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Dark Brotherhood:
Greetings,
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to check up on the status of our summer projects. There has been a lot of steady anticipation for the things that we have been working on over the summer - I truly hope that this report will sustain your confidence that we are doing everything in our power to keep things moving on the right track. Inside this report you will find a plethora of updates on different projects that we have been working on over the summer. These projects include Graphic overhauls, website redesign, rpg system creation, SA course re--creation, handbook authoring, decree, covenant and alacrity writing, and much more. The task list of the Dark Council and the Clan Summits has indeed been immense. This has been one of the most productive summers I have seen in ten years of being in this club. Of course, I am sure that there are some of you who, like myself, are disappointed that this is just an update. I would have loved nothing more than to press a button today and release all of the projects in a completed state, but even pushing as hard as we could this summer, we were not able to reach all of our goals. I am a bit too optimistic and ambitious for my own good at times, and though we have made progress, there is still a ways to go in everything on our table. However, I am rightfully proud of the leaders of this Brotherhood. We worked our asses off this summer, and I think it will show through the documents contained here. The next few days, I will be awarding those leaders who I feel contributed the most over this summer. They are truly amazing members. From here, we continue to move forward in the fashion that we have this summer. The Dark Council and the Summits have set a new standard in work ethic, and are working to complete what we have all started. We will work to complete the projects contained herein, releasing each in stride, and then picking up anew for a project for the future. As always, our work is never finished. Please, read on -- there is much within. - Jac Cotelin -
Table of Contents
Over the summer we have seen the release of many new graphics for the Dark Brotherhood's use and enjoyment. Cyris Oscura has been very hard at work in creating, re-designing and re-working the different graphics of the Dark Brotherhood. Cyris has been an extraordinary help this summer; he has been quick and reliable. He has been instrumental in replacing many of the items that are being removed due to Chi-Long's departure, as well. I applaud Cyris's efforts and am honored to show off his work.
Definitely the most anticipated
of the changes that the Dark Council is working towards is the main website
redesign process. The Seneschal, Lord Archon, their assistants and I have been
working for a long time on the website and are not close enough to release a
final version yet. There is still much to be done with the Character sheet
system, beatification of the site and transfer of the databases. This does not
mean that there is nothing to show off, however. We originally planned to
release a dummy website today for people to play with. Unfortunately, Chi's
departure has left us without a usable layout for the website. Until Cyris can
finish the new design, we will have to due with some cropped screen shots that
contain the basic premises of the site.
Please remember that a lot of this still needs to be formatted properly -- we
have been focusing on the code for now. I apologize that some of the better
shots are not posted, as a lot of the code is on CG and Jam3z's personal
computers -- they were on holiday when this was being written and posted.
Much more is present and in the works on the website. This is just a taste of what is to come here. However, August brings some timing difficulties from real life. Cyberguy and Jam3z are on holiday leave for the entire month and I am on leave for at least a week for my wedding. Work will really resume on the site when RL calms the hell down for the three main coders.
The following documents and listings should provide some insight into the current work in progress on the RPG system. They rather reflect only parts of a large work - there are many areas still open and a substantial part of the work cannot even be begun until the basics of the character sheets are coded in the system.
Basic documents
Some game rule documentsWhile many rules documents are partially finished, I choose to show only three of them where I believe they have reached a status that they are presentable for public consumption. Note that many of this will still change, especially the Force Power list where a complete reworking is coming up to accommodate Ep3, the latest novels, KoTOR and other recent Lucas development.
Items and EquipmentLong from being done, these lists should give you an impression of the sheer level of detail you will one day be able to access. Both in the ship parts list and the main items list Excels, I have chosen to show only the most developed tabs of the whole bunch. There are actually 9 parts to the ships list and 9 to the items list instead of the 4+6 shown.
There's also more to items than just the basic shopping list. Here's one document of more special equipment.
Species
No system would be complete without details for all the species in the Star Wars universe. This material is our current "mostly finished" stock of species - just 18 of the over 70 planned.
