The End of an Era

[Raken]

[center][img]http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/8499/umbird.png[/img][/center]

[center]Today, CyberNations has lost one of its finest, most diligent, active, and respected leaders. Roquentin of Nausea has passed. His nation left to rest in peace. Umbrella has never known such a leader, despite being a democratically elected Presidency, Roquentin managed to dominate elections and establish a lasting FDR-esque presidency. There are those who probably who disagree with us, those not so friendly or not so allied, heh but this is not for them. This is for the people who truly knew Roquentin. We are also losing another storied member, [b]Lord Panis Rahl[/b]. LPR was essential (performing one of the most arduous and tiresome jobs in Umbrella) during Roquentin's Presidency along with [b]domisi[/b], [b][`_`][/b], and [b]NFLGeneric[/b], their contributions as well as Roq's own helped make Umbrella what it is today. There are words that could fill pages about Roquentin's story but as we also come to mourn and say goodbye to him;
We enter a new President, and Government of Umbrella.[/center]

This is what it boils down to:

[b]President:[/b] Johnny Apocalypse
[b]Vice-President:[/b] Raken

[b]Field Marshall:[/b] Masterof9puppets
[b]Envoys:[/b] Lusitan, NFLGeneric, Xavi
[b]Economist:[/b] NationRuler
[b]Wiseman:[/b] Chief Savage Man
[b]Generator:[/b] Domisi

Upon accepting the Presidency Johnny Apocalypse released this statement: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayO1wtXbh_Q"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayO1wtXbh_Q[/url]

As well here is a post forwarded by mrcalkin who was also an essential part of Roq's gov.

[quote]We have come here to bear witness for a friend of mine, a great man known by the names of Patroid, Antoine Roquentin and eventually simply [i]Roq[/i]. He was our Dear Leader. He is the very reason many of us (including myself) have come to find Umbrella our home, and it is only fitting that we should heap praise on him at his passing, for we would be nowhere if it were not for him. To understand completely who he was and what he did for this fine alliance we call Umbrella, we must go to the beginning.

Times were very different in those days, both in CN in general and Umbrella in particular. This was the time of the "Pax Pacifica" and, for the most part, our alliance was still learning things through trial and error. We had made it into Citadel, we had a strong relationship with TOP, but other than that, if someone asked us "What makes Umbrella any different from your partners in TOP or Gre?", the only real answer we could have yielded was "we're !@#$tier and smaller". Roq came to us by way of Elysium, but in reality he had spent very little time there, hoping to get a glimpse of "the other side" after having been, in his eyes, disgraced by MK gov and ran out of the alliance over his controversial role of lead censor there. He quietly put away his 20 days as an applicant, back before our rules had changed, and entered an alliance that was quietly succumbing to ennui. After this, he was relatively quiet, not much was heard from him, except that he spoke up during discussions of terms after the disastrous WotC effort on our part arguing that asking for reps was wrong, but he was soundly overruled there. Shortly after this, I rejoined the alliance after a brief sojourn and, upon speaking to Nizzle (one of my allies in the alliance at the time, lol), he told me that Roq and Xavi were the only two people who had the right idea for the future of the alliance. From then on, Roq and I spoke constantly. He helped me gain my position as FM originally, and triumvir a month later. His impressive memory, of things that he was never even around for, led me to believe early on that he was a reroll, but later on I realized he was just that much of a sponge. His ability to recall any information at will, and remember the vast amount of names and histories behind each name made my job as a leader that much easier, and it was clear to me that, in short time, he would be in the hot-seat of the alliance as well. He was the first member not from Genmay to make a serious bid for the triumvir position, and after his first narrow defeat to Zerileous, he came back a month or two later to claim his position and make his indelible mark on the alliance.

