Greetings!

I’ve got a couple of things to talk about, beginning with the impeding approach of Exodus Day, and with it the Independence Games. Held on Antei, these events will test your skills in a variety of events, gaming, fiction, graphics, and others. Those of us too new to have experienced an Independence Games will be glad to know that they do have a variety of very rare first level crescents as prizes in addition to unique participation seals for taking part in the Games. I cannot stress enough that this is the rare and coveted opportunity for you to be singularly great amongst your peers. Usually, I ask you to fight for Sadowan Glory, but this is for your own! I hope everyone gets out there and makes a name for themselves – crucial awards are up for grabs, along with the chance to get yourselves some good promo points. Eyes open folks!

If you’ve been paying attention, we’ve recently cemented an alliance with House Taldryan! This is unprecedented in Naga Sadow’s history, and I’m excited to see where this leads us. The members of Taldryan are just as excited as I am, and I want you to continue reaching out to them. Shaz’air and Anubis are very approachable, and I’m sure that our working together will net us some great opportunities to be creative and introduce some innovative competitions. Continue to be the outstanding ambassadors I know you are and strengthen the bonds between us and our new ally.

Our long-term projects continue to move forward; our esteemed RM, Teu Pepoi, has the Training Run-On and the Schools of Learning on a good pace. I’d like everyone to be ready for those official launches. Also, my long-term gaming competition has begun; I’ve seen a lot of participation in that, unwitting or no, and that tells me that our efforts to increase our Gaming presence are getting some good results! Those of you who are Masters within the MSP, don’t forget to update Teu every two weeks. I cannot stress this enough, as communication is Naga Sadow’s life’s blood. If we don’t know what you need to make your pairing successful, then not only are you wasting your Apprentice’s time, you’re wasting your own. Also, the Doom Train awardees have been determined for March, as have been the ‘Unrest…’ Cluster of Ice recipients. And speaking of ‘Unrest…’

Can you believe that it’s in its twelfth month?! Let me say that another way: our seemingly impossible project has been successfully rolling for a year. Awesome. Although the list of awardees was shorter than I’ve seen in the past few months, you guys are still breathing life into it. My hope is that, along with the Training Run-On and some changes I’ll be initiating after the IG’s, the main thread will be far less cluttered and intimidating. I’m loving how you guys embraced this as our primary chronicle for our canon…and speaking of canon…

I’ve got an awesome opportunity for a lucky Sadowan, in conjunction with the VOICE’s office: ‘I need a volunteer from every house who will serve as my adjunct in learning your house lore, fictional devices, and direction. They will also serve as my conduit to you to help you align your house fictions more closely to the DB's plot line. I don't want you to read this last part as though I'm planning on subsuming your fiction efforts. No, that is not my aim at all. My purpose is to give you guys hints on how to move in the same direction as the DB as a whole in your fiction rather than having eight divergent plots that get put on hold come Vendetta time.’

This is an incredible idea, and I support it fully. I know each and every one of you is proud of the rich history you’ve each had a hand in creating, and what better way to make sure we jibe with the DB’s Canon than by working directly with the office responsible for it? So, that said, I want those of you who are interested in this great opportunity to e-mail me at [Log in to view e-mail addresses]. Once you’ve shown me your initial interest, Methyas and I will begin vetting you. This is a huge responsibility…but the rewards will be great.

At this point, I’d like to officially welcome the following new members: amnadielia, Tor-Bha Natoo and Cyril Omega! These folks have passed their Test of Lore and have matriculated into our ranks; please, make every effort to make them feel at home.

Here’s what you’ve done since my last report:

Jeric Cyrin got 68 CoF’s, a CoI, 3 Dark Crosses, a Ruby, an Amethyst, an Emerald and a Quartz Crescent, a Sapphire Blade, passed Leadership Fundamentals, got his Dark Maven in Leadership, and earned a Scroll of Indoctrination!

Teu Pepoi got 70 CoF’s and a Sapphire Crescent!

Araxis Pepoi Farron got 58 CoF’s, a Dark Cross, got Promoted to EQ1 and earned a Sapphire Crescent!

Mirado Pepoi L’eonheart got 25 CoF’s, a Ruby, an Amethyst and an Emerald Crescent!

Masika Oshairana got 6 CoF’s, 5 Quartz, 4 Topaz, an Emerald and 2 Sapphire Crescents, a Dark Cross, a Scroll of Indoctrination and an Anteian Cross!

