Another month, another bunch of things happened, happening, and/or about to happen. We’ve got some new shiny things to go with the usuals, so be sure to look through this bad boy with care so you don’t miss the stuff relevant to you. For your convenience, we’re trying out this newfangled table of contents thingamajigger. Hopefully we don’t bugger it up too bad.

Table of Contents

1. Admin Notes
2. Quarterly Review Results
3. Fate of the Battleteam
   
4. Roleplay Sessions
   
5. House Event Results
   
6. Event Calendar
7. News
8. Competitions
   
9. Activity in the Last Month
10. Final Notes

Admin Notes

Quarterly Review Results

We went and did the quarterly review survey and got four (4) responses out of a possible eighteen (18) members of the House at the time (not including your QUA/AED). Some answers were more complete than others, but we’re gonna hit on the major points here.

Communication was generally seen as good, with only some notes on adding some more business-related pinned messages to Telegram and not just e-mail; and poking people that are falling by the wayside. While we try to respect folks’ real life needs, we’ll keep this in mind as we’re going forward and try to be a little more active on the TG-side of things.

In the realm of competitions and events, y’all seemed pretty well and satisfied with what we’ve got going, with only one respondent saying they wanted more individual competitions that weren’t full events (a fiction here, graphic there, and a puzzle thrown in on occasion). For events themselves, there was a call for more world-building stuff specifically, and you can rest assured that we’ll be doing that during our next event later this year. As for the storyline itself, there didn’t seem to be any issues or negative commentary, so hooray!

For RP-specific feedback, scroll down to the section of this report that we’ve set aside for that, as it’s always a hot button topic enough on its own that it gets its own spot.

In the realm of House voting, there were no requests made for the House discretionary military forces (other than Xenna requesting C4 which, sorry, that’s not in Possessions, and we can’t buy personal items as a House… I think). So no purchases this time around. For the decision regarding the Battleteam, see the section below this.

If there are any questions about this review, or didn’t feel that we addressed your particular response sufficiently, let us know via e-mail, Telegram PM, or in Galeres Chat (also Telegram). Since we’re currently planning to do these every quarter, expect the next survey to roll out with the July report.

Fate of the Battleteam

This has been on our docket for… well, basically since Sera became the Aedile, which left Spectre Cell without a Battleteam Leader and a rather large bit of confusion as to what to do with our BT that comprised almost the entire House roster. We in the Summit debated in excruciating length the pros and cons of the various options available while we watched for newer members with enough active presence to potentially fill the BTL spot. Because the BTL has, for the longest time, been the starter spot for newer members to learn the ins-and-outs of leadership in the Brotherhood.

And y’all gave us a solid four-way split in your votes. Fortunately, that gave us enough insight to make a solid choice. So with that said! (drumroll please...)

We’re opening up applications for Battleteam Leader (BTL) of Spectre Cell. You’ll have a full week, all the way until May 9th, to get us your apps, which will be e-mailed to me and Sera (our e-mail addresses are at the bottom of this report). While there is no minimum or maximum rank requirement, we’re looking mostly for folks in the senior Journeyman to junior Equite ranks to really get the most experience built up.

These apps should generally include…

• An introduction (we may not know who you are, who your character is, or what you like to do in the DJB)
• Any Brotherhood or real life leadership examples (could be big positions, or small one-off instances)
• Your intentions with the BT. That includes any plot concepts or projects that aren’t just “update the wiki”

What we expect from you as BTL…

• Communication: 24-hour turnaround time for responses to Telegram or e-mail, with additional expectation that you’ll tell us about any absences (expected or sudden).
• Ready to Learn: The position of BTL is a learning one, and we will be hitting you with a lot of information and requirements. Don’t worry, we expect hiccups here and there.
• Ready to Teach: You’ll be expected to take the newest members of the club and thus the House and help get them motivated, participating, and promoted. Expect to work closely with the Rollmaster.
• Participate: That means competitions. We understand there are some times when the selection is just not great, but there should never be a month where there’s not at least something we can attribute to you.

Well yeah, but what about the Battleteam itself?

Glad you asked. During that long deliberation, we came to the conclusion that the way that the BT was run before (shove everyone in there that doesn’t specifically say they don’t want to) wasn’t doing anyone any good. It reduced the administrative value of having a sub-unit to divvy up the labor with the higher ups, and likewise nullified the fictional value with almost the entire House being also in the Battleteam. There was nothing special about it. It was just there.

So we’re doing something a bit… radical. We are going to purge the Battleteam Spectre Cell roster.

