It's been one heck of a week around here. So less talk and more news, and it's going to be a long one folks!

We have seen two new people join us. Kaith and Valpurgius, again welcome to our little place in the stars.

We've also seen two people gain in rank. Valpurgius completed his history and has become an ACO. Jade has also gained in rank. For her outstanding work recruiting new members for our house on more than one occasion, I felt she had went above and beyond what is expected of her and such, she is rewarded with the rank of JH.

This week has also seen some more medals handed out. You Mystics are doing well for yourselves so keep it up!

Speaking of medals, the end of our house competition is this Sunday and I'm looking to award some the next day or so. Make sure that you get in what you can. I've not had many entries so it's up to the rest of you to change that. Here is a recap of the competitions going on in our house and in the clan:

Clan Competition is as follows:

Starting Date: December 1st/2nd, 2002

Ending Date: December 31st, 2002

Tarentum Christmas Competition

I tried to get ideas from the Sith and Obelisk for their specific order events that could have a Christmas twist on them, but I didn't get any suggestions, but I figure any order can do most of these events, as they're designed to be short and fun. =)

Any order can obviously participate in any of the events and as many as the like.

Each event will have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place place winner that can receive medals, and the person at the end of the competition with the largest number of points will also receive a medal.

Members may participate in any event as many times as they like. Every member may participate, and all entries are to be sent to me ([Log in to view e-mail addresses]) and Proconsul Proton ([Log in to view e-mail addresses]), and CCed to your respective House Summits.

Medals and Points:

1st - Crescent with an Amethyst Star (15 points)

2nd - Crescent with a Sapphire Star (10 points)

3rd - Crescent with an Emerald Star (5 points)

• Participation (3 points)
  

Largest Scorer - Crescent with an Amethyst Star

Events:

Christmas Story: A story of "Christmas" in Clan Tarentum. People in the "real world" celebrate Christmas with Santa and Christmas trees and, of course, food. But how do people in the Star Wars universe, or in the Brotherhood and Clan Tarentum celebrate? Is there Vader with a santa costume? Do we gather in the cantina and sing Christmas songs? Or is it Christmas at all? Perhaps its just a winter festival. Your job is to write whatever rituals and traditions you believe your DB persona would celebrate. You may use our usual Christmas traditions or create an entirely different holiday, it's up to you, have fun with it and be creative. =)

Christmas Poem: Write a Christmas poem. . .about the general feelings generated by this holiday, or whatever other holiday you created. Think. -- Twas Night Before Christmas. . .and all through Tarentum's hallowed halls. . . >:P There is no minimum number of lines, but try and make it something of a little substance. ;)

Christmas Songs: Our favorite song parodies! Grab your favorite Christmas song or two, or three and turn it into an all-new exciting Christmas in Tarentum.. or winter festival in Tarentum -- whatever the song writer within you demands! =)

Christmas Theme Searching: A simpler event in which you get to use your favorite search engine to shoot around the web and find Star Wars related websites that hold Christmas themes, acceptable entries would be things such as music, backgrounds, interesting pictures, etc.

Christmas Graphic Event: Your turn to create the graphics. . .decorate Castle Tarentum with tinsel and Christmas lights, dress up Vader in red and white, maybe light him up, too. :) Whatever you please as long as its nice, clean, Star Wars and Christmas related. If you created another tradition for your own Christmas rituals, you may include those in the graphics as well as long as you remind me what they stand for. :)

House Competition is as follows:

ends Dec. 8th

send to me and hades

Story has to be at least 2 pages at 12 pt. Times New Roman or equivilent.

Topic: 'The Journey into Death'

Description: You are dying. No amount of healing or bacta will save you. As the light Jedi who split you open stands over you and ponders what you are experiencing, you die. Your job is to write about this experience into death. This is your journey into death so make sure you write only about yourself! Oh and minus 10 points if you somehow kill that Jedi. :P

Trivia is attached because it is too long to put in here.

Don't forget that there are monthly topics up. They are:

Topic: Your homeworld. Describe, discuss, reminisce, give the reader a vision of where you are from.

Type: Free form, no rhyme.

Length: Min - 1 page, Max - 2 pages.

Format: DOC, arial font size 12

Fiction:

Topic: The Krath in Combat. Many feel the Krath are ineffective in battle. Show the reader how wrong they are. Keep in spirit with the Order!

Length: Min - 2 pages, Max - 10 pages.

Format: DOC, arial font size 12

Entries to these are sent to [Log in to view e-mail addresses] and to Hades and me. Those have to be sent in by the end of this month. Much time to do those and good topics to write on.

The DGM would like to see more things put in my reports. Mostly reports from you guys! That means starting next week, I'm gonna want activity reports from everyone. Now I know that this won't be an automatic thing but I'd like to see everyone reporting to me every Wed. by the end of this month. That will give you time to get into the routine. What do I want to see? Well, just tell me what you been up to. If you haven't done anything then just say that you haven't. I'll be posting the reports in each of my house reports.

Hmmmm.....that's about all I got for this week. Everyone is more than welcome to view my vacation pictures at www.geocities.com/telona_murrage/vacationpics.htm

I have about 70 more pictures up and that will be about it. Some of them will have me and family members in them but I don't care if you don't care :)

Everyone have a safe and productive week. Don't forget to send in your last minute entries to the house competition! I'll remind you about the personal reports about Tues.