Taman Stormwind
Taman Stormwind
Former sailor, Kraken of the north, follower of Valkur. Prone to changes of heart. Rushes in where Angels fear to tread.
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Alignment
Chaotic Good
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Blue
Hair
Blonde
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Deep Tan
Height
6'2
Weight
225
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The Kraken awakes
Taman Stormwind, for that is the only name he has ever known, was abandoned as a baby. His mother, Shalandra Slenderbow, was a wood elf that fell into a tryst with a privateer Jonas Nolan. It was a tryst in the sense that is all it had time to be, though given the appropriate watering the seed of tryst would have bloomed into a love of the ages but instead it received only saltwater. Jonas Nolan was unaware he was to be a father when he died. The ship he served on was attacked by pirates and sank to the bottom of the sea. There were no survivors. When Shalandra discovered she was pregnant she knew she would be unable to provide for the child and could not return to her family with a bastard half-elf. Her grief for lost Jonas led her give the baby to Capt. Romulus “The Feral” DaFerra, a high senior offical in the Adarbrent shipping company, the company that Jonas died in service to. DeFerra was a follower of Valkur and raised Taman as his ward and the son he never had. He educated Taman until the time came to put him to work for Adarbrent. He learned much of sailing and business, spending his apprenticeship serving under Valkur clerics onboard ships.
An untalented youth, he would have been dismissed, abandoned or keelhauled were it not for DaFerra. Those brave enough to anger him couldn’t afford to lose the business. While Taman couldn’t be killed, he could be bullied and regularly was. When he turned 16 he was subjected to a particularly brutal session. It started with a birthday party which saw Taman’s innocent spirit soar believing he had finally be accepted by the crew. When their true purpose was revealed Taman was overtaken by anger and dispair in equal measure. The lead bullies began to force the fishgut birthday cake on Taman as he fought with all his might. His eyes rolled back in his head showing only the whites and a furious burst of thunder blasted out. The four closest sailors were launched off the boat and into the sea and the fore boom, which held the main sail, cracked and broke. If this had happened below deck there is no question a hole would have been ripped into the hull and the boat sank. It was clear that Valkur had chosen Taman as his champion.
Bolstered by his power Taman became a new man, but not a better one. There were few that could bully him but Taman took delight in seeking revenge on those he deemed deserved it. As a chamption of Valkur he obtained a warhammer to train with, Molly. His power grew and he would happily dole out thrashings to those who dented his pride. Taman began to drink and whore when ashore and found himself in regular arguments with DeFerra over what should be done versus what Taman wanted to do. DeFerra, despite his reputation had never laid a hand on Taman. During one ferrouious argument Taman accidently struck him with Thunderwave when his emotion got the better of him. DeFerra sailed through the air, hitting the wall with a powerful thud and crumpled to the ground. DeFerra was the only father he had ever known, and of all fathers he had seen in his life, DeFerra stood out above them all. Taman could see he had killed him. Aghast at himself, he grabbed Molly and ran into the night. When he found himself in the Dock Ward he signed onto the first privateer ship he could find and sailed out that night, hoping to outrun his own memory.
Taman enetered a deeply sullen state and kept himself to himself. Each evening he would get as drunk as possible to try to forget. If anyone attempted to cross him he had a policy to kill as fast as possible. Taman didn’t get involved in anyone else's fight. He saw the same bullying done to others and walked away rather than get involved, despite his reputation being enough to end it if he so chose. When Privateer work dried up Taman found himself signing up under the skull and crossbones to keep himself in rum. His ability for violence and leadership combined saw his rise to first mate as they pillaged ships in the northern sea. When the captain died on a raid Taman found himself thrust into command. He substituted the skull and crossbones for his own flag based his self appointed nickname, a silver Kraken on a black sea. The ship offered protection from pirates for merchant vessels. Ships that didn’t take up this protection found themselves at the bottom of the ocean, as though destoryed by a Kraken.
After many years he found himself back in Waterdeep. Being here felt like a hot poker in his guts and he knew only one cure, falling first into the bed of a woman with negotiable affections and later into bottle in a tavern. Unsure how, he found himself in front of the shrine of Valkur at the hour of the wolf. He pissed on the shrine and promptly passed out.
