-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- (01-15-02) | Dune III Ginaz Academy of Warfare Handbook | Dune III 1.1 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. History 1.1 Description 1.2 A Brief History 2. Workings 2.1 Location 2.2 Admissions 2.3 Swordmaster Training 2.3.1 Training Programs 2.3.2 Levels and Training Times 2.3.3 What I Learned in Sword School 2.4 Warmaster Training 2.4.1 Training Procedures 2.4.2 Training Time 2.4.3 What I Learned in Warmaster School 2.5 Other Subjects
1. History
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1.1 Description
The Academy of Warfare on Marcinko has long been considered the most prestigious place to study any and all of the various aspects of war and combat. Founded many years ago by the Ginaz family (who were not at that time the ruling family of the House), its graduates are prized by all Houses Major and Minor as well as by many other organizations. The graduates of the Swordmaster training division in particular are universally recognized as the finest in the Known Universe.
Although the Swordmaster training division is the backbone of the Academy, it is far from the only program offered. In particular, cadets may enroll in a Warmaster training program that is considered as solid and comprehensive as any in the Imperium. In addition, any topic remotely related to war is taught; initially this was done to provide a balanced curriculum for Warmaster and Swordmaster program cadets. These courses were eventually expanded to encompass programs in a variety of different areas. These other programs will be discussed later (section 2.5).
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1.2 A Brief History
Several hundred years before the Battle of Corrin, Niuwang Ginaz opened up a small training academy on the Planet Ginaz. Niuwang, who was at this time well over a hundred years old and considered the greatest swordsman in recent history, intended to pass on his considerable knowledge to the next generation of House Minor Ginaz' nobles. This school rapidly evolved into a training ground for a new breed of warrior, crack troops recruited from House Ginaz' already impressive army and drilled until they are among the finest troops yet known. Some say they are each a match for an individual Sardaukar, although this theory is of course never tested.
The Butlerian Jihad began soon after the formation of the Ginaz school, and the newly created Swordmasters proved a formidable ally for the Corrino Sardaukar, though they were much smaller in number. The Ginaz school expanded its facilities in order to accommodate more students, and renamed itself the Ginaz Academy of Warfare; the necessities of the Jihad dictated that the trainees get more than just training with the sword.
Some twenty years before the Battle of Corrin, a major battle was fought in Ginaz airspace. The joint efforts of the Swordmasters and the Sardaukar were enough to destroy a terrible fleet of the enemy, but during the course of the fight the planet Ginaz was nearly demolished. The citizenry of House Ginaz were forced to take up residence elsewhere, but the Academy continued on in its work, despite the loss of most of its cadets and instructors.
About 350 years after the battle of Corrin, in which the depleted Ginaz troops played a crucial part in the Corrino victory, a cold, heavily forested planet barely suitable for habitation was discovered. This planet, called Marcinko, was granted to the Ginaz as a fief upon their elevation to House Major status. The Academy was soon moved to Marcinko, although it should be noted that many of the faculty opposed the move off of the dead world. It is also worth noting that at this time, the rumors of the Swordmasters' equality to the Sardaukar were particularly strong.
Soon after the move to Marcinko, the Academy opened its doors to cadets from every House, friend or foe. House Ginaz' open and democratic nature made this change seem natural, and the first rule of the Academy is that no hostilities will occur on Academy grounds. The occasional hand to hand scuffle is heavily punished, but treachery, assassination attempts, or other actions that could result in the death or severe injury of a cadet or employee of the Academy, through action or inaction, are punishable by death and by denial of admissions to the guilty party's House or organization for a period of one hundred years. There have only been a small handful of incidents in the ten-thousand-year-plus history of the Academy, making the Academy one of the safest places in the Known Universe for young nobles.
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2. Workings
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2.1 Location
The Academy of Warfare is located on the planet Marcinko, fief and homeworld of House Major Ginaz. It occupies most of a secluded island-continent as well as a large strip of land close to the Margravian Estate on the main continent. The main continent campus houses administrative staff and most of the facilities used in major ceremonies such as graduation. The island area contains all of the training facilities, some of which are simply untamed wildlife areas.
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2.2 Admissions
The admission process is extremely guarded and remains mostly a secret. It is known that there is an Assistant Director of the Academy whose job it is to have final say over all admissions decisions. Trainees from nearly every other House (that can afford the tuition, that is) are welcomed, regardless of the host House's relationship to House Ginaz. In addition, approximately half of the cadets have no affiliation with any House, usually commoners from all over the Known Universe, and are sponsored by House Ginaz (even if they reside in an area controlled by a House, if the House does not sponsor their admission they fall into this group). After their graduation, House Ginaz earns a large commission for the placement of these graduates into Houses Major (and rich Houses Minor). Therefore there are often two distinct groups of cadets at the Academy: those sponsored by a particular House Major or Minor (the sponsors pay the cadet's tuition and receive his or her services after graduation); and those admitted without sponsorship (tuition is waved, although House Ginaz has rights to retain or sell that cadet's services after graduation). All cadets are treated equal; their sponsorship status is not a matter of public record while they are attending the Academy.
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2.3 Swordmaster Training
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2.3.1 Training Programs
There are many levels of Ginaz Academy training; it's easiest to think of in terms of 'belts' in some martial arts rather than some paper and pencil RPG analog. Several of the earlier levels are referred to as 'training levels'. These levels are achieved on the way to one of the two main programs available in the Swordschool, and therefore will only be held by cadets still in training, or those who do not complete the program in which they enrolled. Higher levels may of course be achieved, but the training times are very approximate; they are not a part of a predetermined program and will be completed at the student's own pace.
