He will eternally be remembered.

I was fortunate enough to be able to send a final message to Sarin before the end. I said everything I needed to there. So long, friend.

May the Force be with you, Sarin. Thank you for everything you did for our club, for every hour, every minute devoted to the betterment of this club. Your fight is over, we will now strive to honor your memory and be worthy of your legacy.

This news is heartbreaking. Sarin was an absolute titan in this club, and the impact he has had over the years cannot be overstated. I know I am not alone in the view of seeing him as the “DJB Dad”, a constant champion of support for everyone and dedicated fully to seeing the club and its members live their best lives. His loss is one we will feel for a long time.

I am very grateful for the time I got to spend working with him, learning from him, being his friend. His support helped me through rough times and I can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for his support. Between my time as CON, helping open Vizsla, and even applying for Voice, he was a constant aid pushing me to be better, and a reliable mentor when I needed insight.

I will miss you Matt, you were one hell of a guy.

We will always remember you. Rest in peace, my friend.

He'll always be remembered, he was a true hero in so many ways. I'm sorry to hear of his passing, but he'll never be forgotten.

My heart goes to his family and those that loved and will miss him.

May he rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will never be forgotten.

Thank you, Sarin, for all you did.

holy shit!!!!! this is a surprise. I was not expecting this. Rest in Peace Sarin.

Words fail.

You will be missed, Matt.

Thank you for the stories.

I've worked with Sarin, in some capacity, for what amounts to my entire adult life, and the better part of my time on this earth. My heart breaks for him and his family, and I wish I had the words to adequately express this loss. Our world is less without him, but more for his having been a part of it. Rest in peace, my friend.

RIP Matt and all the love and prayers to his family.

I won't pretend to be as well acquainted with him as well as so many others, but I have to take a second to say how kind he was welcoming me back as a long-gone returning member feeling like a newbie again. He went out of his way to make sure to give me advice and make me feel welcome back. The community has lost a pillar, but we're all better off for what he helped to build and the example he set.

Pravus/Sarin and I may have had our differences in opinion and perspective, but I wish his family all the best and he will be missed. He saw this club through some of its most turbulent times. Rest Well Matt.

God this sucks. Rest well, my friend.

Sarin was a good man who offered his own views and experiences and left The Brotherhood with a strong legacy. His impacts on our community and culture are indelible, and while some may not have agreed with his decisions or actions at the time, there can be no argument about the lasting impact of the benefits he brought through his many years serving the Club.

Thank you for everything you gave to this slice of the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Rest in peace, Sarin.

Rest in peace Sarin, my heart goes out to the family.

When I first met Sarin, I was a teen and he was already a Captain in the Army. I remember thinking how cool that must have been, though I never told him that. He seemed somehow wiser than me, despite being just a few years older than I was. Yet, somehow, he always had that cool, calm, collected, captain Matt image in my head.

To no surprise, Sarin rose quickly through the ranks of the Emperor's Hammer and the Brotherhood and I gravitated towards him in a desire to learn how I could be as impactful. Over the years we agreed and disagreed on a wide variety of things. Sometimes we were in lock steps. In other times, he'd delete his telegram messages and we'd start over. That is the way of things with someone like Sarin who could see beyond today and tomorrow. He saw the potential this club and people could be and he wanted us all to get there with haste.

There are two key memories for me for Sarin that have forever stuck in my memory.

1. On September 3, 2005 he sent an email to a small group of us when he was XO of the Emperor's Hammer and Astatine removed him. That email starts "All of the people on this email have received this letter because they are either my friend or because they are of a like mind..." and I cannot tell you what it meant to me to know he considered me a friend.

2. In 2020 while the world was isolated and I was spending considerable time in the hospital with my wife and, later, our youngest son in the NICU, I got to speaking with Sarin again and he reminded me of this community and invited me back. I, in a wishy-washy way, said I'd come back if I could have my dossier restored to where it was before the Exodus. I thought he'd give me some run-around and it would die. Sarin, to my surprise, said "We can get that done" and the rest has been history.

