The Remembrance, Part 7

as chronicled by DL-Cobalt Pryde, Nova Colonel & Loremaster

Date: Unknown

HPG Transmission from Word of Blake receiving stations, Dark Legion Throneworld -

Walking into the ruins of the DL complex, former Sakhan Psiwolf finds the remnants of the DL data base. It is cold here on the homeworld. It has been void for too long. Black with the heat of fire and scored with carbon from many laser blasts the screen is black and empty. He unpacks his ruck and pulls out the portable power supply. He digs through the bundles of wires, picking only a few choice ones... red to black.... green to blue.... yellow to..."ahhhh Seyla!!"

With a flicker and the smell of burnt wire casing, the screen comes to life. The data begins to dance across the screen. It reads:

CLAN DARK LEGION... WARRIOR LOCATION... SEARCHING... SEARCHING... SEARCHING... HPG UPLINK ESTABLISHED

WELCOME SAKHAN PSIWOLF

After a few moments of key work Psiwolf presses a button and flips a switch.

COMM ENABLED... LOADING TRANSMISSION... TRANSMISSION COMMENCING... TRANSMITTING... TRANSMITTING... TRANSMITTING MESSAGE IS AS FOLLOWS:

It is here my brothers and sisters. Those of you who wish to ready yourselves respond to this transmission if you are able. Ready your Mechs.... upload your new MW III software and begin training. If Kerensky permits it... The Dark Legion will reign again!!!! Seyla!!!! END TRANSMISSION...

He smiles as he steps outside and looks up into the night sky and watches as the pulses from the HPG uplink fire upward and disappear into the night. And he waits...

June 25, 3099 - Progress Report

The effort towards reactivating Dark Legion continue apace, while your Loremaster tries to whip himself back into some acceptable level of fighting form. It will not do to step on the field of battle and embarrass myself (or a wingman, or the clan) by performing poorly.

To remedy this, I've begun doing all the things a concerned clansman and Mechwarrior should do;

1. getting to know the 'lay of the land', as it were, by getting online (in the MSN Zone) and getting involved in battles, not so much to win but primarily to see how well it works, what things look like, how the launch procedure works, etc.,

2. putting some custom mech designs together, testing them in game conditions and in Zone warfare, trying to find the best chassis/weapon/armor combination for my particular style of combat.

So far, I've had to relearn the 'lag-shooting' lessons drilled into me by Khan WarKat during my early days with TGW; although the game visual makes it appear that your lasers are making contact and doing damage by firing directly at an enemy mech, you have to fire IN FRONT of a moving mech to actually connect with it, thanks to the mysteries of online gaming data lag. Guided missile fire will, of course, track as they would in the single game, and the slower a mech moves the closer to it you must aim to impact it and damage it.

The Khan and saKhan are surveying the various leagues and gaming sites, deciding which one would suit us best. In the meantime, they have seen fit to graciously honor me with the rank of Nova Colonel, a Keshik-level rank which I'm not sure I deserve, but which I intend to serve (AND defend) to the best of my ability.

May Kerensky's wisdom guides us, as we resurrect the glories of the past for the challenges and goals of the future!

Thursday, July 9, 3099 - Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

As we continue our progression towards full reactivation of the clan as a Mech3 entity, there are signs that the Dark Legion is coming along.

1. Our SaKhan Psiwolf has acquired a prestigious award for design of the DL Homepage and Database from the most comprehensive mech/mecha resource and clearinghouse website in existence, the Bad Karma WebRing. There is more art, news, information, links, etc. at Bad Karma than any other website out there, and to receive recognition from these folks is high praise indeed; congrats and kudos to the SaKhan!!!

2. Several recruits have made their way to our clan hall, hoping to become full-fledged Legionnaires once DL is back in full swing. I'll have to check my emails again (and please restrain your disappointment if I err here; the Loremaster is not infallible... just verbose!), but the gentlemen's names are SkullofBalor (who has since renamed himself Manowar) and Immortal. I've yet to meet either, but look forward to the privilege someday soon.

