And Panda. Howie has not been on my staff that long, but has had a big impact nonetheless. He has rewritten, updated, and added a lot of policies I had simply taken for granted, and forced me to take a good look at those again, quite persistently. And those documents needed updating. He also has processed a heavy amount of medals (in case you haven’t noticed: Howie loves medals. But not as much as he loves Panda’s.). he has also kept me on track these past few months. So, him also, I’d like to thank with an Amethyst Kukri.

Darth Aeternus, 2013-09-22 01:20:53 UTC

When I first helped Shadow write up the proposal for the new Character System, I really didn't have an good idea of just how much raw time it would take to implement, but the immense amount of work needed became quickly apparent. Luckily for me, I've had an excellent team, and foremost among that team has been Wally, effectively my second in command. Wally has been a constant fixture on the Character System team. From the very beginning - even before I actually took over as CM - Wally was present and willing to help. He was admittedly skeptical at first, but he embraced the system quickly, and began to contribute almost instantly. From the middle of April onward, Wally has been tirelessly working by my side on the project. His work has included, but has not been limited to, writing the majority of Skill Descriptions, constant project feedback, constant feedback on how things would influence the ACC, generating Feats, names, Aspects, and is almost completely responsible for the entire Discipline writeups and Discipline Feats. In the last week alone, I suspect he has put in 20 hours of work (along with a few others), and he has been working on this project tirelessly for the last 3 months. I don't want to even guess at the number of hours he has put in, because it is easily in the hundreds. There were nights where Wally would apologize to me because he could only spend an hour on the project, as if the work he had already done wasn't already so significant and so impressive that I couldn't have gotten to that point without him. There is not a single member of this team that has basically been on the team since the start and contributed at a level of constant activity other than Wally.

Without his tireless devotion to the project and constant feedback and amazing work ethic, I really don't think this project could have been completed in the time it was. Wally more than deserves an Amethyst Kukri for his efforts!

~Mav Combat Master

---

The Dark Brotherhood Character Sheet project was an enormous undertaking that involved months of planning, hard work, and dedication. Several members contributed to the success of the project by contributing to smaller projects, but only a few influenced and guided the entire project. One of those members is Marick "Wally" Arconae.

Wally's love for the ACC and our Character sheets was evident from the start of the project and was displayed in his tremendous effort to see this project succeed. He immersed himself in the FATE RPG system, Star Wars RPG systems, and the Dark Brotherhood's historical character sheets in an effort to help design a system that is not only better than anything we have ever had, but also synchronized with our future ACC development.

Wally edited and created thousands of individual entries for Force Powers, Feats, Skills, Character Attributes, and Disciplines. He worked insane hours staying up til 5 AM night after night to ensure that the project was on time and to standard. Additionally, Wally hand crafted the user guides and templates to help our members understand how to use the systems he was creating

It is not often that our members can attach their names to DJB wide projects that impact the entire club, but this is one that Wally can proudly declare as his. He has made our organization a better place and he has done so without expectation of reward or recognition. The Amethyst Kukri is the least we can do for him. Congrats Wally!

GM Sarin

---

Many will tell you of Marick's work over several years as Proconsul of Arcona. Many more will tell you of his recent transition to Consul and his work there thus far. More still will tell of his months of work on the new Character Sheet system and upcoming Antei Combat Center revamp. I will leave all those things for the others to note and laud.

What I would like to focus on, what I feel is most relevant to Marick's success in the club, is his Attitude.

Attitude is everything. It is a key fundamental of not only leaders, but those who follow them as well. Marick, whether leading or following, has maintained an outstanding attitude in all he does and with all whom he deals. This quality, this essential trait, is what has most impressed me about Marick and what has most encouraged me as to the future of this club.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with Marick across a number of ideas, projects, events, and concerns. Always, always with me he has been calm, cool, collected and professional. Exactly what one would expect from a leader in the club. Exactly what I would expect from someone receiving this award.

Marick, thank you for everything you do and continue to do on behalf of everyone in the club.

-Raken, Deputy Grand Master

---

One of the things that I worked hard to instill in those units who wanted to reclan was their ability to help the brotherhood at large, to turn their focus outside their own walls. This was an important differentiating factor in my mind, the shift from being self-absorbed to being concerned for the brotherhood beyond just a measure of self preservation.

One of those people I talked to during this situation was one new quaestor named Marick. He apparently took it to heart, embracing massive undertakings as he rose through the ranks. He broke bread with leaders of struggling units, trying to offer insight that could help them. He extended his help in trying to host events to increase activity across the club. He personally dove deep into the new character sheets and the new Antei Combat Center.

This is enough for him to warrant an award. For him to have done these things through the storm of acting as consul and holding together a clan that has been crushing almost all competition in vendettas is much more than that. I could say so much more, but such platitudes would only be glossed over by a man who has so much more to do, so much more to offer the club, that he would not care about what was written about him. So I will be brief. Give this man an amethyst kukri. Thank you, Wally. I'm looking forward to promoting you.

~Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Grand Master Declan Roark, 2013-09-14 04:32:48 UTC

For his outstanding work and dedication in support of both the JST and CM staffs. Thanks for all you have done.

GM Pravus.

Right Hand of Justice, Left Hand of Justice, Right Hand of Justice (the order in which came first can be a bit confusing to some). Alaris Jinn has held nearly every position within the Chamber, with the exception of Justicar. Don't let that fool you however, as the man is my de facto Deputy Justicar, and closest counsel on all matters Chamber related. He continues to hold the record for most cases tried as a Hand, a feat that is impressive on it's own. What amazes me is Alaris' ability to transition so smoothly from the defense, to the prosecution without a single hiccup in functionality or work performance. He has been instrumental in talks regarding upcoming Covenant amendments and Chamber policies, and is always at the forefront of every case investigation. His arguments are clear and informative when pushing through the trial process, of which he has mastered in his several terms on the Chamber of Justice. Without a doubt, he is the most experienced Hand of Justice we will ever see, and I have been downright lucky to have such a member devoted to the process of justice we follow in the club. For his astounding work and dedication, I am extremely honored to recommend Alaris this AK. Congratulations!

