Thjazi Fang

Thjazi Fang
Official art of Thjazi Fang, by Critical Role.
Type	Non-Player Character
Actor	Brennan Lee Mulligan
Character Information
Pronouns	he/him
Also known as	Thaz
Creature type	Humanoid
Race	Orc
Age	Around 40
Languages	Common, Orc[presumed]
Place	Dol-Makjar, Aramán
Family	Fang family Halandil Fang (older half-brother) Aranessa Royce (wife) Alogar (nephew) Shadia (niece) Hero (niece)
Connections	Torn Banner Thimble (partner) Azune Nayar (friend) Kattigan Vale Teor Pridesire (served together) Loza Blade Bolaire Lathalia Vaelus (stole from her) Sir Julien Davinos (enemy) Murray Mag'Nesson (friend) Wicander Halovar Occtis Tachonis (mentee)
Status
Status	Deceased
Cause of death	Executed via hanging, by the Revolutionary Council
Death episode(s)	"The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01)
Appearances
First seen	"The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01)
Last seen	"Broken Wing" (4x02)
Stream	Campaign Four (2 episodes)

“

I can still hear the falcon's cry!

”

– 

Thjazi Fang's last public words

[!h]

Thjazi Fang (pronounced Thea-tzee /ˈθjɑːtsi/) is a man whose imminent execution is the catalyst for the events of Campaign Four.

Description

Thjazi is described as a handsome orc who resembled his older half-brother, although with darker eyes. He exhibited some amount of glibness or flippancy toward his captors. He was hopeful, but also pragmatic; according to Thimble he would value a nobleman's potential as an ally and friend, but most importantly the resource that could provide him.

Biography

Background

Official art of Thjazi Fang, by Critical Role.

Thjazi grew up at the edge of the Rookery in Dol-Makjar with his mother and father. The latter had a son, Halandil, from a previous relationship, and the two half-brothers grew up being close, with Thjazi "giving shit" to Hal when he was ten, but eventually becoming more respectful. As they grew up, Thjazi started hiding dangerous aspects of his life from him.

He made a name for himself as an adventurer and fought in the War of Axe and Vine, in which he saved a cousin of House Davinos, thus winning the friendship of General Raimond Davinos). He returned as a hero and won the heart of a noblewoman, Lady Aranessa of the Sundered House of Royce; the day they got married she, as a traditional gesture of his family, introduced him to a warrior fairy, Thimble, and they instantly became friends. Two years after he married, Thjazi rose in rebellion and fought with the Torn Banner, while Aranessa's grandfather chose to align with the Halovars and Tachonises and stand against the rebels. Thjazi and Thimble spent many years as criminals, and during their last mission together stole the Stone of Nightsong from the Mournvale, two months before the beginning of Campaign Four; this mission was apparently a larger project of his, locating and bringing multiple items to Dol-Makjar.

Less than a decade before Campaign Four, Thjazi met Bolaire Lathalia at Hal's home, and in just a week he learn enough about him to discover his true nature as a sentient artifact controlling a body. He then proceeded to blackmail the curator, using him as a tool to get things or have additional help for his missions, all while he threatened him with punishment if he ever told Hal about who and what he really was. They, however, rarely met in person, as Thimble usually acted as the intermediary.

Sir Julien Davinos unhorsed Thjazi and brought him to justice, but Thjazi was given clemency. He asked Aranessa to run away with him, but she refused. Eventually it was declared that Thjazi would be executed by hanging after all, and he spent two weeks as a prisoner.

"The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) and "Broken Wing" (4x02)

The day of his execution there was a plan in motion to save Thjazi and take him out of Dol-Makjar. At some point before being brought to the gallows he was in contact with someone who left on him a magical item, and when he arrived and Azune Nayar talked to him (through Message, while using Detect Magic) he told the orc he could use that item to escape when the moment was right.

Fan art of the execution of Thjazi Fang, by Lap Pun Cheung.

Thjazi was brought in front of a huge audience, but he was able to spot Halandil in the crowd; despite the situation, he moved his lips to joke about what plans he had later, and if he was preparing his funeral, trying to cheer his brother up. However, when Thjazi looked up he saw something that frightened him; using the residual energy of Azune's Message, the Fang brothers were able to speak magically for a few moments, and Thjazi started sharing instructions, telling Hal that he had to help Murray, mentioning the Penteveral, and Bolaire's paint. After he shared some defying words with the crowd out loud, the rope tightened around Thjazi Fang's neck before he could finish conveying his last words to Hal through the Message, about how he wanted Thimble not to be scared.

Later that day his body was brought to the Fang home for the Farramh, and many people attended the event. By the next morning, thanks to the efforts of Thimble (who fell asleep on Thjazi's chest), the body was in pristine condition and with a slight golden glow due to the fairy dust. Shortly after, Kattigan Vale, who knew of Thjazi's love for trickery, cast Spare the Dying near him, but that only helped him confirm it: the hero was dead.

