Introduction

Hello to all my Arcona peers!

Welcome to the first Arcona report of 2022! We are in a new year, and new opportunities to make a mark on the Clan’s story are on the way. We have fun plans and good times ahead of you guys. I look forward to seeing what this year brings for us!

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. News
3. Clan News
4. House Discretionary Funds
5. Competitions
6. Ask Rhylance and Atty
7. In Closing...

News

DB Wide Updates

Some big stuff happened since the last report!

• A new fiction update has been unleashed! Introducing the new villains for our Club, The Children of Mortis! Read the update HERE!
• The Headmistress released a report introducing the Aurora Collegium! This comes with some cool additions to the CS system, and some new SA-Possesions!
• Frosty, a great DB’er who is no longer with us, has received a very well deserved posthumous promotion to Elder!
• The position of Rollmaster has officially been removed from the site. All current RM’s will be able to keep their positions until January of next year.
• Our FIST has released a report detailing the changes in the FIST office last year. The FIST office is all looking for a new Magistrate. Go apply for this great position!
• Atra has released the new Pulsefeed update for the last quarter!
• The Herald has unveiled new Dossier Selector skins in his report!
• Since our last report, the Regent has been very busy! We have new Starship upgrades, Lightsaber Upgrades, Weapon Upgrades, and our first ever Possesions Booster Pack! The Regent and the MAA also put out a call to all whose Dossier’s were reactivated after the Possesions system came into being. Check out that infor HERE.
• Finally the Voice has revealed a large overhaul to the Feats system. This was a massive undertaking, so read his Report and make sure your CS’s are up to date!

If you are interested in what the other Clans have been up to, click the links below to check out their Consul Reports!

• Naga Sadow
• Odan Urr
• Plagueis
• Scholae Palatinae
• Taldryan
• Vizsla

Our fellow Clan deserve our attention and respect!

Clan News

We have a New Rollmaster everyone!

Give a nice big shout out to our very own Zuza Lottson! She has taken up the job for Kord, and we wish her the very best as she expands her horizons as a leader!

We have a new Event Launching!!!

Our Proconsul Atyiru has been hard at work setting this up. Make sure you give this event the attention it deserves! We only succeed by all of us doing our part.

/mic screeches

Hello yes, this is Atty! Yes, that's right, a new event! And with lots of extra special fictional hooks. Not only will placement and participation allow your characters to be featured in the storyline, but you'll also all be influencing the ending itself!

Here's how it's gonna go. The gods, they want a thing. If we get 15 unique participants overall, meaning any fifteen of you participating in any single event, the gods will not get what they want. If we reach 20 unique participants, we'll in fact get something they have. But if we don't hit the fifteen mark, they're gonna get the thing. And we don't like it when they get things. They called us vermin. I call that STEP UP SCHUTTA.

Check out the event itself linked below, and the fiction kicking us off, including the Prelude some of you may have already spied on the mailer…

Blood on the Ice <-

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Estle City, Selen 40 ABY

Ruka Tenbriss Ya-ir sat on the lip of the edge of the world.

At least, it felt that way from here. This high up, it was like he wasn't even on a tropical island. The air was cold, especially at this time of the Selenian year, and almost thin enough that the difference could be felt on each breath. If he jumped, it would be a quick comet descent back into heavy, humid air, still thick and warm from the daytime sun.

It wasn't the highest up he'd ever been or leapt or fallen from. That particular honor went to a kriff-for-all desperate atmospheric jump over Dandoran. But it was high enough. From up here, the city lights burned like a hundred miles of fire, each consecutive ring of Estle's architecture a flaming step rolling down from his perch on the peaks to the jungle and the beaches below, where everything disappeared into infinite, dark water.

His new guards had figured out pretty quick that he liked the tree in the courtyard. They still knew he was up here, but it was harder for them to feel nearby and set his nerves on edge with that horrible, festering, prickling feeling of undeserved importance when they were a good hundred and fifty meters below him at the top of the tower. There weren't stairs going up any of the Citadel's many spires, unlike the towers and battlements.

