Invictus is the man who needs no introduction. He was a cornerstone of Arconaâs success over the past eighteen months; a pillar of strength within our unit; a powerhouse of activity, and, most of all an exemplary person. All of these attributes filtered down into his tenure as House Qel-Dromaâs Quaestor. Succeeding Marick, one of the driving forces behind reclanning and the latest GJW win, was a big task. The shoes were big, and Invictus was expected to fill them. Yet, fill them he did. And some.
This man is a true Arconan. He works for the benefit of Arcona without any want of reward and/or gratification. He was what I would call a behind-the-scenes orchestrator, funnelling activity and driving people to success as a shadow ticking over in the background. Everyone thought he was inactive, everyone thought he was waiting to step down. However, that was not the case. Not by a long shot. It was only those in the Summit â those that knew the man â that understood his true, unfaltering dedication to House Qel-Droma, Arconaâs success, and the people with whom he shared the responsibilities of Summit leadership. He never wanted to fail, he never wanted to lose. It was this that drove him to great heights within the Clan and that will, later in his DB career, take him into realms undreamt by many of Arconaâs elites.
I cannot fault the man. And by that, I mean I really canât. I tend to formulate (and express) an opinion on most people, whether good or bad. But to Invictus all I can give is a silent, appreciative respect. He was awesome. And not in the âgnarly, awesome dudeâ type way. He actually made the summit look on in awe. Awe-inspiring is perhaps a better term, but it doesnât truly encapsulate him. Awesome. Thatâs the word Iâd use to describe him, his efforts, and his true love for our hard-working Clan.
His track record speaks for itself: 3 Bronze Novae, 4 Silver Novae, 4 Gold Novae, 9 Dark Crosses, 4 Anteian Crosses, 2 Steel Crosses, 3 Seals of Memory, 2 Seals of Retribution, 5 Seals of Return, 23 Seals of Decimation, 2 Seals of Loyalty and a Grand Cross of the Dark Side. And thatâs not including his ridiculous amount of crescents, clusters and pendants. While these are merit medals â just like a Sapphire Blade is a âmeritâ award â they exemplify his absolute success in this club. We award members justly in Arcona â people are given what they earn. And, by the looks of this tally, Invictus has earned a significant amount of praise and reward beyond that which we can express in a simple Grand Cross.
Then there are his leadership accolades. First there is Ektrosis. As Aedile and Quaestor of House Ektrosis, he brought a house which was primarily inactive and reinvigorated it. While it may not be earth-shattering or indicate fundamental changes, very little was being done in the House prior to his appointment and they went on to be the stars of Taldryan for some time after.
As Combat Master he hosted multiple successful DB-wide competitions, including one of the first successful team-based ACC competitions, Dark Betrayal. He also revised the rules of the Combat Center, most of which survive to this day. In addition, he redid the fighting styles, not just rewriting the styles and creating a half dozen new ones, but changing the format of them and how they are treated (which are still used). He spearheaded a project that weeded out character sheets which had been approven previously that violated a variety of ACC rules (non-SW races, use of armor, use of fighting styles and lightsaber styles for which they failed to meet the requirements). He also oversaw the ACC during the sixth GJW. With over 300 matches, it is the second largest ACC event in the Combat Centres history.
He was a Magistrate to the Oracle, and a Dark Voice editor for a short while. Then he went to work in House Marka Ragnos. He helped completely revise and reorganize the Disciples of Ragnos into a fully-functioning fictional framework in which the members at the time took a great deal of pride. He also helped oversee the Battle for Inos, an intra-Clan Feud between HMR and HLK, and lead HMR to victory. He also ran the Naga Sadow Times during his tenure in CNS (http://nagasadow.org/times/issue5/issue5.html).
Then there is the true reason for this request: his time as Quaestor in Arcona.
He was a member of the war leadership team that lead Arcona to victory. He's been a primary proofreader for Arcona, proofing the vast majority of ACC posts and fiction entries for Arcona from the GJW through the current championship ladder (up to the final that is currently ongoing). He also helped significantly by being a consistent presence, especially when he was Aedile to Wally whose work schedule was, at best, unpredictable. After that, he worked on maintaining a marginal level of activity among membership, so that we don't lose people between then and the next major (now very ominously looming) event. With the help of Socks, he was running a project to rewrite all of the Qel-Droma wiki articles, fleshing them out significantly. In addition, there is Operation: [Redacted] which was overall very successful.
