Thane Newsong
The Chaos Legionnaires stood before him, blocking his path. Thane counted twelve of them, each holding the great two-handed sword for which they were so infamous. He had no idea what these warriors were doing treading such remote mountain paths.
“You are in my way,” Thane said.
“Such is the duty of the legionnaire, to block the progress of our enemy,” a faceless helm replied.
Thane's great eye widened before blinking. “Then I am your enemy?”
One of the legionnaires lifted their sword and pointed it at him. “As are any who do not follow the Legion. You must come with us or die.”
Thane chuckled and dragged the lute from his shoulder. “If we are enemies, I have a tale you must hear first.”
And Thane began to play.
The legionnaires tried to advance on him as the delicate notes lilted through the mountain air, but their feet refused to move, the dried earth sucking and pulling at their heavy greaves.
And then Thane began to sing.
Hollow cries rang out from the legionnaires, but they could not drown out his deep voice as the magical words spilled forth, each rolling baritone crushing their armor tighter about them until rivulets of blood trickled from the creases. As his song continued so did their pain, and they crumpled to the ground one by one, silent in death's embrace.
When the last of them fell, Thane stopped his song and slowly blinked as he purveyed the carnage his melody had wrought. “It is the sonnet of death itself, and the last thing you will ever hear in this lifetime.” Thane Newsong is perhaps the Pristine Northwest's most musically talented cyclops. He is a Master Bard in the Sonnet of Silence and has learned not only to manipulate mana through his music, but also to wield great magical power. People travel from hundreds of miles around to hear Thane play, and his melodic tales have been known to captivate audiences for hours at a time.
But there is more to Thane than just his bardic talents. He is a natural leader and teacher and remains one of the most knowledgeable scholars within the Sonnet of Silence. He has stood victorious against mighty warriors and small armies alike and has never faltered, his legend growing and spreading its way across the realm.
The lute he carries is said to be made from a broken branch of the Ancient Redwood, a small gift between friends and a piece of magic from the Elder Tree itself. Thane carved the instrument himself while singing one of the most joyous sonnets the world has ever heard, and his magic is all the more powerful because of it.