Dark Jedi Brotherhood News http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/ News from the Dark Side of the Holonet. en-us MAA Requests http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5395
For all intents and purposes, my exams period has started now. In order to assist me with processing mundane promotion and medal requests, I have temporarily elevated Tarax to the P:MAA position. This is a temporary measure designed to help alleviate some of the time slow-down that will occur during my approximate 3 weeks of exams.

I may not be sure about a lot of things but I am sure of one thing: Tarax will not be P:MAA permanently (he knows this). He'll be removed on the 19th when my exams are over. So if you're interested in the position, applications remain open until December 13th. See my previous news posting for more information.

Thanks

DJM Syn Kaek
Master At Arms]]> Plot Update Four: Nothing Follows http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5394 Fiction Update


FALL OF ANTEI
Nothing Follows

Path�what path is there? We are all tumbling down the mountain to the valley below. We do not choose if we fall. We simply do. The most that can be hoped for is to hit a few less trees on the way down.


Previously�

...


   A tiny electronic voice interrupted his thoughts. �Lord Muz is here, Grand Master,� it said from somewhere in the deep folds of Sarin�s robes.

   He was pleased; briefly. His security detail had alerted him to the arrival much sooner than he�d expected. Raken had trained his soldiers well. Sarin couldn�t see them at the moment. They were out there in the inky darkness among the trees and shadows. Black figures, silent and efficient. So unlike what had characterized the Royal Guards of old. Perhaps a new Guard was in the offing? Time would tell. Many things demanded his more immediate attention.

   None more so than the Dark Prophet who had come to kill him.

...


Uncharted Planet
Corporate Sector, Outer Rim
Fall of Antei, Day 73

   �Lord Muz is dead,� the soldier reported.

   Sarin had not moved since the duel�s end. He could taste the iron tang of blood in his mouth. His blood. It had been a long, long time since that had happened. Kneeling on smashed cobblestone in the courtyard of Palpatine�s lost fortress he surveyed the scene about him. Armored soldiers kicked through the rubble of Sith statuary now strewn everywhere. Darth Bane�s head lay a meter to his left looking up at him with empty eyes of stone. Pale moons still punctuated the night sky.

   What had happened here?

   Sarin�s thoughts were unclear. He demanded his faculties answer him, but he had yet even to rise. Could he rise? Image and sound assaulted him. His head throbbed with the coursing of his blood until his face was as warm as if gazing into a fire. Pain shot through his body and his fists clenched reflexively. His lightsaber was still in hand. Why?

   More sound. More pain. Images raced through his mind poorly recreating the events that had unfolded. One image froze in place. Muz. He had fought Muz. He had killed Muz. He had commanded him to attack; to hold nothing back. And so he had had to kill his Shadow Hand. His most loyal and trusted servant. His successor.

   Clarity dawned. Sarin had done what Sith had been doing for thousands of years�ensuring survival. Were Sarin to lead them back to Antei�back to victory�he would need to be sure he was the one. His failures had caused him to question his methods; question himself. Muz had simply fulfilled his purpose. Had he killed Sarin, a stronger leader would be taking them back. But with Muz dead at his own hand, Sarin confirmed himself. There was no doubt now.

   He demanded order. Sarin�s body returned to his control and he looked up with the old heat in his stare. His soldiers were watching. Weakness could not be tolerated. Not now. Not ever.

   He stood.

   �Are you alright, sir?�

   The security detail had known to stay back, but now gathered around the Grand Master. Most faced outward to identify further threats, but a few officers looked at Sarin through the photoreceptors of their helms somewhat bewildered.

   �Call for another security detachment,� Sarin said.

   Though a full detail was already on site, the officer assumed the Grand Master wanted to be more cautious given the ordeal he�d just undergone. He contacted Nightfall in orbit and relayed the order.

   Turning back to Grand Master Sarin he said, �My lord, ETA�uhhk�

   Unable to breathe, the officer clawed at the controls on his gauntlet to switch to internal air. Assuming they�d been gassed, he knew he�d have seconds to seal his suit and draw on the temporary supply. Through his narrowing peripheral vision he could see the others of the detachment grasping at their forearms attempting to execute the very training he was. Everyone was going down; all except the Grand Master. Standing in the center of the struggling guards, he looked renewed, peaceful; the image of calm focus.

   The officer�s vision went dark and he fell.

   Sarin looked to the crumbled statues at his feet. No, weakness could not be tolerated. Not even from himself.

LAAT/i Gunship
Feriae Junction, Thesme Sector
Fall of Antei, Day 98

   The blacked-out gunship hugged the rugged terrain of Feriae Junction. The world was core-ward from Antei along the Hydian Way and a strategic target for both sides of the war. It had been devastated by a Yuuzhan Vong siege protracted by several thousand determined New Republic defenders. With reinforcements, the Republic had a chance of holding out.

   �I�m not kidding,� Casen was saying from the floor of the gunship. �He took out twenty crab boys at least. It was beautiful.�

   Sergeant Akor Digh shook his head. He�d seen what the Jedi could do and it was frightening. And he wasn�t on the receiving end. But this mission didn�t call for one so they had joked, �The Force is not with us.� Someone had heard they might be a liability on this op as there could be enemy Jedi on the surface. They�d find out soon.

   The men of 1st and 2nd squads, 1st Platoon, Alpha Company mostly rode in silence on the floor of the craft. They sat back to back in two rows facing outward towards the skin of the aircraft. Some, like Casen, liked to tell stories or talk idly to pass the time. Seated near the rear, Digh, the Platoon Sergeant and Company First Sergeant listened more due to the consequence of proximity than interest. Digh kicked at the man next to him who had fallen asleep and continued to listen.

