Tormad
Background
Born to a dwarven clan somewhere along the Sea of Silt, he was educated by his mysterious human father named Nathem, and learned much lore and wisdom in those precious few years from the old man. Suddenly one day when he was ten Tormad was captured along with a bevy of dwarven children by a slaver party from Draj. His parents were killed in the attack. Enduring extreme hardships, Tormad was sold by slave merchants until at last reaching Tyr, where he was trained to be the manservant and bodyguard of a prince of House Minthur, a powerful senatorial family in that city. Ever desirous of escape, Tormad's great intellect forged a complicated plan to freedom. Tracked down by House Minthur slave hunters, Tormad was punished and given a second chance, but outsmarted his masters and escaped a second time, this time by the method of setting fire to a part of the noble palace. This time, Tormad was punished with the annual levy.
Taken by the Black Battalion to a secret location outside the city, at the age of 13 Tormad knew a great and evil doom was upon him. Mustering his hidden Will, Tormad made himself invisible to the templar guards, and fled. Very shortly after, Tormad beheld the Dragon himself, who suddenly appeared amidst the doomed slaves, and who seemed to stare at the mul before Tormad could make good on his escape. Tormad then beheld the Dragon slay a thousand or more people with a single terrible spell. Fleeing in terror to the south, Tormad after over a week or more collapsed at the site of Laerno's Village, still petrified by what he saw in the Dragon's eye and the gasps and cries of terror from amidst the taken levy.
Tormad at Laerno's Village
Wandering half-mad in the desert, Tormad eventually fell into the outer limits of the Dragon's Swathe, where the young and inexperienced mul had no prayer to find water and food. Collapsing, he was by a miracle discovered by Baronus, a retired slave-soldier and freedman of House Asticles of Tyr. The kindly Baronus, now playing the part of a spiritual wanderer in the wastes, revived Tormad, and led him back to his home at the then budding village of Laerno, so named after its founder, a goodly master telepath from Tyr.
Tormad soon found Laerno's Village a kindly place. Composed almost completely of escaped and freed slaves and their children, the new village was kind to Tormad, and healed and befriended him. He was given a place in the house of Baronus, and with him became a farmer. Being well-fed (a rarity thus far for Tormad) and performing the daily labors of a farmer, Tormad's teenage years saw him grow exceedingly strong and healthy. Baronus has given some training to Tormad as a warrior, and taught him weapons, tactics and a many other martial virtues.
Plagued by nightmares and the sight of the Dragon, Tormad was soon seen by the village headman, old Laerno himself. Utilizing his great knowledge of the Way of the Unseen, Laerno probed Tormad's deepest thoughts, and slowly, with both the Way and the words of a caring heart, assuaged some of the worst of Tormad's memories. The old man also saw within Tormad a deep ocean of wisdom and genius, and sought Baronus' permission to tutor the mul boy in the Way and in wisdom when his farming duties are complete.
Over the last several years, Laerno has taught Tormad a great deal, in both the Way of the Unseen and in wisdom. Laerno alone knows of what Tormad saw upon beholding the Dragon of Tyr, and has assuaged the most acute nightmares from the mul's mind. Although only one of Laerno's pupils, Tormad has become one of the old man's greatest students. Interested in pursuing the psychoportative discipline, Tormad has saved up his earnings from Baronus and accepted the scholarship money of other villagers to attend lessons in psychoportation at the School of Thought in Tyr, where he was instructed by the half-elf Fyrian. Tormad has recently returned to Laerno's Village after nearly one year at psionic study in Tyr, and although still the farmer, he is granted leave to meditate at the borders of the Dragon's Swathe. Upon his return from the School of Thought, Baronus named Tormad his adopted son and heir.
Recent Events
Tormad chafed under the brief domination of the village by brigand desert raiders. Although almost always suspicious of templars, the village is still under the suzerainty of Tyr, and when the Tyrian templar centurion Ter'Vas came with a small party to unseat the brigands, the village accepted the aid. When the time came for rebellion, Tormad and his father were ready for the challenge. With the help of his incredible strength and command of the Way, Tormad helped defeat the brigands.
In victory, the templar Ter'Vas has requested of the grateful villagers beasts of burden mounted with great quantities of water along with a compliment of militia to support a Tyrian cohort marching towards the heart of the Dragon's Swathe. With some reluctance, Laerno and the villagers have agreed to these demands. As a de facto leader of the ad hoc village militia, Baronus has agreed to support the templar's demand. In respect for Ter'Vas having saved the village from the bandits, the villagers have pressured Tormad to accompany his father and fifteen others, and to serve as the company's mindbender.
