During the well over 6 month he is serving as my Aedile, Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor has always reminded me and served me as an example on how a person who serves as part of Taldryan's Summit should be. He constantly takes his duties serious, may it be his weekly reports with its attached competitions or him taking part in nearly if not all available competitions, no matter if they are part of a Vendetta or regular competitions, while always attempting to aid me in every way possible, and more importantly, trying to aid the members of the Taldryan may it be in their strive to advance within the Brotherhood ranks or simply listening to problems they have, giving advice as best as he can.
Since his appointment, Yacks is tireless in his attempt to teach the newer members of Taldryan the "old values", that it takes more to be a successful House than working selfishly for one self and that we all look beyond our own needs in favor of the bigger goal, to bring both Taldryan and the Brotherhood forward.
For as long as I know him and especially during the last year, Yacks has been the forefront of Taldryan in every possible way, and I can do nothing but to thank him for the dedication and devotion to the Taldryan and its members as well as the awesome work he has already done and will do in the future, while never expecting anything else in return. For all of this work combined with the time he is now serving as my Aedile, there can only be one appropriate reward, the Emerald Dagger. Thank you Yacks.
OP Rian Aslar, Quaestor of House Taldryan.
Yacko Yacko Yacko. You are my Aedile now - the boss of me. That is a pretty weird if you think about it in the grand scheme of things. Two (ish?) internet Star Wars clubs, more than sixteen years - and this is the first time we are in the same chain of command. For years (hell, I can say decades - right?), I have heard stories about Yacks' leadership abilities, his tenacity, and his drive. Sure, I saw it from different units, saw snippets of it from afar when I was on the Command Staff and Dark Council, or read about it (as is the case in referring to his time as the Brotherhood's first post-split Justicar). Now I get the pleasure (or not?) of seeing and experiencing Yacko as a subordinate - and it seems like the stories were not over-stated.
Since his appointment as Taldryan's Aedile on June 23rd, he has been a force to be reckoned with, both inside Taldryan and the Dark Brotherhood as a whole. For starters, he has taken up the long lost (apparently, given the Brotherhood's current standards) art of writing weekly reports since his appointment, those are in addition to his periodic shorter news posts. So for those of you keeping score, that is 25 weekly Aedile reports (and we are not going to count the smaller news posts). Let's do a little comparison, shall we? The most active main body Dark Council position, Fist of the Brotherhood, has 9 reports associated with it since Yacks' appointment.
By comparison, Yacko has written 177.778% more reports than that position, and 292.157% more than the mean number of reports (6.375). Yacko shines comparison with the Brotherhood's Independent Unit Leaders and Deputies as well: Yacks has 177.778% more reports than the most active Independent Unit Leader or Deputy Position (Naga Sadow Proconsul), and 306.977% more reports than the average (6.143 reports per position).
In terms of Crusade performance, Yacks is in a very limited group of special members of the Brotherhood, those that have done all of the things. There are only 5 of us, out of 243 participants (2.06%), and what it translates into numerically: Yacko participated in 209.872% more events than the mean (average) participating Brotherhood member, and 342.857% more than the mode level of participation. In terms of Novae, Yacks earned (by unofficial counts): 6 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze Novae (a total of 12): which translates into 301.633%, 258.47%, and 105% more than the mean of those members of the Brotherhood that participated in the Dark Crusade. For his total novae count, Yacks earned 234.694% more than the mean participating member.
In addition, Yacks has earned 2 Shadow Academy degrees, started 17 out of 61 threads on the Dark Summit google group (27.67% of all threads), 95 Clusters of Fire, 6 Clusters of Ice, numerous crescents and Legions of the Scholar, and he assisted in training of Rathus, Carissus, Miranda Goto, Teia Coran, and Nero Inferni to the rank of Dark Jedi Knight.
For his service as Taldryan’s Aedile during war time, in concert with his perfect Dark Crusade participation rate and his success throughout that participation, and as recognition of the fact that all his work is well known outside of Taldryan – and will stand the test of time - I recommend that Dark Jedi Master Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor be awarded the Emerald Dagger.