3. The 1st Keshik meeting is scheduled for the near future; any salient points made or decisions reached will be reported here in the Remembrance as soon as I can write them down.

4. I continue to see improvement in my battle tactics in scrimmages and practices on the Zone. I generally hold my own, and at times even stand out, seeing glimpses of my old skill at Mech2 from time to time. Granted, hanging and fighting with freebirths isn't always the best gauge of one's abilities, but it will serve for now.

This morning's venture onto the Zone saw an encounter with the Khan; actually, he was there but probably asleep, as he neither spoke nor acknowledged my or another's 'Hail' (I'd hoped to team with him against someone or other, to see how well we worked together). As it fell out, I got into 2 dustups; 1 10-minute 4-man FFA, where 1 player bailed right away, and a 2nd 20-minute FFA, where one clanner split after I nailed him twice. The remaining 3 went at it for the duration of the match, I in my Bushwhacker against a Vulture and a Thor, missiles and autocannon against my PPC and medium/small pulse lasers. While my dual AMS's had a bit of a chore dealing with the Vulture's multiple LRM-20s, my energy weapons turned the tide once I got into medium- to close-range (I even managed a nice 450km single-PPC-shot kill on the Vulture). The Thor's chunky legs pretty much begged to be shot at, so I circled, torso-twisted and fired at will, racking up 9 kills in the allotted time (the best I've done in practice yet).

One area I've somewhat neglected is in the area of developing more custom mechs. I've got several designs that I seem to fall back on over and over, when I really need to get in the lab and explore more of the new Mech3 technologies available. As my experience and expertise grows, I'll keep you informed of any new information I come across.

I also encourage all of my readers to submit any information or written material you feel would make a worthwhile addition to the clan's Remembrance. While I may be the Loremaster, the Remembrance belongs to the Dark Legion... and that is you!

Sunday, July 18, 3099 - The Keshik Convenes

Saturday night of July 17 may mark another milestone in the rebirth of Dark Legion, as our current Keshik met to discuss matters of import, both present and future.

Khan WarKat, the worthy Kastowt and myself were in attendance; the whereabouts of the SaKhan remain unrevealed at this time. With an abbreviated Keshik further diminished by his absence, little in the way of concrete decision-making occurred.

As far as a potential league for the clan to war in, the consensus favorite appeared to be Mplayer's Planet War League (PWL), for several reasons. The PWL is a relatively simple league, with a clear purpose and good coordinators, and has adapted the use of both Mech2 and Mech3 quite well (so far). Having spent time in the league with another clan, I can testify that, in terms of time requirements, it is definitely made for those who cannot spend every waking hour online, in that attacks and defenses are made via BBS postings, and assigned by email or at weekly meetings. There is no need to spend endless hours trying to amass honor points or SMUs, MNL- or QTL-style; online time may be spent training, practicing, honing skills or learning new ones, under the tutelage of training officers, or rehearsing for a planned war with a favorite wingman.

The Khan indicated there would be some changes in officer responsibilities and other DL areas, which will be outlined in a still-to-be-transmitted email. There will be weekly meetings, for the clan entire and Keshik both, though the Blood Council will remain dormant for some time yet. I would expect that our next meeting, time and place unannounced as of yet, may involve all current DL officers and recruits, as well as certain select invitees. It would behoove all of our recruits to become familiar with the following websites before then; the DL Homepage/Database (I should say "award-winning" DL Homepage/Database), the Remembrance and the PWL Homepage.

Also, the 1st patch for Mech3 has been released; you can find it at MicroProse's homepage.

Sunday, August 8 3099 - Another Legend Is Born

Fellow Legionnaires, it has taken much longer than I expected or hoped, but it has finally come to pass.

