The Remembrance, Part 3A

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

Monday, Feb.9 3098 - A New Year, A New Order, A New Goal
Hail my Warrior Brethren; the HPG transmitter is repaired, the new ComStar acolyte has taken up his office on the homeworld, and the Remembrance goes on!
Since this Chronicle's move to more tolerant pastures has been delayed by an unresolved hitch, I have elected to continue here, until such time as the way is clear to depart. I beg your indulgence until then, and apologize for the intolerable stretch between updates.
As truly unfortunate as it was, there's no escaping the tragic loss of the last several installments of our Remembrance (from approx. 12/23/97-all of 1/98); its deletion was heinous, uncalled for and unutterably sad. However, if nothing else, soldiers do soldier on, and the Loremaster can do no less for the clan. Measures will be taken to prevent such loss again; in the meantime, I shall attempt to recap the status of each Dark Legionnaire, old and new:

WarKat, our Khan; Best of the Best - Chico-Ne, SaKhan - Lord Ace, former Galaxy Commander (whose fate we shall reveal) - Psiwolf, Nova Colonel, guardian of the DL Homepage - Shrapnel, Nova Captain - BloodyHell, Nova Commander/StormRider Binary - Mr.Smilie, Nova Commander/Void Angel Binary, BloodNamed - Cobalt, Loremaster & Nova Commander/Black Trident Binary, BloodNamed - Gunner, Star Colonel/Obsidian Blade (1st Star), BloodNamed - Xenic, Star Colonel/Dark Blood (2nd Star) - OneEyeBill, Star Colonel/RavenWing (3rd Star), BloodNamed - MysticWolf, Star Colonel/WolfSpire (4th Star) - Mechsiren, Star Colonel/BloodSaber (5th Star) - Drakko, Star Colonel/DragonFire (6th Star), Star Captains Banish, ScuzzFuddly, Captain CERC, Star Commander CyberBum, 1st Mechs Demon-ds, Kastowt, Kharn, and 2nd Mech BloodyMoon.

DLs MIA - Gunship1, Wayne, Buzzman.
Exiled - DeathMerchant, MF2HD

My Warrior Brethren, we have apparently witnessed the deserved downfall of the MNL, and we have left this corrupt entity behind. The Khan has officially decided that we shall take up the challenge of the Quest for Terra League, created in large part by TBH-Templar and former DL Lord Ace (now IS-Lord Ace, leader of the Inner Sphere forces holding Terra). The QTL sets us on the same Glory Road as the "BattleTech/FASA" clans; we strive to be the 1st clan to defeat the IS forces and retake Terra, the birthplace of Mankind. Needless to say, it behooves us all to reconfigure our mechs for, and become conversant with, the QTL rules and class specs, as quickly as possible.
A few DL updates, from the Khan's last transmission-
As referred to earlier, Lord Ace is no longer DL (though he may return at some future point); his rank, Galaxy Commander, will be filled by Melee, with Shrapnel and Psiwolf as the participants. Combat be the judge; may the better warrior win!
We are overjoyed to learn that the worthy Kharn will be returning to the active ranks as of 2/20; we eagerly await our brother's return!
Kastowt has completed Cadet training, and has received the rank of 1st Mechwarrior. Continue to advance at your present pace, and you will soon be officer material!
The Blood Council has been granted their BloodNames! OneEyeBill and Smilie bear the HAZEN Bloodline, Gunner has earned the ROSHAK surname, and Yours Truly has been BloodNamed PRYDE. We four, with Smilie as the Council Chair, shall endeavor to acquit ourselves in all Council matters with due consideration, equanimity and honor.
We all anticipate that the QTL will begin shortly; with this in mind, practice and simulations should be the rule of the day. The Loremaster hopes to post as much information regarding all matters concerning the Dark Legion as the week progresses. Hail!

Sunday, Feb.15 3098 - A New Home for the Remembrance

If you are reading this, then you have found the new home of the Dark Legion Remembrance! Here on Fortunecity, we have more room, and perhaps a new attitude, different (we hope) from our last webhost. To a new beginning, and a continuance of the old, we say Seyla!
The QTL beta testing began this past Friday, with our honored Mr.Smilie and OneEyeBill participating in the 1st test battle, squaring off against 2 CDW warriors. There was still some back-and-forth about batchall and bidding protocol (during which your frustrated Loremaster took his leave), but apparently of a constructive nature. We shall hope that these ambiguities are clarified on the QTL rules page in the near future. Our DL warriors ended up on the losing end of a 6-5 sudden-death match, but the experience was for the growth and good of this new league; we extend our congratulations to Smilie and Bill, for forging the trail the rest of us shall soon follow...
By sundown today, there should be some rank changes in the DL. Psiwolf and Shrapnel should've completed their Galaxy Commander Melee yesterday, and today brings the requisite Nova Captain Melee between BloodyHell, Smilie and myself (may Ares look upon us with favor!) Also, a ToP challenge for a Star Captaincy went out earlier this week, and remained unanswered to the Loremaster's knowledge. I will post the results of these changes as soon as available (probably at the end of tonight's meeting).
For those of you who were absent, last Sunday's meeting was conducted entirely on ICQ, due to the unavailability of mplayer. Other than the ability to use microphones and speak, I would propose that all future DL meetings be conducted this way (no interruptions, fewer lagouts/chat breakdowns, etc.) That, of course, is the Khan's province, and his decision alone to make.
I would ask that all my fellow Legionnaires who plan to move their homepages from geocities to prohosting or fortunecity, to please send my office your new address as soon as you are settled in at your new location, that I may update my links ASAP. Stay sharp and be well, my Warrior Brethren!

Monday, Feb.16 3098 - Dark Legion Update

Once again, the Dark Legion faithful made their way in-system via JumpShip to the Throneworld, to meet with the Khan for the Sunday conference. Herewith, the results of the meeting:

'Tis not often we are touched by a rank change, but we were so last night; the mutual respect and admiration between Nova Colonel Psiwolf & Nova Captain Shrapnel would not allow them to come to blows for the vacant Galaxy Commander rank! Thus, the BloodNamed in attendance elected to perform a straight dual promotion of both; Psiwolf to GalComm, and Shrapnel to NovaCol. Congrats to both, both for your promotions and your unprecedented display of camaraderie; Seyla!

We also welcome a new recruit to the ranks; Grimboy, scion of Gunner & Mechsiren. If genetic legacy proves true, this young man will be a holy terror to our foes, and a solid rock to the DL.

The Khan announced that the Dark Legion has officially joined the QTL. Beta testing will continue for a month; start reconfiguring those mechs to QTL WS's, my fellow Legionnaires!

And, although he didn't make the meeting, our brother Kharn is back in harness, and should be back in action soon. Your absence has been sorely felt, brother; we welcome you back!

Sunday, Feb.22 3098 - Dark Legion Update

While the weather patterns on other worlds in the Dark Legion Imperium have been treacherous, the Loremaster has been revelling in relative splendor, with a positively balmy winter here. Perhaps that is why I've been toiling on the Remembrance most of the past week, and only occasionally getting out and online for some practice (gotta keep the skills sharp somehow). That may also be why I've seen so few of us on Mplayer during the past week; outside of Kastowt & Sefra, it's been naught but a steady stream of other clanners and newbies wandering around the Mech2 lobby. Ah well, hopefully that will soon change...

As I'm sure you've all received word of by now, Kharn is indeed back in harness, and eager to get practiced up and ready for the new league (and, apparently, regain his status as Star Colonel of the RavenWing). We applaud the enthusiasm, and welcome him back with open arms!

