Tharundar Olehm (soldier)

Major Tharundar Olehm was a Amnian Council Army officer in charge of Hillfort Torbold in the 14 century DR.
==Relationships==
Tharundar was of the influential Olehm family, the eldest grandson and namesake of his grandfather, Holycoin Tharundar Olehm of Goldspires.
The Major earned the love and devotion of his soldiers at Torbold through his genuine care and efforts to keep them alive. They were proud of themselves and their posting, and very few chose to request reassignment elsewhere despite the hardship and danger. This loyalty disturbed the Council of Six, who believed that Tharundar was planning on raising an army in rebellion against them. As such, they intentionally withheld the troops that he was due as part of his conflict with the Skullgnasher hill giants.
Major Tharundar built up a friendship and alliance with the High Marshal of the nearby Citadel of the Banner Raised Anew, the halfling crusader Brenth Stoutshield. They worked together to protect the western Tejarn Hills and low-lying farmlands south of Lake Esmel.
==History==
In his youth, his family attempted to make him a priest in the tradition of his grandfather, but Tharundar ran away to become an adventurer and traveled the North, and even fought in Tethyr's civil war. After earning a heroic amount of experience in fighting monsters and warbands, Tharundar returned to Amn and saw that its defences were sorely lacking, and so leveraged his family connections, personal fame, and captured treasure to win the command of Hillfort Torbold in 1358 DR.
On taking charge, Major Tharundar set about fighting the Skullgnasher hill giants who were raiding throughout the Tejarn Hills and eastern Small Teeth. He instilled great discipline and skill in his soldiers, and used the unorthodox techniques he had learned to effectively counter the giant attacks that came twice a year in the summer. He received little aid from Hillfort Ishla or Keshla, and despite being in active combat only ever received the basic allotment of fresh graduates from the Golden Fortress in Eshpurta. Despite the odds, he managed to consistently win narrow victories or force stalemates with the forces of Chief Fedduk, who he gave a measure of respect for his tenacity and cunning. Over the years, Olehm learned the terrain of the Tejarn Hills almost as well as the hill giants did, and levelled out the advantage the giants initially had in the rough hills.
One of Olehm's early projects was the construction the Olehm Passage, a path from Hillfort Torbold to the Tethir Road away. He built up the strength of his troops by the hard labor of cutting a level path through the rocky hills, and continued it across the plains to the south until it met the main road. It allowed his company to respond to the giants more effectively, as well as proved a boon to caravans that were able to use it as a shorter route. Escorts of about a dozen soldiers were available along the passage to lone travelers and small groups for free, and to caravans for a modest fee.
By the , the forces of Hillfort Torbold had managed to methodically locate and destroy the giants' hideouts in the area and banished the Skullgnashers from the Tejarn Hills, forcing them back the foothills of the Small Teeth. Major Olehm suspected that this was only a temporary respite, and this was proven correct during the build-up of Amn's invasion of Riatavin. On Eleint 12 a third of his garrison was sent off to be absorbed by the growing army at Hillfort Keshla, but later that same day a squad of wounded riders from Esmeltaran arrived and informed him of the Sothillisian War and the attack on Esmeltaran that had already captured the city. General Labak Craumerdaun diverted some of his troops to Esmeltaran, leaving Major Olehm to gather and command the forces in the area for future campaigns. With a complete lack of trust in the Council's ability to manage the war, Lord Logan Coprith took to working with Olehm instead. High Marshal Brenth Stoutshield of the Banner Raised Anew also donated his halfling forces to Olehm's command, even at the risk of leaving his Citadel and Zinner undefended.
On Eleint 20 a scout arrived from Imnescar and reported that Murann was under threat, causing Major Olehm to rally all available forces to protect the city. Despite the pressing threat, many officers at Hillfort Keshla refused to act and the army only started moving once their underofficers threatened mutiny. The assembled army marched quickly and arrived at the ruins of Trademeet on Eleint 26 , and Major Olehm ordered a period of rest to recuperate his forces instead of charging into battle.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Fighters
Category:Clerics
Category:Priests of Waukeen
Category:Humans
Category:Adventurers
Category:Soldiers
Category:Commanders
Category:Members of the Olehm family
Category:Members of the Council Army
Category:Inhabitants of Hillfort Torbold
Category:Inhabitants of the Tejarn Hills
Category:Inhabitants of Amn
Category:Inhabitants of the Lands of Intrigue
Category:Inhabitants of West Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Inhabitants