It seems that not a day goes past where I do not hear about you, Shard. Your superiors have sent glowing records regarding your accomplishments, which include:

• Gain Trust Level 1 on the Dark Brotherhood Discourse Forums
• Participate in 1 competition
• Pass 2 non-Fundamentals Shadow Academy courses

An expedited recommendation for your promotion has been transmitted to the Master-at-Arms.

May the Force guide you, Proselyte,

Adept Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae
Headmaster

Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae, 2022-01-03 01:43:58 UTC

Since my take over as Herald, Aylin has been an important asset to the Herald staff. So far she has designed the custom robes for 2 different members but also created 2 sets of selector robes for the most recent Herald release that aired a couple of days ago. While these numbers don't seem much, the creation of (custom) robes yet alone entire sets made from various style and color variations is an extensive feat that takes a lot of time and effort.

Aylin presents a steady voice on the Herald staff, commenting and aiding in increasing the quality of the staff's work while also sharing a lot of personal art pieces in the Brotherhood's official art channels back on Telegram and now on our Discord server.

This daily presence is backed up by an outstanding participation record of Competition participation. Since her last recognition, Aylin has earned herself 2 Crescents with Amethyst Star, 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star, and 1 Crescent with Diamond Star, making her score in 4 of 5 Competitions she participated in. Further she snagged herself more than two dozen Clusters from said Competitions (12 Clusters of Graphite and 13 Clusters of Ice)

These are only the most recent achievements of Aylin and show only a fraction of what she has done since her last promotion more than two years ago. For all the above and all that Aylin will surely do in the future, it is my greatest honor to recommend her to be promoted to Reaver (Equite4)

Well done, Aylin.

Rian Taldrya, 2022-01-02 08:56:01 UTC

Geez, where do I even start with Aylin? She's an absolute powerhouse of activity, and someone that Taldryan is proud to have in the Clan. Rian has already spoken about her activity, having participated in 77 since her last promotion back in 2019, so I'm going to take the time to tell you about the stuff that the website doesn't keep track off.

Firstly, and perhaps, the most obvious, is her artwork. Rian already touched on Aylin sharing her pieces in the art chat, but there's a bit more to it. A lot of be time, Aylin does pieces for members of their characters, pieces such as this and this, completely free, a lot of the time without even being asked. It's not like this is a responsibility for her on the Herald staff, she just does it because she enjoys it and she cares about this community, and that speaks a lot for her as a member.

Next, I would be remiss if I didn't include her activity in Taldryan's RP chat. Aylin is one of the most enthusiastic contributors to Taldryan's RP scene, often posting daily, and driving forward the story with her characters. In total, she has written 17783 words since her last promotion.

Unfortunately, that doesn't even cover it all. Aylin is the type that enjoys writing with others, and has written a number of cooperative stories with myself, such as this and this. The word count is honestly in the thousands.

I am happy to join Rian in recommending Aylin for promotion to EQ4. Congratulations, Aylin!

Grand Inquisitor "Aequitas" Anderson, 2022-01-02 08:54:37 UTC

It seems that not a day goes past where I do not hear about you, Blue. Your superiors have sent glowing records regarding your accomplishments, which include:

• Join the Dark Brotherhood Discord and link your dossier
• Participate in 1 competition
• Pass 4 Shadow Academy courses from the Fundamentals Department

An expedited recommendation for your promotion has been transmitted to the Master-at-Arms.

May the Force guide you, Proselyte,

Adept Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae
Headmaster

Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae, 2022-01-01 16:48:20 UTC

Umar Ismail Temidire, you have successfully completed the Trial of Identity and confirmed your e-mail address, for which you have earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to Clan Taldryan, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

Adept Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae
Headmaster

Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae, 2022-01-01 04:10:47 UTC

Teylas was my Praetor (yes I had to look this up) for 3 plus years (from early 2017 well into the COVID times) - and in that time he helped me with everything and did everything.

The MAA Office is still a bit different from other DC offices, our large projects (or even any projects) come once every few years – and little projects are once or twice a year. The real work of the MAA Office comes in the day to day work of approving and denying medal requests, processing appointments and resignations, managing competitions (and manually editing competitions) – and knowing the nuances of our database to make competitions work.