She was pretty much the first person I met and made friends with when, as a nervous newbie first making my way onto Mplayer and into online gaming, I began looking into the Mech2 universe and the clans. Although I quickly met many others, made most of them buddies to one degree or another, discovered TGW, and learned many lessons (some of them painful ones), she was the one constant throughout the entire experience; kinda like the first person you meet at elementary school quite often ending up as your best friend. It was an exceptionally dark time for most who knew her when the DJC debacle ran its course, when it appeared she might leave Mplayer for good; happily, that wasn't the case. And now, at this latest turn in a long, strange and occasionally rocky road we travel, the day I've nagged about, asked about and hoped for has at last arrived.

Last night at the weekly meeting, Sefra was officially acknowledged as having completed all preliminaries, and was assigned the rank of Nova Commander; she, along with Thiassi, will take control of the Black Trident Binary. It was a rather poignant moment for me, since I've wanted her to join our clan for so long; seeing the Khan pin the Nova Commander insignia to her uniform collar was much like watching one's only daughter graduate from college (not that I got all misty-eyed or anything... just very, very pleased). Hail, Nova Commander Sefra!

In other DL news, we appear to be in a holding pattern as far as our other recruits are concerned. At the meeting, the Khan mentioned DL's ruling from our previous tenure about not allowing people to languish on the recruit/cadet rosters for extended periods. Let this serve as a wake-up call for all; if you've been a recruit of ours for more than 3 weeks, best to get moving on acquiring observations, and attending the weekly meetings would behoove your standing as well. The opportunity to garner a good officer rank will never be better than they are right now, during the reformation period. He (or she) who hesitates will get lost

Sunday, August 22 3099 - 2 Steps Forward, And 1 Step Back...?

It is the Loremaster's pleasure to reiterate the news from the Khan's hyperpulse transmission of Sat. 8/21, wherein he welcomed 2 former Dark Legionnaire stalwarts back into the active fold; the mighty MysticWolf and Mr.Smilie!!! Nothing but good can come from the reactivation of these 2 fine warriors, and I look forward to seeing both again (MysticWolf was granted the rank of Galaxy Commander, and Smilie is now a Star Colonel).

I was, in fact, expecting to bestow the Oath of Allegiance upon at least one (if not both) at yesterday's meeting; alas that was not to be the case. I cannot stand before you completely blameless, as my own attendance at the Saturday meetings has been, shall we say, hit-or-miss. However, yesterday's low was deplorable. I will herein suggest, respectfully, that meeting time be moved to a day when we are likely to achieve greater attendance (I recommended Monday night, as people are more likely to be home that day from work, school, vacation, etc.).

It seems that we have achieved a bit of momentum as regards growth in membership; besides the aforementioned 2, I spoke yesterday with a MechWarrior who had joined DL just before the dissolution, who is now interested in joining again. Once the honorable BloodyHell Roshak gets himself back together and rejoins, we will be but a few warriors away from the necessary amount to apply to the PWL for membership. At this rate, I would expect DL to reach the requisite amount by mid-to-late September. I also invite any recruits still needing observations to email ranking officers and arrange to meet them online (as I suggested to one recruit who ICQ'ed me earlier in the week).

Sunday, August 29 3099 - Revelations

This was a fairly amazing week in the ongoing saga of Dark Legion's resurrection.

A midweek email from the Khan posed the question of weekly meetings; should they continue (given the miserable turnout of late), or should DL conduct all communication via email? It seemed that at least 4 of the 5 Keshik members (more on that later) responded with solid opinion, but of course it is the Khan's decision to make, and the matter was left unresolved...

...until last night, when an ICQ came in at the proscribed meeting time. Sefra was asking whether I was planning to attend, and so I promptly slid onto Mplayer. There, to my surprise, were some Legionnaires... having a bona fide meeting!!! As they say, it's always darkest before the dawn, and (knock on wood) last week's fiasco was our low point.

In attendance, again to my surprise, was the worthy BloodyHell, newly returned to the ranks as Star Colonel, as well as another former comrade-in-arms, Kain!!! The surprises didn't end there, of course; the far-famed MysticWolf, installed recently as our Galaxy Commander, came by, as well as one of our recruits, Manowar. A grand total of 8 populated the meeting, a most satisfying number, considering that our previous high (by my reckoning) had been 4.

