Champions of the Old Republic
After the New Sith Wars the Jedi order reshaped itself from a wartime order to a peacetime order with a new, more stringent rule system. The system was created to keep students from falling to the dark side and keeping sith knowledge hidden. Many found these new rules quite stifling, and made the upper echelons of the Jedi Order seem like dictators, holding power and knowledge that they would not share with their students. The Chalice is a secret organization within the order to combat the draconian rule of the Jedi masters.
Created by a small group of students 5 years ago the Chalice was first a way for padawans to exchange information on how best to disrupt and protest the rules of the order, but soon became more. Over time hidden and restricted knowledge began to flow into the Chalice, at first as a way of protesting the Order’s way of instructing students but later it became an end in itself. Most students that join the Chalice do so to expand their studies.
Joining is not always easy and requires a certain amount of sacrifice on an applicant’s part. First a perspective joiner must learn about the Chalice, which can be easy or hard depending on the student’s social standing. Then that person must perform a great act of protest or defiance against the Jedi Order. The act must be large enough to get the student noticed, but not expelled. The student must willingly take the punishment as a badge of honor, and perform the punishment admirably. Then that student will be approached by the order and asked to join. They will only accept students into the Chalice and only those that swear themselves to secrecy to the Order, their teachers, and other students. Once that is completed they will be invited into the initiation.
Initiation consists of drinking from cups that symbolize points from the Jedi Code: peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony and the Force. As they drink the recite the code with the prefix: “From this cup…” Afterwards they swear a vow of secrecy and officially become a member.
There is no ranking system in The Chalice, save seniority. Older students teach younger students. Sometimes they stash away knowledge in computers or holocrons that they pass around and share. There are some students that have graduated from padawan to knight status in the order, including the original members of the Chalice. Those that have continue to support and teach in the Chalice when they can, and have not betrayed it. To know another member, one can greet someone with two fingers outstretched on one hand pointing down casually from a relaxed arm and saying “I could go for a cup of water.” The other should reply “I’m always thirsty.” with the same two fingers outstretched.
The Jedi Masters have heard word of The Chalice, they know of it’s existence, but have not penetrated it yet. They have punished a member or two that they have uncovered, but have gotten no information from them. They were punished, but not expelled… yet. Thing may change as the masters become more desperate.