Zeak Yurashima got a Topaz and 2 Emerald Crescents!

Ekeia Iclo got a Sapphire Blade, a Sapphire Crescent and 2 Scrolls of Indoctrination!

Jades A Sadow got a Quartz Crescent!

Malisane Sadow got a CoI!

Lynyrd Pepoi got 5 CoF’s and a Dark Cross!

Ashia Kagan Keibatsu got a Topaz Crescent!

Cyril Omega passed the DB Basics Course!

Methyas Pepoi L’eonheart got an Emerald and a Sapphire Crescent and 11 CoF’s!

Lastly, I got a Quartz and an Amethyst Crescent!

I’d like to extend a special congratulations to Jeric Cyrin and Masika Oshairana! These two have really represented Naga Sadow well, either by doing an insane amount of activity or by extending the branch of goodwill and service to all of their bretheren. Reach out to them when you get a chance, and tell them that they are appreciated within the Halls of Sadow.

As you can see from the above, those of you who are active and put out quality work get rewarded. Period. I can’t make it any simpler, and neither can the DC’s, the AC, and the Sapphire Blades! For your chance to get on this list and have the DB bask in your glory, check the Competitions Listing often. Oh, and do a couple of ‘em!

The Formspring accounts that a lot of us have set up have given a lot of you a voice, and I’m glad for it. I got some pretty interesting questions since my last report, and, as per my promise, I bring you ”Pick the ‘Fro’! I apologize if your question wasn’t picked this time around; keep sending them, and yours may get selected!

Anonymous asks: Why does it take the DC so long to deliberate on stuff, like promotions and re-clanning? We are encouraged to be swift, but yet that standard seems not to hold at the top?

My hope is that the DC, like us, falls victim to the 'vicissitudes of life' from time to time; I often remind myself that the DB for them, as it does for me, is a past-time and not an occupation. I speculate that our encouragement to be timely is a result of their realization that turn-around time is important and they are grooming us, the future leadership, to be mindful of such things.

Devil's Advocate says that some things, like Clanning, demand taking one's time in deliberation. Food for thought...

Anonymous asks: In your opinion, what is one way to make things like promos and medals more fair in the DB for those who deserve them? it seems like politics matters more than what you actually did in many cases.

You've kinda painted me in a corner with your verbage - words like 'fair' and 'politics' are pretty charged, and it's hard for me to answer keeping in that context.

So, I won't.

What I WILL say is that it sounds like a perception thing, and fortunately, that's much easier to change than the ideas of 'fairness' and 'politics'. For me, I try to remember on a daily basis why I'm in the DB: to write about Star Wars stuff, to have a good time, and to help others do the same and hopefully, make a friend or two while I'm doin' it. If the 'Powers-That-Be' decide to reward/award me for it? Good on them. If not...oh, well. They're missing out on some pretty stellar work. ;)

Anonymous asks: Why do people like to bug leaders about promotions and awards when they have not fulfilled what is needed of them for said promotions and awards?

Relativity. Sometimes, folks' perception of 'work/service' doesn't jibe with a proven and accepted path to those awards and such. As leaders, I hold the belief that we are to examine both the perception and the path, and are responsible for affecting changes to either when apparent.

Ronovi asks: How did you come up with/decide on your character's first name (since the Keibatsu and Sadow parts are pretty self-explanatory)?

Actually, it's a quirky combination of things. Around the time I'd joined the DB, I'd just finished reading both 'The Hagakure' by Yamamoto Tsunetomo and 'The Dark Tower' series by Stephen King. If you've never read the latter, it deals with gunslingers and other things, but the gunslingers used what was known as "high speech", and 'Sai' was an honorific they'd be referred to as. The Hagakure is an excellent book dealing with samurai philosophy, and so I decided to 'formalize' Sai by with Tsainetomo, sort of butchering Yamamoto's name.

Also, Sai just so happens to be an amalgam of my RL initials...in one way or another! ;)

So, as you can see, we continue to succeed, even in our attempts to grow. Keep being awesome, folks, and eyes on the horizon!

Can ya dig it? I knew that you could…

TL:DR Exodus Day/IG’s comin’…get ready! Tally is Our Friend! Unrest…= 1 Year Old! VOICE has a Job Opening! Lots of Activity, Lots of Awards Pick The ‘Fro…keep questions coming!