I am honored to award Uji Tameike today for his continued, sustained work ethic to better himself, his House, and his Clan. This is just one more step on his journey, but I am honored to lift him up to the rank of Equite III today. I do not doubt that - one day - I will be part of his recommendation for Elder in the Brotherhood.

Since his last elevation, Uji has participated in 83 competitions, organized 20 competitions and co-organized 47 competitions. In addition, he has submitted 39 PvP Matches, logged 123 PvE Activities, finished 3 ACC Battles, submitted 7 Fiction Activities (4402 words!), passed a Shadow Academy course and one run-on post. He has also collected a Grand Cross of the Dark Side for his exceptional effort to produce content for Clan Arcona. He was also awarded an Anteian Cross for his activity and continued success as Aedile of House Galeres. He has also accrued 16 Crescents (1 Cr-D, 4 Cr-R, 4 Cr-A, 5 Cr-S, 2 Cr-E), 1 Pendant of Blood, 1350 Clusters of Fire, 428 Clusters of Earth, and 13 Clusters of Ice.

Uji also stands as the Aedile of House Galeres. He commands what I would argue is the most active House in the Brotherhood. For over 6 months, he has had his hand in every level of Clan Arcona from the Battle Teams of Galeres - Nighthawk & Soulfire - to Clan-wide events like Fall of SCEPTER, Halloween Horror Nights, and Captain Arcona: Civil War. He has been involved in planning and execution of several projects: ACE Pilot Program, Society Stimulus, Legendary Units, Post-DJK Mentorship, and Character Development (code name: Infinite Path). He maintains our relationship with Clan Odan-Urr, drove our GMRG participation (5 of Top 9 in Q3 2015, 9 of Top 13 in Q4 2015), and continues to manage relationships, projects and events with elan.

All of these things are hallmark traits of an advancing Equite in the Brotherhood. What I am most proud of, though, is his willingness to stand for what he believes in. Whether it is an old, wily Elder or a newly minted Equite, he stands firm for what Arcona should be for it’s members; setting the tone for leadership, dictating the pace for members, and helping usher in another Golden Age for Arcona. Thank you for everything you do, Donny.

Braecen Kaeth
Quaestor of Galeres

Braecen Kaeth, 2016-02-03 13:30:30 UTC

Uji is one of the most deserving people in the brotherhood to receive a promotion. Braecen has pretty much listed everything quantifiable that Donny has done and as an advisor to the summit and an involved BTL I can do nothing else but reiterate this. The sheer amount of work and effort this man has put in his job far outdo general guidelines. You often see Quaestor and Aedile perform in somewhat of a master/student pairing, not to take away from Braecen’s ability to teach, I feel Uji has been performing in a capability way outperforming any standards expected from an Aedile.

Donny has been an enormous motivator for myself to do a better job, other than that he has been a provider of activity for not just his house but Arcona as a whole. There is one such project that I would like to highlight. Arcona Gaming Dominance has been a huge success since day one, it’s increased the output of crescents and activity has been phenomenal and I know that it’s certainly helped cement Arcona’s domination of the GMRG top 13 in the last 2 quarters of 2015. After carefully creating this platform for our members to benefit from he decided it was time to hand over the reigns to myself and Rulvak. Since then we’ve been able to continue what he’s started and with the first 4 weeks of AGD just finished I can certainly say it’s as successful as ever.

I feel it’s important to mention that activity wise AGD and everything that Braecen has already mentioned did not impact Uji’s ability to perform well in perhaps the most important job of any leader in the brotherhood. As a Battle Team leader under him he’s always checking in with his subordinates and members. Always offering guidance, friendship and pretty much anything else they might need. All in all, my time working with Uji has been nothing but a joy, and I look forward to continuing our teamwork for as long as we can.

Uji has been one of the key members and leaders responsible in keeping our members and leaders (myself included) motivated, excited and I guess most importantly active and happy to be a part of this awesome House, Clan and Brotherhood.

