Thorne
Appearance
A stern looking, middle-aged fellow, Thorne keeps his graying hair somewhat long and his mustache and beard well kept, if a tad scruffy. His skin is tanned from many years of working outdoors. He has chiseled features and an athletic build.
He tries to appear as plain as possible while staying practical, wearing simple cloth shirts and cloaks, and cloth or leather pants. He keeps a simple short sword, a buckler, and minimal armor on him at most times. This includes a pair of bracers, which he uses in tandem with cloth bandages to try and keep the backs of his hands and wrists covered without being too obvious.
He tries to appear as plain as possible while staying practical, wearing simple cloth shirts and cloaks, and cloth or leather pants. He keeps a simple short sword, a buckler, and minimal armor on him at most times. This includes a pair of bracers, which he uses in tandem with cloth bandages to try and keep the backs of his hands and wrists covered without being too obvious.
Skills and Abilities
A former military man, Thorne is decently skilled with a few martial weapons such as swords, crossbows, spears, and the like. Though he was never a top combatant in his day, he's seen his fair share of fights and has a certain level of combat intuition. His preferred weapon is one he keeps hidden on his person: a simple length of chain tipped with a wicked hook on one end and a spiked counterweight on the other. Thorne prefers to fight from a comfortable distance, disabling would-be assailants with binding and debilitating attacks.
As a man on the run, Thorne has become far more adept at surviving. Hiding in plain sight, using lies and subterfuge to travel unnoticed, knowing who to talk to and whose palms to grease, knowing what plants are poisonous when you've been laying low in the woods for weeks, having the strength of will to run without a break for hours on end...these are things that Thorne shines at.
As a provider to the girl in his care, as well as a vengeful killer, Thorne puts these abilities to other uses. Thorne exceeds at learning about his marks and getting into positions that he can kill much stronger opponents from. His wit and tenacity are stellar, and they work in tandem with an ability that he keeps far, far more secret.
Through the power of cursed runes which permanently brand his hands and forearms, Thorne can produce ethereal rings from his wrists capable of nullifying magic and suppressing a mage's ability to cast. He can channel the negative magic energy along many metal surfaces (usually his chain) to render a mage vulnerable even without making direct contact. Each use of the runes puts a great physical strain on Thorne, however, and should he over use them he is susceptible to falling unconscious for extended periods of time.
As a man on the run, Thorne has become far more adept at surviving. Hiding in plain sight, using lies and subterfuge to travel unnoticed, knowing who to talk to and whose palms to grease, knowing what plants are poisonous when you've been laying low in the woods for weeks, having the strength of will to run without a break for hours on end...these are things that Thorne shines at.
As a provider to the girl in his care, as well as a vengeful killer, Thorne puts these abilities to other uses. Thorne exceeds at learning about his marks and getting into positions that he can kill much stronger opponents from. His wit and tenacity are stellar, and they work in tandem with an ability that he keeps far, far more secret.
Through the power of cursed runes which permanently brand his hands and forearms, Thorne can produce ethereal rings from his wrists capable of nullifying magic and suppressing a mage's ability to cast. He can channel the negative magic energy along many metal surfaces (usually his chain) to render a mage vulnerable even without making direct contact. Each use of the runes puts a great physical strain on Thorne, however, and should he over use them he is susceptible to falling unconscious for extended periods of time.
Personality
Thorne is stern, soft spoken, and dutiful. His military life and strict upbringing has given him a deep set of personal convictions and idea of justice. He is harsh in his dealings with others and dismissive and unsympathetic towards most. When he kills he is cold and methodical, not allowing his deep hatred for those whom he targets to overwhelm his judgment.
Yet he hides a more caring side, one which he only shows around his charge, Autumn. Though he is bitter at his lot in life, he sees her as the one good thing he has left and does everything in his power to keep her as safe and happy as possible.
