And all through the Clan,

members went about business,

the Summit made plan.

One was but over,

the other nearby,

a year far too sober,

yet how it flew by.

That is how it times goes,

so we will do what we can,

as Clan, Marka Ragnos.

and Shar Dakha-can?

Okay, so I will totally admit that my command of poetry is a bit poor just now, as that went kind of awry. I had hoped to create a wee bit of words to be both seasonal and neat. I am not so sure I hit either of those. But without further ill-begotten attempts at word craft, let's get this month's Consul report underway.

Locke sat with the rest of the team on Hydra’s bridge, feeling the vibrations and hearing the scream of the engines as they fought to escape. The view screen had been powered off, leaving them blind except for the sensors. He glanced at the Warhost officer who was sat quietly, her hands flickering over the controls. “Report.”

“Nearly there, the field is weakening,” she replied, “systems are critical however. I am still having to maximise our velocity even with the cruiser and Wyrm’s assistance.”

They waited a few more agonising minutes, then Captain Dagen reported. “We are clear, Augur. The only force on us is the tractor beam.”

“That was close.” Locke replied.

A few seconds later there was a final grinding noise across the ship and then the bridge went dark, except for the team’s personal lights. Dagen tried a few switches. “We’ve lost everything, Augur. Controls are negative.”

Locke nodded. A voice appeared in his head in the crisp tones of the Neti. “We still have you,” Malik told him, “a repair crew will be with you presently.” The Augur relayed the message to the rest of the team.

“None of this makes sense,” Etah commented, “the attack, the lack of bodies, that gravity field.”

“We will find out,” Macron replied, the Alchemist sounding thoughtful, “I suspect this is only the beginning.”

---

Ashia glanced at the large creature that was still moving forward, as blaster fire struck its chest. “Any joy?”

“No, I do not know what it is but its mind is resisting. Help me.” Ashia nodded and they both backed off, troopers forming a shield in front of them.

Cymbre fought alongside the Battle Team Leader, her blade slicing amongst the hounds that surrounded them as troopers armed with close combat weapons supported them. The Battlelord’s left hand emitted lightning as her saber slashed at anything that came close. As a creature bound towards her she stepped back smoothly and angled her body as its claws ripped past her arm, before she sliced her saber into it.

Beside her Corvo looked up as a flyer swooped towards him, and as he ducked he slashed his saber upwards, slicing through a wing as the creature missed and hit the floor, its body flickering. A second later a trooper beside him gasped as a hound hit him, its claws ripping through the armour and finding the victim’s vitals.

Corvo turned as he heard the roar and he looked upwards at the armoured brute towering over them, its long arms sweeping down and smashing several troopers aside. The Knight and the Battlelord backed off, aiming their sabers at its body as the blades sliced at its flesh but made no purchase. They heard a second growl from behind them and then a shape bounded over them, launching itself at the brute. They looked up as Tar’Sharov’s teeth bit into the brute’s arm, teeth tearing into flesh as it hung, its claws slashing as the Knight and the Battlelord added their saber blows to its attack. Then the tuk’ata’s teeth closed around nothingness as the beast flickered out of existence and Tar’Sharov fell, before a second later the suddenly substantial creature’s arm smashed into the tuk’ata sending it tumbling through the air. As Cymbre and Corvo backed off they heard the Quaestors’ voice. “Retreat to the stairs!”

---

Signs of rockfall could be seen amongst the crack in the surface, suggesting recent tectonic movement. Around the top of the crack flyers swooped, flicking in and out of the plane, and down in its darkness hounds and brutes bound or stood around the slowly growing portal, which was now fifty feet across. On the other side of the portal a mass could be seen, creatures moving amongst each other, snapping as another came too close, as dozens, hundreds, thousands, and more waited for their turn, and towering way above them as an immense black form watched hungrily back through the portal, waiting to join her children. Her eyes suddenly focused angrily as she sensed the intruder and her mind lashed out.

The man awoke in his bed as he spasmed, and gasped for breath as he looked round at the darkness, clutching his head as his heart thudded in his chest beneath his scarred flesh. It was several minutes before he got to his feet and dressed, his limbs shaking.

Twenty minutes later he left the laboratory, guiding the sled on its repulsors into the lift. Once in the hangar bay he quickly loaded the equipment into the shuttle. After a quick check he strapped himself into the cockpit and guided the shuttle out of the hangar doors. He clicked the transmit button on the communicator. “This is a message for the Clan and House Summits. I am stepping down as the Quaestor of House Ludo…,” he paused and gathered his thoughts taking a deep breath, “of House Shar Dakhan with immediate effect. Command authority has been transferred to the Aedile.” With that done he piloted the shuttle up into the atmosphere.

---

This is but a portion of the latest fiction updates released by Quaestor Malisane, leading up to the upcoming Inos Incursion event. Want to know more about what is leading up to our latest event? You can read more in the first and second parts of the leading fiction!

If that weren't enough you can check out the third part

of the Inos fiction by clicking hereor here

News From The Club

• The FIST released a brief report detailing some recent changes for all you gamer and gamer-like types out there

• The Deputy Grand Master talks an an improved member experience, given an update on Clan-title-holder items and some other tidbits

• The Regent and his Praetor released a report and bug-fix supplemental respectively speaking to Droid Upgrades

• Headmistress Ciara spoke on in a report highlighting some folks (including our own Kristeva) and speaking on an opening for a Lore-focused Magistrate. If you are interested you better get those applications in by the 22nd of this next Tuesday!

The Clan Summit has been in some discussions about how to develop Clan Naga Sadow as we move into 2021. We are going to be in some intense talks leading into the new year, but by this next month’s report in mid-January, we hope that we will have a bit of a schedule to share with you all so you can plan ahead, as well as a as well as a slew of events/competitions/activities large and small for everybody to take part in and to contribute to the future of the Orian/Sadowan Sith Empire!

So stay tuned.

Competitions of Note

• Corvo of Marka Ragnos is currently hosting two events for the Night Hawks. The first is a fiction competition revolving around the retrieval of an artifact. The second will be a graphics comp that will see you detailing the artifact the Battle Team has been tasked with retrieving!

• Appius of Taldryan is running a couple of DJB-wide Sithmas competitions. You can depict a bit of sithmas spirit through the visual medium of your choice (drawn, painted, traditional/digital, ect) or tell the tale of a Sithmas party- be it a rager or a quiet, dignified affair

• As ever, the FIST Monthly Competitions are ongoing

• I would be remiss if I failed to again point to the soon-upcoming Orian Incursion event. I am finding the fiction shared in our mailing group pretty exciting and I hope that everybody will join myself and others in taking part in what looks to be a pretty awesome if dangerous series of events.

Parting Words

This year has been a rough one for many of us. I do hope that all of you will enjoy the holiday, and that together we can head into 2021 refreshed and ready to make awesome stories together. For now, I wish everybody a happy holiday and I hope to see you on the other side of what is bound to be a brighter year ahead.

Oh yes, the Proconsul and I will be putting together a sort of Year in Review for all of you in the next week, so there will be that to look forward to. It will give us all a chance to hold you all up for your achievements over this last rotation around the sun. :)

For Orian, For the Clan,

Overlord of Naga Sadow