madcawlos

Tom grew up with his mother in the poorer parts of Providence. Never knowing his father, Tom had to be the man of the house. This taught him responsibility, but also planted the cold seeds of resentment. He provided for himself and his mother by doing odd jobs throughout the city, however, as time went on he had to resort to more criminal means to feed them. It started with petty theft, and quickly moved up to assault and all out robbery. This bothered him at first, but eventually he became numb to it, even enjoying it at times. It was in his teens that Tom took notice of the power dynamics in the city. From the Emperor to the Lord Mayor, someone was in control of something. As he ducked in and out of shadows, picking pockets, the desire for something more took root. He wanted to cast a shadow, not hide in one. This was the genesis of who he would soon become. He started socializing a lot more, becoming very good at reading people and talking to them. Tom understood that people are the building blocks to everything influential. They were tools to him; merely a means to an end. At age 19, Tom's mother became quite ill one night and eventually passed in her sleep. Tom discovered her body the following morning, and instead of tears, there was little emotion. The woman who birthed him, who struggled her whole life just to die of sickness in her sleep, in some run down hovel. He stared for a few moments before shaking his head in disgust. He vowed he would never die in such a fashion and proceeded to set fire to the home. Tom gathered what little belongings he had and left the city, promising himself that he would only return a powerful man. Fast forward five years, Tom is 24. From Norland to Haense, he goes from place to place gathering knowledge, acquiring assets, wealth and people. The years have done little to quell his ambitious nature.