Master Magus Tobais Verholf

Master Magus Tobais Verholf (a.k.a. 'Stonefist')

This human magister of the Domhan school is in his mid fifties, and is the Master Magus of the Collegiate in Suranth, a position well earned as he is a master of Domhan magicks. He does not truly look his age, nor the part of a magister if not for his garb, for he is strong of build, and healthy as a horse. He is shaved bald, with a thick moustache of dark brown hair, and loamy brown eyes, happy eyes some would say. That is another odd thing about him of course, in that he is what one would call well liked for his position, indeed he is the first in his position in five generations of it to be well liked and friends with High King Cormac. This should be of little surprise however, for Tobais did serve in the army with the magi corps for a full decade, and served with distinction and bravery, earning the praise of officers, even those outside the magi corps. Perhaps more importantly to this odd friendship in many ways, the respect and comradery of even common soldiers whom served with him. This was due to his bravery and valor beyond that which would normally be expected from someone who, by general opinion within the Suranthi forces, is little more than a breathing artillery piece. Tobais is an oddity, and a pleasant one, for he is a jovial, outgoing man, of strong conviction and willpower, but also physical strength and toughness.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

For his age and profession, he is a physically imposing specimen, befitting his school of magick, many would agree. He is tall, built strong and thick, like a solid fir tree or granite cliff face. He is hearty, with much color and tone to his face, a man who takes care to eat well, drink little, and keep hale and healthy.

Body Features

Muscled tone, but with that universal look, one of a man whom is in the most physical of labors as a profession, though he clearly is not by trade. He is a big man, noticably so. He is tattooed with many focals and symbols of his craft, runic images of dwarven nature relating to stone, metal, and earth.

Facial Features

His eyes are warm, welcoming, friendly, with the sparkle of wisdom as would befit his decades. His face is not wrinkled or elderly, however, despite what one might expect. His moustache is thick, long and well kept, pridefully so, in a handlebar style.

Identifying Characteristics

His tattoos of course, are an identifying feature, including the runic imagery that comes up his neck and bald head and over his left eye, referencing ancient dwarven principles of being 'one with the stone' and having a 'focus of iron'. His physical form and fitness are another thing of note that jumps out at people as well.

Special abilities

He is a Domhan caster of notable reknown. He can cast a variety of arcane spells, and almost any lesser petty spell one can think of with but a mutter phrase and small gesture, with little to no effort. He is also a master of his magi, of Domhan, having committed to memory nearly every spell within the sphere of earthen magicks known to those whom study. His grimoire holds them all, but he rarely if ever needs to turn to it, with perhaps only one, maybe two, within that sphere that he as not memorized. Beyond this he is a skilled journeyman of manipulation of his energies, shaping them beyond the known incantations. He has crafted a spell or two of his own, carefully guarded secrets within his grimoire.

Apparel & Accessories

His robes of topaz, a brilliant sheen to them, with gold and loam finish and trim, are beautiful in their simplicity, with arcane symbols and runic imagery in all tones of greys and silvers stitched all about them. The robes are thick, though starting with trousers and gambeson, before several layers of proper 'wizard robe' garments that can be used in the full three or four layers as one might need, or less as well, as the wearer so desires. He generally only wears the full layers for official matters, choosing to generally only wear the bottom layer, and first layer of simple over cloak like robes for most day to day affairs. He wears his piece of etched Topaz, a sign of office, proudly about his neck, in the image of a hammer upon an anvil. This small gem holds obvious power, the slight glow coming off of it barely perceptible to most, but to those whom can see through the Veil, it glows like a lantern in a moonless night, a bright flare. Like most wizards, he carries a book in a belt pouch, the pouch with a locking clasp, and needing a small key he wears as a ring. This is his grimoire, his book of spells.

Specialized Equipment

Grimoire

His stone stave

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Tobais is the son of a mere kelp farmer, whom had magical talents and was discovered, thankfully, not by the Witch-Hunters but by a magister of Domhan in his small village on the coast. He hails from Talis, one of the kelp farming and oyster harvesting families that laid claim to a home near the small naval fort that was built here. He comes from this humble lineage, his talent not spotted until he was thirteen, his years spent doing the hard work of harvesting oysters in sub-zero temperatures. He credited this upbringing for helping him find such tremendous success as a magister, and does so to this day. His parents were no longer alive to receive it, but his brothers were, and they did. Tobais pays a duty to his former family home to this day, contributing to the estate of the large oyster and kelp harvesting operation now co-owned by his twin brother and their younger sister.

The Domhan magister was a skilled apprentice. By twenty he was granted his robes. By twenty-five he was in active service. By thirty-six he had earned multiple awards for his distinction and deeds in war. By forty he was named a master of his school and college, and at forty-five, after the last Master Magus of the Suranthi Colleges passed on, he was voted into the position by his fellow master magi in the country, by a rather wide margin by all accounts. This is the position he holds to this day, one of the highest esteem.

Gender Identity

Male

Sexuality

Straight

Education

He was educated formally at the Suranthi High Magisterium, the official and most well funded collegiate campus in all of Suranth, at the capital of Geata-Iarainn. His education was a direct apprenticeship to one Grigor Malfen, the ancient elven magister of Domhan and Scath whom had run the Suranthi Magisterium for nearly a century now. So potent was his potential, the elven magister claimed the human as his prized apprentice, a rare act indeed, and one that all but assured one day he would hold his maester's title, should he live long enough. This assumption was correct.