Custom Species Implementation stuff and specificationsNo work could be done at all without coding specs. Here's one little document to show you what the SCL and his crew have to work with :)
The Grant of Arms have been a project that Kaine has been working on for some time. He has had a vision of what he wanted in his head for quite a long time and has seen little success due to a lot of help falling to the wayside. This summer he and his staff have been going through the many ideas, but Kaine kept coming back to his main vision. He wrote out what he wanted to see and Cyris took the idea and ran with it. They have come up with the concept of the Warbanner that will replace the Grant of Arms. Cyris has expounded upon the idea and come up with some sample images and some initial regulations. The main goal
was to simplify the
Warbanner Request
Warbanners will be requested in a much similar
way that the original
Warbanner Modification Requests
As
to limit the membership from modifying their banners too often, a “once
per promotion” limit should be instated once a member has reached the
equite ranks. Before they earn their ranking
as a Dark Jedi Knight, they should only be allowed to request a warbanner
once, without being allowed any modifications to it.
This
limit should at least be instated until all current
Banner shapes Banner’s can bare various shapes, some cut in a crescent shape, while others were thorn on the battlefield, or designed to resemble the wings of an hawk-bat. A selection of basic shapes will be provided to the equite rank, while the elderly ranks will be able to request a custom shape.
The
shapes selection will be expendable in future times (through member
submissions)
Banner stripes Banner
stripes are based on the typical designs we find on real life’s grant
of arms. Though somewhat basic, they add to the banner’s design with
their own meanings, their own essence. The
bland(white) and sinister(black) versions of
the stripes are available to the equites,
while the elderly members will be able to give the stripes the color
they wish them to be.
The
stripes selection will be expendable in future times (through member
submissions)
Banner medallion Banner
medallions will be granted to members who have held a position for a
significant time, be it a clan summit, society position, or dark council
position, where they would be allowed to use yet another selected symbol,
be in a family crest, clan crest of as they so choose. The
medallion hangs above the banner’s crest from the support by two chains.
Banner crest The
member selected crest found on the former Grant of Arms has always been
at the heart of the uniqueness, of the sense of pride. With a renewed
designed, we have enlarged the space for the crest, thus allowing members
to add more to their design.
Banner support The
banner support, simply put, is the metal rod that holds the banner up
at its top.
Final Words
The
keywords for the Warbanner (
The
way it was created will allow for easy add-ons, thus if a member wants
to send in some banner shapes, he can easily send in a black and white
paint picture and with a simple vector design, the HRLD staff will be
able to add to the template, thus making it available to all members.
Examples
Headmaster Spears has been very hard at work this summer
re-vamping the SA. He is redesigning the website for the Academy to make the
courses more accessible and make the information easier to handle. More
importantly, though, Spears has been working hard, outside of his everyday
duties, to re-create the Test of Lore.
Finally, Spears has developed a set of Order questions that will help a member determine what order they should be placed in. If you have played KOTOR, this is similar to what the jedi council does with you when you are choosing a class.
Below is an excerpt of the new draft Test of Lore.
After having past your first test within the Brotherhood, with which you have shown a modicum of success your training starts to pick up in pace. Everyday new facets of the Brotherhood are revealed to you. You have also had time to ponder the deaths of your two friends. Is this the kind of power you are looking for? You ask yourself. Will you choose power over weakness? Where their deaths really needed and did you benefit from their loss? All these questions swirl around your mind, your search for answers must continue.
During your Fourth week at the Shadow Academy (Insert same EP name) shows you the Brotherhoods Communication Network. http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/irc_guide.asp While very little instruction is offered during your initial training you are told that more advanced courses covering the System are offered following your graduation from the Shadow Academy. After spending the better part of the a week offering a few small bribes to the right members of the Shadow Academy maintenance staff you are able to acquire the course notes for one of the more advanced courses on the Brotherhoods Communication System which you read thru at your leisure. http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/shadowacademy/sa/ircnotes1.html
One of the more annoying aspects of the Shadow Academy is the fact that at any given point in time you can be stopped and quizzed by a member of the Staff. The unfortunate consequence of failing one of these verbal quizzes is often being sent to the kitchen to clean up after the droids.
