When I hear “Sapphire Blade,” it makes me think of complete dedication to one's unit or office. It makes me think of members that have given so much to the club and have asked for nothing in return. Today I am proud to be seeing the Sapphire Blade awarded to a member of Arcona who has truly stood out above his peers.

Kordath has been one of those members that I hope to see everyone strive to be. He is always participating, creating, conversing, teaching and learning with others. Ever since he took the reigns of the RM position, he has not stopped looking out for our Journeyman and ensuring their promotions and awards are delivered on a timely basis. Without Kordath, this would be a much harder task. The way he carries himself and applies himself, I can see him taking over a House or even higher in the future and I hope he challenges himself for such positions, as I feel many can learn from his experiences through the DJB.

Kordath, for all of your hard work and your dedication to Clan Arcona, I am proud to write these words and congratulate you for a job well done. Please take this Sapphire Blade as a symbol for all that you have accomplished and continue to push yourself, and others, forward. Thank you for everything you do.

Arcia Cortel
Proconsul of Arcona

Rear Admiral Arcia Cortel, 2016-01-18 16:14:37 UTC

Kordath Bleu d'Tana is a member who needs no introduction. He has served as as Captain of the Nighthawk and, most recently, as Rollmaster of Clan Arcona. While his work has always been exemplary, it is in this latter capacity that he has truly shone. His constant contact with new members, facility for juggling dozens of responsibilities and unerring willingness to make time in his schedule for anyone who needs it all serve to make him the best Rollmaster Arcona has had in recent memory. The consistency and transparency of the "Rollmaster Roundups" he releases are a testament of just how terrific a job he does. Since he took over the position a matter of months ago, Arcona has seen a marked increase in the activity of its Journeymen, in no small part due to his efforts and drive.

Beyond the duties of Rollmaster that he has discharged so faithfully, I would like to comment on his own personal activity. Kordath is the type of member who leads from the front, constantly looking for something to do and, in doing so, serving as inspiration for those around him. In the past five months, in addition to his constant Summit duties, he has managed a level of participation that rivals most Brotherhood careers. Since November he has organized many competitions but - more importantly - participated in 70. Seventy competitions in two months. Let that sink in for a moment. He has placed in 16 of them, while earning 5 Pendants of Blood and over 2550 Clusters - 45 of them being the arguably more difficult Clusters of Ice for the more than 20,000 words of fiction he has written in that time.

The are few members in Arcona as active as Kordath, and none more deserving of this honor.

Kord: for everything you do, and for the cheerful enthusiasm with which you do it, I am honored to recommend you for a Sapphire Blade. Your spirit and enthusiasm touch everyone around you. Hopefully this shows, in some small way, just how much you are appreciated.

Congratulations.

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

Terran Koul, 2016-01-18 16:15:02 UTC

In my time in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, I have never met a member like Kordath, or ‘Matty’ as I know him. After being introduced to Kord, I have never spoken to him and not laughed at some point at something he’s posted, something he’s said, or to a story he’s told. He’s the kind of guy who can’t help but make others around him have fun and this exact nature has been what’s made him so incredibly effective in a club that we can sometimes forget is here for us to have fun.

His dedication to this very simple thing, to ensure he himself is having fun and the people he encounters are having fun, has driven him to always be willing to participate in gaming, in competitions, and to create his own content such as the Arcona Flash Games series. Hearing competition judges talk about crying in laughter as they read his submissions...this is the kind of member who helps to build loyalty to the club just by being a member.

What is in many ways more astonishing than his natural talent is his ability to take time-consuming practices and make them not only routine but make them entertaining as well. He streamlined the introduction process for the Clan within days of becoming Rollmaster, and ensured that the template used opened the conversation for him to learn about the new members being introduced. He took a system of selecting Master/Student relationships being chosen by going down a list of who had been waiting the longest and instead developed a system for pairing Students to Masters who shared similar interests and had the best chance of succeeding with that particular Apprentice.