~Taigikori Aybara;Justicar of the Brotherhood

---

Alaris has been instrumental to the Character Sheet system since he joined the team several months ago. He immediately began work, picking up and filling out several skills, before even being assigned a particular project. He took quickly to the idea of writing a Guide, and his framework was used for the more complete guide my staff is getting ready for release. His most active and meaningful work, however, occurred in the weeks preceding the beta release of the system. He spent many nights until 3 am or later working on various aspects of the system. He wrote up dozens of Skill and Feat descriptions. When I made it clear I needed some help filling in some of the Force Power progressions, Alaris waded in and helped finish them off, probably accounting for a quarter of them in that area alone. His effort has been instrumental to the release of this system, and he has been a key part of half a dozen smaller scale projects within the larger system. He absolutely deserves this AK for all of his hard work and effort!

~Mav Combat Master

Grand Master Declan Roark, 2013-09-14 04:31:27 UTC

The ACC and Character Sheet projects have been a tremendous undertaking for the Dark Brotherhood. Our members are emotionally invested in how these systems work and managing those expectations while delivering a product is a Herculean task. Over the past three years we have planned consistently to make changes, but those plans have often resulted in failed efforts. In early 2013, Telaris "Mav" Cantor assumed the reigns as Combat Master and succeeded in not only organizing a cohesive effort, but also developing a cohesive team from many divergent personalities. Mav's leadership led a streamlined effort and succeeded in not only developing a AAA product with our character sheets, but also a team effort that brought in the vision of many of our club's key leaders.

I am 100% positive that the character sheet release and upcoming ACC release succeeded because Mav was at the help. His work ethic, drive, and ability to run a team were instrumental in approving our club. The AK and our appreciation are the least we can do for him.

Darth Pravus.

)))(((

Telaris "Mav" Cantor is in rare company in the Dark Brotherhood. Not because he is one of the few to hold the club's highest Elder rank. Not because he is one of the few to possess virtually every award the club has to offer. And not because he has been in the club for nearly two decades.

Mav is in rare company for a more important reason: He is one of the very few members we have who will promise to do something, do it, and do it well.

Many months ago Mav promised Muz and I he would take over on the character sheet redesign and deliver to us a product that would be both better suited to the Antei Combat Center's renewed focus on writing and more accessible to our members. Managing his staff and working diligently, he has done just that.

As a member I am really enjoying my time with the new sheets. As a club administrator, I am really enjoying getting to deliver this kind of product to our members.

As a token of our appreciation, please accept this award on behalf of a grateful Brotherhood.

-Raken, Deputy Grand Master

)))(((

Mav is a dirty Taldryan. Or at least, he's supposed to be. I won't lie and say that when I first heard that he was going to be Combat Master, I was not exactly enthused. Who was this random old dude who was just coming in? The stigma only lasted a day, I think.

The second I started talking to Mav, I could tell he was different. Having worked closely (very close..I mean, nope, no, nothing happened honest!) with Mav for the last few months on the CS project, I've come to know him not just as a leader and member of the DB, but as a person. As a person he is one of the most rational people I have ever had a conversation with. He doesn't let anything fluster him. If he doesn't get his way, he doesn't threaten to quit or leave. Even when he is upset about something, he keeps it to himself and still goes about doing his work. He is also the only person I've argued with that somehow manages to prove me wrong without belittling me. This might seem minor, but it's a rare skill-set to be able to politely correct someone when they see something differently than you. And that is just the heart of who Mav is. He not only tries to find the middle ground by seeing things from multiple angels, but he succeeds in doing so. For the life of me, I can't even get mad at him if I try!

People rarely see the work that goes on behind the scenes. We say this a lot, but really I doubt anyone but the Character Sheet team really understands how much work went into the new system. Mav was at the head of all of it, taking over for Shad without skipping a beat. This included overseeing the various tasks that needed to get done- keeping the team on task, giving us direction, and constantly brainstorming ideas and coming up with solutions to existing issues. Anytime we hit a snag, he'd encourage us to think outside the box, to work together, and to get things done. This is the mark of true leadership, and it's this positive attitude that trickles down to everyone who works with him.

If the Brotherhood had more people like Mav, we'd be in a better place. It's been an honor getting to work with him on the Character Sheets, and while they have now launched, there is still work to be done. Mav is at the head of this project, and has guided it in a way that I don't think anyone else could have. He is patient, listens to others, and uses that to ultimately create something that will work for everyone.

He's simply in a league of his own. They don't make them like they make Mav. You've earned this award and probably more, brother. You deserve the world :).

-W

)))(((

Telaris Taldrya Cantor (or the Most Mavviest of Kins if you prefer) is quite something. I will not bore you with talk about Mav’s Dark Brotherhood accomplishments over the past decade and a half – this is about his most recent project - the new character sheet system. I will not lie; I did not use the old character sheet system very much. To me, it seemed too focused on the Antei Combat Centre – which is not my bag (what am I, Krath?) – and it did not hold my interest. The new one is different, it allows for better fleshing out of Dark Brotherhood characters for most aspects of activity (fiction entries, run-ons, maybe other things in the future?)– and it allows (from my perspective at least) far more customization and some desperately needed humour to the whole affair. Without Mav’s contributions, however, none of this would have happened.

Mav’s coordination of staff members and his own individual contributions and efforts towards the new character sheet system (along with James and Arion’s new site) has certainly changed the Dark Brotherhood for the better – and almost certainly will propel the club into future of new Star Wars movies. These new movies, combined with the institution (I think we can call it that now) of the new character sheets will show the upcoming generation of Star Wars fans how vibrant the Brotherhood is – and it should be able to keep their attention.

With all that in mind, I am glad to recommend Mav for that purple medal – the Amethyst Kukri. Thank you for your previous and continuing efforts on the character sheets. Well done.

