“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” - Nelson Mandela
It takes a certain character to lead from behind the scenes; knowing when to step forwards is a greater challenge still. Having served on this Summit for longer than I can recall, I have experienced the leadership our our most beloved Quaestors. We have all seen those who lead through example, and the success gained from such initiative. In all the time I have served as a Rollmaster and Aedile, I have seen one leader who embodies all of these qualities.This individual has driven forward the Brotherhood from more positions than I can count at a single glance. Though, all too often those who choose to lead from behind fall through the cracks. Never expecting recognition in return for their service, they place their pride not in themselves, but in those they are charged with leading.
Enter Liam Torun. His skill and dedication to those he leads has resulted in more than one Clouse being pulled from the brink - or aftermath of collapse. Indeed, this skill gained the attention of Grandmaster Muz Ashen, who bestowed to him the often overwhelming title of Praetor to the Grandmaster. As we have seen from his term as an Aedile of Plagueis, it didn’t stop him from taking charge in an effort to pull this Clouse back to its feet. Shortly thereafter and with the blessings of Muz Ashen, Liam Torun took on the mantle of Quaestor of Odan-Urr. In doing so, he was able to accomplish the seemingly impossible - not once, but twice. Many leaders would make the assumption that a unit suffering from collapse is an irreversible or unavoidable situation. Twice, Liam Torun has proven these notions to falsehood.
Looking back to where we are, compared to where we are now, we have become one of the most organized and relentless Summits in the Brotherhood. Without demolishing the remnants of our preserved atmosphere - that of a fun-loving and friendly membership, Liam Torun was able to breathe life into a Summit facing sudden collapse. Having applied for this position myself, I cannot be more relieved in the decision that bolstered our membership and revived our leadership.
We have reached our peak in stability under his guidance. It is generally expected of the Quaestor to train his Aedile to take on the mantle. However, he has expanded our scope beyond this. Everyone has an equal chance to contribute and learn as what the Brotherhood has so often labelled a producer. Each position from our Quaestor to the Battleteam Leader and Rollmaster have efforts in place to train the next generation of leaders who will one day have a chance to take on the positions themselves. In the event of a collapse - such as the one that preceded his appointment, we now have failsafes upon failsafes to secure our survival.
In our current state, Liam Torun has seen our House to the final step towards becoming the first light side Clan of the Brotherhood. As the second largest amongst the Clouses and with an army of prospectful leaders, we have readied ourselves for the future. Mentoring the current Summit and the next one after, Liam Torun is in essence a teacher. Despite leading from behind his troops, Liam Torun is as vocal and present as any other leader. As if this wasn’t enough, he intends to see our House ascend past the original goal we have set years ago at Odan-Urr’s beginnings.
Concerns arose on his appointment about plans to move on after his efforts have granted us stability. However, Liam Torun has since crushed these rumors. This is a man who has grown so fond of everything he has built and the connections he has made that he feels the same bond he has promoted over the past year. Few are more deeply committed that he to not only their unit, but the members that fill them and the ideals surrounding them. Building on these ideals of a strong, developing unit we have seen the rise of countless projects, fictional advancements and lore, more than tripling the existing articles of our wiki.
Not once were we being guided without a vision; over his tenure as Quaestor, he has been instrumental in developing our goals, both real and fictional. Oftentimes, these two things resulted in projects that existed both in the fictional and real sense, such as in the case of the reformation of how we look at the Harakoan tribes. Preserving the existing documents and lore surrounding them, we have seen them evolve in fictional events, as well as within our articles themselves. Tribal Protectorates, as we called them, once numbered only three. Existing as awards for our members, these were a thing rarely given, and had fallen out of use for years. Within the last two months alone, we have awarded at least three of these to members as we integrate new and existing tribes within our fictional plots.
