Thorne

Thorne is sidhe that has managed to avoid most of the intrigue of the courts as he explores his desires on the mortal world. he has traveled back and forth between the realms for several human lifetimes. He typically collects several bits of fae artwork or rare things he can find and then sell them to mortal dealers. Once the silver from the sale is gone he will return to his homelands and prepare for his next journey.

  • Occupation: Guide
  • Nationality: none
  • Family: none
  • Lifetime:
  • Religion: none
  • Ethnicity: Fae, Sidhe

Early Life

Throne has always been bored with the never ending manipulations of the courtly life and unwilling to be a cog in a big machine. Instead he sought out shadowy deals and trades that would send him to some new corner of the mortal plane and away from the Fae Courts. Eventually that meant he got to go on a few forays into the world of elves and humans. This eventually led to him becoming disappointed that the mortals seemed to be just as locked into to their serfdom and systems as the fae. The only bright side was that it showed him new places and new things where he was special and unique and that was better than being a errand boy in the Fae Lands.

In time he got a fair reputation as a traveler who knew enough about getting around the mortal world. Beings who had an interest in moving items around began to deal with him. This gave him and opportunity to clear many of the long term obligations. Rather than being responsible for completion, he started using less restrictive language that made him feel more independent. So some deals didn't pan out because he let himself get distracted, but the wording meant that was a contingency. Rather than “I will arrange for this person’s safety and return” it would be more like “If we return back here together then you will provide the agreed trade”. This made him less reliable but also resulted in some far reaching wanderlust where the original goal was simply forgotten. Also time dilation meant that often times we would return and barely even be remembered. As such, he became more disenfranchised with typical Fae concerns with each passing mortal visit. Iit became more troublesome to get across as higher beings tired of his flightiness in deals, so he planned fewer trips that lasted longer. There were multiple times when he worried he was pushing the limits of being away from the home realm before returning.

Recent History

In the most recent decades, he was dealing primarily with Eithne, an Unseelie. He would guide individuals loyal to her, including some faemarked or beguiled mortals. After an introduction in the key players of certain local human or elven areas, he'd make introductions and they would begin their game of working themselves into a favorable position for her. He didn't care about her endgame, it was a deal that got him moved back and forth and playing within in circles of the most interesting people. He'd typically also bring some Fae crafted art and move them from portals to ports for easy profit to mortals with coin to wast on unique conversation pieces in their mansions.

Heading out into the unknown open waters was still one of his worldly thrills. Eventually he found himself on a hired ship with an unusually dull crew when they were chased and boarded by a small ornately decorated pirate ship. The crew made no pretense of fighting back. As such, the mood was calm when the raiders came over. They were quite dismayed to find crates of carefully packed mystical artworks. It didn’t have obvious wealth to them, and was generally uneventful except for the sleek ship was captained by a red haired woman Ember Chatham with a unique appearance and unnaturally compelling aura. Immediately enthralled, he used his oratory gifts, explaining that he could get a tidy fortune, but only if he traveled along to enhance the deal. Also he regaled the crew with an embellished re-telling of a saga of the ancient Dragon Ships he picked up in a Theodovan port pub. They were intrigued enough and he left the mundane trade routes behind to travel with them.

The Scarlet Storm

He sailed with Ember The Scarlet Storm of the Serpente Waves for a time well after that shipment was forgotten, She proved to be a capable naval strategist and a charismatic leader who had an implausible knack for finding merchant ships with high yields of easily transported wealth. The first tale he heard was she had been a Sea Lord banished as a criminal to Talarak who used her powers to see the outcome of all their engagements before they happened. Next one sailor insisted she had been a maiden who had seduced an avatar of Karash trading her virtue for some of his godly strategic insight. Others pointed out her beauty and trademarked feather cap clearly meant she was manifesting the Windrider. Another argued that the cap instead meant she was an incarnation of Tyrin. Her own crew was comprised of some atypical individuals, a high percentage of women pirates had gravitated to her elegant feminine command and away from oafish sea dogs, she had a few Elves, a couple Hashan, and even a dwarven boatwright All of them seemed quite loyal and refused to acknowledge any ridiculous rumors from the docks. Whatever her edge actually was, she kept it a close secret and there were enough close calls and bad prey that it was proven to be fallible and not omniscient.

Staying independent of the Five families, she kept a lean crew on a quick fancy ship over a larger bulkier vessel and struck shipping lanes surgically. The truth of the matter is she was most likely receiving detailed messages form a Theodovan sponsor who shared her obvious hatred of the Turanians and directed her to the best victims. She fell upon them frequently on their way from port, seemed to always know when to avoid a ship that was one of their traps, always made sure any slaves were delivered to a free port and not mistreated, and enemy combatants were shown no mercy but dispatched quickly. Ironically the firsthand accounts from freed slaves provided great secondhand detail about her and her ship to the enemy. Eventually agents serving the Turan interests put a price on her head and it grew steadily.

