Vaj Carn, you have successfully passed the Test of Lore and earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to House Taldryan, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

CCH Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2013-07-29 20:39:56 UTC

Jaden Cardie is someone who should have been promoted long ago, he has the desire and the ability to work his way up the rank system and I wish he had been eligible for this sooner. However, it is my pleasure to announce today that he has met the promotion requirements and deserves to be awarded the rank of Defender. Showing his funny and interesting personality on IRC, he as also completed the Sith CORE exam and spent more than enough time in PRT to complete the required tasks. From some time ago before he went to the rogues, he completed his ACC requirements as well as earned himself a Dark Cross for his efforts in the Vendetta event Spoils of War. Recently he did the GMRG exam, as well as made great efforts on his wiki and a personal fiction he did for myself (despite being self-proclaimed as not a writer). With all of this he has completed his requirements for the promotion to Defender and I would like to recommend him for such. Very well done, Cardie, and great work in trying something new and getting more involved in things offered by the DB that may not be in your comfort zone. Congrats! ~Raiju Kang~

Jaden Cardie is one of those members that you ask to give you a brief list of interests, and instead writes a long essay describing his strengths and pitfalls along with his interest. He completed the majority of his requirements years ago, which include the Sith CORE Exam, earning a Dark Cross during Spoils of War, and completing his ACC requirements. Raiju has worked with him on developing his writing skills with a personal fiction, a great thing considering Cardie himself has said he is primarily a gamer at heart. He has worked on his wiki and taken the GMRG exam, With all of these things, as well as he dedication to his house by joining us on IRC, I'd like to recommend him for promotion. Awesome job, Jaden!

Sala Fe, 2013-07-29 17:21:41 UTC

It is my pleasure to recommend Ernordeth for a battlefield promotion to the rank of Dark Jedi Knight. He has completed all of the requirements except for the time-in-rank and the Major House Summit Task, and with the approval of the Grand Master, I waive those requirements. His contributions as Aedile of House Tarentum have far surpassed any "major" task I could ask of him. He has become a crucial part of Tarentum's revival through his constant activity and interaction with Tarentum's membership.

Ernordeth has been very active in maintaining contact with everybody in the House over IRC, the forums, and direct emails. He is always a positive and enthusiastic force in our House and everybody has benefited from his constant encouragement. He helps out our new members, answers questions, and is extremely knowledgeable about the Dark Brotherhood and Tarentum. With his help and leadership, Tarentum more than tripled its participation in the last round of the Crusade, and we're on track to do even better in August. He has also been helping Frosty set up a new gaming Battle Team, which went live today.

Scion Tarentae, 2013-07-29 00:43:29 UTC

Ernordeth has been an unstoppable engine of activity since joining Tarentum, and even moreso since becoming our Aedile. He completed all the requirements for the rank of Jedi Hunter some time ago, and simply had to wait out the time-in-rank requirement. In the meantime, in addition to the requirements he ran many events during our down month of June. He participated in 6 out of 6 events in the Crusade, and he is running several events now during our downtime until the Crusade resumes. It is rare to see someone who takes so naturally and quickly to life in the Dark Brotherhood, but Ernordeth was clearly made for this. Tarentum has benefited greatly from his enthusiasm and natural leadership instinct, and we would like to recognize our rising star with elevation to the rank of Jedi Hunter.

Scion Tarentae, 2013-07-28 21:54:35 UTC

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

• Pass Dark Brotherhood Basics Shadow Academy course
• Participate in 1 competition (currently 1/1: Sentence Run-On)
• Logon to IRC and visit Clan channel
• Register on the DJB Forums

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

May the Force guide you, Acolyte,

CCH Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2013-07-28 21:22:02 UTC

From the moment we started working on the new Dark Brotherhood website, and from the moment I announced I was interested in moving to Ruby on Rails - something Arion has been pushing for years - Arion has been very enthousiastic and proactive in helping to bring the new site to fruition.