Donny, as one of your BTL’s, but also as your friend, thank you for what you do for us. This place wouldn’t be the same without you.

Celahir Erinos Arconae
Battle Team Leader of Soulfire
Consul Emeritus

Celahir Erinos Arconae, 2016-02-02 17:40:53 UTC

Uji Tameike, the Don Man. I’m sure you all agree that he deserves this promotion. He does a ton of work. One might even say he is married to it. We are his labor of love. Donny sets an example for all of us to see, and he doesn’t stop there. He directly gets in contact, finds your niche and amplifies it while also helping you work on your downfalls. He is one of the guys that helped me get to where I am today.

When Esca left Nighthawk and went on to bigger things, Donny stepped in. He took over as Battle Team Leader, and from there took me in. He was always showing me how to do things, and he never lacked ideas for improvement. When he moved on, he encouraged me to step up, but I resisted at first. I never wanted to do more work outside of my job. After Bleu left the spot, I decided to give it a try after even more encouragement from him. After becoming Battle Team Leader, I learned his labor of love, and now work with him even more to produce content to keep Arcona active, and more importantly, having fun.

If that isn’t a shining example of his leadership, outside of all the information provided by Braecen, then I don’t know what else I can say. Donny, thanks for being my Aedile, my Battle Team Leader, my mentor, and my friend. You’ve made this experience truly exhilarating. Congratulations on Equite III!

Rulvak Qurroc
Battle Team Leader of Nighthawk

Ghost Rulvak Qurroc, 2016-02-02 17:41:42 UTC

Equite III members are those that have put all of their effort into leading by example and ensuring the rise in their fellow members and subordinates. These members show us time and time again that they have what it takes to rise up to any challenge put before them and just knock it out of the park. Today, I get to watch one of our most active leaders rise up himself and be celebrated for his hard work. Today, I am proud to watch Uji be elevated to a rank that only 0.92% of the DJB are currently holding.

Since my departure from Nighthawk Battleteam, Uji has been amazing and nothing short of legend within Galeres. He took over the team quickly and managed to keep the high activity momentum going that made the team special. Not limiting himself there, he elevated his responsibilities by taking on the mantle of Galeres Aedile, to which he has successfully brought that high activity mindset to the entire House, rather than just the smaller Battleteam. Without Uji, I don’t think Galeres, or even the Clan, would be where it is at now. His constant willingness to help the junior and veteran members alike is addicting and it’s something I can personally take into my own practices. It’s this sort of devotion and drive that we love to see from our leaders, and something I hope to see spread to every member Uji interacts with moving forward.

I just want to say “thank you” Uji, for everything you have done and everything I know you will soon accomplish. This rank will truly suit you and I anticipate a renewed desire to achieve moving into the future. Congratulations, my friend!

Arcia Cortel
Proconsul of Arcona

Arcia Cortel, 2016-02-02 17:42:29 UTC

Uji is someone I didn’t really know other than by reputation until he replaced Esca as BTL of the legendary Nighthawk and took an active role in the clan summit. When I returned to leadership in Arcona as the Quaestor of Galeres I was probably one of the luckiest leaders in the Brotherhood to inherit Uji as my deputy. Even though my tenure in Galeres was cut short, I do not regret my time there in the least because I got to know leaders like Uji. He earned my utmost respect immediately with his impeccable work ethic and undeniable passion for taking care of the members in his charge.

Our plotting and collaboration begun in those early days in Galeres have continued long since and I can say I count him as one of my most respected peer leaders and someone I count on for advice, a collaborative partner, or someone to bounce ideas with while gaming. We share best practices, lessons learned, and content ideas across clan borders and both our units are better for it. He is a consummate leader both in his own clan, the gaming community and beyond. He has demonstrated that he is someone who both sees the larger picture beyond his own sandbox and more importantly is someone who tirelessly gives back to the Brotherhood. He is easily capable of being a Quaestor or Proconsul at this very moment should the right opportunity arise and I look forward to continuing to work with him as a partner as he advances up the ranks.

