The Remembrance, Part 3

as chronicled by DL-Cobalt, Star Colonel & Loremaster

Sunday, Jan.11 3098 - Dark Legion Update

Hail and well met, fellow Legionnaires; the 3rd installment of the Dark Legion's history begins with news both bad and good. Please attend, as I elaborate...

The admixture is no more poignant than with the promotion of OneEyeBill to Star Colonel of the Ravenwing; though this rank advance is well-deserved, it comes at a price, that being the unexpected departure of Star Colonel Kharn. Due to the traveling aspect of his job, Kharn feels he will be unable to fulfill his responsibilities to the clan, and thus has requested and received a demotion to 1st Mech (until such time as he is able to return to the active ranks). Thankfully, Kharn's situation is temporary, and he does intend to return (and stay in touch while on the road) when his situation is more stable. We await your return, brother...
Among the bad news; the Khan has recently sent me a private communique confirming my suspicions of late. His calculations reveal a 3000-4000 point gap in the point total on the MNL page, and our TRUE total (our successful Planet & Khan wars not being added on the MNL page). One has only to see how infrequently the page is updated, and how poorly the entire site is maintained, to realize the reasons for this horrendous discrepancy. By mine own, or the hand of another, the MNL Council will hear of this travesty.
On the planet war front, more bad news; Star Colonel Drakko & I were unsuccessful in our defense of the recently-taken DJC homeworld, defeated by DJCs Draggin & DethDealr2. It was truly a battle royal, no quarter asked and none given; alas, Ares smiled not upon us this day. Drakko & I both hope but that the Khan will give us an opportunity for revenge, before many more moons pass...

Monday, Jan.12 3098 - Dark Legion Update

As usual, you are to be congratulated, fellow Legionnaires, for a fine turnout at the Sunday meeting. A plethora of matters were covered, as follows-

The defense of OgreWorld, Sat. at midnight, was a rousing success. Shrapnel & Smilie beat back the DJC invaders in a stunning rout, 9-2, in the Kufstein maze. Kudos to our victorious brethren!
Several promotions were announced - OneEyeBill's aforementioned Star Colonel rank, MysticWolf to Star Captain, and Demon-ds to 1st Mech. Congratulations to all 3!
The 1st candidates selected to strive for a BloodName have also been announced; Smilie, Gunner, Mechsiren, OneEyeBill & Yours Truly. A huge honor has been bestowed upon us, brothers and sisters; may we all find success in the trials!
In the department of "Will They Never Learn?", 2 new TCs with highly-advanced skills have been spotted, namely Myth & Zen. In the sudden absence of Devinski & Rampage, one can't help but wonder, how dumb does TC think we are...?
The Khan has announced that we will attack these TC reprobates in a series of Khan and Planet wars, warriors and conditions to be selected and announced shortly. The time has come, fellow warriors, to make the universe safe for children and little old ladies, and wipe these vermin out of existance; strike straight, hard and with extreme prejudice, DL!!!
Brothers Srhapnel & Psiwolf have devised a new hp point-updating method, which should be introduced in the near-future. This should allow more accurate keeping of hp battle-points; keep your eyes open for this at the DL homepage.
The Loremaster will report news of the BloodName trials here, as soon as it becomes available. Hail until then!

Wednesday, Jan.14 3098 - The Promised Land

Rejoice, my DL brethren and sistren; the goal that we all aspired to has at last been accomplished! WE ARE IN 1ST PLACE IN THE MNL POINTS RACE!!! Although aspersions have been cast on the accuracy of the points count of late (and rightfully so), it would appear our increased activity in late Dec.-early Jan. has taken us to the peak. The Dark Legion now totals 33,687 points, over 5000 more than the wretched 2nd-place TC, with a higher won-lost percentage than any other clan, a full 58 wins over .500!!! Let pride and fulfillment bear on thee as a welcome mantle, my friends; we are all deserving of congratulations. Seyla!
A humble reminder, though; the job is not nearly done. We need to seek battle at every opportunity, to be the 1st clan to every numerical barrier yet remaining. Now that we are the vanguard, the vanguard we must remain!