Employment

Tobais Verholf is employed by the Suranthi Magisterium, as the Master Magus of the entire insituition. Before this he has served in the Magi Corps of the Suranthi Armed forces and been a teacher and mentor within the Magisterium for many years before that as well.

Accomplishments & Achievements

He won many honors and medals during his military service for bravery, exemplary service, and going above and beyond the call of duty.

Appointment to Master Magus of the Suranthi Magisterium

Failures & Embarrassments

Though he does not mention it, one of his major failures in his own mind is not finding a wife and raising a family. He does regret this part of the path his life took.

Mental Trauma

There obviously would be some, given the amount of combat and bloodshed he's borne witness too. However specifics he holds close to the vest and does not talk about much.

Intellectual Characteristics

He is assertive in his pursuit of knowledge, well read and well spoken. Within him there is an inherent curiosity, a desire to learn, to know, to understand, and he applies it with vigor even to mundane topics. He has an interest in maths, economics and construction, reading books on such topics voraciously.

Morality & Philosophy

He holds himself to a standard of behavior similar to his predecessor. Professional, honest, strong willed. One must be to teach and guide instructors and apprentices alike on the grand scale. He himself has no apprentice currently, but has successfully trained two thus far.

He believes his knowledge is not meant to be secret, and refuses to treat it as such. His philosophical views are very forward, very new age. What good is knowledge if you die without advancing the craft? He is a big believer in collaboration, and does all he can to encourage the different schools and the various magisters under his watch to embrace this behavior and thought process.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

No longer is Tobais really driven by personal success. In many ways, he has done it all in his lifetime in his field. Now it is about the future generations of magi, and he takes his role in that very seriously, always seeking ways to improve the methods, legislature, handling and curriculum/approaches that are used at standard by the Magisterium.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

He is well versed in maths, logistics and tactics, along, of course, with his field of magical study. He will openly admit he lacks a broader understanding of linguistics, despite being fluent enough in four languages, along with being rather inept in matters of history, politics, or medicine.

He has a middling understanding of basic economics and legslative matters, but lacks a proper scientific background and struggles with matters of engineering, construction, or a mechanical nature.

Hygiene

He is known as a cleansly minded fellow, and keeps himself well cleaned, employing his own personal laundress to insure his clothing are always quite clean and well cared for.

Social

Religious Views

He is a devout worshipper of Sir Kartheart, and is known to attend mass weekly, regardless of how busy things are with the Magisterium, even if he can only stay for half of an hour, he goes out of his way to attend mass for as much time as he is able, each and every week.

Speech

He has a deep, friendly voice, very welcoming, with a thick accent, but not as notably harsh as many other Suranthi. His pronounciation is also far more proper, as it would need to be for someone weaving magickal incantations, with much less blending and slurring than most Suranthi accents. He is known to use much of the slang in regular speech however. Some have compared his voice to a tonal version of a good well aged dark stout. Strong, sharp, but with a smoothness and hook to it that keeps you coming back for more.

Wealth & Financial state

He is one of the very upper tier of course, as his position would dictate, with a notable wealth both personal, and entrusted to his management, with guidance from his fellow magisters of office and prestige, within the Suranthi Magisterium. There is no real accurate way to guess his true net worth, of course, but he is likely only overshadowed in wealthy by the Lord and Lady Protectorates, the Storm-Father of the Church, and High King Cormac himself. Very elite company to be sure.

Current Location

Geata-Iarainn

Species

Humans

Ethnicity

Suranthi

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Master Magus

Stone-Lord

Date of Birth

11th of Fosta, 1542 SuD

Year of Birth

1542 SuD 53 Years old

Current Residence

Geata-Iarainn

Gender

Male

Eyes

Loamy brown

Hair

Shaved, but oaken brown thick moustache

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Soft cream color

Height

1.9 metres or 6'3"

Weight

92.5 kgs or 204 lbs

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Many would tell you a few pebbles, but the forgotten little bits of stone, are worthless. Useless off run, not worth noting, and utterly unthreatening. Things like gravel, those little handfuls of chipped rock you see all over the city, all over major roadsides, or the railways. This is because they are fools, even if they study our craft. Never forget that the mightest river can be damned by enough silt, gravel and sand. That the strongest gusts of wind will buffet against mounds of pebble and gravel, and that enough sand can choke the flames of the greatest firestorms. The humble pebble does not get enough respect in our school, yet it deserves much more, for the simplest and perhaps most dangerous incantation you can learn will turn a handful of these innocent harmless bits of gravel into a blast that would leave a shotgun feeling inadequate. Never forget that, my apprentice. To be of Domhan means to embrace stone and earth in all its forms, and respect its strength and value in all aspects. So one should always do with the humble pebble.

Master Magus Tobais Verholf, a quote made famous in a book written by his second graduated apprentice, Domhan's Primary Principals which is now an important text for young apprentices of the Domhan school across Valerick

Aligned Organization

Suranthi Magisterium

Other Affiliations

• Suranth

Known Languages

Valarian, Magick, Lālsīian, Dwarven