Hello, everyone, and welcome to your new Wrath's first report! I have to say, it's weird to be typing up a report again after over five years of being away from the clan summit. But I'm back, and I'm navigating Markdown, and everything's fine and dandy on this beautiful Revenge of the Fifth.

It is also Cinco de Mayo, for those of you who celebrate - and hopefully, you celebrate it sensitively and sensibly. ;)

FUN FACT: Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day! Mexico was actually an independent nation by that time, and its president, Benito Juárez, refused to pay back its debts to European nations - which, to be fair, were there because of said European nations. France didn't like that, and thus began the Franco-Mexican war.

One integral battle in said war was El Día de la Batalla de Puebla - when 2,000 Mexican troops defeated a militia of 6,000 Frenchmen who demanded they repay their debt. This battle happened on - you guessed it - May 5th, 1862.

Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's biggest holiday? Not even close. But it does remain important to Mexican communities, especially the Chicano movement in the 1960s, and symbolizes the power of indigenous Mexicans.

There. That's a little history to go with your margarita.

Okay. Onto the report!

What's the Deal with the Wrath?

I'm not really big on going into detail about myself as a person, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase. My main role as Proconsul - or the Dread Lord's Wrath, as we fondly call the position in Plagueis - is not just being the Conseal's second-in-command (and yes, that spelling of Consul was intentional).

I also plan to serve in a mentorship capacity, in order to guide and prepare members to be future leaders of Plagueis. Arden and I are big on seeing the transition of power go smoothly, and while we plan to stick around as your summit for a while, we're not gonna be around forever.

So our job is to ensure that you - yes, you, Plagueian reading this report - can participate in the direction and structure of this clan. You help develop the lore, you contribute to competitions, you get a chance to be a mentor or leader. We want to grant you those opportunities, and we want to do them in both an instructive and pragmatic way.

As a real life teacher, part of my job is to balance my lectures with...well, actually giving my students cool stuff to do. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to lead projects, plan gaming ventures, organize competitions, contribute to our social media presence, and lend a hand to your house and clan summits. We want you to be creative, engaged, and ambitious - and hey, we're always looking for masters to work with apprentices.

In the meantime, I'm still planning on providing tips and lessons on how to improve as a leader. As a former Headmaster, I'm big on hands-on courses and forums where we can share ideas and suggestions, whether it's how to be a leader in general or how to handle a specific situation as a leader. I'll be playing around with Telegram, Skype, and Discourse as potential outlets for those conversations. Don't worry - I'll try to make it both helpful and fun.

Brotherhood News

Lot of stuff has gone down since Arden's first report, so let's try to cover the bases.

• First of all, and perhaps most noteworthy, is the retirement of Justicar Jac Cotelin. If you've only been around for a bit, Jac is the epitome of an ideal Brotherhood member. He's shown dedication, creativity, and determination in all his years in the Brotherhood, serving as Grand Master twice and being one of the key players in the Brotherhood's Exodus from the Emperor's Hammer. He and I didn't talk much, but I knew how important his contributions to the club were. He's stepping down due to real life commitments, and we wish him the very best.

• Meanwhile, our very own Bubba (Dacien Victae) has been confirmed as our new Justicar! Nominated by Mav, he sailed through a 48-hour voting process and now serves as our head executor of the Brotherhood's Covenant so we no break rules 'n stuff. He has tons of experience with the Chamber of Justice, served as Headmaster, and kicked some Collective butt in the Twelfth Great Jedi War. Go get 'em, Bubs!

• In the meantime, Drac ex machina - our Fist - is looking for a brand new Praetor and two new Magistrates to add to his staff. If you're into gaming and want to oversee our club's gaming activity, these might be the jobs for you. Check out Drac's latest Fist report for more information on job requirements.

• Yesterday was Cuatro de Mayo (May the 4th), so our official May the Fourth celebration is still going strong! Go participate in some fun competitions and see if you're the winner of a custom robe! These events end on May 7th, so don't miss out. I'll provide a link below:

https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/competitions/13739

• And don't forget to like the Brotherhood's official Facebook page! Our new Social Media Tribune has been doing a tremendous job so far getting our club more and more attention on the map. Mo' members, mo' better!