Congratulations my friend, it’s been an honor and pleasure to have gotten to know you and work beside you these past months.

Turel Sorenn
Proconsul, Clan Odan-Urr

Champion Rajhin Cindertail, 2016-02-02 17:43:39 UTC

Over the past seven months, I've had the distinct pleasure of watching Uji Tameike grow into the role of Aedile. Though he was thrust into the position by circumstance, he has taken on the mantle sure handedly and continued the grand tradition of Galeres, consistently working to keep the members of his House active and engaged. Not a day passes where he isn't striving to help his members be better and get more from their time in the Brotherhood. And that, after all, is what leadership in the DB is all about.

Stalwart. Professional. Consistent. Dependable. Timely. Imaginative. Diligent. These are all words that could be used to describe Uji and his efforts towards making Galeres the powerhouse it is, but they fail to capture the spirit of his work. He is exemplary in everything he does, and one need only look at the state of his House to see it. Whatever the role, whatever the responsibility, Uji is always ready to work tirelessly to see it done.

Thank you, Donny, for the countless hours and incalculable effort you have dedicated to making Arcona a better, healthier Clan. Now enjoy the fruits of your labor, Seer.

• Terran Koul, Aedile, House Qel-Droma of Clan Arcona

Terran Koul, 2016-02-02 17:44:30 UTC

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working alongside Uji — or Donny — and watching him accomplish many things in his career, and I can say for certain that the last seven months have been not only excellent, as his efforts tend to be, but exemplary. Uji is an example, not just of a model member or leader, but of the very characteristic that defines us in name: brotherhood. It is this trait that we praise most, elevating those who work not for themselves but for the betterment of all, for our brotherhood. It is for this that I welcome him to the ranks of Equite III.

Uji’s colleagues will tell you of his inordinate levels of personal activity, of his leadership and inspiration as an Aedile, of his ability to flawlessly mediate in a Clan of many strong voices, as well as compete, delegate, administrate, and still be done in time for (sweet) tea. Some of those colleagues include people outside even his own summit - and I will tell you why. What prizes Uji most is his capability in creating and fostering community, among all people from all walks of this club. He does it in constant communication with his leadership team, in motivating his members and leading by example during events, in generating excitement for various activities and positions, and so much more. But he also does it by searching out all the little avenues that we — as a House, Clan, and Brotherhood — could be better, happier, and then gathering people together for it.

He did it when he approached the FIST staff with a series of competitions specifically meant to revitalize gaming in Arcona; when he ceaselessly encouraged some good sport and tremendous effort in tackling the GMRG rankings last quarter; when he took part in the planning and execution of programs for Post DJK Mentorship, Ace Piloting, Character Development, and more; and even small efforts, as when he collaborated and shared best practices with others to propose a free form fiction competition to his sister summit for them to run jointly, for all our Battleteams to enjoy. The atmosphere of his House, his Clan, and all areas he touches is one of companionship, good-natured competition, and unity — one of brothers. It is not in the least difficult to see the reason why in Uji’s daily contributions.

Further, though, is the way these contributions are inclusive of everyone in the Brotherhood — most notably with Uji’s amiable attitude towards the gaming community. He planned and participated in all sorts of gaming events, calling on and welcoming those from other Clans for Jedi Academy FFAs, Destiny and Star Conflict groups, and more, all while crafting friendships and camaraderie between bodies like Arcona and others, like Odan-Urr — quite the change from isolated gaming culture of years past. It’s the ease and enthusiasm with with he fosters this sort of rapport, so genuinely and actively, that assures me wherever Uji goes and whatever he does, he will be doing so with far more than just Arcona at his side, not when he’s got a whole Brotherhood to bring together.

And so I say, for the reasons his Quaestor and all his other fellows will outline, and for the solidarity he so readily champions: congratulations, my friend. You’ve done well.

Atyiru Caesura Entar

Consul of Clan Arcona

Master Ruka Tenbriss Ya-ir, 2016-02-03 06:26:18 UTC