He completely reinvisioned the history and nature of House Qel-Droma, giving it a consistent fictional framework that I think will go, and has gone, a long way towards buy-in from the membership. Recently, most of Qel-Droma have had a strong sense of being Arconan, which I approve of. And that was down to Invictus. Solely him and his esteemed Aedile, Socorra. But it does mean that they compete little in House Competitions in comparison to Clan ones. I think getting the members to show pride in their House can go a long way towards rectifying that. Invictus was the man who did just that. He also worked extensively on getting several new members excited about the DB who otherwise would have done nothing except TOR (Scelestus is a good example), as well as getting some older members active again (ie: Ninj, Legz).
Then, most importantly, we get to his true feats of amazement. He trained Socks to the position of Aedile, at which she is did an amazing job - while some of this is inate to her, we have to praise Invictus explicitly for training up such an amazing replacement, and being a constant force of her springboard to success in the Brotherhood at large. I have no doubt she'll continue to succeed as Quaestor going forwards due in part to that experience.
He is now also working as M:SCL, fixing various bugs (such as multiple failures of the score submission system) as they crop up and working on the planning for the new DJB site, particularly as involves the revised table structures. The work lately as M:SCL has the potential to be the most significant by far, as we are drastically redesigning the entire site, both the database structure and the entire code of it. It's a massive undertaking which he's actively been participating in, and it requires both a huge amount of personal work as well as learning an entirely new coding language to accomplish it.
I think it is fundamentally fair to say that this man is a powerhouse, a workhorse, an absolute demon. Iâll be honest, Iâm not good at expressing this much emotion. But with Invictus? I canât help but just let myself go off on tangents. He is a true inspiration to us all. To come back from inactivity, reinvigorate a house, help Arcona back onto its feet, then step down to focus on a mammoth task within the Seneschalâs office to improve the DJB as a whole is something truly beautiful (and awesome, but not âgnarly dudeâ awesome, as I have previously explained).
This man, above any other within our unit at the moment, deserves reward. This is unquestionable.
The (extensive) comments below are a ream of praise. I donât feel I could do him any more justice than these guys already have.
It is for this reason that I request he be awarded for his efforts with a Sapphire Blade.
Congratulations Invictus. Youâve earned it.
(and, Happy Birthday).
~Wuntila Arconae,
The Dragon of Selen,
Consul of Clan Arcona.
Its funny how things play out sometimes. At one second, you feel like you have a great working relationship with someone, and then all of a sudden they are gone, leaving you cold turkey and alone to face an already overwhelming task. That was what happened to me in my first months as a Quaestor after the re-clanning of Arcona. I was down, and didn't think that I'd ever find someone that would be able to help me survive my new position. That's when I met Invictus. Vic came right in and grabbed his position of Aedile by the horns. He immediately integrated himself into the Clan, and to most it would be hard to imagine that he had ever lived anywhere else besides Arcona. His loyalty and service over the past year has been unparalleled, his work ethic inspiring those around him. Every night he would message me before going to bed and ask simply, "Anything else you need me to do?" It's a simple gesture, but one that always made me smile and proud to have him as a member of my Summit. He was a stone on which the rest of the current summit was built, and was part of the leadership team that helped guide Arcona to it's landslide victory in the 10th Great Jedi War. He was consistent, always there, and very rarely ever took a break. Looking back, I would not have been able to rise to the level at which I am now without his guidance. I feel like this is short, but honestly, I don't think I need to fluff this recocmendation up. Quite simply, Vic
A member of the brotherhood for over 11 years, Vic's experience, competency, and technical ability paint him as a truly rare member. I have yet to meet another member with as much versatility, dedication, and sheer talent in writing, coding, administration, and leadership. He always offers his services to any who ask (giggity), and will help resolve a coding issue while also proof reading someone's ACC post, and then go on to check up on his projects he had running. His work with the Seneschal' office in advancing the DB is inspirational, and he did so while effectively running his House and keeping up with his duties as a Quaestor. He accomplished all he has in the past year while undergoing 50+ hour work weeks in real life, where he spends most of his day solving mind-dulling problems at work while transitioning into a new job/department. I honestly have no idea how he continues to be an exemplary member of the brotherhood while keeping up with his real life. It just goes to further show his dedication to the Brotherhood and his Clan, and there is honestly no one else who shows it more.
Congrats Vic. I always seem to be chasing you, and there is no one else in the Brotherhood who deserves this more.
-Marick Arconae,
Proconsul of Clan Arcona.
