I’m honored to present Celahir (Irfan) his third rank in the Equites. Advancement, in the Equite ranks, can be a tricky thing; the path is not lit with neon signs that say “do this” or “complete that” over a specified amount of time. It requires so much that it can both physically and mentally drain a member until the day they are elevated. Yet, in that moment, they know that all of their hard work has culminated in the ultimate form of recognition: advancement.

It has been over five years since Celahir was last elevated. In that time, he has accrued quite the collection of statistics to his credit. He earned a Sapphire Blade for his constant work and dedication to Clan Arcona. He was honored with numerous merit medals (5 Steel Crosses, 2 Anteian Crosses, 4 Dark Crosses) for persistent effort on projects both large and small. He stepped up big in Vendettas through participation and placement; earning several Nova (3 Gold Nova, 3 Silver Nova, 1 Bronze Nova). Collected numerous crescents through his entries in House, Clan, and Brotherhood competitions (2 Cr-D, 3 Cr-R, 3 Cr-A, 1 Cr-S, 8 Cr-E, 4 Cr-T). He has become an avid Gamer within the Brotherhood by earning 9 Pendants of Blood (Diablo 3, Star Conflict, Saturday Gaming, etc), 187 Clusters of Fire, and 1045 Clusters of Earth. He has also served as a foundational member of the Brotherhood by earning 1 Dark Side Scroll and 15 Scrolls of Foundation. Additionally, he collected 2 Legions of the Scholar, passed 20 Shadow Academy Courses, earned 3 Dark Side Degrees, he submitted 5 PvP Matches and 74 PvE Activities.

Leadership is not position, it is action. As a member, he has lead by example by submitting to 86 competitions and organizing 13 more. Ood will further elaborate on his specific Shadow Academy work, but during this time, he has served for 2 years and 6 months as a Shadow Academy Docent – grading 124 courses over that time! But action was not the only way he served Arcona, he has held numerous leadership roles: Consul of Arcona, Quaestor of Arcona, Quaestor of Galeres, Praetor to the Seneschal, Magistrate to the Seneschal, and – most recently – Battle Team Leader of Soulfire Strike Team. Each time, he has emerged as a valued voice of reason and a seasoned, experienced leader when a unit was in transition. He does not come when things are great, but when they seem at their worst. He has driven morale through creating a tightknit community of members through run-ons, Google hangouts, drawing characters for members (with no mention of reward!), developing competitions at House, Clan and cross-Clan levels, and mentoring numerous young members in both Arcona and Brotherhood lore/culture. Whether it was a simple conversation on IRC, a follow-up email about a project on his board, massive communication via e-mail… he has served as a rallying point for Arcona’s fictional development and member growth; helping solidify the foundation of what would become Arcona, the First Clan.

Quaestor of Galeres

Braecen Kaeth, 2015-10-21 20:03:35 UTC

Celahir is a part of Arconan History, part of the lore told to new recruits, a few years ago I was told stories of his exploits as Consul to Arcona, his accomplishments as part of Soulfire Strike Team, this guy was a big part of what made Arcona what it is. In the last few months Celahir has proven that his history, his tale is far from finished.

He has sought out opportunities to assist with Galeres fictional future, helped work on multiple wiki projects, and engaged members both within his Battleteam and Arcona as a whole.

In regards to Soulfire Strike Team where he currently resides as Battleteam Leader. I have seen him revive and engage members in a way I haven’t seen within Soulfire since it’s reopening three years ago. Convincing his team to not only participate in The Fall of Scepter Clan Event, but the ACC Rivalries Event and to take on additional work for the House and Clan. This doesn’t include Irfan’s own involvement in helping design events for the Fall Of Scepter as well.

Celahir has fulfilled every standard he promised when taking Battleteam Leader and surpassed expectations on many other fronts. Irfan you are part of Arcona’s history and I am damn proud to know you will be a part of her future as well. Congratulations on Equite 3, a promotion well deserved my friend.

Uji Tameike / Donny Aedile of House Galeres

Eminent Ikarri Itinen, 2015-10-21 19:57:03 UTC

Celahir Erinos lead Arcona through arguably one of the most difficult periods Arcona has ever faced: being declanned. He did this with dignity and a clarity of vision which allowed him and the other members of his summit to persevere through the indignity and eventually reclaim their rightful place as Clan Arcona. During this time, he put out innumerable bush fires in terms of a very turbulent membership, made sure his summit were working on the correct tasks needed to keep Arcona growing, and led with a calm and easy-going aplomb which wouldn't be seen again in the summit until the likes of Abbey. He is still well-liked to this day, fiercely loyal to his clan without becoming a zealot, and remains a voice of wisdom to future Consuls.

Another point worthy of note was his work on the Arcona Quote Database - a tool which sadly fell by the wayside when the Arcona site was scrapped. It provided hilarious anecdotal evidence of IRC hijinks and took a fair few hours to code, allowing all members of Arcona to submit quotes for approval. I have heard on the grape vine that Irfan plans to bring this back in the not so distant future.