Taman had not dreamed since childhood. This night was no different, for this was no dream.
“My champion” the voice came from tall imposing figure. He had seen six decades if he had seen a day with long flowing white hair and beard but thick of arm and leg
Taman found himself on a rocky beach with choppy waters splashing the ground. The waves parted around the old man. “Mock me not” replied Taman. “I am no champion”
“Mortals do not make the choice to be champions. They are chosen. They are forged. Any sword can break in the fire, but you are not broken”.
“I am broken, divinity or no you are wrong. I broke myself as sure I broke him” Taman sank his knees.
“You are right, and a god is never wrong. You are my champion, it is time to bring me glory”. With that the man reached out his hands. A wave appeared suddenly behind him and washed over them both
Taman woke with a start to see a dwarven woman holding a empty bucket. “Did ye piss on ma shine, ya big ballox? Get ootta here before I brain ya. No respect from sailors anymore” Taman scrambled out onto the street dazed, confused and more than a bit wet. The dream had shook him. He wandered the streets aimlessly, sticking to the shadows. Muscle memory kicked in and before he knew it he stood a stones throw from Adarbrent shipping company offices. He froze to the spot. He had not been there since the night he had killed DeFerra. Memories flooded Taman’s brain, the kindness DeFerra showed in his childhood mixed with spiteful arguing that an older Taman spit at him. And the thunderclap. Taman was no champion and if he had not been chosen DeFerra would be alive and Taman would not be broken. He sank against the wall of a shadowy alley as the sun rose. Taman’s vision blurred, this hangover was a bad one. First he saw a god, now his grief overcomes him, he sees DeFerra walking down the street to work as he did every morning. That wasn’t DeFerra, that was an older man that looked like him. Looked very like him.
“I broke myself as sure I broke him”
“You are right, and a god never wrong.”
Taman went to the The Gray Griffon tavern in the dock ward to think. DeFerra lives. The last decade plus of swirling the drain was for no reason. All the ill deeds flooded Taman. The times he acted and the times he failed to act. He swore then to make amends were he could. He didn’t have the courage to face to DeFerra, he was too ashamed, but someday he would return. Taman found it hard to concentrate due humming from a patron of the tavern. A small rock gnome was at the bar talking to anyone that would make eye contact with her. A group of sailors called her over to a table behind Taman. He could overhear their conversation.
“We have some gems in our cart in the back alley, do you want to see them?”. The gnome gasped
“Yes please!” and she bolted for the door to the alley. The sailors began laughing and went to follow the gnome.
“Finally, some fun” Taman overheard. With that Taman left his seat and walked upstairs.
Outside, the gnome was in the alleyway running in circles, shouting with glee “Gems, gems, gems, gems”. The group of sailors joined her.
“Where are them gems?” She asked excitedly.
“Over there” one of the sailors pointed. As the gnome turned to look, everything went black for her as one of the sailors hit her head with a small club.
“Search the bitch, she must have some valuables on her”. As one approached the gnome his head suddenly exploded as Taman leaped from the roof swinging Molly in a wide arc. Taman rolled as he hit ground pushing his hand forwad into the chest of nearest sailor, unleashing the furious thunder of Valkur knocking the remaining sailor off their feet. Those that survived the first blast had no wish for a second and scrambled away. Taman checked the gnome who appeared to be bleeding from the head. He used his holy power to stabilise her, picked up the body and took her to the Blackstar Inn, rented a room and watched her while she recovered.
Hours later the gnome woke and much to Taman’s surprise seemed to think she had fallen asleep and was unphased by waking in a strange room. After a stretch and jumping from the bed the gnome held out a hand to introduce herself. “Timbers is the name and gems are my game! There’s glory in gems!”
“It is time to bring me glory”
“Pleased to meet you Ms. Timbers” Taman replied. Her childlike, boundless enthusiasm reminded him of the boy he was before it was beaten out of him.
“Ms. Timers is my mother! My friends call me Stumbleduck.”
Taman smiled, despite himself. “Then pleased to meet you Stumbleduck. I’m Taman. Let’s go find some gems”
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