Ladies and gentlemen of Clan Tarentum, and the Brotherhood:

It is with a sense of sorrow, but also a certain love that I write this, what will be both my final report as Consul of Tarentum, and that will also serve as notice of Tarentum’s closure. There were a lot of you who made valiant efforts to try and hold back this decision, and show this Club that Tarentum was proud. Fierce. Dedicated. Yet, ultimately, there was another message being emphasized that the Clan was sick. In pain. And more a memory of past glory.

There will be those who fight this. The closure of a Clan is painful. It is deep, intense and will rend friendships. Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't believe that, I will tell you, I have lost more friends than I can count. The Split was world altering for an online group of Star Wars fanatics. It nearly killed Tarentum. It was a monumental task, trying to rebuild the Clan. It was an effort if love and friendship, but I can tell you, there were times I nearly gave up. Yet, throughout the entire process, I knew that it was worth it to work for the future of the Club -- the entire Club, and not merely one Clan -- and I continued on. I reference that because, in this case, the work and decision was the same.

Last May, I took over as Consul of Tarentum. I knew that the Clan was active in some regards, but there were a lot of problems. As I began to try and formulate a plan and get everyone on the same page, I was also asking previous members why they had left. Or other members why they stayed away. Or what members might need to see if they were to ultimately join Tarentum. I won’t bother with the exact answers, but I will say this. Members of this Club do not want to be bullied. We join this Club for fun and entertainment. We join this Club as an escape from the headaches of real life, the pressures of work, and we want friendships. Not abuse. There were people who felt abused in Tarentum, and some who still saw abuse.

I love Tarentum. I truly do. It has been a great Clan. I started out in House Satal Keto in 1997. I didn’t stay long. I felt like it was a weird place, the members weren’t very open to new people, didn’t seem to care that I was there, and ultimately, I didn’t feel the need to stay. I returned to the Brotherhood in 2000, and I was assigned to Tarentum because of the name “House Gladius” that was the Krath House, which was one of the assignment choices I had. It didn’t disappoint me. And now, it’s another memory that I will cherish, and I hope that members of now-closing Tarentum will share with others. Memories will still be shared. We will still be friends. We will still keep the Tarentum channel open as an avenue for friendship and support. Communication and leisure. But the time for Clan Tarentum is over. The Brotherhood roster will be updated, and those of you will be offered the choice to join a new Clan, or simply stay for the memories and the loving family that some of us want to live on.

I want you to know. Neither Sarin (Pravus), nor Mav were in any way “out to get us,” and in many ways, they were perhaps the ones truly on your side. Three years ago, the Clan faced closure then. The Dark Council of the time recommended that Tarentum be closed back then. Sarin, coming into another term as Grand Master, went against the recommend and kept us open. He was trying to help us salvage our history, our family, our Clan. He was hoping for the same this time. Literally weeks ago, during the Great Jedi War, he and I were discussing post-GJW fiction plans, and how to involve Tarentum as a deeper Dark Council ally, and how it might affect the end-GJW fiction. What might happen with me, as an ally of the Iron Throne, and more. Many of you never know the pressures of being on the Dark Council, let alone the Grand Master. And, while some may believe he has asked me to write this. Or has promised me something if “I go quietly.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. The truth is, Sarin didn’t expect the closure of Tarentum. He didn’t want the closure of Tarentum. I don’t know if he saw it, but I did.

I saw it in the First Phase results of GJW XII. I saw it in the total results of the War. If I failed you as Consul, you all have my deepest apologies. I have so many regrets of the last few months, and even the last few years. There are a great many things I could’ve done, that might have changed what we are doing today. The past will always be filled with regrets. I choose now to focus on the future. There are a great many members who are still here, and it is up to us to choose where we go from here. This Club will continue, and we will continue to foster an atmosphere of friendship. An atmosphere of acceptance. A feeling of camaraderie. And, hopefully, one of forgiveness. There are a lot of hurt feelings right now. Some may not have even finished reading this message. And yet, I hope that in time, there are more people who will read this once, maybe a few times, and will know that I love this Club. I love each of you. And in time, if you choose to return, I will welcome you back with a smile.

Each report that I wrote, I did it with fondness. Every message I read, or every time I spent time on IRC or Telegram, I did it with happiness, or mirth. I have friends in potentially every Clan. I hope to continue to have those friends. There are members of Tarentum who are now looking for a new home, and I know the other six Clans will welcome us. I have chosen to take my things and head for Aliso, and find a place within Clan Plagueis. I certainly hope they’ll have me.

And so, I would like to leave you all with a quote. I believe it’s fitting. “You are part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor. Take her away!”

Just kidding. The real quote is, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi was certainly inspired at times. And i hope you will all follow suit, and look for inspiration, and then pass it on to others. I know that the road ahead will be painful. But I love you guys. Sincerely, I love you all.

Take some time, and then I hope you all have a great weekend, Tarentum.

-Beef