Fictionally speaking, Spectre Cell will become a training unit and proving ground for Galeres’ junior members, taking on special operations (which is already SC’s general purpose) while gaining experience and supporting the House. The BTL, likewise, will be an up-and-coming member of the House who will help teach and develop those new faces toward a “graduation” (eg. JM4/Knighthood), at which point they can join the general population of Galeres or remain on the BT as additional experience.

How that translates into practical usage means that only new and recent joins under JM4 will be auto-loaded into the BT. Any Galerians that feel a need or want to be on the BT may request it through House leadership, but it should be understood that the Battleteam is not intended as a hangout spot “just because”. Ideally, this setup will allow the junior leader, the BTL, to manage a smaller population than in the open system, develop their own skills and knowledge, and be able to craft something genuinely special.

Roleplay Sessions

This is a short note on some things that have come up in the House RPs of late. Specifically, and even addressed in some responses to the Quarterly Review, there was some call for members to be able to run sessions. We mention this for one simple reason:

We have always said this was an option.

To make this plain and clear, anyone that wishes to run an RP (as DM/GM of the thing), then we only need your RP prompt, and any secret details that might affect the general dice-rolling scheme or otherwise intrude on standing character sheet details. That’s it. It can even be done via Telegram and not the dreaded e-mail. Likewise, if you just have a prompt idea but want to be more of a participant than running it, that’s fine too. For that we still need the same thing, but with the understanding that your QUA and/or AED will run it.

Concerning the current weekends-only policy, the discontent voiced over that in the survey was… mixed? But! We have a solution!

After clearing it with the Clan Summit and HQD’s leadership, we’re going to start doing periodic “untethered” RP sessions. That means that 1) they will not be limited to the weekend and will instead run at least a full week, if not simply as long as it takes; and 2) they will potentially be open to participation with our sister House. This will be in large part dependent on the prompt and the conditions identified ahead of time for the RP, but it’s something you can all look forward to. This will also be interspersed with our regular House-chat RPs using the weekends-only approach, as both have their merits and uses.

House Event Results

Sufre, Aifreann Continent
Eldar

The broad expanse of plains that Sufre inhabited seemed unseasonably warm for its proximity to the mountains, as well as the recent coming of spring for the northern hemisphere. Though, perhaps the latter seemed more potent for the Galerians’ recent venture to the northern climes of the Keadean territories across the ocean. In any case, things were hot among the olive-skinned peoples that called themselves Sardinians.

And the delegation, seated before the hitherto enigmatic Kasha, maintained a steady dampness of sweat in the non-climate controlled room.

Read the whole closing fiction on the Discourse forums here!

The TL;DR

• Galeres spent the last month focusing on diplomacy and appraising the Sardinians, learning that they have weapons manufacturing capability among their other industrial pursuits that all seemingly come second to their agriculture.
• Intrigue in the Kasha’s ecclesiastic compound nearly resulted in Diy’s kidnapping, only for the insurgent-supporting Pujar (priest) to be captured instead. Tensions are high as Juna struck a blow to a small insurgent cell while the House Summit struggled against a isolationist and patriarchal culture.
• Galeres continues to maintain a military presence in Sufre, the Sardinian capital, by fortifying the disused starport, creating a possible double-edged sword. The insurgency, however, is still going strong.
• The Keadeans have fully reformed the Council of Elders and are vying amongst themselves for power while they simultaneously address both the Sardinian incursion and the political ramifications of Galeres’ return to Eldar. Toranaga hints at future plans.

We tried to take all the activity from Eldar: Second Contact now that it’s over, and apply even the minor aspects into fictional impact. Expect this approach in future events too: what you do, or don’t do, matters!

All that said, congratulations to Zuji on 1st Place, Atty on 2nd Place, and Nero on 3rd Place!

Overall, we had six unique participants within the House, accounting for about 30% of the available population at the time. Out of all the competitions, only two of them had more than two participants: the cryptogram with three participants, and the puzzle with five participants (nine if you include the non-Galeres participants). A couple only had one valid participant. Not gonna lie, that’s all just a little disappointing.

At any rate, enjoy the event break we have until the upcoming Rite of Supremacy in June. Speaking of events, here’s your event calendar...

Event Calendar Continued

We’re keeping this bullet point calendar here for you guys to keep up that expectation management as the months and events go by. How time flies.

• May: Some breathing room. Do a heckin’ prepare for next month!
• June: Rite of Supremacy in full swing. DO. THE. THING!
• July: Break time.
• August: Clan event; another step on the train of monster creatures or whatever Lucine and Rhylance are cooking up.
• September: House event that will be half plot, half development for Eldar.
• October: House mini-event with spoopy themes because October. Less plot, more antics.
• November: Break time.
• December: Hey look, Sithmas and Life Day are back. No House/Clan events planned.