-Howie

)))(((

Nothing worth doing is ever easy.

That was what I thought when I decided that it was time to close down the ACC back in January. It gave us the time to get a team in that could build a new combat center from the ground up. It would give the members enough time to get the taste of the old one out of their mouth, that it would be new and shiny and people would not make endless comparisons.

But it would be a lot of work. A whole new interface would have to be coded. A whole new set of rules, new judging criteria, new handbooks and shadow academy courses would have to be written. That's a lot of work.

And then there were the character sheets. Those huge sprawling points and complicated rituals that help everyone in this club define their character. That everyone would go over with a fine-toothed comb, looking for reasons to dislike them. To get them designed, to argue with me about how it's the right way to do it, to write the content, to argue with others about how it's not the same as before, to get them coded up, and to test them until they broke, fix them and start all over again.

Nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Telaris 'Mav' Cantor is the man who has owned this project, who took it from concept to beta. His fingerprints are all over this system. This is the man responsible for sorting out what needed to be done. To have the huevos to take the system in a different way, to come away from the old school methodology we have had since the dawn of the club, to push the envelope as far as he could and give our members something truly outstanding.

In Jazz performances, the audience applauds after memorable moments, strong solos by talented artists, even though the song isn't over yet. This is one of those times. Mav's work on the character sheets is worthy of recognition, despite the ACC not being done yet. It is for this excellent work that I am happy to recommend Mav for an amethyst kukri. Thank you, Mav. I know we're all waiting to see how it fits into the new ACC.

~Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2013-09-14 03:41:16 UTC

Rian Aslar is a stellar example of what it means to be a leader within the Dark Brotherhood. He is steady, constant, and ever-present. Rian doesn’t exhibit the flair, or bravado of some of Taldryan’s past leaders, but instead he sets about his daily work in a calm and determined manner. Rian makes use of every resource he has at his disposal, asking advice from other summit members around the DB, and asking for advice from the elders at his beck and call within Taldryan. Rian also shows the fortitude to look former Grand Master’s and Dark Councillors in the eye and simply say “no, you’re wrong” when he doesn’t like the advice. It’s valuable maturity and self-assuredness that go beyond the normal ken, and it deserves recognition.

As for what Rian has done specifically of late, I would like to point to Taldryan’s resurgence in the Dark Crusades. Taldryan has been at the forefront of the Dark Crusades since it began. We’re the only unit to have defeated Arcona. If not for a cruel twist of fate, we would have defeated them twice. We dominated the first round of the skilled competitions. We have consistently been one of the top three performers within the DB, and have never failed to achieve less than a 100% participation ratio under his watch.

Rian isn’t just content with watching Taldryan get back to winning ways, but is constantly striving to make sure that we can, in the near future, return to our rightful status as a Clan in the Brotherhood. He’s ensuring that we train up new leaders in Taldryan, using Summit tasks to help teach members how to become viable leaders in the DB, instead of just writing reams of fluff fiction that benefit no one. Rian has taken his charge seriously to return Taldryan to its rightful place, and has done it all without any look toward his own benefit. It’s all for Taldryan.

The Amethyst Kukri is awarded for working on Clan Level projects, or on projects for the Dark Council. It is given when “such work reaches a level of exceptional value, a token of appreciation is needed to honor such tasks.” Taldryan is more than just a project for Rian. It is a labor of love, and under him its transformation has truly been exceptional. For these, and many more reasons, I recommend that Quaestor Rian Aslar be rewarded with an Amethyst Kukri.

Dark Jedi Master Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor,

Aedile of Taldryan.

Let it be known that in this recommendation you will find my deepest and earnest words regarding one of the Brotherhood’s most dedicated members. In no way, shape or form should it be taken lightly or undermined, for this member has truly set himself apart from the rest and with great effort he has made his attempt on making this club better than what was given to him; an effort that he is still pursuing each and every day. Rian Aslar or Ri-Guy as I like to call him has been and continues to be the epitome of Leadership within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Starting as Rollmaster of Taldryan he earned his passage into the role of many great Taldryan leaders before him and was very influential in that position; many of Taldryan’s current DJK’s and Journeymen were greeted by Rian. His ethic as a Junior member on the Taldryan Summit at that time was welcomed and saw Taldryan push through one of our hard patches. Shortly after leaving the position of Rollmaster Rian took up the mantle as my Aedile while I was Quaestor in Taldryan. And thus, Rian’s work ethic that surpasses most in this club took hold of the House in a great way and gave me the momentum needed to push Taldryan further. It was a large task for Rian to take on as his House was limping after multiple setbacks. Rian played his part as Aedile with flying colors by putting out regular reports, competitions and actively engaging members in the House. I could not have carried on as QUA in that time were it not for Taldryan and its high-time that Rian is recognized as one of the sole-reasons for Taldryan getting back on her feet. After I resigned roughly a year ago from Quaestor, Rian eagerly stepped up to the plate and began to lead with an immense sense of power and knowledge. Taldryan’s activity skyrocketed and continues to do so! Tal has been at the forefront of the Dark Crusade and we have the leadership of Rian Aslar to thank for that. It takes someone who is firm in their behavior and ideals to be a leader in Taldryan. It also takes someone who is openly supportive of the general Brotherhood membership to be in the position he is in and he fits that criteria with ease. Taldryan has been blessed with another member who will go down as one of the “Greats”, and that member is Rian Aslar. His time in the DB has stretched from Leadership, to working with the Justicar, to aiding the Dark Council with in-detail reports on the status of his House, to doing simple Wiki-grunt work. If there were ever an inspiring member to bring Taldryan to the top of the Brotherhood once again, it is Rian. From a first-hand experience I have seen Rian start as a lowly-apprentice who could barely speak English – to surpassing my own feats with the mere blink of an eye. Rian has been in the DB for a relatively short time of 4 years and has been in Taldryan since – most of that time being spent on the Tal Summit. He has seen where Taldryan came from, has seen how far we were setback and is once again seeing us to an awe-inspiring powerhouse. Ri-guy, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being one hell of a Leader and for being an inspiration for the multitude of members above and below you. Keep it up, and enjoy this shiny! Sid

Exarch Shaz’air Taldrya, Quaestor Emeritus

Rian is, without a doubt, up there with the truly exceptional leaders who have always made Taldryan what she is. Many people talk about leading by example, but there are few people who truly manage that, Rian is one of those few.

