Tarentum, it wouldn't be where it was today without the contributions of some specific members. I know the wiki lists a few of them as notable people, but I do honestly believe every Tarenti is notable. We are a house made up of greats; former Dark Councillors, inspiring young Journeymen, amazing gamers, and brilliant writers. Each of these people are notable in some way but a few do step forward as nothing short of heroes of our House. And oh boy, does it take a special kind of hero to be able to manage these people and their conflicting personalities.
That's the kind of person that I think of when I reflect on Scion Altera. He's someone who stands out when you look at all the pieces he has to deal with and realize what kind of a man it takes to hold all that together. Note, its not his participation or many skills that I think he deserves recognition for; cause while they are welcomed for their contributions they aren't want stands him apart from the rest. What does is the fact he is Tarentum's superglue.
Eight months ago, Tarentum was a dark place - and I don't mean it terms of the force or the horror we want to be known for. Barely making it to .4 of a participation rate as our top ratio for Phase One, I think everyone in the Dark Brotherhood knew Tarentum was struggling. Seven months ago, that started to change with the appointment of Scion. Since that date, we double our participation ratios in the Dark Crusades. How? Through Scion reaching out and pulling the pieces back in. He approached members he knew could deliver and brought them back into the fold. Projects were developed, new Battleteams formed, and he created a summit team that could help him improve those results - even training one of those leaders from Protector for the position. A cornerstone of what changed was with the people he assembled and managed when they got to the table. Through his guidance their efforts have furthered our cause, seven months of this through one of the biggest events the Dark Brotherhood has ever seen.
This isn't the first time I have seen Scion's efforts in a Summit, nor is it the first time he has done so since his last promotion. In House Kaerner, an experience house of Clan Tarentum before we were downgraded to a House, Scion was my Quaestor then and a key individual of Project Fisting.
Raiju Kang, Tarentum Aedile
I never could have had the positive impact on Tarentum the way that Scion has. We were just barely treading water when he came on board; now we can see the shoreline, and we're making headway towards it.
All through my tenure as Aedile, communication was a huge issue. Scion is constantly pounding our inboxes with messages, inundating us with reports, site updates, random bits of Star Wars news and the occasional how-do-you-do. This effort has reinvigorated the base within the House, which I can tell is already beginning to reach out to the new members and will continue to spread. The more engaged in the House and the Brotherhood we are, the more likely we are to come in and compete in events like the Crusade and other Vendettas. Scion gets this, and numbers don't lie: each round, on average, having higher participation than the last since he took over? Can't argue with that. I sure won't.
And he never turns down an idea. If a member, from the newest arrival to the most grizzled veteran, has any sort of notion for improving the House or for a comp, he hears them out. He has an easy approach-ability that I could never quite perfect, and I, admittedly, envy him for that. Plus, he knows how to utilize his fellow Summit members to effect, to begin and complete projects for the benefit of the House. And to get down on the level of the Journeymen, not sit on the pedestal of leadership or Equite-ism above them.
All these qualities culminate into an effective leader, who has had a dramatic impact on Tarentum, a unit which has been more than troubled for so long, in a drastically short amount of time. Someone else may have coined the phrase, but Scion is the driving force behind Tarentum Momentum, and is deserving of promotion for his...well, momentous efforts.
Jason Hunter, Former Tarentum Aedile
Scion Altera is a name all leaders of the Dark Brotherhood will know. Some know him as Quaestor or Firebird. I know him as friend and mentor. He mentored Mechronage (#10461) to Dark Jedi Knight. He also gave me a chance to be Tarentum's Aedile, despite being a Protector when I submitted my application. I received a promotion to Guardian the day before becoming Aedile even though there were others with leadership experience, higher ranked, and even though I had been in the DB before off and on for 3 years there was no dossier to back this up.