   Casen was animated. �He was a big one. Digh, you saw.�

   Digh said nothing. He wasn�t sure if not having a Jedi along on this run made him feel better or just uneasy.

   �He had the Vong like this,� Casen said gesturing menacingly with his hands. �Bent that karking Vong backwards the wrong way. Unstoppable.�

   �They go down,� First Sergeant Speros said standing at the tail. �Just like anyone else.� Speros was busy monitoring the company and pilot nets through a pair of jacked-in headphones, but he didn�t want his men to be too taken with the Jedi and their flash. But he understood.

   �Roger, First Sergeant,� Casen said smiling. �But it�s how many they take with them before they go I�m interested in.�

   The First Sergeant nodded, but not at Casen�s comment. The pilot�s call came through the headset and he relayed it to his men. �Six minutes!�

   All conversations ended. Everyone repeated the time and carefully made their way to a knee then stood and took hold of loops of heavy-duty fabric anchored overhead to steady them against the bucking ship. They checked equipment and mentally reviewed their portions of the mission.

   �I bet clones never did this,� Salas yelled in Digh�s ear.

   �Salas, I heard your dad was a clone,� Casen yelled back grinning.

   Salas pulled on his pair of heavy bantha leather gloves and responded to his friend with the appropriate salute.

   �Three minutes!� Came the call from the First Sergeant acting as chalk leader for this stick.

   �Three minutes!�

   The LAAT/i�s doors automatically slid back to either side of the tail and the cold wind of the planet�s nightside whipped through them. Digh thought it felt like water flowing around him as he searched for the ground and signs of the target. He could see flashes in the distance that briefly illuminated the interior of the ship. New Republic artillery probably trading blows with Vong plasma, he thought. They were still aloft so the air defense grid hadn�t picked them up. They were obviously too busy fighting for dear life against the death-worshippers� onslaught.

   �One minute!�

   Digh pulled a set of cheap goggles over his eyes to protect them from the dust. He charged his weapon and squeezed the shoulder of the man in front of him.

   �Thirty seconds!�

   The sound of war was distinct now. What had been soft whumps and crumps a minute earlier were now sharp cracks. They passed through pockets of hot air rising from fires burning on the ground. The gunship bucked more as the pilots struggled through and around thermal blooms and shockwaves. Digh could just make out the shape of a massive six-limbed creature battering a particle barricade in the distance. The monster soaked up staggering amounts of fire yet continued to ram ahead as if the more damage it incurred the stronger it became.

   The LAAT/i suddenly rocked upward then down and the ropemasters standing at the side doors identified the landing zone. �Ropes!� they called and kicked four twenty-meter coiled ropes over the side. �Follow me!�

   And they did. Each stick went out its own door sliding the near length of the rope until hitting the ground and running to cover. When the LAAT/i�s crew chief verified the ropes were clear, he released them to fall to the ground in quick, curling spirals.

   Fire was everywhere. Smoke assaulted them through the cloth wrappings around their faces. Angry hyphens of incoming and outgoing fire lanced the midnight blue sky in all directions. The New Republic had their hands full on this world and more. First squad separated off and went towards their objective while Digh fell in with his squad as they rallied near a shattered building on the outskirts of what had been a fuel depot. They moved out carefully in hurried crouches skirting the perimeter of out-buildings trying to clear the heavier fighting that was already rolling their way.

   A pair of Incom T-47�s screamed by overhead to add their measure to the battle. Digh wished them luck. Had he time, he could have stopped right there and marveled at his circumstances. He had come so far. Had things turned out differently, he could very well be fighting in one of the New Republic units entrenched here.

   He was very glad he was not.

   They moved silently through streets of rubble. Occasionally the pointman would hold up a fist and halt their movement to allow a Vong patrol to go by. Doubtless the crab boys were probing this area quietly for hidden access points into the shielded fortifications under siege. Fortunately, Digh and his men already knew where that access was.

   Digh pushed his goggles up and over the bill of the softcap he was wearing and rubbed his eyes with his non-firing hand. No wonder the New Republic was losing this war. His eyes were burning from the smoke. He missed his Kraytskin. Even the Vong were smart enough to use armor.

   The NR battledress uniform he wore consisted only of soft armor that was not designed to stop much more than harsh language let alone a Vong razor bug traveling 250 meters per second. The uniform�s best protective feature was that it identified him as a lieutenant with New Republic Special Forces. An �officer� would have a better chance of talking himself out of a brush with a security patrol should they become separated or were forced to abort. In fact, every man in his squad was identified as an officer of some rank or other by their stolen uniforms.

   Explosions continued to bloom around them like a coordinated holiday display. They crept ever-nearer Digh�s position and he was anxious to get them under the protection of the Republic�s energy shield.

   The squad halted again and took up a security posture while Digh and the other leaders checked their maps. The bunker entrance was the nondescript one-story pile of rubble directly ahead of them. They split the squad into its two internal fire teams and Digh�s moved forward to the bunker entrance while the other provided overwatch.

   Digh descended a shallow stairwell at the front of the building into a narrow passage that terminated in a steel door that looked like something transplanted from a bank vault. The passage was cold and damp and allowed entrance only in single-file. The other three men of his team watched up and back while Digh rapped on the door twice in quick succession with the heel of his fist.