Arion has done excellent work in the coding department, submitting over 40% of the revisions in the code repository over the course of ten months, resulting in a very functional new site that's at the point of being released. This is no small feat, and certainly should not be overlooked, as the new site as it exists today would certainly be not where it is now without Arion, and would most likely even have failed. After the launch of the new site, Arion has been an enormous asset as well - fixing bugs and implementing suggestions all over the place, often before I even had the chance to wake up :)

For me personally, Arion has been a driving force for my own productivity. Committing code at times when my productivity was in a lull, and thereby motivating me to pick it up again, as well as somehow magically picking up and coding the pieces of functionality I was less motivated to code myself.

What's even more impressive: Arion has been doing all of this while taking care of a newborn and taking on the work of an entire coding team on his own at work.

Adding the above together, along with his past work for the Chamber of Justice, Shadow Academy, his work as Magistrate to the Deputy Grand Master, I think a promotion to Dark Jedi Master is long overdue. Congratulations, Arion, you truly deserve this.

James Lucius Entar Arconae, Seneschal of the Brotherhood

Ascendant James Lucius Entar, 2013-07-27 12:56:35 UTC

I've had the pleasure of working with Arion in capacities ranging from our time together in Revan to his work on the DGM team. Arion has always had a great deal of enthusiasm and energy. He is a member who can deliver a lot of work in a very short period of time. Normally this comes in the form of his coding skills. But what many don't realize is Arion is also a budding author.

He isn't content to be known solely for his ability to program. He also seeks to help us tell our story using his gifts as a writer. Arion recently provided me with an outline for a future Great Jedi War story. It's one I'd very much like to pursue some day. He is a member who is constantly trying to broaden his range of talents and offer more to the club. Personally I would love to see him take that next step in his career here, not as a coder, but as a fellow writer.

Talent and drive like his deserves to be rewarded.

I was grateful to be a part of Arion's last promotion and I am even more honored to be part of this one.

Raken, Deputy Grand Master

Raken, 2013-07-27 12:55:03 UTC

The Dark Jedi Brotherhood is one of the oldest and largest Star Wars fan clubs on the internet. We possess a rich and complex history that is told through our complex and often finicky website. Over six years ago, Arion, began a campaign to upgrade our website to a new coding system. The plan was to take our unreliable, exploitable, and often frustrating website and turn it into a modern design with modern coding. Arion's plan and patience have finally come to fruition with the release of the new Dark Jedi Brotherhood website. Arion's dedication to the project can be described in near Odyssian terms due to working with multiple club leaders and their competing demands for our website's form and function. Patience, love, and thousands of lines of coding have resulted in something we can all be proud of. I wholeheartedly support Arion's elevation to Dark Jedi Master!

Grand Master Declan Roark, 2013-07-27 12:55:28 UTC

I have a confession to make: I have known Arion for his entire career in the Dark Brotherhood, and I have seriously misjudged Arion. I've underestimated him. I did not give him the benefit of the doubt. When I heard of the project that he and Jam3z were undertaking, my reaction was negative. I didn't think it could be done. I thought that, like me and my attempts to rebuild the DB website, this attempt would end in failure.

Some of my misgivings were based on history. From my count, this is the fifth full-blown attempt to redesign the DB website. We tried first with ASP.NET, then PHP, then traditional ASP, then PHP again. All attempts failed. The website was too massive; how do you quickly rebuild a decade's worth of functionality? History was against the idea that the site could be rebuilt in Rudy on Rails. Other misgivings of mine were more personal, almost born of jealousy. There was no way, I thought, that Arion and Jam3z could accomplish what those before them couldn't.

I was wrong and foolish. And I'm very glad I was wrong and very sorry for my underestimations. The Brotherhood has been given a gift from our coding team: a way to stay alive and relevant for years to come. Arion was a central to that effort. When nigh every other coder left our Seneschal to his own devices, Arion was there to work through the massive coding efforts and undertake a huge amount of responsibility. Arion stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun right when we needed him to.

There's no promotion or medal that can adequately express my gratitude to our coding team for what they have accomplished. Hell, they programed the many lines of code that are going to make this promotion show on the site. After you've done that, a few pixels matter little. I think what will be better in the end is the pride that this team can hold in designing an amazing site. There is no other club like ours on the internet that has such a robust website, and that is testament to our team.

That said, having a bigger and better dossier is always, well, bigger and better. And Arion deserves that. He deserves to be elevated to the rank of Dark Jedi Master. He deserves our thanks. And he has it.

