Thom Merrilin

Full Name: Thomdril Merrilin
Pronunciation: TOM MER-rih-lihn

A gleeman. He was once a court bard in Caemlyn and was Queen Morgase's lover for a time. He had a nephew named Owyn.

Physical Description

He is tall but stooped with white hair and long, white mustaches. He has blue eyes. (TEotW,Ch4)

Thom Merrilin by Richard Boyé

Chronology

Thom Merrilin is House bard for House Trakand before Morgase becomes Queen. He is her strongest supporter during the Succession. (TFoH,Ch19)
Thom becomes Court bard in the Royal Palace. He discovers Taringail's plot against Morgase and assassinates him. (TSR,Ch17)
After Taringail's death, Thom and Morgase have a love affair. (TFoH,Ch19)
Thom enjoys playing with baby Elayne. (TSR,Ch17)
Thom entertains the Royal Court with feats of juggling to the delight of baby Elayne. (TGS,Ch10)
Thom leaves the Royal Palace to help his nephew Owyn, but he is too late. When he returns, he shouts at Morgase and she exiles him. (TEotW,Ch35, TFoH,Ch19)
Thom passes through Baerlon on his way to Emond's Field. (TEotW,Ch13)
Thom arrives in Emond's Field from Baerlon in the middle of the night. (TEotW,Ch1)
Thom leaves the Winespring Inn. (TEotW,Ch3)
Thom speaks briefly with the boys and with Moiraine. He knows Padan Fain and does not like him. (TEotW,Ch4)
Thom and Bran help Rand bring Tam upstairs. Thom subtly shifts the conversation so they think to ask Moiraine for help. (TEotW,Ch7)
Thom leaves as soon as Moiraine and Lan arrive. (TEotW,Ch8)
Thom is hiding in the hayloft when the party gathers in the stable. He decides to accompany them. (TEotW,Ch10)
Thom and the rest of the party ride to Taren Ferry. (TEotW,Ch11)
Thom and the rest of the party cross the Taren River, camp for an hour, then head north for Baerlon. (TEotW,Ch12)
Thom and the rest of the party arrive at the Stag and Lion in Baerlon where they are welcomed by Master Fitch. (TEotW,Ch13)
Thom and the rest have hot baths and a good meal. (TEotW,Ch14)
Rand and Mat meet Thom and tell him about their dreams. They return to the inn. (TEotW,Ch15)
Thom and the rest of the group meet with Nynaeve. Nynaeve then has a private talk with Moiraine. (TEotW,Ch16)
Thom tells stories in the common room. After a Fade confronts Rand, the group flees. At the town gate they are confronted by Whitecloaks before they can escape. (TEotW,Ch17)
Thom and the rest of the party ride east for three days. They are attacked by Trollocs and take refuge in Shadar Logoth. (TEotW,Ch18)
Thom stays in the camp. Lan returns from scouting with news there are Trollocs nearby so they prepare to flee. (TEotW,Ch19)
As they ride, Mashadar separates Moiraine and Lan from Thom and the rest. Trollocs attack and everyone scatters. Thom meets up with Mat and Rand and winds up on the Spray. (TEotW,Ch20)
He, Rand and Mat are on the Arinelle River aboard the Spray. He tries to teach Rand and Mat some tricks. (TEotW,Ch24)
He goes with Rand and Mat on the Spray down to Whitebridge. He leads them to The Wayfarer's Rest. They leave the inn in a hurry and prepare to leave town. They step out into the town square and a Fade is coming toward them. He pushes his cloak that contains his instruments to Rand and then charges the Fade. Rand and Mat assume he dies. (TEotW,Ch26)
Thom heads east. He passes through Caemlyn and sees Basel Gill, then he goes to Cairhien. (TGH,Ch26)
Rand runs into Thom who is performing in Cairhien. Thom tells Rand to meet him at The Bunch of Grapes. (TGH,Ch25)
Rand meets Thom at The Bunch of Grapes and tells him about the Horn. (TGH,Ch26)
Thom plays at Barthanes Damodred's party. He and Rand talk for a moment. (TGH,Ch32)
Thom returns to The Bunch of Grapes to find Dena dead and two thugs waiting whom he kills. Zera tells him they worked for Galldrian and he vows revenge. (TGH,Ch34)
Thom kills King Galldrian to avenge Dena. (TWoTRPG)
Thom makes his way to Tar Valon where he spends his time drinking in The Woman of Tanchico. Mat meets him there and Thom agrees to accompany him to Caemlyn. (TDR,Ch31)
Mat and Thom jump aboard the Gray Gull and book passage to Aringill. (TDR,Ch32)
Mat and Thom arrive at Aringill and stay in the stable of The Good Queen. They are interrupted by Aludra and save her from an execution squad. She gives Mat a bundle of fireworks. (TDR,Ch40)
Mat and Thom make camp as they near Caemlyn. They are attacked by a woman and three men, but kill their attackers and ride on. (TDR,Ch44)
Mat and Thom arrive in Caemlyn. Thom goes to The Queen's Blessing and plays stones with Basel Gill. (TDR,Ch45)
Mat returns and reports the danger to Elayne. Thom agrees to accompany Mat to Tear. (TDR,Ch47)
Mat and Thom book passage on the Swift from Aringill to Tear. They take a room in The White Crescent and begin hunting for the girls. Thom develops a cough. (TDR,Ch49)
Thom's cough gets so bad that Mat asks the innkeeper for a Wise Woman. He directs them to Mother Guenna who tells them about the girls. Mat leaves Thom in her care. (TDR,Ch52)
