Introduction

Welcome one and all to another edition of the House Ajunta Pall Quaestor report!

First off, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I know, a bit belated, but I don’t get to make the report dates. :) We had a fantastic send off to 2016 with the end of the Plagueis Winter Trials.

This report is going to cover the usual content such as awards, clusters and promotions and ongoing events throughout the Dark Brotherhood. As well, I am going to touch on our on-going Run On event, Manifest Destiny, provide a few words of wisdom for our lovely Equites (and other active members), and answer some questions for the monthly #AsktheMerc segment. After that, I’ll bid you all farewell - but that’s a later problem. Let’s start the report!

---

Awards, Clusters and Promotions

• Tra’an Reith di Plagia - Promoted to Augur, 1 Cluster of Ice
• Misium - 3 Clusters with Emerald Star, 3 Clusters with Amethyst Star, 1 Dark Cross
• Azmodius Equesinferunum - Promoted to Warrior, 4 Clusters of Ice, 3 Clusters with Sapphire Star, 1 Cluster with Amethyst Star, 2 Clusters with Emerald Star
• Xolarin - 1 Steel Cross, 2 Clusters of Ice, 2 Crescents with Emerald Star, 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star
• Vanessa Rhode - 1 Dark Cross

As usual, congratulations and well done to the folks listed above! To all those House and Clan-wide that participate day in and day out. I can speak for the Summit when I say we take pride and pleasure knowing that you're having a blast. We hope to continue creating competitions and events that keep you engaged, involved, and continuously enjoying your experience here in Clan Plagueis and the Dark Brotherhood.

I would also like to give a warm welcome back to Ronovi Tavisaen and Nash Himura who have both returned to House Ajunta Pall. I am excited to see more new faces every month, and I really look forward to having you folks in the days to come.

---

Clan and Club Happenings

Considering this is my first report of the New Year, I wanted to do things a little differently. The Brotherhood is an organization that attempts to provide a top-tier fan experience, with experienced and engaged members of the leadership producing fantastic content with which to enjoy. There are numerous avenues with which we attempt to keep members engaged, and a little something for everyone.

Though normally I only highlight on-going competitions, I also want to list the numbers of ways you can get involved and have a blast elsewhere. For those of you reading this who may be new to Clan Plagueis, I hope this helps a bit.

Whether you have a taste for studying the deeper knowledge of Star Wars, its canon, and the Brotherhood lore (among numerous other topics), look no further than the Shadow Academy. The Shadow Academy and its staff are a bastion of knowledge, and the experience of casual self-discovery can also be useful in numerous events and settings. As with every aspect of the Brotherhood, participation in the Shadow Academy can aid in the development of your character, the accumulation of credits, and a ranking within the Shadow Academy Society.

However, if study isn’t your style all the time, perhaps you may enjoy gaming? Gaming is an amazing way to earn Clusters and to really showcase your activity - which is an invaluable asset to both you and your Clan in multiple ways. Thus, look no further than here, here, and here to start. There are numerous platforms and games supported within the Brotherhood, and numerous competitions for other video games as well.

Of course, not everyone is available to game all the time, so the list goes ever onwards! If writing is more your taste, look no further than the Antei Combat Center. Here you can do battle using the best of your writing abilities by formulating a collaborative story with your opponent. This is an amazing way (besides Run-Ons and Fiction Competitions) to gain Clusters of Ice, and to help further your Inquisitorius rank, among so many other benefits. Plus the ACC is an absolute blast and an amazing learning experience (though please try to finish your matches - sorry, ACC judges. I am totally guilty). The ACC staff are arguably some of the hardest working and considerably knowledgeable folks in the Brotherhood that can provide you critiques which can improve both your writing and ACC experience.

But the real core of our club are competitions. Competitions vary in their types and prompts and are created by members from all across the Brotherhood. If you feel you have a niche such as graphics or poetry (to name but a few), there will most likely be an event for you already running or in the works. Better yet, if you have a good idea, you can create on yourself (after having it approved, of course) and provide other members a fun experience! Below are a list of competitions currently running across the Brotherhood:

• Star Wars Gender Swap - A Graphics/Multimedia competition that speaks for itself. Take a look!
• Ode to 2016 - A poetry competition run by our very own Taranae Rhode!
• [FIST] D3 Event - 20 Years of the Lord of Terror! - Are you a fan of Diablo 1? Look no further than right here.
• A Year of Surprises - Run by our lovely Rollmaster Jai’de Serpens , this is a container competition with events running throughout the year.

There are so many more competitions, so I would recommend taking a look at the link above and the competitions page itself. Go get some shinies, Ajunta Pall!

Now, for an unusual...

---

Manifest Destiny

As some of you know and some of you are about to find out, writing is very close to my heart. I also love collaborative writing, which I like to describe as creating a tapestry of prose detailing the journeys of our characters in the vast Star Wars universe. Most importantly, Run-Ons here in the Brotherhood are great ways to earn Clusters of Ice, develop your characters, and contribute in various ways to the overall plot of Clan Plagueis within the Brotherhood.

