July 19, 2008

A Tribute to Altus Fidelitas
by Xaaxacus

Earlier this month, Liono and the rest of clan 71, myself included, made the decision to disband our clan and go our separate ways. For the first time we could remember, our numbers and activity were severely dwindling, after several of our more experienced friends left to join the bigger CPK clans. Aimonsorcio's creation of Visions of Glory proved to be the killing blow, and we decided that it was time to retire the name Altus Fidelitas from the land of Medievia. It was a sad day for all of us, and I know that I won't be the only one sad to see a clan with such an extensive history behind it put to rest.

Over three years ago, Chevtul and Liono decided to call together their friends from the various clans of the time and create a new, EQ/CPK centered clan open for enrollment to anyone interested. Originally conceived as "Virtus" (Latin for courage), due to a technicality it had to be renamed. The leaders chose "Altus Fidelitas" (meaning "high loyalty") in the spirit of what the clan was to stand for - honor, bravery, and skill. Things got off to an incredible start, and before even a week had past we had achieved a significant hp bonus and were ranked very highly among the clans of the land.

Clan 71 spent over a year as one of the most notable players in the game's affairs, running every zone imaginable under the leadership of Chevtul, Liono, Spiritic, and many others. The first sign of change came with the rise of the legendary Outlaw Legion clan, who dominated the game with their expertise and numbers. We, along with the other clans of the time, did what we could to resist their control over the larger CPK zones, forming temporary alliances across the board. I can't even begin to describe the battles we fought in the Hunting Grounds, Bloodstone, and even Elysium one night after an unfortunate bank. Does anyone else remember the night we rushed clan 9 in the Dark Woods with a coalition of over 60 heroes from virtually every clan in the game?

It soon became too hard to compete, though, and as we slowly began to lose some of our oldest members, the focus of the clan started to shift. Chevtul was forced by real life issues to retire and hand over leadership, which was taken by Jathael for well over a year. He proved to be an outstanding and unifying leader, and his efforts kept the clan active and competitive in every way possible. We started to lean more towards shipping (yes, Tonks, that means you!) and trading, and spent our time enjoying all the different aspects of the game, instead of just running zones.

Eventually, though, Jathael and many of our closest friends decided to take a break from the game as well, and leadership was given to Liono. Just like with the previous leadership, he brought new energy and friends to the clan, and we began to thrive again with renewed effort and activity. The last third of Altus Fidelitas's life was spent with him in charge, fighting to retain our place in the game while changes occurred all around us. Our recent disbanding was a sad but content one, and many of our numbers went to join the very clans that had beaten us.

Altus Fidelitas might never have been the most powerful CPK clan, or the most active clan in the game, or the clan that everyone feared to see, but it accomplished a rare feat that has seldom been seen in Medievia's history. It remained active, competitive, fighting, and fun for over three years, never once losing its drive to enjoy the game. It's still strange to think that it's gone, but I know that it will be remembered and missed by everyone it touched while it was still here. It was a long and wild ride that passed through every niche in the game, but more importantly, it was fun. I know that our exploits will still continue under different banners, with different faces, but as a member of the clan from the day it started to the day it disbanded, I'm sorry to see it go.