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By its very nature, the dark side invites rivalry and strife. This is our greatest strength: it culls the weak from our order.

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Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of the Grand Master report. This past weekend was extremely busy as Muz and I attempted to wrap up the GJW and award all merit medals and seals. We are aware that a few seals are missing out there and that Novae need to be awarded, you should see them shortly.

I want to thank everyone for their participation in the GJW and for the feedback that we are receiving. Like all major competitions the GJW had some good points and it had some bad points. In the end, I hope everyone remembers that Raken/Muz/I/Halc attempted to create a game that would be fun. We might have missed the mark in some areas, but we gave it our best try.

If you have feedback on the War, please continue to send it to my email. So far I have received great comments from quite a few people (thanks for the early morning mail TT). :

On to the report:

<p>News</p>

<p>

Fiction Tribune: Open for applications: Fiction Tribune (T:F) - The Fiction Tribune is the Tribune responsible for the overseeing writing activities in the Dark Brotherhood. Most often, this means organizing writing competitions, including the Monthly Topics. Additional duties will include working with the P:GM and GM on the continued development of the Dark Brotherhood story arc. <p>

Specific Duties<p>

<li>Develop, organize and run writing competitions. <li>Promote participation in writing-based competitions throughout the Dark Brotherhood. <li>Work with the Headmaster and other Shadow Academy staff to develop writing courses, when necessary.

Applications for the position of T:F are now open and will remain so until 3 September. Applicants should attach an example of their writing, detail a plan of action for their first month as T:F, and list one reference. A strong grasp of the English Language and the ability to relate thought via the written word is a must :p<p>

Tribune Dark Side Compendium: Position Removal: I have decided to remove the position of T:DSC from the roll of tribunes. The T:DSC has not been a successful position and no work has been completed on the project since Macron held the position. Rather than continue to select T:DSCs and place an enormous burden on them, I have decided to whore out the GM staff and volunteers to complete the DSC. This position will not be returning.

T:ICTE and T:G Combined: I have also decided to combine the position of T:ICTE and T:G. This move has been one that has long been considered and most people agree that it makes sense to place DB gaming under one office. T:G will now hold the responsibilities of both jobs and T:ICTE will vanish with T:DSC. In the future when we launch the new version of the GRMG, I will entertain thoughts of converting the T:G position into the CoG and making it the gaming Society Leader position.

But for now, T:G is the job. And on that note. T:G is Open for applications:

Duties</p><p> Gaming Tribune (T:G)—The Gaming Tribune is responsible for very crucial elements of Brotherhood gaming. The Gaming Tribune is responsible for the Rites of Combat and helps the Dark Council establish fair rules for gaming. The Gaming Tribune's weekly work involves the tournament system, in which he helps to host the Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday events and tracks the results for all of the Brotherhood. The Gaming Tribune administers the point system that is temporarily in place until the credit system is released. He also works to help administrate Brotherhood gaming servers. His general duties include:</p><p>

<li>Administration of the Gaming nights and Sunday Tournament <li>Tracks point accumulation and possession purchases <li>Maintains the Rites of Combat <li>Assists in the maintenance and administration of Gaming Servers <li>Assists members with issues and conflicts involving Gaming <p>

Specific Gaming Tribune Duties</p><p>

Gaming Nights / Sunday Tournament</p><p>

<li>Develops and maintains policies and procedure relating to Dark Brotherhood gaming nights <li>Ensures that each gaming night is advertised and that members have a chance to attend <li>Ensures that each gaming night is properly hosted and that results are properly recorded <li>Publishes gaming night results in weekly reports to the Brotherhood <li>Posts a list of members qualified to participate in the Sunday tournament prior to its start <p>

Rites of Combat</p><p>

<li>Develops and maintains rules associated with each gaming activity within the Brotherhood <li>Updates Rites of Combat to reflect new developments in the rules and new games <p>

