Thorm Sureblade

Thorm Sureblade was the Guildmaster of the Independent Fighters' Guild of Ravens Bluff from ? -- ?

Appearance
(The "current year" for the people and events in Gateway to Ravens Bluff, the Living City is just before the Time of Troubles, approximately 1356 -- 1357 DR. At that time, Thorm Sureblade was 66 years old.)

Thorm Sureblade is 6' tall and weighs 200 pounds, very muscular for a half-elf. Rakishly handsome despite (or perhaps because of) the scar that descends from the black silk eye patch over his right eye to his jawline. In town he prefers to wear dark green or dark blue clothing. When traveling he wears black. His voice is a rumbling baritone. He is always armed with at least a dagger and never goes without his bracers of defense and ring of protection.

Personality
Thorm is a friendly bear of a man with a hearty sense of humor. He is a self-confident, natural leader and makes quick decisions in the field. His training techniques emphasize quick thinking and winning by any means necessary, fair or foul. He enjoys good food and collects finely carved tobacco pipes. When he has a bad day at the guild he tends to start "friendly" brawls at the rowdiest inns and taverns in town. His brawling tends to exasperate his brother Tordon who often has to bail him out of jail. He is fairly free with his money, being of the "easy come, easy go" mentality. Thorm is particularly friendly toward elves and halflings and very respectful of dwarves.

Background
Thorm was born to a Moon elf named Elwinda and a strong human fighter, Wilhelm and grew up in a village with a good mix of humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings and has learned many of their skills and customs. At age 25 he worked as a mercenary guard for a trading caravan bound for the east and sometime during the six-year trip it is rumored that he entered the lands of Kara-Tur, but Thorm never speaks about this period of his life because of his tragic return home. He found his village sacked and burned, the few survivors (including his father) telling a tale of minotaurs sweeping through the village destroying everything in their path. Thorm rallied the survivors and pursued the minotaurs and defeated them in an ambush but with heavy losses, including his right eye, but again his father survived. He wandered after that, building a reputation as an able and trustworthy fighter with many opportunities to prove his skill. He discovered he had a half-brother, the paladin Tordon, when he met him in a temple of Torm and learned that his father had remarried a human woman. The half-brothers formed a fast friendship but they parted ways because Tordon was following the way of the paladin and Thorm wanted more freedom. Years passed and Tordon settled in Ravens Bluff and eventually a letter from him caught up with Thorm, asking if he would consider running one of the fighter's guilds in Ravens Bluff. Thorm impulsively agreed.