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Rebels versus Imperials, Alliance versus Horde, even Good versus Evil. These are themes, which have become cliché over time. With the passing of time, truly worthy tales no longer are simply “Black & White.” It is the shades of gray that now spark intrigue. The Brotherhood of Tartarus hasn’t just walked the line of gray, for they have been a driving force in its very definition. Choosing option A or B always comes with strings attached and something/someone to answer to. Seizing the “power” allows for you to award your own brand of justice. Our beloved leader Mik chose option C.
It began in SWG with the death of the rebel guild EBH, a guild whose guildleader was PLCMartin and whose membership included Mik Ke'Ith. PLC & Mik then determined that Mik would take up the reigns for a new, Imperial guild. He set out to forge what would become the single most notorious pvp guild the SWG gaming community had ever seen. Intentions were to keep the guild small by only inviting gamers who they liked as people. The skills of a pvp’er are much easier to improve than a person’s character. You do not join to “become” a BOT. Before donning a tag, you’re either BOT or you’re not. In being selective, the short-term sacrifice eventually became long-term gain. With the likes of PLC, Charek, Tigs, and a handful of others, they quickly made their mark upon the community. Outsiders couldn’t help but notice the chemistry & loyalty BOT displayed on a battlefield. Members were selflessly risking their own death in order to aid their team, so both might walk away alive. Gamers struggling to hold their own against overwhelming odds, often sent help requests to BOT. From then on, BOT was known as the 9-1-1 force of the community.
Through time and various games, our ranks have swelled and been pruned occasionally. There’s never really been a concerted recruiting effort. Our members have very diverse beginnings as to how they came to us. In fact, oftentimes they are invited only after having already fought along side us or even against us! At times we strike gold and land the likes of Snarkfish, Danton & Faraday due to the spontaneous grouping during a quests or PVP. Other times, our respect for formidable opponents has swayed them to become our allies. From that, we were blessed with the arrivals of Magnus, Boutros, & Wabi. Once our opponents joined our ranks in our endeavor into other games, the floodgates were opened. For the friends of our former opponents turned ally eventually were brought on board. Eatar, Luther, LaoTzume, Teco, are all tremendous acquisitions that we are eternally grateful to Boutros for. And then there are those allies from other games who we convince to come along with us to other games, Alu and our beloved Beefman. Lest not forget those members of SWAT whose services easily tip the scales in our favor. They’re always ready to drink you under the table & kicking the shit out of you, or vice versa.
So why is it people seek to be BOT?
While it begins with the desire to be with others who pvp, it doesn’t end there. While forum trolling is a pastime we sometimes overly indulge in, by far the appeal comes from letting our actions do the talking. A good team of gamers with different roles will always conquer a group of skilled pvp individuals. Organization, teamwork, and communication make up a chemistry you will not beat. It allows us to persevere, execute, and go on to victory despite numbers being against us. Even more fulfilling than a battle won, is the reward that you cannot help but develop strong friendships en route to victory. The fighting ends when you log off, but the friendship will be there as long as you wish it to be. Undoubtedly, this also answers the questions as to why people stay for so long. Battles/Games come & go, but the friendship, the family, and the love in BOT drives on.
Over the years, we have fought many battles. Of course there have been times of defeat when we’ve had to lick our wounds and regroup. But far more often than not, we don the taste of victory, likening us to the days of “Kool-Aid Smiles.” Shadow melding and trapping in the “Crossroads” for example. The hours of absolute blood baths in “Astranaar,” “Southshore,” “Theed,” “Besthine,” “Bloody Bay,” “Booty Bay,” and of course, “Imperia.” But it is highly speculated the single greatest victory is that of the downfall of “Delta Base.”
“Delta Base” was a player managed Rebel fortress in Star Wars Galaxies. Rebels arrogantly popped off about how impregnable it was and taunted how the Empire surely could never amass enough manpower to take her down. That proved to be a grave mistake. Teco spearheaded the planning & tactics, later carried out by Boutros, Mik, Teco, and Beefman. The plan entailed everything from false info leaks to the enemy, espionage, diversions, & perfectly timed execution. Everything down to the last detail was executed with precision. Smoke & ash was all that remained. Its destruction was the tangible reward. Unanticipated rewards came in the form of aftershock ripples. Once the Rebels pried their foot out their mouths, they adapted a “why bother?” attitude and ceased any aggression against us. This single event prompted the end of PVP on the server. Was the victory worth the long-term results of PVP lacking? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. But be that as it may, it sure was fun!
While no other single event has measured up to “Delta Base” incident, so many others are memorable. For some, staking out the Crossroads and massacring Horde was secondary to the Teamspeak conversations taking place during. Maybe its one of so many battles on the ELITE Fortress with Daarth and his undiagnosed Terret’s Syndrome? Perhaps it was something as simple as Danton’s first low-level instance Stockades run with BOT that you take pride in? Or maybe it’s like Dim who rushed head first into a fight to uncamp Otzi or Teregrin? Watching the tide turn in Sharqi Peninsula BF2 simply because some of us rallied together is always a treat. Dim recalls the time when everyone formed a protection circle around him in the Eastern Plaguelands, because he was the only non-level 60. He never died. When it comes to getting down to business, we belong on Wall Street. Be that as it may, we always have good times while doing so.
Of course, we never worry about taking ourselves too seriously. The 40 man naked Van Cleef instance became an instant classic. The MC run where Ojenroc accidentally left his microphone on and Mrs. Ojenroc was lambasting him at the top of her lungs, because she didn’t care for him using profanity on Teamspeak, will be forever etched in our minds. 39 other raid members stopped the run to listen and laugh for those priceless moments in time. Creating female gnomes with pink pig tails and storming SouthShore wont soon be forgotten either. “Its raining gnomes in Ironforge” is also hardly forgettable. Who was privy when Teco was whistling Canadian tunes during a piss because he accidentally left his microphone on in Teamspeak? Who remembers 35 members strong riding north up the road to the Eastern Plaguelands to fight open world PVP? Who can hold a straight face when listening to Beefman in Teamspeak as he fights in PVP? Mik doing William Hung on Teamspeak ring a bell? Or Mik’s “Angelina Jolie could put a dog collar on me and take me out for a shit in the park and that would be okey dokey!”
Not everyone loves us. That’s often the case when you are striving to be the best. We don’t always respect our enemies, but we try to. They contribute to in some way to making our guild great. So we hereby acknowledge ELITE, LOVE, FREAKS, Angels of Death, Weekend Warriors, ALE, SYM, and OZ. Thank you all for fighting and falling to us!
So many guilds are adept at being online bringers of pain who making bodies turn cold. Over the years of doing so, BOT has grown to dote on one another both in game and life. We come from so many walks of life and started off bound only by our online homicidal tendencies. Where else can a hippy girl from New Hampshire, a Russian cello player, a Canadian Alien, a down to earth religious Texan, a tremendous rapper in Florida, a loudmouthed former gang member from Detroit, and an afro donning feisty high strung leprechaun from Boston, all come together close enough to consider one another “family”? And those are just a few of us. You can’t find it anywhere.
BOT is tooled for longevity. Members will come and go, but it’s our hope for BOT to live on. Not only will we fire and reign, but we will also remain family. It’s what we do.
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