Socorra was down there. She was harder to slip, and he wasn't trying to avoid her. She was a promise. If she needed something to hold on to, he'd be damned before he took his hand away. If he jumped, she would jump with him. She couldn't cry, so he'd do it for her.

His eyes felt too tired for any of that kark now though. He was too tired, period. Not just from the summit meetings arguing about a cache of crystals the Dark Council had sent to the point of screaming matches and threats of mutiny and proposals for a space station for research. Not just from the training sessions he and Cora ran or the ones with Galeres troops or aboard the Voidbreaker. Not just from the mess that was firing Aru and Avery Watson's hiring.

He'd been having dreams again.

This time it wasn't drowning. Not like before Celeste. This time he dreamed of freezing. Of blackness again, but also of brightness. Blinding, and then— nothing. Dark. Bright like a knife cutting out his eyes.

He'd thought it was more premonitions about his sight, briefly. But after Celeste, he wasn't taking any chances. He'd asked around about if Estle ever got to freezing in the winter and everyone he'd spoken to had replied in the negative. It seemed self-evident given the nice weather, but he couldn't shake the feeling there was something there.

One of the staff had mentioned that one of the moons of Gesthemane, the gas giant at the edge of the system that Ruka had never been to himself, was basically like Hoth, an ice rock. He'd asked Bly if they could send anybody to check it out. Just in case.

Apparently, paranoia and weird kriffing requests was the norm for Arconan Consuls and Proconsuls. The man hadn't even blinked. He barely blinked in general. It was creepy.

Qyreia had told him when he complained about that that he was the same way, and then snorted when he got offended.

He'd brought it up in another discussion, before the whole crystals one. Asked if anyone else felt anything. Tali Sroka had shivered like she was freezing and touched her arm as if it hurt. There were murmurs. Admissions. Eye rolls and impatience. Alright, so something to do with the cold, maybe. What did they do actionably about that?

His scars all ached in time with his heartbeat, drumming up inside his skull: thud thud thud thud.

It wasn't the going back down that was the thing, really. It had been coming up in the first place for a break. Cora had gotten adamant about him taking breaks if they were going to be the Proconsuls, and it was hardly the first time someone had tried to convince him to take time for himself or to just stop; Qyreia, Eilen, Sera, more recently since the welcome ice cream party Mune and Caleb and even Avery. But the real nail in the coffin was their kids asking both of them to just...risk a little less.

They couldn't say no to that.

So, Ruka took a minute. But now his ten minutes were up. He needed to get back and call everyone else back so they could all figure out throwing these crystals into the kriffing sun. Unless they agreed to let Rhylance research them. Because he definitely was going to anyway, so better it be in front of them all.

He was. So tired.

Do it for them, he thought anyway, and leapt.

"I cannot wait for until I can do this again," the woman commented, watching him straighten from his crouch with an envy and hunger and excitement in her one arctic eye, looking up at the spire. Her cane tapped the ground. "I had balcony. Great place! But that better. Stupid muscles."

"I can still take you up there if you want," Ruka offered again, quietly, shrugging. She'd expressed the want before, and Ancestors, did he understand that longing, the need to run and jump and move and be free and how trapped it felt when he couldn't. The scars on his legs throbbed in memory of shattering. Even the month of his recovery was nothing though compared to what she was going through, of course. "Won't even touch you. Can just float you up."

"Nah," she replied, flipping that silver forelock back into the mess of her dark hair. It fell forward again immediately. "Is no fun to be done for you. I going to get body back, and then do myself. It will be kandosii."

"Right. Candoesee."

She laughed at his butchered Mandalorian pronunciation. "Sah, see? Now sure no want smoke before go back? Good for relaxing."

Ruka shot her a withering look. The woman rolled her eye.