The main programs in sword skills offered at the Academy are as follows:
Basic Duel Training: 4 years. This program is analogous to a bachelor's degree, and is most often undertaken by nobility who wish to be proficient in a duel but don't have more years to dedicate to their training. Graduates of this program achieve Level 3.
Swordmaster Training: 8 years. Analogous to a Ph.D., graduates of this program achieve Level 6 and earn the right to be called a Swordmaster. Most Ginaz trainees who go on to become House Swordmasters come from this program.
Further training can be conducted at the Academy or with any willing Swordmaster of a higher Level, and it can be full time or part time. Many instructors at the Academy continue to advance through the Levels while they teach
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2.3.2 Levels and Training Times
Level Years comments 1 1 training level 2 2 training level 3 4 Basic Duel Training program end 4 5 training level 5 6 training level 6 8 Swordmaster Training program end title of 'Swordmaster' granted 7 12-15 8 17-20 9 22-25 10 28-32 match for a Sardaukar 11 35-40 12 45-50 12+ TBD
Note that these years are approximate after Level 6, and must be spent training FULL-TIME. Part-time advancement will necessarily be much slower. There is some controversy over whether or not Levels past 10 exist. I believe they do but will be amongst the rarest things in the Imperium -- rarer even than a highest-level Mentat. I see the Level scale as open-ended, but with anything above 9 or 10 being exceedingly rare. A good analog might be IQ; it's /possible/ to score 1000 on the IQ test because it's open ended, but it'll never happen.
Also note that all backgrounds including Ginaz training must be approved by the prop owner, currently Jacob. This should ensure that the balance is maintained, and that nobody claims a level that their background doesn't support. Faction heads should also be aware of the significant cost of purchasing the services of a Ginaz Swordmaster, and the fact that this cost increases exponentially as the Level of the Swordmaster to be hired increases. You're getting the best, but it's not cheap.
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2.3.3 What I Learned in Sword School
Obviously, graduates of the Swordmaster program will be qualified to serve as the Swordmaster for a House Major or Minor. Indeed, it's a sign of prestige for a House to be able to afford such a finely trained champion. However, the Ginaz-trained Swordmaster (SM) is quite versatile and can do much more than just duel. Ginaz-trained SMs are qualified to serve in many capacities, including House security (overseeing guard troops as well as designing and implementing physical systems) and small-scale military operations (special forces). In addition, Ginaz-trained SMs are qualified to plan short military campaigns (though not as well as a Warmaster), design and implement battle languages, improvise weapons from everyday objects (I see 31 things on this desk that I could use to kill you), perform minor shield and weapon repair, pilot ornithopters and other vehicles, and design military support facilities. A small amount of field medicine is even learned. Obviously, however, the SM's main skillset involves all manner of combat; armed and unarmed, hand-to-hand and ranged, even vehicular combat. These other skills serve to support the SM's duties and activities and enhance his or her value to a prospective employer. Indeed, a House Swordmaster who is only employed as a duellist is having most of his or her abilities wasted!
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2.4 Warmaster Training
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2.4.1 Training Procedures
Unlike the Swordmaster division, the Warmaster division only offers one program, with one level of training.
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2.4.2 Training Time
Each student proceeds through the program at his or her own pace. The average time to completion is 10 years. Because the program emphasizes hands-on experience, it wouldn't be feasible to complete it in less than eight years; such a graduate would lack much of the experience necessary to function as a Warmaster. Students may choose to spend more time studying specialties such as physical combat (in the Swordschool division), but most are encouraged to further hone their skills in actual military service.
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2.4.3 What I Learned in Warmaster School
Most House Warmasters are charged with overseeing the entirety of the House's military forces. As such, Ginaz trainees are well-versed in obviously necessary topics such as military tactics and tactical deployment, logistics, large and small scale campaign planning and military history. In addition, more subtle skills are learned, with an emphasis on psychology. A skilled Warmaster can maintain the morale of his or her own troops through public speaking, undermine the morale of opponents through propaganda, and manage the entire chain of command while commanding the respect and loyalty of all. These psychology and management skills are the secret to the effectiveness of the Academy Warmaster trainees; while not superior tacticians and strategists (though on par with those from any other program), Academy trainees are often able to squeeze more out of their own troops than other Warmasters who lack this specialized training. Additionally, each student in this division spends time learning the arts of physical combat. At graduation, they achieve a level of proficiency equivalent to graduates of the Swordschool division's basic duel training program (level 3). Many students will choose to spend more time honing these skills; however, a Warmaster specializes in commanding troops rather than fighting themselves.
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2.5 Other Subjects
Academy cadets receive some training in a broad range of subjects, ranging from history to sciences, economics to personnel management. In order to support these programs, the Academy began to recruit top faculty from all over the Known Universe. Soon after, many traditional academic students began clamoring for entry because of the range of scholarship now collected at the Academy. The Board acquiesced and opened admissions to many of its non-military programs. The bent of each academic division is still based around warfare, though such a broad range of topics is studied that a fine education can be had in nearly any subject. The Academy produces some of the finest military historians, psychologists, economists, physicists, and so on. There is even a division of medicine, though it focuses largely on field techniques and could never compete with the Suk School.
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If you have any questions, please contact Jacob, either online (via @mail or page) or over email (ginaz@dune3.net).