Clan News

Seals of Loyalty

On May the 4th, Seals of Loyalty were rewarded to multiple outstanding members of the Brotherhood. As you may or may not know, Seals of Loyalty are given out twice a year to members who have shown allegiance and dedication to the club.

The two Plagueians whom the clan summit nominated for seals this time have served as previous and current leaders, contributing in unique and engaging ways to Plagueis's livelihood and membership. They truly deserve this award.

Congratulations to Vivackus Kavon di Plagia and our Overseer, TuQ'uan Varick.

Other Plagueis Honorees

I do also want to highlight two other Plagueians who received seals of loyalty for their contributions to the club. One of them has been Consul of our clan, while one is new to Plagueis but a renowned veteran leader from Tarentum. Please also congratulate Teylas Ramar di Plagia and Sith Bloodfyre-Tarentae.

What's to Come

Plagueis has been fairly quiet since its new summit was appointed - but I assure you that we definitely have some plans in the works. While I can't give away most of the details - that's Arden's job - I can definitely give you the spoiler-free version.

We on the clan summit are hoping to start the next chapter of Plagueis's story in the oncoming month or so. We have some major competitions lined up, as well as a desire to restart the clan-wide run-on to contribute to said storyline. We are still figuring out logistics and speaking with various clan members to see which directions would be best to go, so while it's a work in progress, we're definitely getting our hands dirty so we can get started.

Part of my job as a member of the clan summit is also to gauge how members are feeling regarding the clan lore and direction. Your Quaestors, Kelly and Furios, sent me the surveys that they requested you all fill out, and I was able to peruse them and respond to them. I've provided my thoughts and one of the charts below.

Survey Says...

Although both house surveys were quite different in both style and scope, there were a lot of interesting nuggets of information I could glean from the responses. To start, let's look at a graph from the Ajunta Pall survey:

As you can see here, 10 respondents answered a question pertaining to their fictional priorities in Plagueis. While I am le sad that there wasn't much interest in the Valneikian Hive (which I still think has a lot of potential storyline-wise), I was happy to see some interest in the Saraask'ar and the Collective. I know some members really want to see the Trandoshan slavers that we interacted with during our space nomad days make a comeback, and of course, the Collective is definitely going to show up. After all, it's a continual antagonist - we need to confront them, one way or another.

The survey responses also presented interest in exploring a rather sinister and controversial side of Plagueis - its slavery. While some of our members may view that part of the clan as discomforting or not something they want to write about, the clan summit has been discussing this diligently and figuring out how best to broach this darker topic in the unit. We have some pretty lofty ideas in mind, and we hope that you like them. Of course, we're always interested in feedback.

As for Karness Muur, most of the stuff I got from the house's survey was pretty straightforward. Overall, the clan summit is pretty much on the same page as a lot of the unit's members. Plagueians want to see more inclusion of general members in clan-wide fiction and lore. Plagueians want more collaborative vendettas, Collective-oriented events, and competitions like the Vacation on Dagobah. Plagueians want to see the run-on restarted.

This all sounds very good. And your Dread Lord, Wrath, and Overseer are happy to oblige you all.

Stay tuned.

Awards and Accolades

Okay, time for the obligatory list of accomplishments! Here is what all you beautiful people did since my appointment to Proconsul. Whether it was winning crescents, passing Shadow Academy exams, or upping your society status, you stepped up and showed everyone what Plagueis is all about. Congratulations, and a job well done.

TuQ'uan Varick

• 6 Clusters of Ice and 3 Clusters of Graphite
• 3rd Place: Collective Chronicles
• 3rd Place: “My Crib”
• Won ACC match against Kylex Sanguris

Furios Morega

• 3 Clusters of Graphite
• 1st Place: “Aliso in Pieces (Puzzle)”

Kelly Mendes

• 6 Clusters of Fire and 3 Clusters of Graphite

Abadeer Taasii

• 3 Clusters of Graphite

Lo-Kain Vamielaga

• 1 Cluster of Fire

Areticus Altainatus

• 1 Cluster of Fire
• Passed Leadership Reports SA exam
• Passed Leadership Management SA exam
• Passed Leadership Proposals SA exam
• Passed Leadership Rewards SA exam
• Passed Markdown 101 SA exam
• Passed Wiki Basics SA exam
• Passed Debate 101: Argumentation SA exam
• Passed Crytography 102 SA exam
• Elevated to Level VII Inquisitor

