Grand Masters Royal Guard Edition


Ma'ar paced in front of the recruits. Cut from the best cloth that the Brotherhood had to offer, they were a mixture of new faces, some hard from war, some stiff fresh from the Academy. He had Taigikori pull them from those who showed distinct promise, and from Korras' Obelisk trainers. They were a mottled crew, even in their new brightly colored uniforms.

He stopped in front of one of the troopers, noting a smile creasing the corner of his eyes. 

Trooper, why are you smiling?

Sir, I am merely proud to be wearing the uniform, sir.

The Kaleesh sneered beneath his mask. Some of them wouldn't learn. The bright and almost nauseating training uniforms were a throwback to the old days, before the Empire fell. They were supposed to encourage them to earn the more protective and all-around better looking uniforms of the next echelon.

Ma'ar moved with preternatural speed, his hands smoothly wrapping around the recruit's head as he kicked him in the stomach, knocking the trooper out of his own helmet, sending him crashing into the far wall.

Be proud after you have done something to be proud of.


Entrance to the Prestigious Grand Masters Royal Guard
As you can already figure out, the Grand Masters Royal Guard has been re-opened. Just to enter the Guard, you are required to take the Shadow Academy Exam. Once the exam has been graded you are in the Royal Guard. As a standing rule, I am looking for answers that are not copy - paste. If I see answers that are of this fashion, I will instantly deny the exam, and will let the Headmaster know of the infraction. My only exception to this is if the answer might be a one word answer but then you can always add to the wording of the answer. I will be grading exams on a daily basis so please, do not flood my email or pm`s asking if I will get that done for you. Its rude, and Im well known to make you wait a day or so.
Now the details are listed below. This society is purely based on your activity. The one limitation is you are only allowed to level one time each month and likewise if your activity falls below what is required for that rank on the next month you may also be in jepeordy of losing that rank, there is also points within the Echelon`s where you are at a safe point and will not drop any further nor can you be kicked out of the system at anytime. As you can see below that this is also based on Clusters of Fire. Custom items will be opened when you receive each rank, what those will be I will announce at a later time. As most will be seeing, the previous ranking`s of the past Grand Masters Royal Guard, has been reset. So everyone will be required to take the exam for entrance.

Echelons

First Echelon - Many enter, but few display the skills to survive the Squall of Training of the Royal Guard.

I = Requirement: Pass the GMRG indoctrination course
II = Requirement: Attain 20 CFs in a month
III = Requirement: Attain 30 CFs in a month

Second Echelon - Having shown some skill and loyalty,these Guardsmen are trusted with more specialized training and may be used as escorts for a Magistrate.

IV = Requirement: Attain 60 CFs in a month
V = Requirement: Attain 90 CFs in a month
VI = Requirement: Attain 120 CFs in a month

Third Echelon - Exceptional abilities separate these Guardsmen from the rest. Their distinction and service is seen with the presence of Praetors or even Dark Councilors.

VII = Requirement: Attain 150 CFs in a month
VIII = Requirement: Attain 180 CFs in a month
IX = Requirement: Attain 210 CFs in a month

Fourth Echelon - Paragons of skill, dedication, and effort is seen in these Guardsmen's every movement. It is these exemplary warriors that are trusted to guard the Dark Lord himself.

X = Requirement: Attain 250 CFs in a month
XI = Requirement: Attain 300 CFs in a month
XII = Requirement: Attain 350 CFs in a month


Congrats goes out to Muz, and the staff he put together to get this rolling and done so fast!

SBL Ma`ar-Tyrius Ga-Tir
The Fist to the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and Commander of the Guard

Hello all,

To add to our extreme collection of courses already offered, GMRG History is now available through the Docent Halls. The exam questions still need to be tweaked, so don't take the course until I update this news post. All exams taken until then will be deleted. Enjoy!

**Exam is now ready to be taken!

His Excellency,
Taigikori Aybara Dupar
Headmaster of the Brotherhood

Hello, everyone. This marks the beginning of my monthly reports. Here's how it's going to work: While I will submit an official Quaestor report each month, every week I will be sending out updates regarding competitions, vendetta prepping, battle team reminders, run-on reminders, etcetera. So, here we go.