Being Quaestor of Taldryan is no easy job - having to balance the task of encouraging our newer members into activity, with tempering the sharp wit of some of our older members, leadership in the House has always been a case of balancing a fine line. Rian has managed this with aplomb. He is one of those rare leaders who will always listen to whatever advice or opinion you have, and will fully consider it before giving you a reasoned explanation of why he is, or isn’t in agreement with you; this has made him an eminently approachable leader to all members of Taldryan, old and new alike.

I have seen many leaders come and go, but Rian is most definitely one who will stay in my memory. He had managed to revitalise Taldryan, breathing new life into her, and giving us all a renewed sense of pride. We have long been talking about how Taldryan will dominate the Brotherhood again one day, but until Rian that seemed little more than a pipe-dream. His pro-active, enthusiastic and encouraging leadership truly has turned the House around, and I have little doubt that with Rian at the helm, Taldryan will continue to thrive.

KE Nyssa “Bubbles” Taldrya

Rollmaster of Taldryan

I've had Mentors in the Brotherhood before. But what sets Rian apart from the rest is that he makes it really easy for me as a student/Apprentice.

He is always available whenever I need to ask him anything, be it about competitions, Crusades or anything about the Dark Brotherhood in general. He's very warm, encouraging, friendly and answers patiently and promptly. And coming from a Mentor that really helps. He motivates me a lot to do my best in all the DB comps. I remember one of my first competitions after coming to Taldryan was in a Crusade Run-On, something I was not familiar with. Rian was of great help in explaining and showed me how a Run-on works.

He sends me periodic reminders about what tasks I've done till now for the next Ranks and which tasks I have yet to do. And these help out a lot. Like when you're really busy in RL and forget what tasks you've to do next or when you don't keep record, remainders like these are of immense help. In a word, they make advancing up the ranks easy as cakewalk.

Rian leads by example, something that made a huge impression on me. All of us have busy lives. But he efficiently juggles RL and DB together. Coming back home after a whole day of work, writing House Reports, doing Summit work, doing comps and other stuff is no mean feat. His actions and participation in the Crusades speaks volumes. As a leader of Taldryan he's always among those submitting the most number of entries or participating in almost all events. He is one of the people in Taldryan who motivates me to do as many comps as I can even if it's a last minute entry. As a leader he gives a purpose to work for.

He works hard in the DB and is doing an awesome work leading Taldryan. And as an Apprentice, it's an honor having Rian Aslar as Master. He totally deserves an Amethyst Kukri!!!

Draco Sangria Apprentice to Rian House Taldryan #9738

---

Prior to the launch of the crusade, it had been some time since I was last truly involved in the day-to-day operations of Taldryan. Part of it was that I had a lot going on, and was in semi-retirement mode. But part of it was also that we have not had a leadership team that was always at the top of its game. Enter Rian. This guy is Taldryan to his core and has done a phenomenal job in reinvigorating the house. He deserves our recognition for the work he’s done.

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of watching Rian grow and mature as a leader before our very eyes. I think even Rian would admit that when he took over he was a little green, but he has come such a long way. He has pushed the house to greatness in the Crusades. He has encouraged new members through the grind to get to the higher and more stable Equite ranks. He is actively pursuing the interests of Taldryan on the Dark Council; and he’s been able to keep a steady grip on a unit that can sometimes get ahead of itself when drama comes knocking.

Rian it quickly becoming one of the leaders of Taldryan that I will always remember. He will create a legacy through the next year, but his work until now deserves recognition. Please keep up the excellent work, Rian!

Jac Cotelin,

The Hunter of Buffalo

Rian’s position as Taldryan’s Quaestor is, at times, a strange one. Here is a man that is in charge of one the Brotherhood’s independent units - tasked with (amongst other things) leading his House to victory (which he has been successful at, but I will get to that later) and training its new members to be productive and happy members of this club - this is true of all leaders of this club. In his situation, however, Rian is also shouldered with the responsibility of herding and corralling Taldryan’s old people. Sometimes this means reigning us/them in when we/they go off the reservation, sometimes that means letting experienced members do their thing, and sometimes that means asking for help - something that many members would never do out of pride or ego. Rian has performed all of these aspects masterfully, and Taldryan is better for it.

Now to the meat and potatoes: Taldryan is the only unit thus far to deny Clan Arcona a victory in any Dark Crusade round, and would have a second time if not for an unfortunate set of circumstances that I will not dredge up in detail. Further to that, under Rian’s leadership - Taldryan’s marginal victory over Clan Arcona in the first round was greater than Arcona’s in the second (Taldryan’s 1.90 to Arcona’s 1.84 vs. Arcona’s 2.31 to Taldryan’s 2.27). The House also scored a relatively crushing victory against two other Brotherhood houses in the most recent crusade round. Here, Taldryan’s fleet points totals and overall score (points towards victory) were higher than the combined total of our opponents.

Rian has also taken it upon himself to be involved with Taldryan’s Journeymen - mentoring, assisting and pestering them to complete their summit tasks. In the end, these Journeymen all stand a good chance to make it to the important rank of Dark Jedi Knight - and none of that would have been possible without Rian.

For these reasons, and those reasons mentioned by my peers - Rian Aslar has earned an Amethyst Kukri for his dedication and service to Taldryan. It is my honour to assist in showing our appreciation for all his hard work.

Dark Jedi Master Howlader

Medalbot

The AK is given out for single tasks that are above-and-beyond the norm, or for their exceptional overall work. While there isn’t a single “thing” to point to, it is clear that Rian, as leader of Taldryan, has proven to be truly exceptional. He has been a huge part of Taldryan for quite some time now and has been a focal point for Tal during that period. He has been a constant for the House in terms of leadership and the stability he brings cannot be overstated. However, it is his recent actions as Quaestor that has really kicked us into high-gear.