We seem to be nearing the completion of the Nova Captain melee, as I was defeated by Smilie, 5-3; all that remains is for he and BloodyHell to get together and finish things up. We may know the results by tonight's meeting.

Speaking of whom, that selfsame Nova Commander dispatched this Comstar bulletin to my office earlier this week, wherein the motto of his StormRider Binary is revealed - "As the blue skies fade and the clouds move in, so do the warriors of the StormRider Binary. As the lightning flashes and strikes, so do the warriors of the StormRider Binary. As the lightning leaves a charred mark on the ground, the warriors of the StormRider leave the charred remains of enemy mechwarriors" - Nova Commander Bloody Hell. Well spoken, brother!

As a result of a Trial of Position sent and unanswered by Gunship1, Kastowt has acheived the rank of Star Captain. The Khan has granted this; it is the way of the clans. As to the disposition of the long-absent Gunship1, we shall hopefully learn tonight.

As I emailed to you all earlier today, all aspects of the Remembrance - TGW or DL, OneEyeBill's or mine - are now resident in one place; my homepage, newly hosted by FortuneCity. I'd give out the URL, but if you're reading this, then you already know where it is, quiaff?

Monday, Feb.23 3098 - Just Over The Horizon

Hail and well met, fellow Legionnaires. I finally managed to get myself into a QTL SMU war, and although it didn't go particularly well (Sefra went as my wing, and I performed miserably), the experience was worth, simply as a trial run for the new league. Another major stint in the mech lab is in the offing for the Loremaster!

In Dark Legion news from Sunday, the Malloc matter was decided by the 3 attending members of the Blood Council after the meeting; he shall remain an honored TGW alumnus, but will not be granted recruit or active status in the Dark Legion. The other pending matter involving a potential new recruit (YoJeff/GB-Rookie) has been tabled until such time as he is seen on Mplayer again.

The worthy Kastowt was officially granted his Star Captaincy in the Obsidian Blade (my former command!); we are certain he will acquit himself among the fighting ranks well. As for the MIA Gunship1, he was demoted to 1st Mech of Blood Saber; this brother definitely needs to get himself seen and/or heard from, before much more time has passed...

In the finishing melee for the Nova Captain rank, Smilie defeated Bloody Hell in a WS1 battle during the early stages of Sunday's meeting. Congratulations to the new Nova Captain and Keshik member!

Now that the QTL map is finished, the Khan has called the Kurultai together during the coming week, to discuss the initial campaign of our advance on Terra. All are advised to get their rank mechs up to QTL specifications, learn the new rules and bidding procedures, and get ready for the fighting to begin!!!

In another QTL development, it now appears that Clan Phoenix intends to join the QTL! This is good news indeed; the Loremaster certainly hopes that this is verified and made official soon.

Lastly, we once again extend a warm "Welcome Back" to our brother Kharn; his good fellowship and battle prowess will once again brighten our clan hall. We also bid farewell to ex-recruit Buzzman/BadBuzz, who has not been in attendance or communication for quite sometime, without explanation or excuse. That's one easy way to find yourself on the outside, wishing you hadn't blown a good thing...

Sunday, Mar.1 3098 - The Kurultai Speaks, and the Legion Moves...

Its frigid fangs bared, the winter winds shrieked across the plains and streets of the Homeworld, pummeling the 4 black-robed figures as they made their way across the plaza. Yet, even as they neared the cyclopean black stone structure, they seemed not to feel the arctic blast in the least; preoccupied, no doubt, with war in the horizon, and the planning of conquests to come. The honor guard, recognizing this august band that approached them, made haste to open the portals to this great hall, fearing to slow the pace or interfere with the progress of... the Kurultai!

Not quite as dramatic as all that, but the Kurultai (such as could make it) met before the regular meeting yesterday, to make plans for the garrisoning of our 5 worlds (Thormain, Thorula, Thefonis, Balmain & Kilivolaa), and the expansion towards Terra when QTL play begins in earnest. All Legionnaires will have a role to play, whether in planet attack or defense, or in SMU wars to fill the Legion's coffers. Keep thy skiils sharp, and thy wits about thee; you WILL play a part in the journey to come...

Last night saw the conclusion of the abbreviated Nova Commander melee, as OneEyeBill edged out noble Mechsiren, to ascend to command of the Void Angel Binary. We wonder somewhat at the lack of participation, however; of the 6 Star Colonels eligible, 2 expressed no interest in the rank (somewhat understandable), and 2 responded not at all (very curious). Does the blood of the lower ranks no longer burn with the appropriate fire, that such a prize rank should go almost uncontested...?

Congratulations are in order also for Cadet Lord Ancient, newly recruited and already done with observations, and Nogard, promoted to 1st Mechwarrior of Star DragonFire. May Fortune smile upon you in your martial endeavors with Dark Legion!

The Loremaster will shortly be posting a new page; the Dark Legion Universe. This page will contain information about worlds under our control, links to the QTL pages, a current OOB and a short glossary of Clan terminology. I welcome any suggestions as to other material which may fit. This page will be accessible from my "Cobalt" homepage.

In an effort to educate our newer and younger members, I will soon post an essay here on a subject that I'm sure you've all dealt with on Mplayer, at one point or another, and how best to deal with it, and the perpetrators thereof. Be wary, my Warrior Brethren!

Multiple Attackers, And The Proper Response

The shantytown buildings of Ramsau appear as you drop on-planet, and you begin to group your weapons as your fusion reactor cycles up to peak power. Then you realize, "Y'know, I probably should get moving, 'cause these freeborns I've just dropped with aren't gonna respect the clan protocol of waiting for a ready/go sequence." You move out at 3/4 speed, heading for the closest opponent's regen point when the first volley comes in... followed by another! A bit too fast for 1 mech's missile racks to cycle up another load... then the truth dawns on you; these bastards are ALL ganging up on you, not even bothering to attack each other! Unless you're a master of evasion, you probably bite the dust, alternating between furious rage and thinking, "This is SUPPOSED to be a free-for-all, not an everyone-against-me!"

Guess What? Deal with it.

When I first recruited, The Gods of War were widely regarded as the best MechWarrior clan on Mplayer; Khan naM taP set a standard, and demanded that we exceed it. When we became the Dark Legion, Khan WarKat set the standard higher, and demands that we exceed it. While the MNL flourished, we were the class of that league, and every other clan stood in our shadow, trying (and mostly failing) to measure up. Our reputation preceeded us then, as it does now.

Many are the freeborn, other clanfolk, mercenaries and general sociopaths who would love to walk around saying, "Yeah, I took down one of those DLs; they ain't so tough!" In a free-for-all game with players you aren't that familiar with, you need to stay aware that your uniform makes you a target, a trophy, an animal-skin that many would like to hang on their walls.

The best part of this situation is: yeah, we ARE that tough, our reputation is deserved, and we know how to turn this unwarranted attention to our advantage. Skills can be honed from these ganging-up situations, and valuable lessons learned.

1. Be Aware - this WILL happen, make no mistake. If you can maneuver during the first seconds of the game to get under cover, more power to you. If not, realize what's happening; all weapon fire will be directed at you (not so much during c1/ws1 battles, but where missiles and auto-cannons are allowed...). If you can't evade for long (lose a leg early on, etc.), try to mess one of the attackers up good while you can, take 'em out if possible before you bite it. That might make 'em think twice about that for the rest of the game.

2. Watch The Game - don't regen right away, once your mech blows. Let the game develope without you for a bit; the other players will start to go after each other. You might even wait 'til their minds are off you, then regen back in, and wipe the floor with whoever is closest. You'll probably catch someone (or multiple someones) badly damaged; smack 'em hard for an easy kill or 2.