Activity

With the new school year starting and people being inundated with work whether from their education or their jobs, schedules are changing for members of Tarentum. However, our activity levels look rather grim. Aedile Scion Altera has put together an excellent activity website and a great report sent out a week or so back documenting activity - what we need is you guys to give us stuff to put on it. We can't be a great house and attempt to become an awesome clan again if we don't actually put some effort into what we do. So here I will put a brief summary of our activity in terms of competitions, projects, and battle teams.

Competition Activity

While our competition levels in gaming have been decent, our levels in writing are not. I just read Halcyon's Voice report and did not see a single submission by a Tarenti to any of his fiction competitions. Of course, with that comes the acknowledgment that I too did not participate. That, I believe, is a mistake on my part. I am obligated to lead by example, and so I shall from now on. That being said, we have plenty of competitions for you to do. Check out Halcyon's competitions and our house-specific competition, "Eden's 11," which ends on September 8th:

http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5232

This is the first of our weekly writing exercises while we prepare for "Disorder," which is a vendetta that will begin October 1st. So we strongly, strongly encourage you to participate. Please send all fictional submissions to Scion.

Projects

While the official competition for "The King and the Gods" ended on September 2nd, the run-on is still open for posting. There's no denying I want to finish the storyline, and I'm fairly disappointed in the outcome of it. Again, I am at least partially to blame - perhaps the storyline was too complicated and/or too exclusive, two things I was attempting to avoid. Therefore, those of you who wish to help me finish the run-on, please e-mail me or post a comment in the RO discussion thread on the forums. The link, as always, is below:

http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6094

In the meantime, I will be redirecting our attention to smaller run-ons and storylines, perhaps focused more on our sub-units. It seems that as a unit, we just can't grind out the epic run-ons like we used to, so we're going to go down to a smaller scale and work up. This is where the battle teams come in.

Battle Teams

Those of you who are not in battle teams - I highly suggest you join one. You have four to choose from: Rite of Sin, the Reckoners, Reinthaler, and Spectre. They are run by Bloodfyre, Dralin, Levathan, and Severon respectively.

BTLs - I want reports from you, sent out to your teams and CCed to me. Severon just released a Spectre report, and I want the rest of you to do the same. Those of you already in battle teams and have not heard from your BTLs, I apologize for that. There is a possibility that should a certain BTL fail to show activity and full commitment to his team regardless of activity levels within the next week, his battle team will be closed.

Anything else?

The truth of the matter, Tarentum, is that I don't have much to report on. While there are consistent updates from DC leaders that you can read on the main DB website, and plenty of competitions you can participate in that you can find on the competitions page - I'm not getting much from the house. I don't know if it's exhaustion, creative ennui, or just the fact that real life is getting in the way. But I do want Tarentum to thrive.

This unit cannot live without its members. Scion and I are relying on you to bring us back to our former glory. Our renown and drive to write great fiction and perform admirably in gaming and the ACC can't afford to wane, and we need to avoid stagnation. This is something I have fought before, as a Quaestor of House Cestus when it was pretty much dead; I can fight it on a larger scale as well.

If you feel at all that you need to consult me and Scion on anything regarding the house, you know our e-mails. I just don't want you guys to lose faith. This is a difficult climb, but we can scale the metaphorical mountain. We can achieve greatness again. We can breathe a bit more life into this house and into this club as a whole. I just hope you're as willing to put in the effort as I am.

Until next time, Tarentum.

Jusadih System

Sigil 2

Vongformed Jungle



The metallic legs of the walkers thudded almost rhythmically as they spread through the gap in the yorik spires, their pilots scanning left and right to survey the area. Versatile and small, the AT-STs were one of the few vehicles reliable anywhere in the jungle. As something heavy stirred in the bushes, a volley burst forth from one of the AT-ST's cannons, sending freakish birds and reptiles into the air in a panicked rush. Three platoons of black-armored soldiers dropped into formation instantly, raising their rifles and aiming at the mottled leaves that smoldered with a black, sap-thick fire.



"You there, Vorst," the Leiutenant said, motioning to the corpse, "Check it out."