Thank you, Arion.

Jac Cotelin, 2013-07-27 12:55:48 UTC

There are two kinds of people in this world: creators and consumers. There are those who are content to just enjoy the fruits of other people's labors, and those who take joy in being the one who does the work. Arion is one who would prefer to do the work. And work he has. He has served as Seneschal, putting forth a proposal to take our dying site and recode it into Ruby on Rails, an under-represented code language at the time. We were afraid, afraid that there wouldn't be enough coders to continue the work, to maintain the work, to keep things moving forward. We were wrong. Here we are, a few years later, staring at a nearly complete recode done in ruby. We have a solid staff of coders, and without the efforts of Arion Sunrider, it would not have launched. I can't tell you how many hours he has ground away, deep in the source of our site, or deep in the bowels of our old, decrepit site, trying to mine for data so we can have it in our shiny new one. Almost twelve thousand lines of code were penned by his hand alone. That's a monumental achievement for someone who is 'just' a praetor. Coding isn't fun, it's not easy, and at the end of the work, people don't look at the site and go 'dude, that dude's character is amazing with a lightsaber', because that is not how this work goes. So, It's important that we recognize these men, sweat and dead segfaults on their brow as they continue to do their best to make us all look good. To the men who cook, rather than just eat, to the builder and not just the tenant. To that end, I am proud to recommend Arion Solnatus for an elevation to the rank of Dark Jedi Master. Thank you Arion, for all that you have done. The Brotherhood would not be the same without you. ~Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2013-07-27 12:56:10 UTC

Since he first came back to the fold and started working on DB code again, Arion has been at the front lines of every big project since. From the Shadow Academy to the new website we are all reaping the benefits of, we have several people to thank for the mass amounts of time out of their lives while performing one of the hardest jobs the DB has to offer. I'm not much of a programmer, but just looking at the clutter on the FTP site left me with a deep pit in my stomach as I searched over the mess that these guys had to navigate everyday just to perform a simple dossier fix. When I first heard Arion talk about Ruby on Rails, it was during his term as SCL, and his hopes for the future to use it as a blueprint for the long awaited site recode. Well, he's not SCL anymore, but he's darn close to being one of that office's top gear heads and troubleshooters that keep us above water every day we enjoy this club. I'm extremely proud of the work our team of coders have been producing, and there is no better way to reward one of this club's best, by promoting him to the rank of Dark Jedi Master. Well done, old buddy. ~Taigikori Aybara

Driftan Balephor, 2013-07-27 12:56:25 UTC

It is my honor and privilege to request that one of Qel-Droma's finest Journeymen, Marrek Gunstinson, be elevated to the rank of Guardian. Marrek has not only gone above and beyond the requirements for his rank, but has also served as an example and an inspiration to his fellow Qel-Dromans.

In the time since his last promotion, Marrek has been a daily presence on IRC, and has quickly developed relationships with many of his Arconan peers. His presence in Google Hangouts with other members of his Clan has been noted, as well.

Marrek has completed an astounding 15 total courses (10+ since his last promotion), including some major ones like GMRG History (100%), Obelisk Core, and ACC Basics. His character sheet was approved on the old website, too. He has managed to participate in more than five total competitions, and was a contributor during the most recent chapter of the Dark Crusade.

Finally, Marrek has completed his Master at Arms task with great skill, to the delight of the MAA staff and his Clan leaders alike. He was assigned a task that was a bit different from most, when he converted one of the Brotherhood's most important policies to a wiki article, and made some updates to our "Projects and Policies" page. For his service to the Brotherhood as a whole, Marrek has earned an exemption from the required time in-rank.

Congratulations, Marrek. You've been a delight thus far, and I am very much looking forward to your future work. Arcona and Qel-Droma are watching.

The next rank is Jedi Hunter. The requirements are as follows:

-Six weeks at Guardian required or complete a Master At Arms assigned task. -Logon to IRC and visit your Clan channel. -Register on the Dark Brotherhood forums. -Complete FIVE of the following: --Participate in ten total competitions. --Complete ten Hard-mode Flashpoints, Operations or PVP events with a DJB group. --Take a Shadow Academy leadership exam. --Create a ToR Operations group, that regularly comes together for an operation. --Minimum five pages of character fiction to be approved by your House leadership or Master. --Have a second level 50 character in ToR. --Two Antei Combat Center matches. --Become rank 3 in the GMRG. --Place in a competition. --Earn 25 (total) Clusters of Fire. --Earn a merit medal. --Create a competition and run it with the assistance of your leadership.

