(aka: Gillam Bannermount, Ramon Guillermo Fresco Banderas, Wilhelm Reiner von Kolaz)
a lackadaisical wandering minstrel with a golden voice
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Ht: 6'1 / Wt: 160* / Hair: dirty blond / Eyes: rusty* / Age: 400 ? / Creed: Wellund
Tom stretched out his words lazily. He spoke in the relaxed accent of Lundishmen from the pastoral lowlands on the border with the Delon marches - rich with politesse, but low on formality. Even if Tom were human, it would be difficult to assess his age. His face was lean but rugged; fair-skinned and seemingly youthful, yet with the lines and creases of a man who spent his days in the sun. When he smiled, it was broad and open, using all of his white teeth.
PROFILE
Tom is mostly pliable and easy-going. He considers himself a gentleman of sorts, and will display a chivalrous attitude, particularly towards women. He shows some skill with a sword, but prefers music to fighting. He draws his blade only when words have failed, and usually with a sigh of resigned disappointment.
Tom seems to know many true stories, and claims to have friends just about everywhere. While broadly charming, some (like Valke) find him smarmy and ingratiating. For Tom, this is just part of his job.
His garments are well-made and well lived-in, advertising a sense of flair that seems mostly impervious to the latest fashions. His brown leather jerkin is embossed with florid patterns and sports finely slashed sleeves. His cape is grey, but dyed with a muted pattern that suggests a far-off culture. He wears a leather hat with a wide brim, and a colourful plume from some exotic bird, adding an accent of audacity to the outfit.
He wears a simple rapier with a swept-hilt, but he is mostly seen cradling his long-necked 12-string Capracian lute - a work of art in its own right.
SECRETS...
Tom Flagstaff is secretly of the Vaara race, descendants of ancient vampire lords (Alukah) that ruled Helicos before the age of men. He has no difficulty passing as human, and mixes freely with the nightlife wherever he goes.
It has been implied that he is much older than Valke and Elke (relatively young Vaara), but his true age is unknown. He has demonstrated some ability with the Blood Arts (superhuman speed, control of the air). Although he has contacts with the Varantine Order and with Lady Dela Vara, until recently he was seemingly not privy to all her secrets.
It seems that Tom Flagstaff has inadvertently ended up with an invitation to the Praesidian Challenge. In Ladroa, in the fall of 3010, Flagstaff intervened in a tavern scuffle after the Dobrin hussar Janos Szarco assaulted a local courtesan. Defending the woman's honour, Flagstaff reportedly crossed swords with Szarco and defeated him in humiliating fashion. The Medallion of the Challenge then passed into his possession. Shortly thereafter he left Ladroa quietly to avoid further reprisals or escalations. Szarco and his cronies meanwhile remained tight-lipped about the affair in order to spare Szarco's fearsome reputation.
It has been implied that he is much older than Valke and Elke (relatively young Vaara), but his true age is unknown. He has demonstrated some ability with the Blood Arts (superhuman speed, control of the air). Although he has contacts with the Varantine Order and with Lady Dela Vara, until recently he was seemingly not privy to all her secrets.
It seems that Tom Flagstaff has inadvertently ended up with an invitation to the Praesidian Challenge. In Ladroa, in the fall of 3010, Flagstaff intervened in a tavern scuffle after the Dobrin hussar Janos Szarco assaulted a local courtesan. Defending the woman's honour, Flagstaff reportedly crossed swords with Szarco and defeated him in humiliating fashion. The Medallion of the Challenge then passed into his possession. Shortly thereafter he left Ladroa quietly to avoid further reprisals or escalations. Szarco and his cronies meanwhile remained tight-lipped about the affair in order to spare Szarco's fearsome reputation.
