Event History

Huh. That actually happened, didn't it? As we always say, Howie will murder his own position, and he did. It's interesting to see a literal icon of DB leadership sunset his own position via the advancements of our site and capabilities. And yelling. So much yelling.

When I first joined the Brotherhood, the bear had not yet fully settled into his cave. I started dealing with him a lot more as a little ol' PCON and then came his rise to the beer pile. It's always been interesting to see the perspectives when it comes to Howie. They ranged from fear, to respect, to confusion, right past sad and back to fear. I never got it though. Whenever someone would say it was difficult to get an award in, or there'd be a lot of back and forth, I'd think of every time I'd just put something sensible together, send it in, then message the bear "if this doesn't work, how do we get it there?" and he'd just tell me. It was easy. Bear gut knew what bear gut needed.

So we fed the bear. We continued to feed it. I have been in at least 5 positions of DB leadership since then... and he was still MAA.

And now he is free. Free to yell, certainly, and that will never change, but free of the site menus. The admin. The emails he probably would delete anyways but would handle quickly. In that time, he has been involved in just about every conversation at the highest level of the club. He has been a voice of reason, discontent, disappointment, and other adjectives I can't put in public. And that's what we needed. You don't need people that are constantly agreeing with you. Sometimes you just need someone to gut check you. Sometimes, you need them to yell at you or just say "that makes sense, but tell me why".

Well, I'll tell you why. Because Howie wasn't just our Master-at-Arms. Not just one of, if not the, longest serving MAA. He was our last. And there will never be another after.

Enjoy the rest and the bear. And the quiet.

I can still hear him yelling.

Darth Renatus, 2026-03-18 00:32:42 UTC

TuQ’uan Varick di Plagia has long since moved beyond the stage of simply being described as one of our most active members. That phrase does not do justice to the scale, scope, or sustained excellence of his contributions. At this point, TuQ is not just a leader within Clan Plagueis. He is part of its operating framework. The Clan functions at the level it does because he is embedded within it.

There are members who contribute meaningfully. There are leaders who guide effectively. And then there are those rare individuals whose presence fundamentally shifts expectations. TuQ belongs firmly in that final category.

On the measurable side of the ledger, his activity remains extraordinary. Since his last medal recognition for activity alone, he has participated in 862 competitions while organizing 434 and co-organizing an additional 9. That level of output would define a career for many members. For TuQ, it represents a sustained pace. His placements span the full competitive spectrum, including 5 Gold Novae, 3 Silver Novae, 2 Bronze Novae, and hundreds of crescents from Quartz through Diamond. His cluster totals reinforce that breadth of engagement, with 138 Clusters of Fire, 58 Clusters of Ice, and 209 Clusters of Graphite earned across gaming, fiction, ACC, and artistic pursuits. His fiction contributions are equally substantial. Between ACC battles, regular fiction, and roleplaying, he has produced well over 24,000 words of writing in this period alone. He has completed 26 fiction activities outside the ACC, participated in 11 roleplaying sessions, and finished 3 ACC battles totaling 4,799 words. He continues to invest in personal growth as well, passing 9 Shadow Academy courses and earning 2 degrees. His advancement across societies, including 8 rank ups, further demonstrates that his engagement is broad, not narrow.

Impressive as those statistics are, they are only half the story.

