Origin: Magic
Archetype: Scrapper or Blaster (?)
Power Sets/Powers: Unknown, but it appears that the Thorn
Wielders use large swords. They may have some offensive or defensive spells as well.
Weaknesses: Unknown.
Levels: 8 (for generic Thorn Wielders; the "elite" Thorn
Wielders, if they exist, may be much higher level)
Current Whereabouts/Turf: Perez Park and presumably other areas where
the Circle of Thorns appears. They are also likely to be found in Oranbega beneath the city streets.
Group Affiliation: Circle of Thorns
Villain
Finder
·Unknown, but the Dream Doctor and the Midnight Squad may provide information
leading to confrontations with the Thorn Wielders. It’s assumed that characters with Magic origins will do battle with
the Circle of Thorns’ many members, including the Thorn Wielders.
Tactics
·Unknown
Combat Recommendations
·None at this time.
Rewards
·Unknown,
but presumably Defensive Inspirations such as Luck; and Magic-relevant Enhancements including “Otherworldly Entity,”
“Focusing Device,” and “Relic.”
History
The Thorn Wielders are wicked, altered magicians serving the
Circle of Thorns, a notorious group of villainous sorcerers led by the evil Baron Zoria. It’s assumed that the Thorn
Wielders ranks range from weaker minions to the most powerful of Zoria's magical militia. These latter Thorn Wielders may
have been among the original members of the Baron’s cult. They likely gained their powers in 1898 during a ritual
in which Zoria contacted the the spirits of long-dead Sorcerer Kings from the lost city of Oranbega. “Zoria and each
of his followers took a strange thorn, given to Zoria by the Oranbegan spirits. They simultaneously drove the bizarre spines
into their chests, sinking them straight into their own hearts. The wounds closed as quickly as they had opened, sealing the
enchanted thorns deep in their bodies and imbuing each with unique magical powers beyond anything they had ever possessed.”
After causing havoc in England
for many years, in 1914 the Thorn Wielders followed Baron Zoria to Paragon City.
There, they located the lost city of Oranbega beneath the city streets. Over the
next several decades, the Thorn Wielders resurfaced on numerous occasions to do Zoria’s bidding. However, in 1933, the
Circle of Thorns and the Thorn Wielders were defeated by the mystical Dream Doctor. Driven into hiding, the Thorn Wielders
basically vanished until the Rikti Invasion.
“During the Rikti War, the extra-dimensional attackers used the subway
tunnels and other underground chambers as bases of operation. They excavated more rooms as they needed them, using a variation
on their portal technology. Apparently, the magical runes and protection spells hiding Oranbega from the rest of the world
had no effect on technology from another dimension. The Rikti had accidentally discovered the vast underground lair of the
Circle of Thorns.
“Although most of the city’s heroes are loathe to admit it, this
unintended revelation may well have played a key roll in turning the tide of the Rikti War. The Circle, long dormant, was
not nearly as dead as many had imagined. The aliens found themselves not only fighting super powered heroes on the surface,
but magic wielding, demon summoning fanatics down below. The now quite aged Baron Zoria himself led the charge at the head
of his elite Thorn Wielders against the aliens, pushing them out of Oranbega and the surrounding caves.”
Since the Rikti Invasion, Baron Zoria has been attempting to bolster the ranks
of his bizarre cult by kidnapping surface dwellers and infusing them with Oranbegan spirits. It’s assumed that the Thorn
Wielders participate in these missions, although this has not been confirmed.