We may even look forward to greater turnouts, judging by all the recruits that have piled into the training barracks over the past 2 weeks. Some of the names I've encountered are Hammerslam, Ajime (sounds familiar), Tombstone, rttcook (sic), MysticHawk (formerly Sla10, I believe), Zizka (another familiar name), Saiyan and Natasha (whom a friend of mine, Benefice, had the pleasure to encounter earlier in the week). The best news of all, of course, is the return of my beloved starmate Mechsiren to her rightful clan. We are now (once all this recruits prove out and get ranked) but 1 warrior away from PWL-level admission; the Khan opined that we may petition for entry as early as next Thursday. Is there any doubt left that the ascendancy of DL has begun again? I doubt me not, brethren; 'tis a bright future for us (and a Dark one for the PWL clans!)

Once again, I stress to those recruits looking for obs; email any of the DL officers to set up obs times. This is surely a more efficient method of gaining them than sitting around Mplayer or the Zone waiting for one of us to drop by. At the rate things are moving, you will certainly get lost in the shuffle by not getting off the recruit roster in a timely manner.

One other issue I wish to mention; the PWL allows planet attacks and defenses using both MW2 and MW3, and given the league rules, you won't always have the choice of which game you have to play in. It is in the best interest of the clan, and yourselves, to have BOTH games installed, and ready to play when necessary. This means getting both Mplayer and MSN Zone software set up and ready; it also means making custom mechs so that you can participate in ANY mech-class battle that is called for, particularly at your rank weight. I know this means spending considerable time in the mech lab... but this is The Way of The Clans!

Monday, September 6 3099 - Dark Legion Update

As the Khan's email stated on Friday, the regular meeting time has been moved to Sundays at 8pm eastern (7pm central); evidently. the change has allowed some to attend who couldn't before, and has prevented others from attending who previously could. In attendance this week were the Khan, Kastowt, BloodyHell, Natasha, Zizka and Yours Truly. If you expect to have a voice in clan decisions, Legionnaires, you had better get yourselves in gear and begin attending meetings; it's just that simple.

And there are decisions to be made. As you know by now, the PWL closed down this past week. While the Jade Falcon clan seems interested in reviving it, it may be as a MW3-only league; while we had been primed to be able to war in both MW2 and MW3, the majority of our warriors (at least, those who've made their opinions known) appear to favor MW2. In the Loremaster's view, we should all be ready to war on either game at a moment's notice... but that's neither here nor there at the moment..

Our current alternate-league options are the NSL (www.newstarleague.com), the QTL (www.midnightblue.net.QTL) or (horrors!!!) the MNL. As for the latter, the MNL is no better now than when we left it before, and it might be slightly arrogant of us to presume that they would have us back, even should it come about that (shivers!!!) we requested admission. I would urge the widest possible search of existing (and to-be-created) leagues to be explored and examined before making this critical decision; we might even consider Kali as a viable alternative (though I've never played there myself).

Recruit and Cadet Update: Immortal, Manowar, Saiyan, Tombstone and Quazie have been dismissed from recruit consideration for various reasons. DL welcomes new recruits WarhammerX, Stoned Wolf and Teryakil. We congratulate DL-Zizka on his completion of obs and training, and on his approved rank of Star Colonel; we also extend kudos to DL-Natasha for completion of observations and training. The Loremaster would also note in this Remembrance that, for his above-and-beyond efforts, Galaxy Commander MysticWolf has been awarded with the DL Recruitment Medal; well done, brother!!!

Once again, I reiterate; because the Dark Legion is between leagues is no reason to allow your commitment to the clan to erode. Recruits still need to gain observations, and cadets (indeed, all of us) need to practice, to keep our skills sharp. Seyla.

Saturday, September 11 3099 - Back To The Future, or Forward To The Past?