   Digh and his team were instantly bathed in blue light from scanners embedded in the door�s frame. The chips in the rank badges of their uniforms were sliced and should identify them as Team 239 who had departed the wire four days ago on reconnaissance. When the scan was complete the outer door slid up into a recess and they entered cautiously. The outer door sealed behind them air-locking the four men inside. They were decontaminated for possible Yuuzhan Vong spores and other hazards and then allowed inside.

   The process repeated for the other team in Digh�s squad until they were all inside heading down a long narrow tunnel under the shield and into the heart of the New Republic�s fortifications.

   �We�re glad to see you,� an intelligence officer was saying as he led them through the warren.

   Digh appeared to listen attentively but was busy counting doors and passages as they went by. So far everything matched up. The intel guy had said his name was �Martin� or �Markin�. It didn�t matter.

   At the thirty-eighth door they stopped. Martin or Markin said, �We thought you�d gotten lost out there.�

   He led them through a secured portal into a series of makeshift offices and rooms of sundry purposes. When they reached the area that had been denoted as Room 4 on their layout of the warren, Digh knew they were in the right place and casually pulled his goggles down over his eyes.

   �You can drop your gear here. There�s some caf over there and Fil is bringing in some chow,� Martin or Markin said. �Let me get my debriefing kit and I�ll be right back.�

   �Is that your wife?� Digh asked before the man could go. He pointed to the picture of an attractive woman wedged into the sill of a window separating the two rooms.

   Martin or Markin turned his head to look. �Oh, no that�s��

   Digh raised his weapon to his shoulder and shot the man through the side of the head before he could turn back.

   He put two more bolts through the man�s chest as he hit the ground. �Do it,� he said. His team was already moving securing the immediate area, engaging a few confused military staffers. When the firing stopped, the suite of offices was cleared and they began prepping their demolition charges.

   Bravo team had already moved off to their designated target in the next room. Digh watched the door leading to the corridor beyond. There was no security presence in this area but there would be. They didn�t need long though to rig their explosives and begin extracting.

   Casen had climbed his way up into the rafters overhead. Above the false ceiling ran coolant lines dedicated to the massive reactor that powered the shield beyond. Digh�s squad was responsible for the secondary coolant system while 1st squad was dealing with the primary system in another part of the complex. When the charges went off, the coolant systems would fail simultaneously and force the droid brain regulating the system to enact safety protocols that would take the shield offline rather than risk a catastrophic failure.

   Or so they had been told in the briefing. Digh just wanted it done. He had no idea why the Dark Ones wanted this world to fall to the Yuuzhan Vong. The opposite would seem to be in all their interests, but why rarely mattered at his pay grade.

   �Sergeant, we�re set,� Casen called out as he dropped to the floor from the ceiling rafters above.

   Digh called it in over his secure platoon net. The Platoon Sergeant acknowledged, then answered back a few minutes later with, �Go.�

   All took cover as Digh called out, �Fire in the hole!� and nodded for Casen to detonate their charge. The room shook as ceiling tiles came down and rafters fell. Green coolant ran free to the floor from shattered lines overhead and already alarms could be heard in the distance.

   �Prepare to move,� Digh called out as Bravo team rejoined them. Another explosion whumpfed in the distance and they knew 1st squad would be moving now and extraction would be en route. Digh moved to the door leading to the corridor beyond and back the way they had come. 2nd squad stacked to either side and followed him out covering all angles of the hallway with their weapons.

   Digh stopped almost immediately halting the entire procession. The intimidating blue glow of a lightsaber blocked his path a few meters ahead. Fortunately, he didn�t fire.

   �I�m Jedi Knight Eema Fos,� she said. �And I need your help.�

Uncharted Planet
Corporate Sector, Outer Rim
Fall of Antei, Day 73

   �Lord Sarin is dead,� the soldier reported.

   Muz barely heard him. His insides were shattered beyond repair even as he implored the Force to aid him. He was dying. He had done as his master had asked and succeeded�only to fail. If he died as a result of his wounds, there would be no clear successor to the throne. The clans would tear themselves apart vying for control. It reminded Muz no matter how successful or powerful the Brotherhood became it was still a delicate lattice held together by fewer lynchpins than anyone dared to guess.

   He could not die. Yet. �Inform�Katarn,� Muz said from one knee. �He�will know what to do.�

   Muz coughed blood and sat down.

   �We�ll have a shuttle here in ninety seconds, my lord,� one of the Grand Master�s protective detail said. �Lie back. Let the medic work on you until then.�

   Muz was lying back anyway. Fading. He doubted the medic had a treatment for what Sarin had done to him. Sarin. His body lay not far away in a pile of cloth and armor. His head was here though, next to Muz, staring back at him now with empty eyes that were neither accusatory nor congratulatory. Muz would have preferred either to this�nothing. Why Sarin had chosen now to test himself he didn�t know. But whys were often hard to come by in his position.

   The medic injected something into his leg. Muz was too tired to discern what it was. He could hear the whine of a shuttle�s engines being pushed hard in the distance. It didn�t matter. The medic continued to work and Muz reached out for the nearest soldier and pressed into his hands two metal cylinders. He said, �Katarn,� and did not move again.

   The medic was still working.

   The soldier Muz had grabbed looked down at the lightsabers in his hands. They were intricately crafted and bore the lion insignia of the Deputy Grand Master. The shuttle touched down not far away and a medical team was already on the ground and rushing over. The soldier stood and ran towards the shuttle clutching the lightsabers in one hand.

***


   �Enough,� Sarin said and let the vision fade.

