Introduction

Sorry this is so late. RL's been a bit hectic and I've been waiting for Len to quit doing stuff so we could stop upgrading his award some administrative stuff to get properly settled. Anyhoo, on we go.

All the News That's Fit to Print

Too much news! I'm going to just make this a link storm:

• Grand Master/DGM: BTS got axed. SoLs awarded (congrats Korroth, Darro, and Turel!). Rogue One comps get bling. Sac for Xen, Golden Lightsaber for Mav, promos and sacs for everyone! (congrats Vyr!). Spoiler Ban lifted January 6.
• Justicar/CoJ: New Covenant. This is a Big Deal. In the CoJ, Monty and BF have stepped down as the HoJ, while Bubba/Dacien and our own Turel are the new Hands.
• COU: Consul Report from Turel, Esca's last QUA report, and Ed's first QUA report from Hoth. Hoth AED is open for applications. Len also joined with a BTL Report.
• Regent: Report 5. Report 6ish. Report 7.
• Herald: Santa Baby from Vyr and Praetor Report 3 from Esca.
• Headmaster: ToR Advanced gets axed.
• Fist: Report 4. Issues with "Turbo Pazaak" and adjustment to CFs. Staffing (congrats Ed!). Praetor Report.
• Voice: Fiction Anthology 3. Report 3 (congrats Atty!). Report 4. The Other Report 4. Digest #1.
• Combat Master: Report 3
• Wiki Tribune: Report 17

In addition to all that (27 reports! Yeesh!), I'm happy to announce that January has already been a very good month for Satele Shan's Summit, both past and future:

• Sitting Aedile Daniel "Seraphol" Stephens was promoted to EQ4.
• Former Quaestor Mar Sûl was promoted to EQ3.
• Former Aedile Corvus Corax was also promoted to EQ3.
• Garza's BTL Len Iode was promoted to EQ2.

These were among the first members to welcome me to COU and all of them have been incredibly helpful during my term as AED and QUA. They've also become my friends, and it's a rare and gloomy day where I don't talk to one of them. All four of these guys also worked to keep Shan thriving, whether in leadership, project work, or both. Please give them a congrats or a thanks if you haven't already.

Competitions

As a reminder, if you're interested in running a competition or just have an idea you like to see, don't hesitate to bring it up to your summit. For example, Tamashi/Mord has several good ideas that we'll be bringing out for the House or Clan in the next few weeks.

Satele Shan

• HSS 26 Weeks Jigsaw is back, so Mako and Sa can quit doing the junky shuffle waiting for their puzzle fix.
• Who Are You? is the House fiction competition for January. If you haven't explored Daleem much in fiction, here's you chance. Runs through February 4.
• Bird/Stone Ratio has you practice your sharpshooting. Runs now through January 22.
• When You've Gotta Go presents you with a nefarious escape room. Runs January 20 through January 29.

Brotherhood-wide

• Gamers, the Fist is kicking off the New Year right. Monthly Flash Games run all year and a full tilt Cluster race will be running quarterly. We've got some of the most prolific gamers in the Brotherhood in Odan-Urr, so I'd love to see us sweep this.
• Ode to 2016, because if there was any year that would drive you to sulk in your room and write poetry…
• The Dark Brotherhood Needs You, design a recruitment poster. Runs through February 12.

Activity Report for December 2016

December saw a ton of activity despite everyone's hectic schedules. We also saw a steady stream of awards and promos that is continuing into January. Satele Shout Outs go to:

• Korroth and I were awarded Seals of Loyalty by the Clan Summit along with Darro Zhen of Hoth. Additional, Turel was awarded one by Darth Pravus. I'm honored to be in such good company.
• Maximus Alvinius and Ethan Martes joined the House and hit the ground running, with 17 competitions and 14 SA courses to their names, respectively.
• Junazee was awarded a Grand Cross for activity, and Lithar Andaris was awarded one for a combination of activity and project work. GCs aren't easy to get, so give these guys a hand. Additionally, Juna came in second place overall during the Life Day Games.
• Garza's Pathfinders had 100% participation in the Life Day Games! Full participation in any unit, even one that is young or small, is hard to come by. I hope this bodes well for 2017.

Junazee

• Awarded a Grand Cross
• Participated in 16 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Diamond Star
• 1 Crescent with Emerald Star
• 263 Clusters of Fire

Len Iode

• Participated in 13 competitions
• 2 Crescents with Sapphire Star
• 1 Crescent with Emerald Star
• Cluster of Ice
• 64 Clusters of Fire
• 18 Clusters of Earth
• Passed Inquisitorius History and Consular Legends

Maximus Alvinius (formerly Landon Cruise)

• Joined Satele Shan!
• Participated in 17 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Amethyst Star
• 1 Pendant of Blood
• 84 Clusters of Fire
• Passed Astronomy Studies and Capital Starship Studies

Alethia Archenksova

• Awarded a Seal of Loyalty
• Awarded an Anteian Cross
• Participated in 15 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Ruby Star
• 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star
• 4 Clusters of Ice
• 5 Clusters of Earth