I've been on several podcasts over the years where I talk about what this community has meant to me. It means what it does because of people like Matt. I've been processing my emotions since I learned this news...and, honestly, right now I'm mad. Matt and I would talk about Disney and how much he loved it and he said anytime you're down here we'll finally grab that drink. My wife and I finally are booking that trip for September and the day I found I was going to tell him that I was going to buy the first round.

I'm not okay. We're not okay...but we will be. All of us will be. There will be sad moments but so much more joy and smiles and deep barrel laughs of the memories. So, for tonight I'm going to cry. I'm going to toast the legend, and then tomorrow I'm going to keep striving to be like that Captain I met years ago and wanted so badly to be as cool as.

Rest in peace Sarin, may the force be with you. Condolences to the family. :(

I never had the privilege or the honor to know Sarin in the DB or Matt as a person, but every time I saw his username pop up in a message or competition, somehow, he always caught my eye. The stories everyone has shared make me wish I had a chance to know him, but even so, being a part of something he loved and held so dear, I feel like I know all the best parts of him from the legacy he left and the impact he had in this community.

So here’s to the man who gave us his heart, here’s to the friends that he brought together, and here’s to a life well lived. May the Force be with you, Matt.

I only recently came to know Sarin on the surface level but what will always stick in my mind is his way of handling himself and his forwardness in One Brotherhood. Before he even became Consul of Vizla we were talking about plans for events together as Consuls potentially. One day it'll still have to happen, in his memory if nothing else.

One with the Force couldn't be a more fitting title.

I never worked with or really interacted with Sarin directly, but even so. I see the impact that he has had on many of your lives (in and out of this club) and I feel the ripples of those impacts - the influence he had on those I, myself, revere. It’s enough to make me grateful for… enough to make me miss… enough to have me mourn… the loss of such a man.

Thank you for everything, Sarin. Rest well.

Condolences to all who knew him, I don't believe I interacted with him that I can remember, but he sounds like an amazing guy. Sincerest hopes for the best with his family and friends.

You will be dearly missed Sarin, much love to family and friends. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.

Sarin and I butted heads off and on over the years, as he was a strong enough leader to listen to and engage with dissenting views. We didn't always agree but I always felt heard and never doubted that he carefully considered all viewpoints before making a decision. That is a rare quality in a leader. He held himself to a high standard and brought out the best in everyone he worked with. He was bold enough to take a chance on a young mouthy upstart for COU consul and contrary to his character at the time wanted us to thrive and be the best light siders we could be.

Sarin was a transformational figure, I wasn't around for his first go-round as GM but I had a front-row seat as clan leadership for his second term as he transitioned the club into the era of Disney Star Wars while keeping what made the Brotherhood what was it was. I also got a front-row seat to see him develop a vision for what would become Vizsla.

The club and many of us on a personal level are better because of Matt and his legacy will live on as long as this club exists.

Thank you for all you did. Thank you for the memories. Words are insufficient but I want to say that much at least.

Rest in peace, my friend. You will be missed.

I did not know you well, Sarin, but you had an impact either way.

I hope you are resting comfortably. My thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and his clanmates. A loss of such a large pillar of the community will echo for a long time. Be kind to yourselves, folks.

When I first joined the DJB, Sarin was one of the first people I reached out to in the club to get to know and learn how I could move up into different positions. He was welcoming and it was nice to know him. I will miss seeing him about and my heart goes to his family. May you be at peace and rest well Pravus.

<SALUTE> RIP Sir

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

I only was able to have a couple of interactions through gaming and a few side chats. Thank you for those conversations we were able to have. They were not many, but very cool. Thank you Sir, thank you for your service, thank you for all that you have done here for all of us here in the Club. You will be forever honored...

Devastating. My heart goes out to all of you, especially his family and closest friends

Matt was a friend, mentor, and an all around great guy. I will miss you greatly.

This is one of those moments that feel like it's the best of us who've left. I never had the honour of knowing Sarin. I never knew his rl name til now. But I witnessed the titanic impact he had on this club through his dedication and hardwork. Reading such tributes, we know everything one would ever need of his character.

I never knew Sarin. However, when I heard what our SA Kamjin "Maverick" Lap'lamiz said, I knew I had to pay my respects to SA Sarin.

Rest in eternal peace. You will not be forgotten!

