Dragoon Anniversary Speech 2012

Dragoons,

Several anniversaries has passed since the foundation of this guild, looking back I remember reaching one month felt like an astonishing achievement. At that time every moment was a gift, every day was a great success, because we existed, this tag was here and one. Each year has been very special to me, but I sit here now a simple man, humbled, honoured, and nostalgic. I sit here knowing all of my faults, all of my achievements, and knowing that somewhere, sometime, I got something right.

For the past month I have been more nostalgic and felt this anniversary far deeper than any previous anniversary. Interestingly this is probably the quietest build up to an anniversary in history, however considering four days after, a new age begins in Guild Wars 2, I would say this is by far the perfect time for our anniversary, for it's a final stop of looking back and respecting, then looking forward, and preparing. Every year I have changed in many ways, I have grown, been moulded, and lived the days as a leader, as a brother, as King if you will. I have felt heart-ache, success, gained many brothers, and lost, painfully so, many more friends. I am a man that is scarred, hurt, yet defiant, ambitious, couragious, and just wanting to live everyday to the full with the people he loves. I speak to you always from my heart, for when I am with you Dragoons, I am not a mask, I am me. Like many leaders though, I still always wear that title, I still always speak to you as a man showing you the way. Well today, and now to rest in history, I will speak to you as who I am, a man, a man behind the title.

In my weaker moments this year I have felt more negative about my achievements and successes than I have ever felt. In fact Dorek and I had several occasions this year where Dorek almost seemed disgusted, shocked, at the things I was saying. Every man, has these moments as a leader, yet this year has been very tough for me personally. I lost a real life friend, was betrayed by the most unlikely few, and took some hard lessons I should have learnt long ago. As well as this I have been unsatisfied with my leadership of this guild, I have felt a failure, a bad leader, and in my darker moments this year for the first time I questioned whether I was truly the right man for this job. That may come as a surprise, I have never, will ever intend to leave, nor do I really in my soul intend to step down, but you are the people I do this for. The dream of this guild, the success, the heritage, the history and our future is so important to me, and yes I may have dominated MxO for us, but since then, I was asking myself... What have you really done since?

Interestingly enough this year has been probably the most stable and secure year of my leadership life. I have seen the rising of several Captains who are dedicated, strong, and members I admire and love. The main membership has lingered for months and there are many golden jewels, far deeper than any roster we have taken into a new game. There is a calm, a foundation, and I feel far more loved, respected, and most importantly trusted, as your leader than I have felt in a long time. This guild may have been in a long preparation phase, but here we sit with a very small yet amazing base to build upon. In TOR, even if the game was not for us, we blitzed the first month, we met some amazing people who are still with us, and had a fantastic month that shone with Dragoon spirit. Considering that to us GW2 is a far superior game, and far more suited to us, and the much greater factors on our side, the future is far more bright than we could have ever asked. We have everything going for us, and life will truly begin anew come the release of Guild Wars 2.

As your leader, as a man, I walked through many moments. In MxO I lead this guild to amazing heights, dominating our server, and leading the greatest ensemble of Dragoon warriors in our history. In AoC I learnt deep lessons, and worked with a hostile world full of hateful enemies. In CoH we built a strong internel event foundation that sticks to us even today. In CO we recruited superbly and learnt how to recruit for a guild that needs to build off just a few. In FE we fell back to our roots, worked in a barren world and coped as a much smaller entity. In WoW I suffered some great losses, yet re-moddled the guild, and created a new order of things for us. In DCU we dominated in PvP, and fine honed our world PvP to perfection. In WAR we shone in RvR, and learnt the leadership lessons for a future in GW2. In APB we thrived, created content internally, and combined the lessons to shine in a place where it's so difficult too. Finally in TOR we learnt the final lessons of what works, and what doesn't, and met some amazing people such as Dariv, Elsbeth Urbanus, and of course Kreed.

This year has been about preparation for me, I have analysed every spec of this guild, and every part of who I am. It is then natural that I would suffer my greatest challenges mentally, that I would ask myself the tough questions, that I would look deep and face upto the things I did right, and the things I inevitably did wrong. It didn't happen because I linger in the past, it didn't happen because my position, and mentality was breaking, it happened because it needed too. It happened because sitting right now is the most determined, most enthusiastic, most prepared leader this guild has ever had. That is because I walked through the light and saw the great accomplishments and cherished the lessons learned, and walked through the darkness and conquered the un-banished demons. In every aspect, be it leadership, be it PvP, be it any form of what gaming, and guild life brings, I am ready, I am prepared, I am honed, I am learned, and I will lead this guild into a Golden Age unlike any seen.

Things are good now, they are relaxing, and my biggest headaches pale in comparison to former times. I vow to you all that as a man I will rise to be what is needed for this guild. I vow that I will be a true man, and a true friend to all of you. I vow that I will not shy from the difficult choices, and will not let my mind stay on those who do not deserve it. You are the people I lead, and I take that far more seriously than any of you will every realise. This guild is the most important thing in my life, it is my home, my love, my achievements. It is my finest creation, and it's here where my people are, where my true family is.

You are all my friends above all things, you are the people I would die for. Understand that each and every one of you are treasured and valued. Maybe when you finish your day, and turn your PC off, I am no longer your concern, and that's fine, but know someone in this world will be true, and will be there for you, will be strong for you. You will always have a friend, a brother in me, for as long as you wear that tag.

This years message is to all of you, from a man who is your leader, from a man who is ready to show you a guild, a world, unlike any other, a place that is unique, special, and HOME to us all. I often said that the 21st is not our true anniversary, it isn't. We were actually founded on August 25th 2006. Some would say it's co-incidence then that we begin our new future, found our new guild on August 25th 2012 in GW2. For me? I say it's fate.

My name is TheHidden01. I am the Dragoon King, and loyal friend to this tag. This year I write to all of you as a man, and lead you forward as your virtual King. In my tribute message, Kreed remarked that I am the heart of this guild. He was right but only partially. I am the armour, the sword, I am the strength, the warmth, and the defence system, I am everything this guild needs and more.

With myself being prepared everything is going perfectly. We have an exceptional membership base, superb leaders and a hungry appetite for growth, gaming, and entertainment. This guild has defined Guilds, this guild is what I believe all guilds should aspire to be. We have sat now quietly awaiting for long enough, and now with GW2s coming, it's time we stepped out, and ruled the gaming world. It's time that we unleashed ourselves, and lead a new future.

This time next year who knows where this guild is going to be, but I say with every bit of who I am, that this guild will be in a place unlike anything it's ever known before.

It has been my honour to be your leader, but the greatest part of all of this, is being your friend, is being the guy you talk to everyday. Every second I cherish, every moment, I remember.

For us, for the Dragoons, let's go Guild Wars 2, and let's fucking do this.

TheHidden01
A man who is your friend.