Few people understand what it takes to be a Consul in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. A Consul, on paper, does the work of two Independent House Leaders combined. This alone sets the job apart as unique from any other position in the club. The position is a hybrid of representing your unit within the Dark Council, but also overseeing all the decisions made in your unit. Even fewer leaders have ever successfully gone through the process of turning an Independent House into a Clan. Nadrin has. Since his last promotion in 2011, Zandro served as Consul of Arcona for 6 months, followed by some well deserved time off. And yet when the Dark Crusade descended, he volunteered to step up in a time of need to help lead Arcona’s General Forces as one of our Field Generals. His experience in this aspect was priceless, and it allowed the Special Forces to focus on their tasks. As the leader of that Special Forces unit, I slept much easier knowing Nadrin was there helping coordinate the efforts of the General Membership. Even more so, Nadrin has now spent the last 6 months serving as a Battleteam Leader for Soulfire Striketeam.

To talk about his 6 months of Consul, I have to retreat back a few years to a different time, if I may. To a time where Nadrin was still Zandro Erinos. April 13th, 2011; Zandro Erinos became Consul of Clan Arcona. I was selected to become one of his first Quaestors in Qel-Droma. I remember as his QUA, him encouraging me to venture out into the other chat rooms of the other units. To make friends. It was alien to me at the time- everything I had learned prior was that the rest of the club was evil and only Arcona was good. His attitude, and the steps he took with simple things like this changed the entire game of the Brotherhood. It helped us return to an organization that worked together to accomplish great things. He laid the foundation for Arcona to become a non-insular unit. While we are still far from perfect, the transition continued from Wuntila into my reign now as Consul. It all started with Zandro, though.

This is called diplomacy. It is something that, when dealing with the personalities, ego’s, and tempers of members of an online organization become vital to social interaction. Without that level of interaction, the Brotherhood suffers. Without pointing me in that direction, I never would have started working with other members of the Brotherhood, never would have agreed to work with two Taldryans on a Character Sheet project. It seems petty, but that’s how the club was back then. Nadrin showed me there were other ways. Without him pushing us in that direction, projects like Promotheus never happen, because James ends up staying in Arcona and not stepping up to SCL to revolutionize the clubs website with a vision to bring it forward. In short, if you want to place credit on the current framework of Arcona (who hold positions in almost every Brotherhood office) you have to trace it back to Nadrin's example. Simple as that. This has nothing to do with personal levels of activity, it has to do with the sacrifice of time, the patience of a saint, and the ability to think forward in an organization that would rather live in the past.

That is what a Consul does, and Nadrin was the definition of Consul.

And yet, despite having nothing to prove, Nadrin stepped up in a huge way by taking over Soulfire Battleteam Leader 6 months ago--right in the heat of the Dark Crusade. Aside from his stellar participation and novae placement, he served as a true leader in a time when members needed guidance. For that, he was selected to be a General Forces Field General- a position we created to have our leaders who were not on the Special Forces to help guide the regular membership base in competing and participating. He was a huge part of Arcona’s top-total-submissions on almost every planet. It meant giving up a chance at personal glory on the Special Forces for the hope of giving the general membership a former Consul to follow.

This role was all about helping the clan, while continuing to participate in as many competitions as possible to serve as an example. His duties involved constant membership contact, proofreading, sending out motivational emails for each planets, and taking point on run-on’s and other team-based events like Wiki Articles, Battle Plans, and Ad Campaigns. During the entire crusade, he gave up countless hours to make sure that any question partaking the event was answered. I witnessed him leading from the front lines during this time. He constantly made sure that those members not inside the special forces performed to the best of their duties. What impact did this have? We had the most entries per planet, regardless of ratio. Yes, we had the largest unit, but especially with the later rounds where only a small group of 8-9 were tasked with striving for planet victory, that number could have been much much smaller. Leaders like Chris lead by example in these cases and keep the everyday member driving. This is something that simply cannot be quantified. As a member not of the Special Forces teams, he was in charge of helping proofread a plethora of general membership entries, which could climb as high as 15 fictions on a given planet. His continued drive during Vendettas has brought in a total of 19 Seals through different events. Nadrin made sure that the Crusade was not only about winning as well. He challenged those around him to compete for the sake of competing, the fun of being creative and testing your skills against others. This club often has productive, dedicated and devoted members, yet it is safe to say Nadrin goes above and beyond.