While some controversy was held over some of his changes, all of these were well thought-out and had the best intentions of the House in mind. This was evident in some of the policies; guidelines we have created and discussed that are documented and followed. Despite this, he is never closed to suggestions; rather, he encourages opinions from his members on changes made public. These have ranged from how we manage our House to how the IRC channel is enforced. Each of these times, he was able to weigh the pros and cons of each situation, often tweaking his original plans until an agreement was decided upon.
Building on his vision for New Tython and the Jedi presence in the Brotherhood, Liam Torun has organized the largest of our events to date. “Return of the Light” was an event created with the intention of closing one chapter to open another. It concluded with staggering participation, and gave us a clean slate to work from while additional chapters are created. Running for three weeks, this event hosted a massive amount of fiction leading up to and throughout the event.
Realizing the need for an improved foundation, he also played the role of an archiver throughout the months; after all - how better to instill the years of lore we have accumulated in our latest recruits? His answer - the wiki. The entire last three months has been dedicated to expanding our available articles, and updating the existing ones. In this, Liam Torun has led the charge. Each of these articles - both new and old have been edited to perfection. Gone are the days with half-written stubs existing within Odan-Urr’s categories.
Haven stands as an example of an article that is extremely well-written; yet the world played only a temporary role in our fictional events as a staging site, Liam Torun felt that the planet deserved a fully-developed article to celebrate its usage in our largest works of fiction. Yet this would be considered “expanded lore,” available to those who seek to learn about the vibrant details of Return of the Light’s beginning, these now exists - thanks to Liam Torun’s efforts - a series of articles based around a timeline. Giving a brief synopsis of each event, these articles have aided our pool of Journeymen to understand our history at a mere glance.
Common throughout the Brotherhood, we have a variety of articles based around the separate divisions of our Order-of-Battle. However, given the fictional development of many of these factions, Liam Torun knew this would not suffice. An example of those projects that have evolved from being solely based in fiction, Liam Torun has actually created articles and documents for each of the treaties and groups mentioned. The Independent Colonies of New Tython, Tythonian Colonial Alliance, Treaty of Menat Ombo, and the Thuron Monarchy are all examples of these. With a world so rich in detail, it has become a thriving, living organism; every one of these article is proof of our development, and all of them were created or re-envisioned by our Quaestor. These are only examples, and do not accurately reflect the number of articles our Quaestor has created, rewritten or edited, of which these are far too many to list in a single recommendation.
While it has been mentioned that Liam Torun is capable of leading from behind, this does not mean that he is an idle leader. Rather the contrary, he is one of the most active leaders I have served with. Earning a plethora of competition awards, including an assortment of Crescents and Clusters, he has also collected some well-earned awards that more accurately reflect his aggressive approach to driving his House forward. Earning a Gold Nova, two Silver Novae and a Bronze Nova since his last promotion three years ago, he has already proven his capability to thrust himself into the battlefield. I believe that his ability to amass three Seals of Loyalty speaks for itself when I say that he is dedicated to the Brotherhood. Despite having amassed a Grand Cross, three Dark Crosses, three Scrolls of Indoctrination and twelve Seals from events, he has not once tossed himself into the spotlight.
Having already gone through a small fraction of his achievements - of which there are many, many more - I believe the time has come for Liam Torun to gain some of the recognition he deserves. For years, he has given the spotlight to our members, allowing them to contribute in their own ways and giving them the chance to shine. This time, it is his members who will be thrusting him into the light, and acknowledge his contributions over the last three years.
- A’lora Kituri, Aedile of House Odan-Urr
What more can be said about a member like Liam Torun? In the short time I have been in House Odan-Urr and the Brotherhood I have seen no finer example of what a leader should be than Liam. He gives the House focus and a common direction without a heavy hand. He motivates and inspires each of us to join him in the trenches of building the best unit in the Brotherhood. Most important of all, he strives to build others up, eschewing the limelight or any accolades for himself. As others have pointed out, the time is long past for us to put the spotlight on him for once.
