Zuza, Keeper of the Abyssal Chickens, might just be our most active member--she's certainly the most active Consul. Since her promotion to EQ4 less than six months ago, she has participated in 260 competitions and won Diamond Crescents in 130 of them plus Ruby Crescents in another 40. She's also earned almost 1800 CFs, 219 CIs, 39 CGs, and written almost 100k words in RPs. She has served as both P:HM and now P:EMS, and took up the mantle of Arcona Consul in January--a job she has, so far, performed impeccably.

Zuza is now also our youngest Elder, and the first with a 16000+ PIN. Congratulations!

Lord Dacien Victae, 2024-04-04 20:58:30 UTC

Zuza Lottson has—since the moment she was summoned to our material plane on the internet via a ritual that I can only assumed incorporated loud chanting, a coven of cats, and knife—been one of the brightest and vibrant aspects of the Brotherhood. I was fortunate enough to watch as she seamlessly infiltrated our ranks and made it seem like she had been there all along. Where the Journeyman and Equite ranks could be viewed as guardrails or walls to a new member, Zuza simply walked through them. Her positive attitude was instantly infectious, piercing through the veil of even the most jaded former DCers (me) and win us over. She became a beacon for what I thought could be the future of this club—a club where there were no boundaries and the old ways and biases and toxicity could finally be laid to rest. Even if I recognized that I was a representation nd a part of that history.

Still, Zuza never held that against me. I was fortunate enough that she seemed to like me enough to let me become not just a mentor, but a true friend that I know that can rely on me for help as equally as I know I can talk to her about anything. She showed me that there was optimism to be had, and reminded me of the things that made me unique when I was the youngest Elder (pin wise) and trying my best to punch through the

Zuza has not just taken the baton I thought had been buried beneath the attrition of time, but has lifted it high (like a knife she probably shouldn't have) and charged forward into the future, dragging everyone and everything she can with a can-do attitude and a smile.

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others”.

I've also gotten the double-edged sword of watching her grow as a leader in this club. I'm a firm believer that there are good leaders in the Brotherhood, and great ones. The good ones show up, do the job, and then either stick around until someone else takes over, or move on to something else.

The great ones—like Zuza—take leadership to another level by not doing the bare minimum or accepting the status quo. She was tepid about taking on the Rollmaster role, even with whispers of the position being sunset on the horizon. That did not stop her, however, from trying, and doing. And it just so happened that she managed that role through Arcona's largest growth period since...I was Consul back in 2010. As RM, Zuza helped make sure the flood of new members were greeted, sorted appropriately, and felt welcome in the Arconan tradition (that is, judging what spice level of trauma they were open to: mild, medium, abusive, etc.).

Change is scary for leadership. But Zuza has shown that she is not afraid to face it head on. When Rollmaster was sunset, Zuza boldly volunteered to lead a new initiative- the Selen Training Corps (STC). This took the idea of a non-Housed Battleteam as the new default "landing spot" for all new recruits to the Clan. The BTL, then, would take on that conventional Rollmaster roll and guide them and find the best fits for them. There were some bumps, and it wasn't a perfect landing. Zuza had some things slip through her grasp, and wether they were her fault or not, dealt with her share of speed bumps.

(I promise I'm getting to a point with all of this, but this is important so, let me have this Howie.)

To what should come as no surprise to anyone else that's spent more than 5 minutes around her, Zuza did not let this slow her down or break her stride. She adapted, grew, and eventually was faced with an impossible task and decision.

I know a thing or two about having a massive responsibility dumped on your shoulders when you feel you're not ready for it. I too had something happen to my Consul, who I looked up to and admired, that forced me to step up and take control of a Clan when I wish I'd had more time to sit, and learn, and have any kind of idea of what I was supposed to do.

Zuza faced something similar, and was asked to take on the mantle of Consul of Clan Arcona. That, by itself, is a weight of its own. But the circumstance was not ideal, no matter how you look at the situation. It’s even worse when you feel a close connection to the ones you’re being asked to “replace”, people you consider friends or like family. It takes a unique kind of courage, and will.

It takes even more to then commit to it. To plant your feet, dig in, and push. It is the willingness to sacrifice what you want for what should be. It’s delaying your own fun to help out others, to help manage them, to help mediate or diffuse an argument, to spark excitement and optimism when everyone’s eyes are downcast. It’s no longer just about you. And not everyone is comfortable with that.