   The statues of the Emperor�s courtyard still looked down upon him with scorn. Neither of the two futures he had glimpsed offered the answers he wanted. He wondered if there was any permutation of events that did.

   A tiny electronic voice interrupted his thoughts. �Lord Muz is here, Grand Master,� it said from somewhere in the deep folds of Sarin�s robes.

   He was pleased; briefly. His security detail had alerted him to the arrival much sooner than he�d expected. Raken had trained his soldiers well. Sarin couldn�t see them at the moment. They were out there in the inky darkness among the trees and shadows. Black figures, silent and efficient. So unlike what had characterized the Royal Guards of old. Perhaps a new Guard was in the offing? Time would tell. Many things demanded his more immediate attention.

   None more so than the Dark Prophet who had come to kill him.

   Always in motion, Sarin thought and activated his lightsaber.

----------------------------------------------------------
GJW9 Teaser Trailer - WMP-only unfortunately.
___________________________________________
]]> DP Muz Keibatsu Sadow Report http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=R:12070



Report time




So, What have we been doing? Lots of stuff, but since so much of it is involved with the secret GJW stuff, we can't really talk about it. What I can tell you is to watch the news site for fictional update stuff leading up to the war, and that we'll have a nice treat for you around the holidays (not counting the Herald-style Hanukkah stuff i talked about last time). It's been eating up our time pretty good, and we're pretty sure you'll dig it.



As far as the new character sheet stuff, Jac will be taking down the site for a few days next week to upgrade them, and bring over some things from the beta site. So it's a planned outage, not an SQL injector attack. Jac has the site set pretty well defended against that sort of thing. Also, watch for some cool order perks to pop up when the site comes back, in addition to the sweet CS stuff.





Questions!


Kaek asks: There's a lot of confusion about power scale in the DB. Is there a reference to show what the ranks mean in movie terms? Also, what about people that are the same rank?


That's a good question. As far as comparing our ranks to the films, we have a solid reference on our wiki here. Note that this is for the films, so it doesn't really work with the eu stuff, so keep that in mind. As far as people that are the same rank, the way we look at it is first at positioned members. Fictionally, an active member has more access to things that would increase his power than a 'retired' or non-positioned member would. Given equal status as far as position, then we'd look at medals and finally time in as a yardstick. However, rank ultimately decides where that character is... a Pontifex with a crapload more medals than a DA is not stronger than that DA. So yeah, it's complicated. :P


Shadow asks: How do I get custom robes?


You don't. Currently, custom robes are on hold due to a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the amount of time that each item takes. HOWEVER, on excessively rare occassions, there will be a competition, from myself or Shikyo (the herald) which will give away a grant of custom robes to the first place winner in addition to whatever medals are involved. (shameless plug: my Madness competition which is such a robes-winning comp, ends tonight at midnight) These comps are really rare, and if you want in on it, you have to strike when the iron is hot, or sit around until another one comes around. I think there's only been one other comp in the last year.














And that's all for this time. Any questions, or anything i can help with, pm me on IRC or shoot me an email. Have fun!




]]> Site Maintenance this week http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5393
I will be taking down the website for 24-48 hours of maintenance/upgrades this week. I'm copying over some big changes from the dev site and I am 100% positive that there will be errors. Rather than leave the site up so you al can witness the errors while I work, I'm just dropping it for a bit.

This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on what happens at work tomorrow.

Thanks for the patience,
Jac]]> GM LoA Over http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5392
I am officially back to my duties as GM. I appreciate everyone's patience over the last few days in waiting for my response to emails and questions on mIRC. I took a few extra days of leave to enjoy time with my family and it was time well spent.

Whoever stole my office furniture needs to put it back.
]]> SWL Aabsdu di Plagia Dupar Report http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=R:12061


27 November 2008
Headmaster Report #18

Happy Thanksgiving to our American members. I guess it's about time we start hearing Christmas music on the radio and see people put up decorations that they won't take down until February, haha. It's been about a month since my last report, and I apologize for that, though there hasn't been all that much to report on. Why has it been a month? First, school sucks. Second, coding glitches in the SA admin site are still keeping us from creating new courses, so right now there isn't too much big stuff we can release. Either way, we do have some announcements, so read on.





The Zarente Chronicles: Part II

Breathing heavily and wiping the thin perspiration from his brow, Dacien grabbed his saber and turned just as a hovertank fired its missile. It arched towards him and he raised his hand, ready to call the force to his aid. Suddenly, a a black haired female jumped at him from the side, pulling him sideways as the missile blew past them into the street. She jumped up and ran, half pulling him behind her. Tired and willing to try anything to get away from the soldiers, Dacien followed until they reached a waiting airspeeder.

As she motioned to get in, Dacien ignited his saber and held it to her neck, "Answers. Now."

She remained calm, oblivious to the danger, "My name is Sephi Jax. I am forty-five years..."

Sephi was cut short as Dacien tightened his grip on the saber, "I'm on a deadline, don't waste time."

"I'm a member of a group of freedom fighters attempting a coup against the Queen's tyranny. I saw her army chasing you. The enemy of your enemy is your friend, you know?"

"Why does any of this concern me?" Dacien was getting impatient. He needed to finish his job and get back to the Arcanum soon.

"Honestly," she said, "because we are losing the war. If we don't gain an advantage soon we'll be finished by the end of the year."

Dacien considered the proposal for a moment, lightsaber still centimeters from the girl's throat. No doubt the heat was making her sweat, "I tend to follow up on favors."

