Post by Kai on Feb 19, 2010 16:35:08 GMT -5
The enigmatic International Vocational Organization, known more commonly as IVO, is the primary information collecting and distribution collective on the planet. With the stated objective of collecting and proliferating information, equally, to all the citizens of Earth, IVO officially functions as a planet-wide database of knowledge (free to access by anyone with a connection to the network) and as the sole entity responsible for operating and maintaining Earth’s school system. The idea of ‘equal access to all’ typically conflicts with corporations and the individual tower city governments (as ‘secrets’, particularly in research and development, are what give a city an advantage over the others), and though this statement implies neutrality, there isn’t a single government or corporation board of directors that actually trusts IVO. (Of course, few appear publically hostile to the organization.) This mistrust is further complicated by the secretive nature of IVO as a whole.
Individuals cannot join IVO of their own accord; they must be nominated by Professor-rank or higher members (which occurs immediately following ‘high school’ graduation,) tested and evaluated by Preceptor-rank members and, following a successful evaluation, are then deliberated over by the Paladin-rank members. Reaching the ‘deliberation’ stage is considered an exceptional honor, but fewer than 25% of nominated individuals ‘make the cut’ and are allowed to proceed to a final examination that determines whether or not the individual is allowed to join the organization. Membership in IVO is highly selective and exclusive and the privileges of being a member (financially set for life, being fully provided for, immediate access to the brightest and best for medical issues, ect.) comes with many restrictions. For one, sobriety is an absolute and individuals will be dismissed from the order for a single infraction against this rule. Additionally, members within IVO are not allowed to marry, have a family or participate in any sort of intimate relations with any individual (even other members.) With the idea of ‘equal access to all’, IVO members undergo procedures that allow their genetic material to be available for surrogacy or artificial insemination by non-members. Naturally, members are not allowed to speak of how the organization operates, or anything related to becoming a member/the testing process, ect. (This is an obvious double standard that goes against their stated purpose of ‘equal access,’ and while IVO acknowledges this, their response is that it is a ‘necessary evil to ensure the integrity of the collective.’) Originally, IVO members were also not allowed to carry weaponry or participate in any sort of violence, including self-defense, but this ‘rule’ has fallen out of favor (and is largely ignored) due to the dangers of the environment and due to the increasingly volatile hostility exhibited by the tower city, Vespar.
IVO’s origins date back to immediately following the ‘fall of civilization’ over 1000 years ago, when a small group of individuals made a mad scramble to try and preserve as much of the technology, culture, and history of the Sol system as possible. The secretive nature of the organization and its highly restricted ideals are thought to extend from a ‘monastic’ organizational origin, with an emphasis on the discipline installed by following such a strict existence. Perfection is what is strived for, but, as might be expected, perfection is not always (if ever) achieved. Much of the original ‘collection’, and two subsequent ‘collections’ of knowledge have largely been lost over IVO’s history, due to ‘unavoidable database corruption.’ (Whatever that means, as most citizens would remark.) Such unfortunate losses are regrettable and definitely stifled the evolution of Earth’s civilization post-catastrophe, but such an event has not occurred in over 450 years.
Although IVO is the premier knowledge-base on the planet, the organization does not officially (or publically) engage in research and development, excavation and investigation of ruins or old technology, botany, zoology, or any other activity in which individuals actually ‘discover’ knowledge of its own accord. They merely collect that which has been discovered by others. That being said, members of IVO are definitively experts in whatever field they specialize in and are often invited to ‘advise and observe’ experiments, investigations, ect., with the exchange being immediate access to ‘discoveries’ and thus the immediate proliferation of the information into the planet-wide database, which results in immediate access to all network-linked individuals. Despite this, much of the planet believes that IVO does, indeed, do its own research and development and keeps these things secret from those outside of the organization. IVO vehemently denies this, but their own secretive nature is what keeps this thorn in the collective’s side.
