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AN ADDRESS FROM THE

REIGNING DUKE OF SPARKLE

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 Is this microphone even on?

Hilsener, WV!

Glory to you, my fellow compatriots. It’s been a year since I’ve posted on this website, and even longer since I addressed you in my letters to the Vervetkorps (enlistees) of this great army. By the time of this post’s release, I have likely already given my live speech to you all regarding the army, but I am also aware that I cannot cover every point in one sitting, and I want to leave wisdom for anyone not present.

Chapter I. Valor of the Vikings

Firstly, I’d to commend both the troops of this army and its staff for the consistent growth leading up to the tournament and during it. Starting with the previous week. For the first time in a long time, the Water Vikings consistently maxed 25 or above for all of that week’s events. While it is true it was a low quantity of 3 events, I believe all rises needs to start somewhere. It’s been a long time I’ve seen this. The victory against the Doritos that week too was commendable, and I give my props to Escot, Rye, Dillon, and Cobra.

In particular, I’d like to give a special commendation to the High Command stepping up in such a big way this tournament with leading. Dillon looks as great as ever and the three leaders-in-training—Escot, Trails, and Mato—have held down the fort especially including today’s AUSIA. I’ve seen them grow especially as leadership figures this tournament and should they continue to stay with WV, I have confidence that when leadership feels they are ready, they shall don the purpur robes of leadership.

Additionally, many Vikings of all ranks recruited hard this tournament. In particular, Stefan, Vill, Saber, Chey, Ango, Trails, Pogchampo, and Cabin all did amazing jobs recruiting. Stefan, an officer that was previously relatively reserved, has broken out in a significant way since doing the Viking Academy and has gotten 19 recruits since May 17. Pogchampo has been retired for multiple years and eclipsed 31 recruits in that span. And Saber, as a troop, has recruited and registered tons of troops. Obviously times have changed, but years ago getting 5 recruits as a troop was a quick to a triple-promotion. Saber is on a fast-track to staff. Same with Ango.

The medal system has been inactive for some time and is going to be revamped when HCOV finishes the Hall of Fame reforms this summer, but as a reminder for both Viking Commanders and even High Command, they can recommend any troop or veteran who contributed heavily to a tournament effort for the Bronze Service Cross. I do not wish to overstep, so it is the army’s discretion to discuss who can get that medal, but I implore the army to recognize those who went above and beyond.

Chapter II. Tribulations of the Tired

And yet, despite the great work of our troops, I come with wisdom. I won’t sugarcoat what has happened: the Aliens battle was less than ideal. Max 29 in a normal event is phenomenal and even for our US it is still decent. The buddy system had some difficulties that battle but still proved to be quite useful at times, so I don’t know if we were even significantly tactically inferior to Aliens. We were outclassed by size, and that’s okay, but okay for this tournament. My brothers-in-arms, if we want to win Legends Cup, we cannot have the lack of hype we had.

Everything I said above about the hard work isn’t false at all. Fact of the matter is we HAVE the potential to do better. And in the recent memory that ringed true. We hit with a bang in Candy Crusher and it isn’t that long gone we won March Madness and Christmas Chaos even with slightly lower sizes. I want to say that this army is better than when I led and has a far higher ceiling than I ever did. Now it is time to unlock it.

RPF will be the army to beat, but we’ve bested them when it matters.

Doritos are destabilizing but will eventually bounce back. We need to fight them like we did 2 weeks ago.

ACP is always good and we can’t count them out.

Let us not forget Help Force was in the Legends Cup finals last year. Was it not too long ago that we broke our losing curse with them, though?

Noting all that, Aliens we can NO LONGER underestimate. They are not purely a Club Penguin Journey army; they are an army that will end our rule prematurely if we continue to underestimate them like we did. This is my exhortative to the army I once led to success: do not count out any army, major or not, just like how they count us out.

People see us as an inflated S/M army when we are much more than that. I am so proud in our army’s work, especially this tournament. But just because this tournament is over doesn’t mean we end the work. Imagine if Legends Cup was next week (it won’t but treat it like it was). What would you do? This is my message to the leaders, to the High Command, and any troops to take the initiative. Gather your peers to do projects even if you don’t have sanction from your superiors. Reach out to our troops encouraging them about Legends Cup.

As Aaronstone once said to Koloway when talking about Legends Cup, “I want it more than anyone else.” We ended up going to the finals and would’ve won had it not been for an unprecedented Templars run (whom might’ve had some help from some balanced breakfast…)

Chapter III. Conclusion

This is what I leave you with. The progress we made is what we should’ve done. Now it is time to compliment that success further with more hard work. And that starts today. Winning Legends Cup won’t take complicated planning (although it absolutely will help). Rather, it takes initiative-taking.

To the incoming class of Viking Academy, the class before you did amazing and the fruits of their labors have already been seen. As long as you regularly attend (which I advise you to), you will leap frog the others before you. All staff should compete against one another to do better than the other without becoming self-centered. The army does better when one’s success breeds another and vice versa.

To my successors at the helm of the leadership, you are doing great and I feel you need to hear it from me. Just continue to get more involved as the troops will follow suit in your action. Do your own speeches, your own competitions, whatever it may be. You lead and the others follow.

As said above for the High Command but really any troops, encourage and contact troops recently. Bean, Nerdy, Saber, Le Poisson Steve, Lyve, MiiO, among so many others have amazing upstarts of recent memory. But what about Certified Uncertified, Derek, Yuv, and Knucklefat?

Maybe you know these names, but likely you do not. I don’t even know all of those people other than maybe the name. And that says something. If you got someone registered/welcomed, check the #cpab-registrations-and-logging channel and check up on them. Have them chat a bit in WV or ask how they are. Try to ease them into attending. Retention is our biggest problem right now and that must change. I encourage any staff member to ask permission to accomplish their own project to contact those troops. Just because the retention committee isn’t set-up yet doesn’t mean we should do nothing.

Light in Darkness

p.s. i forgot my signature still says viking commander v_v do not mind, I’m only HCOV

Filed under: Declarations