Dear Lord, this man has been overlooked and underestimated for far too long. By far one of the most present and hard-working leaders of the Brotherhood, let alone one house, Tra’an Reith has proven time and time again that perseverance, coupled with creativity, is the way to heal the old wounds of a once floundering house.

Just take a look at Plagueis’s standing alongside Arcona in Horizons. Look at its growing activity. Look at how its members fared in individual placements (1st and 8th Heroes). Look at how Plagueis fictionally is becoming something far more intriguing, darker, and more malicious as it develops. Look at the Novae that Tra’an and the Plagueians have earned. The Seals. The new fleets. The creative mindset of sacrificing the status quo for an adventure far more grander for unit and character development.

No, seriously, take a good hard look at it all. I’m sure that in another recommendation, someone’s covered the concrete details.

...Have you looked yet? Okay, cool.

Tra’an is not a man who ever gave up. One of the first things he ever said to me personally was that he would never leave Plagueis until all hope was lost. But he never lost hope even when prospects looked grim for the Ascendant House. Not ever. He nearly single-handedly created an entire three-way feud with Naga Sadow and Scholae Palatinae, dealing with a constant barrage of demands and even criticism from his summit counterparts. Many times he could have crumbled and caved, but he strenuously put out an event for Plagueis to be proud of even if its standing was lackluster at the time. He remedied that performance with a better one during Horizons, with Plagueis holding second standing among all the units only behind Arcona.

Tra’an is a Quaestor who didn’t expect to have so much placed on his shoulders. He is an ACC Judge who knows how to handle the workload. He is a consistent advisor to my staff and a persistent mentor to Journeymen. He has proven to the entire Brotherhood that there is such a thing as a natural leader. So many times, people are thrown into the position with little enthusiasm, little experience, and/or little skill. Tra’an is superb in all three facets, as well as the ability to wield the scepter he has been given. Being Quaestor is not a title or a prize to him: It’s a damn job, and a hard one at that.

Time and time again, I have regretted not picking up the bullhorn sooner to declare the awesomeness that is Tra’an. He has essentially received scrap metal for work that deserves gold and silver. He has shone in terms of original endeavors in his unit’s fictional and real life futures, yet sometimes, it seems to garner zero recognition. Not anymore. This captain has found a way to keep a sinking ship afloat, even sailing, and I intend to see him rewarded for it.

Tra’an, take your promotion and run with it. Because no one else deserves it more than you do.

~Ronovi Tavisaen Dupar, Headmaster of the Shadow Academy

There are few people who have done more to deserve a promotion to the third Equite rank then Tra'an Reith. Having been in and out of the Brotherhood and many of its various units, I've seen plenty of leaders in my time. Never have I seen or worked with anyone that displays the dedication and drive that Tra'an does on his worst day. He had the role of Quaestor of Plagueis thrust upon him with a suddenness that would have given anyone pause, and yet he persevered and even thrived. Unlike other leaders in other units, Tra'an was not handed a vibrant bastion of activity. He was instead given a fixer-upper of a House that wouldn't have seemed out of place to Bob Vila on an episode of This Old House. Instead of getting discouraged or burnt out, Tra'an showed up every day and to try to make his House a better unit for all those in it.

While Plagueis didn't make a good showing in the Tenth Great Jedi War, Tra'an didn't let up on his work towards building a better Ascendant House. The more recent three way feud between Plagueis, Naga Sadow, and Scholae Palatinae (which I'll get to more later) showed some hints of possibility amidst an overall poor showing. Tra'an, however, didn't allow that performance to faze him and instead went on a final push to bring Plagueis to the point where he always knew it could be. He led a push to bring in new faces to Plagueis, seasoned veterans and fresh faced recruits both, knowing that Plagueis would only be able to build on the work he had already done through further growth. All that effort would finally pay off in Horizons. Plagueis submitted over half again the 80 entries it had across the thirty-five events during the four weeks of the Tenth Great Jedi War in Horizons. The House would submit 125 entries across twenty-eight events during the three weeks of Horizons. That performance was in large part to the moves that Tra'an had made in the months leading up to the Vendetta as well as the sense of purpose that he instilled in his subordinates to drive their activity. The shrewd pick ups of personnel that Tra'an pursued and encouraged also allowed Plagueis to put a group of members together that would end up earning twenty-eight total Novae during Horizons. A great deal of this success was due to the leadership and ability to bring out the best in others that Tra'an displayed leading up to the event.