Taldryan has been one of the premier units during the course of the Vendetta under his leadership. He has proven capable of corralling a disparate group of members and focuses us to achieve a multitude of goals. He has matured tremendously in this time and has stood up for Taldryan on numerous occasions. His attitude is refreshing as he has not become cynical when he could easily have turned that way. Instead he continues to be positive and strives for more. He has been a key contributor as an individual, but beyond that he is our leader and what Taldryan has done is a reflection of Rian.

Congratulations, Rian! Keep up the great work!

---

DP Halcyon Rokir Taldrya

Sith Lord

In my years in Taldryan I have seen many different people active in many of the clan's (and later house) summit positions. None of them have performed as consistent as Rian has. That might not sound like a big compliment, but it is. I know from my time as house summit that it is a grind. You do it out of love for your house or clan and the DB, but it is still a continuous labor. You are constantly being tested and asked to juggle your time. It always conflicts with your "own" DB time, your remaining free time and quite often your important real life time. If that isn't enough, a summit position can be a thankless job too. Members below you will bitch at you; people in higher positions will bitch at you. Everyone bitches at you.

Rian takes it. He takes it all and keeps performing. I have never seen him lose his temper, appear lost or without focus. He will approach problems in a calm and decisive manner and is not afraid to ask the advice or help of others. He is a man of few words, but you just know he is always on the ball. And when he does say something, you know you have to pay attention because it'll be damn important. He is one of the few people I will follow without question.

He pulls not only his own weight, but continuously ensures that the future of the house and the DB is safeguarded. He does this by inspiring others to excel, by training the DB youth of today into its leaders of tomorrow and by always leading by example.

For his non-stop efforts into seeing house projects being thought up, assigned, troubleshot, resolved and completed as well as surviving the grind and stress inherent to the position while still making the house that much better than it was yesterday on a daily basis, I strongly recommend Rian Aslar be awarded the Amethyst Kukri.

OT Talon Drear Taldryan

#122

Don't let anybody tell you differently; a year is a long time. Last 12 months on a job and people have probably accepted you as part of the group (maybe invited you to join the lotto pool or go out for drinks on Friday). Managed to stick around for another birthday and you get a celebration (along with more candles than you know what to do with). A 1 year old child is far more independent than a newborn, and we here on planet Earth have travelled somewhere in the range of about 938 million kilometers (or about 583 million miles if you're going to be that guy).

On August 8th, 2012 our colleague and friend Rian Aslar took the reins of House Taldryan as her Quaestor. Others before me have talked about his many accomplishments since. His guiding hand through this crusade competition, his personal growth, mentorship to younger generations, and overall consistency and reliability. In short, everything you could ask for and more in a leader. The Amethyst Kukri is awarded when a member's work is of exceptional value, worthy of a special token of appreciation. For his year of service to both Taldryan and the Brotherhood as Quaestor, we wish to show our gratitude. Thanks Rian!

-Ben

Darth Aeternus, 2013-08-10 21:09:05 UTC

April 13th, 2011; almost 3 years ago now. On that day, something amazing happened to Arcona. Having been granted out Clan Status back, our Aedile, Wuntila, became the first Proconsul of the new Clan Arcona. For almost 3 years now Wuntila has served Arcona as a figurehead. As a BTL being bumped up to Quaestor at the time, it was inspiring to see Wuntila take control of his position, no fear or timidness visible. He helped me become a true leader in this club, and it was from working with him that I am what I am today -- a respected leader. Wuntila's reign of betterment for Clan Arcona was recognized shortly after on July 7th, 2011 as he was awarded his first sacramental award; a Sapphire Blade.

Since that day, Wuntila has never stopped driving Arcona forward. As Proconsul, he continued to lead us into Great Jedi War X to our second victory, cementing Arcona as the First Clan of the Brotherhood. This was no fluke - this was true unity from a Clan consisting of multiple personalities and clashing egos. Consul Zandro Erinos and the rest of the Arcona Summit rallied around Wuntila. At the end of the War, Zandro stepped down, and Wuntila was selected to step forward and take over the helm of Clan Arcona.

Wuntila has been Consul for 16 months now. And it hasn't been an easy ride. Not by any means. As his Proconsul, I know better than anyone the trials and tribulations we've faced as both a team and a unit. We've fought against a past reputation of insulation, and worked towards opening relations with other units in the club. Aside from this dedication, in which he was awarded a promotion to Equite 4 already, Wuntila continued to strive forward for excellence. Right on the heels of the Horizons Vendetta, Wun went right to work on organizing and running the Beyond The Horizons: An Arcona-Plageuis Feud. Tasked with having this feud completed before the new year, Wun took it upon himself to make a website, pen the story, and eventually coming up with all of the events on his own due to a lack of competency from the leader of Plagueis (who was supposed to be assisting him in running it). Wuntila wanted everyone to be able to participate and have fun in this event, and shouldered everything himself - specifically denying myself and members of the Arconan Summit from helping and assisting him with the running of the Feud. Overall, the event garnered great participation across the board, and even went so far as to have Graphics drawn up to enhance the story - two of which featured members not just from Arcona, but Plagueis. By doing this, he made it so the story truly felt like a joint venture, and should have served as a brilliant joining point for two units to become allies.

After these events, Wuntila continued to lead the charge by creating a form to help organize members for their Run-On teams for the Dark Crusade: Prologue. Halfway through this event, Wuntila was struck with a CoJ case that will continue to be viewed as controversial even with the finality of the results. Most members would have quit. Most members would have cried or lashed out. Most members would have abandoned their Clan for selfish reasons. Wuntila did none of these. Through it all, Wuntila persevered.