To toot my own horn a moment, one of the cornerstones of leadership (and frankly, the most important job)? Recognizing the contributions and activity of your members (in your house, clan, whatever) - and ensuring they are properly awarded with medals and/or rank promotions. The MAA Office is the engine behind making that go. We try and do it fast, and we try and do it well. Teylas, for years, exemplified that that engine. The biggest contribution Teylas made, and truly – every magistrate, praetor and MAA makes – are the discussions that occur among the staff about medals and promotions. That happens with every single sacramental award (and many of the merit), every equite and higher promotion – that is where the bulk of the work occurs.

Teylas has offered opinions on medal or promotion recommendations that are sometimes in line with my own to verify my own lack of senility. Sometimes though, he demonstrates that I am off my game – or I have not considered a position or opinion. Or sometimes? Sometimes I am just flat out wrong – and Teylas points it out and corrects me. For all of that? I am forever grateful.

All this work for the MAA Office? All the processesing, assisting, policy writing? Teylas did it all. He did it in spades. For years. If that's not a contribution to making sure our club doesn't fall into the sea? I don't know what is.

Teylas wasn't just a great Praetor, he was and is one hell of a member of the Brotherhood.

Since his last promotion, Teylas has accomplished the following: Participated in 119 competitions, hosted/co-hosted 84 competitions, earned himself 162 clusters, 23 crescents, two novae, two Anteian Crosses, a Sapphire Blade, a red club, - and oh yeah, a god damn Emerald Dagger.

For all these activities, and more? You are promoted to Dark Adept. Congratulations!

Howlader Taldrya, 2021-12-29 02:50:13 UTC

The fact that Teylas has waited as long as he has waited for elevation to the Elder ranks is, honestly, astounding. He has, as Howie has outlined above, made major contributions as part of the MAA's office. His time in service to Clan Plagueis as a Consul and then as a senior leader without a position to go with it, however, has been incalculable. At the time of his retirement, Teylas was the longest tenured Consul in the Clan's history. In his time as Consul, he built the unit into a self-sustaining machine that generated both high levels of activity and member engagement. One of his greatest achievements is as one of the fathers of the Plagueis Pro Bowl, a competition event that the two of us worked to develop that has since become one of the most successful non-Vendetta events in the history of the Brotherhood. Even after the end of his Consul tenure he oversaw both the second and third Pro Bowl events, the former including Clan Taldryan as the first non-Plagueis participant with the latter also adding Clan Scholae Palatinae to the mix. These kind of contributions while not holding Clan leadership are those that really stand out from the crowd, and are responsible for the Pro Bowl as a format now growing to include four participating Clans in the last iteration, the fifth Pro Bowl that has taken place.

His body of work for our Clan and the Brotherhood can be seen in the text of the recommendations on the sacramental awards he has been given since his last elevation, an Emerald Dagger, Ruby Scepter, and Sapphire Blade. He is one of only two recipients of the Emerald Dagger to have not also been recognized with the rank of Elder out of the sixty-eight Brotherhood members to have earned one. It is my hope that, at long last, that oversight shall finally be remedied. Thank you for the years of dedication and service you have given to this organization.

Master Selika Roh di Plagia, 2021-12-28 19:39:17 UTC

It is my pleasure to recommend Xeno Camber be promoted to Knight. Since his last promotion, he has earned 2 merit awards, participated in 10 competitions, and passed 1 SA course. He also earned 6 Pendants of Blood, 9 Clusters of Graphite, and wrote 21 words of fiction. He has also earned 1 Seal of Enmity. Congratulations on making it to Knight. You have definitely earned it!

Bexa Nalrella
Rollmaster, Odan-Urr

Ambassador Revak K'Urr, 2021-12-30 17:56:14 UTC

Xeno camber, aka Ruti Tar has been a wonderful addition to our community. We’ve had some lovely memories together as a clan and as master and student. I still remember when they joined their first roleplay and we encountered a very angry chef who was not happy we barged into their kitchen. Then there was the time we were all stuck on this hill with waves of enemies coming at us as we dealt with some pesky trandoshans and hoped there were no spiders coming to attack us. Plucky young apprentices helping each other survive was wonderful to help write. I could go on but suffice it to say there have been some crazy adventures. Lastly, I would be remiss to not mention the video game related shenanigans, such as challenging each other to who should be captain of the ship and trying to figure out who was sus :).

The best part is there are still many more stories to tell. I’m proud of you and all the work you’ve put into reaching the rank of Knight. Your time and energy put into our clan events and vendettas are very much appreciated. I look forward to the adventures we get up to next. Congratulations on your promotion to JM4/Knight!