A sentry line of towering verdant firs stood, as perhaps they had for centuries, pristine and undisturbed, marking the edge of the great forest. Slowly, at first merely a hint, then growing into a menacing grinding rumble, a sound out of mind shattered the reverie of this almost reverential scene. As terrified forest denizens bolted for safety from what was surely approaching doom, the line of sentinel firs split apart. First the crablike arms, then the blunt snout, and finally the full monster aspect of a Marauder BattleMech shouldered its way through the woods, snapping and splintering trees in its passing as easily as a lion stalks through the tall grass of the veldt.

Perhaps the most feared war machine in the Inner Sphere, the monster machine, ponderous yet somehow elegant, stepped clear of the forest and walked to the near dropoff overlooking, in the far distance, the compound of the enemy clan. The Marauder came to a halt at a point near the cliff where its pilot judged it could keep the compound in view, but with the early morning low-lying fog, it would not be easily spotted, its grey-green camo paint rendering near-invisible against the green backdrop of the trees. The cockpit popped and levered back; the pilot stood up inside. Lifting a pair of thermal imaging binoculars to his eyes, he scanned the distant enemy base for signs of early actvity; besides the occasional strolling sentry, there was little evidence of high alert.

So our landing was undetected, as we hoped, thought the MechWarrior to himself. As soon as he reported in, the attack plan could proceed, and possibly as soon as nightfall the Dark Legion would have 'liberated' as many supplies and war materiel as was rumored these Diamond Shark sohlama surats were guarding here.

It was, however, with a twinge of weariness that the pilot secured the Marauder and prepared to make his report; we have done this so many times I have lost count, he thought. Will we never make the leap to retake the Inner Sphere? How many times must we clans attack one another, to maintain a state of readiness for war?

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Greetings, Legionnaires. Regarding the previous, allow the Loremaster a little poetic license, to view our current situation from a fictional literary perspective. We find ourselves without a league, as our hopes for PWL entry died when the league itself folded. The alternatives, from the Loremaster's view, range from meager to unacceptable. One, the NSL, offers little in the way of innovation from the tedious honor points wars that, in the end count for a hill of beans. The MSL is a fledgling startup, with potential in its PWL-like map, if we have the patience to see the league get out of the starting blocks and grow (a somewhat daunting prospect, as many of our newer clanmates want to war now). The Jade Falcons are trying to restart the remnants of the PWL as a MW3-only league, which doesn't quite fit with DL's primarily-MW2 orientation. The QTL hardly deserves mention here; even were it more than just an excuse on a URL (which is all it is now), I have little faith that its current coordinator has improved from his previous incompetence.

Sadly, these leaves DL with but one odious alternative as its most likely; a return to the MNL, that cesspool of cheat mechs, unscrupulous players and administrative corruption. While I have counseled patience in making a decision, many among us want league-active status 15 minutes ago, and I fear the MNL is where we shall end up.

Now, I will grant you that the Loremaster has not had the best week this past week, with unexpected auto repair bills, impending surgery and probably the 2nd worst dinner date of his life; that could very well be the reason behind my creeping negatvism. In light of this, and since this Remembrance is OURS, not mine, I invite any with an opposing viewpoint (or a more positive one!) to submit essays espousing such. It will be duly posted.

On a positive note, Galaxy Commander MysticWolf is nearing completion of his absolutely bitchin' homepage (the URL of which was sent in an email this past week), and he has graced us with another recruit, one Quad. Welcome to the recruit roster, young sir; may your stay with DL be productive and fruitful (and your stay on the recruit roster short!!!)

Monday, September 13 3099 - DL Update

Attendance at the Sunday meeting improved markedly this week, with as many as 9 Legionnaires in the meeting hall, all told. Had our beloved Nova Commander Sefra not been ill, there would have been more... more than half the current clan roster, by my reckoning. We've still a ways to go, but one mustn't turn one's nose up at improvement.

DL-Natasha has completed cadet training; she will receive her rank shortly, probably via the next Khan's email to the clan. Congratulations, Nat! And, on a related note, several of our recruits are seriously in arrears regarding their recruit obs. Expect to be dropped from the roster unless you make haste and get cracking on those, gents.