Test Question
While making your way to the dormitory after a hard day of training you are unfortunate enough to bump into. (Insert a random EP).
“Who is the current Grand Master he asks you? The look in his eyes showing that failing to answer this question will see you on the wrong end of a mop for several hours.
1) The Current Grand Master is Spears Tarentae. 2) The Current Grand Master is Telaris "Mav" Cantor. 3) The Current Grand Master is Jac Cotelin.
Answer 1. Suddenly everything around you goes dark and next thing you know you are standing in one of the many bathrooms at the Shadow Academy with a mop in your hand. After making sure the floors are clean enough to eat off of, you make your way back to your room only to see Kir Taldrya Katarn waiting for you.
Answer 2. Suddenly everything around you goes dark and next thing you know you are standing in the Shadow Academies Kitchen with a mop in your hand. After making sure the floors are clean enough to eat off of, you make your way back to your room only to see Kir Taldrya Katarn waiting for you.
Answer 3. You answer Jac Cotelin with a smug look on your face.
Test Question
Very good (Insert same EP name as previous) says, but that was an easy one.
“What is the code name for the Brotherhoods Main Communication System? The look in his eyes showing that failing to answer this question will see you on the wrong end of a mop for several hours, would be favorable to what his mind has concocted as your punishment.
4) That would be AIM you say knowing full well you are right.. 5) That would be IRC you say without even pausing to consider it.. 6) Everyone knows that it is ICQ you answer with a glint of pride in your eyes.
Answer 1. It doesn’t take long for the stench in the waste disposal tunnels to remind you that IRC is the code name for the Brotherhoods communication network. .
Answer 2. Very good, he says you may just have some potential after all..
Answer 3. On the plus side it only took you 20 minutes to remember that IRC is the codename for the Brotherhoods communication network. The negative side is (Insert EP name) assigned you to clean out the toilets for another 4 hours.
------- Before boarding the shuttle, you are ushered into dark room. As your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness you see you are now standing in the center of a Triangle with three stone pillars resembling Cloaked figures standing at each of the points. You realize this must be some kind of additional test but just what kind of test could it be? The one thing you have noticed about the figures is that each is of a color that also represents one of the three Dark Orders, in mid thought one of the Statues speaks.
You are watching two members duel? 1) You carefully watch them taking note of what in their combat styles works and what doesn’t. (Krath) 2) Wait until the end of the match and congratulate the winner, and then meet with the loser and suggest that the winner cheated and offer revenge. (Sith) 3) Challenge the winner and show them who is truly better with the saber. (Obelisk)
An ongoing project in the Dark Council is the re-conditioning of the Dark Side Compendium, and the creation of the Dark Covenant and the Decrees. The following is the breakout of the documents:
Dark Side Compendium The Oracle, Trev, has been working hard all summer on the DSC. He is nearing completion on several integral parts of the document; he should have the first book done soon.
The DSC itself will be organized as follows:
Cyris Oscura has again been kind enough to design the new layout for the DSC. Click the picture below for the new sample. If you click on the edges of the book's pages, the page will turn (only 2 pages there now)
The Dark Covenant The Dark Covenant is in its final stage of review. The Dark Summit will get it and vote to ratify it in the coming weeks.
The Dark Covenant Decrees Unlike many other internet organizations, the Brotherhood of Dark Jedi has a very complex hierarchical structure with multifaceted services, sub-organizations, and other intricate systems. Most of what has been outlined for our club has been contained within the Dark Side Compendium or implicitly stated in the unwritten laws of operation for the Brotherhood.
Ever since the Exodus, an effort was made to create the Dark Covenant. As the project evolved, the Dark Covenant underwent many revisions and now aspires to outline a story about all that one could ever know about the functional Brotherhood. It is different from the Dark Side Compendium in that it eliminates much of the ambiguity and fictional background found therein but at the same time details many unwritten specifics on policies within the Brotherhood.