Tra'an isn't one just to do things to serve his own best interests, or even just those of his own House. He has become one of those members who best exemplifies the transition from consumer to provider in the Brotherhood. He has worked hard to bring the units of the Brotherhood together for large scale competitions. He put countless hours into a possible feud with Arcona in the earlier part of this year, only to have that event fall through at the eleventh hour due to schedule conflicts. Instead of writing the idea of a feud off, he turned around and brought Naga Sadow to the table in Arcona's stead to ensure that an event that would engage the Brotherhood beyond the confines of House Plagueis would still occur. Even with the realization that Plagueis would likely come out on the short end between the three involved units, Tra'an almost single handedly designed and ran the Summer Invasion feud. (I do like to think that in his own sneaky way he was looking for something to motivate his House going in to Horizons though.)

In his time with Plagueis he has also been wearing another hat, that of a staff member of the Antei Combat Center. His work there has been noteworthy, offering excellent judgements that are long on feedback and encouragement. His qualification judgements are a sight to behold, Tra'an often dedicating hours to a precise dissection of the material presented and clear feedback to help the member better adapt to the environment of the Center. In addition, his work and advice for members outside of his judgements (Be it advice on character sheet interpretation or combat flow) is an invaluable resource he provides beyond what is required of his position.

He has done all of this as a Quaestor of an independent House, a place where it's not always easy to get rewarded for a consistent, outstanding effort. Without a direct superior to report to and oversee him, Tra'an has flown under the radar. As a leader he's often had to curtail his own activity participation to prioritize running his unit instead, not being blessed with the larger cast of supporting staffers that a Clan leader benefits from. In the time since his last promotion, he has "only" earned the following: seventeen competition seals, ten Clusters of Ice, fifty-nine Clusters of Fire, two Legions of the Scholar, six crescents, two Dark Crosses, a Steel Cross, and a Grand Cross of the Dark Side. His Horizons participation alone will add another thirteen competition seals and Bronze and Gold Novae.

Finally, in more recent months Tra'an has worked without rest on a ground up revamp of the entire identity of Plagueis. On this project he has overseen and contributed to the building of a new House fleet, the creation of new lore, and the movement of Plagueis towards having a unique schtick to set it apart from the other houses in the Brotherhood. This project has been in the works since the spring and he has put considerable amounts of time into it, all the while still preparing Plagueis to excel during the Horizons Vendetta.

He has served as the Quaestor of House Plagueis now for sixteen months with little recognition. He has continually been doing a bang up job of building a struggling unit into one that could amass the second most points in the Horizons Vendetta behind only the behemoth that is Arcona. He has righted a rudderless ship and put it once again on the path to eventually becoming a Clan, and it's about time that everyone stood up and took notice.

~ Solus Gar, Praetor to the Headmaster and proud member of Plagueis.

It could be said that a Quaestor of Plagueis is born on an anvil and nursed by a hammer. Most of them snap under the strain. Tra’an Reith is one of the few that did not, if not the only one.

When I first recieved the word that Tra’an was coming to Plagueis, it did not come in the form of a notification, or from his leader. It came in the form of an email, inquiring about our House and expressing interest in the new ways of doing things. I was thrilled; an experienced member who showed talent, looking forward to making a name in the Ascendant House. I told him that he could earn his way to greatness here; I told him that he could shape his own future in the Brotherhood, and that of Plagueis, if he tried.

Apparently, he took that as a dare.

At that time, Tra’an arrived and was immediately willing to take charge of the Corps, which at the time was one of our organizations of members here in Plagueis. For the first time, that group performed, earning between a couple of members well over thirty crescents or other awards. His work soon intensified as I found myself in need of a Rollmaster. I placed upon him the post, asking that he see to greeting old and new members within the next few weeks. Inside of seven days, he had spoken to three quarters of our membership, established lists and a reporting scheme, and even coaxed a few newbies toward promotion. I found my excitement growing into respect, and admiration.

