War Games Commencement

[Anders]

To RavenBlack;
From: War Games Committee and Organizing Party.

It is with an unexpected surrender that we end this edition of the War Games. We as a collective understand that this is not the outcome either team, or ourselves, wanted. Probably not the outcome you, the viewers at home, wanted either—a result of cumulative choices that, while made in good faith, failed to translate into the real spirit of these Games and the true aim of them.
To recap, the aim was, beyond the thrill and the fun, to show how it is we want to see conflict develop in this City, as we believe conflict is in fact vital to its survival. It was our aim to demonstrate the way we want conflict to be. This has not been accomplished. This sentiment is shared by all among us in the Committee and the Organizers. It is with sadness but hope that we address you, now, and ask that you look upon our efforts with patience and understanding, although we realize that is a tall order and we are not entitled to it. We nevertheless, in the true spirit of the competition, acknowledge that accountability is and should be put forward and offered regardless.

As such:
- We acknowledge and apologize for the lack of foresight regarding the roles of people in our midst. Roles should've been laid out clearly before the Games began. This did not happen, and we scrambled to cover obligations as they arose. This was a mistake.
- We acknowledge and apologize for overlooking loopholes in the rules and not making them more explicit. We believe this has been the root of most of the issues we've encountered during the Games.
- We acknowledge and apologize for the lack of swiftness in dealing with the exploitation of said loopholes and unsportsmanlike behaviour from contestants when it was warranted.
- We acknowledge and apologize because we were the responsible party. We, in our aim to be fair to all, lost sight of directness of action. And as such, we've wound up doing more harm than good while trying to address these issues indirectly.
- We acknowledge and apologize for the lack of clear and transparent communication with the public and the participants alike.
- We acknowledge and apologize for not realizing that there were not enough people in the Committee present to cover all areas of necessity during the competition, and accordingly look for like-minded and capable individuals who could've been of aid and could have prevented stress on both the Committee and the competitors alike.
- We acknowledge and apologize in our pursuit of fairness. We understand that sometimes keeping everyone at the same level of responsibility does not mean they are. Not knowing our competitors in depth has made us overlook preventive measures for liabilities and stressors that wound pushing competitors into positions they never wished they'd be in. IE—lack of thralls, Blood Caps, and overall experience.

We acknowledge and apologize for all these points, and truly will aim to do better in the next one should the public be interested in still participating next year. And we truly hope people do. It is from the bottom of our hearts that we strive to improve on these. It is from the bottom of our hearts that we say, with our entire chest: we're sorry.

We will implement measures to ask viewers for their opinion so they can also tell us what they would like to see in the next iteration of these games.

Thank you, RavenBlack, for the chance. We hope you give us another.

To the Contestants:
You have been, in our sincere belief, the most affected party. One of you in particular spoke out, and when spoken to, you course-corrected and gave us your accountability without being asked for it. We cannot change how things have unwound in the last week and a half, but we can follow example and too offer accountability back to you all. It is the least you deserve.

Team Invictus:

Aydan: We acknowledge and apologize for having made you feel like we were undermining your sense of justice and fairness, and not addressing things directly when we should've. You deserved to be heard and heeded on some of these matters, and we want you to know our tardiness was not out of maliciousness, but a matter of wanting to make things fair for all. We're sorry that the conditions you have been put in have been a stressor, and have sullied your enjoyment of these games. We hope that you come back next year. We want to give you a good experience.

Robert: We acknowledge and apologize for having made you feel like your opinions and your feelings weren't welcome and received by all of us. Our own feelings have been high strung and it's rendered it difficult to act with the swiftness action requires in these circumstances. We are taking a page out of your book and addressing you directly: we're sorry. We're sorry for making you feel like your voice was not as important as other contestant's, or our own, and that optics were more important than contestants themselves. We too hope you give us another chance, if you'll have us.

Kataya: You started this with handicaps that were not addressed in a timely manner and at times made you feel like you were unwelcome for it. You are not unwelcome. You're wanted, and we hope that not all you took from this were the difficulties and tribulations of it, but rather the learning you've been imparted by your teammates and your coach alike. We are sorry. We want you back next year as well, if this is something you want to navigate again, but better.

Team Shroud:

Brom: We're truly sorry for the sour turn the games have taken. You've come here with a point of view, and good faith, and have encountered disorganization and Games that were supposed to be a challenge in good fun to fall in disarray and tardiness of action in the encouragement of bad tactical habits that put you and your teammates at risk. We apologize to you, Brom. We believe you deserve better, and to come back next year so you can have a more positive experience.

lillith: We apologize to you for the amount of stress you've experienced throughout. We apologize to you because when you, inexperienced and with no real tactical knowledge, were taught things that were a detriment to your education. For us not stepping in in time when that happened. For making you believe this is all conflict and war can offer. It is not. We should've asserted clear boundaries from the moment dubious tactics began emerging, and not put you or your teammates at risk. We apologize, and you're valued. We'd love for you to come back next year.

