a man calls himself a simple gleeman. But such arrogance to keep the same name."
Title(s): The Gray Fox, Gleeman, Court-bard.
Favorite Saying: I'm getting too old for this.
Tall, lean and long limbed with a stoop in his shoulders, he moved spryly, but not so much since a Myrddraal left him with a limp. He has shaggy white hair and thick snowy mustaches that sometimes quiver. His blue eyes can drill into a person, and are below bushy white brows on a gnarled face. He talks quickly and his voice carries, seeming to resonate even outdoors. He was acrobatic and agile, but is unable to do backflips now. He snores "like a saw cutting an oak knot."
Hard to kill. He is hot headed, sometimes saying the worst things at the worst moments. He is reasonably wise and able to play Daes Dae'mar in his sleep. A great performer, he always believed the audience's tastes were not as good as his.
He was first mentioned as the bard of the young Lady Morgase. Thom helped her to ascend to the throne of Andor, becoming the Court-bard and known in every royal court from Tear to Maradon. He killed Taringail before he could carry out his plans to kill Morgase. Thom was at this point Morgase's lover, but soon after Taringail died, Owyn and his problem cropped up.
Too busy in Caemlyn to do anything, he left Owyn until it was too late. When he returned to Caemlyn, Morgase was upset with him for disappearing without a word. Instead of gently brushing aside her temper as was normal, he was so distraught that he told her what he thought: that she was a spoiled child and a puppet of Tar Valon, and he proceeded to shake her physically. He left Caemlyn half a step ahead of the headsman's axe. He continues to blame himself for Owyn.
Thom became a travelling gleeman, entertaining villagers for many years. It was in this profession that he came to Emond's Field for Bel Tine. When Moiraine left the Two Rivers, he left as well, wanting to help Rand, Mat and Perrin, as he had not done for Owyn. When everyone was separated at Shadar Logoth, he, Mat and Rand took refuge on Bayle Domon's ship. Once in Whitebridge he helped Mat and Rand escape by attacking a Myrddraal, giving him a permanent limp.
Making his way around as a gleeman once again, he arrived in Cairhien, performing in the Foregate for Seaghan. He fell in love with Dena: a young woman training to be a performer. There he met Rand again and retrieved his flute and harp. Just when things were looking up for Thom, King Galldrian had Dena killed in an obscure Daes Dae'mar plot.
My reading of the situation is this: Rand came to Cairhien and turned everyone's head. Then Rand ignored Galldrian, and met with his enemy, Barthanes. Rand had been seen with Thom, and Galldrian, needing to show he still had power, decided to send a message to Rand and Barthanes by having Thom killed. But Thom wasn't there at the time, so Galldrian's henchmen killed Dena and waited for Thom, who promptly killed them. Thom then killed Galldrian. With both the king, and the next most powerful person both dead, it was unclear who was most eligable for the throne. The ensuing tussle between the Houses became a civil war which was only stopped by the coming of Rand to Cairhien with the Aiel. This story doesn't half get complex eh?
Feeling very low, Thom made his way to Tar Valon to help his mood. There he started performing at The Woman of Tanchico and burying his sorrows in drink. Mat found him after escaping from the White Tower, and together they left for Caemlyn and then to Tear to save Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve.
After the Stone fell, he took a room in the servants' quarters, helping Rand with Daes Dae'mar and the High Lords. He and Juilin Sandar left Tear with Nynaeve and Elayne helping them hunt the Black Ajah in Tanchico. He and Juilin followed them to Salidar and then Ebou Dar where they were last seen escaping the city with Mat.
During his time in Caemlyn he became good friends with Basel Gill, and still visits him when he can. Thom has no living relatives. He had a brother, whose son was Owyn. Owyn had a wife who is also dead.
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