3. Move Away - Try to draw the battle away from your regen point, either to an area with some cover or to someone else's regen point. That way, when/if you blow up again, you'll have some distance between you and the opponents when you regen again, giving you time to group your weapons and target an opponent.

4. Remember The Ranges - keep the effective range of your weapons, and don't waste ammo. I'm always amused when some player fires LRMs at me while still 900+ away. Let 'em close to around 750 or so before cutting loose, and make your missile-fire count.

5. Make Them Miss - nothing infuriates a freeborn like hitting him, while not letting him hit you. Our superior experience with lag-shooting usually stands us in good stead in this regard. Even if you're down to 1 leg, if you still have jump-jets you can slide to building cover and slice-and-dice the newbie/freeborn as they come blundering after you. Nothing like taking out a freshly-regenerated mech with 3 medium lasers and a machine gun!

6. Remember Your Superiority - a custom mech will defeat a standard/alt mech almost every time, and most newbies and freeborns don't know how to make decent custom mechs yet. Your training, superior mech and will should give you the advantage in most (if not all) pick-up games... unless, of course, there's another Dark Legionnaire in the game with you!!!

Above all, try to use the experience of getting bum-rushed or ganged-up-on as an opportunity to hone your talents, show the lowborns who the boss is... and spread the reputation of the Dark Legion as the best and toughest clan out there, as far as the farthest horizon!

Friday, Mar.6 3098 - I Love The Uniform<

If I may, fellow Legionnaires, I’d like to step aside from my Loremaster duties for a bit, and write simply as a Dark Legionnaire. Actually, I’m gonna be something of a cheerleader in this entry, and regale you with the story of my evening last night...

My completely-erratic CD-ROM drive decided to cooperate somewhat last night, so I logged onto Mplayer, hoping to find some of you around. Happily, I saw a "Clan Phoenix vs. DL" room as soon as I got to the Mech2 lobby. Who should I see upon entry but our Khan and Nova Colonel, WarKat and Shrapnel, preparing to drop in a QTL SMU war with 2 CPs. With resounding ‘Hails’ we greeted each other, pleased in the simplicity of Dark Legion fellowship. We were made even more so a few minutes later, when Gunner strode in. We wished ‘Kat and Shrap well, and adjourned to our own room.

Gunner and I chatted for a while, just catching up on things, and since the room was unlocked some newbies and freeborn came in. One, a fellow named MasterBlasterX (when will these new guys learn, that with a name like that you’re just BEGGING for a good beating?!?!) actually tried to goad us into playing. Gunner and I were on the same wavelength in this regard, so we dropped with the fellow.

I set the weight limit at 85, but this fellow took a MadDog. I took aim at him after 30 seconds with an LRM-20 and, to my surprise, he flew apart as the first few missiles impacted; his mech had the armor consistency of a dandelion! After Gunner and I took turns wasting this hapless fellow, he admitted he’d tried to create and use a cheat mech, obviously without anything close to success. We had the greatest time alternately pummeling this cretin, while sharpening our skills on each other during his regen periods. He left after Gunner and I split about 14 kills between us; we both laughed uproariously at what had just happened when we got back to the room!!!

As per usual, Gunner had to make an early night of it (for work’s sake); we hailed goodbye, and I went to find fresh opponents. I managed to get into a game with a WP and a freeborn, and handled both pretty well; the freeborn kept blowing himself up with overheats, and the WP wasn’t that skilled (using a T-Wolf with no jump-jets!). I left at about the 20-min mark with 7 kills, WP had 4, and the freeborn had 1.

I’m not sure I’ve conveyed the sense of fun it can be when one gets to see, chat and practice/wing with one’s clanmates. I mean no disrespect or disparagement to the DLs I see more frequently (Smilie, Kastowt); I enjoy the company of ALL fellow Legionnaires. If I had my way, I’d see all of you on Mplayer every night, and at every meeting. This is not too likely, of course, but on the eve of the QTL going live and for real it’s good to see some of those who’ve been missing for awhile back in action.

I’m exceptionally pleased and proud to be a Dark Legion warrior; I hope that all of you feel the same way.

Saturday, Mar.7 3098 - Dark Legion-apalooza!!!

Ye gods, what a night!!! If the Loremaster was pleased to encounter 3 other DLs on Thursday, he was positively giddy at Friday night's turnout! Lord Ancient, Kastowt, Psiwolf, Shrapnel, Mechsiren(!), BloodyHell, Xenic (double !!), Drakko, OneEyeBill and myself all showed up, along with such friends as Jamminess, Skittle and, of course, Sefra (who was gracious enough to morph into Khan WarKat for a time!) Truly a pleasure, to see so many comrades in the battle hall together, at the same time; especially now, with IS Warlord Ace announcing the advent of real play in the QTL beginning next Friday, 3/13. The Loremaster is so pleased, he'll even spare you the usual nagging about mech-redesign to QTL specs, and such.

Mplayer even behaved itself last night, allowing us an unusually lag-free series of practice wars and free-for-all games. The highlight was a 6-person ffa, through which Nova Colonel Shrapnel strode like a true God of War, amassing 20 kills piloting an armor-shredding monster Marauder; the way ordnance was flying in that brouhaha, I felt lucky to end up with my 8 kills!

And the warm-ups came in handy, as the following eyewitness report confirms-

Derf, 12:40 am/est, 3/7 - Night on Derf is black, velvet-dark; even the fusion towers at Nav Alpha base were dim, as if the evening absorbed what little light was in evidence. Only the console lights from Nova Commander OneEyeBill's Warhammer and my own Hellbringer broke the unrelieved curtain of black.

As Bill announced "Contact!", and began the patrol, I wondered again at the outpost's report of 2 Clan Phoenix mechwarriors issuing a batchall, and subsequent call to war. They'd not been seen in this sector for decades, and no DropShip had been detected approaching...

Bill's call of weapon-lock on one of the intruders, and IFF-identified as CP indeed, shook me from my reverie, and galvanized me into action. A quick sensor-sweep locked my mech's LRM-20s on the same target, and I maneuvered for a clear shot as Bill waded in, sending mech limbs and armor shards spinning into space with lethal autocannon fire. While I had every confidence in the Hellbringer, I'd forgotten the revamped QTL conventions for mech size; we were outmassed by 10 tons (not a huge advantage for them, but a stupid error on my part). There was, of course, nothing to do at that point but hope that superior skill and experience would overcome.

My role was to have been long-range support, but as usually happens, once the war-fever overtakes me, I couldn't help but get in close with the enemy and do some face-to-face slugging. And, with each supporting the other, the tide turned (and stayed) our way. Bill's laser- and-UAC onslaught weakened them, and my Hellbringer's LRMs, lasers and machine-guns provided the finishing touch. When the staccato bark of UAC and machine-gun fire died away, we stood triumphant, with an 8-4 victory.

As we drove our battered-but-victorious mechs back to the hangar for repair, I couldn't help but notice; the eve of Derf had once again swallowed all light, and a dark peace reigned over all.

Wednesday, Mar.11 3098 - Dark Legion Update

Just above the granite-tower mountains of the eastern horizon, the twin suns Sola’ar’E and Sola’ar’Te glared across the salt flats like the unwinking stare of an angry god. It would be another hellish, sun-baked day for those who worked upon the surface of this, Thormain’s DropShip launchpad and staging area.

