An Aes Sedai and Asha'man does not cease learning when raised to the shawl or cord. Rather, that it only the completion of the first novice stage and the beginning of the next, for there is much to be learned thereafter. When a Sister or Brother is taken into an Ajah, certain Benefits are available to through active involvement and association with that Ajah. Each Ajah has unique Benefits to offer its members, yet some are shared by more than one Ajah, and yet others are shared by all. The Ajah hold thousands of years of experience that any single Brother or Sister can not master, but may always draw upon to learn, grow, and specialize. Each Channeling Sister and Brother may strive for recognition of Weaves, strength wielding the One Power, and Talent. Those bonded into that Ajah may have the benefit of specific Benefits that relate to attributes and skills.

Participation in the Benefits system is optional. One either has a Benefit, or not, despite the varying numbers of requirements to earn said Benefit. Benefits indicate an "expert level of knowledge or aptitude". This does not negate, for example, experience with Daes dae'mar. Those with the Benefit of Daes dae'mar Mastery would simply be a master or expert compared to the average Aes Sedai or Asha'man.

How to Attain Benefits From the Tiers:

1. Roleplay: Write in detail about your character using/learning the Benefit in a thread. The different Tiers will tell you how many posts you need to write, but remember that only detailed posts with the absolute minimum of 3 paragraphs or more will be accepted. Also, the Ajahs' secret Weaves needs to be taught to you, and are not something your character may learn on their own.
2. Training: This applies for both Non-Channeling and Channeling combat-oriented Benefits as well as more theoretical Benefits. Write in detail about your character learning the Benefit in a training thread. The different Tiers will tell you how many posts you need to write for each different Benefit. Remember that only detailed posts with the absolute minimum of 3 paragraphs or more will be accepted.
3. Sparring: This applies for the Non-Channeling combat-oriented Benefits. Write in detail about your character using/learning the Benefit in a sparring or training thread. As mentioned, the different Tiers will tell you how many posts you need to write. Only a minimum of 3 paragraphs or more will be accepted.
4. Write a Fanfic (min. 600 words): Detail in a story of the present or the past where your character use the Benefit. The different Tiers will tell you how many fanfics you need to write, but remember that only detailed fics with the absolute minimum of 600 words or more will be accepted. The applicable Officer might accept a shorter fanfic if the writing or details happened to be of unusually good quality, but that's up to his/her judgement.
5. Taking Classes: The Class Listings will give you information on which available Classes there are that could allow your character to be taught a Benefit.
6. Use Your Biography: If you are lucky, or if you had already decided to do so when writing it, your biography might hold enough detail for you to be granted a Benefit. This because your biography is a form of fanfic, and as ong as it meets the Tier requirements, you may earn Benefits from this initial writing you have made with your character. The Ajahs' secrets needs to be taught to you, and are not something your character may learn on their own prior to arriving to the Tower.

Finally, after picking a Benefit from the Tiers and writing what you hope may apply, you are to submit the URL of the thread/fanfic/class in the Benefit Form.

The Bond Benefits:

When a Warder is bonded, the warrior feels a huge flash of heat, and more aware of himself and the Aes Sedai. After bonding, the Warder's knees feel wobbly for a while. And the Warder/Aes Sedai bond can't be broken unless one of them dies or it is transferred to another channeler.

The Benefits a bonded Warder own are not counted against one's total alotted Benefits, hence, there are additional and automatic Benefits to being bonded. The list is as follows:

Bondmate Awareness: This Benefit enables both bondmates to point out the direction and make a fair guess on the distance to the other. Bondmates may sense each others' physical state: injuries, fatigue, and mental strain. The sensation of a Warder's injuries can almost make the Aes Sedai faint, if the injuries are severe. Both the Warder and his/her Aes Sedai will know when the other dies, and how. In addition, the death of the Warder has a severe effect on the Aes Sedai, causing months to years of depression. Suffering his Aes Sedai's death is almost certainly fatal to the Warder. Also, if the Aes Sedai is tortured, her Warder feels her pain and vice versa. Bondmates may not "tug on the bond" to get the other's attention. This Benefit even the Channeling bondmate may apply for after bonding a Warder.

