House Bible Ver. 1.02 1.0 The House 1.1 The World of The House 1.2 The Household 1.3 The Guild 1.4 The Servants 1.5 The Slaves 1.6 The Body 2.0 House Training 2.1 Training Goals 2.2 Training Outcomes 2.3 House Protocol 2.4 Principles, Degrees and Articles 3.0 Articles of the First Degree 3.1 Article I: Indoctrination, Profile, Case File, Slave Career 3.2 Article II: Attributes of a Profile 3.3 Article III: Speech and Address 3.4 Article IV: Six Rules of Deportment 3.5 Article V: Presentation, Positions and Discipline 3.6 Article VI: Rank and Petitions 3.7 Article VII: The Order of Authority - Privilege, Obeisance and Common Courtesy 3.8 Article VIII: Appendix 4.0 Included Documents -- 1.0 The House The House is a social arrangement that functions as an expression of alternative sexuality. Further definition lies in the developing House Goals: 1) The House is a bridge that spans the divide between commercial and lifestyle BDSM. Informed, entertaining media, broadcasts of events featuring cultural figures and activities that promote and protect leather sensibilities are at the core of House Business. 2) The House is a social experiment exploring the reality of a social order that up untill now has existed only in fantasy. 3) The House documents and broadcasts the mechanics of it's own social design in the interest of the advancement of, and the cooperation with other House structures. 1.1 The World of the House The participants of this social experiment called The House may be referred to as Subjects. The sum of all the Subjects involved make up The Society. The Society divides and classifies Subjects into Classes and distributes individuals within a social hierarchy that clearly delineates authority, roles, duties and status. The Classes of the Society are: The Household, The Servants, The Slaves and The Body. 1.2 The Household This is typically the core group of individuals that drive the activities of the organization. These individuals operate in different groups that function outside as well as inside the House. When In Attendance, these factions are known as The Cabinet, The Orders, and The Affiliates. The term "Household" may also be extended to any given authoritative body operating within the House, such as the stewardship of an active event or an assembly of community elders. The House Cabinet The Cabinet is lead by the Host and is populated by his Officers, forming the Executive branch of the organization. The Twelve Orders of the House The Twelve Orders are working units that operate somewhat independently of one another on a commercial front to support the greater mission of the organization. Each Order has at its head a Director who is vested in the operations. The Affiliates Individuals and groups that share commons interests with the House may be honored guests, esteemed craftsman, or any other allies that share the vision of the experiment and have been invited into the Household. 1.3 The Guild Trainers, artists and BDSM practitioners, sometimes collectively referred to as Craftsmen, may be categorized as belonging to The Guild. This is a somewhat ambiguous but important category that derives much of it's power not from the hierarchy of the House but from The Community, a distinction that bears a degree of autonomy within the existing power structure. The House and the Guild operate in a symbiotic relationship; the Guild brings to the table deep Community ties and skilled Craftsmen; the House brings authority, structured operations, and a widespread power base. Working together, they nurture and promulgate The Craft, fortify the position of the Community at large, and make room within the greater population for The Alternative Practices. In the History of the Tradition, the Old Ones put the Guilds in place to protect the integrity of The Craft from the rising New Order. The Guilds accumulated much power among the people but they were scattered in The Initiative, an action implemented during the end days of the New Order's rein that was aimed at eradicating Alternative Practices. The ensuing Dark Times saw surviving Craftsmen slowly re-group to form a single Lodge of the Guild, but they never attained the same influence. The Guild went underground to avoid persecution and The Craft became urban legend. As The Liberties took hold among the population, Alternative Practices became more acceptable and the Craft began to percolate into the culture once again. However, practitioners still risked discrimination and prejudice by The Majority population. To protect themselves, many New Craftsmen operated with concealed identities within loosely organized underground gatherings. Gatherings continued and developed a structure that became known as The Community. This remains the norm today. The Guild is technically a category, not a class. This distinction is rarely made in practice, and the Guild is typically thought of and operates largely as a Class. By definition, classified entities are exclusive to their class, and operate exclusively within it till promoted or demoted into another class. They belong to only one class at a given time. Any