DJM Howlader
When writing this rec I just went to go check to see how long Yacks has been AED. I was completely surprised to see that it's only been a little over 5 months since he took the job. It just feels so much longer, but I think a big reason why is that he was already playing a big leadership roll when the current Vendetta was rolled out. He was at the forefront of kicking all our sorry asses into getting active once more. Look at how well Taldryan fared over the course of the year. Look at how far the House has come. Had one or two small things swung our way, we may have even won the entire competition, while also rebuilding much of our foundation in the process. Yacks is a massive part of it, and Taldryan truly could not have come this far without him. What Tal was at the beginning of the year and what it is today is almost night and day. We are stronger in all areas, and many of its members are once more an active part of the club. This is a direct results of Yacks getting us back on our feet. He is tireless in his efforts, keeping us constantly informed of everything that's happening (Weekly Reports!) as well as leading from the front (Did all the things!). Taldryan would not be what it is today without him, and we all owe him a great debt of gratitude for what he's done for us.
DP Halcyon Rokir Taldrya
Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor's dedication is beyond comparable to any member in this generation of Taldryan. With all of his skills and works done in this club, Keirdagh has shown his strength as one of the best, most dedicated, most structured members the Dark Jedi Brotherhood has seen.
As a majority of the members who know "Yacks" can attest, his abilities do not stand alone with Taldryan. Offering his skills as the Right Hand of Justice alone, Keirdagh has proved his discretion as a solid member of the Dark Summit and a viable resource that is not easily replaced.
Keridagh's strength in Taldryan is unprecedented. For the past 5 months Keridagh has put a breath of fresh air into Taldryan completely re-organized the view of what an Aedile in House Taldryan should be. This grand image of a member releases weekly reports, each report being full and complete with news from the Star Wars community, to Brotherhood news, to nes of what is going on in Taldryan. His reports set a standard for other unit leaders, as a great deal of members outside of Keirdagh's house read his reports and benefit from the information found in them... again, these reports are done on a weekly basis, every Wednesday. And for the past 5 months he has not been late on a single report.
The work of an Aedile is often overlooked or under appreciated. In Keirdagh's case, this is true. The countless time he put into the year-long event known as the Dark Crusades to make sure that his unit came out on top was no small feat, and were it not for this member, Taldryan would not have placed 3rd overall in the Brotherhood, coming just behind of Clan Arcona and House Plageuis.
The countless emails, updates and pushes that Yacks initiated to the members of Taldryan gave the right "push" that was needed to overcome the many odds and obstacles in the Dark Crusade. Exceptional is scarcely a word that can be used for any member in this club, but I find it completely fitting for Keirdagh and the works that he has performed in Taldryan.
In this Dark Crusade alone he has managed to lead at the forefront of battle, earning 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze Nova throughout the course of the Brotherhood. He was also awarded a Grand Cross of the Dark Side, a Steel Cross and a Dark Cross, along with countless Clusters of Fire and a Pendant of Blood. Leading by example is one thing, but passing on his knowledge to other members so that they might also indulge in the victories of war is another. Keirdagh embodies the role of Aedile and goes beyond what is expected in a position like the one he holds.
Having served as an Aedile myself multiple times, I know the strain that is put on the shoulders of the one who holds the position. This strain that I speak of seems to be completely ineffective on Keirdagh. Never running out of steam, never settling for less, never backing away from the quality that is expected from himself and other members of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, Keirdagh Taldrya is an exceptional member who deserves a just reward.
As the criteria for an Emerald Dagger insists, a member have shown themselves to truly bring something new to their given position. However, their actions are not to be solely consigned to their specific House or Clan, but instead, must show that they have had an impact outside of their respective work.. In this case, Keirdagh embodies the position that he fills, and the Brotherhood is a better place because of it. Taldryan alone is a friendlier, more welcoming place that opens it's arms to innovation and success.
Thank you for your service and dedication to us, Yacks. Enjoy your Sacramental Award. It is well deserved, and you have earned it.