Thom forges a note from High Lord Carleon to Lady Alteima. He is deeply immersed in the Game of Houses to help Rand. Mat confides in him and he convinces Mat to stay for another day. (TSR,Ch4)
Thom leaves a note for Rand with information about High Lords Carleon and Tedosian. (TSR,Ch8)
Thom continues to provide information to Rand that helps him in his dealings with the High Lords. (TSR,Ch9)
With information on the Red Ajah sisters who gentled Owyn, Moiraine bribes Thom into accompanying Elayne and Nynaeve to Tanchico. (TSR,Ch17)
Thom boards the Wavedancer with Juilin. (TSR,Ch20)
Bayle Domon recognizes Elayne and Nynaeve at the docks and takes them, Juilin and Thom to the Three Plum Court. Thom performs in the common room and Elayne finally remembers who he is. (TSR,Ch39)
Thom and Juilin continue their search and slowly gather information. (TSR,Ch46)
Bayle, Juilin and Thom independently locate the Black Ajah sisters in the Panarch's Palace. (TSR,Ch51)
A man assaults Thom, but Juilin and Bayle knock him unconscious. Egeanin identifies him as the Seeker. (TSR,Ch52)
Juilin and Thom spread rumors to start a riot to help cover the assault on the Panarch's Palace. (TSR,Ch54)
Elayne, Nynaeve, Egeanin, Bayle, Juilin and Thom take Amathera, the seal and the sad bracelets back to the Three Plum Court. Elayne, Nynaeve, Juilin and Thom will take the seal back to Tar Valon while Bayle will drop the sad bracelets in the deepest ocean. (TSR,Ch55)
Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin travel across Tarabon to Amadicia. They camp near Mardecin. (TFoH,Ch8)
Thom and Juilin stay at the camp while Nynaeve and Elayne go for a walk into the village. (TFoH,Ch9)
Thom and Juilin rescue Elayne and Nynaeve. Now suspicious of the White Tower, they adopt disguises and continue across Amadicia. (TFoH,Ch10)
Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin travel across Amadicia and stop at The Light of Truth in Sienda after passing Valan Luca's circus. (TFoH,Ch13)
Galad confronts Elayne and Nynaeve in the common room of the inn. They refuse to accompany him to Caemlyn. They find Thom and Juilin and plan to leave immediately to find Valan Luca's circus. (TFoH,Ch16)
Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin sneak out of the inn and find Valan Luca's circus. He charges them heavily and makes them perform if they are to accompany him to Ghealdan. Thom juggles and throws knives. (TFoH,Ch17)
They travel north with the circus to the River Eldar. Nynaeve becomes the target for Thom's knives. (TFoH,Ch33)
Elayne prepares the evening meal for herself, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin. (TFoH,Ch34)
Thom and Juilin find Birgitte lying outside. They carry her into the wagon, then Nynaeve and Elayne chase them back out. (TFoH,Ch35)
Elayne tells Thom and Juilin about Moghedien. She does not tell them about Birgitte, but the silver arrow they found gives them all the information they need. (TFoH,Ch36)
Thom does his juggling act in Luca's circus. (TFoH,Ch37)
Thom and Juilin go into Samara to hunt for Nynaeve, but she returns to the circus before they do. (TFoH,Ch40)
Thom and Juilin return to the circus from Samara with news that there are riots and burning. (TFoH,Ch47)
Galad, Uno and the rest of the Shienarans accompany Nynaeve, Elayne, Birgitte, Thom and Juilin into Samara. They have to fight their way through a mob. They board the Riverserpent. (TFoH,Ch48)
Nynaeve, Elayne, Birgitte, Thom, Juilin and the Shienarans travel from Samara to Boannda and on to Salidar on the Riverserpent. (TFoH,Ch49)
Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom, Juilin, Birgitte, Areina, Nicola, Marigan, Uno, Ragan and the rest of the Shienarans arrive at Salidar. (TFoH,Ch50)
Thom and Juilin volunteer to scout Amadicia and are gone for over a month. (LoC,Ch8)
Thom and Juilin return to Salidar from their scouting mission in Amadicia. Elayne is delighted to see Thom again. (LoC,Ch29)
Mat gives Moiraine's letter to Thom. Thom tells him that he and Juilin will be going to Ebou Dar with Elayne and Nynaeve. (LoC,Ch40)
Thom and Juilin accompany Mat, Elayne, Nynaeve and the others from Salidar to Ebou Dar. (LoC,Ch44)
Thom and Juilin accompany Mat, Elayne, Nynaeve and the others to Ebou Dar and stay at the Tarasin Palace. (LoC,Ch47)
Thom and Juilin get rooms in the servants' quarters. (LoC,Ch48)
Thom reports to Vanin that he has no idea how the girls are leaving the Tarasin Palace unnoticed. (LoC,Ch52)
Thom has a man follow Nynaeve, Elayne, Aviendha and Birgitte from the Tarasin Palace when they catch a boat to the Sea Folk ship. (ACoS,Ch14)
Thom and Juilin are with Nynaeve, Elayne, Aviendha and Birgitte in the Tarasin Palace. They only told Thom and Juilin about the search for the Bowl this night. Elayne uses disguises in front of Thom and Juilin, exposing this ability which they had kept a very close secret. (ACoS,Ch21)