classified entity may (or may not) also be categorized. Categorization implies more fluid boundaries, and entities may belong to more than one category as well as any one class at a given time. Within the structure of the House, individuals of any class may also be categorized as Guild. However, the Guild is typically seen as it's own exclusive group that fits neatly between the Household and the Servant / Slave classes. The ambiguity allows the socially agile craftsman to move between the classes acting as a conduit of communications between the two. This helps with the matching of service skills to the needs of the Household, and helps generate efficient training methods that target the specific needs of the operation. While the Guild's ambiguity is sometimes viewed by the more rigid stalwarts of The Society as a flaw in an otherwise meticulously defined hierarchy of authority, it is tolerated for the advantages it brings to the operation's training and placement proceures. Outline of the Remaining Classes(to be developed) 1.4 The Servants Trainers, Craftsmen and Apprentices - employed, contracted or highly experienced Upper Servants - Possibly under contract, or employed Under Servants - Invited to serve and earn vestment [vestment = a contact?] 1.5 The Slaves Seniors - completed four events Juniors - completed three events Freshmen - completed two events Initiates - accepted petitioners, one event 1.6 The Body Petitioners - Graduates invited to apply to the House The Scorned - recycled trainees Trainee First Class - Two terms of training, 8 days Trainee Second Class - One term of training, 4 days Applicants - One day of training or still in the screening process Subjects - Everyone else 2.0 House Training 2.1 Training Goals 1) Identify and agree upon ethical concepts, principles or virtues that serve as a foundation for a codified slave training program. 2) Draw from these "Principles of Slavehood" to design and implement a core training curriculum that produces a contingent of erotic slaves capable of behaving as a uniform and disciplined unit within the context of servicing House events and functions. 3) Develop 'Slave Careers' within the continuity of the Household by applying advancements and demotions to a sequence of hierarchal roles. 2.2 Training Outcomes 1) Trainee will display ability to manage intense stimuli while maintaining composure in a reasonably and relatively heavy BDSM pain scene that is facilitated by the primary trainer with implements and environment that the trainee is familiar with. 2) Trainee will demonstrate a command of sexual performance including: - Basic knowledge of anatomy that empowers the learner to induce orgasm in both sexes on a reasonably consistent basis. - The ability to maintain the property through an understanding of sexual health and hygiene - The ability to display itself in an erotic and disciplined manner. 3) Trainee will display a grasp of the First Degree House Protocols as described in this document with a reasonably low number of infractions over the course of one training session (as defined by the relevant trainer). 4) Trainee will prepare a "User's Manual", a document that identifies "what they are good for". - Overall, the goal of the manual is to describe how to best interact with the trainee to achieve a desired response. - This document may include experience, strengths, weaknesses, aspirations and motivations. - It is a document that could be handed to a stranger at a play party to provide the tools to facilitate a satisfying exchange for all parties involved. - This document is able to serve as a foundation or outline for a future Petition to the House. 2.3 The House Protocol A formalized courtesy reinforces the flow of authority throughout the Household. This convention extends through all ranks of the House to create a rich social hierarchy where no two individuals are ever of the same rank. It is the duty of the individual to express this Order of Authority through the Assumption of Privilege or the Show of Obeisance. This doctrine is standardized as The House Protocol and makes up the core of the program's curriculum. As such, this document establishes the baseline of acceptable behavior for slaves and servants in service to the House. This includes a uniform set of slave positions, styles of speech and deportment that is appropriate for any slave engaged in general duties at House events and functions. Instructional methods may vary, but the learner's outcomes are always the same: disciplined uniformity. “Manners are made up of trivialities of deportment which can be easily learned if one does not happen to know them; manner is personality—the outward manifestation of one’s innate character and attitude toward life.” Emily Post 2.4 Principles, Degrees and Articles A Protocol is a mode of behavior, built on Degrees, or levels of specificity. The First Degree is the most basic and uniform. It provides the foundation upon which other more specific individual behaviors are built. The House is most concerned with, and only requires, mastery of the First Degree. This common ruleset establishes