Since her arrival to Clan Tarentum, Kaname has logged onto IRC. For this reason, I believe she is ready for her first promotion to Novice.

General Ronovi Tavisaen, 2010-02-23 08:07:12 UTC

Oberyn has completed his Character History and has been in contact with his Summit to seek new activities so he can continue with his trials. For proving himself dedicated to furthering himself in the Brotherhood, I elevate him to the rank of Novice. Congratulations, Oberyn.

Master Shadow Taldrya, 2010-02-22 16:03:08 UTC

Passed the Test of Lore

Javik, 2010-02-22 19:21:42 UTC

In the 5 years I've been here (2 of them being AWOL) I like to think that one of the most influential members I've come across is Shikyo. Even while he was QUA of HMR, he began pumping out the graphics at an extraordinary level. When he was elevated to the position of Herald over two years ago, he had begun to fill the massive shoes left by Kaine Mandaala and Muz Ashen. As Proconsul of Naga Sadow, I STILL feel the ripples that Shik left on this clan, and the Brotherhood as a whole. Though I haven't worked with him much in the Shadow Academy, I feel that our two offices work individually to compliment each other wonderfully. As confusing as my last statement was, I think that the Herald of the Brotherhood is not a position to be taken lightly. As many will tell you, this is one of the most intense and demanding positions in the Brotherhood at large. To be honest I'm amazed that Shik hasn't gone and killed us all from the work load and stress. But after two years he brings us more and more, never failing to impress. Just recently he released his Herald Style Hanukkah, which to date has released dozens of new and exciting content that members can unlock once they earn their rank. While The Old Republic has given a good idea for Shik to work off of, I can tell that he pulls a lot of his talent out of thin air, often times taking something great and turning it into something better.

Turning our attention now to the Rite of Supremacy. Holy hell. Shikyo returned to his true home, and for 5 weeks struck down bitches with a vengeance. I'm going to brag now and point out his extraordinary battle vs his long time friend Dalthid, which he won. He considered this one of the toughest matches he had ever endured, and over came it. In the epic struggle against House Revan, his excellence burned bright. Between his awesome graphic entries, and his wtf pwning in the Antei Combat Center, I have been the most honored of having him fight at my side. As Proconsul, he leaves me with no questions as to why he is on the Dark Summit. Without Shik, I think our beloved club would no where near what it is today, and on a more personal note, the Shikmeister is an awesome guy, and this promotion is long overdue. Congratulations big man. ~ Taigikori Aybara Dupar CNS PCON

Not much really needs to be said about Shikyo's work ethic and dedication to his position to emphasise why he deserves this promotion; it's pretty clear to everyone that he loves being the Herald, and that he puts a lot of his time into the position, even in the face of internet problems. I doubt many members of the Brotherhood could continue to consistently deliver such awesomeness when faced with the kind of computer troubles Shikyo's had, so that he's managed to keep going at the same awe-inspiring pace is nothing short of amazing. The recent Herald Hannukah is just one example of the kind of sexiness he's been providing the Brotherhood with; the robes and sabers that are being released in great quantities are of the highest quality, and there are some that I would definitely be using if I wasn't already hooked up with some custom stuff! In every other aspect of the Brotherhood that he's involved in, Shikyo shows the same commitment and dedication; he's been doing a great, solid job in the Antei Combat Centre as well, and is like a dynamo of fictional ideas. His great desire to return to CNS for the upcoming Rite of Supremacy and to dominate in the name of his Clan is just another example of how much Shikyo puts into the Brotherhood and how he does not look for reward; he gets involved to help other people out, which is exactly what the Brotherhood should be about. In short: you fully deserve this promotion, brohim. Congratulations! ~KPN Manji Keibatsu Sadow, Consul of Clan Naga Sadow