- Shaz'air Taldrya, Quaestor Emeritus of House Taldrya
Throughout his time with Taldryan, and particularly in his current capacity as Aedile, Keridagh Taldrya Cantor has provided incredible spirit and leadership to both the members of Taldryan and the Dark Brotherhood at a whole. Even during one of the more stagnant eras of Dark Brotherhood leadership, Keridagh continues to innovate and inspire those around him. For example, Keridagh has completed 25 weekly reports since assuming the position of Aedile. 25! That's an enormous amount, outshadowing all of the Dark Council! The best part is that they're all killer, no filler reports. He actually communicates things we need to know. I personally found his leadership and motivation during the recent Dark Crusades to be a driving factor in the awesomeness of Taldryan. Whenever necessary, Keridagh would provide notice of when events commenced and concluded, answer questions, and remind me which planet we were attacking (Seriously. Too many choices). Even during all of that, he still found time to complete every single event of the Dark Crusade. Let's take a moment to reflect on that. Even the events that he wasn't necessarily top notch at (Being a Taldrya does afford one with a healthy amount of natural Awesomeness, but let's face it, we do have strengths and weaknesses), he still toughed out. His perseverance and dedication should be an inspiration to the Dark Council. Clan Taldryan is richer for having Keridagh Taldrya Cantor included within our ranks. Wait. We're still doing that retarded Clouse thing? Fine. House Taldryan.
Dictated but Not Read.
DA Sithspawn Taldrya (Obelisk) / Old Folks' Home of Cla-err..House Taldryan
Congratulations, Yacks. thrust
- Shadow
At the end of days, when the Dark Brotherhood is no more and I move on with my life in another direction, I will have stick with me the memory of certain people. People that have had a distinct impact on me and the Brotherhood, that have caused me to grow and prosper as a leader in this club-they are the ones I will remember. One such person is Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor, my friend, Yacko. This is a person that defines what a leader should be in this club. He is dynamic, personable, committed, and reliable. He works harder than anyone else to achieve his goals. He has a vision that he pushes to execute. Yacko is one of the finest leaders I have ever met; he surpasses me in those general qualities and has displayed those qualities over his time as Aedile of Taldryan.
In their recommendations, my peers will focus on the success that Yacko has driven in Taldryan. There is no denying that Taldryan is worlds better because of the leadership of my friend Yacko. He and Rian have moved worlds to bring Taldryan back from the brink--back from despair--into a once-again successful unit. His vision for the future is even grander, and I am sure he will accomplish it.
What has not been said enough is the contributions of Yacko to the greater DB, which is always my first focus and is the reason Yacko deserves a high award. There have been numerous contributions by our Aedile to the greater good over the past year. In early 2013, Yacko assisted me in the development of the Covenant Retcon proposal. That proposal was key in bringing the text of the Dark Covenant current to match the policies that had been implemented over the years. Yacko and I had numerous discussions over the proposal, he reviewed drafts for me, and suggested great changes. That proposal was adopted unanimously by the Dark Council. We are working on further amendments as well.
Yacko then took it upon himself to work on the Fleet Points system when it was clear that the Council needed assistance. He updated and brought current the excel sheets that tracked the Fleet Points, which was no small amount of work given that they hadn't been updated in years.
Yacko has been an asset to the Chamber of Justice, serving as an advisor to the Justicar and now serving as Right Hand of Justice. During the past year, the Chamber of Justice has had numerous contentious trials. It has been a huge burden on the Justicar to handle these matters alone, and Yacko has assisted in every way possible, from helping with procedural issues, reviewing certain arguments and charges, and generally assisting in the processes. He has also worked with Taigikori on potential amendments to the trial procedures to alleviate some issues that have arisen in the past few trials.
Our Aedile has also been instrumental in the development of the Character Sheets and the ACC. The initial concept for the new FATE-based character sheets was drawn up by Shadow with the assistance of many members of Taldryan, mainly Yacko. Shadow would put ideas to people like Yacko, and often Yacko was one of the few that provided good constructive feedback and new ideas. When Mav took over Combat Master, Yacko didn't stop. He has been working along side Mav as an advisor, assisting with the development of our new systems.