the baseline behavioral requirements for all slaves that serve the House. Second, Third and higher degrees of protocol are specific to the Order or other social group from which they originate, and may vary from Group to Group, Order to Order, House to House. So long as there is no conflict, the House is not directly concerned with these more specific protocols. Degrees are made up of Articles or Chapters. Each article generalizes an area of development. Adherence to the Articles and Degrees is meant to be uniform however, on enforcement, the House looks to the "Spirit of the Rule". Pedantic surveillance and enforcement does not interest the House unless called for in a specific drill, or by a guest. House slaves and staff have more important things to do than worry about every little detail of movement every minute of the day. In matters of slave training, while methods may vary, the teaching is drawn from a common set of underlying Principles of Servitude. These principles are known as Identity, Duty, Discipline and Humility. (Pending Approvals and Amendments) Identity Relates to the sense of oneself, "who we are" as individuals - one's skills, abilities and awareness of self. This principle speaks to the degree to which the trainee embraces submission the depth of their immersion in the lifestyle surrounding the Craft. Duty Indicates one's sense of commitment and loyalty to The Traditions of the culture. Discipline Reflects skills in organization, consistency and the acquisition of learned behaviors. Physical performance and ability to process sensation are indicators of one's discipline. Humility The fundamental attitude reflecting mindfulness of one's place in the world. 3.0 Articles of the First Degree: House Rules The First Degree prepares the subject to present themselves to the House as a petitioner. The core training curriculum teaches the proper manner of speech, behavior and attitude for House service. Article I: Indoctrination The Subject enters the program through application and indoctrination. Methods may vary and may extend into the actual training process, but the outcome is uniform: a Profile of the subject that contains defined values for a given set of attributes. The purpose of Profiling is to document the subject's skills, knowledge and abilities (SKA's), chart their development, and to assist in job placement with the House. Profile data is held in a Case File that documents the subject's ongoing Career with the House. In addition to SKA's, the file holds conduct records, outstanding punishments, rewards, performance notes and any information useful to the continuity of the experiment. Ideally, the Case File may be requested by any Director and acted upon within that operation, independent of the House "Well Torn, I see from your file that you have an outstanding punishment from your last visit to the House....what's to be done?" The goal of the Case File is to reinforce the Career aspect of the operation through enforced accountability and continuity. This file, at it's most simple, is a copy of the training session's published write-ups. Article II: Suggested Attributes of a Profile Statistical Subject Trade Name Number Global ID Stats Height, weight, measurements, sex History Experience with BDSM, any other historical info Limits Stated limits Preferences Likes Proclivities in fetish, sensation, Acts Dislikes Exceptions, soft limits Strengths Assets Weakness Liabilities Fears Phobias, Performance Gap, that which presents an obstacle to performance Issues Psychological, relational or other Sexual Sexual Expression Ability to emote / communicate enthusiasm for The Act of sex Orgasm How best to induce orgasm in the subject Masturbation How much do they cling to privacy Sucking Rate the subject's skill Fucking How best to use the subject sexually based on their experience Anal Skill level and preferences BDSM Skills Pain Management Rate the skill level, comments, experience or preferences for management of pain Marking Consent and preferences General Quotes Relevant quotes discovered through research Comments Observer's remarks Attachments: For reference, questionnaires and attribute list from the Training of O Recruitment Binder. Documentation of this depth is not required for a trainee to petition the House. Article III: Regarding Matters of Speech and Address The house slave is never spoken to by first names, like "Cherry", or training ID's, like #028, but is addressed by surnames like Torn and Phoenix. The house slave addresses it's betters by first speaking the proper name followed by the proper honorific, followed by the statement, and finally by completing each logical phrase again with the proper honorific: "Mr Mogul, sir, the well trained servant always speaks in a clear and evenly metered tempo, sir." Article IV: Regarding Matters of Deportment These basic House Rules establish the baseline expectations of behavior for House service. 