Chapter 1 of the Dark Crusade kicked off as the Trial began. Wun did not despair, and continued to lead from the front lines, earning 3 Silver and 2 Bronze Novae. Arcona came in 2nd, but still managed a whomping 116 submissions, more than any other unit was able to muster. Following up on that, Wuntila rallied Arcona yet again in Chapter 2, garnering 162 entries from the Clan. I don't think you need a history book to understand how much of an achievement that is. If there is any doubt that Arcona would be where it was without Wuntila...let that number stand as testament.

Of course, this exposition covers his attributes as a leader of a clan. I am yet to describe what he's done outside of his endeavors in the clan. Wuntila has been a constant outside of the clan, also. During Horizons, he and Timeros spent 9 hours formatting and organizing the team sign-up sheet for the Horizons run-on. They did this so that Horizons could be launched on time. He has done numerous other small tasks in the Voice office, compiling run-on PDFs, writing forms, and compiling results. He does all this in the background just because he wants to help. Then we have his tenure within the ACC. He was a consistent member of the judging staff to the point where he was promoted to an Operator. He was then responsible for training up new members of staff, as he did with Socorra and Alaris. Wuntila then stepped up when the ACC saw a number of judges unable to grade during Horizons. Halcyon specifically asked for Wuntila's help, and he judged a number of the Horizons ACC matches. Its this kind of dedication he's displayed whilst running the Brotherhood's most successful unit. He has also now stepped up to assist the Seneschal as a magistrate, testing features of the upcoming new site.

Wuntila has continued on his mission to go down in history as the best Consul the Brotherhood has ever seen. I'm a believe in this, because I've watched him continue on with his work despite anything that is thrown at him. In the past month alone, he has been active in making sure Arcona has stayed vigilant by leading by example from the front lines as well as through regular Clan e-mails and motivational and informative speeches and reports.

There is not a single leader in this club who puts as much heart and effort into his job as Wuntila Arconae. For this, and his perpetual dedication to Arcona and the Brotherhood, I am honored to award him with an Amethyst Kukri.

-Marick Arconae, Proconsul Clan Arcona

<BOW>

Wuntila Arconae has one singular goal, one lone project that he works on every day: the betterment of Clan Arcona. Yes, other Consuls work to improve their Clan. But no one--no Consul I have ever seen or worked with--compares to Wuntila.

I could cite the many victories Arcona has accumulated under his leadership. I could cite the burgeoning membership numbers. But those are results, secondary bonuses that derive from the hard work Wuntila does everyday. He has built--along with his Proconsul--a dynasty, one that might rival Taldryan's decade of dominance. His devotion to Arcona is palpable. He loves all members--from us DJMs down to the newest Initiates--and wants only to see that they come to love Arcona as he does.

Successful by all measures. Tis unfortunate he has been stymied regarding rank promotion as he could...should have been an elder by the end of the year. Still, honors and recognition must be given to those who have given so much of themselves to us. Wuntila is such an individual. In my mind, this award is wholly and unquestionably deserved.

<BOW>

-DJM Troutrooper

Sam embodies leadership, everything from his demeanor, his dedication, his ability to organize events, his patience to teach, even his recc writing abilities all demonstrate his amazing leadership qualities. He leads from the front in every DB-wide event, taking the time to write brilliant rally speeches, assist members in their competition entries, hours on end talking to folks in IRC, and of course, writing and creating his own Novae-worthy entries. In the downtime, Sam is always actively keeping members interested in the DB, making sure the Houses aren't stagnant and there is plenty to do, either with competitions or renovations, constantly bringing the Houses of Arcona together in some positive fashion.

These qualities apply outside of Arcona as well. On the ACC Staff, I witnessed the dedication Sam had for providing a fun and fair atmosphere for the rest of the DB through this venue, by not only judging matches, but by training other judges and providing insight to the staff for rules and events. I have also seen the numerous times that Sam has offered assistance to other units, even direct rivals in the vendettas, in order to help bring about a united Brotherhood, as well as offering to judge DB events, forgoing his own potential competition awards in order to do so. On the Forum as Tribune I needed a guinea pig to test out a brand new structure for the units, and he volunteered Arcona's many, many boards without even blinking, knowing it was possible that they could be quite messed up as a result. Thankfully they weren't, and it worked so well, that the rest of the units followed suit and the forum is looking a thousand times better.

Sam has been Consul during my entire tenure on the Arcona Summit, and there have been some ups and downs, but frankly I wouldn't be the leader I am today without him. I don't think any of us would be. The leadership qualities listed above apply to every one of us, because Sam takes the time to teach us them, either directly (and sometimes painstakingly) or by example. That is, however, merely par for the course for Sam. He goes above and beyond to help make the DB a fun place to play and make friends. He embodies leadership. Dedication. Talent. He leads from the front, he leads by example, and he leads with his heart. I hope this award tells him just how much and how positive his efforts are appreciated by all of us, as well as the long-lasting friendships that he creates.

~Socks

-Socorra Erinos, QUA, Forum Tribune

There once was a Consul named Wun Who knows how to make the clan fun Helps out with the site; does tasks day and night His work has helped me a ton

~J

-Jam3z Entar Arconae, SCL

Wuntila has made Arcona into something new and better than I could have ever pictured. Despite being CoJ'ed over a technicality, he still managed to lead his Clan to winning Phase II of the Crusade. This is monumental. I speak from experience when I say that being CoJ'ed puts a dampener on your activity. You feel persecuted and continually ask yourself why you even bother continuing being a leader in the club that slaps you down for showing initiative, but Sam never wavered. He kept on pushing his members and summit to do his best, and honestly, I questioned his heritage more than once - he even looks like the quintessential overachieving asian father. "You have cold? Become Doctor, cure yourself!" He's a tank. The man won't stop for anything, and he deserves nothing less than the best. Unfortunately, we can't give that to him, so this will have to do. Keep on rocking, Man.

Dash -Teroch Erinos, P:MAA

Darth Aeternus, 2013-05-13 20:04:07 UTC

Gentlemen and Ladies,

Solus Gar isn't your normal member.