TuQ has repeatedly demonstrated that elite personal activity and elite leadership are not mutually exclusive. While maintaining one of the most decorated activity profiles in the Brotherhood, he simultaneously builds systems that elevate everyone around him. Participation rates within his sphere of influence do not spike randomly. They are cultivated. Under his tenure on the summit, Clan Plagueis has posted major event participation percentages that many units struggle to reach. Pro Bowl VIII in 2024 saw 60.6 percent participation. Crossing into 2025, Ascending Conspiracy reached 56 percent. Parabellum Cycle 2 climbed to 66.67 percent. Even in cycles with lower engagement (by Clan Plagueis standards, that is!), such as Parabellum Cycle 1 at 41.38 percent or Pro Bowl XI at 48.2 percent, the Clan still maintained participation ratios within 3 percentage points of the others. These are not isolated successes. They reflect sustained cultural expectations that members will show up, compete, and contribute. That consistency does not happen by accident. It happens because TuQ invests in relationships, not just announcements. Weekend updates, competition spotlights, direct messaging, and structured summit coordination combine into a deliberate ecosystem of accountability and encouragement. He does not simply direct subordinate leaders. He develops them. He reinforces standards and ensures communication flows downward as effectively as it flows upward.

Strategically, TuQ has been the operational backbone of the Clan. Serving as Proconsul, while also contributing at the Brotherhood level as an Exarch staff member for ten months and briefly as a Magistrate to the Regent, he has balanced Clan leadership with broader service. His reports are timely and substantive. His summit collaboration is constant. When external demands arise, internal momentum does not falter. It is also worth noting that TuQ does not confine himself to participation and leadership alone. His 434 organized competitions are a foundational pillar of Clan activity. He does not merely encourage members to compete. He builds the venues in which they can do so. That self reinforcing cycle of creation and participation is one of the defining features of his tenure. He does not merely participate in the culture of the Clan — he engineers it. Participation rates, engagement rhythms, competition ecosystems, reporting discipline, mentorship pipelines — these are not accidents. They are the product of intentional effort.

Longevity alone does not create legacy. Sustained excellence does. From battleteam leadership through House command to the Clan summit, TuQ has performed at every tier of responsibility with consistency and drive. Many members ascend to senior ranks and pause to enjoy the view. TuQ has never been content to stand still. Each elevation has been followed by acceleration. He participates relentlessly. He organizes relentlessly. He mentors relentlessly. He reports relentlessly. The cumulative effect is not simply an impressive statistical profile, but a culture of expectation within Clan Plagueis. Major events see strong turnout. Internal competitions remain plentiful. Engagement remains personal rather than automated. Momentum is sustained rather than episodic. Clan Plagueis is stronger because TuQ chooses to invest his time here. It is more stable because he provides continuity. It is more competitive because he models the standard he expects. It is more ambitious because he refuses to accept mediocrity from himself or from the systems around him.

There are many excellent leaders in the Brotherhood. Very few combine statistical dominance, structural thinking, cultural stewardship, mentorship impact, and sustained longevity at TuQ’uan Varick’s level. Plagueis does not simply benefit from his presence. It thrives because of it. For all of these reasons, measurable, cultural, and strategic alike, I offer my strongest possible recommendation. He has not merely met the expectations of his rank and position. He has consistently redefined them. Simply put: remove TuQ from the equation, and the operational tempo of the Clan changes overnight. That level of embedded influence is rare. That level of reliability is priceless.

Master Selika Roh di Plagia, 2026-02-19 19:44:27 UTC

Atra has been a fixture of the Council since his appointment as the club's second Regent in 2019, though we didn't work together closely until I became DGM and he was confirmed as Justicar. From that day forward, as we both grew into our roles (which is a process that never really ends), it's been an absolute pleasure to work with him and call him a friend. In the last five-ish years, we've coordinated on everything from CoJ matters to the planning and rollout of both XP and our Discord server. And since his last medal he's had a hand in every major Council project, every Council or Consul hiring decision, and has taken the laboring oar on the conception and management of the first DB Season.

In a few days I expect him to receive the final promotion of his DB career, but for now, while I still can, I'm happy to award him his second well-earned Diamond Sword--he's now only the third person in the DB who can dual wield these things. Watch out.