Look no further than Manifest Destiny. The rules for the Run-On are listed at the top of the Run-On page. As well, if you ever have any questions regarding your character, writing topics, or any other questions pertaining to the Run-On, you can always e-mail or direct message me on Telegram. If I can’t answer your questions, I’ll take it up the chain. If I can, I’ll get back to you within 12 hours, no problem.

If ever you find yourself needing resources of information about Plagueis, its settings, or other valuable information, look no further than these links:

• Clan Plagueis
• Aliso system
• The Pinnacle
• Supply Station Omega
• Korada Monastary
• The Circle
• Ascendant Fleet
• Ascendant Legion

So keep on the lookout for upcoming posts from the Summit, and remember to reserve your own slot on the Run-On. Let’s get ‘er done, folks!

---

For the Equites

Though this segment is aimed at the Equites, it’s my hope that everyone can take a little something to help further their development within the Brotherhood. In this segment of “For the Equites”, I want to talk about the importance and development of presence.

The presence that you have within your respective House(s) and Clan(s) is a combination of (in my opinion) three factors: member participation (in competitions and various other methods), online activity (via chat clients such as Telegram or other, similar means directly engaging House/Clan/Brotherhood members), and member development (transitioning from a participant to a producer by creating content in the form of competitions or other available means). Your presence - particularly as an Equite - is an invaluable asset to the sub-units and units, and to your own personal development as a member of the club.

To begin, regular participation is the core of your presence. Initially the benefits are evident: you gain credits, experience, and potentially even Clusters and other awards for your work. Eventually, however, your participation is a means of recognition, and I can honestly say that nothing brings me more joy than seeing members of House Ajunta Pall dipping their hands in the many pots of activity. We want you folks to have fun, and ultimately, that’s why you’re here: to enjoy time spent online surrounded by other eager Star Wars fans!

Also as I’ve said before, tell us about what you’re doing. Whether it’s an ACC match among friends or a dramatic Pazaak matchup (do those exist?), your engagement on Telegram or through e-mail can potentially inspire others to follow your example and, ultimately, enjoy their Dark Brotherhood experience to the fullest.

Finally, if you are seriously having a positive experience and want to provide others something similar, consider becoming a producer. It can be as simple as running competitions, applying for various positions of work or leadership within the Brotherhood, or simply being available to provide advice, guidance, and encouragement to other members that want/need it.

Though it is the responsibility of the various leaders throughout the Brotherhood to provide an engaging, thoughtful, and enjoyable Brotherhood experience, your own positive presence goes leaps and bounds to enhancing the experience further. When folks see activity and see enthusiasm, it has the potential to be immensely contagious. You could be the difference in a Journeyman progressing up another rank, or perhaps convincing former members to return from Rogues and rejoin the Brotherhood once more. Never forget the power of your presence, and never forget the power of positivity.

Ugh, corny. Onto the next one! (Though truly, I hope my words ring true.

And PS, thanks to you, HAP, for being a group of awesome people. And thanks to the entirety of Plagueis!)

---

#AsktheMerc

Well, well, well, let’s see what we got in the mail today:

Dracaryis says:

• #askthemerc Do you miss me?

Nuff said.

Evant Taelyan (kind of) says:

• Merc! Merc questions? Or Plagueis questions?

To clarify, I will take questions from anyone, about anything (within reason). Whether it is a question about myself, the club, or otherwise, I’ll try my best to answer your questions. Also, thanks for a super awesome Possessions system. We all appreciate the work you and your team do!

Arden Karn follows up with this quip:

• #askthemerc What one question do you want Evant to ask?

Honestly, I would love him to ask about my opinion of the available weapons systems. I have nothing but love for the amount of powerful weapons available, especially for a member playing an NFU character. However, I got this instead from our lovely Regent:

• How does #askthemerc feel about the modular A180 weapons system and the fact that the Regent is only going to let people buy the pistol and none of the attachments? :p

Though I don’t personally play Battlefront, I heard about the A180. If you want more information on the weapon as well, look no further than here and here. Anyway, to continue, the A180 is an interesting weapon (and a bit of a reimagining of the DC-17m from Star Wars: Clone Commando, which you can read about here) that is way too overpowered. Though it takes a bit of time to change the initial pistol into its different variations, I just can’t see it as a weapon system that could be supported fairly within the Brotherhood.

Thus I am totally on board with only being able to buy the pistol and none of the attachments. Perhaps you can do as you have done with the DC-17m and provide its different variations as separate weapons systems, each with their own perks and quirks? In sum I really love the weapon, but I also realize that weapon would essentially be godlike in the right hands.

Zuser Whuloc says:

• #AskTheMerc would you fly with Zuser in his new ship?

Tales of Zuser’s piloting skills have been spread across the Clan. Laren prefers a smooth ride and the rough and tumble to be performed on the ground rather than in a flying bucket of nuts and bolts (regardless of the craft). He isn’t exactly a fan of flying, though he understands its a necessity of combat and interstellar life.

---

Thanks for all of your wonderful submissions, folks. Until next month!

Conclusion

Congratulations to all, and to all a good month. Let’s make 2017 a year for growth, improvement, and especially of fun.

Thanks for being awesome, and I’ll see you next time.

• Laren