There quite literally isn’t an aspect of House Odan-Urr that doesn’t have Liam’s mark on it. From the foundational wiki articles, to the House lore and every major event since he began his tenure. He was the main architect of an epic storyline about the fall and reclamation of New Tython spanning almost two years. The more I am involved in and the higher I go the more I see Liam’s herculean efforts behind the scenes, laboring out of love to secure the foundations for a solid unit.
Since joining the House summit Liam has become a direct mentor, giving guidance, words of encouragement and most importantly holding myself and the rest of the summit to high standards. Like any good leader he not only holds himself to the same standards, he exceeds them. Liam has made growing new leaders in the House one of his top priorities and those efforts have begun to bear fruit in form of young leaders like myself and our new rollmaster Rhiann Baenre. His efforts to mentor and develop new and existing leaders has put the House on the path to long term stability and future growth.
I stand here today on behalf of the next generation, the Journeymen of House Odan-Urr, to attest to the impact this man has had and the enduring legacy he has built. If and when Clan Odan-Urr becomes a reality it will be in no small part because of the tremendous work, steady leadership, mentorship and inspiration of Liam Torun. On behalf of all Odanites present and future, thank you for everything you do Liam and congratulations on EQ4. I can think of no one more deserving and no finer example of what it means to be a leader in the Brotherhood.
- Jedi Knight Turel Sorenn, Knight Commander, Battle Team Knights of Allusis
Liam, better known to some as Kal, had languished for years, banging his head against a variety of non-starting positions. Lacking the authority that was delegated out from higher positions, Kal would struggle against the confines of what others told him was possible and what was not. I remember quite clearly one of our early and myriad discussions about the Brotherhood, how it works, and how leadership really, at it's core works. He had the heart then, and I took him on as a sort of unofficial apprentice, making him my praetor. I wish I could say that this position was a glorious one, but frankly, it's anything but. There were errands galore, information to sift through, projects to pen and proof. On it's face, it probably seemed like more of the same for him: always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
It's hard to ignore talent. Some may be threatened by it, some may be worried about the direction of it, and rarer still are those who seek to foster it. I try to fall into the third category. Many of those he had worked for and with before did not. It's difficult to be the one with the fire in your belly when everyone around seems placated, docile, happy with what they have so far. It can drag you down, it can burn you up.
Watching him smolder, I knew that something had to happen. Odan-Urr, despite their unique concept, despite the frenzy of activity at onset, had begun to die. Kal and I had discussed at length how that house was important to the brotherhood, in terms of recruitment, in terms of story, in terms of our membership. He did not hesitate when I suggested that he go to help build Odan-Urr up, to help them find the strength I knew that they were capable of.
Unleashed on the lighties, Kal took the name Liam, and began climbing the ladder from within, much as he had done in Plagueis before. Free from the decades of history that all of the other units had, Liam found himself like a kid in a candy store. This was different. This was new. This could be something more. He attacked his 'duties' with gusto, with the understanding that few people have about why we do things the way that we do. Free to toss out things that were done 'because they have always been done that way', and using things gleamed from his discussions with the other consuls, the other quaestors, and even dark councilors, he managed to push every aspect that he touched higher and higher.
By the time he was named Quaestor, it was but a formality. He brewed up intricate backstories with Ji. He distilled new competitions with Kaira, Tyno, Jason Hunter. He helped educate and raise up A'lora, V'yr, Kah. He got down into the ditches and worked his fingers into nubs, and then used the blood for ink. He brought his vision to bear, and convinced others that Odan Urr was something that was worth fighting for. That Odan Urr was more than a fad, or a flash in the pan. He came to Odan Urr to make it great, and bring everyone along for the ride. He took a house that whispered tales of the expiriment failed and grew that dying seed into one of the most vocal and active units in the brotherhood, hoping to contend for clan-hood before too long.