The combination of this dogged work ethic and positive personality has led Kordath to where he is today: Rollmaster of the First Clan, former Battleteam Leader for the Nighthawk. It doesn’t matter what Kordath is doing — he will always contribute to the success of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.

Thank you for all you do, Kordath, and congratulations on your first Sacramental.

Uji Tameike Aedile of House Galeres

Consul Ikarri Itinen, 2016-01-18 16:15:34 UTC

The true mark of a Sapphire Blade is that the work - long hours of dedication, tenacity to see things through, a strong desire to make a Clan grow - cannot be seen until one examines each part of a member’s dedication as a whole. Many small things, that oft go unregarded, compile until the evidence is overwhelming that without this member… a Clan could not have reached its potential - could not have fulfilled its responsibility to thrive. I have been a longstanding member of the Brotherhood and I have seen few talents that impress like Kordath Bleu d’Tana does as a member of the First Clan.

Kordath has become the go-to guy for recommendations. He has participated in 17 medal & promotion recommendations for Clan Arcona; including proofreading the other recommendations and providing input for changes and clarity. Additionally, he has proofread an additional 26 medal & promotion recommendations that he has not participated in. Every piece of work goes through the Kord-o-matic to ensure Clan Arcona is delivering on their promise to their members: If you do the work, we will reward you.

A big part of rewarding people, though, is not in the writing of the recommendations. Assuredly, it is important, but it pales in comparison (in hours and minutes) to the actual work of grinding through member dossiers - reviewing if they are eligible for a promotion or a medal, how much work lies ahead, what the member needs to work towards next. I cannot tell you how many times - politely - Kordath has pulled me aside to discuss a member’s future recognition or to ensure someone was receiving a timely award. I lied. It is daily. Daily. This is a member invested in working with every member of a Clan from the rank of Initiate to the rank of Dark Adept.

In fact, his careful cajoling, prodding, and coaxing has resulted in 83 promotions for Journeymen since he took the hotseat. He has already elevated 3 members to Dark Jedi Knight (Loneworlf, Rex, and Xenna) and has worked with another 2 (Stang and Mac) to complete ALL of their tasks save Time In Grade. Let us put that in perspective: as of 9/9/2015 - from the Grand Master’s Report - the club had an entire 11 DJKs promoted. In his short period of time as a Roll Master, Kordath has five that have completed their pre-requisites (save time). A large part of this is the careful work - and communication - to new members upon joining. He has ensured - during his term - that 16 members have completed the Test of Identity and become full members of Clan Arcona. Historically, the Brotherhood loses most potential members - nearly 25% - before they complete this step. He has excelled where others have fallen short, because he developed a skill above all others: transparency.

When Kordath was a Battle Team Leader of Nighthawk, he perpetuated an already successful unit into something more. While he has received credit for this work, he has taken the lessons learned from this job - creating a culture that is open, honest, and communicative - and brought it to the Clan level. He administrates the mailers for the Clan; ensuring new members are added immediately and auditing the mailer on Fridays when he receives the report. He administers the Master-Student Program for the First Clan with tactical precision; keeping 20 active pairings in the works. He regularly communicates with members below the rank of JM4; either through individual e-mail, group e-mail, or follow-up with individual Masters about their current, active pairings. Amazingly, he shares his fiefdom with every leader of Arcona; keeping us apprised of our member’s progress, their next steps, and what is working (and what is not). I would wager that he sends somewhere between 14 to 30 e-mails a week in correspondence with our Journeymen. The dividends have been well worth it as a new group of members and leaders are beginning to emerge from his leadership: Rulvak Qurroc, Mako Henymory, Xenna Azara, Adem Bol’era, Mac, Lonewolf, and Stang.

All of the parts are laid before you as a whole: hyperactive member, wisened proofreader, creator of content, consumer of content, diligent administrator, dutiful mentor. In Arcona, we simply call him friend. And we are honored to raise our friend up for his first sacrificial blade. Congratulations, Kordath. The first round of drinks are on you.

Braecen Kaeth
Quaestor of Galeres

Braecen Kaeth, 2016-01-18 16:16:01 UTC