Tom Herden
Captain of Guards Tom Herden
Tom Herden is a 51-year-old Halfling that is the commander of the Mull Guard. He was given the rank of Captain of Guards by the Baron of Mull, Hayden Highfield, for his experience, his skills and his loyalty and dedication to the Barony.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Tom was born in the Ward of Selimar to a family of fisherman that worked the Manisar River. At the age of 20, he listed with the Cobal Rangers and served with them through the Hekmo invasion of Cobal. During his service with the Rangers, Tom became friends with a Captain of Rangers, Hayden Highfield. After the invasion was defeated in 217 AF, Tom left Cobal and took a position with Hayden across the Caldar River in the Barony of Mull as a "jack-of-all-trades". He worked the fields of Highfield Manor, he provided security and protection for Hayden and his family, and later took a leading role in helping to train the future Baron's now famous Mull Rangers.
In the winter of 220 AF, Tom was tasked with gathering six other trustworthy riders and, by all using separate routes, all taking the same message to the Court at Southridge about the crimes of the Baron of Mull, Milo am Tabori. Tom was the first of the seven riders to reach the King with the news of Tabori's crimes, and his insistence that he remain to ensure the safety of the six other riders greatly impressed King Mak II. Less than four days later, when news of Tabori's escape on the road to Southridge reached the Court, Tom immediately left to track the villain and bring him to justice. Over the course of nearly ten months, Tom followed the trail of the former Baron all the way to Norfot in the Duchy of Hekmo, where he killed Tabori's henchmen and bound the former noble until the Duke of Hekmo himself could be summoned.
After the trial and execution of Tabori by High King Max II in 221, Tom was charged with the grizzly task of returning the head of Tabori to Southridge, and then to Mull, to demonstrate that the High King's Justice had indeed been served. When Tom's friend and mentor Hayden was elevated to Baron of Mull in the fall of 221 AF, Tom was the new Baron's first choice for the leader of his City Guard.