Nary a ground creature nor avian predator stirred this day; one might suppose this was due to the unrelenting heat of this area, but it had more to do with an unspoken feeling, running like static electricity through the clan warriors and techs preparing the DropShips for flight. Were a group mind in evidence here, the overwhelming tapestry of thought would be "The time at last has come, time for battle!" None needed to voice this; all could feel the insistent call of the wardrums pulsing in their veins, singing in their ears. If asked, none of these warriors would even rate the day’s heat as worth the notice, so eager were they to begin the trek for which they has so long prepared. The DropShips they loaded gleamed blackly, like the oilspot eyes of some cyclopean beast, awaiting the hands of their pilots to signal the launch, to begin the opening thrust on the long, battle-laden journey to the ultimate goal... Terra!

Yes, the end of beta-testing is at hand; the QTL begins for real this coming weekend. For the faithful and battle-ready, the Glory Road beckons; for the MIA and inactive, the end is near. The Khan has emailed those who have been seen either rarely or not at all; they will either soar with the clan, or be left behind in shame...

This week Dark Legion welcomes 2 new recruits; Recognizer and Mercenary9727. May these 2 find the path of honor with us.

A Trial of Position has gone out; Star Captain Kastowt has challenged Bloody Hell for his Nova Commander rank ( a bold move indeed!). We eagerly await the blow-by-blow account of this one!

The Loremaster echoes the Khan’s reminder; get all your mechs (rank weight and below) up to QTL specs ASAP, and be ready for what ever duty is given to you. Whether winging with someone in a SMU war, defending one of our planets or attacking a neighboring mercenary stronghold, ALL will have a part to play in this effort.

The Khan would also like us to step up our recruiting efforts; so if you find yourself on Mplayer with no other DLs around, set up a recruiting room and see who wanders in. Could be there’s a golden nugget among the freeborn (stay away from anyone named Renfr0, though!!!)

Wednesday, Mar.18, 3098 - DL Update: A ToP to Remember, And The QTL Begins... Sorta!

The Loremaster received this HPG transmission from ComStar today-

"As the dust settled from the blasts of the jets off the dropships, 2 MechWarriors stood facing each other 1.5K's away. The com channels crackled as the two wished each other well. When the cry of GO!! was given, Bloody Hell and Kastowt began to cross over the hills. Each warrior, uncertain of what the other mech held, slowly advanced.

I, DL-BloodyHell, went left hiding behind a mountain, hoping that Kastowt had not gotten a lock on me, as I had on him. Advancing over the hill and closing in with my 3 SRM's and 6 ER med lasers, I began to tick away the distance between us. At approx. 500m's I let loose my lasers, having the awkward feeling he knew I was coming. Volley after volley of laser fire from my mech streamed towards my target, yet not knowing if it hit. Choosing to stop firing for a couple of seconds was a mistake. I saw the bullets streaking towards me as my mech was hit by them. However the distance was too great, and the sound not right, for them to be machine guns. No, this was AC fire. Taking damage, I hastily turn my mech to the left and began to return fire, not caring how my heat gage read. I suffered some damage to my torso; nothing too badly damaged. As I broke out of the hills to the surrounding plains I was met by more AC fire. Foolishly I decided not to release any missiles (why, I don't know). More bullets flew past my mech, and I returned fire. Then, with a sudden explosion around me, my mech flew apart as a large volley of AC fire hit me. This gave Kastowt a lead of 1-0.

Fighting back my anger (not towards Kastowt, but myself for not to using my whole arsenal; I consider myself an veteran Mechwarrior, not necessarily good, but definitely getting on in my years of clan service... I should have known better), I regenerated and was off again to hide behind the mountain, knowing that he probably didn't have a target lock on me. I climbed back over and went to the right; I found him in a couple of passes. Believing that he had not sighted me and the distance seemed to be equal (meaning neither of us was moving; this seemed slightly suspicious), so I pressed on and climbed over the peak of a nearby hill. Blasting away, after a second or two I was greeted with AC fire back at me, another error on my part. I quickly turned right and twisted my torso, which is what I should have done. A battle started and again I was decimated by AC fire.

The score stood 2-0, and I had taken a slight humor in the last kill. I knew that I had wasted quite a bit of his ammo. I thought to myself, "He must be getting low on ammo, time to strike with everything". And indeed he was low on ammo; not as low as I thought but it served. I was actually able to jump-jet out of the way of the AC fire, and when I noticed him frantically closing in I realized that he was out of ammo. Feeling trigger-happy I released all of my weapons; first the missiles, and then the lasers. Using chain-fire I began to pepper the air in and around his mech causing damage, not as much as I hoped but enough. Then I underestimated Kastowt again. He blasted at my mech with lasers (knowing that he wouldn't just have AC's on his mech, but they took up quite a few criticals), I figured he'd only have a couple. But from the damage I began to take I quickly forgot that and began blasting away. I was rewarded with the kill, and some damage to my torso and arms. Nothing serious but still damage.

The score was now 2-1. The battle raged on and the score came to 4-2. This time knowing that Kastowt was again low on ammo for his AC's we clashed together; I was feeling overconfident that I could win this skirmish. Laser fire was exchanged, and I started scoring damage on him, and he on me. I just let loose with a volley of missiles, the last volley that would be sent in this battle. My mech reported that I had some damage; a heat sink was lost, but nothing major. I then saw the last laser fire from Kastowt's mech as it streaked across the small distance between us and I erupted in fire.

My mouth dropped open. Feeling a rush of emotions... I first felt stupid for my overconfidence, and then I realized.. I was proud. This Mechwarrior had taught me valuable lessons. I am very proud of Kastowt, as he was able to challenge and overcome me on the field of battle. I knew instantly that with warriors like him, we WILL win over all the other Clans in the QTL. We are the most HONOURABLE and most RESPECTABLE clan on mplayer. The dawn of a new age is at hand. The Dark Legion is the most powerful clan, and it’s because of the warriors in it. The Dark Legion is not ruled by one, The Dark Legion IS the one; we fight together, and each warrior serves his part (whether a Mechwarrior or a Khan). We all serve TOGETHER, and that is what makes us strong; that is what makes us the Dark Legion... and that is what we will do to win Terra!" DL-BloodyHell

I'm sure all Dark Legionnaires extend their congratulations to both Kastowt and BloodyHell, the former for ascending to command of the Stormrider Binary as its Nova Commander, and the latter for his grace and honor, in reporting a battle that he unfortunately ended up on the short side of. Seyla, gentlemen; such is the Way of the Clans.

As this update title suggests, the Quest for Terra League has begun... in a manner of speaking. SMU wars have begun in earnest, but planet movement is on hold for an unspecified time, due to a clan roster problem. We expect this problem to be cleared up shortly, and the true Quest to begin!

If you've been checking your email, you know that a host of last-minute rule changes were proposed, most of which seem aimed at giving the Inner Sphere forces an edge over the numerically-superior Clans. I will address only one of these; the rule stating that a clan must become a mercenary unit or IS house should they lose their homeworld has been rescinded. As long as that clan has at least one planet to call their own, they may continue in the QTL as that clan. We thank Mr.Smilie for participating in the kickoff meeting, and bringing us these rule updates!

Speaking of clans, a new one has joined the QTL; Clan Red Dragon, or CRD. Judging by their immature behavior during the kickoff gathering, they will be of little concern, and less consequence, in league play (even the IS would not have them, when they requested a change to House status).

We congratulate our brother Kharn on re-acquiring his Star Colonel rank with his RavenWing, and hope to see more of him as the league progresses. Also, let it be known that recruit Mercenary9727 has changed his name to Kodiak; we have personally observed this young man in action, and if his ws1 skill translates to the other ws's he will be a formidable addition to the DL.

