Tragic Toren

I am in book 3 of my re-listen of the Wandering Inn audiobooks. I'm just in the Esthelm chapters. Some of my favourite storytelling is happening here: the girl monster, the goblins, so beautiful. But this post is about Toren.

I have a lot of time for Toren. He's evil. He's also sad and tragic. He is what happens when you create conscience, when you create life, but without teaching it empathy, without love.

He's Erin's mistake. And i genuinely have no idea where he's headed and whether he can be redeemed.

Actually, I'm sure he can. Pirate hasn't yet created a character who can't. And I want him to. Him and Erin. Because redeeming Toren is to redeem Erin. And i think it can only happen together for both of them. Big chance missed there in in book 14: Hells Wardens. But we are not there yet.

We are in Esthelm. And Toren is still becoming Toren.

This is the story of a skeleton. He only knew how to kill, so he did just that. In a city filled with death, the skeleton killed with his hands at first, and then used others to kill more and more. He would kill everything if he could.

Because it was all he knew.<<

The Wandering Inn, Volume 3, 3.20 T

It's enough to break your heart.