From this moment on, I watched as my quiet friend and comrade learned the ropes. I remember being surprised when he was one of three involved in the pre-Karma war negotiations with NPO, considering his and our relative obscurity compared to other parties, and the conflicts' seeming lack of direct relevane to our alliance. I remember him telling me he was surprised as well, but he showcased a quality there that would be a hallmark of his external actions as leader from then on: he was absolutely stone-cold and logical when dealing with others. This blew me away the first few times I saw it. He could be angry or upset or whatever in private with me, but too often than not, leaders will get upset, especially during negotiations and either blow their load too early or make unnecessary concessions. This was never a problem for Roq, and this was the moment when I realized he was a much better leader than I had ever been, and that he was going to be the best leader we had seen in the alliance. Much will be said about his work ethic, for indeed he was always willing to put in a few extra hours to gain what seemed like a marginal victory but which, in total, produced the alliance of excellence we struggle to maintain today. He certainly knew exactly what he wanted and did what it took to get it.

Fast-forwarding a few wars from Karma, to present day, we find ourselves in a position wholly unknown to us a couple of years ago. We stand near the top of the game, in sanction range. Our biggest direct competitors, for the most part, are either shells of their former selves or individually no match for us. We have developed a fierce reputation as cold, calculated warriors. In my opinion, and I will duel anyone irl who disagrees, we have no one but Roquentin to thank for this alliance we are now all a part of. Near our peak, we have lost one of the key pieces to our puzzle. Hopefully, all is not lost, however. I have been very impressed with how other government members, parasols and regular old members have really stepped up to see the problems that have cropped up these past few months and in response, taking the proactive route. Turning pretty words into actions will be the next step. Through our sweat and tears we will have to pull the alliance back up to its feet, if not for ourselves, for the man who sank countless hours of his life into making us into something, and who succeeded as close to single-handed as you can get in this game.

Few will miss Roquentin outside the alliance, I am sure. He was never the most public person, especially when it wasn't directly related to Umbrella. But, I hope that we will all take the time out of today to think of the guy with the unpronounceable french name, and realize, even if you hate everything about the game and/or the alliance, someone spent a lot of time building this. We are the best for a few reasons, and one of the biggest was our Dear Leader, Antoine Roquentin (2008-2011).

[right]-mrcalkin[/right][/quote]


[center]Umbrella ushers in a new era, a bit lonelier without Roquentin, as he will have big shoes to fill. But nonetheless Umbrella and CyberNations carry on still, and we must move forward.

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[Xavii]

Not a master of wall of texts, if I'm not around when the announcement is posted just add it in quote tags.

Roquentin came about Umbrella as a quiet member. He answered the questions we asked with insight and showed early on he had great knowledge for the game and it's politics. He waited diligent for 20 days before being accepted, as were our application procedure at that time. He might have started out quiet, but he quickly showed to have great government potential, and later on great leadership qualities. During my time as Tri in Umbrella, I was lucky enough to spend most of the time along with Roquentin. He proved himself to be both calm and collective when dealing foreign politics and internal affairs. He had an amazing ability to remember all the small details of every event that concerned Umbrella.

Through these great skills he helped bring Umbrella out from the shadow of Citadel into the powerhouse it is today. His unstoppable dedication to make us the best seemed to have no end. He dedicated a lot of time to make sure we all did our part in making Umbrella great, all the way down to micromanaging us to always keep our aid slots full with and the tech pouring in.

Even through the most hectic times during the Karma war, in which I was still Tri, he managed to keep a cool head and amazingly had control on everything going on. I personally felt overwhelmed at times when following all the IRC chatter and queries. However he kept a cool head the entire time, the only exceptions being his small rants in our gov channel, his outlet I guess. He continued to prove his great leadership skills in all the conflicts that came after. Finding solutions to almost every problem.

This last year I could see that CN had become less and less fun for him, and more and more a chore, however he kept on with the same dedication as always. Now it has come to the inevitable end. Roquentin needed a break from CN. I can hardly think of anyone more deserved. My thoughts go out to him and I hope he can bring the dedication he put into Umbrella into his real life, and I hope he can return to us some time in the future. I, and Umbrella will never forget him.

o/ Roquentin.

[AAAAAAAAAAGGGG]

During my two years and counting at Umbrella, many things have changed. The only two things that remained the same was 1. The presence of a stoner cult, and 2. The ever diligent leadership of Roquentin.