He's controversial. He's a lightening rod. He attracts controversy like a lantern attracts moths. The reason he does this? He's skilled, talented, focused, driven, and he's not quiet about it. He's loud, he's logical, and he's experienced enough to make sense. And he gets frustrated about being ignored. That said, when Solus is listened to, he gives like there's no tomorrow.

Since before he came to Plagueis, Solus has been invaluable. He more or less single handedly re-designed the Plagueis Fleet Reset to within a half point. He earned the respect of the Deputy Grand Master in helping to point out places where the Fleet sheet needed work, and proceeded to upgrade the sheet in cooperation with the DGM.

He successfully helmed the first Brotherhood Debate event, testing the format and refining it for further use.

During the Summer Invasion Feud, (Also known as the Orian Incursion), Solus earned Two Diamond Crescents, Two Amethyst Crescents, and Third Place Overall. He earned a Dark Cross for his efforts, and was the leading performer from Plagueis.

After joining Plagueis, Solus personally recruited three additional members, one of whom he personally raised to Dark Jedi Knight in 47 days.

He is First Hero of the Brotherhood Vendetta: Horizons. He personally earned Ten of Plagueis' Novae.

He participated in 26 of 29 possible events, his apprentice participated in 20 of 29.

Solus has mentored countless other members beyond his own apprentices, has assisted in multiple additional projects in proofing, concept, overall design, and is only not on the Summit because he doesn't want to be.

His dedication to the Shadow Academy, to turning around exams inside forty eight hours, picking up the slack of professors who fail to grade on time, and just general all around effectiveness cannot be overstated.

His performance is stellar. It's Excessive. It sets the bar for prolonged contributions to Plagueis, and to the Brotherhood.

He deserves to be recognized for this with a Sacramental Award.

I ask that you recognize his performance, dedication, excellence, and continued assistance with an Amethyst Kukri.

~Tra'an Reith, Quaestor of House Plagueis

I haven't known Solus for very long, at least not personally. It's only been in the past few months that I've been able to interact with him and understand that he is a friendly, helpful, qualified, and unnaturally active member of our Club. And to boot, he keeps a very humble demeanor--taking satisfaction in a job well done, even if it's not a job well recognized.

I admire this guy. He's always one step away from the decisions, putting in amazing activity that wins awards in graphics, writing, and gaming and still coming back to assist the DC and his House's summit.

Well done, Slags. Enjoy a few more letters on your alphabet-soup ID line!

~Eiko, Rollmaster of House Plagueis

I give my complete support to this recommendation Both leading up to and during Horizons, Solus was an invaluable resource to me. He both made sure I adequately prepared for the event and helped guide me through it. As a result I achieved results that I don't think I would have garnered otherwise without his advice, counsel, and occasional "aggressive encouragement". I have also been impressed with his desire to help others as well during events like the Run-On and all in all has been one of the better mentors I've encountered over many years.

~Arden Karn, member of House Plagueis and apprentice to Solus Gar

Solus and I haven't know each other personally very long, but during the Vendetta, specifically the run-on, I came to know him very well. Solus has a dedication to House Plagueis and the DB at large that I haven't seen in very long time. He played a very significant role in the development of our Run-On by helping guide the newer members and played a significant mentor role to them. I was impressed with the way he handled every situation and I would be very surprised if the Run-On had run as smoothly without him there.

His dedication to developing the newer members of the Plagueis and the Brotherhood is shown in his equally impressive dedication to the Shadow Academy. This combination of activity, mentor-ship, and leadership more than prove that he is extremely worthy of this sacramental award.

Congratulations Slags, this is well deserved. Continue to be a beacon of activity and guidance in our Brotherhood.

~ Alaris Jinn di Plagia of House Plagueis

I've known Solus Gar for many years, both in the Dark Brotherhood and outside of it, and I'm always astounded by not only his level of personal drive, but also his level of dedication to those around him. In my time being active, I've seen many examples of him using his skills and knowledge of both Star Wars and the Dark Brotherhood to bring out the best in everyone and I feel he really deserves this award.

I've always known him as someone that will not give anything less than 100% of himself and will do whatever it takes to help others do the same.

~Graus Colvin of Clan Arcona

For as long as I have known Solus Gar he has been a force in the Brotherhood. A man with multiple talents, he has the unique ability to be involved in both major aspects of the club--administration and participation in the fictional/fun environment. This is a rare gift as often a member leans towards one side or the other. Solus not only does both but does them very well. This is evident in the can of whoop ass he opened in the Vendetta and in his tireless pursuit of improving the Shadow Academy. He has written new courses, and spearheaded the debate event which I think will be a great boon for the SA and the DB in the future. He is a bastion of activity, a paragon of leadership, and an example we should all strive for. I am proud to be able to help him be recognized for his many contributions.

~Scelestus, Magistrate to the Headmaster and Aedile of House Qel-Droma of Clan Arcona

Four months ago, Solus Gar received a well-deserved promotion to Sith Battlelord after an immense amount of work for the Shadow Academy and for Arcona. The reason why I now ask that he be awarded an Amethyst Kukri? Because he proved to me after his promotion that he was only just getting started.

It's typical, really, for members to slow down after a hard-fought award or promotion. But not Slags. Not my Praetor. It began with the little things. Dozens of Clusters of Fire, crescents, scrolls. Then before I knew it, he was in Plagueis, assisting with the brainstorming of the Summer Invasion, the three-unit feud among Naga Sadow, Scholae Palatinae, and Plagueis. Not only did he take third place overall in the feud (earning a Dark Cross for that), but he also gave enormous insight to the Plagueis summit for plot, schedule, and story in terms of the event. He was creative, stubborn, and resilient, never giving up even if his initial vision had been changed.

