Thalkor Regarth

The attire Thalkor when travelling as a member of The Destro Obstantia.

Thalkor Regarth is a half elven artificer, former member of The Destro Obstantia and current headmaster of one of the High Colleges in The Highlands. A stoic and serious man, Thalkor has slowly become more machine-like with age. He is the adopted uncle of Gore Abromovich and Garth Abromovich, the group going on to found the Destro Obstantia. He is also the adopted father figure of Robert Regarth, newly crowned Dyad-King of Crownskeep.

## History

### Life as a Prince

Thalkor was born into the royal family of Elasmis, located in The Westfold, and was the youngest of two sons. Resigned to always serve as his brother Gegard’s right hand, Thalkor studied all that he felt his brother was weaker in, not to surpass him or prove himself superior, but instead to shore up his weaknesses and better protect him. As a result, Thalkor became engrossed by magic and artificery, his young mind working hard to understand the world around him and to bend it to his will. Where Gegard was a charismatic and physically powerful warrior, Thalkor became a studied and intellectual arcanist, the two brothers forming a formidable duo.

As princes, Gegard and Thalkor would escape their castle grounds to wander both in Elasmis, and the surrounding countryside. Many times they fled their home and ventured deep into The Crown Mountains in fanciful quests to hunt dragons, or pushed further west towards the great black wall of Heldiabolas. Their parents' security detail would work over time to return them before any harm befell them, but these adventures proved very beneficial for the young princes. Both saw firsthand the troubles that faced their people: drought, famine, plague all borne from the desert, but also demons, and bandits, and other predators that took advantage of their people's vulnerability.

As the boys grew, their adventures turned into missions, and they would lead soldiers in defending their borders and their people. Where Gegard found his strength in his arm and his charisma, Thalkor wove his magic into weapons. Great feats of engineering, Thalkor would wield firearms he modified, having purchased them from far off on the eastern edge of Veiltouria in a city known as Crows Nest. The two brothers' presence on the field of battle was enough to galvanize their people, and together they had many great victories. Notably, they repelled and banished a horde of barbarians led by an ogre warlord called Huan Gar-Taz. Gar-Taz had plagued Elasmis for decades, and it was Gegard and Thalkor together who finally defeated him in combat. Gegard, showing his compassion, allowed Gar-Taz to flee with his life, much to Thalkor’s frustration.

### Brother to The King

Eventually, Gegard would be crowned King and Thalkor rose to become Gegard’s chief counsel and head arcanist of Elasmis. The two brothers led Elasmis to a time of peace, fighting against the harsh climate of the desert and repelling many demonic incursions. Gegard also fell in love, his tiefling bride Tarwein Abromovich eventually giving birth to two healthy sons, Garth and Gore. Despite his colder exterior, Thalkor loved these boys and gave his all to them, teaching them the ways of politics, tactics and magic. Both Garth and Gore soon proved adept students, though it was Garth who took more after his uncle.

The peace in Elasmis would not last, however, as Gar-Taz returned. The ogre had learned from his defeat and infiltrated the city in the dead of night. Capturing hundreds of hostages, he challenged the king to single combat. Gegard accepted, despite his wife’s and brothers pleading, and met the ogre in battle. The two mighty warriors seemed equally matched as they clashed in the castle's courtyard, though bit by bit Gegard was slowly gaining ground. Before he could deliver a decisive blow, Gar-Taz blew his green scaled horn and sneered with laughter, as a booming roar tore through the city. Descending on the castle, with wing beats like a hurricane, was an ancient green dragon, Pusgloom. Gegard looked on in horror as his castle was melted in a poisonous deluge, his bride and Queen trapped in the attack. Distracted by the dragon, Gegard was left defenseless and allowed Gar-Taz the chance he needed, the ogre promptly decapitating the king in front of the remainders of his family.

Devastated, Thalkor looked around him as the city fell and knew what must be done. Taking Garth and Gore, he fled outside the city's walls. This would lead to nearly a decade spent on the run from Gar-Taz’s warriors, the two young princes and their uncle doing whatever mercenary jobs they could find to survive. During this time Thalkor’s education of the boys became more focused, and he trained them to be fierce warriors. As they came of age, Thalkor eventually agreed to allow them the chance to get their revenge, starting with hunting down the dragon that killed their mother.

### The Destro Obstantia

Having tracked it down to a small abandoned village at the foot of The Crown Mountains, the trio also encountered a dragonborn bard named Sagitarrion Nimbo and a fetid dwarven rogue named Lance Goldmanwitzenstein. These five would go on to form The Destro Obstantia, after battling Pusgloom and discovering the dragon was in service to the Demon Lord Orcus, the Destro began hunting both the dragon, and Orcus’ minions. Together they traveled across the west, rebuilding the mountain village into their own base of operations called Fort Destro, engaging in many battles against a necromancer named Fitty Gheesee and finally killing Pusgloom.

During their travels, Thalkor was hideously scarred by Pusgloom and forced to wear a mask that hid his face. This would begin a slow adaptation of enhancing wounded body parts with artifacts and mechanical aids.

Tragically, it was revealed that Lance had been working for Orcus the entire time, with the dwarf stealing many of the artifacts they had reclaimed and escaping to the badlands west of Heldiabolas. Following Lance’s betrayal, Garth and Gore decided to train warriors in an academy at Fort Destro and become demon hunters, while Nimbo went east to spread legends of their tales. Thalkor, seeing his nephews were now mighty warriors, went searching for his own destiny.

### Robert and The Future

He made his way north into the mountains, constructing many amazing and unique artifacts. While on his pilgrimage, he stumbled upon the destroyed remains of a gnome family, their home burned to the ground and their entire number slaughtered except for one young boy. Rushing to the boy's side, Thalkor saw in horror his legs had been burned away. Taking him back to the makeshift cave he had been living in, Thalkor nursed the boy back to health and helped raise him. The boy awoke, amnesiac, so Thalkor named him Robert and tutored him in the ways of artificery. For the next fifteen years, Thalkor and Robert lived together and worked on their arcane engineering as a family. Robert, or Bob as he went by, was a prodigal student, and could craft things others could only dream of. As Bob aged, Thalkor once again realized he would have to leave someone he loved like a son, for the growing wanderlust in his eyes reminded Thalkor of Gore and Garth years ago. He resolved to part ways with Bob she he could step out on his own and find himself.

Before departing, Thalkor left Bob an incredibly complex arcane gift: a sentient robotic bear named Teddy, to serve as Bob’s friend and guardian. Thalkor then made his way east, having heard stories of The Guardian Council forming in Forestsedge. Arriving in The Highlands, he met with King Bill, aiming to show his magical might and see how he might be of assistance. The two ate and drank and found themselves fast friends, with Bill offering Thalkor a place as the Headmaster of The High College of Artificery, or Cogshelm as it was known. There, Thalkor finally found his place, spreading his knowledge to hundreds of students.

Life as headmaster suited Thalkor, and the light hearted nature and slow pace of life was a welcome change. Over time, both Garth and Gore made their way east to visit their uncle, and Bob himself became a champion of Saschia and studied at the college. Thalkor had finally found his palace in the world, and he would protect it fiercely.