Greetings, Cestus! This is a much earlier report than I usually do, early by about three days, but a big change has occurred in the Brotherhood and I also figured I should do a "Less than two weeks before GJW" pep talk when I'm not braindead from my stats test that will be happening tomorrow. Warning: This means this report is going to be a little long. If you have a short attention span, well...deal.

Today, Sarin just announced that he is resigning from the position of Grand Master after two years of service. While in his report he has declared that he will still be GM in the GJW's story, this still doesn't change the fact that this is a big change in the Brotherhood's line-up. From what I can gather, Muz is definitely the new Grand Master. Anyway, I say that despite any sort of conflicts Tarentum or individuals have had in the past with the Dark Council and anyone in it, we should congratulate Muz on his appointment and wish Sarin the best of luck in his real life. If you want any more details on this news, just go to the Dark Jedi Brotherhood website and read Sarin's latest (and last) GM report.

In the meantime, don't let this distract you from the real thing (I doubt you were the slightest bit distracted, anyway). The ninth Great Jedi War will be coming up in less than two weeks, provided that it's not delayed by a few days as Sarin suggested in his report. That means we need to get more pumped than ever. As said earlier, the GJW is like the Brotherhood's Olympics, and you're not just trying to get crescents. If you work hard enough, get really involved, and put your best in your gaming/writing/ACC skills or whatever you're good at, you have a chance of winning big. This means possible Novae (which are great awards, and I say compete for the gold, not just the bronze), possible promotions, and possible sacramental awards for standing out as a member and model for others.

I want Tarentum to win the gold, there's no doubt about it. That doesn't mean we have to pile up on competitions right now, though. I know a lot of clans have a plenty of "preparation" competitions going on, and I find those to be redundant and tedious. I don't want to focus on how we're preparing, I want to focus on how well we'll actually do. That's why I appreciate Jaron and Vai's current competitions because they're fun, interesting, and relevant. After all, at my rank or even Kaz's rank, fighting a Vong will definitely not be easy, and that's something to keep in mind.

So here are my own tips for preparing for the GJW without the need for too many "OMG PREPARATIONS WOAH" competitions:

• Do your research. This war is titled "Unification" and is going to center around our attempt to reclaim the Antei system from the Yuuzhan Vong. Therefore, judging on where the Fiction Tribune (Raken) places us, we need to be as accurate as possible in describing everything from location to what hinders us from conquering the enemy. Do research on the Antei system on the DJBWiki. Check Wookieepedia and get info on the Vong, their characteristics, and their weapons. I would also highly recommend reading the plot updates Raken has written for "Unification." Research may sound tedious, but it's a valuable asset to knowing what we're doing before we're doing it, not while we're doing it.
  

http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5260 - "Unification" Plot Updates

• Do some outlining on your character. And I don't necessarily mean his/her history, but I do mean his/her story. What's important in this run-on is your motives. Why are you fighting the Vong? Are you doing is solely out of loyalty for Tarentum and/or the Brotherhood? What about something else? What does your character want out of this war? What rewards will he/she be looking for? In other words, what makes your character think the war is worth fighting? You don't have to do anything formal or even write anything out. Just be sure to delve deep into your character's mind and be able to find the underlying causes for his/her actions. You'll get a lot of material out of it, and your character will become more complex and better to read.

• Know your limits. This especially applies to anyone who is going to participate in the run-on. We all have seen the consequences of godmodding, and that could happen because when you see higher-ups do awesome stuff, heck, you want in on it, too. But just because someone like Oberst can do Death Dealer stuff doesn't mean you can. Just because someone like Anshar or Welshman or anyone else knows some heavy-duty stuff about a subject doesn't mean you know it, either. You don't have to be like a superhero to still have fun in the competition. Besides, fighting the Vong is hard work for even Elders, so you have to expect that your character may have some trouble or could get seriously hurt. So the important thing is to evaluate your character's strengths and weaknesses, whether judging by your rank or your CS. It's not a restriction of your character; it's just the reality of the universe you're in.

• Feel free to ask questions or request feedback. If you have any problems or want someone to read something you're working on, don't be afraid to come to your House Summit. If we can't answer something, the Clan Summit certainly can. Also, just because it's not the war yet doesn't mean you can't do some writing and get some feedback from it. One thing I've noticed from some writers in Tarentum is that they really need to work on mechanics, meaning the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in a story. While this also applies to when you actually participate in the war, if you have anything written that you want someone to look at or judge, send it to your colleagues. I know there are a lot of writers here - Kazarelth, Oberst, and me included - who can help out with editing. I'd add more writing tips, but Oberst has already done a good job on that.

• Finally, focus on you, your House, and your clan. I know we have a huge challenge ahead of us if we want to get first place, and that includes our fellow clans. Taldryan, Naga Sadow, and Arcona will all be able to pack a punch, if not more than that. But my point in this tip is that I don't want us to focus specifically on the other clans, though the urge to crush them may suffice. I want us to focus on doing our best, not just even slightly better than our enemies. I want to focus on Tarentum winning, not just beating everyone else. This may sound a bit confusing, but it's definitely a change up on priority: Instead of doing this for the sake of impressing others, you're doing this to help yourself, your House, and your clan become champions. And that alone will be impressive without the need to want to be impressed.

Anyway, those are my tips. I shall finish my longer-than-usual report with the links for the two competitions still going on, which I strongly urge you to participate in. Shinies are always nice!

http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.org/dbjedi/CompetitionDetails.asp?page=1&order=Queue_Comp.StartDate%20DESC,%20Queue_Comp.EndDate&sort=desc&ID=4130 (Identity of a Vong)

http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.org/dbjedi/CompetitionDetails.asp?page=1&order=Queue_Comp.StartDate%20DESC,%20Queue_Comp.EndDate&sort=desc&ID=4174 (Star Wars Clip Art Comics)

Have a good evening, and get to preparing to kick some ass!

DJK Ronovi Tavisaen (Obelisk)/AED/Cestus of Tarentum

SC / AC / Cr-2R-3A-4S-6E-2T-1Q / DSS-BL / SoL

{SA: DML - DMW - DMP}