He taught me the ropes of House Leadership and in the absence of a master, he mentored me. We officially decided he should be my master a few days before my double promotion from Guardian to Dark Jedi Knight. Without him, I am positive that I would not have been able to be a Sith Warrior, Quaestor, Docent, and Magistrates to the FIST and GM. Without this integration into leadership it would have been harder to stay around.
It’s easy to take advantage of certain types of members. They are not the flashiest members, and won’t take the spotlight by winning tons of novae. They are the workhouses that lead by example and deed- working hard and never complaining or letting a lack of the limelight slow their progress. They are excellent leaders with long track records, and whenever they are called on, they simply step up. No questions asked. No need for reward.
Scion embodies this type of work ethic, and his actions sometimes get overlooked. Nevertheless, Scion has been a staple of activity in Tarentum since I joined it 8 months ago. I've seen him tackle everything as Quaestor when needed. Not only that, he and I have helped bring back older members such as Frosty, who ended up becoming one of the top participants in the Dark Crusade for Tarentum.
I realized the last time he had been promoted was 2010. As his Aedile I planned to remedy this in the near future. Thankfully in my absence Raiju has been magnificent and noticed this as well. I recommend immediate elevation to Sith Battlelord.
Thank you for all the hard work and dedication you've given Tarentum, Scion. We would not be the same without you. Congratulations!
Ernordeth Puer-Irae, Former Tarentum Aedile
Quaestor of Qel-Droma
Since I came back to activity, I've found Scion to be a good Quaestor and a great friend. He has encouraged me to form and lead a Battleteam (Knights of Tau), play games and group others with the same interests. He keeps a good house summit communication and is always careful that all Tarentum members receive their deserved promotions and medals. He also keeps and maintains a good number of house competitions if not directly, at least through the leaders under him. He drives people to activity and that is no easy feat.
Scion has the right attitude for a Tarentum Quaestor and I see Tarentum doing very well with him in the future. He has my gratitude and congratulations.
Frosty, Battleteam Leader of Knights of Tau
Since his last promotion, Scion Altera has been Quaestor of House Kaerner, then Rollmaster, Aedile, and currently Quaestor of House Tarentum. He has participated in Independence Games, Great Jedi War X, the Dark Crusade, and several other vendettas, as well as ran many competitions for the House. He has mentored younger members into knighthood and still mentors me to this day.
When I think of Scion, I think of a selfless leader that only works toward the betterment of the House of Tarentum. Scion is willing to do whatever he can to encourage participation. And though Tarentum is in a rough state, Scion refuses to give up, which in turn inspires me to not give up. It is a great honor to recommend Scion Altera for promotion to Sith Battlelord.
JH Saronyx, member of Tarentum, Sergeant of Battleteam Jen Kaari
Scion has been a source of stability and strength for Tarentum. He has been in the House for some time, and has been working towards a foundation of activity and unity for his entire tenure, whether he be in a leadership position or not. He has worked tirelessly on trying to help provide a website for Tarentum and its members, as well as build a fictional reserve/vault to store stories and noteworthy projects for the ages. He motivates others around him through being active on his own, and, as a leader, putting out timely reports to help show people that, yes, Tarentum has active leadership that isn't going away. He accepts nothing but the best of himself, but also exhibits genuine leadership traits, like trying to motivate every ounce of activity, but not succumbing to the fatigue of leadership and chewing out the membership when they don't give their all and do their very best. He is patient, kind, and nuturing as a leader.
It has been some time since he was promoted, and does not care about rewards, but cares about the product of his own activities and contributions to the House and Club. He doesn't seek accolades or praise, but instead, seeks after the fun and friendships provided here, which is what it's all about. But in all sincerity, I think we forget that, this is a Club, and we ought to be more giving of rewards. It is members and leaders like Scion that make this place stable, active, and enjoyable. In working with Raiju, he has opened up a new generation of Tarentum's leaders and faithful, and quite frankly, I believe that Scion will be the path to regaining Clan status, if not the actual leader that Tarentum becomes a Clan under again. And though I honestly don't care about Clan status, because we don't need to be thinking about obesity in numbers, Scion has worked so hard for years, and he is one of the people who honestly deserves to be recognized as a Tarentae. He has always been forthcoming in contributions to discussions about Vendetta entries, projects, and in trying to be the best he can be. He provides praise to others for every accomplishment, and works well with the Dark Council to see that Tarentum's needs are met.