The time is now, my Warrior Brethren; get yourselves in fighting fettle, for the Quest is upon us, and the Dark Legion shall not be found wanting!!!

Saturday, Mar.21 3098 - Practice, Practice, Practice!

As the QTL labors mightily (and somewhat creakily) towards full gameplay, more and more Dark Legionnaires are finding their way back to Mplayer; the Loremaster is pleased to see DL battlehalls almost every time he logs on. And though we maintain a state of battle-readiness at most, if not all times, it seems few others can make the same claim...

Having gotten my 1st official SMU war out of the way, I logged on Mplayer with the objective of helping fill the clan's coffers with more SMU for the Quest to come; alas, both Thursday and Friday saw scant opponents upon whom to wage war. IS, CRD, CDW... all stopped by our Hall, but none had wingmen. So, between both nights it was left to the SaKhan, OneEyeBill, Kastowt, Gunner, BloodyHell, Xenic and myself to keep our skills sharp, practicing with each other. We split off into teams-as-they-fell, and went at it in different scenarios using different conditions. We also got used to trying our intrateam communications, which will come in handy when the battle abbreviations go into use.

We also found the time to get GrimBoy back on track, as he has spent too much time in the recruit uniform already. OneEyeBill, Kastowt and I gave him what should be his last set of observations; with luck, the Khan will grant him cadet status at the Sunday meeting.

It has become official; in something of a surprise move, a rank consolidation has been completed, and the StormRider Binary has been temporarily de-activated (check your OOB for current ranks). We are now approximately 4-5 warriors short of 2 full Binaries, which means that when we recruit that many more warriors (who make it to cadet status, and beyond), the StormRiders will soar once more!

We've said it before, we'll say it again; no matter how much we immerse ourselves in Mplayer, Mech2 and the BattleTech fantasy, real life comes first. For some, who've had personal situations come up that called them away from our battlehall, this has become fairly, painfully obvious; Lord Ancient having his pc privileges taken away, Kharn's career and other things, school, family, etc. What has become of CyberBum, we know not; the same goes for Banish, Gunship, BloodyMoon, BloodyFinger and others with whom we've had no contact of late. We can only wish them well, and hope their MIA status is resolved soon...

In that same vein, a confidential message from ComStar was received by the Loremaster's office recently; though he's been rarely seen since his return from the racing circuit, Kharn assures us that things have taken a turn for the better of late, and he will be more in evidence soon. Good news indeed!

We've yet to hear from the Khan himself, but a fellow calling himself Off32 happened upon me this morn, and said he was a recruit of ours. We hope to ascertain his definitive status before the new week begins...

Sunday, Mar.22 3098 - The New Rank Structure

As most of you should know by now, the Khan has closed down the StormRider Binary until further notice, and has re-arranged the ranks accordingly. This means that some of us have been demoted.

The Loremaster hopes that those who've lost a rank or two understand that the Khan's hands were pretty much tied on this matter; the QTL rules state that a clan must have a full Star of warriors before opening another, a full Binary before opening a new Star, etc. So the ranks had to be consolidated to abide by this rule, and if you think about it, it makes sense in the grander scheme of things. If not for this rule, what would stop a clan of 10 guys from having no lower rank than Star Colonel (that's a pretty heavy force, tonnage-wise, to deal with)? To keep us, or any other clan from squeezing through this loophole, this rule seems proper, and I do in fact agree with it.

Keep in mind there are still open Star Commander spots available, the Trial of Position option is still open to anyone with the steel to try it, and I believe the Khan made his judgements according to who has proven themselves most active. If you harbor bitterness at losing your rank, perhaps a good look at your attendance/appearance/frequency-of-play is in order first...

A look at the QTL record board shows Dark Legion in 2nd place in wars fought and SMUs gained, behind Clan Phoenix (as of this morning). Granted, it's only the 1st week of play, and our opponents seem to be a bit disorganized. However, just like in the MNL days, we need to get and stay active, seeking out opportunities for war with whatever clan/house is available. Once planet movement starts, we need all the SMU in the clan coffers that we can stuff in there, to finance our Quest.

So, there it is, plain and simple; get active, stay active, report your battles as promptly as possible, and let's see if we can't take the lead by next weekend!

Monday, Mar.23 3098 - Dark Legion Update

Fellow Legionnaires, I would ask that, in light of the poor turnout for last night's meeting, you redouble your efforts to attend. In case you have forgotten (or were not informed), the Dark Legion meets every Sunday evening at 8pm est. If for some reason you cannot attend, please email someone who normally attends (like me!) and tell them that you can't be there. I guarantee these things are noticed...

We welcome a new recruit; 2Fangs! We look forward to meeting this fellow, and testing his mettle. We also congratulate Kodiak on taking the next step, from recruit to cadet. We expect this young warrior to complete cadet training soon, and be promoted to a fighting rank before the next meeting!

While we're on the subject, I'd like to remind all Dark Legionnaires; once you're done observing a recruit, do not fail to send your impressions to the Khan, Keshik or BloodCouncil. You do the clan a disservice when you neglect this duty, as it keeps recruits from progressing at a proper rate, and results in such actions as the closing of the StormRider Binary (were all our current cadets and recruits observed and recorded in a timely manner, we'd be past 2 full Binaries by now, and the recent demotions and rank re-organizations would've been unnecessary).

In this same vein, the aforementioned Off32 is not, as of this entry, an official DL recruit, as he hasn't submitted a recruit form. If you see him, tell him this must be done before anything else can occur.

Another personnel matter needs mention; a falling-out with Lord Ace has apparrently led to Vador's leaving the IS. 2 things about this you should remember; I'm told he will still run the QTL page, and Ace has NOT resigned as head of the IS. The league will presumably go on as scheduled; the Loremaster guesses that either Malloc or Jaydin Wulfe will replace Vador as Ace's right-hand man...

It has come to the Loremaster's attention that Clan Red Dragon has recruited and accepted an individual from our past; his CRD name is Robotech. This person is our clan's only dezgra, and as such is not to be dealt with in any way, shape or form. When dealing with CRD in any official capacity (SMU war, planet battle, etc.), you will NOT enter any such battle if he is part of it. Inform CRD that we will not engage this individual, and to replace him with another wingman if at all possible.

In his address Sunday, the Khan alluded to a 'spring housecleaning', as regards the fighting roster, and the inactives thereon. Let this be your final warning; you may be able to salvage your DL career and rank if you GET ACTIVE NOW. If you find yourself suddenly a free agent (I should say 'freebirth'), you have no one to blame but yourself. Seyla.

The battle abbreviations are complete (a tip of the neurohelmet to OneEyeBill Hazen for his work on these); all warriors are advised to learn these. Post them by your pc if you must, they will come in handy in battle.

The date has been set; the May 22nd weekend will see the 1st DL real-life get together. Contact the Khan of myself for further details.

That's all for now; keep those lasers hot, my brethren!

Tuesday, Mar.24 3098 - A Tale Of A Battle

The Loremaster would like to regale you with a tale of a Challenge Thrown, a Battle Fought, Rage Enflamed, and Reason Restored, Attend...