Everly: We apologize for not protecting you from yourself, and your teammates from ill-conceived notions of strategy. We should have said 'no' and this would not have happened. We would have saved you the grief and embarrassment you're experiencing now. We would have saved you the need for your own accountability, and pointed out exactly to you why the tactics you were putting forward were not healthy for you or the well-being of your teammates or the community at large in the long run. We are sorry. We apologize for not being a timely voice of reason.

We would also like this opportunity to apologize to our coaches, who did not feel they had the authority to put a direct stop to these practises as, as we referred to in the first part of this letter, roles were not clearly laid out from the get-go. It was a mistake. It put additional stress and grief on our coaches as well as the contestants. Good faith does not always lead to good outcome.

We're sorry. We hope you can find it in yourselves to forgive us, and that you give us one more chance to get this right next years with new implementations put in place to avoid these situations so we can have a positive experience for all.

Thank you again,
The War Games Committee and Organizing Party.

Anders de Draak
Seyda St.John-Adaire
Annabelle Adaire-St. John
Vex de Draak

[Alex Ayres]

I think the team took on a massive undertaking, and regardless of the outcome, should be applauded.

I know my opinion in these things means very little, but you all know I'm going to share it anyway.

While I can't comment on the apology, as I genuinely don't know what happened behind the scenes, what I can comment on is, as a spectator, reading the updates, and watching Seyda's videos, I felt engaged and thoroughly invested in what was going on.

I'm sure the apology is warranted, but I also think you all should be incredibly proud of the seed you planted.

If you look at most games in history, the version we see today is a far cry from the first time played.

Just look at the "offside" rule in soccer/football:

The Offside Rule – 1863
The offside rule originated in 1863. A player was considered offside unless three players of the opposing side are in front of him (includes goalkeeper).

The Offside Rule - 1925
The offside rule was changed in 1925. A player was considered offside unless two players of the opposing team are in front of him (includes goalkeeper).

The Offside Rule - 1990
The offside rule was changed again in 1990. A player is onside if he is level with the second-to-last player of the opposing team (includes goalkeeper).

One of the most quintessential rules of the biggest sport, which has its first recorded match in the 1100's, didn't exist until 700 years later.


All of this to say, I think you've done an incredible job. And I'm sure as it's refined over the coming days, months, years, it will only get better, if you choose to pursue continuing the war games. The seed you planted, with water and sunlight and care, will grow!


So for my end, thank you for making the war aspect of the city something digestible and fun to experience for someone who never thought it could fun or digestible!

[Anders]

While I can't comment on the apology, as I genuinely don't know what happened behind the scenes, what I can comment on is, as a spectator, reading the updates, and watching Seyda's videos, I felt engaged and thoroughly invested in what was going on.

I'm sure the apology is warranted, but I also think you all should be incredibly proud of the seed you planted.

All of this to say, I think you've done an incredible job. And I'm sure as it's refined over the coming days, months, years, it will only get better, if you choose to pursue continuing the war games. The seed you planted, with water and sunlight and care, will grow!

So for my end, thank you for making the war aspect of the city something digestible and fun to experience for someone who never thought it could fun or digestible!

Thank you, truly. The sentiment is really appreciated.

[Anders]

The Angelarium's first annual War Games has drawn to a close. Congratulations to our winners, and a genuine and heartfelt thank you to all of our competitors. The Committee would like to thank everyone who sponsored the first annual War Games. Donations from our sponsors went toward initial stocks for participants who needed assistance and prizes for each team. This year’s sponsors include: Anders, The Angelarium, Dreston, Oberon, and St. John/Adaire. Below, you can view the plaques that will stand within The Angelarium to commemorate their achievements.



To Aydan, the Honorable Opponent award, recognizing a competitor who exemplifies respect, integrity, and good sportsmanship, even in the heat of competition.



To Brom, The Anchor award, honoring someone who grounded the team, prioritizing others’ needs and providing strength, even through challenges.



To Everly, The Devoted award, honoring someone deeply committed to their team, emphasizing loyalty, dedication, and unwavering support.



To Kataya, the Courage Under Fire award, recognizing someone who demonstrated bravery, resilience, and composure under intense pressure.



To Lillith, the Most Improved award, honoring and celebrating remarkable growth, determination, and a commitment to self-betterment.



To Vanitas, The Guiding Light award, honoring someone who shines in the dark as both a learner and a guide for others.