An Elder of the Dark Brotherhood must rise above the pettyness of his order, above the pettyness of internal Clan squables, and above his own personal desires. An Elder in the Dark Brotherhood is a person who redefines our club and leaves a lasting impression through the merit of his work. Raken has done these things and he has done them at a level we have never seen before.
Raken has served as my praetor for over two years and in that time he has redined the role what it means to be a Praetor. Raken has dedicated hundreds of hours to the creation of a flowing and unified Dark Brotherhood storyline. This plotline, the first of its kind in DB history, has spanned 5 years of "DB" time and over two years of real time. He has crafted hundreds of pages of work that weaved the Dark Brotherhood from Antei to Government on the run to returning heroes.
Raken determined his niche in the Dark Brotherhood and ran full speed with it. He ignored Clan squables and seperated himself completely from the Politics of the DB. In doing so he allowed his creative freedom and skill as a writer to flourish. With two plus years of time to write, Raken has created a wonderful story and future for the Dark Brotherhood.
Finally, it should be noted that Raken has done all of this without ever asking for an award or for his name to be published in a report. He has been the untimate unselfish member. Raken truly belongs with the Elders of our Club and I wholeheartedly welcome him to the Rank of Dark Adept. Congrats! ~ Darth Sarin, Sith Lord
Typically, promotion recommendations are an argument for why this member deserves it however, in our current situation, this isnt the case. The recommendation for Raken could be written by any member in the Brotherhood everyone can see the projects hes worked on, and his ideas come to fruition. In serving as Praetor to the Grand Master for more than two years, Raken achieved more than any Council assistant I have ever seen indeed, he accomplished more than most Dark Councilors! He has revolutionized the storyline presentation of the Brotherhood, in a way we will be hard pressed to keep up with in the future. He helped run several of the most successful competitions in Brotherhood history an RoS and two GJWs. Finally, his importance in the creation of the new character sheets and discipline system was immeasurable. Over the last several years, we have made it much more difficult to join the ranks of the Elders you must prove consistent dedication to the Brotherhood as a whole. Raken has forgone membership in a Clan entirely, so he could focus solely on the Brotherhoods needs. He has sacrificed the House and Clan relationships that many people hold most dear, all in a continuing effort to make our club more enjoyable to everyone. Rakens dedication and work ethic are unquestionably superior and the importance of his accomplishments are manifest I can think of no one who has deserved this promotion more. Congratulations Raken, you absolutely deserve it. ~ Justicar Kir Katarn
To be welcomed into the Elder roles it requires one to do work not just for themselves or their Clan, but instead to truly do work that is beneficial to the entire Dark Brotherhood. Raken has no Clan ties, and every single bit of effort he produces is tied to the betterment of the club as a whole. Our entire storyline and the development of our fictional role has been spearheaded by him, the countless pages of fiction created rivals that of actual professionals. The new role that Orders play was also his brainchild, with that aspect continually growing and expanding. Even the DB military has been completely revamped, now resembling something much more "realistic". For most they will only truly give themselves to the club when given the "power and prestige" of being on the Dark Council. Yet here is someone who takes a position that has no real "power", and yet without him this club would truly be worse off. It is for a member like him that suck ranks were made for, and as such I am proud to welcome him into our ranks. Congrats! ~ Halcyon Rokir, Sith Lord
What is there to say about Raken that hasn't already been said? As P:GM, he was a major architect of the Ninth Great Jedi War, writing the entire fictional backdrop to the War himself. Raken is, above all things, a man who gets things done. He has met every task set in front of him. When debating promotion to Elder status, the question is frequently, "Is this someone you couldn't picture the DB without?" In the case of Raken, the answer is an emphatic "Yes!" He is the yearly winner of the Silver Sash, arguably the rarest and most coveted award in the Brotherhood. He has authored numerous proposals. He is a font of solid, practical ideas. It is my honor to recommend Raken Spiderlord for promotion to Dark Adept, and to the illustrious ranks of the Elders. ~ Jedgar Paladin, Sith Lord
I'm stricter than most when it comes to determining if a member is worthy of becoming an elder. I ask several questions that will often make people uncomfortable. Elder status is intended to be a rare thing, indicative of the highest levels of work and dedication to this little online club we have here. Not to the clan, not to the house or clique, but the the club in it's entirety. That's a big distinction there. There's a lot of people who will toil to make their clans better, by building wiki pages or helping the occasional new guy. And they're recognized by their clans, with the clan name. Yes, it is a great honor, and it shows dedication, but to merely one clan out of six. The clan title is the clan level equivalent of the elder title, for the bearers are indeed the elders within the clan. But the actual title itself... no, that is a Brotherhood-wide honor. It proves that you have transcended clans, that you seek for a common and greater plan.
All too often, I get the PM from someone saying that they want to achieve elder, but don't know how to do it. That they have run into a brick wall and do not know how to proceed. They ask me if there are any assignments, any pointers that i can give them. And my advice is universally the same. We all determine our own levels of involvement. If you need to be given an assignment, you are not an elder, you are a lackey. And that is all right... not everyone is cut out to be an elder. Most of the members in the club never reach the ranks of the elders... less than 2% of anyone who joins our club works their way that high.
So we weigh each decision carefully, so as not to trivialize the rank. Today, we examined Raken. Raken is a great mystery to most people, because his time in a clan was limited, his ascension to aid the Iron Throne came at an early rank. His works in Plagueis were years ago, during formative years there. And his disappearance from the popular rooms, from loud discussions and debates has been eerie to those of us who have grown up that way in thsi club. But his absence was to focus on his work. Eschewing clan titles and honorifics for hidden work, Raken toiled to give us wonderful fictional updates, background stories for two of the best Great Jedi Wars in history, worked to restore Orders to a more dynamic and glorious place in the brotherhood, and massive amounts of raw assistance and finetuning needed by the DC. As a published author in real life, I stand in awe of his writing, his skills far surpassing any professional author working the Star Wars franchise today. His advice is simple and direct, and his work entirely without ego or drama. It is for this, this marked humility, this unflappable work ethic, that I am proud to call him a friend.
The questions I often ask are simple. "What would this club be without this person?" An elder needs to have made an indelible mark. I do not think anyone can claim that Raken has not done so. The effects of the Vong war, leadership in exile, the plotline of defeat and return, while seemingly universal, has been echoed to one extent or another in every clan's private runons and events. Every member has seen the beginning stages of the Order reimagining that he as done, on character sheets with force powers that Raken had helped refine. A flowing storyline that weaves from war to war, depth to our mundane NPCs that were once nameless drones, and foreshadowing of future events and wars, all painted with the masterful words of this silent 'Red Tower'. So, my answer to my own question is that it would be worse off. Without hesitation, Raken's efforts have made this club a better place for everyone here. Many make that claim, but so very few actually live up to it. Today, I am honored by the opportunity to raise him up, to recognize him for what he is. An Elder of the Dark Brotherhood. ~ Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith
Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2009-05-11 10:11:56 UTC