Relationships

Fang family

Through his brother Hal and his own relationships, Thjazi was the beloved uncle of Shadia, Hero, and Alogar. Thjazi's reputation was strong and positive enough to protect Halandil and his own family in Dol-Makjar.

Thimble

When they first met, Thjazi found it odd that the pixie was presented to him as a gift, and made sure she wasn't there against her will; however, after that first awkward moment the two of them bonded, and he even delayed his own wedding for a bit so that they could find an outfit the little fey liked more than a dress.

Thimble was for many years Thjazi's closest partner and friend, even during times of war. He was at her side when the doors of Faerie closed, supporting her, and she was determined to save his life when he was made prisoner. Thjazi's last words to Hal were also for Thimble, since he wanted her not to be scared.

Aranessa Royce

Fan art of Aranessa and Thjazi dancing, by elisipkl.

Aranessa fell in love with Thjazi when he was a young war hero of excellent reputation, even if he wasn't noble, and they got married; some attributed this to the orc's moxie and impressive "cut of his jib". However, when he rebelled against the noble houses, he tried to convince her to run away with him and she refused (despite still loving him). He and Aranessa then separated for many years. She wasn't strong enough to face his execution, and spent that time hiding, but did attend his funeral later.

Character information

Notable items

• Liar's Blade, his scimitar, delivered to his brother by Wicander Halovar
• His wedding ring, hanging from a silver necklace

Abilities

During the Falconer's Rebellion, Thjazi had access to some magical abilities, including summoning "shadows" of himself to divert attention as long as he held concentration.

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign Four
  • "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) (first appearance)
  • "Broken Wing" (4x02), flashback
  • "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03), mentioned only
  • "Stone-Faced" (4x04), mentioned only
  • "Branching Paths" (4x05), mentioned only

Quotations

A blindfolded Thjazi Fang, by Payton Keo Lacebal.

• "Here in the darkness of a jail cell, marked for death, beset by enemies on all sides, I have only this to say: I didn't get in nearly as much trouble as I wanted to. The wolves are at our door. It's been 12 years since the end of the Falconer's Rebellion, and the Sundered Houses are stronger than ever; the Revolutionary Council, a shadow of its former glory. Why do I say this? To discourage? To frighten? I say it because my grandparents and yours defied the gods and saved their people. What would you do to honor that memory? Would you fight? Would you die? I have no intention of dying tomorrow, but if I do, I'm glad to have gone down fighting. I can still hear the falcon's cry. Can you?"
• Azune Nayar: One last thing, a message from your brother. Hal says he's here with you until the end, and you've always been a hero in his eyes.
  Thjazi: Well, that makes one of us.

Trivia

Fan art of Thjazi's funeral, by GalacticJonah.

• In Norse mythology, Þjazi (anglicized as "Thjazi") was a jötunn (a kind of giant-like powerful being), the father of the winter goddess Skadi, and the kidnapper of the goddess of youth Iðunn while he was in the shape of a great eagle.
• Thjazi plays a central role in bringing together the player characters of Campaign Four. When Brennan Lee Mulligan presented this idea before the campaign started, some of the players argued that if their characters knew Thjazi they would be working to help him escape; the DM then allowed them to work on that idea, which led to the failed rescue plan, making the scene of the orc's death even more impactful and heartbreaking.
  • Brennan went into detail about every part of the plan required to save Thjazi: Thimble's magical glyph, which would produce an effect like Misty Step (the only safe form of teleportation in Aramán), would have been left with Thjazi by the pixie herself; after Azune checked it was all correct with his performance of a ritual Detect Magic, Thjazi would have had knowledge and access to the glyph, to activate it when it was safe; the magical effect would transport him to the other side of the city wall, where Casimir and Cyd Pridesire would be waiting with a caravan; Thaisha and Occtis would have then provided legitimacy and authority to grant safe passage outside Dol-Makjar, being a druid of the Old Path and a member of House Tachonis respectively. In his explanation Brennan also added that a key aspect of the plan was that Thimble was the one who had to bring the glyph to Thjazi, and instead someone else had placed an element with the same magical aura on his person; had Azune asked if the prisoner had interacted with Thimble, the interaction between them would have gone differently, and they would have noticed that something was wrong sooner.
• Thimble's similarities with Tinkerbell, from J.M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, have some ramifications affecting other characters surrounding her. She is the constant companion of a dangerous trickster with a supernatural shadow (Thjazi/Peter Pan), who antagonized a dark-haired man with a metallic hand (Sir Julien/Captain Hook) and was involved with the daughter of a good family (Lady Aranessa/Wendy).
• Thjazi's favorite drink was yahrgraz, which was served at his funeral in his honor even though most people found it disgusting. His favorite food was apparently cranberry cream rolls.
• Thjazi had the respect of the Crow Keepers and most of them wouldn't even think of attacking or robbing him and Thimble.
• Thjazi had dealings with Lachmir at the Seven Stars tavern, and there was a debt between them that, had Lachmir decided to collect it, would have forced Thjazi to leave Dol-Makjar.

References

Art: