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Dempster Duncker

E-6; Terra; Antesignani

June 19, 2010

The Ordo Imperialis

and what it means to me

I have been around Second Life for some time, now. I have seen things in this

virtual world that greatly defy what is socially acceptable by general human

culture. But I have also seen examples of ingenuity, sharing, and compassion.

Second Life allows means of social bonding and friendship while also allowing

great rifts of depravity and selfishness. I have been on both sides of this fence inevery occurrence of both, from helping sim building projects, donating time and

resources to community events, to grievous sim-crashing and being a general

nuisance.

So you can imagine when I first decided to join the Ordo Imperialis, I was

nothing short of being absolutely bored out of my mind. I felt that I had seen and

experienced everything this game had to offer. I had tried Second Life combat

before, but found myself wanting. The controls were clumsy, projectiles

screamed through walls, and general unfairness reigned supreme at every turn. I

was not interested in combat, but I was interested in why so many people turn to

pretend militaries in a virtual world that, admittedly, was not really designed for

such activities.

I joined the Ordo Imperialis on the 20th of September, 2009. As a cadet I was

completely overwhelmed by the amount of preparation and introductory materials

that were given. I often thought to myself, " there's no way people take things

THIS seriously in a game ." and I often thought the effort was not worth the

reward. Thankfully for me, I stuck with it. And I couldn't be happier with my

decision.

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Upon completing my exams and gaining official entry into the group, I

experienced a refreshing surge of fulfillment as I was greeted by many new faces.

People who stood by and stared me down before were now welcoming me with

open arms. I was hoping I could make some new friends in this odd group of

military enthusiasts, and I was about to get what I wished for.

My time since then has been nothing short of wonderful. I am not one for the

lust of power or rank, nor do I feel the need to have my existence validated. I

have, however, made many new friends that will likely last a lifetime, and

because of this I feel indebted to the group as a whole. It is with the writing of

this essay that I hope to somehow give back a contribution.

I am writing this essay not only for my entry application to the Praetorian Guard,

but also hopefully as a source of inspiration for people who could discover an

entirely new facet of the Ordo Imperialis if only they looked beyond rank, beyond

regulation and procedure, and notice all the other people sitting behind their

monitors sharing in this whole experience. I am applying to the Praetorian Guard

not only for wanting to improve myself and to give something back to the group,

but also to help inspire future generations, and to help people see that rank isn't

everything, and that merits aren't a sum of a person's worth.

I realize I am not the best candidate for the Guard. I am silly, I have a hard time

taking things seriously, and I am often times the embodiment of mischief around

Titan. But I can say that the Ordo Imperialis is as much of a part of me as I am of

it. This is my home, and the people are my family. I would stop at nothing to

defend these people, my friends, and the group that has given me everything and

asked for nothing in return.