In my seven months as Combat Master, Shikyo has been a constant in the ACC. His dedication has shown through on many occasions, always being willing to pick up if other staff members are having difficulties and assist new members in learning the ropes. In addition, he has assisted with several projects, including a rewrite of portions of the ACC Handbook and the introduction of no less than fifteen new ACC venues. Because of his sustained effort over the past seven months, I am happy to add my recommendation for his promotion. ~ Seraine "Erinyes" Ténama, Combat Master

I am not even going to count all the custom sabers Shikyo has created. Nor will I do so for the warbanners. there's simply too much to count and stay sane. Add to that the recent Hannukkah robes and sabers, and I am truly amazed that Shikyo did manage to stay sane as he did them all. So, I congratulate thee. Now, please stay sane a little longer, please. ~ Korras, Master at Arms

There's not much subtle or quiet about our Herald. Graphics are such an integral part of any web-club, that it is hard to ignore one who does such good works over such a long period of time. Shikyo Has been our Herald for more than two years, a record only bested by Kaine Mandaala. In that time, he has picked up where I left off, continuing to advance our graphical projects, in things like Herald Style Hannukhah where we grossly amplify the choices available to the members, to projects like the headshot selector and possessions, major projects that require intense amount of man hours that have yet to pose their impact on the club. Shikyo has definitely made a name for himself, and the club would not be as good a place without his work. for that work, he is to be elevated from the Equites and take his place among the elders as a Dark Side Adept. ~ Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2010-02-22 14:01:02 UTC

We often talk of the qualities necessary for one to reach the Elder tier. Prized among them is a selfless service to the greater benefit of the Brotherhood as a whole. We look for members who have in many and major ways left the club better than when they found it. Arion Aquillarum Sunrider has always possessed these sought-after and rare traits. He, like many of us, has not always possessed all the time to he would like to employ them here for our benefit. Despite this, Arion has used what time he has had available to help not himself, but all of us. Over the last nine months he has recoded the entire Shadow Academy website from the ground up, converting the codebase to PHP and allowing its administrators and users greater access and utility to this club-wide tool. During this upgrade Arion also fixed numerous errors in the code that were not necessarily critical to his conversion task. He also corrected several issues with the main Brotherhood site. Dedication like this shows us that he is not interested in taking, but giving.

While Arion benefits the entire club with his professional skill, he also manages to benefit whatever unit of the Brotherhood he finds himself in. During the Ninth Great Jedi War Arion finished 7th overall greatly benefitting his clan and its members in their collective placement. While in Revan, Arion has particpated in numerous events of the Rite of Supremacy including Round 1's Poetry and Round 2's Fiction event. He also achieved a critical victory in the Antei Combat Center that lifted his unit, once again, to a placing higher than otherwise would have been possible without him. If recoding websites and leading clans to victory were not enough to warrant Elder status, Arion has also found time to serve as the Magistrate to the Grand Master as well as having recently completed a term as the Left Hand of Justice. So thorough has Arion's service to the club been he was recently awarded a Seal of Loyalty this past Brotherhood holiday. While balancing his duties and efforts to aid the club, Arion made the time and effort to help establish Independent House Revan—the first Independent House established in the Brotherhood in a decade—as well as create and manage its website. His efforts over the last nine months have garnered him 19 Clusters of Fire, 14 Seals of Unity, 3 Gold Novas, 2 Sapphire Blades, 2 Steel Crosses, 1 Dark Cross, and a Seal of Loyalty with more to come from the recent Rite of Supremacy. We of Revan know where we would be without Arion. It is time the Brotherhood knew it as well. ~ Raken, Independent House Revan

Arion Sunrider is an ex-Headmaster who came to Taigikori and I wanting to know how he could help. He was a coder, so we knew there was plenty for him to do, and put him straight to work. Needless to say, Arion surpasses our expectations on every project we give him, making sure they look great and work great.

One of Arion's first projects when he started working with us was to head the complete recode of the Shadow Academy website from ASP to PHP, which he did not only quickly and efficiently, but amazingly. He rebuilt all of the existing functionality of the website, not only the public site, but also the entire admin site, reworking it to make it easier to navigate and understand by implementing a Course Group function that organizes everything by Departments, and even included a very cool drag and drop feature when moving courses from all Department to another. He did all of this coding in the middle of the Ninth Great Jedi War, which he still managed to place Seventh overall in. Thanks to the changes Arion made, updating and expanding the Shadow Academy in the future is much easier.