Invictus has been the standard with which we provide as an example for what we look for in an ideal summiter, and this is for a man who's been in Arcona less than a year. He's fast become indispensible and quickly distinguished himself both as a workhorse and a leader, taking on board innumerable projects with an affable and personable manner and made a name for himself during the war, where he turned the ACC into his bitch by tearing a bloody swathe through the rest of the Brotherhood, and helping proof the Arconan's posts while he was at it. The man is a machine, able to pump out high-quality writing at a moment's notice, and often forgoes food or sleep in the Clan's name. He is the embodiment of sacrifice as the Quaestor of Qel-Droma, and it is in large part due to him that HQD is now the dominant House in Arcona. I know without a shadow of a doubt that without his input, drive, determination, work ethic and sense of humour, HQD would be less of a House, and Arcona would be less of a Clan as a result. Thanks, Vic, for everything you've done for our home. You're a trooper.
Dash
Vic has been an amazing driving force in Arcona since the moment he stepped foot in the clan. He plunges himself into nearly every activity one can find on every platform. Everything he participates in becomes a worthwhile venture that he brings success to due to his creativity, determination, and drive. I've been a leader under Vic for over half a year and it has been an enjoyable experience. As his Aedile it was a partnership, in that I was able to be a part of the decision-making process. He gave plenty of opportunities for feedback between us both, which went towards training me for the position as well as eventually his own. What little conflict we had was dealt with openly between us and became important to our decision-making and personal growth, something that I will take with me in the future. Vic allowed the House, BTLs, and myself to be expressive and utilized our unique personalities and skills to both work towards the success of the House and our own personal ambitions, sharing in it equally and proudly. In working for him, Vic has become a good friend and great counsel for all things Brotherhood. I know that if I ever need anything, he is always there, no hesitation.
Vic is highly passionate about the House and its members. He is a constant presence in email threads and on IRC as well as TOR and now Diablo. His work ethic is amazing, in that he works incredibly hard and demands excellence, but gives excellence in return. Vic is always a source of ideas for how to better the House, Clan, and DB in general, coming up with projects such as Redacted, organization tools, and a better House/BT reporting system and schedule. Vic weighs in on every idea or problem that comes up, offering insight that oftentimes becomes a large piece of the result. His hard work, values, and vision have certainly helped HQD, Arcona, and the DB in general to progress and succeed, and I know that my transition to either Aedile or Quaestor would not have been as smooth. Thank you, Vic, for all that you've done. Those are some damn big shoes to fill, but thankfully you've shown me how to wear them.
~Socorra Erinos, Quaestor of House Qel-Droma
Vic...the guy was an icon to me. He came in from Naga Sadow to help Marick and House Qel-Droma dominate in the last GJW. Invictus was one of those I owe my Quaestorship to. He, along with Wally took the plunge and gave me the position of BTL of Shadow Gate during GJW X. Encouraging me and pushing me to better myself as a member and a leader, Vic's passion towards the DB and Arcona especially was a beacon of hope to me. That I could one day do as much as he has for the Shadow Clan. When Invictus wants something done, he gets it done. Making HQD the dominant House in Arcona and leaving me chasing his shadows. Not only that, but he's trained up an excellent replacement in Socorra who I look forward to working with. I know others will go on about how awesome he is and why he deserves this Sapphire Blade, but the guy has worked so hard not only in Arcona, but also within the Seneschal Office. Working on coding problems as a Magistrate and often running around fixing ACC sheets and making sure things work. To see Vic and I on irc at the same time was a time of much banter and bickering. Yet, for all that. I wouldn't have him any other way. Invictus is a bloody brilliant bloke, a beacon of leadership and my mother's favourite customer.
Thanks Vic, for all you've done. You deserve this Sapphire Blade and more....
Sanguinius Tsucyra Entar
Quaestor of House Galeres
I've not been SCL for very long, but already has Invictus proven that he's a tremendous asset to the coding team. He and I have had some awesome coding-related brainstorm sessions that will surely have a large impact on the Brotherhood as a whole when their results will be implemented. Also, being an Arconae I've seen Invictus do awesome things with Qel-Droma. Not being a very great writer myself, I will leave it to my fellow Arconae to describe these. In short, Invictus, being awesome and all, more than deserves this Sapphire Blade.
James Lucius Entar Arconae
Seneschal
Invictus exemplifies everything that it means to be a leader in the Brotherhood. From the instant he joined us as Aedile, he was active and dedicated, bringing renewal to our House when it needed it. More than that, when the War came around he was active both personally and as a leader, being at the forefront of our War Planning team and helping us discover, far ahead of time, the best path to victory. I have seen him personally stay awake for some fifty hours at a time in the War to help others towards the victory. Would we have lost the War without him? I can't tell. I can tell you it would have been a lot closer without his invaluable aid, however.
