Tomas Weaver, Lightbearer of Realt

Human / Paladin / Fighter

Submitted character story

Tomas was born into into a world always at threat of total collapse. The Sword Coast was not a friendly place. And he was raised knowing that. From birth he was destined to be an agent of the law, a bringer of justice, a Templar of the One Law. 

He led a very Spartan childhood. One where he constantly had to prove himself worthy of his accolades, and the approval of his father. His two older bothers, Kalan and Cassius, where exemplars of what the One Law stood for. Kalen, the level headed, calm pressence on the field of battle. Cassius, the rampaging, zealous warmachine. Tomas was just... well... Tomas. And for his father... that wasn't enough. 

Taking up his father's craft, blacksmithing, at a young age, Tomas spent his formative years in Neverwinter perfecting his craft under  the careful hand of Pyciveral of the Mithral Halls, a dwarven mastersmith who at one point or another had come to owe the One Law and Tomas' father a favour. For near six years he worked on his craft, until finally Pyciveral declared there was nothing left to teach. Returning to the One Law with his armour ready, Tomas joined the ranks of the One Law as a Templar Initiate, seeking to dole out justice across the lands of Faerun. 

During his yearsas an initiate he travelled far and wide across the Sword Coast, supporting his Mentor as a squire throughout inverstigations, judgements and executions. Tomas earnt his ascension to Templar after a futher 5 years of service, inheriting his Mentor's place within the order after a battle gone wrong. Rather than taking on an initiate of his own he chose to travel alone for a time.

Tomas never strayed far from the doctrine of his order. He believed in the mission, to be an embodiment of unbias justice, to act as the judge and the executioner on matters of crime and punishment. He had made peace with the fact that his arrival in a village or a town was never welcomed warmly, and that his departure would leave some form of sorrow or devistation in it's wake. But that was his job. The consequences didn't matter, so long as the Law was upheld. 

Then, one fateful night in Waterdeep, he was called to a meeting with the heads of the Lord's Alliance along with 3 strangers. An elf whose mood reflected the seasons with a dark past, a dwarf who travelled with an owlbear companion that shared his name, and a strange investigator with many vices. 

Across many adventures close to home and afar, they came to be closer friends. As the coming conflict grew more apparent, allies came and went. But none would be as affected by Tomas' presence in the group than the eladrin druid, Tempest. The two grew close, drawing comfort from each other despite the dire future unfolding across the land. Then one fateful night, after celebrating a victory against their enemies, they chose to admit that something was growing that they hadn't expected in the most drunken way possible. They both bartered a surprise, and when Tomas lost he gave it in the form of a kiss. 

During his travels he had sworn an oath of Vengeance against his foes, using the newfound power to slaughter an ambusher in the form of a blue dragon that he had once duped. The oath unlocked something within him, something leaking through from somewhere... else... his cool and calm demeanour in battle became one of rage. He would loose himself, even becoming a threat to his own party as the rage began to consume him, manifesting as an intense, burning heat. 

Taking a detour to fix this growing problem, Tomas aand Tempest took the opportunity to return to his home. There, the leader of his order performed a ritual that would sever his connection to an ancient evil that had latched onto his oath and corrupted it. In doing so, his connection to the entity that gifted his order with their divine power grew, manifesting as glowing, golden eyes. 

Freed from the evil that sought to use him, his fight against the enemy could continue on. Allies were gathered, enemies defeated, hope began to grow that they could stop the coming apocolypse. Then one night, one of their companions vanished, spirited away with nothing but a note left drawing Tomas and his companions to a black chapel overlooking the city. Hidden beaneath was an extrance to the Undermountain, and within they met the best their enemy could throw at them. 

The battle was long, and labouring, but the tide started to turn in their favour as Tomas and his allies struck down their enemies one by one. Until, at least, one of his allies attempted to pick up an item that the leader of this group had in his possession, a blade with an edge so sharp it spelled doom to whomever it cut. A transformation started to take place, as the dead leader began to overtake his ally's body. 

In a moment of sacrifice, Tempest took the unholy blade away from them, the transformation transferring to her. In an attempt to stop it, Tomas cast protecting magics and attempted to purge the growing presence within her. With only moments left, they said their good byes, that they would find each other again, and then the transformation finished. With a flourish of the blade, Tomas' head was separated from his body, not even given another chance to avenge the death of his lover. 

In this moment of death, Tomas awoke beside the goddess from whom his powr came. He learnt the truth of his order, of what they did to seal away an ancient darkness, and that soon that darkness would once again be free. She offered him a choice. Seek peace in the afterlife, the fight done. Or return to the world of the living and continue the fight. 

Tomas considered her offer, knowing fullwell that he could finally rest, or continue on. But one thing the goddess had told him resonated with him. She had been standing vigil over this ancient evil, alone and forgotten, for centuries. Her power was waning, and it was only a matter of times before the chains would break and the seals would die. So he rejected both, chosing instead to remain with the goddess so that she was no longer alone in her vigil. 

She gave him one final chance to say a fleeting good bye, giving hima brief return to life to do so. Tempest begged him not to leave her, that she couldn't be without him. She had given him her name, she had vowed never to dance with another again. It pained Tomas to see her sorrow, but he had made a vow. To stand against the darkness, and give the world time. Time to defeat Tiamat, and then time to prepare. For what was coming was a far greater evil than the Dragon Queen posed.