Unfortunately, I was soon after struck with family issues; I had to step down. I made the mistake of getting my Aedile at the time, Jaek Kaeth, to take over for me against Tra’an’s advice. Naturally, it bit me in the ass. Jaek did not last, and Plagueis suffered without a Quaestor or any activity for quite some time. Many of the members who had arrived under my banner and promises deserted; not Tra’an, who by himself and from the Aedile position wrestled the helm under his control. He got the help of such members as Braecen Kaeth, who took the Rollmaster post temporarily and helped stabilize things, and Unus Domus, who founded the Battleteam Primus Pilus under Tra’an’s watch and provided him with a basic core of activity. With a full Summit and a member base full of talented Equites, anyone could have saved a House; Tra’an did it with extremely green Journeymen, of whom there were four or five at any given time, and a Rollmaster post that fluctuated. The man managed to encourage activity, motivate participation, and even improve morale for long enough to keep us afloat.

A short time after this I returned, and Tra’an was Quaestor. I asked where I could help, half expecting to once again take the helm; he instead tasked me to where I was needed most. Directing me and others, he oversaw the redesign of Pilus into an active and stable unit, the remodelling of the Plagueis Summit into a capable body that can not only manage tasks but train successors, and the increase of activity that saw us once again building friendships and alliances. He oversaw and planned the event Shards of a Lingering Darkness, which drew praise for Plagueis and activity from our House as well as Scholae Palatinae and Revan - it was one of the last great pushes for the latter. He saw us take the motley left to us by failed leaders, past decisions, and fallen Clans and turn it into a usable base of lore, Dominion, and source material for competitions.

As is typical for Quaestors of our House, Tra’an found fate against him when it was decided that Plagueis should change. In true Ascendant fashion, he adapted to these struggles, outlining the plans for a House that relied upon a raider mentality, held much darker philosophy, and used such assets as enslaved minions and a warring mindset to succeed. He quickly saw a new military and fleet produced, coordinating efforts to remove any and all influences of the old and the failed from the House. As it stands, with only another week or two of work, House Plagueis will be able to introduce an entirely new Order of Battle, an entirely new list of Ground Forces, and as a first for the Brotherhood, a backstory and future that will include - but not infringe upon - the entirety of the canonical Star Wars galaxy. He has taken a backwater House with a broken base and no hope and produced a powerhouse of activity that will literally take to the stars within a month or two.

The latest testament to Tra’an’s success was the Horizons Vendetta; I went into the event with lingering dread, knowing that work was intensifying and remembering that, typically, Plagueis would not place well in a Vendetta. Apparently, that was also one of the traditions that Tra’an threw in the fire. Under his guidance, and because of the policies he saw strengthened and the work he oversaw into growing our member base and skillset, Plagueis rocketed upward to an overall second place finish. For the first time in Brotherhood history, House Plagueis was showered in Novae, boasted not just the first but multiple Heroes of the War, and dominated all but the massive and well-seasoned Arcona. If nothing else, this achievement shows that Tra’an has not done great things. The man has instead done the impossible, and given true and lasting power to the words Adapt, Ascend, and Avail.

Before, during, and after the Horizons event, Tra’an has once again broken the barriers of possibility down. For years, Plagueis has been not only the ire and laughing stock of the Brotherhood, but the personal punching bag of and aggressor toward Arcona. Our members have typically fought, insulted, and undermined each other for as long as I can remember, and try as we might to put the flames out, they would always spring back up. Somehow, Reith changed that; where once we fought, now we work together. Where once we saw foes, now we see dear friends. After placing second in the Horizons Vendetta, we steadily and readily approach an alliance with Clan Arcona, the First Clan of the Brotherhood. I am excited about this, and I can think of only one man to thank for this wondrous first step in Brotherhood-wide cooperation and success: Tra’an Reith.