A lot of the changes Arion has made to the SA are noticeable mainly to those who regularly deal with the admin site, but he also does work on the public side of things. On the main Brotherhood website, Arion completely reorganized dossier training tabs to list courses by Department instead of alphabetically, and continues to work on revamps to the member histories on dossiers. All of these coding improvements are followed up with constant updates and bug fixes. In one case, Arion was made aware of a glitch concerning new member activations by Muz, and he identified and fixed the problem within twenty minutes. In the Shadow Academy, Taig and I are always emailing him about glitches, and he always looks into them and fixes them.

Outside of actual programming, Arion has also been working with us to revamp the Department of Coding Practices. He assisted in the total rewrites of HTML 1 and 2, and is currently working on a completely new PHP course. I do not hesitate to say that Arion is one of the most invaluable members I have ever worked with. Without him the Shadow Academy would be nowhere near where it is today, both in the functionality of its programming as well as its quality and ease. Taigikori and I have always enjoyed rewarding Arion for his hard work and dedication, including a Sapphire Blade, so I am overjoyed to be able to assist him in his elevation to the ranks of the Elders, an honor he more than deserves. ~ Dark Side Adept Aabsdu di Plagia Dupar; Headmaster of the Shadow Academy

The Shadow Academy as a whole has not seen such dramatic changes since the arrival of Arion Sunrider. In the wake of all of the massive amounts of problems that the Shadow Academy has faced over the last year with bugs and SQL attacks, one person has been there to forever change the face of how the SA deals goes about its day to day operations. The person who re-coded the Shadow Academy over to PHP, without any help what so over. The person who has been there day in and day out without hiccup. The man I’m referring to is none other than Arion.

In the days where you could find a hundred dollar bill on the street easier than finding an ACTIVE coder in the Dark Brotherhood, Arion has set a new standard of all of the DB’s code monkeys. He’s been in the brotherhood for longer than he probably will want to admit, but he doesn’t just sit content with living the life of a rogue. No, he goes over and beyond to make the entire Brotherhood community a little bit of a better place every day. Not a single day has passed when I’ve regretted working with Arion, and I doubt one of those days will ever come to pass. Below you’ll find a short but astonishing brief of the works of Arion over the last year alone.

Re-haul of the SA site to PHP. This not only took place during the Ninth Great Jedi War, but it took place without incident. The SA was the home of one of the largest SA competitions in recent memory, with nearly over 500 exams passed, and over 200 degrees awarded. The sheer volume of coding Arion put forth into the SA PHP re-haul was astounding. I for one have little more than general HTML knowledge, but having full SA FTP access, and the updates via the dev site, I was privy to see Arion’s work first hand before it went live. The entire site went live brilliantly, and I don’t think a single person could have done it better, or quicker.

Other projects consist of regular (and by regular, I mean we completely bypassed the SCL and went straight to Arion) SA bug fixes, in which Arion was directed by both Aabs and myself, and Muz to fix everything from dossier issues, to complete SA crashes. Most of which, the problems were fixed within the hour. This coming from the guy who checks his email during church. You can’t get anything past him.

In closing, Arion is nothing short of a damn genious. You can’t stop him, even when he’s a rolling boulder going downhill. When you read this Arion, know how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for us here at the Shadow Academy. You’re a great asset, but beyond that you’re an even greater friend. Thanks for everything, and I hope this promotion finds its way into your inbox with a large smile. ~Praetor to the Headmaster Taigikori Aybara Dupar

The Elder Class. Reserved for those members who have dedicated time and energy to the Dark Brotherhood in a meaningful manner. Arion has met this lofty expectation and service through years of mentoring members, time spent serving in leadership positions, and volunteering to improve the Dark Brotherhood.