Zuza has, in the short time since taking on Consul, rebuilt her Summit, worked diligently to be respectful of her predecessors in doing everything in her power to help give them the proper fictional and administrative transition. She has used her resources, made decisions, and somehow got swept up into running a multi-clan event in her first month in office. All while moving her life across the world.

"One does not ask to be leader, one is simply called to be a leader, and that is all there is to it.

I’ll let others cover her on-paper activity, and finish with some fun statistics from the Exarch’s office. Zuza Lottson was one of the first members to reach Rank 12 in the RP Players Trophy. She is now also one of the and as of this writing the leader of total Envoy Marks earned.16 RPs at 43,748 words and running 13 RPs at 56,624 words. You know, typical numbers.

Zuza is the total package. She is a once-in-a-generation member that trailblazer us forward to a brighter future. There is no one else I can think of that has earned this honor more than her. All joking, whimsy, and long winded essays aside, I am so proud of you. Thank you for being part of our weird little club.

-W

Exarch Marick Tyris Arconae, 2024-04-03 00:22:34 UTC

Given both the novella Wally's written and the similarly hefty recs I put in for her AK and EQ4 promo, there's really only one thing left to say about Zuza:

Service to the Brotherhood.

Alethia Archenksova
Headmistress

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2024-04-03 15:13:14 UTC

To get the official-like bits done, Zuzaboobee served as our Rollmaster, both in the position itself and then as Selen Training Corps' Battle team leader (whose title is Rollmaster, tyvm) for several years. She was the official third upper summit member to myself and Qyreia, and a large part of keeping our Clan going and especially our most precious new members and old alike seen to. I probably said something similar to this in one of her promotions or awards, but she has been both a bridge and a rock for our administration, and then, after we got sacked, she didn't even hesitate to step up. She took charge in what was one of the most upsetting moments for the Clan in arguably a solid decade, managed the chaos, battened down the hatches, assured everyone, juggled communications, breathed into a bag over how much new responsibility there was to do her untaught, and did it all anyway, listening to me ramble, cry, and advise and turning around and organizing her summit and handling it all and stepping up. Because that's what Jenna does, is step up for folks. She's a fighter and an advocate. Sometimes she doesn't have the energy for all of it, but nobody does. She takes all she has and does it anyway.

I don't know if I ever said thank you for that, Jenna, properly, so thank you. You gave me hope. I saw the future in you. Not because we "made you" for it, nobody did that but you, but because I knew both I and our Clan would be safe in your care. Our club would be. You care about everyone and want this all to succeed.

You're the future.

You're amazing.

Thank you, and congratulations, grandprentice.

Emeritus, Arconae

Master Ruka Tenbriss Ya-ir, 2024-04-03 22:53:30 UTC

Based on the size of the other reccs, I'll keep this short(ish)...

Zuza is a special kind of member to work with and to interact with. She's got the dedication and drive to make the Brotherhood better that is not really rare in our members but always something to cherish and nurture. What sets Zuza apart is very hard to put into words if I'm being honest. She puts you at ease as it were. At the same time a Consul interacting with a Quaestor to see what's going on in a subunit, but you don't feel that distance or separation that's all too easy to fall into as a leader. It's easy to see why she's been so successful at nurturing our new members over her time as our Rollmaster and later our training unit Battleteam Leader. And now as Consul she's bringing that special touch to the entire Clan.

I hope that makes it a bit clearer. It's hard to get the words to convey the feeling. She took over running the Clan during a pretty chaotic period and instantly things started to calm down. It's like we were watching a storm rolling in, and as the rain started to fall, the clouds split and the sun started to shine again.

I've been here for awhile (most will agree). I've seen alot of types of leaders take their spot in our club's historical annals. Zuza is something special and I'm very honoured to get to see that from this close up. Congratulations on becoming elder(ly) at such a young age. Check your credit accounts, they call it a rank salary but it just became a pension!

General Ood Bnar, 2024-04-03 23:40:59 UTC

Ok, for real, two more Zuza stories. First, back in July 2023, Zuza and I had The Talk. Not the babies one, I think she knew about that already, but the "I've got a year to get at least one person ready for Bubba to hire as the next HM, and if it's not you, then you're in the way" talk. Blah blah disclaimer blah blah the GM doesn't always hire the praetor blah blah caveat caveat caveat, but either I am training my Praetor to run the office in my absense or I am failing to prepare for the inevitable and causing a problem for the club in the future. Zuza's reaction was, and I quote: "My initial take, I don't think I'd be suited for it. We've seen how well I handle just having to write one thing from scratch and im still honestly intimidated by the idea of even going for Consul at some point, never mind a high DC position". I challenged her to think about what she would use the power of a Council position to accomplish. She told me she didn't think she had anything and I told her to take a few days to think about it.