Within the clan, historic precedents will be set this coming weekend, as the initial BloodName trials will be conducted. Good hunting and straight shooting to all who vie for this, the highest honor available for any MechWarrior!

Also, the Grand Melee for the open 4th Star Colonel rank occurs this Sunday, 1/18, right before the weekly meeting. May the best of the Star Captains win!

The Comstar transmissions have been sent; the names for the 1st and 2nd Binaries, and the 6th Star, have been uncovered, and are under consideration by the DL Keshik and the respective Nova Commanders as you read this. The Loremaster hopes that approval is ensuing; they will then be revealed at the meeting.

Saturday, Jan.17 3098 - A Bit Of Perspective

As the time has passed, since I first ventured online to game with folks from all over this, the Greatest Country on the planet, a myriad of events have occured; most good, a few not so. Joining the clan, meeting all of you, my lost-but-now-found brothers & sisters, immersing myself in this fantasy world, being "blooded" in my 1st hp battle, WINNING my 1st hp battle; it's been one rockin'-good plateau after another!
Of them all, though, last night represented a true defining, watershed moment. The BloodName trials began, and, being 1st up on the docket, I approached the evening with some trepidation. Most of my failures in the MNL universe have been far between, and were usually chalked up as "learning experiences"; you learn a lesson, try to apply it and move on.
For whatever reason, this Trial was different. This was a gauntlet set up by those we respect, those who lead us, those who set the warrior standard for the DL, indeed for the MNL itself. The statement by the Keshik, as I see it, is "We think enough of you, to offer you this, the Ultimate Honor, what all true clansmen aspire to; can you TAKE it?" In the BattleTech mythos, a BloodName is the pinnacle of a warrior's dream, a revered prize that not even Time itself can take away, once won. And that mythos echoed loudly through my thoughts as the appointed hour approached; if I win a BloodName, all else, to put is colloquially, is 'blue skies & french fries'. Of course, being human, the converse was also lurking around each darkened corner; what if I blow it, narrowly or embarassingly? How seriously would failure, at this most crucial time, affect how I see myself in this all-too-vivid online universe?
My beloved comrades, after an evening's reflection, the glow has not dimmed, nor I think shall it ever. A wiser man that I once told his son, "Real power is something you TAKE, not given or inherited"; as Phelan Wolf, Natasha Kerensky and Aidan Pryde did, so have I done. And the perspective, the pride and the confidence it has given me, is crystallized in this; in this MNL universe, nothing is beyond me. I am tied to you all; to the Khan, the Keshik, my Starmate, every Dark Legionnaire new or old, in unbreakable bonds. I owe all of you, and you have my eternal loyalty and fealty. Seyla...

Monday, Jan.19 3098 - Dark Legion Update

Hail & well met, fellow Legionnaires; take off your neurohelmets & cooling vests, this has been a major weekend for the clan.

The Trials of BloodRight - The initial Dark Legion ToB's were conducted this weekend, and mighty Ares granted victory in their Trials to Star Colonel OneEyeBill, Star Colonel Gunner, Nova Commander Mr.Smilie, and myself. Wear your Bloodnames proudly, my brothers; 'tis a singular honor, one which is yours forever!

Planet Attack - Due to unrevealed circumstances, the scheduled warriors for the attack on the DJC Homeworld stepped aside, and were replaced by Khan WarKat & StarCol Gunner. The Comstar dispatch received by the Loremaster's office tells of a war fought hammer-and-tongs with red-hot intensity; unfortunately, the defenders prevailed, turning back our forces 7-6. Despair not, comrades; recent developments (which will be made clearer soon) have practically insured that vengeance, in all its glorious aspects, is at hand...

Rank Change - MysticWolf ascended to the rank of Star Colonel, capturing command of the 4th Star (to be named shortly), and completing the StarCol ranks. A fitting ranks, and deserving warrior, indeed!

Binary/Star Names - With the approval of the Keshik and all relevant officers, the following Names are hereby inscribed in Dark Legion history:
1st Binary (Stars Obsidian Blade & Dark Blood), lead by Bloody Hell - "The StormRider Binary, first among the Dark Legion's warhost, is the Alpha Assault binary. Like the leading edge of a gathering thunderstorm, the StormRiders are the vanguard, the initial omen to the enemy that a fearful fate is about to befall them. Woe unto thee, should the grim visage of the StormRiders turn thy way..."

