It is with a heavy heart and a wounded spirit that I stand before you all today. The Brotherhood has suffered a great loss, and Tarentum itself has suffered an unimaginable disaster. As you all know by now, Tarentum is closed. The powers that be determined that Tarentum simply did not perform up to the standard that they desired and sealed our fate.

That is not to say that Tarentum is dead, far from it. Tarentum will live on, it was more than just a Clan, it was, nay it is, a family. Each and every Tarenti was loved and respected by their peers, we leaned on each other, supported each other, not just in the Brotherhood, but in life itself. Over the years I have made many genuine friends in Tarentum, friends that I treasure and will always care for. Each and every one of the Tarenti is special, each one of you is loved, and each one of you can achieve great things if you put your minds and your hearts to it.

For each of us this is a time of great grief, and for some a time of great anger. I urge all of you not to carry that anger, as tempting as it may be. Anger is counterproductive and won't bring back our Clan or change the decisions that have already been made. I urge you all to not blame Sarin, he did what he felt was best for the club as a whole. While we don't have to agree with his decision(I know I don't), there is no cause for us to be angry. Sarin didn't kill Tarentum, we all did in our own little ways.

We viewed camaraderie and family as more important than participation. Yes, some of us did participate, but also some of us didn't. We viewed the Brotherhood as a social club, when in reality it is not. It's a gaming club, and while that definition has expanded to include other things such as writing and artistic submissions, at its core the Brotherhood has always been a participation driven gaming club. We argued that such mundane things as metrics and numbers were meaningless and what mattered was the kinship and bond we formed, but our argument failed.

As a leader I've learned to view things from more than just one side, to be able to look past my personal feelings and beliefs and see the bigger picture. Looking at the bigger picture this decision makes sense, but that doesn't take away the sting. I actually broke down and cried last night when I was given the news, tears are welling up now as I relive it to write this post, but ultimately those who made the decision viewed it as in the best interest of the Brotherhood. To quote a very famous movie line: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one".

I urge you all to find peace with this and continue on with your careers in the Brotherhood. Tarentum contained some of the best and brightest in the Brotherhood. I have no doubt that each and every one of you have the capacity within yourselves to change the world if you only put your minds to it. Show the rest of the Brotherhood what Tarentum really means, show them the same kind of camaraderie, respect, and love that made Tarentum great. Tarentum lives on in each and every one of us, if we all run away the memory of our proud Clan will be forgotten, but if we stick around and continue to make a mark in the Brotherhood then Tarentum will live on forever!

"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time." - Malcolm X

I hope to continue to see you all in the future. Beef has convinced me to stick around, so I will be joining Plagueis shortly. But, as my final act of resistance and of love for my Clan, I refuse to initiate the transfer myself. I will sit in Tarentum until the MAA finally closes the Clan roster and forces me out. I am sad, but I'm not bitter. This wound will hurt for a long time, but I urge you all to find your way to make peace and continue to participate in the Brotherhood.

So, for the last time...this is ole Uncle Krom wishing you all a fond farewell. I love each and every one of you, good luck on your journeys.