Bernabie Thrum

Master of Planar Magic at the Great School of Magic

AC 1014

"Oh, that would be absolutely perfect! And I'm sure Grand Master Harald would be extremely thrilled to work with us! I'll pitch him some ideas over lunch! He'll undoubtedly love it!"

Appearance

One would think by his manner and attire that Bernabie Thrum runs the Great School of Magic himself! And considering how subdued the Grand Master Harald Haaskinz is in his dress, it would likely seem possible.

Master Bernabie only wears the flashiest robes in the latest fashions of Glantri City—and he makes it a point that everyone knows his attire was designed by tailors such as Argene de la Majalonga Nivea or Vanserie Krjilens (M4, CN). He also has the irrepressible urge of accessorizing with an unpredictable permutation of hats or coronets, scarves or sashes, belts or girdles, bags or pouches, capes or cloaks, that never number less than four. Of course, all this is to hide the bulging waistline of his out-of-shape frame.

Bernabie is in his mid-thirties. He has dark hair (black, brown, purple or midnight blue) with highlights (also of ever-changing hues) that match the spectrum of color of his eyes (magically altered, as well), and reflect his interest in the latest Plane of Existence he is "utterly fascinated" about.

Personality & Quirks

Simply put, Bernabie Thrum is a pretentious snob. He believes he earned the position of Master of Planar Magic, not only because of his extensive expertise on such an eclectic body of lore as the Planes, but because of his "undeniably stupendous" skills of collaboration, mediation, networking, and savoir faire in dealing with all the masters and wizards at the Great School of Magic. He also views his role as a Master of Planar Magic as a sort of ambassadorship between Glantri and all the other Planes of Existence—although many beings in this Plane and the next would definitely disagree!

Deep inside, Bernabie knows he is not qualified for the position, both in talent and knowledge. To hide this fact, Master Bernabie constantly spouts out little-known facts of erudition, quotes from obscure references, and drops names of famous and well-respected archmages of the Principalities. Of course, when anyone tries to point out his weaknesses or his errors, Bernabie is immediately defensive and tends to lose his composure. He does not win many friends this way, but he has successfully deluded himself that he is well respected and very popular in the Great School of Magic.

Bernabie has an irritating habit of speaking in hyperboles and overstatements, which many students mimic and mock him with. He also loves to attend the social affairs in Glantri City—wherein he always tries to dazzle using his high-ranking position at the Great School and his "amazingly encyclopedic" knowledge.

Background

Bernabie Thrum hails from Glantri City and is of indeterminate ethnic stock. He does claim to be part-Flaemish, part-Alphatian, with a bit of Caurenzan and Aalbanese, to explain his "perfectly natural" affinity for all the Planes he is "completely comfortable" in.

Bernabie was an unexceptional student at the Great School of Magic, who even had some difficulty in his final years. In fact, Bernabie initially took to teaching a few basic classes for some of the busier instructors to gain extra credit for his unsatisfactory requirements. Eventually, Bernabie stayed on at the Great School of Magic in minor teaching positions—not out of scholarship or a commitment to teaching, but more of a lack of a "positively wonderful" aspiration in life. Thus, his appointment as Master of Planar Magic was a great surprise to him and many others at the Great School.

Of course, the powers-that-be of Glantri fully understood their choice for the Master of Planar Magic. Bernabie Thrum had no leadership skills, no ambition, no true knowledge, and most importantly, no inkling of the existence of the Secret Craft of Elementalism.

Under Master Bernabie's less than competent management, the study of Planar Magic at the Great School has progressed as fast as a slowed zombie (and threat of exposure for the Elementalist Crafts a near-impossibility). But if Bernabie's self-serving ravings are to be believed, "the field of Planar Magic has grown enormously over the past few years!" Master Bernabie would then enumerate the "definitely extensive" list of projects he has initiated, mostly in close cooperation with many "indisputably noteworthy" archmagi of Glantri.

Most recently, Bernabie has begun to suspect that there is some conspiracy at the Great School to conceal the deeper and truer secrets of Planar Magic, but Bernabie's pride prevents him from admitting his ignorance and investigating the matter further.

Web of Intrigue

Bernabie Thrum believes himself an intimate friend and a worthy peer of many of Masters of the Great School, most especially the Grand Master Harald Haaskinz. He also believes he is actually superior to many of the other instructors who work under him in Planar Magic, and adopts a infuriating manner of always seeming and encouraging to his subordinates.

Among these subordinates in Planar Magic is Bartolomeo di Malapietra, former heir to Caurenze. Signor Bartolomeo despises his pretentiousness and condescension and would like the position of Master of Planar Magic for himself. The thought of murder has crossed Bartolomeo's mind, but the idea of "irrevocably humiliating" Bernabie someday seems more appealing.

Rowena Krollnar, Viscountess of Bergen, is counted as another lesser of the Master of Planar Magic. Lady Rowena actually tolerates him and can be considered friendly, but only because she was advised by Lady Wilhelmine Vlaardoen, her sponsor into Secret Craft of Fire Elementalism, to watch out for what Bernabie learns and knows about Fire Elementalism. Rowena invited Bernabie into the Planar Circle (with the sincere hope of increasing his knowledge), but Master Bernabie eventually bowed out of the group, saying the demands of being a Master at the Great School of Magic was "overwhelmingly hectic!"

Maximilian Hiltier, Lady Rowena's lover and a true traveler of the Planes, is not so tolerant as she is, and it is said one of the reasons he left his teaching post for planar lore at the Great School was Bernabie's incompetence.

Even Prince Harald, as the High Master of Water Elementalism and Grand Master of the Great School, has no real objections to Bernabie, but does wish Bernabie had some genuine scholarship in him.

Style of Magic & Combat

Statistics: 8th-level mage; Str 9, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 13, AL N.

Languages: Thyatian (Glantrian dialect), Flaemish (with a horrible Thyatian accent!).

Weapon Proficiencies: dagger.

Skills: bluffing, etiquette, local history (Glantri City high society), planar lore, reading/writing, spellflash.

Bernabie Thrum is a below-average mage of above-average ego. His knowledge of the Planes is superficial and basic, and almost entirely from books (outdated books at that!). Throughout his life, he has visited a total of 4 Planes, including the Ethereal Plane (more of a tourist excursion rather than a academic exploration), the Plane of Fire (where he lasted a total of six and a half seconds before fainting from the extreme heat), the Astral Plane (just a peek into a gate actually), and the Prime Material Plane. Still, Master Bernabie manages to embellish his experience and meager amount of knowledge with "incontestably astounding" facts and verbatim quotations from books.

Bernabie knows an adequate number of generic planar spells, but nothing in the league of the true Elementalists. He relies heavily on magical items for many of the spell effects he himself cannot produce himself.

"It will not take much to keep the fool in the dark. If there is one thing he is capable of, it is to delude himself that he already knows everything there is about the Planes."

(Volospin Aendyr, High Master of Air Elementalism)

Author: Kit Navarro