Gudzwabofer

The Shaman
(Whose birth name is unable to be pronounced in mundane Helmian)

The Shaman's time had come to paddle into the sunset. However this was not to be his end. He made landfall on the Afflicted Isles and began to learn about this strange new land.

The Land Beyond the Sunset

The Monstrous Tree

Tif, the Library Assistant
Tif is one of the few remaining of their kind, one of the more placid native tribes of Templehelm. Tif was given refuge by Gudzwabofer during a time of great turmoil in the land when not even those hidden in the wilderness were safe. Since then they have been a loyal assistant to Gudzwabofer and have also occasionally given assistance to those browsing the Glint Library while in town. Despite an earnest application letter, Tif is yet to be made an official Emeraldite Librarian. Upon the passing of Gudzwabofer, Tif remains living in Thyvor, and will gladly give assistance to any who ask, as long as it is not too dangerous.

A Curious Quotation

Tif's Life in Templehelm and Adventures in Libraries

A guide to the proper care, storage, cataloguing, shelving, reshelving, and protection of ordinary tomes, including an appendix of suggested categories.

Gudzwabofer, lost King of Thyvor
Picture by Tynan

The first thing that Gudzwabofer remembers is waking up in the undergrowth wearing a mouldy robe, an indication that he'd probably been laying there for some time. This led him to believe that he may have been a druid of Wildaven who had eaten the wrong mushroom by mistake. He attempted to follow this path, travelling all the way to the haunted jungle in search of answers. In spite of spending months there in quiet contemplation and prayer, tending to the wild garden, he received no answers from the earth mother. He travelled the earth from end to end and side to side and found widespread ruin, but no sign of these gods, only the omens of a holy war to come.

Renouncing the gods he sought refuge with the Legendslayers and built a home there. During his time there he built the Defiance library, and a reputation as a scholar, he also investigated the whereabouts of Sarasate and Xenn. While is yet to find them, his visits to Sarasate's tower piqued his interest in magical devices, something he both devoted some study to, and grew increasingly wary of, considering foolhardy experiments he both heard about and witnessed first hand. It is though an association with one of these scientists that he unwittingly gains a half daughter, Erza. While he cares for her welfare, the compromising situation which led to this is a source of great shame for Gudzwabofer as he usually places great emphasis on exercising caution in most matters. Around this time the war with the Legion is taking place and Gudzwabofer is working on various defence ideas along with other engineers from Defiance.

Then for reasons unknown the world changes, and the citizen's of Templehelm find themselves in an unfamiliar landscape. During the rebuilding of the city, Gudzwabofer begins to sense a growing madness in Jace, and finds he is having more and more differences of opinion on how best to defend the Heretics against the gods and violent zealots. He has begun to grow dissatisfied and restless under Jace's rule, and so resolves to journey on his own once again, settling on an island with ideas of starting an academy dedicated to the principles which he has found to be of importance. Reason, discovery, openness, balance, and the pursuit of a peaceful Templehelm. The subsequent death of his daughter in an insane turn of events brought more bitterness into Gudzwabofer's soul than the gods could ever manage, but a few good friends have managed to keep some glimmer of hope alive.

Soon after, Gudzwabofer is approached by King Stelco of Thyvor and asked to make his academy part of it's kingdom. He accepts seeing this as potentially a mutually beneficial arrangement. During this time Gudzwabofer hears word that Jace has left Templehelm and that the Legendslayers have suffered a heavy attack. He pledges his support to their new leader Gabriel, but remains with Thyvor, believing that he can help the heretics more from that position, and also, as Gudzwabofer has been selected by Kae, the spirit of wisdom, as an oracle of sorts, he begins to feel less like a true heretic.

Soon after Gudzwabofer joins Thyvor, the ruins of the old Thyvor Library are located. During the excavation former kings appear to him in a vision and inform him that he is the next true king of Thyvor. A short time later, Quan, the captain of the guard, goes missing, and Stelco, the king, goes into self imposed exile, passing the crown on to Gudzwabofer and fulfilling the prophecy.

Fragmented Memories - The collected Stories of Gudzwabofer