She grinned at him, "We'll be happy to oblige."




News

--These past two weeks have seen a huge increase in the number of degree requests, and that is awesome, keep it up. Turnaround is slow for them, however, and I apologize for that. I am currently going through the process of catching up on all of the degree requests, I should be caught up this weekend. The reason some take longer is because we have to search for course grades, and I take that opportunity to go ahead and input the rest of your scores into the database.

--Congratulations to Vai Azexel, the new EP of DB Basics, and Vorion, the new EP of Krath CORE! Stay tuned for news on the poetry courses.

--We had a total of nine submissions in the November Journeymen Competition, which is great, so we will definitely start those back up on a monthly basis. As for competitions open to higher ranked members, hopefully the fictional updates will melt into those sometime after the Great Jedi War. As for the November competition:

1st: Kara
2nd: Arador
3rd: Chiron

Others: Krizznakk; Koryn; Mehrunes Dagon; Asani; Lyncoln; Cern Unnos

--Several images were removed from Old Republic History, because it was, quite frankly, cluttered. I also don't think I ever announced that Kalak is the new EP for Old Republic History, and Timbal has taken over History of the Sith Empire III. If I did say that already, then I'm just repeating myself. It's been a busy month.

--I'm fairly certain I made this announcement months ago, but because the change was never made to the site instructions, most people do not know. The rank requirement for requesting a Scroll of Indoctrination for recruitment is Protector, that should be changed shortly. In other words, don't request a scroll until the recruited member reaches the rank of Protector.




Projects

--Like I said above, coding is keeping us from releasing any new courses, or updating EPs for that matter, but it is being taken care of. We have three courses right now ready to be released, so I'll venture to say that after the Great Jedi War, or before it depending on when it happens, will be jam-packed.

--The Dark Vault sub-site, for those of you who ever went there, is now closed. Basically, it was pointless. All of the information linked in that site can be found on the Wiki, which is much easier to edit. The Dark Vault will still exist fictionally, and in fact we will be making a Wiki page for it soon, but in reality there will no longer be a website for it. Closed courses, for those of you who want to see the notes, can be found through the Old Courses link.




Featured Course of the Report

Meh... once we can release it, it will be our new course.




Important Links

--SA Website

--SA Degree Requirements

--SA Forums



Summary

  • Read the fictional updates!
  • Degree requests are being handled as quickly as possible
  • Congrats to EPs Kalak, Timbal, Vai, and Vorion!
  • No more Dark Vault sub-site
  • SoI rank requirement = Protector

Sith Warlord Aabsdu di Plagia Dupar
Headmaster of the Brotherhood
]]> Happy Thanksgiving! http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5391
]]> P:MAA Revisited http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5390
You must be at least a Dark Jedi Knight
Leadership experience is preferred

Please be sure to detail your past experience in the DB and the EH (if you were a member of the EH). You are welcome to discuss your ability to be impartial and judicious but your application should show me these traits - not tell me about them.

I would stress to you that this appointment is not something to take lightly: Praetors often succeed their Dark Councilors when they move on. Do not apply if you only want the position for self-aggrandizement purposes. And consider your feelings carefully: do not delude yourself. This is not an easy job both in terms of workload and the nature of that work. You should be prepared to work very hard, very quickly.

My best advice to those of you applying is to be sincere and honest about everything. Tell me what you think I need to know and show me the quality of your character.

Thank you
Dark Jedi Master Syn Kaek
Master At Arms]]> DJM Syn Kaek Report http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=R:12046
News

The DB-wide Journeyman promotion requirements were released a little over a month ago. If you haven�t seen them, you should. You can find them them here.

They�ve been very slightly modified since I originally posted them and they are currently in version 1.1a

There are two ways you can respond to these requirements and make yourself heard. One is by speaking to your House and Clan leadership and sharing your concerns or comments with them so that they can report to me about systematic problems or, God forbid, praise. The other way is to post on the forum here.

On another note, my exams are fast approaching and response times might be a little slower than they have been. During the actual weeks of exams, I will only be available for DB business on a very limited daily basis. So if you have to wait a day for something, suck it up. Most of you new members seem to take my response time for granted. I should remind you that back in the day it used to take much longer to process requests. Don�t complain because I haven�t processed a crescent or a CF for you within 15 minutes � you�re just going to piss me off.

Policy Updates and Clarifications

Just a few reminders this month: please don�t forget to use the drop down menu when submitting crescents for competitions. Also, when you are submitting competition requests, do not forget to indicate that you have approval from the necessary unit leadership (unless that leader is you).

Please double-check the promotion requirements when you submit a Journeyman promotion. People keep missing one or two requirements and then I have to deny the request. Take an extra minute or two and make sure you�ve included all the necessary requirements in the recommendation. Feel free to add rhetorical flourish if you please just so long as the requirements are included.

Projects

Medal Revision Project: On hold until after my exams.

Super AWOL Check: Will be done after the new CSes are implemented. This will happen sooner rather than later. Be prepared.

Promotion Requirements: Released � updated to version 1.1a

Staff

Sklib has resigned from P:MAA to focus on preparing Taldryan for the Great Jedi War. I�d like to thank Sklib for all his lack of work and abject failure. It was a real displeasure serving with you, Sklibberz.

Applications are not open for P:MAA. Do not ask me about it. If you do, I will automatically disqualify you from ever getting the position. That said, don�t be that asshole who PMs me asking about it in order to get disqualified. Newsflash to those of you who think doing this is clever and original: you�re probably the 50th person in the last 3 years to do it. You�re not clever. You�re not funny. You�re not original. You�re a tool. Thank you.