However, it has been observed that including all of this into one large document like the Dark Covenant would make for one very unwieldy document, outdoing its essentialist mission. Therefore, a system of “Decrees” has been established to give careful scrutiny to each section of the Dark Covenant. The Dark Covenant will outline the critical information but send the reader in the direction of the Decrees if he or she wants a more detailed outline. Dark Covenant Decrees, as they have become known, will be extensions to an austere Dark Covenant, providing the extra information that Dark Jedi must know to understand the capacity of their positions or the organizations they serve.
Decree Examples (please note that this is *not* the final
version): Article III – Pillars of the Brotherhood
Section 3.01 The Dark Council Section 3.01 of the Dark Covenant Decrees defines the “necessary productivity” for all Dark Council members. Their duties, listed here, are meant to serve as a basic outline of the minimal expectations for their positions. Due to the vast “regional” responsibility of each Dark Council member which can change over the course of time or with the capacity and skill of the council member, it is difficult to maintain an all inclusive system of decrees for the council. We therefore expect the Dark Council Decrees to be the most dynamic of the decrees, needing regular updating.
Decree 3.01.GM The Grand Master__________________________________________ Decree GM.1 Oversees the award and elevation of GM Staff for services rendered Decree GM.2 Maintains the GM’s guard cell Decree GM.3 Maintains the GM Handbook Decree GM.4 Reviews the historic content of the Dark Voice prior to release? Decree GM.5 Defines the merit required for award of the Amethyst Kukri, Ruby Scepter, Emerald Dagger, Diamond Sword, Silver Sash, and Golden Lightsaber Decree GM.6 Defines the merit required for promotion to Dark Side Adept, Dark Jedi Master, and Dark Prophet Decree GM.7 Maintains the Dark Covenant Decree Titles? Decree GM.8 Oversees and approves all promotions to Dark Side Adept, Dark Jedi Master, and Dark Prophet Decree GM.9 Maintains the final word on all awards of the Ruby Scepter, Emerald Dagger, Diamond Sword, Silver Sash, and Golden Lightsaber Decree GM.10 Oversees and approves all demotions of rank and removal of awards. Decree GM.11 Oversees the creation and dissolution of Dark Council offices as necessary for the current state of the Brotherhood Decree GM.12 Oversees and approves the appointment of all Council members Decree GM.13 Oversees and approves the removal of all Council members Decree GM.14 Oversees and approves the award and elevation of Council members and other staff Decree GM.15 Oversees and approves the appointment of all Consuls, Proconsuls, Quaestors, and Aediles Decree GM.16 Oversees and approves the removal of all Consults, Proconsuls, Quaestors, and Aediles Decree GM.17 Maintains order and stability within the Dark Council Decree GM.18 Maintains a strong relationship with the clans of the Brotherhood. Decree GM.19 Maintains regular communication with allied clubs. Decree GM.20 Oversee the regular maintenance of all major DB websites Decree GM.21 Resolves conflict within the Council, between clans, or between other people within the Brotherhood Decree GM.22 Serves as the final word for countless decisions on Brotherhood policy Decree GM.23 Serves as reviewer for countless projects and proposals to reform the Brotherhood Decree GM.24 Oversees the award of Advanced Degrees
Decree 3.01.DGM The Deputy Grand Master____________________________________ Decree DGM.1 Oversees the award and elevation of DGM Staff for services rendered Decree DGM.2 Maintains the DGM’s guard cell Decree DGM.3 Maintains the DGM Handbook Decree DGM.4 Serves in capacity of Grand Master when the GM is absent Decree DGM.5 Serves as a primary assistant to the Grand Master in all Brotherhood affairs Decree DGM.6 Oversees the creation and dissolution of alliance Decree DGM.7 Oversees the management of the Inter-Club Training Even Decree DGM.8 Oversees the creation of regular inter-club competitions Decree DGM.9 Oversees and Approves the appointment and removal of all Consuls, Proconsuls, Quaestors, and Aediles Decree DGM.10 Maintains the CON, PCON, QUA, AED, and battleteam leader handbooks? Decree DGM.11 Maintains regular review of the clan summits and reports findings to the GM and respective clan summits Decree DGM.12 Maintains regular review of the house summits and reports findings to the GM and respective clan summits Decree DGM.13 Maintains a strong relationship with clan leaders, house leaders, and the general clan membership Decree DGM.14 Maintains a schedule for Summit reviews Decree DGM.15 Assists in the organization of inter-clan events Decree DGM.16 Maintains the Order of Battle Decree DGM.17 Maintains the DB System Manual
