I've made a bunch of changes to Houses today, mainly to make it easier
for you guys to deal with newcomers to the House:

1. House newcomers are now formally defined as people who are House rank
1 or 2.

2. To be promoted to House rank 3, someone with the PROMOTE power(new)
must promote that person manually. HWHO will show you when someone is
House rank 2 and cannot be raised in rank any further by House favours
with a little * next to their rank.
3. HOUSE PROMOTE <person> promotes someone to rank 3. I did this instead
of putting back in a separate novice or apprentice status (like with
guilds) because it is more unified with the House ranking system. Some
Houses may require that people get enough House favours or do enough
Icon work (once Icons are in) to get to right under House rank 3 before
promotion. Other Houses may set other requirements. It's up to the
House.

4. There is now a House Newcomers channel (HNT). It is useable by
anyone, whether on or off probation. HNTON/HNTOFF turns it on and off.

5. HouseTell is still stopped by probation.

6. HTS (HouseTellSecret) is now a power that has to be given out to be
used. So, like other powers, the Lord/Lady of the House has to assign it
to a position for people to be able to use it.

7. Along with HNT, there is a similarly-named newsboard useable by
anyone, on probation or not.

8. The normal House newsboard will continue to be unusable by anyone on
probation.

The effect of all these changes are that most Houses shouldn't need to
put their newcomers on probation, since newcomers (ie anyone who hasn't
been promoted to House rank 3) can't use the normal House channel or see
the normal House newsboard.

Penned by my hand on the 10th of Glacian, in the year 394 AF.