As a Battleteam Leader the past 6 months, Chris has pushed the envelope by turning Soulfire into something new and exciting. He invited in any member who wanted to help/be a part of the team without judgement of their past, and the results have really shown. In the recent Operation: Sojourn (a 3-week operation run in Arcona) Nadrin hit 9/11 events while helping his team secure 3rd place overall. The numbers for the rest of his team read as: Inarya - 6/11, Riverche 10/11, Andrelious 11/11, Wes 3/11. Those numbers come as a result of steady leadership at the top, and someone who leads both by example and by inspiration.

Adding to his legacy, Nardin helped Arcona Team-2 to place 3rd in the largest Run-On competition the Brotherhood has held in years.

This award is 2 years overdue. It also goes to show that sometimes, there simply is no appropriate award to show you appreciate someone. This is the best I can do, Nadrin. Love you buddy, I don’t think I’d be able to stick around as long as I have without you. Congratulations, you deserve this more than anyone, and I’m sorry it took us so long to properly thank you for all you’ve done for the Clan.

Consul of Clan Arcona

Legend Wally, 2014-03-27 01:34:52 UTC

First on my list is Valhavoc. Since taking up the mantle of Fist, he's fought an uphill battle on a couple fronts, before he finally strongarmed them back into a groove again. He's been cotinually tweaking the rules, the way we do things for the Gamers in our organization. He's added a pazaak game that literally everyone in the brotherhood can enjoy. He's adjusted the scoring documents and the Code of Conduct more times than I want to go check. More than that, he's been a mature voice ont he council, another set of eyes when we need it. He gets visibly worked up when people start bending the rules to get away with unfair stuff, which just shows how much he cares about the club and making sure that everyone has a fair shake. It is my pleasure and honor to award Valhavoc with his first sacramental weapon, a Sapphire Blade as a token of our appreciation. Thank you.

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2014-02-19 22:09:15 UTC

Chaosrain Taldrya is one of those members you don't hear much from but will always see being involved in something important – just as it was during the Dark Crusade. Chaos put a very strong mark in the Dark Crusade, outmatching and outscoring almost four fifth of every members from the Brotherhood. Though nine fifth of all events already make up an awesome performance, the quality of his submissions were where it comes to matters. Out of all the 29 Events Chaos has entered he has taken Novae in 8 of them home and thus ensured Taldryan's victory on more than one occasion.

Chaos' constant, reliability and dedication over the course of a Vendetta running almost a full year can't go unrecognized as can't his achievements.

Chaos, you have not only been one of the most most active member of Taldryan, taking part in 29 events throughout the Dark Crusade and earning 5 Gold Novae, 2 Silver Novae and 1 Bronze Novae. Such actions demands to be rewarded properly, and this request for a Sapphire Blade could not go for a more deserving member of Taldryan.

Rian Aslar, Quaestor of Taldryan

Rian Taldrya, 2013-12-24 01:42:40 UTC

When it comes to Kazmir Natas, one finds a passionate member, who is not only active on IRC and on the mailing list, but is constantly in search of a project he could bite his teeth into. Graphics-, Fiction- Wiki-related, it doesn't matter, if there is something to do, he will do it, not for his personal glory but simply to get it done.

The Dark Crusade was no different on this regard for Kazmir, as he has had an almost flawless run during the first Phase of the Dark Crusade until he fared a grave change in his real life situation which caused him to pause his activities for the third month of the Crusade before he came back for the latter part of the Dark Crusade. Kazmir's overall performance in the Dark Crusade placed him among the upper tier of participation and placings, being outparticipated by only 27 members respectively outplaced by 33 members out of the 243 members that have participated in the Dark Crusade.

Talking about Kazmir's work outside the Dark Crusade, during the last year, Kazmir has been part of the Herald Staff, and helped much during the transition from the old to the new website, including setting up a temporary custom lightsaber and warbanner request form, has fleshed out a total of four Taldryan NPC wikis and took part in the Taldryan military and dominion wiki overhauls and last but not least trained one of Taldryan's Journeymen to the knighthood.

Good members come and go, eventually they get burned out or simply loos the drive and get bored, but Ladies and Gentlemen, Kazmir Natas is not of this kind, for he works hard and harder never losing his drive but always finding new quests and tasks to solve. This level of dedication and devotion to better the Brotherhood deserves something special, and thus, it is my greatest pleasure to request Sith Battlemaster Kazmir Natas to be bestowed with a Sapphire Blade! This one is for you Kaz, congratz!