He learned to love the hunt and the unparalleled freedom of their life. The adrenaline of throwing against an unknown foe and stealing victory from defeat. Taking what they wanted and going wherever they wanted. Plus the ship was mostly wood and rope with a few easily avoidable iron pieces. Swordplay was dangerous as usual, the swashbuckling style of mobility and lack of armor on the seas fit him quite well. He stayed on the crew intrigued with her and her unique notoriety and pursued her romantically long after others would have given up. Eventually his persistence and unearthly charms cracked through and she let him share he her bed on occasion for momentary diversions, but there was always some emotional distance and a constant seriousness from her past that he could never relate to.

One night while safely docked at Talarak deep in the isles and sleeping of a night of heavy drinking at an Inn, defeat finally caught up with her. The door to the room was wrenched open and one of her main rivals Elston The Iron Chest entered. It hadn't been difficult for some sailors to be bribed with coin, new positions on her ship, or other promises made to those who had been jealous of her refusals. The ambush was complete and the battle was lost before it began.

Thorne was shocked that they had been betrayed so fully and completely, but saw no outcome other than surrender. She however was fueled by rage at the treachery of code, or imagined an endless humiliation at the hands of these bastards, or maybe was so shocked that she knew she had lost everything in that single moment. Regardless she wordlessly charged them all and fought with a tenacity designed to give them no choice but to cut her down fatally. He followed suite to join in hoping to save her and for a moment he felt the true fear that mortals often do before his current form was destroyed.

But, they kept her from dying, because the bounty on her delivery alive was 10 times more. The Turan traders needed to dissuade further losses and wanted to set an example of one who had flaunted her easy successes over their defenses. A random death in Tarak wouldn’t have the same impact as a public spectacle on the continent. This is why Elston had to destroy her character first while she was at sea, to create a small group that could justify smuggling one of their own out and ultimately handing her over to be used as a punitive example against their way of life. He spent many weeks tarnishing her reputation and finding receptive minds. Her unusual crew, small elegant vessel, femininity, supposed witchcraft and powers all became key points to paint her as something different and outside the brotherhood that could be sold for profit.

Thorne never could have predicted such a vicious end and never sought out the details of what happened after that night to her or her loyal crew, likely it was a bitter end that unraveled slowly. In fact if he had been more interested in the misfortunes of others, he possibly could have tried to return and attempt a rescue. If he had been human it probably would have left a tragic scar that would never truly heal. But like any Fae, his nature couldn’t change much and he let himself get distracted by staying in the Faewyld with the more lighthearted denizens there for a many years. Lessons were learned to not foolishly trust anyone, but also to live every day fully because you'll never likely see the end of good things coming, but those weren’t exactly new thoughts.

Fountainhead

When the High Fae Courts started looking for volunteers to settle in the real world, he was approached by a being old enough to have some memory of his skills and knowledge. He arrived in Kiov as a local guide for several sets of settlers many of whom had never crossed over before. While he didn’t care much about the cause, it was something moderately interesting and provided the new experience he craved.

Throne led a group further inland eventually reaching a large rock outcropping that came to be known as Fountainhead. This ramshackle town was a lawless free-for-all like the pirate isles had been and soon he found a place for himself. These pilgrims show up seemingly not even understanding why. They often end up here confused and penniless, likely to be manipulated and used by those in power. Why not save all the trouble and misfortune and just guide them to where they will end up anyway before they get accosted by the random thugs. Collect the pretty ones to the brothels, take the dangerous ones to the gangs most in need of new blood, get specialized talent to the place they can be used for crafting or whatnot. A quick conversation was usually enough to get their story and determine a course. The dull ones could meet their typical fate on their own.

Most days he conducts his business from a room at The Sister's Roses, a brothel cleaner than most, in the Three Sisters district. He is usually well-received because he spends all his earned coin there and often work to keep the peace from the occasional belligerent customer. He is actually slightly interested in finding out more about the owner Alysa Bryce, who obviously used to be a prostitute and is only entering middle age but now makes excuses or disappears whenever anyone shows any interest in herself. It's a contradiction he can't figure out because he still doesn't understand human emotions and reactions. Being in the neutral territory, sometimes there's a really good fight nearby. But it's fairly well understood nobody wants to see the customers or workers get maimed or killed so blood is rarely spilled.

Legacy of Marak

Date Events
462 Began the Legacy of Marak campaign