Liam Taom
Born beneath the bleeding sky of a tumultuous storm, in the harsh, desolate landscapes of the Northern Khalavraides, enters the world a child named Liam Taom. He is the only son to a family hardened by battle and strife, a lineage of mercenaries throughout the centuries. The tales speak of his legendary ancestor, Balor Breakspear, a warrior known throughout the kingdom for his bravery and martial prowess.
The Taom family lives by the blade, the mates of war their only allies. As a clan of paid swords, they alter the tides of wars for gold and the thrill of battle. Their household motto, "We owe no allegiance," starkly echoes their fierce, unyielding lifestyle. Yet, they harbor no ill-will nor malice, for war to them is solely a vocation, not a bloodfeud.
Liam's childhood remains seared with pain as a tragic event strips away his innocence. On a seemingly ordinary day when his mother and sister head out to the local market, a marauding gang of bandits leaves the town burned to the ground, taking away all that Liam holds dear.
Shattered and bereft, Liam trains, each swing of his sword fueled by his burning anger and desperate need for vengeance. His early life is engulfed in battles, his strength and resolve maturing more with each passing moon. Throughout the years, he grows into a fearsome warrior, his presence foreboding, an embodiment of a destructive storm wrapped in the flesh of a man. His beard, coarse and long, sways with the rhythm of each swing, a symbol of his power and authority.
In his pursuit of retribution, each slash of his blade resonates with a silent scream for justice. His work motive strays from the clan motto. He does not bow down for money alone; it is the blood of his enemies that fuels his insatiable drive—specks of scarlet redemption painted on the canvas of a once pure child's heart.
Few form a bond with him over the years, save for a solitary figure named Halmund Blackhand. Halmund, older and similarly wrought by the perils of life, proves to be a companion like no other, acting as an anchor amidst the tumultuous seas of Liam's life. Their friendship is a beacon of light, combatting the encroaching darkness that threatens to push Liam to the brink.
Yet, beneath the hardened exterior, Liam fears a life defined by vengeance, becoming a mirrored image of the very monstrosities who turned his life awry. That becomes his biggest phobia, an unending nightmare that haunts him, a destiny he vehemently strives to escape.
His spiritual beliefs are that of the ancient Northern rune-gods, a pantheon of deities symbolising life's many aspects. He prays to Runi, the God of Retribution, seeking guidance in his path, a beacon in his endless quest.
His life is etched with a tangle of histories, each strand painted with shades of battles won and lost. His tale is one of resilience and survival, a testament to the human spirit's indomitable strength. Yet, the wheel of destiny continues to spin, moulding the destroyer, Liam Taom, into perhaps something more, or something far worse. Only the swath of time can reveal the true plight of his story.
human
destroyer
mercenary