Less than 24 hours later, she was back with ideas. Good ideas. Ideas that fed directly into the proposal to create the Emissary position and the improvements to the club experience that she and Erin are working on now. I don't think the intimidation factor went away at all, but she got ideas on how to help the club in her head and that was that. P:HM ended up not being the right place for her, but leadership absolutely was. I don't know if she'll ever end up on the Council, but I do know that she's going to spearhead improvements to the club wherever she is on the org chart.

I like that story because it illustrates why Zuza does what she does. A lot of people seek out leadership positions because they want medals and promotions, or to implement their pet projects, or for the visibility and authority and fancy title. There's nothing wrong with any of that, although it can be if those people care about the perks and not the job. But Zuza doesn't really think that way or chase those things. She just cares about her community and wants to help. All anyone had to do was reframe the question from "Do you want the fancy job?" to "If you had the fancy job, how would you improve the club?" and everything since has been inevitable. That's the kind of person who will continue to benefit the rest of us no matter what position she finds herself in.

The other story is about what is euphemistically called the "leadership change." Taking on the CON job is always a daunting thing, at least if you care about your clan. I had it easy: an excellent Consul trained me specifically for the job, I had a wonderful summit, and I inherited the top unit in the club. It still terrified me. I didn't feel prepared. I made mistakes. I pissed people off. Zuza did not get the luxury of a managed transition like I had. She jumped from BTL straight to CON with an empty PCON slot. The circumstances surrounding the leadership change left several Arconans hurt or infuriated, and the rest were confused and no doubt nervous about the future. Nobody involved was thrilled to be in that position. Trust me, from the GM down to the rank and file, nobody wanted that.

But somebody needed to lead, somebody needed to step up and thread the needle between adressing the structural problems that led to the situation and continuing the many good things the previous leaders had done, to have frank conversations about where the summit failed and needed to change while celebrating and encouraging the Brotherhood's most active and enthusiastic clan. It was not an easy task, it was not one that I think anybody actually wanted to do. But Zuza did it. Arcona needed her and she stepped up. If there was anyone inside or outside the clan that didn't already respect her, she changed that very quickly. She was such a no brainer that the GM appointed her "acting" in the job before formally hiring her, which is something I think I've seen exactly once in nine years here.

You can't pass judgment on somebody' term in office three months in, but I think I can confidently say that Zuza is good at her job. She and Zuji are doing and will continue to do great things for Arcona, and there is no reason to think Zuza's energy or dedication will be limited to her home clan now or in the future. We are all lucky to have her.

Alethia Archenksova
Headmistress

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2024-04-04 02:07:16 UTC

There's no one else like Arch. He didn't invent Discord RP, but his unrivaled focus and determination turned it from a niche, unsupported activity into a powerhouse of the modern DB. While he was molding the new position of Exarch and everything that goes with it, he also served with distinction as both RHoJ and LHoJ and as M:RGT. For the last year and half, he's been one of our most thoughtful and communicative HMs, regularly publishing tomesreports full of new courses, changes, and musings on data. As I noted in my recommendation for his most recent Ruby Scepter, he also took it upon himself to prepare extremely detailed reports and analysis for each of our clans. Much of the work manipulating raw data into useable reports has now been automated (thanks Erin!) but the secret sauce has always been Arch's incisive analysis. Having done a much less impressive form of the same thing for a couple of years, I appreciate how much work he puts into it and I'm sure the CONs do as well--even when they don't necessarily like it. He also argues a lot and is sometimes correct.

He's done more for this club than I think most people realize. For all of that, I'm happy to promote him to EL2.

Lord Dacien Victae, 2024-04-03 12:54:41 UTC

Migratory birds will often fly in formations where the entire flock will benefit aerodynamically from the work of the lead bird. Arch is, in many ways, a lead bird in the council and the club making the burden lighter for all those who follow in his wake. Whether something is “his job” or not just about anything he touches is improved through his professionalism, passion for members and data-driven insight. Just about every half-baked idea or initiative I have carried out as Fist has benefited directly from Arch’s formal and informal input. Arch brings a calm and rational perspective to every situation and almost always has the data to back up his positions.

