Thayne Dedrich

*Art by anony-mouse*

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***This page is currently under construction***

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Thayne is one of the main player characters and a member of the Infiniteers. He is accustomed to a clandestine and dangerous lifestyle due to his career in shadowrunning, an illegal but pervasive form of corporate espionage in his home world. His hand-to-hand fighting style is enhanced by both his sturdy physicality and magical abilities. Those diverse skills combined with his enigmatic nature make Thayne the wild card of the team.

## Personality

Thayne comes from a universe where underhanded dealings are the norm, and he grew up fending for himself on the streets. As such, he doesn’t trust easily and is reluctant to reveal information about himself or his past. He takes longer than most to accept someone into his trusted circle, but once he does, he is loyal and protective. Despite his gruff exterior, Thayne has a big heart and great capacity for affection.

Thayne often feigns indifference or annoyance, possibly more out of habit than any genuine belligerence. Nonetheless, he tends to be even-tempered; any anger he feels typically simmers beneath the surface, and rarely does anything rile him up to the point of an outburst. If his wrath is awoken, it is fierce and well-earned.

Typically laconic, Thayne can be a good listener when he cares enough, and his friends often confide in him when they are working through a problem or struggling to untangle their emotions. He can be surprisingly insightful, which allows him to offer straightforward advice that cuts to the heart of the matter.

Thayne favors action over speech; he has little patience for spending more than the bare minimum of time formulating a plan. Often, the Infiniteers will discuss their course of action, and the moment they reach a consensus, Thayne will already be in motion while the others are still wrapping up their conversation.

Thayne sometimes exhibits a playful side. He has a dry sense of humor and delights in some good, (mostly) harmless mischief. His low-key nature makes him particularly adept at successfully pulling off pranks.

### Values and Ideals

A well-honed survival instinct drives Thayne to make choices that are self-serving, especially early in the story. Over time, however, his priorities broaden to include first his team and then the greater good, eventually reaching a point where he is willing to sacrifice himself to save others.

Thayne hates to see anyone being taken advantage of by those in power, and he treats everyone as equals. Knowing what it feels like to be a pawn in someone else’s game, he values the autonomy of others and seeks to restore the dignity of choice to the downtrodden. He goes about accomplishing that not through grand gestures but through subtler methods.

Neither status nor wealth impresses Thayne, and his respect must be earned on merit alone. He defies authority often, which could be seen as a flaw, but his defiance is usually just—especially since most of the authority he tends to encounter is corrupt.

### Sexuality

Thayne is the only Infiniteer without a romantic interest. Although unconfirmed, fans speculate that he may fall somewhere on the asexual spectrum.

Throughout the story, Thayne has a number of characters flirt with or proposition him, and although he may casually flirt back, he always rebuffs any further advances. In one instance where Thayne turns down an offer, the other cast members tease Eric. He responds that Thayne just met the woman, so he isn’t going to sleep with her. That statement could be interpreted multiple ways, but when considered alongside Thayne’s past behaviors, it suggests that he may be demisexual or something similar.

## History

### Early Life

Acting in accordance with a prophecy, the dragon Lucero Ka impregnated an elven woman so she could bear him a child. Whether the woman agreed to this willingly is unknown, but either way she feared the dragon. She gave birth to a son, and the baby was immediately taken away by Lucero Ka. Unbeknownst to him, however, the woman was pregnant with twins. When the second son was born, she hid him from the dragon and fled.

This second son was Thayne, and for the first few years of his life, his mother ran with him from place to place, trying to make ends meet and escape the notice of Lucero Ka. When Thayne was four, his mother took ill and died, leaving him effectively orphaned. Thus he grew up on the streets, learning from a too-early age how to fend for himself.

### Career

Due to his childhood circumstances, it is little surprise that Thayne became a shadowrunner. His magical abilities, his fighting prowess, and his cunning survival skills ensured his success, and he gained a modest reputation. Eventually he led his own team, and at some point, he took a young orphaned boy into his care. The boy, Dax, proved to be a genius hacker and became a valued member of the team.