The Dark Legion welcomed 2 new recruits this week; Keighvin (pronounced "CAVE-in") and NothingMan (pronounced "nothingman"). A side note; the recruit formerly known as Quad is now named AlphaWolf. A long and distinguished DL career to you all, men (IF you get those obs in!!!)

Finally, the Khan expects to make a decision regarding which league DL will apply to by the end of the week; the Keshik will convene soon to discuss this issue. The possibilities, as mentioned in my last entry, are the NSL, MSL, QTL & MNL (the Loremaster's intuition tells him that the MSL, now up and running, has the inside track). Recalibrate your pulse lasers, load up the missile bays and restock the autocannons; WAR is in the wind, my brothers and sisters, and THE DARK LEGION TAKES NO PRISONERS!!!

Monday, September 27 3099 - DL Update

The final step has been taken, fellow Legionnaires, and there are once again foes to defeat and worlds to conquer. At their weekly meeting last night, the MSL graciously accepted Clan Dark Legion's bid for league entry. Those of you who are familiar with this Remembrance will find this an old refrain, but good advice rarely becomes irrelevant; it behooves us all to get ourselves familiar with all aspects of the new league (rules of engagement, mech classes, rank weights, etc.), so that when hostilities break out, none shall find DL wanting...

Of course, this means, for the nonce, that we will be a Mech2-only clan, as the Khan made no mention of 'splitting' us into MW2 and MW3 segments, as had been speculated previously. A certain irony in this, since it was the advent of "MechWarrior 3" that sparked the reactivation of DL in the first place. Ah well... as the saying goes, "no battle plan survives contact with the enemy".

In other DL news, 3 recruits (Stoned Wolf, Teryakil, WarhammerX) have been dropped, due to inactivity and no obs. I believe the Khan mentioned that recruit Keighvin has a few more days to garner his last observation (he has 4). While I haven't been as much in evidence on Mplayer as I'd hoped (work constraints and surgery), no mention or sightings of recruits Quad and NothingMan have been made of late. I shall, perhaps, take it upon myself to keep this issue uppermost in the minds of the ranked DL actives, that we may find out whether these fellows are EVER in evidence online; they have certainly not appeared at the Sunday meetings.

On the positive side, a much-loved comrade of old stopped in to say hello yesterday; former Nova officer OneEye Hazen!!! Evidently, he, the Khan and Nova Commander Sefra stay in touch through their dealings on Ultima Online (where our Mr. Smilie also spends a considerable amount of time). I made the expected effort, inviting him to rejoin the clan; he begged off for now, although his response made me think that such a thing had indeed occurred to him before last night...

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I wandered into the Mech2 lobby on Sunday morning, hoping to find enough people laying around to scare up a practice. After some jockeying with some DHs who tried to turn my room into a recruitment hall, I dropped into a 4-man c4 free-for-all. In one of my second-line Summoners, I faced a Hellbringer, a WarHammer... and some child in a Tarantula.

My general opening tactic in this scenario is to begin circling, to see who moves the most aggressively, and proceed from there. As luck would have it (they may have thought me a freeborn newbie, as I was using one of my alias avatars), all 3 opponents converged on me, and the WarHammer levelled its autocannons at my side and took me apart. After regen, I waded back into the fray, sharpshooting the WarHammer from distance with LRM fire while he was engaged with the Hellbringer (another sound tactic; take out the most dangerous mech first). I managed to send dual LRM-15 fire through his back armor, and off to the Happy Hunting Ground he went. I then engaged the Hellbringer in a Circle of Death, and laid him low with grouped ER laser, machine gun and autocannon fire; the Tarantula succumbed to LRM fire shortly afterwards. The returning WarHammer charged back in; I managed to seriously 'yellow' all his armor before the AC caught me again. The pattern repeated itself once more, after my next regen; WarHammer out first, then Hellbringer, and Tarantula last (I had thought that the Tarantula might turn out to be a cheat, but it squashed just like stock Tarantulas should!) After that, players began to bail out on the game; final scores were Tarantula - minus 3, Hellbringer - 0, Warhammer - 4 kills, Cobalt - 6 kills.