When I first applied to Umbrella as a former Genmayer in my previous days, I expected Umbrella to be mostly old Genmay folks that lead around an elite alliance. Naturally, when I found out the triumvirate was lead by a former MKer, it perked my attention, and truthfully, it made me uncomfortable. However, Roq messaged me and got to know me immediately before I was even a member, and gave me a rundown of everything that had happened. He was the guy that established trust quickly. He even sent me the first $3million in aid to my now 91k NS nation.

About 6 months later, I got elected to the triumvirate and began working closely with Roquentin. I found out quite quickly why he was trusted to lead us. Most leaders excel in one or two areas and lack in others. Roq proved to be the most capable in all areas of leadership. His foreign affairs expertise led him to have contacts with all of our allies as well as close friendships with alliance leaders outside of our treaty list. His drive for Umbrella to be an economic power is what gave Umbrella the reputation for the aid-efficient alliance that we are.
He contributed internally by driving activity in both off-topic activities and the current-happenings of the CNVerse. Roq’s consistent attitude of striving to be better and never slowing down was the reason why Umbrella is in the position that is today.

While Roq and I didn’t agree on most things, we were there for each other during tough times. One of his best features was how mellow he could remain in negotiations, despite me knowing how frustrated he was with the parties he was dealing with. He was approachable by all members, as well as people outside his alliance.

It’s often said that we don’t appreciate things until they’re gone. This is certainly the case here. Roq did the work that he did selflessly. He was rarely thanked for the work that he did. Now that he’s gone, I only wish that he knew full well the effect he had on us all. So with that, I say:

Thank you Roquentin, for all your tireless support and effort to make Umbrella an amazing alliance. Thanks for consistently pushing us to be better, and never settling for “good.” Thank you for keeping my slots full. Most of all, thanks for your friendship. I hope your other life treats you well, and you keep on trucking.

~NFL

[Natan]

To say Roq was anything less than the best would be a severe overestimation of everyone else in this game.

We all have big shoes to fill.

[Johnny Apocalypse]

In a few hours time the nation of Nausea will vanish from existence. Antoine Roquentin the eternal God-King of Umbrella has taken his leave from this world to fight a new war in some faraway otherworldly realm. It is a war which we, his comrades, cannot assist him with and he must go it alone.

It is a very sad day in Umbrella to see our dear leader leave us once and for all but we understand that it is for the best. He has taken a once relatively small and irrelevant alliance and turned us into something greater than we could have possibly imagined, and it is because of his achievements and conquests that we must continue to strive to be one of the finest alliances this planet has to offer. He may be gone but his legacy will live on, for if we let it die along with his nation then all of his hard work and those endless hours he spent making Umbrella the alliance we are today would be for naught.
I cannot possibly hope to be as great a leader as Roquentin(I don't think anybody could possibly fill those shoes) but I have learned from him during the months I spent working as Envoy(and later as Vice President) and it is with the knowledge and wisdom I obtained from him that I will continue to lead Umbrella with and do right by our god-king, our president, our leader.

Goodbye Roq, I know you'll be back someday.

-----
And now a tribute from Lusitan:

[quote]I met and got to know Roq in some unusual circumstances. It was during Bi-Polar, I was FA representative of TFD and was, jointly with NATO representatives, negotiating our surrender to a large number of alliances, one of them Umbrella. I don't remember why but for some reason we got into a query and we ended up discussing broader political events that went beyond the situation at hand. We talked once in a while discussing FA mostly, and it didn't take long for me to find out he was one of the sharpest and most brilliant individuals I met in that department, his analysis of any situation was usually excellent. It was through him that I got to know Umbrella and it was the way he represented Umbrella that made me want to look for a home there when things went south in TFD.

When I arrived at Umbrella everyone was excellent and welcoming but Roq helped me getting into and understanding a side of the treaty web that was completely foreign to me. Later he even gave me an opportunity to get involved in Umbrella's FA. For this, for that and for everything else I am grateful and glad I met the man and I am incredibly sad that he is departing because someone like him is irreplaceable. The passion and dedication he had for Umbrella are something that I haven't seen frequently (or even at all to be honest) in 4 years. His departure will leave a void in this world that I sincerely doubt that can be fulfilled. This day marks the end of an era.

o/ Roquentin
[/quote]

[Drai]

Good bye Roquentin

Nice to see Umb will be left in capable hands though.