2nd Binary (Stars Ravenwing & WolfSpire), lead by Mr.Smilie - "From a seething, endless vista, the Void Angels appear, the Dark Legion's Beta Assault binary. They descend upon the field in a vengeful array, scattering the foe with a fury seldom seen upon any of the worlds of Man. A sight indeed, to freeze the blood of those who stand against us, is the attack of the Void Angels."

3rd Binary (Stars Blood Saber & DragonFire), lead by Cobalt - "We ask no quarter, and none shall we give; we of the Black Trident, the Dark Legion's Gamma Assault binary. We match the 3-pronged thrust of an angry Sea God's legendary weapon, in accuracy, speed and finality. Polished and honed to an acid sheen and a razor's edge in the hellish forge of combat, we stand at the ready, to serve Khan, Keshik and clan; the Legion's finest weapon, the Black Trident!"

6th Star, commanded by Drakko - "A blistering laser, like a lambent spear of Hell's own fire, blazes out of the night sky; the DragonFire Star strikes! Like the winged beast of mythology, mere mortals cannot hope to match the fearsome power and elegant battle-skills of these Dark Legion warriors. Where the DragonFire Star stalks, the hopes of all foemen are lost!"

4th Star, commanded by MysticWolf - Star WolfSpire - "With the speed and cunning of the Great Wolf, and the strength and ferocity of the pack, we will strike fear into the hearts of those who oppose us. All will fall before the onslaught of Star WolfSpire."

The MNL Pages - In response to a withering (but honest & accurate) posting on the MNL BB, DJC Khan OgreMagi has given over responsibility for the MNL pages to our own Star Colonel Gunner!!! This startling development, unlooked for, is nonetheless a welcome one; the ideas and offers of assistance in maintaining said pages came flooding in during last night's meeting, and under our new administration, MNL information dissemination and timeliness should improve dramatically!
There's more to report, my comrades, but the Loremaster needs to take a bit of a break; stay tuned...!

Saturday, Jan.24 3098 - As The Legion Turns

If that headline sounds like a soap-opera title, it's been nothing less than that in recent days, my brothers and sisters. The Loremaster humbly apologizes for the lack of timely updates; however, so much has happened this week, and so much emotional energy invested & spent... if you've been on at all, you already know what I'm referring to. In the event you've been out-system for that time, a event-by-event recap follows-

1. Due to some insanely delusional state of mind, OgreMagi (I will no longer dignify him with the title "Khan") accuses Sefra, in absentia, of interclan espionage, and exiles her from DJC, alienating both her, all of DL & numerous others, not a few among the other DJCs. After whatever hallucinogen he was on wore off, he realized what a huge blunder he'd made, but the damage was done.
2. Our Khan wars vs. TC inspired the next bit of drama. The 2nd war, scheduled for Tues. 1/20, 7pm est, resulted in a forfeit, since the designated TCs didn't show up; as the ranking officer, Ace was forced to take the world unopposed.
3. The 1st Khan war REALLY caused the uproar. Nova Captain Shrapnel and Star Colonel Drakko met and defeated TC, 5-4; afterwards, Drakko uncovered the fact that TC-StarBuck had used a cheat mech in the match. Drakko presented WarKat with the story and the evidence; soon after, Ogre & jmatthew (another bottom-feeder not deserving his title) were also told. The story got out (not from any DL source), TC tried to obfuscate the reality by blaming us for the story leak (truth though it was), and the so-called Grand Council was handed the matter. Beyond all reason, majority vote elected to CHANGE THE RULES rather than enforce them as they were, effectively allowing TC to continue their unrepentant polluting of the MNL with their criminal activity. 4. After a totally baseless and pointless ToG between Warkat and the TC mongrel, our Khan has decided that the MNL is now beyond repair, and we will shortly begin discussions as to what other leagues are available to us.

Obviously, that recap could have been rendered more descriptively and colorfully, but sometimes concise is best. My Warrior brethren, I urge you at this point to search your hearts, and decide what is best for you, and for us. We are family, bound in friendship, honor and blood; as long as the family stays together, all will work out. Seyla!