Adam pressed his finger to the trigger, breathing out and squeezing as he loosed the shot. A sound like a cough escaped the weapon as the bolt slammed into the target a kilometre away. He heard a crackle in his ear as the comm-line opened. Marrek, from an undisclosed location; It was how he liked to observe his student, to make sure he could also conceal himself in the natural terrain of the huge training area, a verdant swathe of rolling hills and copses. He had picked a patch of thick gorse, the tip of the silenced rifle the only thing poking out from the vegetation.

“Good. You’re getting better, Bolera. Soon enough, you’ll be able to hold your own out there.”

Adam Bolera smirked. “That almost sounded like a compliment, master.” He sighted back down the scope to where the next target should be seen, breathing calmly and pleased with the scant approval his master gave. His focus snapped back to the task at hand, chiding himself for getting distracted as he gripped the trigger again-

And felt a stinging pain in his neck, fire surging through his system followed by a dull numbness, moving with the rhythm of his circulation as the toxin was pushed around by his heart. His view began to waver, making the target almost look like an opposing sniper. But he had been so careful in setting up his spot…

Marrek seemingly melted from the undergrowth in a completely different area, a sniper rifle slung over the shoulder. His face was grim. “I said soon enough, not now.” He tutted, striding across the land to his drugged student.

-=A=-

Adam’s vision swam into focus, his eyes squinting as fluorescent light bored into him. He tried to raise a hand to shield his eyes, but realised they were bound. He struggled, instinct kicking in for a few moments before he calmed, becoming still again. His head throbbed with pain and the after effects of whatever toxin had ravaged him. He moved his head about slowly, taking in the room. He could see nothing out of the small pool of light, barring a lightsaber, deactivated on the ground in front of him. He shuffled forward, painfully slowly, his muscles cramping as he eased them into movement. His fingers grasped the hilt of the weapon, dragging it close. He fumbled with the switch, an incandescent beam of energy spewing to life. Clumsily, he manoeuvered the blade to burn the bindings off his feet, standing up before then setting to work on the bindings about his wrists. He held the blade against the rope, letting the cord sizzle and smoulder. The acrid tang of singed hair signalled the completion of his task. He rose steadily, weapon held at the ready, head slowly sweeping back and forth.

With a hiss, an orange blade snapped to life, accompanied by footsteps. Behind it, higher up, more lightsaber blades ignited: A pair of aquamarine; brilliant emerald; a burnt red; and vibrant umber. Adam brought the blade up, facing the challenge as a voice permeated the room.

“Adam Bolera. You have forged yourself in the crucible of battle for Arcona, your gifts with the Force manifesting and coming to the fore. The dark side has become your ally, your weapon. With it, you have risen in prominence, making a path, and marking yourself for greatness.”

Adam stepped into the column of light, the lights behind him flaring up, showing the summit stood behind, faces of cold judgement staring down at the Jedi Hunter. His eyes widened as he realised the importance of their presence, what they planned to do. He dropped to one knee, head bowed. Adam allowed himself a small smile, unseen by any.

“Rise, Adam Bolera, Knight of Arcona!”

• ~ Valtiere, AED House Qel-Droma

---

Adam has been a force of nature since joining Arcona. This has manifested itself in many ways, from his engaging with fellow members on IRC, to his exploits in team-building and helping create a new Battleteam for House Qel-Droma. Where has really shined, however, is his tenacity to take control of a Run-On--which he showed he has a unique ability for--and dominate it. This inspires others around him to do the same. He has become one of our brightest new members, and I know he will keep striving to make his name known to the Brotherhood at large while helping bolstering Arcona's already formidable might.

Congratulations Adam!

Consul of Clan Arcona

Legend Wally, 2014-03-18 18:21:11 UTC

I am delighted to declare that Adam Bolera is ready for promotion to the prestigious status of Dark Jedi Knight. He has worked tirelessly towards the requirements that have been set for him, and is another perfect example of the modern Arconan Journeyman

First of all, he has been awarded a merit medal, this being an Anteian Cross. This medal only further demonstrates this member’s dedication to the cause.