Ask Kaek

Awwww an Ask Kaek letter from ben. How cute.

Dear Kaek, what foosball team are you supporting and are you going to bet a warbanner like Sarin and Kir?

<3 ben

I love talking about �foosball� as ben refers to it but I have work to do so I figured I�d keep it short.

Dear ben,

First of all, I just wanted to tell you how much of a fan I am of your work. All the SHBing and coding. Pretty EPIC. As to your question, I�ll answer the second part first. I have no intention of betting my non-existent warbanner on any football teams like Sarin and Our Gay Justicar did. I actually think it�s pretty lame. Oh well.

As to my football teams, when it comes to college football I have to be loyal to my schools. First and foremost comes UCLA, my alma mater. Unfortunately we suck this year. Slick Rick is rebuilding the team so hopefully we�ll see some progress in the next few years. I�d like to point out that we still beat Tennessee because Tennessee fails (Chaos� team is UT). In theory, I should also root for Indiana but Indiana sucks even more than UCLA and really � no one cares about IU football. It�s all about basketball. The only other college football team I care about is Alabama for very long and complicated reasons. And Alabama is an overrated #1 right now so things look good.

NFL teams? I don�t care. I love the NFL but I could never become a hardcore fan of any one team. Except maybe slightly kinda the Bears. But the Bears have been mediocre at best so�meh. Hope this answers your question.

Love, Kaek

Closing Remarks/Rant

No rant this month. Nothing pissed me off enough. Kir came close but in the end it�s Kir so�whatever. Who cares about him? :P

Oh and�ok d�Tanas fine. I�ll take you off the restricted list. Send me your fiction crap and we�ll talk about making you official. Pho sucks *waits for obligatory offensive Pho comment*

Dark Jedi Master Syn Kaek
Master At Arms

DJM Syn Kaek (Sith)/MAA-P:SCL/Dark Council [ACC: JUD]
AK/GC-PoTP/SC-SoH/AC-ToSC/DC-GP/SN-BL/Cr-8A-2S-3E-5T-3Q/CF-SF/DSS-BL/SI-AuL/SoL-BE/LS-AgL/S:-9M-3R-1C-2D-3Do-4Dk-1Rm-14P
{SA: MVN}]]> JST Thanksgiving Competition! http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5389
At this time of each year, the Chamber of Justice enjoys a holiday from their usual judicial tasks for some well-deserved relaxation. A specific tradition is played out every year, in which lay members are permitted entrance to the Chamber to present satirical stories. The most entertaining of these members is permitted to join the Justicar for a feast, and awarded for their work.

Write a short story (no more than 500 words) about Justicar Kir Katarn's Thanksgiving day activities. What would the Justicar do on such a day? The funniest entry wins.

This is open to the entire Brotherhood, and the deadline is Friday, November 28th. ]]> KPN Shikyo Sasuke Keibatsu Report http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=R:12032

Wow� It has been a long time since I did one of these things. Alright, let�s start with some news that may appeal to you. First off, I like presents. I like giving them and I like receiving them. With that in mind, I am looking forward to bringing you a Herald Critter Christmas, (if you do not watch South Park, the reference may be lost). What does this mean? 7 days of HRLD-style presents to the DB.

These present can range from anything. You might get new warbanner options one day, new lightsabers, or even a chance at a custom robe. Who knows? This will proceed on a week in December. I�m not sure which, yet but I don�t plan on making people wait until Christmas to get everything.

Finally, I will be going on another 2 week LoA. This time, I will be pretty well disappeared from IRC and Ventrillo. I have exams to focus on, as well as projects for college. Hopefully, I should have everything caught up by then so I�ll be good to go. Enough with this crap, let�s get to the sexiness.



Xan Phraz-Etar Kaeth
Callus Bo�Amar
Shikyo Keibatsu <- My humiliation for losing a football bet with Dakari.
Krandon Rowella
Sidarace Rathden
Rusty Durden
Reiden Karr
Suyo Kenshin

Completed by Robin Hawk:

Ric �Blade� Hunter
Welshman Erinos Tarentae
Sauni Demai
Legorii Kryotek
Anubis Annedu
Robin Hawk
Alaris Jinn
Dathka Zhar-Khon
Koryn Thraagus
Fajhal
Arador

Completed by Faeril:

Cethgus Incendia Zor-El
Eclipse
Rayne
Yadar Shyk
Joseph Skirata
Vai Azexel
Balia Donos



Jonuss Rai Sadow
Xan Phraz-Etar Kaeth

Completed by Raven:

Aticus Jade



So, since my last report, I have started going to class, ended up dropping one, and still managing to balance out everything. However, this is the final stretch for college until next semester and I need to keep my head in the game. So far, my grades are staying strong so I�m excited about that.

Also, I need to mention something right here and now. I pride myself for arguing with Star Trek fans and being able to prove that Star Wars pwnz. Last night, I saw the newest trailer for the new Star Trek movie and I have to admit that I liked it. I may even go to the theaters to watch it. Now, boys and girls, Uncle Shikyo has been fearing this for some time. He was afraid that old age would be upon him. Do not fear, as I will be seeking medical attention to reverse this.

Finally, I want to give my opinion on something. I can�t wait for the new character sheets to come out!

If anyone needs me, please feel free to email me or find me on IRC at #HRLD_office. Stats will be at the end of this paragraph. Peace out my homies!