P.S: Enjoy all the new awards and credits.

Aura Ta’var
Master

Aurora "Aura" Ta'var, 2021-12-30 17:55:53 UTC

You're already beginning to make a name for yourself, Blue. I have heard reports from Battle Team Night Hawks that you have managed to:

• Join the Dark Brotherhood Discord and link your dossier

I have recommended you for immediate promotion.

Congratulations, and may the Force guide you, Novice,

Adept Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae
Headmaster

Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae, 2021-12-30 04:02:46 UTC

Blue, you have successfully completed the Trial of Identity and confirmed your e-mail address, for which you have earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to Battle Team Night Hawks, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

Adept Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae
Headmaster

Ciara Tearnan Rothwell Tarentae, 2021-12-29 23:29:42 UTC

When I look back at my extremely long tenure on the Dark Council, I can run through an equally long list of members who have worked on my staff as magistrates and Praetors. I have been truly fortunate to have worked with some of the hardest working people in the club, but there is one person who truly stands out above all the rest:

And that is Alaris Jinn di Plagia.

I first brought Alaris onto the staff back in 2017 at the beginning of my third year as Fist. Almost immediately, Alaris showed that his primary concern was not medals or recognition, it was providing Activity for the club's members. Within a couple months, Alaris helped me to realize a vision of a long-term competition series that would be known as the Brotherhood Gaming League. This competition series spanned nearly a year and ran across the breadth and depth of nearly every single supported gaming platform at the time. Alaris developed the scoring method, bracketing concept, and even suggested permanent titles for the winners of the three main competitions. Upon the announcement of the death of one of the DB's longstanding members, it was Alaris who suggested we name the tournament after him. The Frosty Romanae Memorial Brotherhood Gaming League was just one of Alaris' major contributions to the DJB gaming community, and it is one of the primary drivers for the addition of competition placements into the current GMRG Scoring Model.

When it comes to providing activity and opportunities for members, Alaris truly shines. He has run nearly 60 gaming competitions, 9 major bracket events, and more non-standard gaming events than any staff member over the past five years. Across both of his Magistrate tenures, Alaris has approved 769 PvE/PvO activities and 341 PvP activities, making him one of the few staff members of all time to have over 1000 activity approvals.

Alaris is without a doubt one of the DB's best. He is a person of character whose first and foremost goal is not his own recognition, but the overall experience of every single member of this club. It is that kind of member who warrants elevation to the ranks of the Elders, and I am truly honored to have this opportunity to recommend him for this well deserved and long overdue promotion.

Congratulations, Alaris. Thank you for all you have done and all you will continue to do in the future.

Dracaryis di Plagia

Fist of the Brotherhood

Master Dracaryis, 2021-12-28 03:27:01 UTC

I was honestly surprised at how long it had been since Alaris got EQ4. In those nearly nine years, he's made contributions across the Brotherhood. Unit leadership with successful Proconsul stints in two different clans, the ACC staff, extended productive time as a Magistrate in the Fist's office (which I believe Drac addressed in detail above), and his time in the CoJ where he served with utmost integrity even when his work was at odds with his own personal feelings. He has been awarded six sacramental awards in that time (one RS, three AKs, and a pair of SB's) while still earning 9 merit medals to go with them. His sacramental recommendations read like a who's who of the recent Brotherhood leadership: Drac, Rian, and Dacien on his RS; Pravus, Taig, Mav, Rhylance, and myself on his AKs; Wally, Evant, Mav (again), and Ronni on his SBs. Reading the recs on any one of them details his exceedingly large set of accomplishments. The contributions there and for those who he was working for/with on them are in the rarified air.

Alaris isn't a "consumer". He's out there doing the work that helps the DB run almost every day he's been here. There aren't that many members that have 137 organized competitions on their dossier, with an additional 15 co-organized. He has also graded 43 exams and judged 41 ACC battles (and I'm sure has advised on countless others given the co-operative nature of prior ACC judgements). His personal activity numbers are all equally impressive, 24 short of 500 competition entries and literally thousands of clusters of various types. Oh, and just over 25,000 words of fiction as well.

Alaris is a member that has given back to the organization more than most, and should be an Elder without any doubt in my mind.