[Bob]

Congrats to Umbrella on a fine government, and best of luck to Roq.

[Ardus]

Congratulations to the new administration! I'm sure y'all will perform capably.

Roq, you did a magnificent job leading Umbrella and they're in your debt. I hope you enjoy your much needed and much deserved break. Good luck and God bless.

[Sardonic]

He will be missed, he was the one I negotiated GOONS' first MDoAP with. It feels like so long ago now.

[Xavii]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGmAwJpzo98&feature=related

Fitting music while reading this thread.

[janax]

o/ Roquentin

You shall be missed. Alas, our plans to betray TOP will never be realized.
From our time pre-Citadel until the day you left us, I have considered you one of the good ones, even when we disagreed.

Admin speed Roq.

[D34th]

I'll miss my discussions with Roquentin.

[Neo Uruk]

I never had too much contact with Roq, but he made sure I was happy with my situation in Umbrella quite a few times. He will definitely be missed. One of the finest leaders, for sure.

Johnny will surely manage to not get us rolled.

[Chief Savage Man]

I had a whole thing to post here but technical troubles prevent me from posting it. Instead I'll just say that Roq was the best leader I've ever had the privilege to serve under, and I've learned more from him than any other person in CN. Carry on friend, and may your Mentat-like abilities carry you to RL success of the same caliber of the success you've achieved here.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Chief Savage Man

[Xiphosis]

Wouldn't have predicted when I first met him that Roq would turn into the leader that he did, but damned if he didn't rise to the occasion. It was a pleasure to know and work with him for so long and Umbrella is a better, stronger and more independent alliance for his work. He'll certainly be missed.

[Joe Stupid]

Usually when I see the end of an Era as the title of a topic, it's about some crappy meaningless alliance or some crappy leader. But this is not the case. I've only spoken to Roq a few times, but I've followed him, and Umbrella on their ascension to the top. What he did with your alliance is incredible, and I wish there were more people like him in this game. Farewell Roq, and best of luck to Umbrella's new leadership.

[President Gunn]

Best of luck Umbrella
Always sad to lose any member, let alone a leader.
o/

[Lord Levistus]

Shame, I never had any issues with Roq even though we were on opposite sides for so long. Always civil and played it straight.

[KagetheSecond]

Our assassination attempt has succeeded. Expect OMFG to top the average NS charts in no time.

But seriously, this is extremely sad. Roq was great, and I'm sad to see him gone.

[supercoolyellow]

Roq was one of the better leaders out there. Sad to see him leave the game.

[AAAAAAAAAAGGGG]

This was always Roquentin's crowning achievement:

[img]http://i53.tinypic.com/2wrhiy1.gif[/img]

[Raken]

He was surely known by Pacifica.

[LegendoftheSkies]

As soon as I join he quits.


Coincidence?

[milkmanrox100]

I will personally ZI anyone who attacks him

[Masterof9puppets]

When I first met Roquentin, I was a government member of the mostly-rogue Kronos. Despite having spent the past year of my membership allied to Umbrella, I had never bothered trying to get closer to Roq. Hell, I was War, matters like this were irrelevant to my interests. This was, however, a dear mistake on my part. When the chance finally came to introduce myself to Roquentin, it was to have our ties with Umbrella broken. Despite the dreariness of the discussion, Roquentin handled passing the news to me better than anyone else would have ever been able to. He was genius at foreign affairs, and genius at speaking.

Fortunately, for my sake, I was given another chance at a friendship with Our Dear Leader, when I became a member of Umbrella. I still never had too many chances to speak heart to heart with him, but I was a part of many discussions in the depths of Umbrella's private chans. When I was promoted to government at the beginning of this summer, I found it an honor to serve directly below a man so revered throughout Cybernations. It saddens me to see it ended so shortly, I wish that I had been given the chance to serve below you for longer.

I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors, Our Dear Leader.

~Puppets