Thom and Juilin go with Mat to watch the Kin house. The next day he sends them to watch Carridin's place. (ACoS,Ch28)
Thom and Juilin continue to watch Carridin. (ACoS,Ch37)
Mat finds Thom and Juilin packing his belongings in Tylin's rooms. He sends them to round up the Redarms then they all go out to look for Olver. (ACoS,Ch39)
While Mat visits with Aludra, Thom and Beslan negotiate with Valan Luca for transport away from Ebou Dar. (WH,Ch15)
Mat, Thom, Beslan and Olver return to the city. Beslan is plotting rebellion. (WH,Ch16)
Thom and Beslan are often out of the Tarasin Palace on suspicious business. Thom also spends a lot of time with Riselle. (WH,Ch18)
After agreeing to help Joline and Teslyn escape, Mat seeks out Thom and Juilin to help him plan. (WH,Ch19)
Mat and Thom develop a plan to get Joline, Teslyn and Edesina out of Ebou Dar. (WH,Ch28)
Thom and Juilin tell Mat about Tanchico, the Black Ajah and the sad bracelets. (WH,Ch29)
Thom goes to The Wandering Woman to keep Joline company until it is time for the escape. (WH,Ch30)
Thom, Juilin, Amathera and Noal accompany Mat when he leaves Ebou Dar. (CoT,Ch1)
Nerim, Lopin, Thom and Noal share a tent in Valan Luca's circus. Thom goes back to Ebou Dar to scout. (CoT,Ch2)
Thom returns to the circus with news that Tylin is dead. The circus heads northeast toward Lugard. (CoT,Ch3)
At every village, Thom and Juilin scout for news. (CoT,Ch28)
Mat sends Thom and Juilin into Jurador to scout for Seanchan before he takes Tuon there. Thom becomes more and more morose over the letter he carries. (CoT,Ch29)
Thom and Juilin scout for news as the circus travels across Altara. (KoD,Ch8)
Mat finally asks Thom about the letter from Moiraine and he reads it. He tells Thom, Noal and Olver about the Aelfinn and Eelfinn and agrees to go with Thom to rescue Moiraine. (KoD,Ch10)
Mat and Thom take Tuon and Selucia to a hell in Maderin. Thom learns that some Seanchan intend to kill Tuon. Outside the tavern, Darkfriends attack them but Mat and the others kill them all. Mat realizes they must now leave the circus. (KoD,Ch11)
Thom, Aludra, Setalle Anan, Egeanin, Bayle Domon, Amathera, Juilin, Noal Charin and Olver accompany Mat and Tuon after they leave the circus and head cross country. (KoD,Ch25)
Thom, Aludra, Setalle Anan, Egeanin, Bayle Domon, Amathera, Juilin, Noal Charin and Olver accompany Mat as he rejoins Talmanes and the Band of the Red Hand. (KoD,Ch26)
Through their scouting, Thom and Juilin learn that the next major target for the Seanchan is Illian. (KoD,Ch27)
Furyk Karede arrives at Mat's camp and mistakenly asks to speak with Thom Merrilin. Thom directs him to Mat. (KoD,Ch36)
As Mat prepares for the Seanchan attack, Noal, Olver, Juilin, Amathera, Thom and Setalle stay with the pack animals. (KoD,Ch37)
Mat, Talmanes, Thom and others ride into Hinderstap to get supplies. Thom goes to one inn to get information while Mat and Talmanes go to The Tipsy Gelding to gamble. Thom learns that someone is looking for Mat and Perrin. (TGS,Ch27)
Mat, Talmanes, Thom and the others barely escape with their lives. Mat and Thom return the next morning and Mayor Barlden tells them of the evil that holds Hinderstap. (TGS,Ch28)
Mat plans an elaborate scheme for entering Trustair. Thom will take Mandevwin, Harnan and Fergin with him. (TGS,Ch34)
Mat and Thom visit taverns looking for information and rumors. When they return to camp Mat finds the gholam waiting in his tent. (ToM,Ch8)
Mat begins planning with Thom and Noal on how to deal with the gholam. He writes another letter to Elayne. (ToM,Ch9)
Mat confides to Thom that he put sprinklewort in the sweetbuns that he gave to Joline. (ToM,Ch17)
Mat, Thom, Talmanes and fifty Redarms ride into Caemlyn to meet Elayne. Mat and Thom have a fine reunion with Elayne and Birgitte. Elayne and Birgitte are ecstatic over the dragons. Mat loans Elayne the foxhead medallion for three days. (ToM,Ch19)
After scouting for equipment in the city, Noal and Thom head back to camp while Mat walks some more. (ToM,Ch22)
Perrin, Mat and Thom meet in The Happy Throng to tell their stories. (ToM,Ch47)
Mat, Thom and Noal leave for the Tower of Ghenjei tomorrow. (ToM,Ch52)
Perrin bids farewell to Mat, Thom and Noal as they leave through the gateway. They open a door in the Tower with a bronze knife and make their way through the realm choosing passages by Mat-s lucky rolls of the dice. They reach the chamber with fluted black columns. (ToM,Ch53)
They reach the Chamber of Bonds and Thom frees Moiraine. Mat trades his eye for safe passage from the Eelfinn, but he forgets the Aelfinn. (ToM,Ch54)
Noal stays behind to help them escape. Mat figures out that his ashandarei is the way out. He cuts a new doorway and he, Thom and Moiraine escape. (ToM,Ch55)
Thom and Moiraine express their love for each other and agree to marry. Mat and Thom update her on events and she asks to go to Rand. (ToM,Ch57)