This is like a nightmare. I've known Sarin for over twenty years. Probably closer to twenty-five, to be honest. There were laughs. There were arguments. But above all, there was respect. He always treated people with respect, even if he was at odds with them at that moment. When I was approached by FireFox and another after the Exodus and after Astatine pulled his crap, and asked my opinion of Matt I gave a ringing endorsement (I was on the EH Command Staff at the time and worked with Sarin closely for quite a while). It was easy to see how much of an asset someone like Matt could be to an organization. And we were lucky to have him. No matter what side of an issue Matt and I might fall, I knew he was always doing what he thought was best not only for the club, but for me.

I am just trying to grasp at words at this point. I miss him already. My prayers go out to his family and all of his friends that are grieving right now.

I am in shock. **** cancer.

There really is so much I could say about Matt, a lot of which has either been said or eluded to here from various individuals. He took me under his wing pretty early on during my stay in the DJB. He mentored me and guided my path within the club, which fostered a great friendship through gaming, banter, and co-misery. I will always remember the times we did have together; pushing each other to the limits in Diablo, grinding out clusters with everyone in games no one even played anymore, and creating fiction out of thin air to garner new interest within the club and clan.

Conversations during those times, much like some others, included talks about visits and having drinks. My wife and I actually had it planned, and that year we had to cancel our plans to visit the area. I won't ever forgive myself for missing that chance to meet him in person, and I envy those that got to have those interactions with him. I found myself talking about him to individuals even outside of the club, to people that didn't even know him, and that's when I knew he had left a long-lasting impression on me.

I thank your family for the time that they allowed you to give to us all, and my heart goes out to them.

I miss you buddy.

• Warp

This has hit me like a freight train.

Matt was an absolute legend. His wit and his charm were unmatched. He just had a way with people…

He won, but he helped others win, too. It wasn’t a zero-sum game to him. He brought others along with him.

I send my love to all of you here, to you, Val, and to Nan and the kids.

RIP Grand Master Sarin

I spoke to Sarin many years back when he was GM, about something that I don't remember now. He was very friendly and down-to-earth, and not the fire-breathing dragon I always thought Grand Masters would be. It was later that I wanted to know what his name meant, so I googled that and I was like "dude, that's a badass name."

The next time when Sarin's name came up big-time in the club's fiction when many species and the old Obelisk and Krath orders were being 'grandfathered'. And fictionally, Sarin was disposing them off, and I was like "dude, that is a cool villain."

I guess we all know the rest. He'd found the first Mando-clan in the club and was one of the top members there. I didn't have much talk with him, but that's cause there was no need to. For me he was like one of those huge central pillars this club rests on, or kinda of like a grandpa-kind of guy (casue he's been in the club for so long) who everyone can rely on whether its ramping up comp participations or making new clans.

So once more, rest in peace Sarin and condolences to his family and friends.

My heart goes out to his friends, family, and all who knew him. His legacy indeed will be carried out and love long through the history of the Brotherhood. Rest in peace, Sarin.

To any who knew Sarin- personally, online, or anywhere else, my deepest condolences to you, and especially to Sarin's family. From what I have heard, he was a great man, an officer in the United States Army, and a father. He was the Executive Officer of my beloved Emperor's Hammer, the Grand Master of the Dark Brotherhood. He kept the Emperor's Hammer alive through one of it's toughest periods. I would like to thank him for his service in the Army too. Thank you!

Rest In Eternal Peace!

At times like these I wish I could write a book about a person, but all I have are a few words and a lot of sorrow.

Matt gave me a chance as Herald a long time ago. That alone I will never forget, but he was also a good man who reached out and talked about life whenever he felt I needed it. His quirks were uniquely his own, but he had an indomitable spirit and an aura of confidence I've seen in very few people. I wish I had known him even better.

You will be missed, my friend. Thank you for making our lives fuller and happier. Rest in peace.

When I joined in 2019, I was slotted into the newly formed Clan Vizsla. Saying and Val were the Consul/Proconsul pairing. Saying got me sorted in my early days of the club, telling me how things worked, where to find things... I even had my first leadership positions under him.

I had no idea he was sick, and I do not know him as well as others. Words are wind in this kind of situation, but I will say that he has left an impact that has, and will be felt forever both in his personal life and in the club.