Rian Aslar, Quaestor of Taldryan

Rian Taldrya, 2013-12-24 01:51:40 UTC

Without question, Grand Master Jac Cotelin is one of the most dedicated and most devoted members of Taldryan and the Brotherhood. His performance during the Dark Crusade is far over what any House Summit expects from its members, being participation wise outnumbered by only thirteen other members, while holding the highest amount of awarded Novae to a single member during the Dark Crusade.

During the initial chapters of the Dark Crusade, Jac not only was part of the driving core in Taldryan but also spent an incredible amount of time assisting Sid and myself, transcribing the Dark Crusade website into a document that any member of Taldryan was able to access through the mailing list and on the DB message boards. Even when his real life situation changed gravely, he continued to be one of Taldryan's top participants, submitting to several events, relying only on his tablet. Then during the second part of the Crusade, Jac stepped up the plate of Taldryan's Special Forces and continued to be one of the most active member of Taldryan, taking part in 92% of the available events throughout Phase II while always being willing to help out other members, proofing their work or giving useful advices.

In summary, Jac is nearly unmatched, unbeaten and outscored by any other member of the Brotherhood, his continued dedication and devotion for the members of Taldryan and the success of the House as a Unit makes him a pure example for how any member should be like.

Jac, you have put much into the success of Taldryan and for this all I can do is thank you for all this and recommend you to be rewarded this Sapphire Blade as a token of my appreciation.

Rian Aslar, Quaestor of Taldryan

Rian Taldrya, 2013-12-24 01:48:01 UTC

"DO ALL THINGS" From the Beginning of the Crusade until the very last second this was the one call to arms that has connected everyone in Taldryan and commited them into stepping up for the House. And there was the one who initiated this call for arms, Dark Jedi Master Howlader, and he has done all the things! Out of all members of the Brotherhood, there have been only a handful of members who have participated in very all events, and only twice as much have achieved more medals during the Crusade. This alone is a feat that makes Howlader a Force within Taldryan to be recognized.

But except his outside appearance at participating in every single event, his willingness to help other members of Taldryan to make sure that the entries coming from Taldryan meet the highest of possible quality has been a true inspiration to many others .

Even now since the end of Dark Crusade Howlader continued his work at helping my Aedile on several of his projects and serving as an adviser, I am trusting without a second thought.

Howlader for your tremendous effort and encouraging participation in the Dark Crusade, as well as your help for other members of Taldryan, I am hereby, requesting you to be rewarded with a Sapphire Blade. Thank you Howie, you really deserve this more than ones.

Rian Aslar, Quaestor of Taldryan

Rian Taldrya, 2013-12-24 01:45:31 UTC

I don't know any other way to say this: Tarentum continues to exist because we have Anshar. When other Elders burn out, get bored, and wander off to pursue their studies of the Dark Side, Anshar continues to be the ever-present participant and leader that we need. He put forth a very strong effort in the Dark Crusade, not only participating in many events but being active on IRC and on the mailing list encouraging others to get involved, giving advice and helping wherever he is needed. When Levathan was forced to step down as Battle Team Leader due to circumstances in real life, Anshar stepped up to the plate and has done an outstanding job. I'm a little nervous that he's building his own personal military in Messina, but I'm sure it'll be fine because Anshar's loyalty to House Tarentum is without question.

For the first few chapters of the Dark Crusade, Anshar was Quaestor of Tarentum. I believe I can speak with authority in saying that it can be a difficult and often thankless job. He did everything in his power spur Tarentum to action. After he stepped down, he didn't just vanish into the woodwork; instead he continued to be one of Tarentum's top participants both in raw entries but also in continued leadership. Anshar needs no position to lead. He leads by example, and he sets an excellent example. I would like to offer a Sapphire Blade as a symbol of Tarentum's continuing appreciation of Anshar's tireless efforts and true leadership.

Scion Tarentae, 2013-12-11 06:33:49 UTC

Montresor has been nothing short of amazing since his arrival in Plagueis, and his activity and dedication in promoting activity and recruitment has been nothing short of exemplary.

To me, he embodies the true definition of a Leader, from top to bottom, and I can think of no one most deserving of this award than him.

