Well.
I thought I would have been making this address 4 months from now, but life had a different idea. So as the title suggests, this is my farewell address. In here you will find a summary of my term, a post-mortem of my Delegacy (through my eyes obviously),and some final words. Before I begin, yes, I will have an award. I have it in the works, but I just gotta get the badge done.
So, as all things, I want to start off with the criticisms before I move into the more light hearted stuff. This is by no means an attack on anyone, but a word of caution to the region. Over the last 2 weeks, the discussion of my endorsement numbers keep coming up, and has been a major focus from people’s questions. Questions like “Why are your endos so low”, “If elected Delegate, how would you endotart?”, etc etc etc. Endorsements are a valid thing to have. We need endorsements for the seat of the Delegate, but the obsession over it hurts. It hurt because it seemed like no matter how much work I put into being Delegate or how much I did do, it would only come down to a number that mostly, I had 0 control over. “But Shadow, if you endorse…” no shush. Just because one endotarts or sends TGs does NOT mean that endo number s go brr. There is substantially more work that goes into it than that. Another thing I want to get off my chest here is explaining that there was this expectation that the people who I had helping run the government of TEP could just instantly do the job of 5+ people. We have a manpower shortage, yes, but that doesn’t mean to expect the people who are still there to do the job of several people. It was hard for myself, and for everyone who was apart of the Exec. Alongside that, I really don’t think splitting the Delegate position is a smart move when we already have a manpower shortage. TEP needs to work on itself internally before we make large systemic changes like this. Just please. Let’s work internally before doing something this large.
Okay. Negativity done. My “please be cautious” message is over. Now is the time that everyone obviously is looking forward to: the summary! I really enjoyed doing a flag contest for both my nation flag and for the region flag. I think we got to see the creative side of our region come out. I really do enjoy my flag now, and I’m gonna keep it even though I won’t be Delegate anymore. We also had to navigate some very stormy waters with our allies in TNP in wake of the Repeal of Condemn Ever Wandering Souls. Hopefully this is water under the bridge now, and we can work forward from this. I also attended multiple radio shows! I talked with people from various regions and had some good times. We did the NSCCF event where I played a multiplayer game of Stellaris and read the Book of Job…the first chapter. And then finally we started to roll out a weekly game night event. We also participated in HPFoF and Paradoxical! We even joined the Halls of Valhalla. Honestly, it didn’t feel like a lot happened during my term, yet writing this paragraph out, wow, this was a lot. Sometimes it’s easier to see the whole thing once it is over than when you are in the thick of it.
I could have done more, and I wanted to do more, but it was an intersection of not enough time, a lot of major things happening, and not enough people. If I had more time, I would actually get a TEP Radio show off the ground. If I had more time, I would have figured out how to do a monthly Paradox event. If I had a little more time, I would be running a Valentine’s themed event where we send gratitudes to people in the region (like OWLs from HPFoF). I also would have nominated people to the Conclave, but that is a task for our new Delegate. I also wish our WA department got a little more off the ground, but I’m at least happy to seeing more regular WA polls in the discord.
So, enough about my Delegate term. What about my future plans? I…don’t know. I’ll still be in TEP. I’ll probably still be holding the Delegate seat for a little bit until the Transition happens, but outside of that, I don’t have much plans. I’m definitely going to do more in RPs and work on Urth stuff more (shoutout to my RP homies). Will I serve in the Government again? Up to the next Delegate at this point. I don’t think this is a full goodbye. Maybe I’ll run for a second term later down the line, but for now, I’m happy leaving the Delegate seat in a good state. There’s still some stuff I would love to do within TEP, but I’m also glad to lessen my workload for a bit.
But.
I’ll never forget when the Deledark was me. I’ll never forget this blissful night that fell upon TEP. The Sun is rising on the Deledark’s term. A new light emerges. May the Light continue to guide us as it has guided all other Delegates.
Ex Oriente Lux.
Signed,
Shadow
Deledark of The East Pacific
