Tolsmir

*"I don't know...I feel like I should save you, but I also kind of want to break your neck."*

Tolsmir is a Human Paladin of Jenova, the Lady of Shadow. He acts as Shadeweaver to Queen Vyra and is a member of the Sandstriders.

### Backstory

Tolsmir grew up in the Foothills region of Stin Cepel, in a small farming community outside the town of Maestik. This community, unlike many others, followed a religious way known as the Way of the Light, which preached nonviolence and compassion. When Tolsmir was a boy, a group of bandits began harassing his community, demanding a tribute. The community agreed, but over time, the demands became higher and higher, until eventually the town had almost no food or supplies itself. The bandits began making examples of some of the villagers, even killing a few.

Tolsmir, a brash young boy who didn’t always understand the pacifism of the Way of the Light, decided that something needed to be done. He prayed – he didn’t really care which god answered his prayer – for a way to stop the bandits. Bane, the Wolf God of War and Bloodshed, answered his prayer, and instructed him to find a grove near the town. When Tolsmir entered the grove, a wolf statue sat in the center. The statue came alive and asked Tolsmir if he willingly accepted this gift of bloodshed. Tolsmir accepted, and the statue bit him, making Tolsmir into a werewolf.

The next day, wolf Tolsmir found the bandit camp and annihilated all of them. However, his bloodlust was not sated. He then moved on to his small community and proceeded to murder everyone in that town as well – including his father, mother, and sister. When he “came to” in human form and realized what had happened, he decided to exile himself to the Freezing Wastes, where he couldn’t hurt anyone else.

Tolsmir almost died in his first days in the Wastes. Human and wolf alike nearly froze. He was found by a group of traveling Barbarians – nomadic peoples who live in the frozen tundra. Some of them were also were-creatures; all of them were accomplished warriors. Though Tolsmir was fierce, wild, and bloodthirsty – or perhaps because of that – the group decided to take him in and train him in their ways.

### Campaign

Ten years later, Tolsmir had near-complete control of both human side and wolf side. Now clearheaded, he had time to process much of his guilt, and decided he owed a debt to society that he needed to repay. He wanted to make sure no one else had to make the same decision he had – he would protect small communities like his from bandits.

Tolsmir made his way south, fighting some bandits along the way, eventually making his way to the port city of Anin. He traveled to the Temple of Bahamut to see if the local priests had any need of a warrior like himself. While inside, he witnessed the Harbingers of Purity murder the head priestess of the Church of Bahamut. He tried to fight back, but the numbers were too great, and he was overtaken. The Harbingers put him in a prison caravan heading for Broumov; on the road, he was broken out by the Sandstriders and, seeing their cause was just, decided to travel along with them.

Soon, they met a Priestess of Jenova named Nadine Andala. Nadine saw something in Tolsmir and offered him her Book of Jenova. Not long after, Nadine died in the Shadowfell, helping the party to find then-Princess Vyra. Tolsmir was incredibly affected by this and soon decided to follow the Path of Shadow and become a Witness of Jenova himself.

After Reclamation, Tolsmir was appointed a Shadeweaver – one of Jenova’s holy defenders of Stin Cepel, and the Stin Cepel royal family. Tolsmir is currently following Jenova through Cyric's Rifts, hoping to find his goddess before it's too late.