Korroth

• Awarded a Seal of Loyalty
• Participated in 12 competitions
• 2 Crescents with Amethyst Star
• 2 Crescents with Sapphire Star
• 3 Crescents with Emerald Star
• 1 Crescent with Topaz Star
• 1 Cluster of Ice
• 3 Clusters of Graphite
• 5 Clusters of Earth

Daniel "Seraphol" Stephens

• Participated in 12 competitions
• 1 Scroll of Indoctrination for recruiting Ethan Martes
• 5 Clusters of Fire
• 7 Clusters of Earth

Mako Henymory

• Participated in 5 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star
• 1 Crescent with Emerald Star
• 2 Clusters of Ice
• 2 Clusters of Graphite
• 32 Clusters of Fire
• 5 Clusters of Earth

Talis DeMorte

• Participated in 11 competitions

Lithar Andaris

• 1 Grand Cross
• Participated in 7 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star
• 2 Clusters of Ice

Tamashi Adaephon Delat

• Joined Satele Shan!
• Awarded an Anteian Cross
• Participated in 5 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Topaz Star
• 5 Clusters of Earth

Kasulla Daegella

• Awarded an Anteian Cross
• Participated in 4 competitions
• Awarded a Dark Side Scroll for the featured wiki article
• 4 Pendants of Blood

Akaarn Tayl'cor

• Awarded an Anteian Cross
• Participated in 3 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star
• 1 Cluster of Ice

Sa Ool

• Participated in 3 competitions
• 1 Crescent with Topaz Star

Aaleeshah

• Participated in 1 competition
• 20 Clusters of Fire

Ethan Martes

• Joined Satele Shan!
• Promoted from Initiate to Neophyte
• Passed Dark Brotherhood Basics, Essentials 1: History, Essentials 2: Departments, Essentials 3: Paths & Orders, Essentials 4: Ranks, Essentials 5: Organization, Essentials 6: Medals, Comms 1: Discourse Forum, Comms 2: Telegram, DJBWiki: An Introduction, GMRG History, Gaming 101: Setting up & Finding Matches, Gaming 102: Fist-o-mati, and Gaming 103: Submitting Gaming Activity
• Earned a Dark Pundit - Essentials

leocadio

• Participated in 1 competition

Aerwin Tribwell

• Participated in 1 competition

Raeyanna

• 1 Crescent with Emerald Star

Nariah Jadon

• No activity recorded

Jafits Skrumm

• No activity recorded

Ihi Ariki

• No activity recorded

Mauro Wynter

• No activity recorded

Ka-lel

• No activity recorded

Gellm'arco'nuruodo

• No activity recorded

Gavriel Kadesh

• No activity recorded

Krandon Lucian Firebringer

• No activity recorded

Droveth Kathera Vectivi

• No activity recorded

Ceballa LightBringer

• No activity recorded

Magnus Wolfson

• No activity recorded

#AskArch and Conclusion

Ka Tarvitz asked: What is best in life?

TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES, SEE THEM DRIVEN BEFORE YOU, AND HEAR THE LAMENTATION OF THEIR WOMEN

Lenny-Poo asked: #AskArch grape or strawberry jelly for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

Grape but I'm not picky.

Attykins asked: #AskArch given Alethia's actions and attitudes, does she ever face doubt or guilt for what she's done? Does anything keep her up at night? If so, what does she think about it and how does she deal? If not, how does she rationalize her actions to herself, unconsciously or otherwise? How does she rationalize them to others? And will she ultimately ever see an error to her ways, if at all?

Alethia's original aspects were all New Order references, including one that was called Guilt Is A Useless Emotion. It's not that she doesn't feel it so much as she rationalizes it away. The thing about rationalization is that it's really easy when there's always someone way more evil hanging around. Sure, she shot a bunch of unarmed hostages in the December RO - but it was probably a lot more pleasant than what Pravus and the Inquisitorius would have done if Alethia hadn't just shot them.

The thing is, even if it weren't easy to rationalize, she'd have to find a way. The second she starts doubting her entire world is going to collapse. She doesn't just have really nice skin treatment, she got tossed into a stasis chamber in 0 ABY and pulled out a year ago. New Tython and Alderaan were 30 years apart for the rest of you; they were just a few months apart for her. She went from a cushy ISB gig pushing around rich idiots to running a guerrilla war on behalf of Jedi of all people. Vorsa and others keep poking at her to be more introspective because they think it'll turn her into a Jedi or something. It won't. It'll happen eventually, and it'll be ugly.

Atra-doodle-dandy asks: #AskArch how would you define profound?

Something I can answer with a Big Lebowski quote. Conan will do in a pinch, but I only really know one line from that is it's quite a pinch.

Lenny-loo is at it again with: #AskArch what do you think needs developed next for the House?

OOC: I'd really like to get members doing fiction where other members can actually see if. If you've written something you're proud of, please send it to me and I'll toss it in the weekly emails.

IC: We've barely scratched the surface of Daleem as a setting.

Blade came in to Zeltron hug me with: #AskArch when will Marlethia finally become a thing?

They're both Space English. They've held hands already and then never spoke of it again, so now they just need to be kind of rude to each other for a few months and then get trashed on lager at the pub one night and we'll hit peak Marlethia.

Alethia Archenksova
Quaestor, Satele Shan