Irfan is a stable of Arcona and part of the furniture. He is a voice of sage, calm wisdom and it is high time he was recognised for his long-standing service to the Shadow Clan. Well done, Cel. You've earned it.

di Tenebrous Arconae

Sashar Erinos Arconae, 2015-10-21 19:57:55 UTC

When Arcona became re-clanned, I was tasked with finding leaders who would be capable of stepping up to the plate and helping the Clan to improve by taking on the responsibility of leading one of our two houses. While a lot of the decisions we had to make were difficult, there was one which I had no hesitation with, one member who I knew could be trusted to lead the new house with skill and patience, allowing it to grow into the powerful force that it needed to be. That member was Celahir.

I have had the pleasure of watching Celahir lead in the Clan as both a subordinate and superior, and every time he has managed to succeed. His activity, which has been mentioned, was always impressive, but it was his ability to form connections with his members and bring out the best in those around him which has always made him a truly exceptional leader for Arcona. He took the newly reopened house and made it strong, helping us to be ready for the Great Jedi War which followed and come out victorious. He fostered a spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood which helped the members to push themselves to greater heights, by banding together and following his example. Celahir wasn't just a leader, he was also a friend and a voice of reason. I have had the pleasure of knowing him for a good few years now, and I can safely say that he has never disappointed with his work ethic, his ability or his willingness to put up with inane questions which can be thrown his way. He conducts himself as all members should; with the utmost dignity. More recently, he has taken over Soulfire Strike Team and revitalised it, taking a group of relatively jaded members and injecting life into them. He stays in communication with his members and is always there to listen or offer advice, and it is the little touches such as this which makes people want to do things for him.

Ultimately, this promotion is long overdue. His activity has been exemplary and his ability and willingness to go above and beyond for people is something which continues to surprise me every day. If we had more leaders like him, I have no doubt whatsoever that we would be stronger for it, and if we had more people like him in general, the Brotherhood could only be a better place to be.

Celahir, my friend, you have earned this promotion and more. Thank you for your service in the past and today, and keep up the good work.

Umbra, 2015-10-21 19:58:53 UTC

It is a big deal when one returns to leadership with such enthusiasm as does Celahir Erinos, or Irfan, to many a friend and myself. While some of the gentlemen listed here will be able to tell you more comprehensively about all that he's done for the Clan and club alike over the years, as one of Arcona's most veteran members, I'll speak more recently.

In my time as Consul of Arcona, I've juggled a lot of (monstrously) strong personalities and had a lot of upheaval in my summit as one thing or another just kept coming back for another hit. Through it all in the last eight months, there have been several constants in the support and steadfastness of my veterans and my people, my summit as a whole, always rolling with those punches and resoundingly shouting at the end of the day that, screw the universe, we'll be just fine. One of those more calming voices has always been Celahir. He's a laid back, intelligent kind of guy that can reign in a room with a well-placed word and a joke, and he's been nothing short of godsend to us and an invaluable presence in Arcona. Attitude is an incredible tool, and Irfan's relaxed, encouraging approach to any given situation or problem is always helpful. But it doesn't just stop there, or even at the Clan level.

When we found ourselves in need of a Battleteam leader some months ago, Irfan leapt up on stage and answered the call, and I had to wonder where the hell he'd come from - I hadn't, in my wee baby years here, gotten to see him in action a as a leader. An active advisor? Yes. An impressive and spirited member, chatting away, practicing art work, and mowing down comps? Yes. But I hadn't the privilege to see him in leadership. To say the man hit the ground running is something of an understatement, whipping out reports, emails, fictions, and team check-ins before I could blink. He's been excellent in managing members, volunteering for various wiki and coding projects, and promoting participation. Furthermore, he's also turned his generosity and guidance to the art community of the brotherhood at large, recently having volunteered time and effort to create chibi graphics of anyone who requested one, for which he received an Anteian Cross from our Herald. He frequently approaches other artists in the DB Art Group on Telegram and offers advice and coaching as he himself learns, all while keeping up a successful role as an Arconan leader and member, seemingly easy as breathing. I suppose, after all, that after a few stints in leadership and five more years experience, you learn to handle the job pretty well. ;P

I'll say, in closing, that Celahir is a unique and incredible person without compare, one I'm grateful to have on my team. He's brilliant, and he's long since earned this next promotion. So congratulations, Irfy, thank you, and well done.

Atyiru Caesura Entar Consul of Clan Arcona

Master Ruka Tenbriss Ya-ir, 2015-10-21 20:01:41 UTC

Celahir has been a trusted and reliable member of the SA Staff for quite some time now. Over the last few years he has dutifully graded the exams under his care, 124 of them, with an average grading time of six hours compared to the normal twelve, as well as offering additional services. He has spent the last year and a half working on a new Cryptography course, showing off a dedication to detail and thorough research not often found in people writing new courses.

He joined the staff in March of 2013, he has now served as a Docent for well over two years. Having served as Praetor for most of this time, I feel I can comfortably state that he is one of the most dedicated and reliable staff members we have had in this time. He is always extremely timely in grading his exams.

Praetor: Head Master

General Ood Bnar, 2015-10-21 20:03:08 UTC