Now that I’m done gushing, here are some hard facts:

-- Tra’an Reith planned, administered, and participated in the four-week-long Shards of a Lingering Darkness Run-On. It was a huge success. -- Tra’an took a House poised to close and turned it into the Second House of the Brotherhood, a feat unrivalled since we were Clans Exar Kun and Satal Keto still. -- Tra’an took a team consisting of myself, the talented Solus Gar, his student Arden Karn, Alaris Jinn di Plagia, Unus Domus, Sarak Shai, Eiko, and many others, and produced an active and cohesive team of members who produced high amounts of activity. -- To himself in the Horizons event, Tra’an earned a Gold Nova and a Bronze Nova, as well as thirteen Seals. In addition to Horizons, as listed above, he has earned seventeen other Seals, fifty-nine Clusters of Fire, ten Clusters of Ice, two Dark Crosses, a Steel Cross, a Grand Cross of the Dark Side, six crescents, and a Legion of the Scholar. How he has done so amid his Leadership is one of the great mysteries, and deserves its own applause. -- Tra’an has held the post of an ACC Judge for most of his Quaestorship, successfully manning that post while saving Plagueis. -- In addition, Tra’an has stepped up before to aid the Dark Council with event grading, though I cannot speak as to what capacity.

In several Houses and Clans, it has been said before that they were the place to be. I can remember when Taldryan was the only place that won Vendettas and spawned Councilors. I can remember more recent talk about how Sadow was where Dark Councilors came from, and how Arcona was the only unit winning. These words used to scare me; now, they bring me faith and confidence, because Plagueis is beginning to number among both scores. It shows me that there is a new name on the playing field, a name that means higher standards, better futures, and glorious Ascension.

It is so because of Tra’an Reith. He, above all others, deserves a promotion to Exarch on this day. Well done, my friend. May you remain forever as the savior and architect of the future Clan Plagueis

~ Kal di Plagia Vorrac P:GM and honored to be Aedile of Plagueis beneath Tra’an Reith.

When I stepped down as Consul/Quaestor of Plagueis, we had just gone into something of a lull. My immediate successor, Kal, had a case of the “Real-Lifes.” His immediate successor went AWOL very quickly. This left the door open for someone to walk in and shape the future of House Plagueis, with their own very specific ideas. Tra’an has taken this opportunity and ran with it with the gusto I have not seen since even before I was Consul.

He has taken a House that was consistently placing in the bottom three and turned it into a competing Unit. Plagueis amassed the second most amount of Novae in Horizons and combined points, before participation, Plagueis also placed second, outscoring a Clan and every other Independent House in the Brotherhood. This is a direct influence from Tra’an.

The Plagueis I returned to is a very different beast than the one I left when I stepped down. Tra’an has turned this House into the second most active House in the Brotherhood and the only other Unit has two Houses to draw on. This was directly because of his mobilization of new members and veterans. He dropped several e-mails a week in support while participating himself with thirteen submissions and two seals, one gold and one bronze.

This man is more than deserving of a promotion and I am more than happy to recommend him for an elevation to Equite Three.

~ Alaris Jinn di Plagia, Left Hand of Justice

Tra'an amazes me. His ability to both keep up his own activity and motivate others to enjoy the Brotherhood has made the difference for this House. Capable and flexible, he's done great work bringing Plagueis back from the brink -- a brink that I've seen myself and that Tra'an was able to encourage his House to step away from, not overnight but over months. His commitment astounds me. A second place finish to Arcona in Horizons? Yeah, that says something, but it doesn't begin to mention the wide opportunities he has fostered in this House. I have been wildly blessed to participate in this House, and to rub shoulders with people like Tra'an who encourage me regularly to perform at a higher level. I envy his skill, admire how connected he is to the life of his House, and marvel at the sixteen months that he's spent righting, rebuilding, and orienting Plagueis so that it can continue on.

Ronovi says that he's been overlooked, and I agree completely. Tra'an has not been one to raise his own flag or pause his work to let others recognize his contributions. So, with that, I'd like to join with these other members to raise Tra'an's flag for him, to encourage him to continue building up Plagueis and the Brotherhood at-large.

I heartily recommend that he be recognized with a promotion to Equite Three. It's only right, and long overdue.

~ Eiko, Rollmaster of House Plagueis, Praetor to the Deputy Grand Master

T'R has been a huge help in the ACC. He's been with us a little while now, and his work ethic is exactly what I want from Judges. He's eager to help, has taken on board numerous side projects such as updating the venue descriptions and canned openings, has always got thoughtful, insightful input in group discussions, and is always on the reminder sheet. His judgements are fair, and he shows no signs of stopping. I'm glad to have him as a member of the team, and look forward to seeing what else he has in store for us in the future. Well done, man.

~ Teroch Erinos, Combat Master

General Ronovi Tavisaen, 2012-11-02 14:15:48 UTC