When, at the War's conclusion, he took up the Quaestor's mantle, he was scarcely less impressive. He immediately launched a series of improvements to Qel-Droma that helped launch it ahead, and he did not let up his unrelenting drive, bringing in new members and leadership to replace those he lost. In this position, too, he sacrificed time and personal enjoyment for the good of Qel-Droma, such that Qel-Droma is now a power in the Brotherhood that I cannot imagine losing to any other unit in the Brotherhood, House or Clan. This is in addition to his major revamping work in the as-of-yet-unreleashed Project Redacted.
Taking the measure of Invictus' time in the Brotherhood, the verdict is inescapable: Exceptional, from the first day to the last. For your time and your effort, Invictus, I'm proud to recommend you for a Sapphire Blade.
-Dark Adept Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae, Rollmaster Arcona.
Since his appointment to Quaestor of Qel-Droma, I have found Invictus to be one of the best people I have worked with in my DJB career. During his tenure, I found him to be extremely approachable, and that he would always listen to his members, even if they had a gripe about something within HQD. There were times that I came close to leaving not only HQD, but the entire DJB, but speaking to Vic about them always made me feel more positive.
Looking from a more selfless perspective, Vic has worked hard to improve HQDâs image, even inspiring Project Redacted, which when finished will better define us as a unit and give us a proper backstory.
I would be able to say more, but I was privileged to look at the wonderful things already written by my Arconan colleagues. Theyâve said most of it.
Thanks for everything, Alaric!
Andrelious J. Inahj
Gatewarden, Shadow Gate.
Many have already commented on the numerous exemplary qualities of Invictus that set him apart from the normal expectations of a member of the Broterhood, and make him worthy of this prestigious award. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I would like to give a couple of specific examples, that I believe serve to highlight their recommendations.
A number of people have mentioned his dedication, and the one thing that has always stuck out to me was Wally mentioning that he often had to order Vic to get some sleep...indeed it has been my experience to see Vic often burning the midnight oil to get work in on a project.
People have spoken of his approachability and fervor for making all feel welcome and important, and indeed, Invictus was instrumental in making me feel welcome when I joined the club as well as ensuring that I was brought up to speed quickly in all aspects of the Brotherhood. He has been available for questions on IRC, been happy to proof and improve writing, and willing to help with gaming as well.
There has also been mention of Vic's standard of excellence, and that was made evident to me during the initial work on project Redacted. The first step had been accomplished and written up for approval by Invictus. His response was everything that had been done was crap and had to be thrown out and started over. While it was frustrating to have the work tossed, there was a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the guy running the show gave a damn about the quality of the outcome and was willing to do whatever was needed to ensure that only the best product saw the light of day.
In summary, even his departure from the office of Quaestor is indication of his commitment to Arcona. Realizing that he could no longer uphold the standard of excellence he wanted for the position, he had the courage and strength to step aside and let others raise the bar rather than resting on his laurels and let HQD coast along.
While we miss his leadership, we cherish his dedication to us all. Invictus for Arconae!
Arcona Invicta,
Scelestus
Aedile of House Qel-Droma
I am proud to be writing this recommendation for a Sapphire Blade for Invictus, a member of Arcona truly deserving of this award. He has proven himself to the clan multiple times as well as driving himself to his limits to better members experiences as well as better himself inside of the brotherhood and in clan arcona.
As many of my comrades have said about Invictus his main quality that has always driven him and made him stand out is his determination to complete anything set to him with the highest level of quality possible. When working around Vic, he was always willing to get stuck in to anything that came at him, including things that he wasnât experienced in, such as looking at the war he took it upon himself to throw himself in the deep end of gaming and made himself a active presence for the clan, but this is just one of the fine qualities Vic has.
He has been an active Quaestor and driving House Qel-Droma to activity, as well as running numerous things, he has also been in charge of over watching projects, all of which we have seen great quality work being put in by Vic, everything he takes part in his mind set is always to achieve the highest level of work that he possibly can. He is a great member of the clan, his work throughout his time in leadership has been something that all of us can look up to and learn from, as well as his level of activity.
I wonât ramble much more, because everyone else has already stated the other qualities of Vic, I just feel that we should all aspire to be a little bit like this man, in the sense that everything he does is always given 110% even if it is the smallest amount of work, he strives for perfect. I believe that Vic has stepped out of the crowd and shown himself as a worth member to receive the Sapphire Blade. Congratulations on your hard work Vic.
Cethgus Tiberus Entar
Battle Team Leader Void Squadron.
Wuntila Zratis Entar Arconae, 2012-08-09 05:42:10 UTC