Legorii Arconae, 2013-07-26 23:14:12 UTC

You're already beginning to make a name for yourself, Infamouz. I have heard reports from House Scholae Palatinae that you have managed to:

• Participate in 1 competition (currently 1/1: Dark Crusade P1C3: Graphics - Bhargebba)

I have recommended you for immediate promotion.

Congratulations, and may the Force guide you, Novice,

CCH Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2013-07-25 22:51:17 UTC

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

• Pass Dark Brotherhood Basics Shadow Academy course
• Pass 2 Shadow Academy courses except (Dark Brotherhood Basics, Test Of Lore, Advancement Survey) (currently 2/2: Krath Core, Wiki Basics)
• Logon to IRC and visit Clan channel
• Register on the DJB Forums

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

May the Force guide you, Acolyte,

CCH Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2013-07-25 22:47:51 UTC

I have had the pleasure of working closely with Nikola Valtiere over the past five months as his Aedile, when he stepped into the Battleteam Leader position within Void Squadron the Battleteam was a bit light on members. He immediately began working to recruit from within the House and has since been able to double the size of the Battleteam he started with. As Void began growing Will recognized the value in creating an incentive based system for the unit and created two distinctive unit awards. The most common being a Service Stud to be placed on each Void Pilot's helmet, this is earned by participating in Brotherhood wide events. The second is the coveted Wings, which are only given to the elite of Void Squadron. The result of Will's planning is evident when Void Squadron's record so far through the Dark Crusade is examined. The Battleteam has averaged 2.2 events per member through the Crusade thus far, a rating any House or Clan would be proud to boast.

Not only has Will focused on his Battleteam, but his individual accomplishments stand out on their own. He has led by example with near perfect participation in all rounds of the Crusade, missing a total of only one event so far. Between the May and July rounds of the Crusade House Qel-Droma ran a mini-event for their members, Nikola planned and ran a Gaming competition as part of the event. Never content to sit on the sidelines he went on to win the overall Event, despite being at a disadvantage as he couldn't participate in his own competition!

Nikola's leadership and level of activity has been very strong and extremely consistent. He has a bright future ahead of him, and I am honored to welcome him to the Sith Equites! Congratulations on Sith Warrior Will! Keep up the great work!

-Valhavoc Fist of the Brotherhood

Valhavoc, 2013-07-24 00:37:30 UTC

Since his Knighthood, Valtiere has continued to impress as leader of Void. In particular, he has been extremely supportive of the newer members in their own quests towards Dark Jedi Knight, despite having only just taken on his first apprentice. This support is a perfect example of Will's ability to support other leaders, and I am fully confident that he will continue demonstrating that he is a valuable asset in Arcona's leadership team.

Congrats, Will.

Andrelious J. Inahj Clan Rollmaster, Arcona

, 2013-07-22 13:04:57 UTC

Valtiere is an example member as well as leader in Arcona. By this I mean he leads by his example and sets the bar for the rest of the members not just in his own unit, but in the entire Clan. He has become a staple of the Arcona Summit in helping formulate solutions to problems such as member retention, and the task of making a Battleteam that is typically "just for pilots" appealing. He has done so as Void Squadron's roster has grown substantially since he inherited the team. I have been a leader in Arcona since Void Squadrons conception and I can safely say that Valt is the best Battleteam Leader the unit has ever had.

In Arcona, we hold our BTL's to a different standard than most. Each round of the Crusade, Valt has risen to the occasion, regardless of how busy his real life schedule was. Most recently on Svolten he went 5/6, giving him a grand total of 20/23 entries for the entire Dark Crusade.

For his hard work and dedication through a year long Vendetta, I am pleased to join in congratulating Valtiere on his elevation to the rank of Equites.

-Consul of Clan Arcona

Lord Marick Tyris Arconae, 2013-07-23 18:13:58 UTC