Nodding and without complaint, the trooper obliged. Advancing slowly, he brushed back the bluish fauna and glanced at the corpse. Its side was obliterated, one of its two legs laying a few feet away, but it was identifiable nonetheless. "Confirmed kill. One of those Umrach things." Looking deeper into the bushes, at the razor-tipped mouth tentacles and the robed legs sticking out of them, the man stopped to look at the scenery behind the other bushes. It wasn't a pretty sight.



Dead troopers, some of them ripped or slashed in half, others stabbed or burnt with acid, covered the ground. Surrounding them were the bodies of reptilian chazrach, as well as other humanoids of all species. Dressed in clothing that was all spine and membrane, they all stood out for one feature; there was a sharp barb of surge coral in every forehead. The troopers far outnumbered the thralls and chazrach, showing who had been the victor. The battle had been over for hours, judging by the insects all over the bodies.



"Sir," Vorst said, reaching into the slimy mouth of the Umrach and pulling free a mucous-coated lightsaber, "We've got a situation here. You'd better alert Command."







News



Feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, on the prelude to our Reboot event! That's right, it'll involve our very own Vong Jungle, left behind when the Yuuzhan Vong so kindly burnt Sigil 2's surface to lava and ash in the Eighth Great Jedi War! It's a place full of life but devoid of the Force, except where the faintest remains of bases or cities can be found. It's a place that was wild, feral, and ours alone to explore and inhabit... or so we thought.



Well, ladies and gentlemen, what a showing for the first month after the Reform. No fewer than 23 people have contacted us with their Branch choices! That's a hell of a start, but there are many more to go! If you have yet to choose a Branch for House Plagueis' Military Merit System, email me with your choices ASAP! It won't be long until the Reboot Event is complete, at which time any who haven't chosen will be auto-sorted at random into the four Branches. You'll be able to switch in the future, but nevertheless, we need to get everyone into the system!



Awards, awards, awards! In total, we've had rewards in the form of Scrolls, Crescents, Clusters of Fire, and Merit Medals. Altogether, they come to a total of 116 Awards! Compared to months before, even July, that rips apart past activity records! Way to go, Plagueis, I'm proud to call myself your Quaestor! Also, I'd like to congratulate those ladies and gentlemen dominating the Voice competitions time and again! The Ascendant House showed a strong performance on the playing field by placing in four out of five competitions! Excellent work on the fictional front!



It saddens me to say that my competitions didn't have the best turnouts. That said, while I didn't recieve more than one or two fiction submissions, the work done elsewhere in and out of House more than makes up for it. From wiki articles and graphics to event creation and competition hosting, you've all shown me that there are some definite powerhouses of activity within our House! I can't wait to see what you all do when you start fighting at full capacity!



In other news, I must regret the retirement of a steadfast face. Battlemaster Vivackus Kavon has decided to put more time into the duties of the Combat Master and the Intelligence Directorate, and is stepping down from the post of Aedile! With the seat of Lieutenant Supreme Commander of the Regime and Aedile of House Plagueis now open, it's only a matter of time before some eager newcomer takes the stage. More on that in a later section of the report. May the battle between you all be close, heated, and bloody!







General Competitions



Hosted by the Voice of the Brotherhood:

[Voice] Create an Order: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5235

[Voice] Defining an Order: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5236

[Voice] Load the Can(n)ons #2: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5237

[Voice] Report Lyrics: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=4978



Hosted by the Fist of the Brotherhood:

[Gaming] Take Down the Station [EaW]: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5216

End of Year Gaming Awards: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5118



House Plagueis Competitions:

JO and BF Massacre: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5215



DJB-Wide Competitions:

[[DJBWiki]] But wait, there's more!: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=5234

#Tarentum Trivia: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=4761







Future Plans



During September, probably spanning over three weeks, we will have the infamous Reboot Event! It will be a hectic series of competitions and events that kicks the Military Merit System back into action! First we shall see Merit Points set back to zero, followed by a calculation of all rewards and exams since my reign began. These points will be added to the Points of the members that earned them, followed by competitions worthy of points beyond imagining! Medal points will be multiplied. Participation will be rewarded with points. There may even be a side job or two worth a couple of points during the event. Rest assured, people, this Reboot will only happen once! When we have everyone sorted and assigned in the aftermath of the Reboot, we'll be ready to smash some heads in during the Rite of Supremacy in October.