And why? Because that is what he knew it could be. Because he knew that Odan Urr has a special niche in the Brotherhood. Because he knew that this was bigger than him, and he acted with that in his heart in every action.
It's now been more than a year since he took up the mantle of Quaestor of the Brotherhood's only Light-sided house, and three years since he was last recognized with a promotion. It's a testament to his humility that he hasn't been promoted sooner. Lesser folks would stamp their feet and pout if they felt that they weren't given their due. Those folks tend to create a stir, prod others into acting on their behalf...and then vanishing once they get what they wanted. Liam would say that he's already been rewarded. He would say that watching the house grow into the friendly and active community that it has become would be reward enough. He would tell us that helping the others in the house learn, having others join him on his adventure would be more than sufficient. And he may even say that he didn't want the recognition, so I have a spoonful of sugar to help this go easier for him: In order to Clan up, Odan Urr needs an elder. You're now one step closer.
Thank you, my friend, for all that you do, for all that I know that you will continue to do. I appreciate all of the time and energy that you pour into this club. From a grateful Grand Master and an impressed house, please accept this promotion to the fourth equite rank.
- Muz Ashen, the Lion of Tarthos
Back in February 2013, we were blessed to have a truly outstanding member of the Brotherhood join our House: Kal Vorrac di Plagia, now known as Liam Torun. I knew him as Kal back in Plagueis, where he served in the highest levels of command and earned my utmost respect for his leadership and his decision-making skills. Those skills have lent themselves here, and our House is thriving because of his efforts. He has served in multiple leadership positions and raked in an impressive amount of medals since his last promotion, which I have detailed below, but his greatest achievement is building our House into a strong and thriving presence in the Brotherhood.
By the end of April 2013, we were facing our own end; our Summit had fallen apart, communication was a thing of the past, and we needed a direction to travel in that would build and strengthen our House. Fortunately for us, Liam arrived with a clear vision in his mind: that Odan-Urr is not a collection of meek kittens who dabble in diplomacy, but an army of warriors against the coming darkness. This incredible idea is what has driven Liam’s efforts, and being a part of Liam’s tenure as our Quaestor has been one of the highest points of my 15 years in the club. His efforts are truly awe-inspiring, like a Light Side Halcyon.
In more recent times, he has been working with us behind the scenes, providing assistance, storylines and competitions for major House events, including the Fall of New Tython, the Renewal of Hope, the Return of the Light and Liberation: Tides of Freedom. He has also worked tirelessly on improving core articles in our wiki, including new content relevant to these events. Since joining the Summit myself, I have seen him provide input into almost every discussion that takes place, giving us advice and guidance for every question asked.
Liam has displayed an excellent record of leadership, both here and elsewhere, and it is my distinct honour to welcome him to the final rank of the Equites. Congratulations Liam!
Since his last promotion, he has served in the following positions:
Quaestor of Odan-Urr: 14 months
Battleteam Leader in Odan-Urr: 1 1/2 months
Praetor to the Grand Master: 27 months
Shadow Academy Docent: 9 months
Aedile of Plagueis: 8 months
Battleteam Leader in Plagueis: 10 months
Since his last promotion, he has racked up an impressive collection of medals, including:
The following Crescents: 2 diamond, 1 amethyst, 1 sapphire, 2 topaz, 2 emerald
The following Seals: 1 Reminiscence (Independence Games 2013), 3 Affliction (ROS: Horizons), 8 Decimation (GJW X)
1 Dark Side Scroll
3 Scrolls of Indoctrination
151 Clusters of Fire
9 Clusters of Ice
1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze Novae
4 Seals of Loyalty
2 Dark Crosses for participation in GJW X and Horizons
A Grand Cross for his tireless leadership and amazing vision in Plagueis
On behalf of House Odan-Urr,
-Nathan Deciarus, Tetrarch of the Disciples of Baas
Lord Muz Ashen Keibatsu, 2014-07-25 18:32:36 UTC