Decree 3.01.MAA The Master At Arms________________________________________ Decree MAA.1 Oversees the award and elevation of MAA Staff for services rendered Decree MAA.2 Maintains the MAA’s guard cell Decree MAA.3 Maintains the MAA Handbook Decree MAA.4 Maintains the activation e-mails and dossier creation e-mails Decree MAA.5 Maintains a list of “unacceptable” join-names for the database Decree MAA.6 Oversees the award of Scrolls of Indoctrination for recruiting members Decree MAA.7 Defines the policy for setting dossiers to INACTIVE Decree MAA.8 Defines the policy for purging INACTIVES from the database Decree MAA.9 Defines the period of time after which someone is labeled AWOL Decree MAA.10 Defines the policy on removing AWOL members from the clans Decree MAA.11 Defines generic, acceptable transfer requests Decree MAA.12 Defines the policy on transfers Decree MAA.13 Maintains example transfer requests Decree MAA.14 Defines the policy on transfers during massive-scale competitions Decree MAA.15 Defines how competition requests are to be created and submitted Decree MAA.16 Defines how competition requests are to be reviewed and approved Decree MAA.17 Defines how competitions are to be awarded Decree MAA.18 Defines who can submit a competition and the different levels of competitions each leader type can request Decree MAA.19 Maintains example competition requests Decree MAA.20 Maintains the standard on all promotions within the Journeyman and Equite class Decree MAA.21 Oversees and approves all promotions within the Journeyman and Equite class Decree MAA.22 Maintains the standard of award of the Dark Cross, Star of Antei, Steel Cross, Grand Cross of the Dark Side, Sapphire Blade, and Amethyst Kukri Decree MAA.23 Oversees and approves the award of the Dark Cross, Star of Antei, Steel Cross, Grand Cross of the Dark Side, Sapphire Blade, and Amethyst Kukri Decree MAA.24 Maintains the standard of award of the Crescent, Cluster of Fire, Nova, Legion of the Scholar, Dark Side Scroll, Seal of Loyalty, Scroll of Indoctrination, Vendetta Seal, and Crest of the Strategist Decree MAA.25 Oversees and approves the award of the Crescent, Cluster of Fire, Nova, Legion of the Scholar, Dark Side Scroll, Seal of Loyalty, Scroll of Indoctrination, Vendetta Seal, and Crest of the Strategist Decree MAA.26 Maintains the standardization of the promotion and award systems within the Brotherhood Decree MAA.27 Maintains example promotion requests Decree MAA.28 Maintains example award requests Decree MAA.29 Defines the policy on rank, medal, and history restoration
Decree 3.01.HM Headmaster_______________________________________________ Decree HM.1 Oversees the reward and elevation of HM & Shadow Academy Staff for services rendered Decree HM.2 Maintains the HM’s guard cell Decree HM.3 Maintains the HM Handbook Decree HM.4 Serves as a resource for all new members of the Brotherhood Decree HM.5 Maintains the Shadow Academy on Lyspair Decree HM.6 Maintains the dossier creation e-mail Decree HM.7 Maintains the dossier activation e-mail Decree HM.8 Maintains the envoy assignment e-mail Decree HM.9 Defines the policy on envoy assignment for new Initiates Decree HM.10 Defines the policy on envoy assignment for new recruited Initiates Decree HM.11 Maintains the policy on what Initiates must do to graduate from the Shadow Academy Decree HM.12 Defines the policy on clan assignment for new Apprentices Decree HM.13 Defines the policy on clan assignment for new recruited Apprentices Decree HM.14 Appoints the Knight Commander of the Brotherhood, a staff member Decree HM.15 Defines the duties of the Knight Commander of the Brotherhood Decree HM.16 Oversees the appointment and removal of clan, house, and assistant envoys Decree HM.17 Oversees the selection of Knight First Class Envoys and Free Envoys Decree HM.18 Defines the duties of each envoy class. Decree HM.19 Defines Brotherhood-wide guidelines for the Master/Apprentice system Decree HM.20 Defines the merit required for the award of the Scroll of Indoctrination Decree HM.21 Oversees the award of all Scrolls of Indoctrination not pertaining to new recruits Decree HM.22 Oversees and approves all new Shadow Academy courses Decree HM.23 Commissions new Shadow Academy courses Decree HM.24 Maintains the roll of Eclectic Pedagogues Decree HM.25 Defines the duties of Eclectic Pedagogues Decree HM.26 Oversees the regular maintenance of the Shadow Academy website Decree HM.27 Maintains the standards for passing Shadow Academy courses Decree HM.28 Maintains the course pass/fail e-mails Decree HM.29 Maintains the standards for awarding Advanced Degrees Decree HM.30 Recommends the award of Advanced Degrees
Position handbooks are being written for each spot in the brotherhood so that the information of how a job is done and what is expected can be freely passed from person to person. The goal of the exercise is to impact all knowledge of an office into a single document for the purposes of archiving the knowledge for the future as well as to give subsequent position holders a leg up on the pile.