### Arrival in Nowhere

While on a job, Tieg, one of Thayne’s team members, betrayed him. With the exception of Dax, the rest of the team were killed, and then Tieg shot Thayne point blank, telling him it wasn’t personal.

The story of Tales of Nowhere begins with this event. Thayne sees a bright light, and he is pulled into Café Nowhere. He awakens, disoriented, and he finds he is not alone. Three strangers arrive in the same manner, and they are greeted by a scientist named Copernicus Stratt, who explains that Thayne and the others have been recruited to repair the multiverse and save it from ultimate destruction.

Copernicus tells the newcomers that he may be able to return them to their home worlds if they are successful in their endeavors. Although Thayne doesn’t fully trust the situation, he quickly accepts the mission, deducing that he has no other viable options.

### Vampire: The Masquerade

See Alternate Versions below.

Thayne does not trigger into the world of Vampire: The Masquerade along with the rest of the team. Instead, the dragon Lucero Ka pulls Thayne back into his home world mid-transit. The vampire named Thayne with whom the others interact is actually the one that belongs to that world, not the Infiniteer. Not even Copernicus realizes the mistake until the end of the arc.

## Physical Appearance

In his home world as well as in Nowhere, Thayne is an elf. Described as “big for an elf,” he is tall and sturdy. A long scar runs down his face. Although initially said to be nearly but not quite bald, he is elsewhere simply referred to as bald; either way, hair is not one of Thayne’s defining features.

Thayne favors green and black, and his mostly-black attire features a futuristic, lightly-armored trench coat. His signature weapon is a set of snap blades that spring from a wrist cuff when he makes a motion as though he’s flipping the bird.

### Dungeons & Dragons

Just like in his home world, Thayne is an elf in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Few other specifics are given about Thayne’s appearance when he arrives, but a blanket statement is made that the group’s clothing each resembles its original form but has adapted to fit into the high-fantasy setting. Thayne retrieves his snap blades and his gun from the Infinitrunk.

### Call of Cthulhu

Thayne has his first experience with being a human in Arkham. In classic gangster form, he wears a subtly pinstriped suit, a trench coat, spats, and a fedora.

### Stars Without Number

In Issac’s home world, Thayne is a human with tattoos of unspecified appearance and extent. Reflecting his invented vocation as a mechanic, Thayne wears coveralls with the sleeves rolled up. A handkerchief—once white, now black with grease stains—hangs out of his back pocket, and he carries a wrench on his person at all times. He retrieves his snap blades and his safety pistol from the Infinitrunk upon arrival.

### Tales from the Loop

At eleven, Thayne is the youngest of the Infiniteers’ child versions, but he is stated to be big for his age. Like all the other campers, he wears the camp shirt, which is a green ringer tee with darker green trim and “Camp Cankywampus” written on the front in an 80s-style font. He keeps his signature item, a hacky sack, with him at all times.

### “Strange Lands” Mini-Arc

As a demigod, Thayne appears larger than usual due to his divine parentage. He dresses in typical ancient Greek fashion, consisting of a chiton and sandals. His snap blades trigger with him, but he also chooses a shield and a spear to use while on his quest.

### Deadlands

In the Weird West, Thayne dresses in a manner befitting his lifestyle as a poacher who spends most of his time traveling the wilderness. He wears primarily leather and animal skins, including “classic cowboy pants,” which are likely shotgun-style fitted chaps. The Infiniteers arrive in winter, and to keep himself warm, Thayne bundles up with a thick woolen coat and gloves. He completes the look with a cowboy hat, and he retrieves his snap blades from the Infinitrunk. Soon after he arrives, Molly sends him a green hand-knitted scarf for Christmas.

### Mutants & Masterminds

Thayne chooses a classic superhero aesthetic for his uniform as Misfit. He wears a green spandex suit with a black mask. He also carries a large red bag, which is the primary source of his abilities. His ears are still pointed but more subtly than usual.

## Relationships

### Dax

Thayne took the orphaned Dax under his wing, undoubtedly seeing something of himself in the boy and his circumstances, and they developed a deep bond. Although Thayne plays something of a parental role in Dax’s life, the two regard each other more as brothers.

