Skills

A Skill is an ability that a pony can use in order to advance themselves. To be able to use a Skill, the pony must first become an Apprentice in that skill, the more points a pony puts into a skill, the more experienced they become at that skill.

Having a cutemark is more than just having a talent, it is something that can be mastered. And you as a pony can use that mastery to your advantage and benefit. A pony who is especially good at their skills can turn the tide of battle, or roleplay. ToE Roleplayers can have any number of skills they want, but they can only become a Master at one, that is typically their cutiemark talent. 

Skill Advancement
Skill advancement begins with becoming an Apprentice. Each time a pony participates in a simwide event or finds a sidequest, and completes it, they will receive a number of points. At times, Faction Leaders and Mods may also give out points if you decide to maybe do something for them or are doing something that benefits RP, but don't think you'll get a point just for saying 'Hello'. When and how they give out points is at their own discretion, so instead of chatting up a Faction Leader to try and squeeze points from them, you're better left off doing sidequests and coming to events.

Points you earn from sidequests, events, and anywhere else can be put into your skills. It takes a certain number of points to become very good at any particular skill.

Skill Rankings
Skill ranking in ToE follows these general descriptions.

Apprentice
The starting position in ToE, the apprentice is where one begins their journey to Master status. As an Apprentice, your ability to use your skill is just starting out so you may find that attempting to do something a Master could accomplish is impossible, or at the least, extremely difficult.

Journeyman
A Journeyman is an individual who has completed an apprenticeship and is moderately skilled in a trade or craft, but not yet an expert. Their ability to use their skill is becoming easier, and they are quickly learning all about it.

Adept
An Adept is an individual who has begun to finally work on their crowning achievements, they have passed Journeyman level and are able to perform great feats of skill with relative ease. While they still have a lot more work ahead of them to be considered a master, an adept is still quite exceptional.

Master
A Master is fully trained and as such, they can make some of the best quality items, with some of the rarest objects, they have worked long and hard for their title and it shows in their skill. They will be extraordinarily good at their skill, effortlessly wielding it at it's full potential. they may also opt to help train others in their mastered skill.