Before I could get on Mplayer last night, Smilie caught me on ICQ, and said he had a war waiting. Hearing that, I of course dropped what I was doing and hied me hence to fight on his wing. CDWs C-3 and Dierwolf had challenged, so we made our bids, got the settings and off we went.
It took numerous launches to get us all there, but we landed on Graus and began the mayhem. My foreboding feeling turn out to be accurate, as Dierwolf elected to stay in his cave and just launch missiles. As Smilie had used an autocannon-loaded mech, I decided to try to keep Dier and his Warhammer pinned in the cave and keep his attention on me. This worked only too well, as he shot me down once, and was on his way to doing it again. The 1.75 gravity was preventing me from maneuvering too well, and after about 5-6 double LRM-20 volleys I was toast again.
Then it happened; Dier put up an "LOL' and ":-)" after that last kill. After a change of tactics on my part and a few more kills, Smilie called HOLD. A return to the room revealed a 6-6 tie.
While in the room, I asked Dier what was so funny; his response was that he'd "had a funny kill". Seething already, in a cold fury I told him there was NOTHING funny about laughing at or mocking an opponent in the midst of a battle. We went back and forth on this for a bit, and finally got back to finishing the war.
Smilie tight-beamed me an order to double-team him (since C-3 had taken a ws1 mech), and you can bet he didn't have to tell me twice! Smilie and I both weakened Dier with autocannon and missile fire, and I took him out with group-fired lasers, machine guns and LBX-2 fire, scoring the tie-breaking kill. Fortune had favored the bold this day, and justice was done.
After the battle, I hung around just long enough to offer them scant congratulations, then bolted for the lobby. Finding Gunner and OneEyeBill, I made a room and we discussed what had just happened. Of course CDW came in, trying to determine what ws mechs we had used; we gave them what they needed and sent them on their way. As I calmed down, I sent a page to C-3, telling him I had no beef with him (we've practiced and played together before, with no problem), but that his wing should watch his step around us from now on...

A little while later, their Khan DraconisRex came by, wanting to know what had happened. I gave him the blow-by-blow of it all, and in the end he offered that in practices CDW oftens laughs at each other, but he agreed that it has no place in clan-vs.-clan war. We agreed to let this be water under the bridge, and no hard feelings.

Friday, Mar.27 3098 - A Parting Of The Ways

As his aide left the office, dark hardwood door closing with a solid thump behind him, the only other occupant slowly wheeled his chair around. He leaned back in the pivoting chair, propped his booted heels on the window sill, and gazed out the window in solemn contemplation. He'd always loved to watch the sunset descend over the mountains through this window; it seemingly never failed to provide a stunning panorama of color, as the sun burned the trees, mountaintops and the sky mutiple hues of orange, red-gold, purple and eventually, the deep violet of twilight. This spectacular vista often helped the office's occupant think, to mull over the day's events, and put things in their proper perspective. And today, with the ComStar transmission his aide had just delivered, seemed to be a day for the clan Loremaster to do just that; think...

In a fairly surprising turn of events, Nova Captain Mr.Smilie has decided to leave the Dark Legion ranks, apparently for greener pastures on Heat. Taking Banish with him (and we wonder if the latter will show up to participate any more frequently than he did during his tenure with us), he has either joined a clan there, or seeks to start his own. Good luck.

His departure, of course, leave an opening in the Keshik; pending the approval of the Khan, the remaining members of the BloodCouncil will decide how best to fill the vacant Nova Captaincy. There is also a need for a new BloodCouncil chairman.

Speaking of the BloodCouncil, it may be time to proceed with the next round of Trials of Bloodright. The Loremaster believes there will be more news forthcoming on this matter shortly.

In QTL news, the early returns are somewhat disappointing. Despite a concerted effort by a few Legionnaires, Dark Legion is now in 3rd place, behind Clan Phoenix and Clan Dragon Wind. We see these clans constantly on the lookout for SMU wars, but no such reciprocal effort from the majority of DLs of fighting rank. True, it is early yet, but an early lead can often win the race; it's time to get active, warriors, and start getting your feet wet in the QTL.

Speaking of the QTL, here's something to keep in mind when seeking battle. You and your wingman would obviously discuss which ws mechs each prefers to take into battle beforehand, but the settings may not always favor the mech you take. It might be wise to select a different ws mech to take (of the same or similar SMU value), should the settings not come up in your favor. That way, you'd have a LRM mech available to use should the settings come up with a wide-open scenario (like Hainfield), and an autocannon mech to use, should you get stuck in narrow confines (like Kufstein). Bid wisely, my brethren.

Friday, Mar.27 3098 - Faith Restored, New Determination

It has been, shall we say, an interesting week for the Dark Legion. A completely unanticipated departure by one of the Keshik, a disappointing battle, a new Gizmo download from Mplayer (and a pretty big one at that)... Put them all together, and combine them with a noticeable drop-off in DL attendance over the past 2 weeks, and you have one somewhat depressed Loremaster. We won't even mention our drop from 2nd to 3rd place in the QTL.

However, as hope springs eternal in Man's breast, so can outlook and spirit be restored with a single event. Attend, as I did, this war bulletin from the HPG transmitter outside my office-

"From darkness, to darkness; my wingman BloodyHell and I performed our fusion-reactor startup procedures after landing and securing from a hot-LZ combat drop into the silent, frozen forests of Galuzza. Somewhere out there, in the blackest night I've ever seen outside of Tinaca, were 2 Clan Red Dragon warriors, weapons hungry for our blood.

We began our sweep, twin ws4 Timberwolves loping through the curtain of night; before we'd even gone 100 klicks my sensors reported contact. Multiple contacts; an enemy TimberWolf, and a Warhammer to boot. My LRM-20s locked on the CRD T-Wolf, and I let fly 40 arrows of depleted-uranuim-tipped vengeance into the darkness, followed closely by BloodyHell's own barrage..." DL-Cobalt, 3/26/98

Hell and I did well to start off, but both CRDs had problems staying in the game, and after the initial successful launch, we got bogged down in multiple mis-launches. Parental pressure led Hell to an unwanted departure, but by the grace of Ares, Nova Colonel Shrapnel was present, and graciously took over as my wingman. We returned to the fray with a 2-0 lead, and it became a bit of a struggle after that (due to the CRD Warhammer sporting major UAC firepower). With each of us watching the other's back, however, Shrapnel and I prevailed, with a final score of 8-5.

As depressed as I'd been over having to finish a battle alone earlier in the week, I was even more exhilarated to have one of my warrior brethren there for me when circumstances threatened to repeat themselves. After submitting the winning battle, I checked the QTL standings, and was pleased to discover that that battle had pushed us back into 2nd place (nothing to settle for, of course, but better than 3rd). I have every reason to hope that, once the Khan's workload is reduced, Kastowt returns from wherever he's been, and others get more active, that by the time QTL planet movement begins, we'll be back in the lead in the Quest for Terra!

Sunday, Mar.29 3098 - Dark Legion Update

As the wise ones once said, 'Be careful what you wish for; you may get it!' By the past few entries, you can see the Loremaster was bemoaning the lack of DL activity and presence on Mplayer and in the QTL over the past week. Well between Friday and last night, I got my wish!

An absolute tidal wave of battles ensued, with our Khan leading way, along with Psiwolf, Shrapnel, OneEyeBill, MysticWolf (yea!), Drakko (double-yea!), BloodyHell (triple-yea!) and myself. CDW, ComStar and even SH were part of the opponent round-up. My Warrior Brethren, the Dark Legion totalled an astounding 15 SMU wars between Friday evening and early Sunday morning, launching us into 1st place among the QTL entities. Among the highlights-

- Khan WarKat engaging 2-on-1's and, in 1 case 3 ComStar MechWarriors at once (even more incredibly, winning 5-0 over Archon Ace, Jaydin Wulfe and Zizka!!!).

- Nova Colonel Shrapnel's succinct commentary on one battle - "Crap".