May he rest in peace.

I've known Matt for something like 20 years, and for the past decade I've considered him a friend and a mentor, both in the club and in life. His accomplishments in the club are easy to identify, but he also put in so much time behind the scenes, constantly willing to be a sounding board for every GM that followed him (twice).

Matt had been sick for a couple of years and during a particularly dark period in 2023, we decided to do something to honor his legacy while he could still enjoy it: that was the Dantes Spear, and everyone should go read the recs for that if you haven't already.

I'm really going to miss him.

As a soldier, I know that loss is part of the game. As a person, I know that it sucks. I have known the legend of Sarin/Pravus/Declan/Matt for decades. It wasn't until the last few months that I really had an interactions with Matt. My biggest regret is that I never knew him as well as I could have. We circled the same places the last 23 years I have been floating around these clubs, we crossed paths a few times over the years but not as much as we did in Vizsla. I have no other words... other than I will miss talking with him.

Matt was a good friend of mine... I've known him for almost twenty years, even got to have a drink with him once when we met in person. I'm also with Hades on this one. F*** Cancer. My heart goes out to his family.

My friend, I will keep a fire going for you. Rest well. <3

I didn't know Matt all that much, but from what I saw of him he was a great guy, and a pillar of inspiration for me and many others in the DJB and Clan Vizsla. I am glad to have had the honor of battling him in the ACC, as well as that of serving under him in Vizsla.

Ret'urcye mhi, Matt. Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.

Damn…guy was a fucking trooper. Didn’t always agree with him, but sad that he’s gone. Gonna be missed severely.

Very moving what you wrote, Drac. For all those who knew him well I’m sorry for your loss.

Also Valhavoc. Very moving.

Drac, pin this for a good while. This is heartbreaking

Well this came and hit like a bolt of lightning... Matt was the person you'd go to as a leader, when you weren't sure about what to do and wanted a fair and just analysis of the situation to help figure out what to do. He'll be missed. Condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and mourn him.

Sarin was the best of us, there's no doubt of that.

In command positions within the EH and the DJB, he demonstrated great knowledge, understanding, tenacity, and most of all care in everything he did and everyone he encountered. You could argue with him, but it was in a manner that was more debate than arguement.

When Astatine removed him from a CS position in the EH whilst we were holding leadership in the fringe (SWG) We made a bold decision to break away from the EH and go it alone. I drew so much on his support and leadership at that time many of what I saw and learned has carried with me into my roles of employment in RL today.

I've shed a few tears at the news today and in hind sight wish I had done more to keep in contact with those who I shared hours of fun with back 15-20 years ago across the organisations and splinter factions within and from them. Hades put it the best, F*** cancer.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. A deep thank you for all the contributions that this amazing individual has made to this wonderful place. Rest in peace.

I've been thinking about this for a while and seeing all these messages made me think of everyone this affected. Then this Ted Lasso scene popped into my feed ... "I want you to be grateful that you're going through this sad moment with all these other folks. Because I promise you, there is something worse out there than being sad, and that is being alone and being sad. Ain't nobody in this room alone."

We are all here for each other, and we are not going through this alone. As always, if you ever need someone to talk to, do so. We can and should always support one another when we need it. No judgments, just Love. "

AGAIN RIP MATT aka sarin.

It seems only appropriate to write a really long detailed memo considering Matt's penchant for really long, epic documents both from himself and demanded to others. But I would never finish this one. In the end all it would really say is that I'm going to miss him.

I am forever grateful that fate led me to enjoy the last year-some of his candor and wit, lessons and even the pain he was at times, busting my ass over fiction or other as if it was any ordinary day. He always wanted the best of me, be it leadership, puppy training, or the damned D3 build. And I wanted to make him proud in return. My son got his varsity letter tonight, finally. I really really, wish I could tell him.

There's never enough time. We have to make that time. If anything, he really helped me onto the path of not sweating the small things anymore and by the gods I'm trying. I'm trying.

Matt, I'm not sorry I gave you the AK. Pew pew bbq, friend. I raise my glass and Luke figurine to you.

Rest in peace, Sarin! And my condolences to his family