Lord Dacien Victae, 2026-01-02 14:47:45 UTC

Over the course of the last nine months, Noobi oversaw (and heavily participated in) conceiving, testing, launching, and planning improvements for the largest expansion of the possessions system since its initial launch nearly a decade ago. He pitched the concept of Masterwork possessions--which eventually evolved into the broader concept of "crafting"--to me and Evant a couple of years ago and worked with a determination and focus I've rarely witnessed to iron out the details with his staff and James and to do the yeoman's work of filling out a massively complex spreadsheet workbook with many interconnecting parts--hundreds of individual prototypes including Corvettes and lightsabers. Again, not since the initial possessions project has the Regent's office had so many moving parts to evaluate, input, and balance.

After launch, Noobi started a survey to gather member feedback on the new system, with the goal of reducing friction and improving the member experience. With the help of his team, he created a plan to introduce some significant improvements to the crafting process, which he has left to his successor along with all of the work done on future expansions of the system.

Masterwork possessions are the culmination of his extremely productive term as Regent. He will be a tough act to follow, but he has left a model of hard work and forward thinking for others to emulate.

Lord Dacien Victae, 2024-07-23 11:55:40 UTC

Slags and his leadership team have turned Plagueis into a beehive of activity. In the last year, Plagueis has consistently sat at or near the top of the clans by participation rates in competitions. In fact, in the second quarter of 2023 an astounding 88 percent of Plagueians participated in at least one competition. What makes that (possibly unprecedented) performance even more impressive is that it followed an 80% participation rate in Q1 2023, and 75% in Q4 of 2022. Almost across the board, Plagueians boosted their activity by significant margins this year. That high octane performance recently secured a strong second place finish in GJW XVI, which Slags led from the front (or... two back from the front, but close!) as the Third Hero of the War. Although it didn't quite manage to match its Q2 participation rate, it still made an impressive showing by consistently ranking among the top three clans by participation in each phase.

Beyond general clan activity and the vendetta, Slags also led the organization of two Pro Bowls that involved six and then seven clans. Both events were very well received by participants and have become an annual club-wide staple. Organizing the Pro Bowls required wrangling all of the other CONs (or PCONs) to plan, implement, and score competitions, as well as work on event fiction. In all Slags has organized 52 competitions (many of those for the Pro Bowl). He has also participated in 98 and earned dozens of crescents, novae, and cluster (including a whopping 780 CGs!).

Lord Dacien Victae, 2023-10-20 13:32:06 UTC

Bubba joined me as DGM as my first hire as Grand Master. Since then he's helped me work through every decision I've made and over the past several years reached a point where he himself was as capable as I am at the role of GM. It's a combination of all his hard work and dedication towards seeing this community thrive and being my greatest supporter and friend that he has earned this recognition. Congratulations on this award, it's hard to find the right digital currency to award you for all you've done but this will have to do. Good luck and I hope you enjoy everything that comes next.

Lord Evio Nezsa, 2023-10-06 17:22:59 UTC

Idris has made himself the busiest member of the Dark Council. Not only does he oversee and participate in the regular processing of CSes and fielding of many, many members' questions, but he also conceived the Children of Mortis and wrote the vast majority of the club fiction released over the past year teasing the new faction and then revealing them in full for the War. He also brainstormed and is spearheading the in-progress revamp of the ACC, which, though incomplete, has significantly reduced match grading time in part due to his simplification of the grading rubric (which was a project in itself, combining and streamlining rubrics for the ACC, ROs, and regular fictions). He also lead the popular and successful revamp of the CS feat system, and has kept up a steady stream of competitions, including major DB-wide comps like the Shadows Unveiled series.

Xen, you've earned this through literal blood, sweat, and tears. Congratulations!

Lord Dacien Victae, 2022-08-05 14:15:34 UTC

Atra has over the past two years, spent time as the Combat Master, a member of the newly formed Vizsla, Praetor to the Grand Master and most recently finishing up a year as Regent overseeing the possessions systems.

