| Thaum | |
|---|---|
| |
| skill | unknown |
| stamina | unknown |
| Preferred Weapon | Magic |
| Homeland | the cities of the world of Orb |
| Known associates | Tyutchev Cassandra |
| Race/Species | Human |
| Gender | male |
| Alignment | Evil |
Thaum is a rogueish illusionist who appears in the gamebook Talisman of Death and its later spin-offs, The Way of the Tiger series. He is a denizen of the world of Orb.
Description[]
Thaum is a young man with long hair dressing in flowing grey robes and wearing a gold ear-ring, but may change his appearance by use of his magic.[1] Thaum is a magician specializing in illusions, though he has been known to use actual combat spells, preferably exploding Fireballs.[2] The true extend of his spell repertoire, and how much of it is mere illusion and how much are actual effects, is unknown.
Thaum usually uses his magic from the background to aid his cohorts Tyutchev and Cassandra, either by drawing attention to himself[3] or by aiding his comrades and weakening their opponents.[4] He and his comrades are worshippers of the Chaos god Anarchil, Breaker of Edifices, and thus select and slay their victims as they will, the better to spread chaos into the world.[5]
Talisman of Death[]
Thaum and his compatriots get involved in the quest to remove the Talisman of Death from the grasp of the Fleshless King after Tyutchev and Cassandra encounter its tasked bearer in the The Red Dragon tavern in the city of Greyguilds-on-the-Moor.[6] Later they ambush the bearer for the Talisman, but are thwarted when their would-be victim implores the All-Mother for aid and is saved by her.[7]
Way of the Tiger[]
In the gamebook spin-off to Talisman of Death, Way of the Tiger, Thaum and his gang get entangled with the series' protagonist, the ninja master Avenger, after he is forced to kill their friend, an arrogant barbarian berserker named Olvar the Chaos Bringer, in self-defense. To seek revenge of him, they lure Avenger to a derelict temple of Nil and fight him until a Son of Nil, attracted by the battle, appears, forcing the rogues to run for their lives.[8]
Later, after Avenger has assumed his rightful place as the Overlord of Irsmuncast, a city at the egde of The Rift, Thaum and his friends are found inside the Rift. It is not exactly revealed how they ended up there, but Cassandra is sent to Avenger to demand his magical scepter in return for two of his closest friends, who descended into The Rift and were captured by the resident Dark Elves.[9] This blackmail is a ruse, as Avenger is lured into an ambush by the gang, but the servants of Nullaq, the Black Widow force them to flee deeper into the bowels of Orb.[10] After escaping the web of the Black Widow, Cassandra gets separated from her companions,[11] while Thaum and Tyutchev linger to plunder treasures from the temple of Nullaq.[12] The ultimate fate of these companions of Chaos is not fully disclosed, though it is likely that they all met their ends in The Rift, ensnared by their own greed.[13]
Further Notes[]
- In the series The Way of the Tiger book "Assassin!", there is an optional reference in which Thaum may lose his life,[14] yet may reappear alive in a later encounter, resurrected under tremendous monetary cost.[15]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 64, 235
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 171, 225, 244, 292, 301
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 106
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 171, 292, 301
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 119
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 169, 374
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 235, 248
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #2: Assassin! - 21, 43, 404
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #6: Inferno! - 71
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #6: Inferno! - 244, 284, 411, 420
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 300
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 215
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 286, 346
- ↑ The Way of the Tiger #2: Assassin! - 8, 31
- ↑ The Way of the Tiger #6: Inferno! - 224, 244