Arden Karn di Plagia

• 1 Cluster of Fire

Tahiri Thorne Morte Tarentae

• 2nd Place: “Aliso in Pieces (Puzzle)”
• 1st Place: “Into the Sand Pit (Puzzle)”

Gaius Julius Caesar

• 1st Place: Collective Chronicles

Azmodius Equesinfernum

• 3rd Place: “Aliso in Pieces (Puzzle)”
• 2nd Place: “Into the Sand Pit (Puzzle)"

Brimstone aka Seabr’imsto’nedansr

• 3rd Place: “2018 Mock Draft”
• 2nd Place: “[FIST] - Galaga Wars”

Obsidian

• Passed Consular Legends SA exam
• Passed Guardian Legends SA exam

Special shout-out to both TuQ'uan Varick and Gaius Julius Caesar, who did an awesome job with the Collective Chronicles, as organized by our Voice, Marick Tyris. You should both be proud of your contributions to the Brotherhood lore and fiction. Nicely done!

#AsktheDreadLord'sWrath

Can I just say how fun it was to do my very first #ask hashtag in the Plagueis chat? Thank you to everyone who sent me a question using the hashtag. I sincerely hope I provided some fun, interesting, and fulfilling answers - and if I didn't, well, let me know!

Here we go:

Dracaryis asks: How would you like to handle the whole “Drac shows up in the Wrath” thing?

IC or OOC? :P

Both? Both is good.

Ronovi is very used to relying on some sort of deus ex machina to save the day. She expected it with Arcona when she was Consul of Tarentum. She expected it during Horizons. She even expected it during the Dark Crusade. To her, there's no competition or sense of annoyance from anyone being "upstaged," per se. Drac helped out, so she'll take whatever she can.

In terms of OOC, I'm curious as to how the whole Drac ex machina does sit with Plagueis as a whole fictionally. Does Drac's appearance ring a positive tone with the clan, or does it perhaps leave the clan looking weak without relying on the Dark Council? Considering that Plagueis hasn't always been on the DC's side, it might be interesting to play into. Especially since Plagueis may very much have to deal with internal conflict in the near future.

Shhhh - spoilers!

Gaius Julius Caesar asks: Who is your favorite Beatle?

Oh, that's easy. The underrated MS paint artist. Peace and love.

JC also asks: Does the influx of new members present a better opportunity to improve something that you thought might have been out of reach when you wrote your application?

Definitely. A lot of new members have turned up since I was appointed PCON - about four or five since April 23rd, I believe. As I mentioned in my application, I want new members to feel empowered and like they can make a difference, so that's where I can improve my mentoring abilities in a big way.

But no pressure! Your Overseer/Rollmaster TuQ'uan is working hard to ensure that they settle in and feel at home in Plagueis. We need to start with dipping their toes into the pool before throwing them headfirst into the water.

JC also also asks: Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool Opotamus?

It's an Opotamus Prime. Everyone knows that.

HOW MANY QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE, CAESAR: Does pineapple go on pizza?

Ask my wife.

Brimstone asks: How warily does Brim have to watch his backside when two of his adversaries are now his Consul and Pcon?

Honestly, Ronovi has never viewed Brimstone as an enemy. In the beginning, I can certainly see how they might have butted heads, but she's fairly neutral to his standing in Plagueis, as long as he's doing the bidding of the Dread Throne. She's sort of gotten over her power craze, and she's really more serving Arden's needs while making sure he doesn't go mad over some potential trade war or something.

So, you know...different priorities. ;)

Brim also asks: With the Fall of Tarentum and the influx of their refugees to the Plagueis family, How much of your prior experience with them will be used in this current run as a leader?

Probably not much. IC, Ronovi abdicated the throne of Yridia and left Tarentum quite a while ago, so those Tarenti wouldn't exactly know her that well. OOC, I actually didn't know most of the people who transferred to Plagueis besides Beef (love you, dude), so I don't have that history with them, and I'm going to treat them as I would any other Plagueian.

Brim also also asks: How about that Plagcast???

Thank you, Brimstone, who totally didn't just ask that question because I prompted him to!

As y'all may have noticed, the Plagcast has been rather quiet since Episode V. Viv, our head editor and moderator, has been devoured by that pesky thing we call life, and consequently, we have had to recalibrate and reevaluate how frequently we can do the podcast.

