One of the most important trials a Jedi Padawan will undertake is the construction of her own lightsaber, the successful completion of which indicates that the Padawan has gained sufficient mastery of the Force and her own self to begin the next stage of her training.
A lightsaber is a powerful weapon and tool, and possibly the most recognizable symbol of the Jedi Order and its Knights. It must include the following components:
Most of these components are commonplace enough that a member of the Jedi Order would have no trouble acquiring them; if you wish to construct your lightsaber using more rare or exotic materials, you must acquire these yourself through RP and plots, with staff approval.
The focusing crystal must be natural; only the Sith, now extinct, use artifically forged crystals in their lightsabers, and while the process is not a secret lost to the Jedi, its use is not encouraged. Natural lightsaber crystals may be found in many locations, but the most common source for the Jedi is the moon Ilum, where Jedi have harvested crystals for generations. Once found, the lightsaber crystal must be attuned to the user; see Crystals for more information.
Once the Jedi has gathered all of the materials, and the focusing crystal has been attuned and imbued with the Force, the Jedi must make a difficult Jedi Lore skill roll. Construction takes a full day to complete, during which time no other actions may be taken. If the Jedi fails her Jedi Lore skill roll, she must start the process over; a critical failure may damage the attuned crystal, requiring a new crystal to be found and attuned.
The Jedi may make custom modifications to her lightsaber, which increases the difficulty of the Jedi Lore skill roll required for construction, and require additional components or crystals, depending on the complexity and nature of the modification. See Lightsaber Modification for more details.