Warder Physicality: A Warder gains strength and energy from the bond, and can withstand more serious injuries than previously. They also heal quickly, can survive longer without food/water/sleep than most people.

Shadow Sense: A Warder senses creatures of the Dark One if they're roughly within half a mile?s distance. Evidently, they can smell that a Fade has been in a place recently as well (Note: Lan al?Mandragoran could do so in the books).

Warded Dreams: The Warder's bond shields the dreams of the Warder. They cannot be visited by Dreamers or Dreamwalkers.

To Gain Benefits Outside Your Own Tiers:

Bonded Channelers have access to the Tiers of their bondmate, except for the secret Benefits, and the requirements remain as stated in the corresponding Tier. Warders promised to an Aes Sedai or Asha'man have no access to their future Bondmate's Ajah Tiers, since their training take up all of their time. Upon attaining the fancloak and bonding his/her Channeler, he/she has access to Benefits that are not marked as secret (designated with a ).

"What about all the other Tiers that I do not have access to?" The first two tiers are open to anybody. Third tier benefits outside your or your bondmates ajah may be gained with the permission of the Ajah Head or Master of Arms, besides the requirements stated in the corresponding Tier, you must also write an additional Fanfic (min. 800 words) where it further explicitly explains how your Character may have come across this skill/attribute/weave from an Ajah not your own. No secret Benefits or Benfits from the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael Tiers may be learned this way.

Using Benefits against each other:

While several of these Benefits directly oppose each other (Stealth and Alertness, for example), all effects should be handled in RP. This includes situations where someone with a relevant Weapon Skill, Talent Points or One Power Strength is using it on someone without an opposing Benefit. (In other words, these are 'Benefits,' not 'Guarantees Of Victory.') There are no rules for how to resolve these situations; use whatever solution works best for the story that you and your roleplaying partners are attempting to tell. When in doubt, ask the people you are RPing with.

Using Benefits in Combat: Several of the Benefits listed below (Hard to Hit, Powerful Strikes, Bloodless Victory, et. al) deal with a character's 'style' of fighting with weapons. It is important to realize that they are intended only to help you explore and define the kinds of techniques your character prefers; they do not make your character a better fighter. Actual Weapon Skill in combat is generally the deciding factor, and that is determined by a character's Weapons Skill Points. If you wish to become a more powerful warrior, that is where you should concentrate your attention.

Thus, all other thing being equal, if a Drin'far'ji with two Weapon Skill Points in sword faces off against a Ji'alantin with three points in sword, the Ji'alantin will win - even if the Drin'far'ji has taken every combat-related Benefit available, and the Ji'alantin has taken no Benefit at all. Obviously, there is room for extenuating circumstances - including plain old beginner's luck - and the actual outcome of any fight or spar should be worked out with the people you are roleplaying with.

The Administration of the Benefits System:

Your Benefit form is received and processed by the M'Hael or Amyrlin Seat or Master of Arms (the Administrators). The Administrator may forward a copy of your request on to the applicable Ajah Head if a consultation is needed. Your Ajah Head will inform you and the Administrator of his or her opinion on how it should be processed. In most cases, the Administrator will simply make a decision. In either case, the Administrator will then update the Benefit List with your information.

The Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael review Ajah Head activity and award extra slots for Benefits, based on usual evidence, but also voting records. The Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael and Master of Arms' personal Benefit requests will be processed by the Keeper of the Chronicles or Keeper of the Archives respectively or the Gaidin Captain.

The Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael:

While the Keeper of the Chronicles/Archives is considered associated with one particular Ajah, and thus, is subject to the same rules as any other Ajah member, the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael are an exception. While they are in office, they are considered 'of all Ajahs and none' and are not restricted to gaining Benefits outside of their original Ajah. One Power Strength and Talent point increases still cost 4 pts. The Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael, holding unique positions, also have unique skills/attributes/weaves outlined in their own tier, but their assoication with all Ajahs through personal key individuals in each Ajah grants them access to all Tiers.

The Keeper of the Chronicles and Keeper of the Archives:

The Keepers must follow the same rules as any other Ajah member and Ajah Benefits are recognized through the Head of the Ajah that the Keeper was raised from. The exception is that because the Keepers have a close association with the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael, they may gain skills, attributes, and weaves from the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael's tier by special IC allowence from the either of the two Grey Tower Leaders. The Keepers are the only people not "of all Ajahs and none" who can do this besides the bondmates. Warders of the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael may also apply for Benefits from the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael tier. The Keepers and Warders may not gain access to secret Benefits from the Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael tier, and the additional cost of effort still applies.

About Ajah Weaves:

Ajah-specifc weaves include several weaves that are available through a specific Ajah as one Benefit (i.e. "Green Ajah Weaves"). An Ajah Weave Benefit is like the benefit of Knowledge of Languages, which is an umbrella for multiple languages.

Secret Ajah Weaves are also an additional Benefit, but have an additional restriction: not only are they available only through particular Ajahs, but by a specific person within that Ajah who can teach others. If that member quits the Tower, a role-play may be made out of uncovering the secret weave from a lost document, journal, or ter'angreal and reconstructing it. Secret Benefits are almost never, if at all, shared outside the Ajah.

Bonded Warders are Considered Part of their Ward's Ajah:

Once a Warder is bonded, one lives, breathes, and drinks the Ajah through one's connection with one's bondmate. Warders are part of the system and gain the Ajah benefits of the Ajah they are bonded into, save for channeling-Benefits such as Ajah Weaves, which they obviously have no use of. It is up to the Ajahs and the Warders bonded into them to decide if they want only the standard non-channeling Benefits or if they want additional Ajah-specific Warder-only benefits ( i.e. Benefits specific to Warders of Yellow Aes Sedai and Asha'man) with a range of 3-5 Benefits to replace channeling Benefit options. Some Ajahs have more channeling-Benefits than others, and may warrant a separate list of Benefits available to their Warders. The Ajah Heads may then submit these aditional Benefits to be listed in the Tiers. Un-bonded Warders do not receive Benefits from any cell beyond the Warder Yards and the Character Benefits.

Warder Advantages and Benefits:

As Benefits are the alloy of the old Warder Advantages system and the Ajah Benefits system, Advantages earned by members before the new version of the Benefits system was created may be transferred over into Benefits.

Returning members should contact the Gaidin Captain in order to have their previously gained Advantages transfered to the Benefit System, while the Channelers contact their gender-corresponding Keeper.

Editing Ajah Tiers:

New skills/attributes/weaves are invented or rediscovered in role-play. The Amyrlin Seat, M'Hael, and Master of Arms (the Administrators) as well as the Ajah Heads (or Sitters, in the absence of Ajah Heads) have the power to create new Benefits as needed, as well as their descriptions. They may also have them removed or reorganized, at their discretion - but mindful of the fact that members might have earned the Benefits in question. Any changes to the Tiers should be discussed with the entire Ajah when there are active Ajah members regardless of who is officiating the change. The Administrators will weigh the Ajah Heads' opinions seriously when making changes to their tier's benefits and also will inform Ajah Heads when they are approving a character for a skill/attribute/weave from the Head's tier. This is particularly important when the character is from another Ajah. New skills/attributes/weaves in the Amyrlin/M'Hael tier may be added by consent of the Ajah Heads and the Master of Arms. All must remain within the number of skills/attributes/weaves allowed for each Ajah (20 available Benefits).