"Sorry, your Honor, of course, silly of me." She saluted, and this time he rolled his eyes.

"Ay, stop calling me tha—"

One moment, they were walking slowly back to the door, wind whipping, Estle stretching out below, winking fire.

And then, as they watched, the entire world went dark around them.

Read the rest here or view the PDF here.

TL;DR

• Power has gone out not just in Estle City, but across all of Selen. The only explanation seems to be that something has happened at Zainab, the small "city" and research station on Selen's northernmost continent that produces over two-thirds of the planet's total power supply.
• Arcona leaps into action in response. Some will go to Zainab as the vanguard to face the ice and discover what is happening. Others may stay in Estle to coordinate efforts or help around Selen in crisis.
• In Zainab, the Gotal geologist Jus Grizol monitors geothermal activity with one of her colleagues and students, a Selenian from the local northern tribes named Inpa. But the power goes out, and the research building comes under attack from mysterious creatures that begin slaughter despite the combative efforts of the scientists. Inpa, declaring she knows what's going on and what these things are, citing Selenian mythology about a being who "devours the sun and moon," and "brings darkness," insists Jus escape with her to meet her people.
• Elsewhere, at the site of Zainab's newest planned geothermal plant, Alla'su and Eulauti find what they are searching for and move to take it…

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Here is the latest news from our amazing House Leaders!

• House Qel Droma
• House Galares

Timeline and Event Calendar

January: The Clan event in full force. Good things.

**February: A light month likely to feature the traditional set of VD comps, but could be continued downtime. More on this to come. The summit will be planning.

**Summer: We will be having a new Great Jedi War later this year! The timeframe is not yet set in stone. More info will come in the future!

Expect more RP’s to run as the months go by

If you don't have Discord yet, you can get it here. It'll work on browser, desktop, and mobile apps.

This is the join link for the DB server.

House Discretionary Funds

Big jump in numbers for both Houses! Exciting to see!

Competitions

So many competitions. Just so many. Take your pick of any and go get 'em, lovelies!

• The Shadow Academy is hosting a few comps under the container Mysteries Explained:World Between Worlds
• The Regent has a Fiction comp going right now called Infiltrator Schminfiltrator
• Creon is hosting a fiction comp called Operation: Comandere
• FIST Staff Comp!!! Solo Great Rift Run Season 25(Diablo3)
• Our own Aruuuu is running a Witcher themed series called Trials of Grass
• We’ve got a Lorefest going! Run by our Voice!
• Regent is running some puzzles! Planetary Assets Sneak Peak Puzzle Bonanza!
• Make sure you participate in the Voice run Fiction! Shadows Unveiled: Who are the Children If you want a chance to help set up the Children of Mortis!
• Creon is also running a Meme theme series! Mame a Meme Monthly: January Edition
• FIST Staff Comp!!! New Year, New Games: Casual Gaming Que Submissions Only
• FIST Staff Comp!!! Halo Infinite
• Quormus is running some puzzle comps! Star Wars Movie Posters!
• Do you like Football??? Korvis is running 2021 NFL Pick’em
• FIST Staff Comp!!! SWTOR Bonanza #1
• Bentre Sadow is running some flash games!!! A Flash in the Pan
• Try your hand at some SA Courses to place in the Shadow Academt Decathelon
• Quormus is running a fantasy football comp! DJB 21/22 EPL Fantasy League
• Aruuuu is running a ton of puzzles! Uncle A-Aru’s Big Load of Puzzle’s

Ask Rhylance and Atty

• Aru Asks:

1 - Can i finally open my Casino in Celeste?

Rhylance: “So long as you do not to take out any further loans for this purpose.”

Atty: "Absolutely not. You're not getting a business license in Dajorra so long as I'm breathing."

2 - How did Ruka feel having to pack and send a Sapphire Blade to Aru? Is it Cursed?