Ranks within IVO:
Initiate >
Acolyte >
Scribe (first rank where one is able to officially publish independent work within IVO) >
Scholar >
Professor (first rank where one may officially teach, the highest rank generally achieved by members) >
Preceptor (rank in charge of instructing new Professors)>
White/Black Knight (White = governmental liaisons, Black = field collectors/excavation investigators/non-tower city settlement liaisons) >
Paladin (highest rank ‘visible’ rank, eight in total, one in charge of each IVO Branch in each tower city) >
The Hierophant (single highest rank, never seen in public and is generally thought to refer to the expansive computer database and network IVO operates. Supposedly casts the tie-breaking vote in disputes amongst the Paladins, though how this occurs is unknown to outsiders.)
Individuals cannot join IVO of their own accord; they must be nominated by Professor-rank or higher members (which occurs immediately following ‘high school’ graduation,) tested and evaluated by Preceptor-rank members and, following a successful evaluation, are then deliberated over by the Paladin-rank members. Reaching the ‘deliberation’ stage is considered an exceptional honor, but fewer than 25% of nominated individuals ‘make the cut’ and are allowed to proceed to a final examination that determines whether or not the individual is allowed to join the organization. Membership in IVO is highly selective and exclusive and the privileges of being a member (financially set for life, being fully provided for, immediate access to the brightest and best for medical issues, ect.) comes with many restrictions. For one, sobriety is an absolute and individuals will be dismissed from the order for a single infraction against this rule. Additionally, members within IVO are not allowed to marry, have a family or participate in any sort of intimate relations with any individual (even other members.) With the idea of ‘equal access to all’, IVO members undergo procedures that allow their genetic material to be available for surrogacy or artificial insemination by non-members. Naturally, members are not allowed to speak of how the organization operates, or anything related to becoming a member/the testing process, ect. (This is an obvious double standard that goes against their stated purpose of ‘equal access,’ and while IVO acknowledges this, their response is that it is a ‘necessary evil to ensure the integrity of the collective.’) Originally, IVO members were also not allowed to carry weaponry or participate in any sort of violence, including self-defense, but this ‘rule’ has fallen out of favor (and is largely ignored) due to the dangers of the environment and due to the increasingly volatile hostility exhibited by the tower city, Vespar.
IVO’s origins date back to immediately following the ‘fall of civilization’ over 1000 years ago, when a small group of individuals made a mad scramble to try and preserve as much of the technology, culture, and history of the Sol system as possible. The secretive nature of the organization and its highly restricted ideals are thought to extend from a ‘monastic’ organizational origin, with an emphasis on the discipline installed by following such a strict existence. Perfection is what is strived for, but, as might be expected, perfection is not always (if ever) achieved. Much of the original ‘collection’, and two subsequent ‘collections’ of knowledge have largely been lost over IVO’s history, due to ‘unavoidable database corruption.’ (Whatever that means, as most citizens would remark.) Such unfortunate losses are regrettable and definitely stifled the evolution of Earth’s civilization post-catastrophe, but such an event has not occurred in over 450 years.
Although IVO is the premier knowledge-base on the planet, the organization does not officially (or publically) engage in research and development, excavation and investigation of ruins or old technology, botany, zoology, or any other activity in which individuals actually ‘discover’ knowledge of its own accord. They merely collect that which has been discovered by others. That being said, members of IVO are definitively experts in whatever field they specialize in and are often invited to ‘advise and observe’ experiments, investigations, ect., with the exchange being immediate access to ‘discoveries’ and thus the immediate proliferation of the information into the planet-wide database, which results in immediate access to all network-linked individuals. Despite this, much of the planet believes that IVO does, indeed, do its own research and development and keeps these things secret from those outside of the organization. IVO vehemently denies this, but their own secretive nature is what keeps this thorn in the collective’s side.
Ranks within IVO:
Initiate >
Acolyte >
Scribe (first rank where one is able to officially publish independent work within IVO) >
Scholar >
Professor (first rank where one may officially teach, the highest rank generally achieved by members) >
Preceptor (rank in charge of instructing new Professors)>
White/Black Knight (White = governmental liaisons, Black = field collectors/excavation investigators/non-tower city settlement liaisons) >
Paladin (highest rank ‘visible’ rank, eight in total, one in charge of each IVO Branch in each tower city) >
The Hierophant (single highest rank, never seen in public and is generally thought to refer to the expansive computer database and network IVO operates. Supposedly casts the tie-breaking vote in disputes amongst the Paladins, though how this occurs is unknown to outsiders.)