All those updates to the Shadow Academy's coding over the past years? That was Arion. The House Revan website. The was Arion too. All of Arion's coding has been the result of him contacting people and volunteering time. He was never asked to help, but took the initiative to improve those areas he believed he could provide a benefit.

I think the others on this request go into detail about Arion's activity over the years, but I will sum up his worth as an Elder with the comment that I have never heard him ask for a promotion or a reward, but I always see him ask if he can provide help. If that is not an Elder, I don't know what is. Its time to forget about some young guy who decided being DGM was a bit more than he wanted all those years ago and time to reward a guy who has done just about as much as anyone in the club. ~ Sarin, Sith Lord

If an Elder is supposed to be wise and learned, then Arion Sunrider fits the bill perfectly. His brief stint as my first Proconsul proved that all the more. While my computer was dead and my access to the internet was limited to the college, Arion essentially acted as Consul of Clan Plagueis. Covering competitions, taking care of the day-to-day, and essentially running the Clan. He played a big part in developing the House Feud: Insurrection, taking up direction while I was on hiatus. In addition, during his time in Clan Plagueis, he received two Quartz Crescents, three Gold Novae, a Dark Cross, 14 Seals of Unity, 19 Clusters of Fire, and TWO Sapphire Blades. His work has always been exceptional, and alongside these other recommendations, you will see why Arion has earned his promotion to Dark Side Adept. Many congratulations, Arion. This is well deserved. ~ Alaris Jinn di Plagia, CON of PLA

Elevation in the rank of Elders is oft reserved for those members whom have made a lasting impact on the club. Be it through the relationships they formed, the aspiring leaders and members they coached or the blood, sweat and tears devoted to their duties. An Elder remains an icon of what every Brotherhood member should strive to achieve.

Arion has my full confidence in elevation to the rank of Dark Adept, because he has done all of these things and asked for very, very little in return. Over the years, we have given him our respect and praise - today we give him the rank for all of his hard work. For me, for several years, Arion has been worked along my side on several Clans and the Brotherhood. A "labor of love" we often called it.

In that time, Arion has helped with revisions to Clan Plagueis, Clan Scholae Palatinae and, once more, Clan Plagueis. Each time, he has been a catalyst in both large projects (Planet Resets, Fleet Resets, Fictional Direction, Vendetta Participation/Mentorship/Leadership, etc) and the small projects (coding the merit system, creating new banners for web sites, adding fictional elements for both his character and the benefit of others). Honestly, the list has become so long on the tasks I have handed Arion... I doubt I could ever recall them all. I only know that Arion remains as invaluable to me as a Phoenix or Alaris. And I hold him in the same regard as several Elders and high profile members of our club.

Welcome to the Circle of Elders, Arion. And thank you for assistance on a myriad of large projects and a billion small ones. The club has become a better place with your help. You have left your mark and I thank you for that. ~ Braecen Kaeth

There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, and done by people that are not showboating or gunning for glory themselves. Arion is one such member. With his tireless hours working on code and helping to advance things in the Shadow Academy in addition to his work to make the new Independent House Revan work, he has made an indelible mark on the Brotherhood. It is easy to see where his hand has touched, and it is for that, and for the many fine words his friends have said about him in his reccommendation that we recognize him as an Elder of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. ~ Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2010-02-22 14:06:16 UTC

Since his last promotion, Troutrooper has steadily contributed to the progress of Tarentum and now, fortunately for us, House Revan. He has a long history of benefiting the entire club through his work, but recently has focused on seeing his particular unit succeed. Though often quiet, when he is asked, or when necessary, Trout puts forth effort like no other. Without him, Tarentum nor Revan would have enjoyed the competitive success they have in recent Vendettas. By example, over the last two and a half years Trout has earned 18 Seals of Pain, 11 Clusters of Fire, 6 Seals of Unity, 3 Gold Novas, 2 Bronze Novas, 2 Seals of Remembrance, Silver Nova, Seal of Loyalty, Crescent with Ruby Star, Crescent with Topaz Star, Dark Cross, and the Steel Cross.

