Thōm Dūihol

 

History

Fourth Age

In 1128, Thōm was born in Xan’thrul Po, a mountaincity in south-eastern Exicota. His father was a famous buffalo hunter of their tribe’s upper class, as noble as they came without being royal. His mother, a fierce Rimzir shieldmaiden, was also of noble lineage. As he was born, he took his first breath and did as most infants: gave a large cry.

Hearing himself, he fell silent. The midwifes, his parents, and every childhood comrade claim he never again cried, sobbed, or moaned. Instead, he became an outspoken jester, often utilising acrobatics to make a point or gain attention. As he grew, he often participated in athletic games, making him a veritable powerhouse.

At age 12, there were no more kids in their city to beat. Encouraged by skills and both parents, he began to compete with grown-ups. Initially, most people humbled him, but eventually only a few did. When he was 17, only the best could score hard-gained victories.

Wanting more, he enlisted as a ranger in the city defence; excelling in their exercises and tasks, he was picked by the government for a special regiment in 1153. Travelling the country, studying law, and training bladeweaving, he was promoted to corporal two years later.

In 1156 he went to the south-eastern border, as some rumours floated of a band of malicious ragtags roaming the countryside. Arriving, they soon figured it most likely was a monster, but eager to prove themselves, they decided to pursue it without monster hunter aid.

They had followed its trail for days, and as they prepared camp for the night, it suddenly barged out of the grove they thought was their sheltering carpet. Most just stood dumbstruck when the Gaji-Kulat emerged. So, it easily crushed chests, heads, and limbs on four of them.

Then they heard a sharp, large yell, “Fight it, you fools,” and Elu Frantzi came rushing in its trail. Snapped out of their shock, the remaining three Exicota’n rangers drew their weapons, and two of them charged at the creature. One died screaming as one of its large tusks pierced him. The other’s slash was grabbed by a gloved hand, and with its other hand, it squashed the ranger’s head.

As Elu rushed forward, it turned and was about to attack when it suddenly grabbed both its ears, roared furiously, its eyes began to roll, foam spewed from its mouth, and it spun back facing Thōm. As it eyed the now red-glowing Thōm, standing with a red mantle, the shape of a muscular wolf-bear.

The Gaji-Kulat threw both arms out, stomped and bellowed roars of rage. Thōmhowled, and both charged. Elu halted, and struck with awe, he saw the small human grab the incoming milling arms of the berserk Gaji-Kulat. Holding the gargantuan mountain in a power grip, Thōmkicked it in the chest, and it was flung back in sprays of blood.

Thōm then, with a howl, yelled; it forgot these and threw its torn hands in its wild face as it charged back. Thōm ignored the pommelling stumps, grabbed the creature’s tusks, and forced it to its knees. Elu used the situation to jump in and plant his weapon in its thick skull, and at the cracks of its tusk’s break, it died. Thom then stared at Elu, and with a fierce snarl, he fainted.

When he woke, the smell of herbal tea filled the air. “Howdy, that was quite impressive; I’ve never seen a dual awakening before. Must be rather exhausting, I assume.” Thōm asked what dual awakening meant, what the dead monster was, how his comrades had died, and who Elu was. Elu began telling what he knew.

In a state of confusion, Thōm realised he was a Fylgin, which explained why he had excelled in various tasks. Oh, those things he had done. It was as if he recalled episode upon episode where he could have done differently for the better. As if his spirit retold questions regarding his actions, or was it this new elevated mental state, triggered by the fate seed, that lifted life’s fog?

Although fatigued and dizzy, Thōm rose and cut the trunk of the Gaji-Kulat, collected the tusks, and left the rest for the crows. But Elu searched the corpse and secured quite a large amount of magic shards. Thōm asked what those were for, and as Elu buried Thōm’s comrades, he explained what little he knew about that as well.

Finally done, Thōm said they needed to visit the nearby town and explain matters. As they travelled there, Elu walking, with Tom sitting on Elu’s destrier, quite a lot of topics were discussed by the two young men. When they reached the town, they explained what had occurred, and a group was sent to recover the rangers and the Gaji-Kulat.

Due to killing the Gaji-Kulat and saving the countryside folks, both Elu and Thōm were awarded King Merillos's Silver Cross, a medal given for the exceptional defence of rural people. The first-ever corporal to receive it. After the ceremony Elu went back home, but a month later when Thōm was promoted to sergeant, Elu came by to celebrate.

As a sergeant, Thōm became involved in several high-stakes stabilisation tasks, and at each, his newly acquired abilities benefited his new group. So in 1162, he was promoted to master sergeant and became drillmaster and task planner for a couple of groups. Thus, his focus turned towards law, supply planning, and organisation.

Not too happy with the amount of bookkeeping, as he called it, he applied for a more operational role, travelling their country. Instead, he was given the role as guard for those nobles and scholarly lords that were sent as envoys to other countries. His new lieutenant’s rank couldn’t hide that he viewed it as a responsibility demotion.