Several things the casual reader can take from this account; I rarely use a front-line mech in a pickup battle, as I prefer to try to win using tactics, movement and skill rather than mech superiority, and I'd rather not get taken down by one of my own designs (by some opportunist using MLM) in a war that counts. I never get discouraged when I'm the first mech out of the fight, as this can often present more opportunities for multiple whoop-ass after regen. I also make a conscious effort to move the battle away from my regen point so that no one is too close to me when I do, and they're also usually engaged with another opponent when I re-enter the battle. Remember, it ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog that can make the difference. Seyla.

Tuesday, September 28, 3099 - The First Shots Are Fired

It didn't take long, brothers and sisters; mere minutes after the MSL homepage was enabled for Dark Legion to post wars, there were wars to post. The bonds restraining our ferocity were rent asunder, and we came charging out of the darkness like sabretooth tigers too long denied the hunt. 'Twas my honor (and good fortune) to engage in our first official MSL battle, and Kerensky's eyes fell favorably upon me, as I also garnered our 1st victory. The Khan and Nova Commander Sefra soon followed suit, and the MSL honor point board soon rang loud with DL victories aplenty. I would advise all to join the fray as soon as you are able... before the fear gets set in our opponents' eyes!!!

I thought it appropriate to post a miniaturized version of our current ranks (minus the Binary and Star names) for convenience' sake (and for my own); I shall endeavor to keep it as up to date as possible.

DL Ranks - as of 10/11/99

On the MSL Galaxy Map you should soon see our planets; each one has a name, and specific conditions assigned to them. Each is listed on the table below.

Once again, I advise all ranked DL warriors to hop on the MSL bandwagon, start lining opponents up and knockin' 'em down, so we can began the conquest of the MSL galaxy.

Wednesday, September 29 3099 - The Dark Legion's Presence Is Felt... HARD!!!

With the advent of our admission to the MSL still fresh in the minds of all, Dark Legion has lit up Mplayer's halls with the strident clangor of battle so fierce, the God of War himself did take notice... and nodded his approval. At last glance, 14 wars had been posted involving DL personnel, to the satisfactory tune of 10 wins vs. 4 losses. I would expect that percentage to skyrocket heavily towards the positive once more of our Keshik get involved in the effort. As has always been the case, our mighty Khan has led the way (garnering a senses-shattering 5 or 6 one-on-one battles back-to-back in the wee hours this morning), with Nova Commander Sefra and Star Colonel Natasha also contributing to the cause.

While it is true that our raging thirst for war has been slaked not a whit by these few wars so far, it would obviously benefit the clan most if all who are eligible to war do so, at least once or twice a week. The more of us that pile onto the effort, the less chance that any one warrior will feel that they are getting burned-out, or that they're having to carry the clan due to inactivity by the rest. This happened to your humble Loremaster during our previous incarnation, when for a 2-week stretch it seemed the honorable BloodyHell Roshak and I were the only 2 DLs left in the world. I would certainly like to not have anyone else bear that misery on the clan's behalf, so I'm going to use this forum to beat this message to death, if I have to; GET YOUR MECH OUT OF THE GARAGE, BACK FROM THE HOCK SHOP OR BACK FROM THE DRY CLEANERS, BUT GET IT AND WAR!!! We only need a few from each to add up to many for all, and this is what we've been waiting for!

PS - I will need you, my readers, to tell me when the current Remembrance page is getting too lengthy (too much to scroll past), and when to start a new one, so speak up. Also, anyone who's had a particularly epic battle, and wants to see it posted here, write it up and email it to me.

Sunday, October 3 3099 - The Wars Are Raging!