Yet he hides a more caring side, one which he only shows around his charge, Autumn. Though he is bitter at his lot in life, he sees her as the one good thing he has left and does everything in his power to keep her as safe and happy as possible.
Biography & Lore
Early Life
Born and raised in Vel Anir to a mundane, career military household, Gideon Thorne was brought up under a strict and regimented lifestyle. Duty and loyalty to his family and city were taught to be first and foremost among his values. He was expected to join the ranks of the city guard and serve under the Dreadlords as a blade to their will and shield to their lives, and he did so with unwavering conviction. Though nothing spectacular in terms of martial skill or physical ability, so faultless was Gideon's determination to serve that he quickly found himself climbing the ranks. By the time he was 22 he even caught the eye of a venerable Dreadlord enchanter, a man named Validus Ordo, whom took Gideon on as his adjutant. Unbeknownst to the young officer, Ordo had plans for Gideon that would strain the limits of his loyalty. Through rituals not unlike the torture the Dreadlords themselves had to endure, Ordo conducted malevolent experiments on Gideon in an attempt to create a powerful, living weapon out of Gideon, perhaps to gain an edge on his comrades. After much suffering and permanent marring of his hands and wrists with diabolic runes, Gideon was bestowed with an ability which would give Ordo an edge against his enemies: the power to sever a mage from their magic.
Disaster
Outside of his career, Gideon's life played out a classic tale of romance. He met a woman named Vera, an attendant to the noble house Whispergrove, whom he fell in love with. She was a nurse to the Whispergroves' only child, a girl named Autumn. The two Vel Anir devotees quickly married and life carried on. Six years passed and Gideon was content with his life. He had continued his training and service to his city and master, as well as getting to know the members of the house his wife was loyal to, in relative peace. In that time he came to love the kind and caring Whispergroves as well, and became something of a godfather to Autumn. The peace was not to last.At age 28 Thorne had been on his way to visit his wife at the ancestral home of House Whispergrove. When he arrived, he found it in flames. Panicking, he searched the manor for his beloved, as well as any sign of the cause of the disaster. The events that followed shook him to his foundation. The lord and lady of the house had been slaughtered by a pair of Dreadlords; they had refused to give up their daughter to them, and it cost them their lives. All too late, he found his wife trying to protect the young girl. He had only a moment to look into her eyes, horror setting in, before she was rent in two by one of the militant mages. Rage consumed him, but he did not have the chance to exact his revenge...for Autumn, the daughter of House Whispergrove, did it for him. The girl unleashed a crushing, rolling wave of force which instantly flattened the Dreadlords and reduced the manor to rubble and ruin.
When the dust settled, a battered and broken Gideon pulled himself from the wreckage to find the unconscious form of Autumn safe and sound. For a moment, relief washed over him. Knowing that the frail girl was safe was a drop of water in the infernal storm around him. The moment passed when he recalled what had happened. His wife and the family who had shown them kindness, burned and slaughtered by these blind zealots, the Dreadlords. He needed revenge. He craved it.
Validus Ordo never knew what was coming. In the same night, Thorne's chains found Ordo's throat, and Ordo found his own weapon being used against him. Cut from his magic, he was helpless to fight back as Thorne tortured and beat the man to death. For the first time in his life, Gideon Thorne had chosen to defy Vel Anir.
Present
Thorne was declared a wanted man for the murder of three Dreadlords and the kidnapping of a Dreadlord initiate. He fled with Autumn to the outskirts of Alliria to start a new life for the both of them. He has done much to raise her, but caring for a child is not easy. Though at first Thorne tried to lay low and work as a courier, he found that the best way for him to make money to keep his goddaughter and himself comfortable was to keep killing. Thorne is picky about his targets, however. He only takes jobs that will directly bring harm to the Dreadlords and their interests. Though his rage has cooled, he takes any chance he can get to kill Vel Anir's finest. He only hopes he can be the best father figure to Autumn that he can while satisfying his unique vices.