.Thomad, the Preserver
Illustration by Ilya Astrakhan

The melancholy image created by Ilya Astrakhan inspired this portrait of a loyal priest whose god has passed on. Feel free to use this character with Requiem for a God.

In the land of Resthamor, far to the west, the Great Father, Erad, stood tall as the king of the gods. All the people of the land looked upon him with love and respect. No one loved him more than Thomad Reeth. From an early age, Thomad knew it was his destiny to become a priest of Erad, to do the good works of the Great Father and spread his protection and love across the earth. When he was 10, he convinced his parents to allow him to travel to the great city of Meran to study in the Halls of Peace. He never returned -- he fell into the open arms of the priesthood of Erad. The clergy became his family.

Thomad's life was full and rewarding. He rose through the ranks of the clergy quickly and was loved by all. People even said he looked like the Great Father, as portrayed in the statues in the Inner Sanctum of the Halls of Peace.

Then disaster struck.

Ochremeshk, the demon god, launched an assault against the Halls of Peace. His demons and cultists rained death and destruction down upon the temples and libraries there, slaughtering hundreds. To save them, the Great Father intervened himself, but it was a trap. Ochremeshk, a minor demon prince, would normally be no match for the power of a greater god like Erad. But secretly the demon god was backed by an entire cabal of evil, bloodthirsty deities who had long sought the death of the Great Father. Surprised by the ferocious ambush, Erad was unprepared for their murderous scheme. When he saw the inevitability of his fate, however, he sacrificed his last remaining energy to banish the ambushing gods, so that they could not harm his people further.

Thomad's entire life -- his entire reason for being -- came crashing down like a house whose foundation has been washed away.

Thomad isn't even really sure what happened after that, or how much time passed. It was days, certainly, before he remembered anything, and found himself wandering through the ruined Halls of Peace, alone. Days more passed before he emerged. For the next few weeks, he devoted himself to helping those hurt or lost in the attack. Without access to any divine spells or powers, though, he found himself frustrated and helpless that he couldn't do more. He couldn't even muster the strength to speak, for the words that he had once used to describe the glory and power of the Great Father failed him now.

One night, however, Thomad had a dream. An entity-a reflection of Erad calling itself "the demiurge" -- called to him and told him of a way to call upon Erad's loosed divinity and use his powers for good. As a tool, the demiurge gave Thomad a token of Erad's former power in the form of a stone on a chain. The stone had a bolt of energy inscribed upon it. Thomad found the stone amulet around his neck when he awoke.

Thomad took the dream to heart, and discovered that what he was told was true. After he found a glowing spark of Erad's lost power, Thomad regained some of his own former abilities. He swore then and there that he would use them to continue to do the work of Erad. Without his god, he still falls into fits of deep despair now and again, and often finds his lot in life very frustrating, but he copes as best as he can.

Thomad is tall and very thin. He has dark brown hair and a beard, both of which are slowly but prematurely peppered with gray. He wears the red-brown robe of a priest of Erad and the token the demiurge gave him. He carries no weapons, but can defend himself with his fists if he must.

Other clerics look upon Thomad, a Disaffected, with scorn and derision. Thomad, however, pays them no heed.

Thomad Reeth, male human Clr8/Disaffected1: CR 9; Medium humanoid; HD 8d8+8 + 1d8+1; hp 42; Init +0; Speed 30 feet; AC 12 (+2 ring); Attack +7/+2 melee (1d3, unarmed strike); AL NG; SV Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +14; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 14

Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Concentration +10, Craft (pottery) +5, Diplomacy +4, Heal +15, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (religion) +16, Listen +5, Scry +6, Spellcraft +5, Spot +5; Bloodsight*, Combat Casting, Iron Will, Improved Unarmed Strike, Silent Spell

Possessions: Token of the demiurge*, +2 ring of protection, energy loupe*, 12 gp

Former Domains: Earth, Protection

Cleric Spells (6/5+1/4+1/4+1/3+1): 0 -- create water, guidance (2), read magic, resistance (2); 1st -- bless (2), divine favor, shield of faith (2); 2nd -- bull's strength, endurance, obsequy dei*, sanctuary, shield other, silence; 3rd -- dispel magic, magic vestment, protection from elements, remove disease, speak with dead; 4th -- divination, divine power, neutralize poison, spell immunity

* For more information, refer to Requiem for a God

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"Thomad, the Preserver" from Monte Cook's Website (www.montecook.com) ©2002 Monte J. Cook.