Scion is a true friend and son of Tarentum, and he is an inspiring leader for all new members, and veterans of the House alike, and we are privileged and happy to have him as our Quaestor. We believe he is worth every reward that can be laid at his feet.
Sith Bloodfyre, Grand Chamberlain of Tarentum and Tarentae Representative
Leadership in the brotherhood is something that everyone wants, but not everyone can handle. Leaders come and leaders go- and in the end, we may not see the fruits of their labor, dedication, and hard work because a majority of it goes on behind the scenes. As a fellow unit leader, I understand these things better than most, and as such I believe I have a responsibility to speak up for a friend and fellow leader in this organization.
Competing for his unit and leading by example in the Special Forces team, Scion went 7/14 in Phase 2 participation, no easy feat when combined with the burdens of leadership.
Scion stepped into the role of Quaestor and had an immediate effect on the House. You could see it in the activity on IRC alone, as well as the participation numbers for the Dark Crusade. Tarentum went from barely having a few entries to making a true dent. A lot of this comes from his ability to mentor those under him- most notably Ernordeth. He took Ernor under his wing as Aedile and helped him reach his full potential by guiding him to Dark Jedi Knight as well as teaching him the ropes of the DB. Ernor has now gone on to be a Quaestor for Arcona, and I can see marks of Scion all over the incredible work he has been putting out here. It's that same passion and work ethic that Scion embodies that makes him a great leader for a unit that is not always at the front of the pack. In fact, it takes even more gusto, in my opinion, to helm a team when you're not in the race for 1st or 2nd place. It's easy to be a fair-weather fan, but to keep heart in the face of diversity is truly divine. Still, Scion drove the competitive spirit forward and gave his members something to be proud of.
He has been an Equite 2 for over 3 years now. 7 of those months have been as Quaestor, and when 7 of those months occur during the Dark Crusade, it's truly a different burden than the typical leader in the club has dealt with in the past. Usually there is a lot of downtime between major events, but that has not been the case. On top of that, he also served as Aedile for 6 months before that, Rollmaster for 2 months, and had been previously a Quaestor of House Kaerener for 4 months. That combined leadership is something that belongs in the uper-echelons of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
For his loyalty and dedication to the club, he has earned 3 seals of loyalty on top of a collection of merit medals. Beyond that, however, I believe he has more than earned the right for a promotion to Equite 3.
Congratulations, Scion. It's an honor to serve besides you as a unit leader.
Consul of Clan Arcona
There are some easy leadership jobs in the Brotherhood, and there are some that can drain you. Leading any unit can be a drain on your time, on your energy, taking everything that you have to give and still needing more. Tarentum is no exception. With n Old Guard well entrenched in the system, a very rapidly changing environment in the club that threatens to disenfranchise those older members, and an overwhelming need to drive new joins into productive and happy members, it can be overwhelming.
Scion has weathered these storms admirably, fighting the ship at every turn, working hard to combat those who would rather complain than contribute. Tarentum was hit particularly bad with the changes to canon powers int he club, losing much of their self-identity when necromancy was removed from our system. Much of their lore would either need to be rewritten, reworked, or just plain deleted. Driving the team forward witht he work of other leaders who have since left the unit due to these pressures, Scion has worked diligently to bring Tarentum into the present while still honoring the past.
Today, I honor a man who works hard and expects nothing in return. I salute a man who has bled for Tarentum, for her glory, for her future. I acknowledge a man who has toiled with the new members adn the old guard alike. I promote a man who is long overdue.
Thank you, Scion. ~Muz Ashen, Dark Lord of the Sith
Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2014-01-11 18:04:12 UTC