You have earned this my friend, and I look forward to the months to come.

Signed,
Commander Schulen
of the Battleteam Karness Muur

House Plagueis' victory in the Dark Crusade was the culmination of titanic team effort over the course of a year. Multiple members of Plagueis performed at exceptionally high levels and the entire House exceeded all participation expectations. Their unbelievable effort was capped by a final round tie-breaker that saw Plagueis members participate at unheard of levels.

The House and all of its members deserve a great deal of praise and that includes their new Quaestor, SBM Montresor. Montresor came to Plagueis following one of the must tumultuous leadership turn-overs in the history of our club. 16 members of the house left following the removal of the Plagueis QUA and AED. This vacuum could have resulted in a House Plagueis nose dive, but Montresor used it as a rallying cry to improve upon nearly every facet of the house.

Reaching out to new members and old members, Monty recruited 15 members back into Plagueis. These members responded to Monty's team spirit and their efforts secured Plagueis the Dark Crusade Victory. It would be difficult to find many other House level leaders in our club capable of bringing a nearly ruined House back together and unifying them for a final push to win a Vendetta.

For this, Monty is deserving of nearly any award within our club. Deservedly, his efforts will bring him his first Sacramental award. Congrats on your new Sapphire Blade and thanks for all your efforts in improving our club.

GM Darth Pravus

I have had the pleasure of knowing Monty since he first signed up and stepped in the door as a fresh recruit to Arcona. First as his Proconsul and then as his Consul, I got to watch him change from a member who just viewed the promotion requirements as a checklist-challenge to someone who genuinely cared about his Clan, his friends, and the club as a whole. I got to know him as a person, not just a member, and his infectious work ethic was one of the few things that helped me, as a leader, continue through some tough times this past year. It's one thing to be an active member, but to inspire those around you is truly something special. Monty's entire attitude is different from anyone else I have ever interacted with in my many years of being in an internet club. While most members follow the same path as others as they navigate their way through becoming a part of the club- Monty just ignores the walls completely and walks right through them. His approach is not dispassionate, however, quite the opposite. Monty cares about every person he interacts with, and his outgoing demeanor and easy going persona make him extremely easy to befriend and work with in any given situation.

For all of that, Monty is one of the fiercest competitors I've ever had the honor of serving with. He stands by his principles of following through on promises, and embodies the hard-work-conquers-all mentality I've tried to instill in every young leader I've trained. For Monty, it was the opposite- all he needed was a bit of direction in terms of how the inner workings of an online club worked. He was attentive, and even if I rambled or told him something he already knew, he listened and always thanks for anything I said. This sounds so simple, but you'd be surprised how rare that is to find in a member of this organization.

All of these traits come together to create the total package. The Dark Council recognized this in selecting him as Quaestor of House Plagueis. I am fairly confident that if anyone else had tried to take over that position after the circumstances that had seemingly struck Plag, they would not have been able to do what Monty did. He organized, and set the bar and challenged his unit to rise to it. And they did. That is because Monty doesn't play the games that most leaders in this club play. He is an honest, genuine leader who wears his heart on his sleeve and inspires those around him to do better, and work harder. If his attitude trickles down to the rest of the members of his House, I have no doubt they will be a powerhouse for years to come.

As a member of Arcona, Monty batted 26/27 for a 96% completion rate for the Dark Crusade overall. That would have made him tied for first place overall with only myself. This fear is minor compared to the way that Monty achieved it. For one round, Monty had to go to advanced training for the first week and a half of the Chapter. He got home and in a matter of 2 days completed all of his events. It was things like that that made Monty truly a different type of member, and also a leader. He totaled 5 novae with us, and went on for a brilliant 2 more on Ziost with a perfect 4/4 completion.

It is an honor to help award you your first Sacramental Monty.

Marick Arconae
Consul of Clan Arcona

The end of August was a perilous time for House Plagueis. Stripped of both House leaders and hemorraging members, it seemed to many outside observers as if Plagueis' long journey to prominence had abruptly been cut short. Into the breach charged one of the most energetic and inspiring leaders I have witnessed in my many years in the Brotherhood. Montresor made a difficult and potentially risky move by leaving the relative comfort of Clan Arcona to help resusitate Plagueis. By all objective measures, he has succeeded. In fact, the extraordinary turnaround of the past two-and-a-half months could not have happened without his massive recruiting effort and easy ability to mend interpersonal wounds. It is a honor to work with Monty -- one I hope continues for a very long time.

