Character Bio: Tourthun, the Red Dragon of Palethorn
“I am guided by the philosophies my father taught me. There is much you may find strange about me. I shun a traditional...lifestyle. I do not prey on your cattle, or gather a hoard, or have servants...my abode is humble. It is why I was not sought out by the beasts of Palethorn before the accursed demons arrived. I did not bother them, and I had no treasure for would-be heroes and thieves to steal. Why slay a dragon if you have nothing to gain? Unless you are Salign, of course...”
Born to a mother and father in the wilds of Geralthin, Tourthun has little to no memory of his mother. She was killed by another dragon shortly after his birth. His father, Tamis, had to provide for and raise the hatchling by himself. Tamis the Placid, as he was called by other dragons, had shunned his kin after his mate’s death. He lived in isolation in the wilderness, with only his child. He didn’t gather treasure, as he felt he had no use for it. He refused to take minions, as it made him feel like a slavemaster, something he saw the other dragons as. For Tourthun’s early childhood, he saw almost no other life as he lived in the mountaintop cave his father moved to after the death of his mate.
Tourthun didn’t spend a long time with his father, but the time he did is cherished dearly by the dragon. The two of them flew the skies together, ate together, spoke about life and myth all day...they only had each other, after all.
Tamis began encouraging his son to follow a certain lifestyle at a very young age. He drilled the child on the importance of kindness, humility, temperance, and peace, imploring his son to treat the smaller creatures of the world with respect. He also spoke poorly of other dragons to Tourthun, calling them bloodthirsty and cruel, something that would deeply affect the child’s worldview for ages to come.
After several years in isolation, disaster struck once again. Another dragon attacked the two in their cave. He had apparently heard of the father’s softness and decided he would make an easy first kill. Many dragons tried to assert their power and importance by testing their might against other dragons. This young, inexperienced dragon wanted to boast of killing another dragon without taking much risk, which led him to choosing Tamis as his opponent.
Sensing the end drawing near, Tamis cried out for his son to flee to the wilds right away, and not to stop. Tourthun was hesitant to leave his father, but when he saw the other dragon cut him down, Tourthun knew he had no choice.
He flew as far as he could, convinced the other dragon would come for him next. His luck turned around somewhat, as the other dragon either lost him or simply had no interest in boasting over killing children. He began aimlessly wandering the wilds, hysterical over his father’s death. With nowhere to go, and no one to go to, the child hid out near a human town, seeing it as the safest bet. Humans were skilled monster slayers, so nothing would come for him here.
He was still reeling from his father’s sudden death however, and struggled to provide for himself. He had never hunted, and he didn’t want to. Initially fleeing when spotted by the humans, his ravenous hunger had finally made him desperate enough to seek them out. He could only hope they were as kind as his father made them out to be.
Luckily, the townspeople were amused by the small dragon. After landing in the crop fields, instead of demanding tribute or scorching them like they thought he would, he begged for their help. The people of the town agreed to help the child, and set him up with a daily offering of plants and berries to munch on.
The people of the town of Havel were generally amused and cheery about the situation, jokingly claiming that they had “adopted” the dragon. They called him “the mascot of Havel”. Tourthun slowly warmed up to this role, entertaining people who wandered into his cave a short trip from Havel and regularly speaking with the townspeople.
Years passed, and the dragon grew and grew, now an adolescent. The town of Havel began struggling to provide for the growing dragon, and so Tourthun learned how to make his own meals. Despite his newfound self-reliance, his bond with the town grew. People still came every now and then to talk, wayfarers stopped by to witness the Dragon of Havel themselves, and the children of the town snuck into the cave to see the mythical beast, awestruck.
A small tribe of kobolds made themselves known to Tourthun. Seeking a dragon to claim as their guardian, the creatures began sneaking into his cave to offer him tribute. He turned them away each time, but they persisted. He slowly grew to accept this, though he barked at them to leave the people of Havel in peace each time they visited.
One day, the tribute stopped. Curious, Tourthun took a short trip to their lair to see what happened for himself. The entire tribe was dead, apparently having drawn the ire of the nearby human settlements, after one heist too many. Tourthun was upset over the loss of life, but he soon wandered back to Havel. He felt small pangs of guilt, thinking that perhaps if he had taken them under his wing, he could have steered them onto a better path, preventing their deaths.
Upon reaching adulthood, Tourthun began to think about where his life was headed. Should he strike out on his own and travel the world, to gather knowledge and become wiser? Should he declare himself the Guardian of Havel? Or perhaps he should track down that horrible dragon, and avenge his family...
His path was decided for him, however, when the Exile began. All non-humans were to be exiled to Palethorn, effective immediately. A massive contingent of dragonslayers arrived to deliver Tourthun an ultimatum; come to Palethorn, or be hunted. The townspeople of Havel gathered in an angry mob to resist the dragonslayers, screaming and pelting them with rocks. Seeing a massacre in the making, Tourthun hurriedly pledged to join the exile in Palethorn, to protect the people of Havel from the kingdom’s wrath.
Many tears were shed, but Tourthun angrily went along with the exile. He had now been forced from his home twice, everyone he cared about was gone. He was furious, hurt deeply and craving vengeance...but memories of his father tempered his wrath. He had to live up to the morals his father pleaded with him to follow. He couldn’t bring him back, but he could honor his wishes, at least.
Tourthun set up his lair in a mountainous cliffside near Palethorn. When he first arrived, Tourthun was met by another dragon, who was seeking friends among exiles. Although seeming friendly and innocent, Tourthun refused him. He had never forgotten what his father told him, and witnessing his death firsthand solidified his perspective. He demanded the dragon leave, to never return. The dragon seemed upset, but relented, reminding Tourthun that he and his family would be in the city’s natural caverns if he ever needed anything.
Tourthun stewed in bitter dejection in his new home, isolated and angry at the people of Geralthin for separating him from everything he cared about. Anyone curious enough to brave the mountain and enter the cave was sent running with angry demands to never return. Tourthun was still soft-hearted, and wouldn’t harm any interlopers. He did however, feel betrayed, wanting nothing more than to be left alone.
A lengthy stay in the cave made him slowly lose this mindset. After scaring off the first few explorers, no one else dared enter. He spent his days foraging and sitting around in his cave, nothing to occupy him but his thoughts. This slowly took its toll on him, driving him into grief with loneliness. After a lifetime spent close with others, this self-imposed isolation was too much for him to handle.
Just as he felt he might go mad, and considered going to investigate the dragon that tried to befriend him, the attack happened. Tourthun awoke to panicked screams, and the scent of smoke and death. Demons had invaded the world, and they chose Palethorn as their starting point. It looked as though he would be forced away from his home once more.
No.
Every time he fled, he lost everything. He wouldn’t be driven away again. He wouldn’t stand by while his life was decided for him. He wouldn’t let yet another act of evil stand unopposed by him.
This time, he would fight.
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