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'''Master''' is a title of honor bestowed upon a select few individuals in the [[Isles of Joy]]. Meritocratic rather than hereditary, the title is bestowed upon talented and ambitious young artists, who are taken under the wing of older Masters and trained in their respective disciplines on a generational basis. Though historically most Masters have been men, this has not held for some of the most recent generations. Though the title embodies a respective political role, this should not be mistaken for actual power, as the function of the Masters remains mostly symbolic. Although they have a great number of followers, they aren't capable of directly exercising their will on them. Instead, they are revered as the carriers of the artistic tradition of the island and are expected to exhibit the spirit of the times. 

== Lineages ==

In the Isles of Joy, there exist six distinct lineages of Masters that are commonly accepted and recognized. Each such lineage ideally represents a particular type of artist, tasked with carrying on the tradition. Such a responsibility does not necessarily imply constancy, but rather is taken as keeping the art form alive with continuous innovation through addition and, occasionally, subtraction, that keeps art potent, inventive and alive.  To do so, each generation of prospective artists sends their best and most talented to be hand-selected from by the previous generation of Masters, who will go on to hone their talents to the best of their ability and train them to continue the art form. Once more, a Master's duty does not lie in attempting handing down their particular style to the next generation (though it most certainly happens) but rather to teach their students as mentors to pursue their own authentic love for the art, on behalf of and for all of Joy. The six lineages or schools of Masters are as follows:

# Painting
# Music
# Poetry
# Literature
# Performance
# Sculpture

=== Competing lineages ===

While six distinct lineages of Masters are usually taken as existing at all times, their exact character only exists by consensus and is prone to change. For instance, one of the major reasons why these six schools in specific hold onto their following is because they are widely thought of as being deserving of a following. However, at any point in time, there are hundreds if not thousands of artists who mentor their own students with their own competing visions of what Joyan art should be like and what values it should reflect. Similar mentorship structures exist across the Isles of Joy, though the artists that are part of them aren't nearly as widely recognized as the Masters themselves. However, should a lineage of Masters fall out of grace for whatever reason, thought to be corrupted by fame, or of producing impotent art, they may lose their attention and following, which will then scramble to find another set of "masters" to fill in the created void. While it is unlikely that all of the attention will fall upon a specific set of artists, its dispersal provides an unstable state that has historically eventually settled down on replacing an old lineage with a newer one after certain time has passed. The new lineage will, through popular consensus, then be considered part of the Masters.

== Role ==

Though having no formal powers, and existing outside of politics of everyday governance in the common sense, the Masters hold an important symbolic role in the proliferation of arts and spreading the appreciation for them among the people of Joy. Though they aren't placed in explicit competition with one another, the Masters of the various schools of art often try to convert people towards appreciating their particular art form over others. The primary way of performing this role notably lies in the creation of their own art, which both mirrors and inspires the trends present in contemporary Joyan arts and culture. Their creations are deeply revered, and possessing copies of the original art (when possible) is seen as one of the highest shows of status possible. Though at most only one original may exist, the omnipresent cultural status of the Joyan Masters quickly lead to many reproductions that are dispersed across the nation, instantaneously becoming topics of popular conversation. The Masters are not universally beloved, and many detractors of their art exist at all times, but even in such a way it often becomes impossible to avoid interacting with their art. The Masters are best conceptualized not as creators of universally-beloved art-pieces, but as figures that serve to engage and challenge the public in their own particular ways. Many Masters tend to live unleashed lifestyles, with their heightened status making them greatly unbounded even to the already loose social norms that characterize the Isles. No standard applies to all Masters, however. Though some live in a solitary fashion for their entire lives, others tend to be greatly romantically involved, with either one or multiple partners. It is not unheard of for two Masters (usually across schools) to become [[homosexuality|romantically engaged]]. Due to the 16-year generational turns, Masters, even if they have children of their own, are unable to pick them as successors outside of specific conditions.

== Hierarchy ==
The Joyan Masters see an informal hierarchy among them, stratified by age, forming a vertical hierarchy. One Master (per each generation for each lineage) serves as a guide and mentor to a Master younger than them. As such, each generation of Master is seen as becoming more worthy of respect the older it becomes. This respect, once more, does not necessarily transfer into explicit power. The only actual exercise of power among the Masters is within the mentor-student relationship that exists between certain Masters, and although they may not influence one another (both old-to-young and young-to-old), this exercise of mentorship cannot "skip" generations. The youngest Masters, those most recently picked by the generation before them as their guides, are often referred to as '''Junior Masters''', having been accepted among their ranks, but lacking the age or experience to have yet chosen a successor. Such a qualifier does not always have to turn out correct in practice, as a mentor and a student may only be separated by a few years in age, technically even as little as one day. However, age differences are commonly seen, and even when they are not, the elder Master will have still spent significantly more time as a Master that will have imbued them with experience worthy of respect. '''Senior Masters''' refer to all older living Masters, old enough to have students of their own. Lastly, the '''Old Masters''' is a title given posthumously to all previous title holders that have passed away, holding an ancestral power as those from whom tradition is drawn from.

=== Selection process ===
Once every 16 years, or once per generation, the Masters of the six artistic lineages hand-select their successors among the young people of the [[Isles of Joy]], in a widely celebrated occasion holding the name of the '''Festival of Color''', a grand occasion that sees great celebration across the Isles and is associated with the symbolic passage to adulthood (though some will have already been adults in practice for a great number of years, the Festival continues to hold a playful ritual meaning for them). All people within the age range between 18 and 33 are eligible to participate in the selection, and they are encouraged to try out in several different categories. The wide range may give some an advantage over others based on age, though it is only the personal judgement of the Masters may favor older or younger candidates. The Junior Masters, having as of yet no students of their own, also see a transitional ceremony in this Festival, being given the opportunity to step up and pick a successor of their own. Although no specific way of choosing a successor is prescribed, a meritocratic tradition often sees an artistic contest taking place which sees a person displaying good talent, personality, or ambition being selected to take on the role. Localities across which the Festival is orchestrated select one (or a small handful) of participants they believe are the most likely to capture the eye of the Masters, which then travel to [[The Heart]] of Joy to display their performance in front of the Masters, where one of them will be selected and become a Master in their own right. In 16 years, the generation of Masters selected during this Festival will be given the opportunity to select their own successors.

In the case of an unfortunate early passing of the Junior Master that would have been in control of selecting their successor, the next youngest Master usually takes the burden of taking on another student. In the unusual circumstance that the 16-year period involves the passing of all of the Masters, which has historically happened [[Malicious Famine|only]] [[The Great Sinkboat Disaster|twice]], the next Master is allowed to arise organically, with no particular ceremony to accompany them. A great artist that gains a sufficiently large following will produce a lineage that is eventually accepted by consensus, though their place may be disputed for a long period of time.

[[Category: Isles of Joy pages]]