1) The well trained slave waits civilly to be interrogated. - The slave never allows it's voice to be heard unless called to, and then as little as possible with short, concise responses. - Never does the slave utter a harsh word or curse. - The slave never offers an opinion, never says hello, good night nor offers any other salutation except in reply. - When in a senior's presence, the slave does not speak to others of similar station. - The slave is unseen unless acknowledged. 2) The well trained slave never turns it's back on a dominant. - The slave always backs away before turning, unless ordered to give access to it's ass. 3) The well trained slave maintains a straight and dignified line of sight. - Nosey glances are forbidden. 4) The well trained slave makes itself sexually available whenever possible. - Through posture and open body language, the slave's body is alway on offer. 5) The well trained slave waits quietly for permission to approach and depart a dominant. - When approaching a dominant, the slave stops several feet away and waits quietly for a nod, word or some indication of permission to approach. The slave also waits to be dismissed. - If there is no notice, the slave lightly clears it's throat and asks, "Sir, permission to approach, sir?", followed by, "Sir, thank you sir!" when granted. - If dismissal is not forthcoming, the slave lightly asks, "Sir, is there anything else this slave can do for you, sir?" 6) The well trained slave keeps it's dirty hands to itself. - The slave always has a small tray nearby to receive items. - The slave never touches items that it has no business handling. - The tray is always held in the left hand with the right arm folded neatly behind the back. Article V: Regarding Matters of Presentation and Discipline Presentation is a matter of the trainee making their bodies available for use or inspection in the most graceful and efficient way possible. Discipline, in this sense, is a matter of holding that position - no matter what. Service Positions are a form of presentation not unlike the military. These positions are useful to focus the trainee on a task, instill a state of mind or enforce discipline. Stress Positions may be used for punishment, corrections or training. For any position, the subject should be able to hold the position for a length of time without moving. This is a demonstration of discipline, esp. when under a whip, crop or cane. Use care in the locking of knees for extended periods of time. Standard Service Positions The novice typically begins learning these positions by being put into bondage, tied off to a point over head for safety, and made to hold balance - possibly on a block. Apply the whip, crop, cane or other implement to test for movement, train endurance and discipline. This is an excellent method of training pain processing and self control. Attention Standing straight, feet straight ahead and shoulder width apart. Shoulders back, slight arch to the back, pressing out the chest. Chin is up and head straight. Eye-line is level and straight ahead with no movement or distraction. The arms are folded tightly at the small of the back pushing the chest out slightly. Forearms are parallel to the floor, fingers lightly clutch opposite arms just above the elbows. This is a strict position and should be drilled for endurance and composure under duress. This is the standard position a trainee assumes when being spoken to, awaiting instruction, or on completing a task. Variations: Military Attention The heels come together sharply on line, the toes pointing out equally, forming an angle of 45 degrees. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees. Hold the body erect with chest lifted and shoulders square. Keep the head straight to the front with the chin drawn in so that alignment of the head and neck is vertical. The arms hang straight, the fingers curl so that the tips of the thumbs are alongside the first joint of the forefingers. Keep the thumbs straight along the side of the legs where the seams of a trouser leg would be. Kneel On knees, not resting on haunches, but raised up high with pelvis thrust slightly forward to offer the genitals. Thighs are spread, chin up, eyes straight ahead, back arched, chest out and chin up. Variations: Head slightly back, mouth open, tongue slightly extended in preparation for oral service. The subject may be ordered to masturbate themselves while in position. All Fours Like a show dog, the subject is displayed on hands and knees. Subject is open for manipulation, feeling up, fucking, for use as furniture, or for a position of punishment. The chin is up, head straight and as always eyes forward. Genitals are free and offered from the rear. Good for showing off the property, face fucking, or for general inspection. Present Ass Presents the ass doggie style for fucking or for punishment. From a position on all fours, the chest is lowered to press onto the floor. The arms are folded at the small of the back, face turned to one side, cheek to the floor. Thighs are wide, back is arched hard, pressing the ass up and out. A slight variation puts the forehead to the floor, eyes drilling straight down into the floor. Ideal or punishment and corrections to the ass and thighs. Squat Primarily a stress position, often used for training