The handbooks should be written in third-person perspective and should contain enough information about the subject matter to convey the jobs, policies and other items clearly to someone with no prior knowledge
Position Overview Talk about the position, what the general basis for it is Give general expectations Give general difficulties
Effects of the positions State what the effect of the
position is and what an ideal holder would do for the DB Give an overview of where the position falls in the brotherhood List the jobs above and below each position and what their relationship it to them (IE, superiors, and subordinates)
Specific Duties Give a detailed description of every regular duty. Explain as best as possible how to replicate the duty
Position Checklist Immediately Following Election: Within Two Weeks of Election: Weekly Tasks: Monthly Tasks: Semesterly/Quarterly Expectations: Annual Expectations:
Position Decrees List all of the Decrees and give commentary on
why each on was made, what its function is, etc.
VIII. Alacrity of the Commander
Long has there been a problem with people having undetailed and unclear duties. We aim to help new leaders become more accustomed to their roles by having their duties, tasks and other responsibilities all spelled out clearly. As has been discussed in my most recent reports, the primary handbooks describing the essential responsibilities for the positions of CON, PCON, QUA, etc will be supplemented by a series of Addenda that will cover the overlapping parts of those handbooks. These addenda will outline some of the most basic command duties which are shared by all leaders within the Brotherhood. There are over 40 addenda slated for production, currently. My magistrate, DA Pyralis, has been tasked with the duty of writing most of these Addenda, a project which will continue well into 2006. I, along with a group of critics, have been revising and commenting on the documents, trying to make them as useful as possible. Traditionally, aspiring leaders have been forced to learn these duties through trial and error, others learning through a mentor or other experienced leader in the Brotherhood. The Alacrity of the Commander series aims to change the traditional, inefficient approach. We hope that these documents can be read by any aspiring leaders and understood in their entirety without the cumbersome process we rely on today. Leaders will not only learn what they need to do, but also learn why it is important, and how the duties should be performed. Leaders should be able to take what they learn in these documents and immediately apply them to better leading and administrating their units - whether they be fundamental battleteams or the bastion clans themselves. The first, and perhaps one of the most important Addenda, "Addendum 1.0—"Welcoming New Members" has been reviewed, edited, and is being released for review and use by the Brotherhood at large. You can view it here: http://alacrity.darkjedibrotherhood.com/ The next Addendum in development is titled "Clan Summit Management of Envoys" which aims to finally shed some light on how Clan leaders may try to mentor new or prospective membership with the use of hand-picked Envoys while also coordinating their efforts with the Society of Envoys and the Knight Commander of the Brotherhood. Read it over, and maybe learn a few things! And a huge thanks to Pyralis for all of his hard work on these.
Despite the moratorium put on development for the current website, a few necessary components have made their way into the site. Some are listed below:
Of course, there are many many more projects that the Dark Council has been working on collectively or as individuals. Here are some of them, complete and incomplete.
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