Thaalim Torchtower

Thaalim Torchtower was a renegade Cormyrean soldier turned bandit leader, warlord, and self-stylized king of the Tun Marshes in the mid–14th century DR.

History
Precipitating his rise to lawlessness was the slaying of a fellow Cormyrean soldier, of which he was found guilty and condemned to death if ever he was caught.

In Marpenoth of the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR, Torchtower rose to power as a bandit leader in the Tunlands. Rumors spread that he had spies and agents throughout the Forest Kingdom of Cormyr and the Dragon Coast, but that was only true for the town of Eagle Peak. While snooping around the lair of the black dragon Skurge, he found and stole an egg, putting it in temporal stasis with a scroll. This allowed him to form an uneasy truce with the dragon so long as her egg remained within his fortress.

In Tarsakh of 1367 DR, the Zhentarim, who had taken over Darkhold five decades prior, set about training and directing the Tunlanders to raid the interior of Cormyr. In response, Cormyrian forces from High Horn raided the Tunlands. The warlord's youngest son died in these raids and Torchtower vowed revenge against King Azoun IV.

By 1372 DR, he was still in power and was referred to as Lord Thaalim Torchtower.

Allies
Torchtower had a bodyguard of loyal human, half-human, and humanoid warriors, as well as two renegade sorcerers who assisted in battle and served as scryers and spymasters: Thylash, a human male from Thay, and Khyssaria, a half-elf woman.

He also allied himself with Skurge and the other Tun bandits, although it was a tenuous alliance at best. He was still seen as an outlander, albeit one who knew their ways and had brought prosperity.