Regardless, he spent some years travelling here and there, protecting and serving lords and ladies as best he could. In 1167 he was promoted to captain and in 1174 to major. Then, as he was about to become colonel in 1182, serving so many nobles under the belt that it had become tedious, something severe happened.

The small mounted group, just having ridden through Bjalderon in Efron, a town dominated by Vular, faced an attack from 3 Anurai. Jumping out of the nearby trees as only Anurai can, their halberds cut four of them down as the attackers landed amongst Thōm’s ‘ group. Thōm speared one of them through its ugly toadlike face as it hacked off his destrier’s front legs.

As his mount’s legs were cut, he twisted violently in the saddle. As Thōm watched his comrade Ilhelm hack off the arm and head of the second creature, he was struck in the face by the halberd of the third one. Flung off the saddle, head ringing like a bell from the blow, he heard the scream of Lady Firana. Cursing, ‘What a way to die,’ he passed out.

Hearing human voices, he slowly came to his senses. It was two elderly scholars, arriving just as Thōm had grabbed and held on to the halberd. As he had fallen, the Anurai had lost its grip. Hearing them approach, it had turned just to receive the spear of Ilhelm in its chest. Dying, it had thrown some odd exploding darts at Ilhelm, Thōm, and Lady Firana.

As they buried the dead, Thōm sensed something was odd. But still dizzy from the head smack, the scholars’ questions and the task of burying dulled the feelings. After they had given reports at a nearby town, the strangers left. Thōm went to a tavern, and later that evening he suddenly realised what had been wrong: the corpses and their locations. It could simply not have passed as the scholars claimed.

Thōm did not sleep that night; his neck hurt from the dart marks. Pleased his head had not exploded, he praised his luck, yet wondered why his fylgia this time had been so silent. Almost as if it had slept through the entire accident. The next day Thōm went back to the site of the assault, studying the ground tracks and marks left. He heard a voice.

Turning, Thōm saw an elegantly clad man sitting atop a destrier. “What’s so interesting in the soil of Efron, my good man?” he asked. “Oh, I was just attacked here yesterday, sir; I feel something’s not right. But all tracks are as good as ruined.” The man replied, “I’m Nefius, king of our lands. If you were attacked here. Then tell me by whom, and I will address it.”

Thōm pointed at the earth pile over at one side, “Three long-legged frogmen with halberds.” Killed my group and”, then it dawned on Thōm. There had been no corpse of Firana, not even scattered parts. “Cursed be I, I let her be captured by those scoundrels, who might have also drugged me,” he said as he showed the dart wounds.

Seeing the marks, Nefius sighed but said no more. Then they travelled back to the town. With Nefius accompanying him, events proceeded more smoothly. But it turned out none knew anything about the scholars or where they went. Thōm excused himself, as he had to travel home to report. Nefius offered to help, and at an astral site, he entered the shards.

Returning to his king, Thōm began to report. But as Firana’s relatives realised they had lost their opportunity for a grand alliance, they claimed Thōm was part of a plot to weaken an opponent of Nefius. As Firana was set to marry Crown Prince Wemadhil and strengthen their cause against Nefius.

Annoyed by the accusations, Thōm blurted, “As if Firana’s lot has anything of value to offer against Nefius.” The hall erupted in shouting and turmoil, and Duke Triliadu Firana slapped Thom in the face and demanded an apology. As everyone rushed away, Thōm, quite upset by the accusations, shouted, “I’ll give you an apology, you scoundrel you,” then Thom, in a dark red glow of energy, sliced Triliadu in half with a single swift stroke.

The entire court stood silent; the fylgia went back to sleep. Then finally their king spoke: “Hear me, hear me. As it was provoked, I forgive the deed by Thōm, but as it took place in my presence, I strip you, Thōm, of rank. Now leave my hall.” Surprised over accusations, slap, reaction, and the sentence, Thōm ripped off his rank marking, threw it at the Firanas, and left the hall.

As Thōm stood outside the royal castle, now with nothing to do, he decided he would find those two scholars. But first he wanted to visit his home, so in the early days of 1183 he arrived back home. Grave news welcomed him. Many citizens, including his parents, had died in a town fire caused by a Vular raid last summer.

So, he went to Bjalderon, and as he began to enquire about the scholars once more, two strangers overheard his enquiries and approached him. It was Latinoor and his guard; Latinoor also searched for such scholarly-looking travellers, as they had committed fraud in Skium. As they left, Thōm sat with a feeling that these two strangers had gained the most from the talk.

As he kept travelling, searching for two scholarly men not of Clovincaz, Markian, Vular, or Rimzir origin, he had no results. He went beyond Efron, southeast to Nicaraz. This land was more Markian than Clovincaz and had fewer areas inhabited bywanderers and mermerants. As he could feel more animosity than aid from rest stops and tavern keepers, he changed routes.

Aiming for borderlands between races and tribes, coins trickled faster, and arguments were a daily routine as many took a lone stranger for an easy target. Occasionally when he got leads about scholarly-looking strangers, they were dead ends, and he couldn’t even find the guides again. So he began to tire of Nicaraz, but then he met Garrett, a young nobleman.