Arch sets the bar for excellence high in every club role he has taken on, big or small. Historically the higher tiers of elder were those who made an impact on the club. Arch is more than worthy to stand among the legends of past leaders. Tortured bird metaphors aside, I’m thankful to have Arch as a fellow councilor and as a friend. I do not exaggerate when I say the club is a better place because you are in it.

Champion Rajhin Cindertail, 2024-04-02 17:58:45 UTC

Arch is a flurry of knowledge and memes. He took me under his wing when he came Headmaster and while I’ve moved into the nest next door, I’m still benefitting from his guidance. He taught me a lot of the site’s internal systems, across multiple occasions of streaming his screen for me, allowing me to be far more independent in my duties and I know he’s done this with others as well. Arch also inadvertently encouraged me to learn video editing, as well as being fully supportive in both DB and non-DB related things. This is from reading position applications to groaning about real life bureaucracy with me. To do this day I still pop into his dms for advice and know that I’ll receive a level-headed and thought out response. He works to ensure that everyone gets the best experience out of this club as they possibly can. Working in the SA is a huge workload but Arch’s leadership made it doable. Even if he can’t seem to stop adding to the workload, it never felt like it was impossible. Even if we had 3 different methods of tracking it all… Don’t think too hard about it.

I’m grateful to have gotten my time as Arch’s Praetor and am even happier to get to help kick him up a step on the ladder of old people. This is a more than well-deserved promotion, with his impact on individual members that he oversees being phenomenal even long after they take flight away. It's people like Arch that make the club what it is. Enjoy the extra points Arch!

Envoy Zuza Lottson, 2024-04-02 20:30:29 UTC

Hey look, a snowy owl!

Now that I've distracted Arch, let me say some embarrassing things about him. Arch is the guy I can always count on to talk data to me. That is to say, he is going to give me a very in-depth analysis of any topic he finds himself invested in or I've asked him to look into and woe be unto me if I don't listen attentively because if I blink at the wrong moment I'll be gone. Which is so impossibly valuable to have.

I really do trust Arch to always tell me his opinion and throw a wall of data at me, even (and especially) when it doesn't align with my own. That's how we get to the right answers. Or, at least, as close as we can get to them. In the same ball park, even. All this while he is the kind of guy to hold himself to the highest of standards, including self-imposed timelines that I don't even have to enforce, because he'll do it for me and be harder on himself than I ever could be.

So, now that you realized the owl isn't real and I have your attention back, thank you for being yourself Arch. You bring value and progress to anything you put your mind to and this entire club is benefitting from it.

Darth Renatus, 2024-04-03 00:10:08 UTC

Hey Duet, Bard Gemni, everyone else is making bird puns, can you give me a good one?

Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!

I can work with that. That's actually a great place for me to start with enlightening you, prospective readers, to things you might or might not know or realize about the work Arch does day in and day out for this club. I’m sure other people will cover all the cool stuff they do as HM, so I’ll just focus on the things that we overlap with in our rolls as Exarch and HM, and then as friends who don’t always agree on the “how” but always agree on the fact that something needs to be done or changed.

First, let's talk about RP. You know, that hot new platform that's become one of the most popular activities in the Brotherhood. That little platform that generated 2,005,394 words of fiction, which translates to 4,010 Clusters of Ice? Yeah, none of that would be a thing right now without Arch. And while they already technically was awarded for his time as Exarch, I wanted to just shine some light on the fact that my proposal I sent to the GMs back in 2021 with our crazy idea of coding RP wouldn't have been a thing if it were not for Arch's confidence/belief in the idea, and then helping pave the way for me to even exist as Exarch.

I mention all of this to remind everyone how impactful Arch's mere presence, willingness to listen to ideas, and to translate ideas into actionable reality displays a level of emotional intelligence that is not just rare, but nearly non-existent in this club. The ability to listen, to really process feedback and figure out how we could possibly make something like that work.

Next, since numbers are important and stuff, let's talk about data, since I just did math. That's Arch's fault, because they encourages me by being a fellow data-nerd with the intent of using that information to make improvements. Arch's reports are some of the most detailed and informative reports I've ever read in my 15 years in this club. It's not just random numbers or endless scrolling spreadsheets, either. It's a thoughtful analysis of the behavior of our members, their activity, and trends in the data. They’ve been looking at this for years, and only recently were finally given the platform they deserved.