Robes: 2
Lightsabers: 34
Warbanners: 188
Miscellaneous: 130

-KPN Shikyo Sasuke Keibatsu
Herald of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood
Samurai of the Keibatsu Bloodline]]> Website maintenance and Sarin LoA http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5388
1. I am currently on LoA for the next 72-96 hours. Please don't burn down the house.

2. Next week the website will be undergoing some maintenance. This is your early warning not to be freaked out or worried about mysql injector asshats.

Don't burn down the house or wreck the car while I am gone.
]]> 1st Round of Gaming Tourney ends tomorrow! http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5387
Brackets can be found HERE

Please email results to: djb.gaming@gmail.com

Good luck to everyone!

Signed,

Dante
Tribune: Gaming]]> GM Darth Sarin Report http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=R:12021




Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of the Grand Master Report. This report is going to be my last from the great country of Iraq as I am in the process of transitioning back to the United States. I am going on LoA later this week and will let everyone know when I return home. I plan on taking a few additional days of LoA once I arrive home in order to can spend some needed time with my wife, daughter, and dog.

On to the report!



News





Taldryan Consul=Shadow: Shadow has been appointed the new Consul of Clan Taldryan. Shadow's experience as a member of Clan Taldryan and his recent success as the T:G made him an easy selection for Consul. Congrats and good luck!


Lucien=CSP Consul: DA Phoenix has resigned as the CSP Consul after a year plus of service. Phoenix's work as both a leader and a member of the Dark Brotherhood has been outstanding and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his work in CSP. Luckily, CSP is not going to miss a beat as long time Proconsul Lucien steps into the Consul role. There was really no doubt who would take the reigns as the new CSP bossman and I look forward to seeing Lucien's work as Consul. Congrats Lucien!


Day of the Fox: Muz did his outstanding DGM duties and handled the day of the Fox. Congratulations to those who were awarded with the Seal of Loyalty. This year, like years past, I am adding on to the list.


Muz: For his continued Loyalty to the DB. Muz continues to be the hardest working member in the DB.

Kir: For his work in multiple areas within the Dark Brotherhood. Kir has volunteered his time and efforts in roles that far exceed his duties as JST.

Phoenix: For his work in CSP and as a Dark Council member over the past year.

Anshar: For his continued service to the Dark Brotherhood and his selfless decision to step down as HM and return to Clan Tarentum.

Help Wanted: I need a PHP coder to help prepare my GJW puzzle competition. Last year my event was hackable and several members completed it without actually solving the puzzles. This year I am looking for an actual coder to help me build a PHP page to make sure everyone actually solves the puzzles. Email me if you think you can provide this service. Unfortunately, you will not be able to compete in the event if you help code it.


TFU: GM Competition: Congrats to Vlad, Yadar, Dan Stephens, and Cypha on winning my TFU competitions. You awards should be in the mail.


DB History: I have just passed the latest update of the DB history to the Wiki gang. Hopefully we should see it up on the wiki and codex in the near term.


Character Sheets: Beta Bugs are getting crushed like Mysql injectors and we should be good to go in a short amount of time. I'd like to thank Jac and the testers for their hard work in making this huge addition to our website a possibility.


GJW: It seems like my last report may have spurred a little bit of interest in the GJW. For those of you who did not notice, the last GM report had multiple Easter Eggs hidden throughout, to include a few major changes that will occur following the GJW.


A few updates


1. Kir has assumed the role of Master of Ceremonies and will be handling a lot of the organizational duties and keeping track of all of our status reports. At present he is collecting the planned competition ideas and putting them down on paper. We hope to have this document to the Consuls for an early rules review.


2. Raken is working away on the Plot despite my annoying habit of changing what I want to see happen. Despite my nagging, Raken has drafted a hell of a script and I do believe it is better than his last. Look for a few more fictional updates leading up to the GJW and I think we should all expect to see a few major events in DB fiction occurring once the actual competition does begin.


3. The GJW will be judged by Sarin, Kir, Muz, Raken, Jac, Firefox, Shikyo, Kaek, and Aabs. I am also looking to have Dalthid step out of retirement and help us out on the fictional events. The graders are a collection of individuals who have served in various Clans with Plagueis, Arcona, CNS, Taldryan, and Tarentum having a little bit of representation in the group.


4. I can confirm the following events: Puzzle competitions and code breaking in the exact same format as the last GJW. Weekly fiction. Run-ons. Battle Plans. Multiplayer gaming across all of our platforms. Single Player gaming across a few platforms. ACC. Live Trivia in the DB mIRC Channel.



Awards







Congratulations: Medals: Korvyn on his AC, everyone on the SoLs, and a boatload of people on their Crescents!


Congratulations: Promotions: Vivackus, Ronovi, and Kara on Dark Jedi Knight! Dark Jedi Knight has always been the best promotion!


Raken Quote of the Week:


wmf's- Raken


Real Life




Home sweet home: Maybe a few of you have read the newspapers or the internet and noticed that a few Brigades are coming home early from Iraq. I am happy to say that my Brigade is one of those lucky few. We were originally slated to remain in Baghdad until late January, but the security situation has improved drastically and we are not longer needed. I am very happy to be heading home and look forward to seeing everyone online at my normal United States hours. I also look forward to running into a a few of you and making you buy me free beer. Free beer always tastes better.


I am not going to take a large amount of vacation after I arrive home because my wife is due with our second baby in January. I will take a few weeks of vacation at that time (right in the middle of the GJW, perfect timing!) to spend with my new kiddo.



