Thoran Yo, Wizard of Melderyn

A Tale of Thoran Yo, Mage of Melderyn

By Richard Fletcher, Bard

Part One

In a land called Harn, on the world of Kestel over one hundred-thirty-seven years ago was born the man now called Mage of Melderyn. Thoran Yo was born of parents who were natural magic users in his land. As he grew up his magical powers grew with him, to the point that several mages, some good, and evil, noticed his powers from around his world.

At a time of great strife on his home world, Thoran found himself thrust into a war at the young age of sixteen. The war was over him, between the good and the evil of the land; each trying to be the first to win over Thoran�s heart. Thoran, however, was unaware of this and by the time he was seventeen he�d been kidnapped three times; twice by an evil liche called Ha Rodrum, once by a man known only to Thoran as The Elder. It was during this capture that Thoran learned the truth of the War.

The Elder helped to train Thoran�s wild magical abilities for almost a year, when suddenly an army attacked the walled city where Thoran lived. The Elder somehow managed to smuggle Thoran from the town, before the final assault, taking him back to his parents. Thoran and the Elder arrived too late. Thoran�s parents were dead and his siblings all gone. Thoran searched for many months, wandering the world alone, never to see his sister and two brothers again. His parents were dead and all the evidence pointed to Ha Rodrum. The war thus ended when Thoran turned to the Good.

But Alas! Once again Thoran was kidnapped, this time by barbarians, and sold as a slave, whereupon he spent some time on an island known as "The Isle of Thieves". Eventually, Thoran and five companions fought their way free of the island, after freeing a thousand other slaves and creating an uprising. The War of Thief Island was the second war in which Thoran fought against evil. One of Thoran�s companions was a half-elven woman named Laliath, who had as pets, tigers. In the winter of the year the War of Thief Island finally ended, Thoran and Laliath married. Eventually, though, Laliath had to go back to the elves, for she was royalty. Thoran�s heart though, was in adventure, and thus saying good bye to Laliath for the last time, he left for the open seas.

A stroke of luck one evening, in an old seafaring tavern, brought Thoran some news of the evil Liche Ha Rodrum. By this time, Thoran was approaching one hundred years of age, and was a powerful sorcerer, versed in the skills of his world, and those skills of other worlds where he had already traveled. He was also well known. When Thoran Yo asked Kings for something, generally, they agreed giving the elderly Sorcerer whatever it was he asked. Thoran Yo was never known to have asked for much of any one, and so Kings and Queens bowed easily to his wishes.

The ancient evil that had been visited upon Thoran�s parents over eighty years before was not forgotten, and Thoran, with the help of several good kings and queens raised a small army to go against the Evil Ha Rodrum. The battle raged for four months, and many good people died, as well as thousands of undead creatures, daemons and other hell-spawn summoned by the Liche. However, with his power waning, Thoran rode directly into the heart of what was to be the final battle on his horse Windstorm. Thoran Yo knew that the power of Ha Rodrum was also waning, and the winner of this battle would be the one who ushered in a new world - one of good, or one of evil.

When Ha Rodrum saw Thoran Yo, he halted the battle, he stopped time itself and the real battle began in earnest. Electricity - bolts from the darkened skies flew, flames, horrible creatures and all manner of beasts attacked Thoran Yo - but to no avail. Energy drawn from the very planes of existence, would have utterly destroyed everything within hundreds of miles, were it not for frozen time. Thoran was stronger and dispelled or absorbed most of the energy. Then the two met, standing face to face on the frozen battlefield. Men and monsters, locked in a sightless, soundless combat, neither moving, not living, but not dead with time standing still, except for Thoran Yo and Ha Rodrum.

Both powered up for the final kill...energy summoned from the depths of hell, and from the depths of revenge caused the battlefield to glow for fifty leagues in all directions. Suddenly, the massive amount of summoned energy clashed between the two foes - and the very ground beneath them melted into a maelstrom of wicked purple, swirling and sucking at them both. The portal opened up and the two foes fell through the swirling, reeking mass of nothingness, both, losing consciousness and life force.