So complete and dominant were Trout's efforts on behalf of his clan during the Eighth Great Jedi War, he was awarded Second Hero finishing before all competitors save one. While with us in Revan we have witnessed first-hand this steadfast dedication to his unit. Trout has participated in nearly every event of the Rite of Supremacy including Round 1 Fiction, Round 2 Fiction and Graphics, and the Finals Fiction event. He also placed 5th in Round 1's Fiction event helping us defeat his former clan. This swing clearly illustrates the value of having such a talented member as part of one's organization. Were it not for his efforts on our behalf, we would not have made it out of the first round.

Not only has Trout helped us succeed in competition, but he was also one of Revan's original founders. He has dutifully and skillfully turned his talents to helping us establish and explore our new lore and mythology. Revan has an interesting concept of an identifying tattoo only visible to our own members through the Force. Trout helped us develop this concept and wrote out its formal description. We of Revan feel very fortunate to have him with us and would like to show our appreciation and give our thanks with this honor. Trout is more than deserving of this hallowed rank and we could not be more thankful he chooses to spend his time here with us. ~ Raken, Independent House Revan

Dark Jedi Master, a rank that requires outstanding achievement in the Dark Brotherhood that can only be compared with the top 10% of our members historically. What makes a Dark Jedi Master? Perhaps a member who has submitted Dark Brotherhood changing work in the form of the Antei Document? Perhaps a member who has excelled not only as a Dark Council member, but also as a Second Hero of a Great Jedi War? Perhaps a member who has regularly served as adviser to Grand Masters and Deputy Grand Masters for the last decade? Perhaps a member who desired to see the Dark Brotherhood change and helped develop and form an Independent House that could win the first Vendetta it ever participated in? This is Troutrooper.

Trouty is a writer with few peers, a creator of new content and lore of the Brotherhood, and a leader with few peers. What makes Trouty's leadership remarkable is that he has done it without serving in a position, something that so many require. Trouty serves the Brotherhood daily be providing a calm and stable influence that mocks those who throw fits or those who embarrass their House/Clan. When House Revan recently encountered our first series of setbacks, Trouty was the first to lend a calming hand and influence on what could have degenerated into the standard fit shown by so many Clans in the past.

Trout's most recent achievements, a capstone to his most impressive career, include setting up and helping establish House Revan lore. His talents at creating new and fresh content are second to none and he will continue to provide quality to the Dark Brotherhood as a whole for years to come.

Trouty is truly deserving of this elevation. ~ Sarin, Sith Lord

It’s been awhile since I was called to write a recommendation but when asked to write this small token I couldn’t help but agree; a member who has done so much deserves recognition. During my tenure as CON of Tarentum a person transferred to the Clan of whom I knew very little but what I’d heard from my associates however this ignorance did not last as Troutrooper, the member in question, threw himself into the workings of the Clan integrating himself fully and contributing much during and after my time in charge. His run on output was prodigious, fiction of quality churned out; often for no material benefit only to further the Clan’s fictional standing and history. The Sixth Great Jedi War came and went and with it TT excelled himself earning plaudits for his work and gaining a significant percentage of Tarentum’s overall points.

His attitude towards the Club was refreshing during a period of dejection amongst many and was a contributing factor in Tarentum’s renewal after a disappointing war. Not only did this help his clan mates but he too was an excellent ambassador for the Clan to the Club at large and helped restore our image to those who had become jaded.

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help and assistance during the months I was CON and for the two years of aid and succour you provided Tarentum. Congratulations on a well earned promotion and may you remain for many years a part of this Club to entertain us with your fictions and other works. ~ Welshman

Although I have not had the opportunity to work with Troutrooper recently, I know him well and have worked with him extensively in the past. Troutrooper was my Praetor when I was Grand Master. In that role, Trout excelled. He served for over a year as my go-to guy for side projects and advice. He was level-headed and reliable. I trusted TT to be within my inner circle of advisors; a group that is not easily entered into. Many of the contributions that I made to the Brotherhood were completed in part because of this man's role as my assistant.