Dacien Victae
Aedile of House Plagueis

Upon my return to House Plagueis I saw faces new and old, but one of the first to welcome me was Montresor. He was excited to have me and started prepping me on the Crusade. He saw a House in need and thought he could help. Thus far his service has been above and beyond. I haven't known him long, but in the last month he has impressed me with a sense of motivation to not only make Plagueis strong but make it the Best. Monty is the core that guides us all. From his constant emails congratulating members on accomplishments to his engaging IRC and Hangout presence, Monty is the best type of leader because he is a people's leader. He embodies what I consider the most important trait - remembering we are all here for the same purpose: to have fun. Monty rocks. He makes House Plagueis fun and has no intentions to stop.

DA Aabsdu Dupar

Montresor... where to start. Montresor exhibits outstanding natural leadership, something that is hard to come by. He incorporates all of his leadership in the decision making process, utilizing a top down approach that includes everyone in the House. Montresor does a great job of voicing his intent, and assigning the work to those most qualified to make it come to life. He works tirelessly on all fronts, from recruiting to driving activity. Montresor stepped in as Quaestor of House Plagueis in a vital time, only weeks prior to the final round of the year long vendetta. If it weren't for his dynamic leadership style and seemless transition, I don't believe that Plagueis would have experienced the success that we did.

I consider Montresor to be an outstanding leader, an admirable member, and most importantly, a friend. Any honor that is bestowed upon him is one that is hard-fought and most assuredly well deserved.

Krath Archpriest Famosus Aspicio
Rollmaster of House Plagueis

When Monty took over Plagueis he dived right in to the leader he truly is, first he gathered all this leaders and set a standard to what he wanted, then to the house. After that he continued to do everything a leader must do, keeping us updated, pushing us to our limits without annoying the hell out of us, and he believed in us. Monty is striving for us to become the clan we are meant to be. Though I can not say what he did before Plagueis, I know that here he is one of us and continues to prove that with each day.

Silent
Battleteam Leader of Ajunta Pall

There are those among us who claim that real life experiences do not apply when dealing with this organization. That all of the hard work and abuses that we spend gaining those lessons are for naught, once a screen and an ethernet cable come between you and your members. I have long said that was folly, lies told by those without the chops to do this sort of thing in the real world. Now, I have another example of why real life experience does matter. I don't throw around the terms 'natural leader' often, but Montresor certainly applies here.

Montresor comes from the military. He's been leading men into the most perilous of situations for years. He's been in scenarios where others have relied on his knowledge, on his strength, putting their very lives in his hands. It's nothing like the brotherhood. There's no compulsion to follow orders. You can't make someone do pushups, you can't courtmartial someone for disobeying. You have to rely on softer skills. People skills: charisma, motivation, inspiring loyalty. Montresor has it in spades, a direct contrast to his namesake. He dove into an untenable scenario. He came in from another clan immediately after the house fell. I'll be honest and say that I expected a miracle. I shouldn't have, but I did. I knew that it could be done, on some base level.

Montresor delivered.

He delivered where many would have made excuses. He reminded people that this was not who they were. He engaged them to be better, to give it their all. I don't care about the pivotal victory on Ziost. It pales in comparison to the real victory here: That Plagueis knows what they can accomplish.

Would that I had the ability to clone him, or at least his skills across the Brotherhood. It'd make my job a hell of a lot easier.

Montresor, please accept this medal, as a token of our esteem along with our thanks. I know that it won't be the last one you earn. Thank you again.

Muz Ashen

Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2013-12-05 02:17:41 UTC

You will be hard pressed to find a member of Arcona more dedicated to the Clan than Invictus. He has served two separate stints as Battleteam Leader during the Dark Crusade, and been an invaluable aid to the Summit and general membership. As a BTL, he encouraged his members to participate while leading by example. In the last 2 rounds of the Dark Crusade, he stepped up in a big way as a member of Arcona's Special Forces team.

He does this while also working for James as a Magistrate to the SCL and is developing a way to help automate and speed up Warbanners.

He also recruited Verse Theris to the club, who went 4/4 on Ziost and earned herself a double field promotion for her efforts.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Vic.

Consul of Clan Arcona

Legend Wally, 2013-12-03 18:43:26 UTC