As the closest thing to family Thayne has, Dax is Thayne’s number one concern after Tieg’s betrayal. Thayne doesn’t know if Dax survived, but the desire to find out, as well as the responsibility and affection he feels for the boy, drive him forward in the hopes of being able to return to his home world.

At the end of the Strange Lands mini-arc, Lucero Ka contacts Thayne and reveals that Dax is alive, to Thayne’s great relief. Using Dax’s safety as leverage, Lucero Ka succeeds in striking a deal with Thayne.

When Thayne returns to his home world, the dragon, hoping to keep Thayne in line and doing his bidding, allows him to speak briefly with Dax. Lucero Ka has treated Dax well, and at first, Dax buys into it. The kidnapping and subsequent arrival of Jessica Hondo, Pinky, and the others finally convinces Dax of the dragon’s true nature. Dax uses his hacking skills to facilitate his own rescue, and he and Thayne are reunited at last.

Dax is with Thayne when the group boards the newly converted Exile of Fate, and he learns of the existence of other universes. He asks Thayne if he thinks that in another universe, they might be real brothers, and Thayne assures him the odds are high, but that “you don’t have to be related to be family.”

After defeating Gelsmak, Thayne chooses to return to the Shadowrun universe along with Dax. For a while, Thayne tries to take charge of the raising of Dax. He eventually realizes it’s not a role for which he’s suited, and he passes the guardianship of Dax over to Naurmael Orellen and Mindy Mason.

### Tieg

Tieg was once a trusted member of Thayne’s team of shadowrunners until his betrayal and murder of Thayne and the others on the team. Afterward, Thayne regards Tieg as his mortal enemy, and the desire to return to his home world and exact revenge drives him forward.

In Arkham, Thayne is blindsided when one of his mob colleagues turns out to be that world’s Tieg, known by his mobster name Mack the Knife. At first, Thayne struggles to separate the two in his mind, but Mack proves himself to be both useful and loyal, and Thayne eventually warms to him.

Thayne encounters Tieg again when he eventually returns to his home world. Tieg, using the name Mack the Knife, joins forces with the Omeganauts in order to draw Thayne’s attention. Thayne barely holds back from shooting Tieg on sight, but Tieg insists that he has information, so Thayne reluctantly listens. Tieg reveals that he was working for Lucero Ka from the beginning and that he only killed Thayne at the dragon’s behest, having been told that Thayne would be recruited as an Infiniteer. He claims that Lucero Ka tossed him aside after he was no longer of any use, and shortly after, he joined the religious cult of the dragon Venra Ulteem.

This information does little to sway Thayne’s opinion of Tieg, but the moment for killing him in cold blood has passed, and Thayne lets him leave with his team.

The two cross paths a final time when the Infiniteers are brought to Venra Ulteem’s compound. Lucero Ka arrives, and the two dragons fight in their true forms for the possession of the Celestial Shard. Tieg and several other high-ranking cultists are angered that the actions of the Infiniteers put their “goddess” in danger, and they attack. In a final showdown, Thayne kills Tieg with a shot to the head, repeating Tieg’s own words back to him: “It’s nothing personal.”

### Kirin

Thayne and Kirin develop a close friendship during their time working together, to the degree that Kirin tells Thayne that he is her best friend. Although Thayne is less vocal, his behavior indicates he feels the same way, and he clearly respects Kirin and holds her in high regard as a paragon of goodness—a true hero.

Kirin frequently turns to Thayne to discuss her problems, and Thayne listens and provides support and advice when wanted.

Kirin’s trust in Thayne motivates him more than anything else to resist fulfilling his end of the bargain with Lucero Ka.

While the Infiniteers are in Kirin’s home world, Kirin slowly becomes consumed by the shard of darkness left in her by her defeat by Wraith. The team learns that only an act of true, platonic love can free her from his influence. In the final showdown with Wraith, Kirin is immobilized, and the situation looks grim. The puppet body of Duckens Vernon shoots a ray at Kirin, but Thayne jumps in the line of fire to protect Kirin and takes the full force of the attack, which proves fatal.

Thayne’s sacrifice releases Kirin, and she communes with all the wielders of the power of justice that came before her, who bestow upon her their combined powers to use temporarily. She promptly uses her enhanced powers to resurrect Thayne.

### Molly Gibson

Thayne and Molly are thrust together when the plan to escape the clutches of Copernicus’s future self goes awry. Due to Issac’s inexperience manning the Infinity Trigger, the Infiniteers and their companions are all separated and flung into different worlds with no means of communication. Thayne and Molly happen to find themselves in the same world, but while Thayne is a renowned son of a goddess, Molly is a slave.

Realizing the nature of their situation, Thayne acts quickly to buy Molly in order to keep them together. She balks at the idea, but she understands the necessity. Although she is unhappy with the status quo, she gains respect for Thayne because he doesn’t take advantage of the situation in any way, and he treats her as an equal.

The two develop an unlikely friendship during their time together as each comes to realize they can rely upon the other. Molly feels a strong loyalty toward Thayne thereafter, and he feels a deep fondness for her in turn.

Later, when the Infiniteers discover that the real Thayne has been missing since they first triggered into the vampire world, Molly insists on accompanying them to Thayne’s home world in order to find him.

### Mindy Mason

Thayne’s fabricated history in the Mutants & Masterminds world includes having crossed paths with Mindy through the media. She has reported on him before and does not seem to hold him or his abilities in high regard. Thayne plays into this in an effort to get under her skin even further.

Later, when back home in the Shadowrun universe, Thayne encounters that world’s version of Mindy when infiltrating the Pixie Trap. Although this Mindy shares some characteristics with her reporter counterpart, her circumstances have caused her to lead a very different life. She seems drawn to Thayne from the start since he treats her differently from her usual customers.

When the Infiniteers’ plan comes to a head, Mindy is caught up in the action and forced to flee with Thayne. She returns with him to Issac’s apartment, and, left with few options, she decides to take her chances with the Infiniteers.

At first, she attempts to come on to Thayne, but he consistently declines her offers, expressing an unwillingness to take advantage of her vulnerable position. He eventually talks with her and gently lets her down by explaining that he may not always be around. He asks her what she wants, and she confides that if she was on her own again, she’d probably end up returning to the Pixie Trap since that’s all she knows. Thayne doesn’t criticize her for this, but he does offer to help her to learn to be more self-sufficient so that she has more options available to her. She eagerly asks if he can help her learn to fight so that she can defend herself, and he agrees.

Unfortunately, circumstances allow little time for any training, but before Thayne leaves his world, he connects Mindy with Orellen and asks him to look after her.

## Quotes

* [to Kirin] “You’re a hero.”
* “Man, you die once around here, and people just forget about you.”
* “You know, I’ve waited for this moment for a long time—the moment I can say goodbye to all you assholes. Nah, these are good times. I don’t want to ever do it again. That doesn’t mean I’m not gonna have my TST on.”

## Trivia

* Thayne has a well-developed sweet tooth and a particular passion for pastries.
* In Tales from the Loop, Thayne’s theme song is “Take On Me” by a-ha.
* In Deadlands, Thayne has a gray horse named Earl.

## Alternate Versions

### Not Quite Nowhere

See Theen.

When the Infiniteers travel to another multiversal tree entirely, they encounter a person at its root who appears nearly identical to Thayne and goes by the name Theen. The Infiniteers all assume that the two are alternate versions of each other such as they have encountered before. Much later, Thayne learns through the Crone of Manderwick’s vision quest that Theen was actually his twin brother.

### Vampire: The Masquerade

See Thayne Dedrich (Vampire).

Unbeknownst to the others, the Thayne with whom the others interact while in New Orleans is actually the Thayne who belongs in that world. Since the other Infiniteers have their memories repressed and are only aware of their false lives as vampires, the mistake is not uncovered until nearly the end of the arc.

## References and Footnotes

1. ↑ S1E98 - The Heroes of Fate, Part Two 52:39
2. ↑ S1E70 - An Act of Pure Love 1:12:29
3. ↑ S1E70 - An Act of Pure Love 1:32:02
4. ↑ S1E98 - The Heroes of Fate, Part Two 1:53:35