Final Thoughts




Things are going good: It seems like it has been months since a major problem has happened in the DB. Everything seems to be smooth sailing and I appreciate everyone for their mature behavior. Of course, you are probably waiting for me to come home and then you will blow up the whole place.....

Done!




]]> Another Risen to Greatness... http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/comments.asp?ID=N:5386 Clan Headquarters Facilities
Rabid Fox Mountain Range, Clovis Continent,
Judecca, Cocytus System
Dark Jedi Brotherhood Territories

The old Theta-class shuttle touched down on the landing pad, the favored one for Lucien Kaeth, recently promoted to the pinnacle of Clan power as its� Consul. As he de-boarded the spacecraft, he glanced back at it in distaste. He made a mental note to ensure that he only used the newest shuttles from now on, and he had no clue how he got assigned the creaky old shuttle in the first place. If he didn�t need to leave in such a rush, he would have refused to ride in it. Rank hath some privileges, he thought sourly to himself.

As he walked on, he got the sudden danger sense, and dropped to the floor, his lightsabre out in a blur and in a defensive position.

It served him well, as various bits of shrapnel from the exploding shuttle impacted the blade instead of his own flesh. The bean counter part of his brain lamented the loss of thousands of credits in shuttle and droid pilot that would have to be replaced by the Clan coffers.

He immediately put that out of his mind, though. He looked around for the threat, any threat, both visually and through the Force.

He found it, not twenty meters away.

The blue lightsabre blade of his enemy scored through the belching smoke of the transport, giving some clue to the identity of the attacker, but between the swirls of smoke he saw the face of the combat suit wearing enemy he faced.

The Exarch snarled at the intruder, �So, your true feelings have surfaced. You think you can take the Clan back by force, but will defeat you because your time is over. It is my time, not yours!�

His anger was almost physical, but that did not deter the intruder. �What do you know of what this Clan needs or wants? In the long view, you are but a mere youngling usurper of power in this Clan,� he replied back, oddly cool and collected to the anger shown by the Consul.

�That is immaterial. I am new blood, what this Clan needs. Now, I�ll need to cleanse this Clan of your treachery.�

�You�ll find that it�ll be harder than you will have thought possible. In any case, you are the one committing a crime here, one that must be corrected.�

With that, Lucien felt the Force presence of ten other high-ranking members of the Clan flare into life around him, with one in particular. He sensed the Force presence of the deposed Consul, and he glared at his original attacker. He just said softly, �Timbal, you bastard, you side with a half-crazed monster�.�

With that, the Exarch dashed forward, anger contorting his face. His lightsabre blade met the Epis� blade, but that was only one of a few that landed.

The others were not far behind, the Equites engaging the Consul. His anger was making him powerful, but such power had a price. He was being worn down, he knew, which gave him hope. He knew that they were deliberately not taking strikes that would injury him greatly, maim, or otherwise kill him. He was under no such compunctions, but the sheer amount of combatants forced him to fight a mainly defensive battle, leaving precious little time to divert to offensive maneuvers.

Still, the people that faced him shocked him. Such Clan stalwarts such as RevengeX, Rhaub, Impetus, even Masters Natth a�Niel and the legendary Arania. However, the higher ranking members stayed put, allowing the lower ranking members to have a field day against the Consul.

Lucien won a few minor victories, a cut here, a slash there, but nothing permanent or causing them to fall back. They in turn took such light damage in stride, their faces impassive, emotions neutral. Against such opponents, even with his superb physical conditioning, he knew he was being worn down, and they knew it too.

Finally, he was ragged, and they stepped back several paces. �That�s right,� Lucien taunted, breathing heavily, �Step back, traitors all of you!�

Phoenix d�Tana Palpatine stepped forward, a maniacal glint in his eye. �Careful, Kaeth. Someone might take offense to that charge. After all, you are the one that has committed a crime, one that must be corrected.� With that, he lifted his hands, and with that same glee, the legendary Dark Jedi power of an electrical strike came forth.

Lucien lifted his lightsabre just in time, blocking it, but from his other side, Master Natth a�Niel followed suit, dropping the Consul to the floor, argent agony all over him.

They gave him no respite, but just as he was losing sight, the assault stopped.

Uncomprehending, he spit out the blood from his mouth that occurred when he accidentally chomped on his own tongue in pain. �Do it, DO IT! All of you go to hell!�

He heard Duda�s ghostly voice. �Defiance in the face of certain doom. Yes, he�ll do indeed.�

Lucien had trouble focusing, but he felt someone come close. He tried to punch the interloper away, his lightsabre long since lost from his hand. His weak attempt was brushed aside, and he felt his body being picked up, and the distinctive smell of bacta was in the air. He also heard the distant whine of a repulsorlift vehicle, coming closer. Finally he heard the rough, no-nonsense voice of Pontifex Cuchulain Darkblade Palpatine.

�Exarch Lucien Kaeth, the Palpatines of the Clan welcome your combat prowess, your tenacity, your intellect, and your fierce spirit. The Dragon that is Scholae Palatinae respects and honors this, and we respect and honor you now.

The crime of which you were accused of is actually our doing. You see, you have proven yourself worthy, and now we formally and forever throw away that accusation. You have been redeemed by your actions, and now the blood that has been spilled on your part and ours will forever mix together in our family.

Welcome, Brother Lucien Kaeth. We hereby commission and honor you with the most sacred trust that we could give anyone within the Clan. Welcome, Brother Lucien Kaeth Palpatine��


]]>