I cannot speak fully for Trout over the last few years. However, I can speak fully as to the rank of Dark Jedi Master. The elite of the elite of the Brotherhood hold this rank; these are individuals that show skill and resolve beyond description. They serve over a long period of time and always enjoy putting the Brotherhood's labors ahead of their self interest. A DJM is a person who we uphold as the best of the Brotherhood, a person who deserves to be written about and remembered.

Troutrooper is just that. He is a member that I know deserves to be recognized. He is a member who is among the elite in our organization. He deserves this. And frankly, had I the ability to skip him over DA, he would have been a DJM three years ago.

This is a promotion I fully support because for years, Troutrooper has fully supported us. ~ Jac Cotelin, Sith Lord

There have been, in the Brotherhood, a handful of writers whom I’ve read and looked at with not only interest, but the kind of study that is normally devoted to Faulkner or Steinbeck. These writers give the Brotherhood pieces of work that are more than just flashes of action or heavily verbose soliloquies that would fit in with the literature of more than one hundred and fifty years ago. These writers are, for lack of a better term, real writers. They engage the reader. They make the reader think. They force them to look at the world that they’ve written, the world that they’ve borrowed, the world that we live in through their coke bottle lenses. They don’t always win, when they rightly should, because their pieces are too challenging. Which is a shame, but it in no way detracts from their skill.

Troutrooper is one such writer. His writing inhabits that strange simplistically complex nature that is the hallmark of Modern English Literature. It doesn’t borrow from insipid and inane scifi or fantasy genres. While the subject matter borders on the inconsequential, he presents his work with both clear purpose and dizzying subtext. On the surface, his work looks very plain, very ordinary. A cursory read through gives you nothing. You have to read his work in detail, to really delve into why his writing is so captivating. He makes excellent use of detail, not by going into detail, but by withholding it. He gives you just enough to show you what is going on without burdening you with superfluous trinkets of diction. And his word choice is cautious and planned. His words are there for a reason. They change the tempo of a sentence, they set up a scene and denude another.

For one who is such a Master of his craft, I have always failed to fathom why he has not been celebrated even a fraction as much as he should have. In the last GJW, I saw him come second to me with a superior piece. A reason that I still cannot divine. And so, I offer up this humble recommendation as both an apology and appreciation. What better way can our organization honor someone who has such incredible command of the written word, capable of standing side by side with the likes of Shaitan, Sirrus and Darkfyre, than to recognize his Mastery by making him a Dark Jedi Master? ~ Maxamillian von Oberst-Tarentae, Consul, Clan Tarentum

Subtlety and surety is another mark of those who know that they do not have to cause havoc to get stuff done. As an advisor for the Dark Council for the better part of ten years, Troutrooper has long been considered a mitigating voice and a solid ear on projects in the brotherhood. Yet, while he works diligently behind the scenes, he also finds the time to bring his a-game during vendetta events. Trout came to us late from the hammer, and lost DJM when he did so, a sacrifice that he felt was needed for his own sanity and for our advantage. I am pleased to say that today, we restore to Trout the very well-earned rank of Dark Jedi Master. ~ Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2010-02-22 14:11:13 UTC

Passed the Test of Lore

Kanamé Norari, 2010-02-22 09:14:28 UTC

Passed the Test of Lore

Oberyn Kaiser, 2010-02-21 16:42:17 UTC

Passed the Test of Lore

Kaz Sain, 2010-02-21 15:33:35 UTC

Surlan has passed the Shadow Academy's Brotherhood Basics, competed for us in the Rite of Supremacy: Spoils of War, registered for the forums and visited us on mIRC.

He is obviously and engaged member of the club and looks to move forward in his career.

Well done.

Raken, Independent House Revan

Raken, 2010-02-21 11:03:11 UTC