- Dark Legion won 10 of 15 wars, pushing our SMUs-Won total to 5988, a solid 800 more than CDW. We edged CDW in Total Wars-Won at the end of this battle-fest, 19 to 18, with Clan Phoenix mired at 10. Applause and congratulations to all who fought and contributed to this incredible turn of events!

2 of our youngest returned to the fray this weekend; Lord Ancient's parental lockout has apparently been lifted, and Kodiak has also made an appearance, after having completed cadet training during the week. We look forward to these gentlemen attacking the war-front with enthusiasm and style very soon.

Once again, the Khan has mentioned that there will be sweeping changes in the wind, probably to be announced at tonight's meeting; in that same vein, the BloodCouncil has much to discuss as well. The next entry should shed some light on these proceedings...

Wednesday, April 1 3098 - The Universe At Our Feet...

Much has happened since the last update, so strap on your neurohelmet and let's get started...

As of my last viewing (early Wed. morning), Dark Legion still leads the QTL in the important categories; 22 Smu wars won, vs. 20 for CDW, totalling well over 7,000 in Smu's won (no other clan/house has yet gotten to 6,000). Although our wars-won lead is slim, what is of more importance is that our junior officers are gaining valuable battle experience (Kodiak, Demon-ds and Lord Ancient are all performing wingman duty as much as they can). And while we're on a bit of a losing streak, that will change shortly. Getting all the fighting ranks up to speed on mech-building and -customizing, as well as battle experience will pay huge dividends down the road to Terra!

Many ranks changes were announced in the Khan's latest Order Of Battle. We extend our heartiest congratulations to Psiwolf, now the Dark Legion's SaKhan, and to Kastowt, promoted to Black Trident Binary Nova Commander. To echo the sentiments of the Khan, those who may feel you were unfairly demoted; the rank changes were undoubtedly made by activity (or lack thereof), and if you feel strongly enough about the matter, call someone to a Trial of Position. That is the Way of the Clans.

Modesty prevents me from waxing too eloquently about this; suffice it to say, there's a new Nova Captain in town... who's also wearing the DL Medal of Honor, for which I thank the Khan profusely. I shall strive to be worthy of all I have been given.

Although planet movement is still inavailable in the QTL, in his downtime Demon-ds has used his tactical prowess to good advantage, creating a map of all QTL worlds in our vicinity, and those of neighboring clans, and the IS houses as well. I've not yet seen this map, but I look forward to its unveiling. Well done, Demon!

For essentially disappearing into thin air, with nary a trace, CyberBum has been dismissed from the clan. Hail and farewell, wherever you might be...

Star Captain Gunner has updated the ATTP, and has emailed this manual to all DL warriors, along with the official Battle Abbreviations. Study this document and become conversant with these abbreviations, warriors; clear and concise comms in battle are an important tool to have, for teamwork to be effective. Kudos on a job well done, Gunner.

In its latest Gizmo version, Mplayer apparently has a problem with longer avatar names; these longer names can sometimes cause lag-outs and lock-ups. Some of our warriors have already shortened theirs; OneEyeBill is now OneEye, etc. If you have an excessively long name (more than 6-7 letters) and you experience the type of problems described, you may wish to shorten yours.

The opportunity to acquire a significant honor has come 'round again; several deserving warriors will be selected for the Trial of BloodRight at the Keshik meeting this week. For those unfamiliar with this rite, attend: Nicholas Kerensky , when enacting the breeding programs that would create the Clans, decided that last names would be abolished, allowed only for a clan's finest warriors. Using the surnames of the original 800 Star League MechWarriors who followed his father Alexander to the stars, each clan was given a select fraction of those last names. The clan's finest would then fight, in what came to be the Trial of BloodRight, for the right to proudly wear the surname of one of Kerensky's followers.

In a ritual concieved and adapted by SaKhan Psiwolf, a deserving DL warrior will face 3 Keshik members (all settings to be decided by senior officer present), and must defeat 2 of 3 in 1-on-1 combat to earn a BloodName. Once earned, this honor cannot be taken away, save by being exiled or becoming dezgra. The honor is there for the taking, my Warrior Brethren...

Thursday, April 2 3098 - The Recruiting Front

As previously mentioned, Star Commander Demon-ds, who'd been down with ISP problems for an interminable amount of time, used that time to great advantage, creating a vast and detailed tactical map of QTL planets, and potential movement therein. Now it seems he's making up for lost time on the recruiting front as well, ushering 3 new recruits into potential membership in our ranks. Those 3 would be CptMidNite (which I presume is Mplayerspeak for Captain Midnite), Draken DOA & Thrax32. The 1st of these gentlemen appears to have prior Mech2 or clan experience (by his application comments), and I've seen Draken in our battlehall before he became a recruit. Let us hope this trio has what it takes to become honored Mechwarriors of Dark Legion. As many can testify, joining Dark Legion, and becoming a full-fledged member, is a full-time endeavor, and not for the weak of character. Keep your honor, respect and manners as close as you hold your wits, young recruits, and the Dark Legion uniform could be yours...

Hail and kudos to Star Commander Demon-ds, for his dedication to the difficult task of weeding through the smart-aleck newbies and non-talking weirdos, trying to sift out the ones with potential.

Sunday, Apr.5 3098 - Dark Legion Update: A Slump, Then A Rebound

The Loremaster was a bit nervous, brothers and sisters; I thought I was going to have to lead into this entry by dealing with the huge losing streak we were in (no wins since Tues. 3/31; I just realized, that meant we were 0-for-April!!!). However, thanks to an Alert bulletin from the SaKhan and some rededication to the cause, we busted out of that slump like a jailbreak! Led by the Khan, we've chopped seriously into the lead that CDW had on us, and now only trail them by 5 wins and a handful of SMUs. It's pretty much a 2-clan race, with Clan Phoenix standing pat, ComStar looking to move to 3rd, and the rest more or less just watching.

There's a new clan in the QTL, the Dark Crusaders. I've played these fellows before, and well, they've got a ways to go (I'm being kind here). Much as I hate to pick on new guys, if you should find them willing, go for it; it should be easy money, as they say.

We are also quite pleased to find the younger officers diving right into the thick of things, and getting their mechs dirty in the SMU wars. Kodiak, Demon-ds and Lord Ancient have all stepped up their activity, gaining invaluable experience in the process.

We also welcome Kastowt back to the active ranks; he'd been somewhat MIA due to pc problems. He's got himself a screamer now, so we can expect him to get back in harness in short order. Welcome back, Nova Commander!

In this week's Keshik meeting, the proposed Trial of Judgement protocols were accepted by the Khan; they will go into effect as of today. The BloodCouncil will probably implement the first summons before sundown Monday...

Also, the next round of hopefuls for the Trial of BloodRight were decided upon; I'm certain the Khan will announce them at tonight's meeting.

ComStar adept Vador has pronounced the QTL ready for planet movement; presumably the DL Kurultai will meet sometime in the near future to plot the clan's initial foray on the Quest for Terra.

Of the recruits, there is this to say; Thrax32 seems to have the desire to stay the course and join the clan, 2Fangs has had pc problems and has yet to be seen by most or observed by any, and Draken Doa and Capt. Midnite have not been seen recently. An interesting group, to say the least...

We shall recap tonight's meetings in the next entry; 'til then, keep on warring, Legionnaires!

Monday, Apr.6 3098 - "...And Lo, The Darkness Was Upon Them...!"

"As I approached the small valley town of Carse, the setting sun and the iron oxides riding the upper-atmosphere cast the sky a dark crimson hue. The town was deserted, local civil authorities having evacuated everyone on receiving the reports of rival clan incursions in the area.