But fear not! It isn't dead, just on life support. TuQ'uan has officially volunteered to step in as our new head editor, while I will be elevated to chief moderator. We hope to get Episode VI out asap - editing's a lot of work, especially as we're waiting on files and TuQ is getting the hang of recording and editing audio.

Brim has so many questions: Do you have any questions for any member of Plagueis, past or present, that you have been thinking of asking?

Wait. You're turning this all around on me! I'm the one being asked questions! Zis is an outrage!

In all seriousness, I don't have any questions at this time, but if I think of one, you'll definitely find me outside your window, poking the pane with a stick.

...Okay, not that creepy. But you get my drift.

Abadeer Taasii asks: Who’s going to star in the next PlagCast?

Drac knows who it is. ;)

TuQ'uan Varick asks: As someone who has been known for their love of fiction, how do you plan to encourage those less invested in the fictional story of Plagueis to get involved?

What you have to do to get anyone interested in the fictional status of any club unit is answer the question, "What's in it for me?" The biggest issue I see with clan fiction is too much of a focus on the big, so-called important leaders, with less focus on the everyman. It's a trap I fell into as Consul of Tarentum, and I'm more interested in helping tell others' stories than just my character's.

There will also be those competitions I was hinting at earlier in the report - there might be a chance to add your own addition or flavor to the Aliso environment. Again, stay tuned!

TuQ also asks: Where does Ronnie see herself in terms of alignment with the DC? Where does that put her vision for the Clan and her goals? Do they match up with Arden as the Dread Lord or does she have her own secret agenda? (I will accept an IC answer to this)

Ronovi has...personal motives, but not the same motives she used to have. She once hated the Dark Council with a passion, even attempting to betray the Brotherhood in order to get back at the Grand Master (Muz at the time) for removing her as Headmaster (OOC, I quit the position, but y'know...makes for interesting storytelling). After being in stasis for four years, she's definitely mellowed out and focused more on her individual progress, much like she did when she was a new member of the Brotherhood. And rather than have a larger vision for the clan, she's doing this mostly for someone important to her.

Being Proconsul was not exactly her idea alone. While she'll abide by some of Arden's goals, she's very much the confidant of a specific Dark Councillor. One who has stakes in the power and prestige of the clan. One whom Ronovi can't help but care deeply for. One whom you all know very well.

Zuser Whuloc asks: Are you still mad at me for leaving behind your alcohol?

A Ronnie never forgets.

Closing Thoughts

At the end of each report I write, I will provide both a good idea and a bad idea for leaders and potential future leaders. As I very much have a love for the classic cartoon show Animaniacs, I figured I'd use their simple model and expand from there.

This month, we'll focus on why, specifically, you should be a leader. This is the question every Plagueian, or Brotherhood member in general, should ask themselves before they submit an application for any house, clan, Dark Summit, or Dark Council position.

Be a leader because it helps your unit.

Be a leader because it helps you.

I know, I know. Seems rudimentary, doesn't it? Everyone becomes a leader to make their unit better, right? I wish that were the case. Even recently, I've witnessed members from multiple houses and clans use statements such as, "I have to prove myself," or, "I want to be noticed," when that is absolutely not the point of leading. You don't become the boss of a company because it's all about you - you become the boss when you have the right vision and goals for the company so it doesn't go under.

Here's the thing: If you become a leader, you will be sacrificing more than you will be earning - at least in a tangible manner. You will be spending time and energy creating and running things for other people, not for your own pleasure. You will be recommending people for medals and promotions that you yourself may not receive. You will be organizing the competitions, not participating in them. You're not making the clan lore all about you, unless you want to alienate your members and make them disinterested in self-serving fanfiction. You don't gain any prestige or acclaim by hogging the spotlight. And unfortunately, that's what I've witnessed a lot of not-so-great leaders do.

I would know; I was one of those not-so-great leaders once. But I've grown, and I've learned. And while I haven't received tons of promotions or medals or shinies or praise, I've gained a lot more. Seeing members happily engage in what I create with them, and seeing how happy they are to gain exposure and opportunities in the clan - that's why I returned to leadership. That's why I'm here.

Thanks for reading, all, and catch you next month! Happy Revenge of the Fifth, and ¡feliz Cinco de Mayo!