Master Selika Roh di Plagia, 2021-12-28 03:26:13 UTC

Alaris has demonstrated a commitment to this club that rivals some of our greatest members. For the past fourteen years, Alaris has served the Brotherhood at all levels and across the Clans: currently serving for the third time as a Proconsul, Alaris has been everything from regular member to Consul and Fist of the Brotherhood. Alaris also holds the distinction of being one of the longest serving members of the Chamber of Justice, having six separate stints as either an Appeals Panelist, Right Hand, or Left Hand -- including, on a personal note, serving as my first Left Hand of Justice when I was confirmed as Justicar.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the grace and good humor with which Alaris handles discussions of his term as Fist. It's no secret that Alaris made errors in grading GJW XIII. It was a disappointing and abrupt end to what had been a promising term on the Dark Council. But Alaris accepted responsibility for honest mistakes, took a step back to reset, and reemerged as a major competitor in GJW XIV. Now serving once again as a Proconsul (and as a rare two-time recipient of the di Plagia clan name), Alaris has proven that our mistakes don't have to define us and that dedication and the right attitude can carry you far in this club.

Congratulations, Alaris. This has been a long time coming, and you've earned every bit of it.

Lord Dacien Victae, 2021-12-28 15:17:51 UTC

As had been stated in many prior award recommendations, Raziel is a great member and a good friend to not only Odan-Urr but to many of the other Clans in this Club. Lines such as…

• “spent a lot of time… increasing activity, recruiting and mentoring…”

• “I’ve been impressed by your energy, enthusiasm, and can-do attitude.”

• “His enthusiasm bleeds through the mic when talking to him on Discord and his consistent posts on Telegram always keep the conversation flowing.”

• “...a fixture in our community.”

…have been used to describe him numerous times, and as we see day in and day out, Raziel’s commitment to making this Club be the community that it is ensuring that not only he remains active but so do those whose lives he brightens. His community involvement extends far beyond being chatty on Discord or Telegram or hyping our Clan activities but he has donated many hours pushing for the success of our weekly Community Events. Raziel has not only attended 34 events since we began the last year but has hosted 2 of them himself. To give you an idea of what that means, Raziel has been a part of about 25% of our Community Events over nearly 2 years! For anyone who wants to push an activity, having a member attend so many and offer to host them not only means a lot but shows how successful they can be.

Raziel, being the community-oriented gentleman he is, has some leadership under his belt. Recently he has served us as Aedile for a span of 6 months. During that time, he aided in the success of House Sunrider and continued to push for a lot of the Community Events that I’ve highlighted above. Elsewhere in the Club, Raziel has spent a total of 14 months at Quaestor, 3 months as Battleteam Leader, 8 months as Magistrate to the Voice, and 5 months as Praetor to the Voice.

A while ago now, I got in touch with him about creating a surface map of Kiast to be able to better explain where locations mentioned in fiction are in relation to everything else. This certainly was no small feat. In order to properly place the markers, Raziel had to spend hours skimming through Clan fictions, wiki pages and asking around to make sure that everything was correct and that he didn’t miss anything important. Once he had all the locations in order, using a digital map creator, he designed the terrain and meticulously began placing each spot on the map. The final result was a canonical representation of the overhead view of Kiast, which can be found here. Because of Raziel’s efforts, members can easily find the many locations we reference in our fictions.

With all that said, Raziel’s activity speaks for itself. Since his last promotion back in 2014, he has earned 1 Grand Cross, 3 Steel Crosses, and 1 Dark Cross. He’s organized 7 competitions and participated in 121 competitions, earning himself 1 Crescent with Diamond Star, 8 Crescents with Ruby Stars, 9 Crescents with Amethyst Stars, 19 Crescents with Sapphire Stars, 8 Crescents with Emerald Stars, and 4 Crescents with Topaz Stars. For his gaming activities, he's earned 2 Pendants of Blood and 51 Clusters of Earth for 15 PvE Activities. He has 16 Fiction Activities, 1 ACC Match, and 33,965 words earning 72 Clusters of Ice. Graphics-wise he has earned 39 Clusters of Graphite. A force in the Shadow Academy, he passed 45 courses and earned 10 degrees. Lastly, he’s earned 1 Legion of the Scholar, 1 Seal of Loyalty and for his efforts during Club-wide events, he’s earned 9 Seals of the Crusader.

Raziel, thank you for deciding to join Odan-Urr. You’re the embodiment of what it means to be an Odanite. Thank you for your continued support and efforts. Congratulations on ascending to Equite 4!

Revak Kur
Consul, Odan-Urr

Ambassador Revak K'Urr, 2021-12-22 22:58:14 UTC