Now this is a man who deserves a promotion to Sith Battlemaster. Scion Altera has stood the test of time and change, moving from his position to the Emperor's Hammer to his current position as Quaestor to House Gladius in the Brotherhood. He and I first met when he became Rollmaster of House Gladius when he was the rank of Protector, and I was BTL. In fact, we would be promoted on the same day, or just days apart, up until we became Dark Jedi Knight. Now I think it is time he joins my side as a fellow Equite 2.

If there is one word I could use for Scion, it'd be this: Duty. Scion has never faltered in his many duties to his house and clan. He served as Aedile of House Gladius for almost a year, before switching positions with his old friend, Apollo, and becoming Quaestor. Now it has almost been a year since he has held the Quaestor position, and he has had to deal with many difficult hardships facing his house. It started after the Ninth Great Jedi War, when Gladius's numbers were cut drastically after an AWOL check. Not only that, but Scion had to deal with an inactive house summit for the first part of his tenure as Quaestor. In such a situation, many Quaestors would just quit, leaving the house to fend for itself as he pulled himself away from the crisis in front of him. But not Scion. Not ever.

I have been there to witness Gladius's troubles as well as its recovery, as Aedile and later Quaestor of Cestus. Scion never gave up when it came to saving his house. He had many difficult decisions to make, including but not limited to requesting that his friend Apollo step down from the position of Aedile. With a fresh house summit, Scion put them to work, becoming not just a leader but a mentor when training his new leaders how to properly supervise and tend to Gladius. He began a fictional reform of his house shortly before the RoS, organizing a new structure and title system to better energize its members. He hosted puzzle events, trivia events, and other competitions, patiently waiting for the numbers of participaters to grow. And grow they did, to prove themselves in the RoS. Over five members of Gladius earned merit medals for their work in the Rite of Supremacy, including Scion himself, earning a Grand Cross of the Dark Side for his work in the RoS alone.

Truly, Scion Altera was not just a leader or a mentor of Gladius: He was Gladius. He was the embodiment of Gladius's history, strength, spirit, and perserverance. When others had not been there for his house, he had been. I have seen people surrender to bad circumstances before, lay down their weapons and put their hands up in defeat. Scion never let that happen, letting Gladius rise from the ashes of the ninth GJW to become a better, stronger house through trial and error.

As things change in Tarentum, Scion is able to adapt with it. He will be the first Quaestor of the new House Kaerner, and I expect great developments from him. I wouldn't expect anything less. He has proven himself to me as well as the rest of the clan summit and his house summit that he is a fierce, determined leader, and not willing to back down from a good fight for what he truly cares for in the Brotherhood.

And for that reason, it is my honor to offer Scion a long-awaited promotion to Sith Battlemaster. Thank you, my friend.

~Ronovi Tavisaen Proconsul of Clan Tarentum Brig. General of the Clan Tarentum I Corps

Scion Altera has held the position of Quaestor of Gladius since his battlefield promotion to Sith Warrior, during the Ninth Great Jedi War. Since the war, Scion has mentored Mechronage Saltherion and knighted his student only a month ago. He participated in the Broken event coordinated by the Clan Summit, and has been incredibly valient during the recent Rite of Supremacy, the Spoils of War. Scion fought in five Antei Combat Centre matches, participated in the poetry and fiction events of the first week. He was constantly supporting the clan in the IRC channel and even sent out emails aiding and encouraging young members of the clan. He earned a Grand Cross of the Dark Side for his efforts. Scion has also began a reformation of Gladius, working with myself and Raiju to create more House fiction and has continued to urge members to increase participation. He also reformed the House Summit, replacing the Aedile and Rollmaster positions. He is always thinking of ways to improve Gladius and he listens to his members. Scion has been the soul of Gladius and is a valuable asset to Tarentum. I believe that Scion is ready to be a Sith Battlemaster. ~Severon Vercingetorix; Aedile of House Gladius

It is difficult to come up with adequate words for someone who executes their offices with very little pomp and circumstance. But, I find that this sums up Scion Altera to a tee. As a Quaestor, he has not only led his House, but embodies his House. And that is a trait that is remarkably rare within the Brotherhood. Few Houses and Clans are so easily defined by one person’s actions in office. Scion has quietly and continually worked to better his House, needing or wanting gratuitous praise.

His quiet control over Gladius has seen it renewed in the past year. And this control paired with the how of his execution has given Gladius something to look forward to. To strive to. There is a word that hangs in the kitchens of The French Laundry and Per Se. It is a word that Chef Keller instills in all of us and I find that Scion’s work also embodies this word. That word is “Perfection.” It is a futile race towards it, but those who come closest are often times the ones who use a very simple grace and easy hand to produce the greatest results. Whether it is leading a House from one of its lowest points to become a beacon of activity or poaching a lobster tail seems to matter little in the great scheme of things. It is still perfection. And it is still an effort that quietly pushes everyone else to try to emulate that perfection, or even try to surpass it.

I cannot give Scion three Michelin stars. And I cannot better put into words what my Proconsul has already said about Scion’s activities in the Clan. All I can do is humbly offer up my thanks to him for helping a Clan I’ve worked so very long for, and hope he will still be around to lead in his own quiet, unknowingly perfectionist way for some time to come. So, I do hope that this promotion can even adequately convey my appreciation and my thanks.

By My Hand, Maxamillian von Oberst-Tarentae PYRG Consul of Clan Tarentum

Maxamillian von Oberst, 2010-03-02 15:32:23 UTC