News

Howdy howdy howdy! Sera here, with all your monthly news for the grand, sunny month of May. Let’s get started, shall we?

• Anubis has been appointed as the DJB’s brand new Regent! Expect to see him working up shiny new items in the stores, fondling your credits, and no small number of other tasks! Congrats, Nubi! You can find his first report here.
• We have a Rite of Supremacy coming up within the next two months or so, sometime during late May and June! Expect a lot of competitions, a lot of hype, and for your clan to need you to come out and kick some serious butt. You can find a little bit more about it in the Magistrate Report on the matter by our very dear MAA!
• Vizsla is looking for a new Consul, as Pravus has stepped down after a long time in office. You think you have what it takes to lead ze Mandos? The gumption and perseverance necessary?!? Then, apply here! Applications are due May 1st.
• There is also an opening for the new Consul of Clan Odan-Urr! Arcona has a long history with these lighties, some of our closest allies within the Brotherhood. Darkness is not all that far separated from the light, afterall. If ya think you have what it takes, apply here! Applications due May 7th.
• Make sure to check out a new fiction update, the second chapter in the Shadows Coalescing storyline! Expect for it to have some part to play in the coming RoS…
• You should also check out April’s Arcona Consul Report from Luci and Rhy, as well as Wally’s latest Voidbreaker Report!
• OPENING FOR BTL! That’s right, we will be accepting applications for the Battleteam Leader of our very own Spectre Cell. It’s a position near and dear to my heart, so make sure to check it out!

Competitions

• Are you feeling particularly artistic? Brave and harrowing? Powerful and cunning? Then, check out the Soldier, Poet, King comps and stretch those figurative muscles!
• A sound in the darkness. A chill touch down your spine. Being suspended far above the ground, or locked in a tiny, glass box at the bottom of a deep, dark well. We all have our fears...and this [comp[(https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/competitions/16735) is a good way to express them!
• Now that we’ve covered Fear, how about Fantasy? Dwarves and Elves, Wizards and Warlocks, brave knights and dastardly blackhearts, and fair princes or princesses in need of rescue from a dragon’s perilous dungeon. If these things appeal to you, than this high fantasy centered comp-set from our very own Sully and Doon will suit you just fine!
• Isn’t it nice to be wanted? Sure, being wanted by the police, or by deadly and dangerous bounty hunters might not be great, but you can at least make the posters flattering in this graphics comp
• Do you like Diablo? If so, good for you! Here’s a comp. Do it and earn the things!
• Never meet your heroes; especially these ones. They’re about as likely to choke you out as to sign an autograph, afterall...but, if you’re interested in the sithiest of sith, this bounteous comp set is for you!

Activity in the Last Month

Note: this only reflects Crescents, Clusters, and other Awards, and does not directly reflect participation.

Atyiru

• Crescent with Diamond Star
• 4x Crescents with Ruby Star
• Crescent with Amethyst Star
• 2x Crescents with Sapphire Star
• 2x Crescents with Emerald Star
• Crescent with Topaz Star
• 15x Clusters of Ice
• 11x Clusters of Graphite

Junazee

• Crescent with Sapphire Star
• 10x Clusters of Fire
• 17x Clusters of Earth

Qyreia

• Crescent with Amethyst Star
• Crescent with Emerald Star
• 15x Clusters of Ice

Zujenia

• Crescent with Amethyst Star
• 3x Crescents with Sapphire Star
• Crescent With Emerald Star
• 2x Clusters of Ice
• 2x Clusters of Graphite

Ryuu

• Crescent with Sapphire Star
• Crescent with Emerald Star
• Crescent with Topaz Star

Xenna

• Crescent with Emerald Star

Sera

• 2x Crescents with Sapphire Star
• 7x Clusters of Ice
• Scroll of Indoctrination

Vahrosa

• Crescent with Amethyst Star
• 1 Cluster of Ice
• 3x Clusters of Graphite

Final Notes

Enjoy the break in the action guys. We had a very busy spring, so the rest is well deserved. Be ready for the RoS coming up this summer, as well as even more Arconan and Galeres shenanigans as we push toward the fall. As always, I can be reached by e-mail at [Log in to view e-mail addresses] or on Telegram with @QyreiaArronen (PM or through our group chats). You can find Sera at [Log in to view e-mail addresses] or @OrionR on Telegram. And if you’re bored, feel free to follow my meant-for-recruiting-but-still-fun in-character Twitter feed @TheRedQek!

Sincerely,