Following the Reboot is the Great Plagueian Wiki Repair. This will be a long-term project, during which Plagueis articles will all be resorted, added to, adjusted, and updated to fit the highest standards. From the smallest, weakest speeder in our Order of Battle to our House page itself, we'll be bringing the Plagueian area of the Wiki to a level it's never been at before. It'll be a great time to get your name out there, contribute to the whole, and maybe even score some juicy medals for yourselves.



After the Rite of Supremacy, we'll be cracking open the eggshell on the Foxtrot Uniform Training System. This will be our new Master/Student Program, based off of what I'd begun with the Rule of Two Program before Clan Plagueis was made into House Plagueis. We will turn what has long been a disparate setup of vague education into a solid and united body of Masters, presiding over Students and Prospective Students with the care of an artisan craftsman. This will allow us to increase member skills, develop solid bonds of unity, and even host fun Master-Student events and competitions.







Joining the Army this month, we have:



DJK Du'moth

OT Koga Kage

OP Yzarc Rellik Kaeth di Plagia

DJK Ralph Vundu

PRT Furios

SW Sarak Shai

DJK Kodais Solatus

ACO Navrez



Welcome to the Jusadih Armed Forces, guys!



Obelisk Templar Koga Kage ran the competition What Are You Made Of? While its participants were underwhelming in number, it's good to see some devotion to the House from the ranks. Keep up the good work, Kage!



My competition for the Army Branch, [Army] Belly of the Beast, only recieved one entry. That said, congratulations should go to Sith Warrior Sarak Shai for his superb piece of writing! Also, he should be commended for earning a Dark Cross for his work on the Reboot Event! Turns out even a Vong can be great in the DJB, exceptional effort, Sarak!



Obelisk Prelate Yzarc Rellik Kaeth di Plagia has been hard at work on our Ground Forces reorganization! Getting our troopers and equipment sorted into working units is a tricky job, but if you want to lend the blue-armored ex-Mandalorian of Plagueis a hand, just shoot him an email and CC me. Excellent initiative! Precisely what I expect of a di Plagia, Zarc!



Guardian Furios has been hard at work this month. Designing a helmet for Yzarc and helping out his shadowy allies at the Intelligence Directorate, he has also engaged myself in a heated ACC battle. Added to this are his 20 Clusters of Fire, more than anyone else so far for the month, one Crescent each with Emerald and Amethyst stars, and a Dark Cross. During that time, he earned a Promotion to Guardian. Superb performance, Furios!







Joining the Navy this month, we have:



JH Tiberius di Cloud

DJK Maol Nor Lexu

KAP Kaira Rohana

OE Alaris Jinn di Plagia

ACO Raith Grak



Welcome to the Jusadih Fleet, ladies and gents!



My Navy competition, [Navy] Boarding Action, recieved a couple of entries. Both participants will be receiving rewards very soon!



One of these, Jedi Hunter Tiberius di Cloud, has stepped up to the plate this month. In addition to placing in Boarding Action, he should be congratulated for earning a Dark Cross! Good work, Tibs!



Protector Imichua will also be receiving a Crescent for his submission. He's also earned fifteen Clusters of Fire and a Crescent with Sapphire Star. He ran the competition Director of your Favorite Star Wars scene and is currently running the competition JO and BF Massacre, so get out there and keep him busy by gaming. Great work, Imichua!



Krath Archpriestess Kaira Rohana continues to be active even when strained for time. She has earned 13 Clusters of Fire and three Crescents, Emerald, Sapphire, and Amethyst stars respectively. Added to her work as RM, she's a busy bee as ever. Thanks for all the effort, Kaira!



Dark Jedi Knight Maol Nor Lexu has shown his face to the DJB at large by earning two Crescents with Amethyst Star. Also, he is hard at work designing graphics for a new base to be located on Morroth. Keep up the hard work, Lexu!







Joining the Directorate this month, we have:



JH Unus Domus

OPM Denath Ciarus

DJK Jendan Morgana

PRT Visius

SW Cassandra El'sin

DJK Mograine

DJK Voden Arjin

KPN Alex D'Tana

SBM Vivackus Kavon di Plagia



Welcome to the Jusadih Intelligence Directorate, ladies and gentlemen.