Adam’s activity in the Shadow Academy has been excellent, allowing him to earn not only two degrees (Dark Mavens in Combat and Philosophy), but also rank IV within the SA Society. He has also taken and passed both leadership exams, showing an understanding of the concepts of leadership.

Writing and character development is another area that Adam has excelled in. He has not only written in excess of 3,000 words of character fiction, but has also developed his character’s Wiki page to a level that has been deemed ‘quality’ by Wiki Staffer Aidan Kincaid.

Adam’s competition activity has been simply phonemenal: he has taken part in no less than 12 competitions since joining, these being Caption Time! New Years Caption Contest #1, Dozen of Games II: Round 4 - Curve-Ball, Caption Time! New Years Caption Contest #2, [Operation: Sojourn] Run-On, [Operation: Sojourn] Fiction- Week 2, Dozen of Games II: Round 8 - Bow Master, [Operation: Sojourn] Week 3 - Fiction, Operation: Sojourn, Dozen of Games II, Maximum Brevity Series 3: Calling it a Day, Sentence Run-On and Maximum Brevity Series 4: 40 Long Years Later. He has additionally placed in three of these, earning 2 Crescents with a Sapphire Star and one with an Emerald Star.

Finally, he has spent 32 days as a Jedi Hunter, and completed a summit task, which was to create a spreadsheet to assist with the grading of Arcona’s recent major event, Operation: Sojourn.

Congratulations, Adam. Enjoy the lightsaber.

Clan Rollmaster

, 2014-03-18 18:18:42 UTC

You're already beginning to make a name for yourself, Ga'dreg. I have heard reports from House Qel-Droma that you have managed to:

• Logon to IRC and visit Clan channel

I have recommended you for immediate promotion.

Congratulations, and may the Force guide you, Novice,

CCL Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2014-03-17 23:06:05 UTC

Ga'dreg, you have successfully passed the Test of Lore and earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to House Scholae Palatinae, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

CCL Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2014-03-17 22:06:09 UTC

morthai dokthar, you have successfully passed the Test of Lore and earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to House Ajunta Pall, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

CCL Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2014-03-16 19:22:44 UTC

Since joining the club 24 days ago, Brain has worked tirelessly each day towards his next promotion with surprising self-sufficiency and confidence. While I have provided lists to him (the proscribed requirements), he takes them on board and works through them diligently and quickly, with rarely a question raised or requirement misunderstood. He is someone that I have confidence in becoming a quality member, who can take a task given to him and create a solution without any micro-management or spoon-feeding. His Wiki article is a good example, where I have given him the general instruction to do it now, and he has drafted an intriguing and impressive character history, taught himself how to wikify it, and created an article with real potential to be one of the better character articles on the wiki once it is complete.

Thanks to this work ethic, he has always surpassed the optional requirements list, and has only been held back by the mandatory requirements along the way.

While he has met the minimum proscribed requirements for this promotion, he also satisfies the personal requirements of becoming a committed and diligent Knight.

I look forward to seeing what he will do next.

Regards,

~Nathan

A'lora Kituri, 2014-03-13 20:01:40 UTC

Vassago Shax, you continue to impress. You're growing more competent each day and you will surely rival the Dark Council when the time is right. You have met the requirements for promotion, and a recommendation has be filed. Your accomplishments include:

• Begin to outline character history for eventual posting on the Brotherhood Wiki, as approved by House leadership or Master
• Logon to IRC and visit Clan channel
• Logon to the DJB Ventrilo server
• Pass 8 Shadow Academy courses from the (Journeyman Hall) department(s) (currently 11/8: Advancement Survey, DJBWiki: An Introduction, Essentials 1: History, Essentials 2: Departments, Essentials 3: Paths & Orders, Essentials 4: Ranks, Essentials 5: Organization, Essentials 6: Medals, Vendetta 1: Foundation, Vendetta 2: Submission, Vendetta 3: Fiction and Graphics Tips)

I will continue to watch your progress, Vassago Shax, but my direct intervention in your promotions must come to an end.

You will go far within this Brotherhood.