Throughout even the feud, Slags was working with me to continually expand and improve upon the Shadow Academy's repertoire of courses. He helped me begin an all-out audit by hiring Scelestus as our Magistrate and working alongside him to edit and modify various exams. He suggested the idea that we overhaul the General History department in order to make it more accessible to members who desire to use Star Wars history to better develop their Brotherhood characters. He started brainstorming the design and aesthetics of the Shadow Academy itself and how it would look and function in fiction. He consistently jumped in to grade exams when Professors had failed to meet the 72-hour turnaround time requirement. He had proven to me that he was never happy with the status quo, that he was always willing to question and use skepticism to our advantage to make the Academy better and stronger.

I didn't think he could top his work as Praetor and mentor to so many people. But then again, Horizons hadn't even started yet.

Slagar's success in Horizons wasn't simply based on his participation. True, he earned ten Novae, which sealed him the title of First Hero. True, he participated in 26 out of 29 events. True, he was pretty much a goddamn warhorse in terms of his contributions to the competition individually. But what the medals don't tell you is how much he really worked to make everyone else around him succeed just as much. Arden Karn, having been recruited to the Brotherhood by Slags himself and subsequently becoming his apprentice, proved to be a brilliant new addition to Plagueis by participating in 20 out of 29 events and becoming Eighth Hero of Horizons. He couldn't have done that without Slags' constant pushing, encouragement, and even criticism, something that is a little difficult to swallow especially for some new members. Being from an entirely different unit, Graus Colvin of Arcona worked with Slags and myself in the run-on and with Slags in the co-op fiction. The co-op received silver and the run-on received gold, helping Graus achieve Tenth Hero. Slagar feverishly worked to put together the gold-winning wiki team - also consisting of myself, Legorii Kryotek Entar, Socorra Erinos, and Tra'an Reith - endlessly reminding us of what to do for the article and how to do it well. I could go on and on and on about how Slags became a beacon of creativity, determination, and perseverance for our run-on team, which ultimately compiled a story over 40,000 words long and at a whopping 40 posts, none of them being the bare minimum requirement of text. We could not have done so much without Slags serving as the captain of our little ship, giving direction to the narrative and flooding us with new ideas as well as helping to edit posts and give feedback to members still struggling with the run-on formula.

Solus Gar does not have to be Headmaster to be a true mentor. He does not have to be Quaestor or Consul to be a true leader. The amount of teaching that Slags has committed to is phenomenal. The description of the Amethyst Kukri claims that the award is granted when the recipient has greatly furthered one aspect of the Brotherhood. If that's the case, then I wish I could give him two Kukris: one for the Shadow Academy and one for Plagueis. But seeing as I can't exactly give him two shinies simultaneously, I'm happy to give him at least one because he deserves it.

Thank you, Slags.

~Ronovi Tavisaen Dupar, Headmaster of the Shadow Academy

General Ronovi Tavisaen, 2012-11-14 19:47:36 UTC

The Amethyst Kukri is awarded for a specific task or project that is of significant value for either a Clan/House or for the Brotherhood as a whole. I cannot think of a more "significant" aspect of the club than the Great Jedi War. Up until the very first week this was very much Muz's baby. He put together the initial plot, while funding the development of the comic. On top of that he had to re-code a previous Vendetta site for use by the DB for the GJW. The amount of work needed just to get things set-up is astounding, and he was also heavily involved both in the event formation phase as well as the overall grading phase. I know he had a few sleepless nights ensuring that everything managed to get put together in time. Without his efforts this GJW could not have run as smoothly as it did. As such, I believe this awards is more than deserving.

Lord Halcyon, 2011-11-15 05:26:23 UTC

Kaira Rohana is one of Odan-Urr's most prolific members. Always active and always ready to help, we are absolutely blessed to have her as a member in our house. She has never shied away from a task given to her and has, on my occasions, taken the initiative to bail the house out in its time of need. However, despite her vast assortment of organizational and gaming skills, Kaira's real strength is her ability to help members be comfortable and grow as productive members of the club. Her longtime apprentice Zeon Blacktooth is nearing completion of his DJK trials and she has taken a personal interest in Murtallica (who is just now becoming a Jedi Knight) and Lelila, two of Odan-Urr's original apprentices.

During her time as Rollmaster Kaira did not only focus on individual members' growth, however. She also focused on the house as a whole by creating and maintaining the House Odan-Urr activity tracker. Since taking the position in Spring, 2011 she has sent custom tailored welcome emails to every APP transferred into Odan-Urr and has found the time to take a personal interest in everyone.

Kaira's contribution to the house, however, does not end with mere tracking activity. She played a major role in the development of Odan-Urr's current fiction, including the first HOU run on and development of New Tython (which played a major role in the GJW). During said war, without a Quaestor or Aedile, Kaira took the job of Rollmaster to new heights by organizing the house--practically on her own--into a well-oiled GJW team. The Wiki articles produced under her supervision (particularly Week 3) were some of the best written during the vendetta and, though the RO failed to impress the Dark Council, it was solely due to her leadership and initiative that we had an RO to submit at all.

Kaira is a real treasure and I greatly anticipate working with her more in the future.

Ji

Kaira Rohana, I knew the name well before I ever even entered Odan-Urr but had never known the person behind the moniker which just goes to show the reputation of this lovely lady. Kaira for all intents and purposes has established herself as not only a member or leader but a person of the highest caliber for which I am grateful to be able to serve alongside. While I have not known Kaira personally for any length of time exceeding two months what I can say of her is this: Kaira is without a doubt the most active and deserving member of House Odan-Urr for as long as I have been a member and as her reputation puts it even longer before that. Besides her own gains Kaira has served at the advantage of others as well. From what I do know of her is that during the recent Great Jedi War Kaira was left as the solely active summit member for the house taking on duties above her station. Kaira albeit not fictionally but in a practical sense did in fact lead the house through the four weeks of battle. Her guidance was invaluable in asserting that the house maintained connection and coordination with each other. She was instrumental in assisting the members to execute the team based competitions as well as the solo activities, while she herself placed in 21 of them herself earning not only an equally comparable amount of Seals of Decimation but also securing numerous novae.

Drodik

Darth Aeternus, 2011-11-11 00:24:34 UTC