DB:Dark Side Compendium Competitions

This page is about competitions in the Secret Order. For more detailed and up-to-date information about Secret Order competitions, see MAA:Applied Arms Manual.

Standard Competitions

Individual competitions are the foundational block of the Secret Order. Their structure is replicated and relied upon for all large scale events/competitions, and they are the most prolific and accessible of all competitions, as they can be organised by any member of the Order so long as the initial proposal is approved.

Competition Approval

Each competition must be approved before it is released so that parity in awards and standards are maintained.

All competitions are approved by the Master-at-Arms (or their praetor and/or magistrates, as designated).

Competition Submission

For a competition to be approved, the following information is required so that the competition can be fully understood, scheduled, and executed consistent with the standard competition format.

All competitions must be submitted on the Secret Order website, using the Submit a new competition for approval page (under the Management page).

Required Fields	Description	Example
Competition Name	The name of your competition. Competition names are typically descriptive, memorable, and attention grabbing. They should clearly indicate what the competition is about, without the member having to click through to get an idea of what type of competition it might be.	Palpatine Summer Single Player Challenge
Subgroup	The subgroup for this competition. This value should ALWAYS be set to Secret Order.	Secret Order
Units Involved	List the name of the Unit(s) involved. This will typically be a House, a Clan, or the entire Secret Order.	House Palpatine
Awards to be won	List the awards available from your competition. This can be competition awards/medals (typically Crescents), Experience Points (EXP), or a combination of both. This is primarily so that the Master-At-Arms can determine whether the proposed awards match up with the type and scale of the competition. Competition awards (e.g. Crescents) can only be awarded to members who place within the competition and cannot be used as participation awards; only EXP can be awarded for participation. Note: Competition organizers are not eligible for awards in their own competitions. They will be awarded EXP by the Master-at-Arms for running the competition (typically, 15 EXP).	Crescents, up to Amethyst (depending on the number of participants), for the top performers. 5 EXP for all participants.
Competition details	Describe your competition. This should include details on what the competition is about, how the competition will be run, and how members can participate. You can include thematic elements in this description (such as a short fictional introduction or connections to a larger or ongoing story), but ensure that it clearly states to the intended audience why the competition is taking place and what is expected of them.	This summer, all members of House Palpatine are challenged to sweat it out with the most infamous Dark Brotherhood custom battle of all time: TIE-DB #13: Circlet of Domination! Members have one month this summer to complete this notorious single player battle, with awards being granted to the top performers. Best of luck to all members, and may the Force be with you! (You will NEED it!)
Start Date	The date your competition will start. Note: All dates are in EH/UTC Time.	July 01 2025
End Date	The date your competition will end. Note: It is recommended that standard competitions do not exceed a span of 1 month. Reoccurring competitions must be approved with the Master-At-Arms.	July 31 2025

Competition Types

The following list contains examples of different types of competitions. It is not intended to be comprehensive, nor does any competition have to strictly match one of these types. It is only an example (with additional information on awards that may be available for certain competition types)

Type	Description
Gaming (General)	General competition that involves playing games but is neither specifically PVE or PVP
Gaming (PvP)	Competitive gaming competition where participants will play against real people
Gaming (PvE)	Co-op or Player vs Environment
Trivia	Competitive or self-competitive Trivia competition where Legion of the Scholar may potentially be earned
Art (Multimedia)	An artistic competition where submissions may range from writing, graphics, audio, long-form video and beyond
Art (Fiction)	An artistic competition where submissions may range from creative writing, poetry, combat fiction etc.
Art (Graphics)	An artistic competition where submissions may range from 2D to 3D art (gifs and short form video may be appropriate means of displaying artwork)

Vendettas

A Vendetta is an event formed around one or more competitions with a narrative component that potentially includes some form of prize and/or title. It pits one or more parties against each other to determine the victor.

What truly sets a Vendetta apart from any other competition, however, is that it is adjudicated by the Dark Council, officiating victories and ensuring prizes and wagers are upheld. The official status is what allows the prestigious Gold, Silver and Bronze Novae to be awarded for Vendetta.

The Art of Vendetta

The Art of Vendetta are the sacred articles that outline the rules, forms and penalties of Vendetta. Read more about the Art of Vendetta here.

Great Wars

Great Wars are full-scale events that engulf the entirety of the Secret Order. A Great War may encompasses all the forms of Vendetta, but to be considered a Great War it must minimally involve all Houses and Clans of the Secret Order. As an example, as all Houses are competing, it may also include the Rite of Supremacy to bestow the title of First House of the Order and/or it may contain a Duel of Champions, pitting the best from two or more parties to lay claim to a staked wager. But, overall, a Great War will include many competitions over a long period of time.

A Great War is strongly a narrative event with large scale and sometimes dramatic ramifications, as it has to mobilise the entirety of the Order to battle. This could be against each other or another antagonist. Great Wars affects the ongoing narratives of all participants, as they tell the story of the entire Secret Order.

Great Wars are typically run, at most, yearly, but may run for multiple months.

Rites

Rites are ceremonial combat events that convey titles and rights to or between various parties. Rites are typically held to determine the most powerful of the Clans and Houses (traditionally referred to as a Rite of Supremacy). That which a Rite conveys is typically bestowed by the Dark Council, and as such the creation and initiation of Rites are normally at the discretion and behest of the Dark Council.

Rites are typically a month long series of competitions, but could feasibly run for a single competition.

Feuds

Feuds are large-scale Dark Council sanctioned combat between Houses or Clans used to settle disputes and or prove dominance without resorting to the outright destruction of an adversary. To this end, Feuds are instead fought to determine the ownership of assets and possessions (or potentially their destruction). These may be possessions staked by either party, or alternatively a Feud may settle a disputed claim.

To allow the resentment fueling a Feud to burn itself out, a Feud will typically run for at least one month.

Sanctioned Competitions

Competitions that would not normally fit the criteria of a specific Vendetta can be given special approval by the Dark Council, raising them in status and bestowing the right to award Novae to winners and the option of allowing Spoils of War at the Dark Councils discretion. Sanctioned competitions may include inter-unit competitions.

The length of a Sanctioned competition varies.

Sanctioned Duels

Duels are small scale combat between two opponents sanctioned by the Dark Council. Like Feuds, these may be used to settle disputes and or prove dominance. A sanctioned Duel allows the addition of a wager to be upheld. This wager may be a personal possession, or the possession of a Unit if acting as a representative or champion.

A Duel typically lasts only a single competition, but is not prohibited from lasting longer.

Spoils of War

A common perk afforded a Vendetta is the ability to present Spoils of War to be claimed by the victors. These may be assets, holdings, possessions, or laurels. Each Vendetta has Spoils of War that, in part, determines what form the Vendetta takes.

All Spoils of War must be ratified by the Dark Council before a Vendetta is approved.

Titles and Laurels

The offering of Titles and the grand acknowledgement of achievements by the Dark Council are typical of Rites.

Wagers and Stakes

The Wagering of ones possessions or a unit's assets or holdings, or the Staking of a claim to an asset or holding, is typical of Feuds and Sanctioned Duels.

Awards and Prizes

The Dark Council has the power to assign Awards and Prizes to a Vendetta beyond those that are typically available. This is most common during a Great War.