Gaming Servers</p><p>

<li>Assists in the upkeep and administration of Gaming Servers <p>

ICTE</p><p>

<li>Develops and maintains policies and procedure related to the Inter-club Training Event <li>Works with other clubs to ensure an appropriate venue and that a set of rules is established <li>Ensures that each training event is advertised and that members have a chance to attend <li>Assists other clubs in advertising the training event to their members <li>Ensures that each training event is properly hosted and that results are properly recorded <li>Publishes training event results in weekly reports to the Brotherhood <li>Assists other clubs in obtaining their results for the training event <li> Works to establish new participants in the training event by inviting other clubs to join <li>Develops and maintains the Inter-club Training Event website <li>Regularly comes up with new and interesting ways to encourage involvement in the event<p>

Other</p><p>

<li>Organizes the Dark Brotherhood efforts to participate in Weeks of War <li>Occasionally creates small competitions for the Brotherhood to participate in <li>Helps to answer member questions and solve gaming issues <li>Serves as a mediator in solving problems and conflicts involving gaming

Applications for the position of T:G are now open and will remain so until 3 September. Applicants should list their experience with gaming and detail a plan of action for their first month as T:G. Thorough knowledge of the Dark Brotherhood major gaming platforms is a must. <p>

Raken: Everyone should take the opportunity to thank Raken for putting the time and energy into writing the GJW plot. Raken and I bounced around ideas for a few months and then he turned our brainstorming into one of the best stories the DB has ever had. The P:GM is a sneaky guy, but if you catch him on mIRC, be sure to say thanks.

GJW Clan Rewards/Fleets: Many of you have heard that there will be a restructure of the fleets and that the reward for the GJW will be new ships for each fleet. These rewards and the system for the rewards will be out within the next two weeks.

Why two weeks?</p><p> I have a three day comprehensive exam this week and then I will be flying to my house in Tennessee for the weekend. Dark Lady Sarin and Darth Babytus will get 100% of my time this weekend. Muz will also be venturing outside into the daylight for the first time in sex weeks. So in essence, you guys are going to wait for our vacation. Sorry.

Dark Voice: Everyone should take the time to look over the Dark Voice. Derev and his staff did an outstanding job putting together the GJW edition. You can ran the DV at: http://dv.darkjedibrotherhood.com/DarkVoice_Vol5_Iss1/. Great work DV staff!

</p> -> <p>Awards</p> <-

Congratulations: Medals: Duga on his Diamond Sword, Bloodfyre on his AK, Raken on his ED, Braecen on his RS, Sildrin on her SB, Halc on his AK, Alanna on her SB, Mav on his SB, Revenge on his SB, Impetus on her SB, Chaos on his SB, Dismal on his SB, and Shadow on his AK.

Congratulations: Promotions: Congratulations to Strat, Sithspawn, and Trouty on Dark Adept, Macron on SWL, Aabs on SWL, Kraval and Bubba on SBL, Dark Sabre on Pontifex, Sai on Priest, Ashia on Archpriest, and Vardar on SBM.

Congratulations: Work: Great work to everyone who competed in the Great Jedi War, to Raken for writing such a great story, Muz for running such a great competition, Kir on maintaining the law, and Taldryan for winning (again).

<p>Real Life</p>

Darth Babytus: I am happy the GJW is over!:

<p> </p> -> <p>Final Thoughts</p> <-

It's a trap!: A member of the Dark Brotherhood recently submitted a request to join the rogues and indicated the cowardice of the Dark Council as his primary reason. The cowardice as this membered noted was directed at the lack of expulsions handed out to some of our so called trouble members.

This members sentiments have been stated by a few people lately and it is very easy to get caught up in the idea that things would be better if we just expelled the bad apples. This line of thinking is a trap and let me tell you why.

We bolted from a club that ran a system where the dictator tyrant could expel anyone he wanted. We created a Covenant to ensure that this would never happen here. We are never going to change this as long as I am Grand Master and I would even reach out from the Star Chamber to stop it from happening after I retire. We don't build or encourage tyrants here.

So yes, the Covenant protects some of our members who could use a good slap from time to time, but it also protects us from ever becoming a copy of the EH. I'll take mouthy members over the alternative any day of the week.

<p> </p> -> <p>Done!</p> <-

Have a good week everyone!</li></li></li></li></p></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></p></li></p></li></li></p></li></li></li></li></li></p></li></li></li></li></li></p></li></li></li></p></p></p>