I was to rendezvous with a Dark Legion MechWarrior detached on garrison duty on this world, one Star Captain Gunner Roshak by name. A proud name, from a good Bloodline. In my Marauder, I began my sensor sweep, simultaneously searching for the Dragon Wind interlopers as well as my wingman-to-be. As I neared the sotuthern edge of town, the hairs on the nape of my neck began to stand up...

Contact! 2 bogies approaching from the opposite end of town.. then a split-second later, another from several klicks off to my right. The IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) sensor ID'ed the closer mech as Star Captain Roshak; good! I wouldn't be facing these clan surats alone. As my wingman and I converged, attacking the CDWs in a pincer movement, the IFF sensor showed me the configuration of Roshak's mech. Odd; I'd seen that particular layout before...

Then, just before the first volleys were exchanged, it hit me; A Rifleman with 4 LRM-10s? Aff, it could be no other; that was my "Sniper" variation, the one that my tech Kukla and I had constructed some time back! As Star Captain Gunner Roshak cut loose with his first murderous missile volleys upon the hapless trespassers, I couldn't help but think back to the words of an old Earth philosopher: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery..."

Indeed it is, my fellow Legionnaires, and Gunner flattered me most mightily with that Rifleman, putting us in the win column over CDW, 7 to 6 in that encounter. A massive phalanx of Dark Legion warriors rose up in response to the call this weekend, smiting about them left and right until, by sunrise Monday, we trailed CDW by only 1 win (35 to 34) and took back the SMUs-won lead as well. Though CDW is a force to be reckoned with, if we bid smart, adjust tactics and mechs to the scenario, and fight an intelligent fight, we should have no problem with them. A mighty salute from the Loremaster to all who made it happen this past weekend.

On the recruit front, Thrax32 continues to collect observations; now that he has Mech Lab Maid, it should enhance his customizing skills, and thus his performance on the battlefield. 2Fangs has had pc problems, hence his recent non-apperance. MIA - Draken Doa and Capt. Midnite. Cadet training is at a standstill, as none of the current cadets has either appeared of late, or contacted me about training. Let's get it together, gentlemen; extended stints on the recruit or cadet roster is NOT the Way of the Clans.

Planning proceeds apace for QTL planet movement; Demon will scout out the best tactical route for the Exploring party to take, while Kodiak has been requested to fill out the 1-man-short Exploring party roster. Be on your toes, young Kodiak; this is a singular honor as well as a responsibility, one that your sponsors think you can live up to.

The next Trial of Bloodright candidates have been selected; SaKhan Psiwolf, Nova Colonel Shrapnel, Nova Commander Kastowt, Star Colonel Kharn and Star Captain BloodyHell. ToB scheduling will be handled by the Khan, and will be announced to each candidate shortly. Good luck and acquit yourselves well, brothers; the prize at hand is beyond measure, and can never be taken away, once won.

We are informed by ComStar Archon Ace that 2 QTL players are under suspicion of illegal gameplay (either modem manipulation or controlled lag-out). We shall watch the cases of these 2 with great interest...

File this under Things That Annoy The Loremaster, But Just A Little; has anyone noticed the proliferation of entities using the term "Dark" lately? Before us, no one had; now there's the new QTL clan Dark Crusaders , I've seen Dark Reign recruiting rooms, some fellow the other day tried to get me to join his new clan Dark Shadow... I guess if you're gonna copy, may as well do it from the best! And I've also seen other clan rooms with 'Trial of Bloodright' on them. I supposed I should be pleased that others are deciding to adopt more "clanlike" ways; we'll just have to take credit for showing these poor, benighted souls the Way of the Clans, won't we?

One other thing I'd like to mention; there seems to be no file-size restriction on Fortunecity like there was on geocities. I could keep expanding this page of the Remembrance, or start a new one (for ease of reading and scrolling). Let me know what you think; after all, the Remembrance belongs to all of us!

Tuesday, Apr.7 3098 - The Fortunes and Vagaries of War

Upon my entry on Mplayer last eve, I was cheered to see 1 Dark Legion room in the midst of battle, and another group of DLs bidding for another. Desiring not to interfere or impede the proceedings, I adjourned to the lobby.

Awhile later, I was accosted by Star Commander Kodiak upon his return from battle; he requested a word with me. He and his wimgman Star Commander Demon-ds then related a tale of a battle gone awry, with lag-outs, slow frame rates, 1st Mechs in Timberwolves, being fired-upon before movement, and so on. My advice was to email the Khan, and the QTL authorities, and let them handle things. Further testimony lead me to sojourn to the battlehall of the other participants, and get their side of the story. A convoluted tale unfolded, with accusations flying willy-nilly, of which I could make neither heads nor tails. Eventually, the Khans of both sides were alerted, and some accommodation was reached, which is how all such disputes should be handled.

As a Nova Captain, it seems my place to stand up for my warriors, but not blindly so. I would as lief leave these matters in the hands of the Khan, but in his absence (or that of another superior officer) I must needs be the advocate for any grievance the junior officers bring before me. I do not know whether this incident will be resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned, but several points should be made to prevent a re-occurence of future disharmony (if such a word can be applied to battle!)

- If you have a history or tendency to latency problems, perform a test drop before battle, to see how your response is at that time. Do this before bidding for or accepting a war overture; if things are not kosher, then DO NOT FIGHT. Latency is an individual issue, related to how well your ISP connects to Mplayer's servers; opponents in battle are not responsible for your lag-outs, nor is the "plummeting-from-the-stratosphere" lag-out a "let's-not-count-this-okay?" deal.

- Ranks are in place to giude warriors which mechs they may pilot in battle; no clan officer or warrior may take a larger mech than their rank allows FOR ANY REASON. No deals are to be made to accommodate someone else's request. If an attacker or defender doesn't wish to fight someone of your rank, tell them, "Fine; have a nice day!"

- A battle is not to commence until ALL warriors on the battlefield have signalled "Ready", and, despite some rare pop-in-and-lag-right-out ocassions NetMech won't start until all who launched have arrived. Watch your comm line at all times; if you know or suspect your wingman has lagged out before or during the battle, call HOLD immediately. If the oppponents do not hold and your wingman does not respond, leave the game.

- If there is a situation where a dispute between opposing sides seems unresolvable, find a superior officer (preferably one from both sides) and let them mediate. Do not return to battle until this is done. While the senior officers are conferring, remain silent until your input is requested, and do not use the microphone to interject or butt in. If no senior officer can be found, suggest a postponement until the dispute is resolved. If the opponents refuse to postpone, depart and inform the Khan via email; let him handle the situation from then on. Make your report as detailed as possible. Under NO circumstances are DL warriors to engage in screaming matches, tantrums or abusive language towards opponents; that is NOT the Way of the Clans, and will not be tolerated.

I hope none of the above seems unduly harsh or unreasonable, but as we consider ourselves the best clan around, we need to conduct ourselves in that fashion. Let the others fall back upon the vile methods and outbursts of the stravag freeborn; Dark Legion will not have it!

Just to put a capper on this entire incident, Nova Commander Kastowt and I entered a battle against the same clan's Khan and his wing later that same night. At the HOLD call the score was tied 6 all; next kill would take the win. To the Dark Legion's credit, Kastowt finished his man off a split second before I could deck mine (he was weaponless, one-legged and red-torsoed, ready to go!). A nice close dust-up, full of back-and-forth and up-and-down... nah, who'm I kidding? We had control the whole way; Dark Legion superiority proved out once again!