Thusk Tharmuil

Thusk Tharmuil was a powerful archmage who lived in Glister in the mid-to-late 14 century DR. He was often credited with keeping the town safe despite its hostile location in Thar. "I'm not the king, duke, or even mayor of this town, but I keep an eye on things as best I can. Actually, I'm supposed to be retired, but who will keep track of what the orcs and ogres are doing if I don't?"

- Thusk Tharmuil

Description
Thusk was not merely Glister's most powerful wizard, but one of Glister's claims to fame in the mid-to-late 14 century DR. The man himself was tall, appearing as a portly man in his 50s with a balding head and a bushy grey unibrow. He preferred to dress simply, such as in a gray robe with black slippers. He did, however, wear a silver-rimmed belt which held a jeweled dagger.

Personality
"Well, I really thank you for coming to dinner&mdash;I haven't had a good laugh in quite a long time."

- Thusk Tharmuil

Thusk was talkative and jovial, and was generally a kind and sympathetic individual. He was gracious to those who shared his zany sense of humor and could make him laugh. He enjoyed eating, drinking, joking, singing, and telling stories, and had a deep, baritone singing voice.

Possessions
His tower was built into a hill on the east side of Glister.

Activities
Thusk was ostensibly retired, although he still took an active interest in the peace and safety of Glister, and kept an eye on the orcs and ogres of Thar as well as the activities of evil factions like the Zhentarim and the Cult of the Dragon. He would go so far as to recruit and pay adventurers passing through town to solve the regions problems. When sizing up an adventuring party's worthiness, he would invite them to a sumptuous dinner of rich food and wine to swap tales and tell jokes. If he liked the adventurers, we would treat them to a dessert of pudding and coffee.

Thusk was a protector of Glister and an important source of its regional power, responsibilities he shared alongside the town's temples: the Hall of Luck, the House of Swords, and the House of Auril's Breath. He bred special wolves which attacked orcs and goblins but left the humanoid inhabitants and visitors to Glister unharmed. His efforts were credited not only with keeping the town safe from local monsters, but also from monsters out of Vaasa.

Relationships
As of the late 1360s DR, Thusk had a dutiful apprentice named Menzel and a beleaguered cat named Sasha.

Thusk kept in touch with other wizards in order to stay abreast of news. He also had many connections across the Moonsea from his days as an adventurer, and knew that he could field an army of mercenaries if Glister's need was ever great enough. His closest allies were his old companions: Ghoran Bhinduth, Multhran Brokenshield, and Jhaness Lhasprair. He had implied that he had an admiration for&mdash;or perhaps a friendly rivalry with&mdash;Elminster.

He had a strong dislike of the Zhentarim.

History
In his adventuring days, Thusk led a party known as The Company of the Cat. He retired to Glister at some point prior to the Vaasan War and was nominally credited for being the reason that Zhengyi the Witch-King of Vaasa did not attempt to march his forces across the Galena Mountains into Thar.

In the, Thusk aided a young refugee from Vaasa to find a band of adventurers to help her rescue her parents from dragon-riding brigands, whom Thusk correctly surmised to be members of the Cult of the Dragon. Unbeknownst to the archmage, however, the teenage girl was in fact a steel dragon named Steelheart.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #53: "Steelheart"