Rhylance: “The powers of delegation are a tremendous help. I am sure Ruka was happy to do this service.”

*Atty: He sent it to Kali, as recompense for her being abandoned by the karkheads that scammed her and took advantage of her dreams to be a star. *

3 - What's the actual purpose of the new Space station? "Science research" won't fool me.

Rhylance: “I do not joke about science. This station will be a jewel for the advancement of scientific knowledge.”

Atty: Amoral science people are going to do science things whether or not it's safe, sane, or right. Might as well know it's happening and be able to vent the whole place if something goes wrong.

• Zuza Asks:

With the city going dark, whats you guys' first response?

Rhylance: “This is why you keep your own power supply available.”

Atty: "THE ANSWER IS HELP PEOPLE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

• Sera Asks:

1. The new year is a time of change. Is there anything you/Ruka and Rhylance want to change? Anything you don’t want to change?

Rhylance: Me personally, I want to improve as an active Consul. Rhylance just got a huge boost thanks to the Shadow Academy!!!

Atty: I'm hoping to just do a bit better in increments. Mental health and life are hard, but we try our best, whatever that looks like, each day. For Ruka? He'd love if his family was safe and happy, so would Cora. Do better by his friends. Not screw this PCON thing up.

2. Cold winds are blowing. How will you survive the winter?

Rhylance: “I have people to deal with winter for me.”

Atty: Ruka looks at the people, somehow, around him willing to stay. "'Together', right, ay?"

3. Sera never did get around to sparring with Lucine. If Rhy wants to give it a shot…

Rhylance: “Perhaps, maybe after a quick meal? Would you care to join me for one?”

Atty: No means no.

4. When we take down the jackass Nautolan, can Sera mount his head on a plaque in her office at Blindshot?

Rhylance: “After ‘i have had a moment to examine the remains, I’m sure they could be made available for use.”

Atty: "NO MORE DESECRATING CORPSES. WAS TATTOOINE NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?"

5. Hug

**Rhylance: (Backs away and grabs for a scalpel)””

Atty: hugs tight and doesn't let go "I trust you, *Serami."*

• Jazzy Asks:

1. What is Rhylance up to?

Rhylance: “My personal matters are of no concern to you. However, If you’d like to tour my new Science facility, that could be arranged.”

Atty: "Some kriff, probably."

2. How does the consul and proconsul feel about their new hire Avery Watson?

Rhylance: “Who?

Atty: "Watson? I mean…Avery. He's. He's not bad. Good doc when he ain't snapping at the nurses. Wants to be a better man. I get that. Maybe he can." *Maybe if he can, I can.*

3. Between Ruka and Cora who feels the weight of responsibility more? And why is it Ruka?

Rhylance: (Looks over to see Ruka’s reaction)

Atty: Causal reminder that Cora is the one who has had to watch his partner be hurt over and over and over, nearly lost him several times, constantly stands and smiles through that pain and keeps giving everyone a second chance and does his best to support his family and others because everyone deserves that. That he does all this while having learned growing up to always be perfect and collected, stiff upper lip, proper and poised, having to be good and strong, that he threw away his entire life and legacy to become a Jedi and to be with his partner, fully prepared not to be accepted back. That neither of these boys really knows how to let themselves be helped, and both of them bear responsibility like a mantel, even if one was raised a noble and the other an urchin. They're both knights, and they're both, even after six years of marriage, four wars, and everything in between, learning how to be able to break down to anyone but the other, and how to lean on others too. Cora is better at it than Ruka is, because he came up with more support and socialization is like breathing to him, but that weight? That's even.

In Closing…

That’s it for this month! As always, if you have concerns, ideas, recommendations or a general need to chat, we are always here for you. If you need to get a hold of either of us, we are on Telegram (@AidenLD and @RainbowPhoenixDJB), Discord (Atty#3546 and Rhylance#7156) or by email at [Log in to view e-mail addresses] and [Log in to view e-mail addresses]