May the Force guide you, Protector,

CCL Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2014-03-13 10:07:12 UTC

Vaelos, you have successfully passed the Test of Lore and earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to House Karness Muur, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

CCL Solari Headmaster

Master Windos, 2014-03-12 23:31:37 UTC

Maelous has been a battleteam leader since before I became Quaestor of HMR. I had seen him occasionally on IRC, however it wasn’t until I became summit and started working with Mael one on one did I take note of his drive and desire to see his unit succeed not only his House but the Battleteam as well. Sometimes it is hard to put into words how much a person means when they are a part of a team, when Muz asked me to write this recommendation I couldn't think of one person who is more than ready to join the Equite group. His dedication is not something I can put into words. He is the first to volunteer for various projects that people need help with. I could go on and on about Maelous, but I won’t I will say however, that without Mael I am not sure where the House would be at today. It comes with great pride that I write this recommendation for you Maelous, Congrats on your promotion! ~Teu, Quaestor of Marka Ragnos

Maelous may not have been here long, but in that short time, he has already made a lasting difference. Even just individually, he is a very committed member, frequently taking part in activities, as his tally of medals attests to. However, his personal activity only touches the surface. As a Battleteam Leader, Maelous is passionate, and dedicated to the people he leads. Where many Battleteam Leaders do little more than pass the time and make it appear a trivial role with no real value, I often wake to find new emails from Maelous, or recommendations he has sent for his team members, which is a sure sign of a leader whose heart and mind are with the ones he serves.

But Maelous's work does not just stop there. Behind the scenes, he has been involved in projects such as the upcoming Lightsaber Combat Guide, a project that has involved much research and many hours of writing, often with no immediate sign of reward due to how far away the light at the end of the tunnel has sometimes been, but this has not held Maelous back, and he has still put in the time and effort. This alone is reason enough to thank Maelous for what he puts back into the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, and so I warmly extend my support to his elevation into the ranks of the Equites, and look forward to where the future takes him. Congratulations, Sith Warrior, you have more than earned it. ~Darth Vexatus, Son of Sadow

What can I say about Maelous? Since his last elevation, he has earned seven crescents (one a CrR), a SoI, and a Dark Cross. Plus he serves as a Battleteam leader, kicks tail in huge events like the Crusade, and is seeking greater leadership positions within the DB and Clan. But what he has done for the overall DJB is much, much more than this. The man delivers hard work as promised, far above and beyond what many do. It's been my pleasure to have him work under me as a direct report on two major projects, the upcoming Lightsaber Construction Guide and the Brotherhood Alchemy Guide. Each clocked in at over 10,000 words and counting. When you ask Maelous to do something, he just does it and grinds away- no questions asked. And then asks for more. His research and work was invaluable in both of these upcoming documents, and they will forever change the DJB for the better. One could not ask for a better team member. Maelous is one of those one in a million members who is making his mark, and making it strongly upon the entire club with his work. The work he has done is far beyond what most people do to reach Equite One. Congratulations, Equite. I wish we had ten more like you in this club! ~Macron Sadow, Consul Emeritus

In ancient Rome, Equite meant something special. It meant that through great works and deeds, that a soldier had risen above and was deserving of special priviledges. In our Brotherhood, it still bears much of the same distinction. Those who are marked as Equites find themselves rising to prominence, pushing their own capabilities as they drive those they serve with to ever higher accomplishments. That first step is the ahrdest to take. It signifies that one no longer needs their hand held. That they do not need the clearly delineated trials to keep going. That they are able to actually see the Brotherhood as more than just a single player game. In short, it means that they get it.

Today, I am typing this because I have watched a young knight toil very hard in support of a few great projects. Typically, these are the sort of long-tailed projects that people burn out from or give up on long before they reach completion, which is when the accolades and awards go out. That's not good enough for Maelous. His work in content generation and research has been frankly unbefitting a Knight. I have been impressed with his work ethic, his drive, and his desire to do more for this club that we all spend so many hours enjoying. It is not only an indicator of his career potential here in the club, but also of his character as a person. It is this sort of work, this sort of attitude that I hope to see more often. Those above me will speak in specifics, counting medals, giving dates. I will save that for them. As for myself, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for the work you've done, for the love that you bring to the game, and for the time you have spent with us. It's made our brotherhood better. ~Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2014-03-11 02:54:01 UTC