in endurance or for humiliating the juniors and freshmen. The feet are shoulder width apart, legs bent at the knees to lower the hips close to the floor. Arms are folded behind the back as when at attention. Chin is up, head straight, eyes level and even. Do not allow the subject to actually sit. Variations: To increase stress, put the subjects back against a wall and order the thighs to be held parallel to the floor. Use extreme caution when adding bondage as many people cannot balance themselves in a squat and may fall. Head slightly back, mouth open, tongue slightly extended in preparation for oral service. The subject may be ordered to masturbate themselves while in position. Service Routines Once the trainee has worked through these positions in and out of bondage, while under duress, and is able to reasonably maintain discipline with no undue flinching, then they are ready to begin routines. By joining together different positions with small graceful movements, the trainee begins to demonstrate a command of deportment and grace. Routines may be formed that link two or several positions. There are no established order of positions for routines, but it is helpful to condition the subject to hold each position till an order or trigger is enacted to signal moving on to the next. It may also be useful to insert additional positions between certain movements to aide in the flow of the overall routine. Article VI: Regarding Rank and Petitions The slaves' first objective is to gain entry to the House through petition, then earn enough rank to keep out of the most distressing positions of the hierarchy. The steps to earn rank are: - complete basic training - complete specialized training to a job description - get invited to serve at a House event or function - present a petition to the House - find a House sponsor to take responsibility for the petitioner till they advance several levels from slave to servant. (pending approvals) - find an online sponsor (a kink.com member) to oversee extracurricular duties such as scheduled posts made to online forums. (pending approvals) - endure through a ritual of initiation at the hands of the Household. Acquiring rank accomplishes several things: - trainee is not sent back to the basement to answer for short comings through pain, sweat and humiliation - trainee begins a new phase in the development of their career with the House. - the next time the trainee is allowed onto the fourth floor, they are not burdened with some humiliating and painful predicament and delegated to the most base chores and senseless tasks - trainee earns status over the new petitioners coming in. Article VII: The Order of Authority Suggested Expressions of Privilege and Obeisance It is the duty of every servant or slave to express this Order of Authority through the senior's Assumption of Privilege and the junior's Show of Obeisance. - where the senior stands at attention or at ease, the junior is to squat and suffer. - where the senior is used sexually, the junior later cleans all mess with their tongue, paying particular attention the the senior's person. - where the senior speaks in reply to general address, the junior replies only to direct interrogation - where the senior's hands may be allowed to roam across their own person or be stimulated to sexual release, the junior is rarely afforded the luxury of orgasm or kind fondling. - where the senior makes full use of those of lower rank where time allows, the junior holds no sway in matters of sexual use. - where more than two servants or slaves are present, the rank of freshmen is the lowest of all. -In even larger gatherings, designations of first freshmen, second freshmen, and so on may be deployed. The designations senior and junior, being earned ranks, remain singular in a given case. Common Courtesy In a case where two individuals are of the same or similar upper rank, vested servants for instance, and they occupy the same space, it is left to the senior's desecration the degree to which the junior is degraded. This common courtesy may save the junior from behaviors not fitting their rank. Article VIII: Appendix to the First Degree Optional Additions to the First Degree The well trained slave... - Always references itself in the third person in speech and writing. - Always acknowledges / responds to an order or question. - Always 'gives room' when being passed by a senior in a hall by turning to the wall and averting it's eyes. - Always walks slightly behind a senior. - Never uses phones, receives visitors or initiates outside contact without permission unless on free time. - Understands that followers are forbidden. There are no intimacies with outsiders, and no fraternizing or intimacies with those of a lower class. - Pays for breakage of any House property through deduction of it's wages. - Never harbors any expectation of privacy. 4.0 Included Documents - Job Description: Table Server - The mantra of Torn and Phoenix - What to Look For in a Trainee: Principles and Attributes of Servitude - Recruitment Binder Pre-Booking Questionnaire and In-House Checklist ...more to come.