The lowering sun painted not only the sky over Ramsau a bloody carnelian, it made the entire blasted cityscape seem to be of that same shade of crimson. Most appropriate, thought Nova Colonel Cobalt Pryde, since it feels as hot as Hades in here.

Pryde's TimberWolf pounded at 3/4 speed towards a multistory mountain of rubble that had once been a residential skyscraper; his 'Mech's magres scanner indicated that the enemy 'Mech was off aways behind it. They'd gone at it hammer and tongs for the better part of an hour now, ducking in and out of sight, blasting away with all weapons ablaze when the opportunity presented itself, backing off to evade and regroup when the other pressed his advantage too much. 2 crafty MechWarriors, plying their trade of warfare here in high summer at Ramsau.

The endgame was now near, however; the magres scan showed the enemy WarHammer would not survive another barrage from his T-Wolf. As the T-Wolf edged around the wreckage and its pilot got the other 'Mech in visual range, he marvelled that a stiff breeze hadn't decked the ragged machine. The WarHammer was missing both arms, tottered along hesitantly on burnt-out leg actuators are far less than maximal speed... and as the magnetic resonance scan had shown, its torso armor was more memory than reality.

As the TimberWolf appeared, the 'Hammer began pot-shotting away with its last remaining weapon, 1 small ER laser, but pointlessly; the T-Wolf was far out of its range. The Clan code of honor demanded that no enemy be left to suffer overlong; a quick death was called for, since the enemy pilot obviously didn't plan to eject or surrender. "Nor would I", thought Pryde as he heard the shrill tone of missile lock begin to peal. He thumbed the 'fire' button on his control joystick; twin flights of LRM-15s arrowed towards the 'Hammer's heart. As the multiple warheads impacted on the 'Mech's torso, its fusion reactor went up, and the massive war machine was almost instantly replaced by a growing miniature sun. Safely at distance, Pryde watched as the resultant explosion went off, then cleared... leaving not even a pair of mechanical legs to tell that a 80-ton BattleMech had ever even been there.

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A rather poetic, fanciful recap of the end of my war with DH-Sarpon-Kell (former DL and good buddy), but more or less accurate. Judging by the MSL warpost, many other Dark Legionnaires have tasted the heady wine of victory during this first week of league action. I can only hope that good news awaits at tonight's meeting; I know the clan has enough points already for one planet attack, and I expect that we'll have enough for 2 more (possibly 3) by month's end. I've heard no status regarding our cadets and recruits of late, either. Let's keep warring, people!

Monday, October 4 3099 - Dark Legion Update

The first Trial of Position in DL's current incarnation was fought this weekend. In a C1 battle, Natasha defeated Sefra by the score of 5-2, gaining the rank of Nova Commander; Sefra now retains the rank of Star Colonel. We congratulate NovaComm Natasha, who now has asked permission of the Keshik to challenge for Kastowt's Nova Captain rank. While the clan's 30-day protocols may be in effect in this case, the Loremaster heartily applauds this ristar, and plans to keep his eye on her (just in case she has aspirations towards MY rank!!!)

In other movement news, recruits Keighvin, Quad and NothingMan have been dismissed from the clan due to inactivity and non-completion of observations; this is rather a shame in Keighvin's case, since he had 4 of the 5 necessary obs. Perhaps when he has more time to devote to the clan, he can resubmit an application and try again.

On the plus side, the clan welcomes the return of TheDark1, another former DL who has been granted the rank of 1st Mech of Star DragonFire. And while he is not yet an official recruit, MechWolf1 has definite aspirations in that direction, and he has been present at more weekly meetings than some of our ranked officers, so please keep an eye out for this promising young warrior.

The clan has done remarkably well in our 1st week in the MSL, accumulating almost 3000 points before September ended. If we manage to keep up this pace, DL should have 3 planet attacks to use by October's end, possibly 4. A meeting of the Kurultai should be in the offing soon, to discuss just how best to proceed in our initial steps towards galactic conquest. Keep those ACs loaded and those actuators tuned, fellow Legionnaires; the Glory Road awaits us!!!