to the devilsaurs that roam these lands.

Oftentimes, the First Regiment calls upon the Rangers with their expertise on slaying these formidable creatures as it is not very uncommon to encounter these magnificent and yet dangerous animals during their deployments. High profile enemies have also historically used these beasts as their weapons of war.

The Ranger Mentor will instruct his or her Apprentice to track and hunt down one of these creatures as the final test in order to become full-fledged Rangers. Upon witnessing the student’s success at such an endeavor, the mentor will proclaim the student to have mastered all three Rites, thus passing the Trials of the Apprentice.