Intrigued by this young nobleman, Thōm stayed with Garrett for a year, and with his downfall back home in mind, he kept opinions about Nefius for himself. Especially as this young noble was quickly rising to glory and, as Thōm perceived it, was becoming an obstacle for that united Markeoy Nefius had mentioned.

Eventually, in late 1184, Thōm had decided to study astravel, fylgia, and mana manipulation deeper. Searching for information about the best place to study those three areas, he was advised to join Bhang’s Towers in Vizirgina, as it was one of the larger, more famous academies offering those areas. Garret made a letter of recommendation, and Thōm left.

As he arrived, as he was but of apprentice level in the areas of study, not that eager for reading lore and practising, his stay there took longer than anticipated. In 1193, he began his journeyman studies, and in 1195, he travelled to Æbalgo. Where he met Stensi Steeni and Herdsman. The trio even met and saved Elge a'Gintyr.

In 1201, as his journeys had taken him to his homelands, he saw a man fall from a window at the court castle. The man was not crushed as expected but made a spectacular landing and then fainted. Reminding Thōm of his own fate awakening, he aided the stranger. It turned out to be Tobiy Krown, and they became friends, although a short one at first. As Thōm later pushed Tobiy onto the astral, when he joined, Tobiy was gone.

In 1219, he completed his journeyman examinations, ending the period during which he had travelled all over Markeoy and met and befriended many, like Citrine of Obran. Thus, in the autumn he travelled to Obran, found Citrine, and travelled along with her, as the life of skjalds had begun to interest him, and she didn’t mind the travel company.

In those years, as Thōm travelled all the isles, Citrine opened many doors for him, and he met many other skjalds, heroes, and nobility. But as time passed, he realised that a skjald’s life was just like working with law, and that was not for his temper, arms, or fylgin to spend his life as. So in 1222 he parted with her and went to Braburg to meet someone ‘off the arm’ there he had heard about.

It didn’t take him many weeks before he had located the town Kaosfrog lived in, but as he entered the first tavern he saw, ‘The Dent Millstone’, he noticed a rather interesting trio. It turned out it was Maili Brijia, Rinda Yngga, and Samia el Rial. All three were also looking for Kaosfrog, but he was out of town. They shared mugs, meat and stories. Those weeks became a blast for Thōm.

After they had dealt with Kaosfrog, the trio left, but Thōm stayed for a few weeks. Thōms interest in combat herbs was above mere usage, and he came to like Kaosfrog. So, when Kaosfrog was leaving for Muldum in Skium, Thom asked if he could travel along. It became one of the best horseback travels Thom had ever experienced, as Kaosfrog was well connected.

Arriving there, Thōm at first was impressed by Muldum. But its politics and agenda reminded him too much of the court back home and his lost titles, and suddenly he recalled that the king had not revoked his award. As he grinned loudly, a nearby man turned towards him, and Thōm said even louder, “Oh, the bodyguard. “Where’s your master?”

The stranger smiled and approached him and the now pale Kaosfrog, who asked Thōm if he knew not who this stranger was. Before he could reply, the man spoke, “Hello Thōm, I’m Setil, and not a bodyguard. I apologise for the secrecy back then.” Thōm shrugged, grinned, and as Kaosfrog sighed in relief, Thōm ordered a round of mugs.

Telling them why he grinned, they rose and bowed. Then all three ordered more ale. Telling them he was bored and planned to leave for some real adventure, Setil explained about the 1st Alliance. Thōm joined them, and with Muldum as base, he spent the next 10 years there.

But in 1233 he went home again. It’s not quite clear to us what he did during the years of the 1st alliance. He was seen at their final victory, the creation of the realm and the high king's coronation, and at every fair of the realm. Some mention he was seen following Zoe Egrn's group as they left Grimsborg in 1274. But it’s unclear whether he was rear guard or not.

In 1276, just a year prior to the great invasion, the Circle du Faramer began buying large land areas in several countries across the isles. It is unclear what wealth was acquired and whether the deeds for the lands survived the invader raids.

In 1283, at the Battle of Weeping Plains, as Chisty Cystal rode at Thōm’s side, she suddenly collapsed. Thōm managed to grab hold of her, wake her up, and as she repositioned in her saddle, Thom noticed tears streaming down her face. Then she roared, and her mount surged forward. Plunging through foes, Thōm right behind her, they became the vanguard spear that found the heart of the Romasai general and killed Filine Fedazi.

“What arms are on that mortal, strength and valour found in so few.”

~Skjald Ulrich

 

Organisation

Ye-Asperr, Elu Frantzi, and he created the Circle du Faramer.

“Bonds of youth and deeds, thicker than blood and awards.”

~Skjald Kazumix

 

Special

Thōm has a wolf fylgia and wears the ‘Anurralti Armbands’.

“Thōm is a fylgin, a mighty one.”

~Skjald El Mary