Crashing to the ground, somewhere, somewhen, someplace else, both were changed forever. Thoran Yo found himself in a straw bed, in a barn with a young man standing over him, whom he later found out was Richard Fletcher. Ha Rodrum found himself laying in another barn, no longer a liche, but human again. Both men found their powers gone. Both found themselves on one of the many shards of Sosaria, in the land of Lord British, both still enemies, but both powerless to do anything to the other. Neither could kill the other (for they tried several times) without the other being resurrected again, only to live again and again. Eventually, their fight waned, and the Fletchers were sad to see both men wander off in to this new land - which was called Moonglow. Both Thoran Yo, and Ha Rodrum called it Hell. For both knew, in time, they should return to their own realm, and finish the final battle, but could not. But neither knew when, or how that could happen. Both knew that the land they left, forever frozen in time would remain as it was when they left - and only the two of them could return it to life. One without the other could not do it, one wanted to badly, the other wanted not to, just as badly.

Since those days, Thoran Yo has not again crossed the path of Ha Rodrum, nor to Thoran�s belief has Ha Rodum tried to find Thoran Yo. Someday though, perhaps they will meet again. Thus ends the story of how Thoran Yo came to the land we call Sosaria.

Part Two

Thoran Yo spent his days in his new lands, wandering the Island of Moonglow, where he soon found that magic did indeed exist. Having aged much in the battle with Ha Rodrum, he figured it time to learn, and learn quickly - which he did. Being a "natural" for magic he picked it up quickly and soon found his traveling spirit renewed in him. Seeking only to learn, and to help those around him who required assistance, he found himself traveling with various companions, joining various guilds and passing on what little he had learned to those less fortunate. After many years of learning, Thoran Yo was once again approaching greatness, as a Master of several magical skills - though, nothing in this world would ever compare to the power he had once wielded, he did make due with what he had. He used his magic to buy a small house outside of the town of Yew, and soon became a famous person there.

After a fashion, the locals began to call him the "Wizard of Yew" and he formed an organization called The Rangers of the Southern Cross, based on some legend from his own world, and stories he�s learned from Lord British himself of the original Avatar. The Rangers flourished in Yew - until the discovery of the "Facet of Trammel". When that happened, some sort of rift had opened up, bringing with it evil from the depths of elsewhere. Orcs, and trolls, goblins and all sorts of things began to spawn in and around the villages and towns, making life very, very difficult on the normal folk.

Daily there were slayings of innocents. Thoran roused the town of Yew and organized the army of defenders that is to this day, called "The Defenders of Yew". The DoY consisted of about eight or nine guilds, who were all loosely associated. Thoran was elected to be the Supreme Commander of the Defenders of Yew. It was about that time, during a pitched battle with undead near the town of Trinsic, a party of fellow adventurers joined forces. In one group was a woman called Sheiba. The other, Thoran Yo.

When pressed by creatures, the two stood fighting side by side, and someone noticed a distinct, but very apparent resemblance to one another, neither Sheiba, nor Thoran had yet noted. Their clothing was similar even unto the hue and shading of the cloaks they wore. They each wore similar amulets - apparently made by the same person. Both had the same spark, and glint in their eyes.

When the battle was over, they each congratulated the other on their victory, and naught else would have happened had not someone pointed out the resemblance. It took some time, but, through the chit-chat of traveling back to Trinsic, it was discovered that Sheiba and Thoran Yo were long, lost brother and sister! Since those days, Thoran has often adventured with Queen Shieba�s Alliance. Although keeping to himself, as a recluse, now mostly of poor memory, somewhat senile and forgetful, Thoran kept the guild of the Rangers of the Southern Cross running.

Eventually, the Rangers fell into ruin. Thoran�s people had traveled onward and away, the guild finally closed it�s doors recently for the last time, and the guild stone was placed into a stone covered box, buried near his log cabin. Queen Sheiba had always held open an invitation to join her alliance, thus, when the RSC closed it�s doors for the last time, Thoran decided to take the Queen up on her offer. His title, the Mage of Melderyn was bestowed upon him, in memory of his long, lost, but not forgotten home - instead of the later title of "The Wizard of Yew".

Thoran continues to help those less fortunate, and works on his magery, inscription and alchematical skills. Today he has a fine laboratory, and is a Grand Master in most of the magical arts. He is a fearless fighter, when he has to be, and can remember the difference between a dog and dragon, but most importantly - he will always help those who need it in some manner that is wise and knowing, instead of handing over money to the needy. Those who tell him they won�t work, receive his scorn. Those who harm his friends, receive his wrath. Those stories are for another day though.....