My competition for the Directorate, [Intel] Blown Cover, recieved only a single entry. Still, good work to the participant!



Jedi Hunter Unus Domus, my student, has stepped up in a huge way. He has taken on the task of overseeing and coordinating the redesign of the Intel Branch as a whole. Aside from this, he has earned a Dark Cross for his Wiki work and has earned 16 Clusters of Fire. Good work, my young apprentice!



Dark Jedi Knight Voden Arjin has just transferred into Plagueis, and already has been hard at work. For putting together the Codename: Stygium wiki article, he has earned himself a Dark Cross. He has also managed to earn a Dark Side Scroll and continues to work within the Intel Branch. Excellent work, Voden!



Protector Visius has recently come to Plagueis from the Rogues. In that time, he has completed four Shadow Academy exams and has earned a promotion to the rank of Protector. Keep up the good work!



Sith Warrior Cassandra El'sin has shown the DJB what Plagueis can do by taking First Place in a Voice competition! Congratulations on the Crescent with Ruby Star! Way to dominate the playing field, Cassie!



Dark Jedi Knight Mograine has been hard at work. He has earned 4 Clusters of Fire and a Crescent with Topaz Star. He was the one participant in Blown Cover and will recieve a crescent for it. In addition, he has undertaken a huge task of his own free will and is currently outlining and designing the layout for the redesigned Intel Branch. Great initiative, Mog!



Dark Jedi Knight Jendan Morgana has earned 2 Clusters of Fire and 2 Scrolls of Foundation. In addition, she has earned the Milestone rank of Dark Jedi Knight! Good job, Morgana!







Joining the Corps this month, we have:



DJK Octavia Kuga

SW Vexer Thrace

SW Dismal Visutor

SWL Vessicant



Welcome to the Jusadih Starfighter Corps, guys and girls.



My Corps competition, [Corps] Grip of the Interdictor, only recieved one submission. Still, it was a wild read, and our Warlord participant will recieve a Crescent.



Sith Warlord Vessicant steps from the shadows to give us a thrill ride in the lone submission to Grip of the Interdictor, thus reminding us that it's always the quiet ones you have to watch. Excellent effort, Vessicant.



Dark Jedi Knight Octavia Kuga has taken on the job of redesigning the Firefox-class Fighter Carrier Perdition for use as a mobile HQ for the Corps. Great initiative Tavi!



Sith Warrior Dismal Visutor has asked to help out with our Dominion. As such, he's been tasked with doing some work to revamp and redesign the planet Nintura. Way to step up, Dis!







Aedile Applications



Our Aedile, Vivackus Kavon di Plagia, has stepped down from his post to pursue the duties of Combat Master. As such, the right-hand spot next to my Throne is empty, and that simply will not do. Anyone interested in being Aedile of the House of Ascendancy and Lieutenant Supreme Commander of the Jusadih Military Regime, send in an application.



Requirements:

- Rank of DJK or higher.

- 24 Hour email turn-around time, 48 Hour email turn-around time under strain.

- Regular Presence on IRC.

- Willingness to work hard and accept varied projects.

- Decisive and forward-thinking attitude.



I want to let everyone know that this is open to the entire DJB. If my new AED's a Plagueian already, that's cool, but if not, I hope to see some new blood bringing new ideas and innovations. Let it be known, I'm demanding of my Aediles and expect them to work diligently on all tasks. If you can do that, you'll do well.







Special Mention



I think it's vital to mention the importance of Communication. It's what drives us and keeps us going as a club. It's how we develop bonds of friendship, learn and grow, and succeed. So, in the spirit of Communication, reach out to your fellow Plagueians and DJB members. Make an effort to become friends with people both inside and outside of the House. Direct new people to IRC and help them when they're in trouble, and if you're new, ask for help. It's essential, it's what makes this place great, and best of all, it's easy.







Food for Thought



"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

-John F. Kennedy.







Conclusion



Good work, everyone! Let's try for even more medals and better achievements in the month of September! Look forward to the Reboot Event, and prepare your sabers and other weapons for the Rite of Supremacy in October! We have members in all of our Branches and we have activity and success across the board. Let's keep it coming, people! Let's live up to our motto and really show this club what House Plagueis can do!



Adapt! Ascend! Avail!