This isn’t what a leader in the Brotherhood does. It’s what someone who sees the bigger picture of what makes our little club on the internet tick, and tirelessly brainstorms, mounts a soap box, yells over the other people yelling, and tries no matter how much resistant or pushback there is to make the club a better place. And that, at its core, is why Arch is such a special birb member. They never stop trying to make improvements.

Speaking of improvements. Anyone else get spammed recently in their email by the Wiki notifications? Probably not just me. I have filters set up for every kind of notice, but not Wiki. You know why? I honestly get them so sparingly, it never seemed worth it. But today, I got a wave of them. Routine file maintenance and cleanup. Seems unimportant, probably, to most people. But when you consider that the Wiki is one of our two main knowledge bases, that houses our clubs literal Covenant, policies, and procedures for how we function, our very history, you might start to realize why it should be probably unkempt a bit better. It’s also where story ideas, creative worldbuilding and the tenants of our writing activities get a platform to live. Sure everyone says “we should really update the wiki”, but how many members, leaders, actually have stepped up to do so?

Surprise. Arch has. And I’ve been fortunate enough to get to see the work that’s happened at a rapid rate. It’s been years in the waiting, and just adds to Arch’s track record of getting things done.

Lastly, when we discuss the ranks of Elders, there’s a lot being figured out right now. I don’t have an answer, and, if I’m being honest, it’s easy for me to get frustrated with how other members or leaders have made their way to their respective Elder rank. But the one member I have no reservations about? That is doing it quicker than I did? That will now become only the second 5 digit [pin] Elder 2 in club history? The one member I think has easily earned this elevation in earnest?

Arch.

Congratulations my friend. I don’t know if myself, or this club as a whole, would be the same without your daily impact. Especially considering I still to this day double check my bullet point lists for continuous punctuation.

-W

Exarch Marick Tyris Arconae, 2024-04-03 03:07:12 UTC

You're already beginning to make a name for yourself, Zurgur Kaeso. I have heard reports from House Ventress that you have managed to accumulate 5 XP.

I have recommended you for immediate promotion.

Congratulations, and may the Force guide you, Novice,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2024-04-02 23:43:24 UTC

Zurgur Kaeso, you have successfully completed the Trial of Identity and confirmed your e-mail address, for which you have earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to House Ventress, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2024-04-02 23:42:42 UTC

You're already beginning to make a name for yourself, Benan. I have heard reports from House Ventress that you have managed to accumulate 5 XP.

I have recommended you for immediate promotion.

Congratulations, and may the Force guide you, Novice,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2024-04-02 15:24:27 UTC

Benan, you have successfully completed the Trial of Identity and confirmed your e-mail address, for which you have earned the rank of Apprentice. While you may currently be on a shuttle to House Ventress, I will continue to follow your progress with great interest.

May the Force guide you, Apprentice,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2024-04-02 15:24:19 UTC

Sith Eternal Ahathr’iss’asapla (Thrissa) has reached the rank of Journeyman 4. In 24 hours.

This Quaestor is unsure whether he will run out of SA courses or my keyboard will break from writing these recommendations. Since last promotion, another 11 courses have been completed, and a further 5 degrees achieved! This generated another 3 ranks in the Aurora Collegium of Sciences (bringing them firmly to the Scientist grades).

Keep up the amazing progress, Thrissa! Make my fingers bleed typing these promotions out!

Specialist Titius Osseus, 2024-04-02 13:19:42 UTC

Thrissa! It has been less than a week and you have been climbing through the ranks like an absolute madman! Between your eagerness to reach out and learn more about the club and its members, the determination to meet the goals you’ve already set for yourself and the flood of notifications filling my inbox (I may run out of space if you keep up this pace!), it feels like you've been here for years, not days!! Congratulations on hitting a major milestone here in the club, you’ve proven yourself worthy of the rank of Knight. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for this club!

TuQ’uan Varick di Plagia, 2024-04-02 13:17:47 UTC

Malfearak Asvraal has reached the required 20000 XP to reach the rank of Equite 3. He's participated in 21 competitions, created hundreds of images as M:Herald or Herald, and earned 31 CIs. He hit the ground running as Herald and I'm sure it won't be long before I'm requesting his EQ4 promotion.

Lord Dacien Victae, 2024-04-01 18:43:08 UTC