The CS/ACC was not the only system that Yacko has had an impact on. Throughout the year, Yacko has made significant contributions to gaming. He has worked with the Fist to make certain required changes to the RoCs. He has helped the Dark Council clarify and solidify gaming rules during the Crusade. He has also been at the forefront of gaming news; he is often hours ahead of anyone in pushing forth announcements of upcoming titles, issues related to the LucasArts closure and Disney merger, and other important gaming aspects.
On the Dark Summit list and beyond, Yacko has consistently been one of the few idea men that can reach beyond the squabbles to interject sound and reasonable solutions. For instance, when AWOL checks became a point of contention, Yacko proposed to the Dark Summit list an automated AWOL system which has eventually been implemented. When the discussion of recruitment came to be, Yacko submitted his expertise as a web marketer to push the discussion to the right direction. In fact, Yacko was a part of a small team from Taldryan that in one night developed a comprehensive recruitment proposal for the Grand Master which in part led to the creation of the Recruitment Tribune Position. Recently, when there was an argument over the secrecy of the SA society, Yacko proposed the solution that was implemented to resolve the arguing between regular members and the Dark Council.
Yacko has also stood up for the regular member throughout his term, and not just Taldryan members. When there was an issue related to disqualifications of certain graphic submission in the Crusade, Yacko led the fight for all members of the DB to be fairly treated and have their submissions counted. At other times throughout the year, he has ensured that members--not just of Taldryan--are treated as they should be; Yacko is one of the few leaders that will stand up for what is right.
Yacko has also served as a role model for leaders across the DB. Over the last decade, I do not recall any other leader that has been as consistent in writing and releasing reports as Yacko...every Wednesday, never missed. There have been times when the only thing on the news page has been a report by Yacko and new updates from Yacko related to big Star Wars events. Yacko is also keyed into his most basic responsibilities. He was, for instance, recently set up by our Grand Master as a role model to follow in relation to welcoming new members to the unit.
Finally, Yacko has made significant contributions to testing of and reporting issues related to the new website. he has made recommended changes that have been implemented and has been quick to communicate with the SCL about potential issues.
There are times that my friend can be brash. But when you clear off the rough edges of this man, there is a diamond beneath.
It is my distinct pleasure to recommend that Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor be awarded an Emerald Dagger. The Emerald Dagger was created to award the exact types of services to the House and to the DB as a whole that Yacko has provided. Awarding Yacko an Emerald Dagger is a testament that even an Aedile can push his unit and the greater DB towards something better, that you don't need to be on the DC to assist the DB as a whole. Keirdagh deserves this award, and I look forward to hearing of its approval.
Truly,
Jac Cotelin
While I can’t speak for what Yacks has done inside of Taldryan I can say a few words about his actions outside his unit. First of all there are his weekly reports which are being read and found useful by members from all units, not just Taldryan, in that capacity he sets a shining example of what a leader in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood should be.
But more than that, a few months ago when there was a break between the fifth and the final chapter of the Crusade Yacks came to me to ask if Naga Sadow was willing to do a feud with Taldryan to keep members of both units on their toes for the final Crusade chapter. Almost before I’d even had a chance to say yes he had written the plot fiction and come up with the competitions for the feud, in short he did all the work for it, even lining up impartial judges from the Dark Council for the events.
Malik Sadow, Consul of Naga Sadow
It may come as a surprise but I have actually encountered Yacks in a professional capacity. Back when I was rewriting the Dark Core exams, I used his knowledge of the past leaders to create those segments of the coursenotes. I don't think you've been properly thanked for that my friend. Your willingness to just grab a seat and join the process truly aided in the re-creation of these courses.
Ood, P:HM
After the landslide of awesome written by Yack's fellow Taldyrans and others from around the Brotherhood I feel there is hardly anything more that I can add which wouldn't be simply restating the obvious from their recommendations. Keirdagh has been at the forefront of moving Taldyra forward, he has never (and I suspect likely will never) cease to continue to push the Brotherhood as a whole to find bigger and better things for its future. Thank you for your contributions Yacks, and congratulations on your Emerald Dagger!
Valhavoc, Fist of the Brotherhood
Valhavoc, 2013-12-25 00:49:47 UTC