As Combat Master, up to the end he spent time updating skills, feats and guides as he strove to improve usability for the systems. He ended his two years as Combat Master but continued his impact on the Brotherhood as Praetor to the Grand Master. As P:GM, Atra participated in a range of projects, including proposals for overhauling the Path system, and in running the Pulsefeed News Aggregate updates, which he now handles as Regent. Eventually, Atra would help establish and then join the newly formed Vizsla Clan, and continued to participate in competitions and events earning crescents and Novae for his quality efforts as a member. Atra helped to write numerous documents that would form the Clan's successful proposal and subsequent strong launch.

Then when the opportunity came up, he became the Regent. Immediately stepping in during a vendetta and picking up where Evant left off and keeping the list of projects going to build a complete experience and system. While reviewing and refreshing the staff to provide an experience for members who submit custom aspects to get what they want quickly and efficiently. This included being the Regent over two vendettas, Discord and later Homefront, along with a Prologue event to introduce a new faction Prison Break. His impact alone on these three major Brotherhood wide events was incredible and he contributed much to their success. As an organizer, a storyteller, an administrator and a leader. In addition to these successful events as a member of the Dark Council, Atra oversaw updates in policy to improve member experience, as well as large content expansion in lists of available items and availability of upgrades for members space vehicles. Along with a roadmap for great future plans.

For all his incredible contributions to the Brotherhood across a wide range of roles, I recommend for Atra a Diamond Sword. Congratulations!

Telaris "Mav" Cantor, 2020-08-27 19:40:34 UTC

The Dark Jedi Brotherhood has had four Grand Master’s since 2003. In these four, you can find many differences, but each has a common trait. They love the Dark Brotherhood. A Grand Master’s love for the club manifests in an inordinate amount of time spent on club projects, amazing amounts of patience, and a desire to make our club a better place for all members.

Our current Grand Master, know to all of us as simply Mav, possesses the required traits of a Grand Master in abundance. He manages a vast collection of members with varied desires, opinions, and visions and he does it with skill and élan.

I’m proud to put this recommendation in from the Star Chamber and award OUR Grand Master his second Diamond Sword. Congrats!

Grand Master Declan Roark, 2019-09-29 00:39:35 UTC

Marick 'Wally' Tyris is without a doubt one of the hardest working members we have ever had the pleasure of working with. Since his promotion fifteen months ago, Wally has been tireless in his efforts to improve our fictional systems, overseeing numerous projects and updates to the Character Sheet System and the further development of our fictional enemies the Collective. Under Wally's guidance, the Voice office has released a new exam to ease members into their first character sheet, added new species to the selector, updated character creation guides and tools, and, in collaboration with other Dark Council offices, greatly expanded the fictional role and opportunities to members posed by our societies and other organizations. Wally has written half a dozen major fictional updates over the last year, along with editing every piece of major fiction that the Dark Council releases. He takes the lead on regular Story Group discussions and helps to shape our fictional direction on a daily basis. He's overseen numerous major competitions in that time span, including the Collective Chronicles that helped flush out our opponents, and was a major force in the Rite of Supremacy, managing not only three fiction competitions over the event, but also assisting on numerous "Miscellaneous" competitions, including the Knowledge is Power series and the Hero/Foil aspect competition. Wally regularly runs workshop and Inquisitor competitions for the Brotherhood as a whole, and is constantly improving members writing by offering detailed feedback. He takes every opportunity he can to help our members, such as when he assisted the Combat Master last June by acting as coach of one of the teams participating in the Coach's Corner ACC event. In addition to the mundane but incredibly important tasks such as 'just' keeping documentation updated, Wally has greatly expanded the resources available on the Wiki through numerous resources related to fiction, character sheets, and the Voice's office. It is for all of these reasons that we are happy to award Wally his first Diamond Sword.

Congratulations, Wally!

Grand Master Telaris "Mav" Cantor and Deputy Grand Master Vyr

Telaris "Mav" Cantor, 2019-03-24 18:39:15 UTC