Thalion
Human - Factotum, Jack-of-All-Trades, Occasional Problem-Solver

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Backstory

No one really remembers when Thalion joined the Emberwake. Some swear he was there from the beginning, patching sails and arguing about knotwork with Bron. Others claim he wandered aboard at a port town, offered a hand with a cargo crate, and simply never left. There's no dramatic tale, no grand tragedy, no hidden destiny, just a man with tousled hair, a crooked smile, and a knack for being exactly where he’s needed.

Thalion doesn’t boast, and he doesn’t brood. He doesn’t seem to have a past he’s running from, though if asked, he’ll spin a hundred different stories about where he came from. Such as, he was once a prince in disguise, once a chimney sweep turned hero, once a librarian’s apprentice who fled with forbidden knowledge. Each tale ends in a wink and a shrug. The truth? Whose to say, maybe no one knows, maybe not even him.

Despite his unremarkable origins, Thalion has his place on the Emberwake. He fixes what’s broken, fights when needed, listens when others speak, and always has a clever trick or bit of advice at the ready. He learns quickly, adapts faster, and never seems rattled, whether it’s during a sea monster attack or a crewmate’s emotional spiral. The crew jokes that he’s like a barnacle, once he’s stuck to the ship, you can’t get rid of him.

But beneath the surface, the jokes, and easygoing charm, there’s a depth few ever notice. Thalion is perceptive, he watches, he listens, and he remembers. He may not excel at anything, but he understands everything just enough to hold it all together. When Arden is unsure, the crew tired, or the ship fraying at the edges, Thalion is always just... there.

Some people believe the gods guided him to the Emberwake, that the stars themselves decided he would find his place there. That fate needed a thread of normalcy to bind the extraordinary. But to Thalion, he’ll just laugh it off, adjust his rusted bracer, and say, “I’m just normal man, and I'll always be there when you need me.”

“I don’t dream about being important. I dream about being missed when I’m gone.” - To Galli when asked about what he wants from life

“You don’t have to be the best at anything to matter to someone. You just have to show up when it counts.” - To Rogier after the boy missed his mark in training