Other References

TEotW,Ch10 - Thom has never performed in Tar Valon.
TEotW,Ch15 - Min has a viewing of Thom - A man - not him - juggling fire, and the White Tower.
TEotW,Ch26 - Owyn was Thom's brother's only son, his only living kin.
TEotW,Ch28 - A woman tells Moiraine there was a gleeman on board the Spray when it left the day before and they wonder if it was Thom.
TEotW,Ch31 - Rand keeps hoping to see Thom catch up to him and Mat.
TEotW,Ch33 - Rand has a nightmare where Thom asks him if the Red Ajah or Black Ajah will find him first.
TEotW,Ch35 - Rand, Mat and Basel Gill talk about him.
TEotW,Ch36 - Master Gill advises Rand and Mat against going to Elaida for help because of their connection to Thom.
TEotW,Ch41 - Rand tells Perrin that Thom is dead.
TEotW,Ch45 - Moiraine does not believe Thom is dead because he is part of the Pattern.
TEotW,Ch52 - Rand tells Moiraine that Thom told him that men who are gentled stop wanting to live and soon die.
TGH,Ch2 - Rand continues to take care of Thom's flute and harp.
TGH,Ch3 - Rand recalls Thom telling him that gentled men die soon.
TGH,Ch8 - Rand tells the Amyrlin that Thom told him about the White Tower using false Dragons.
TGH,Ch15 - Rand plays Thom's flute to comfort himself.
TDR,Ch35 - Perrin thinks Faile handles knives as ably as Thom.
TDR,Ch56 - Mat intends to leave Tear as soon as Thom is well enough to travel.
TSR,Ch2 - Mat is unhappy that Thom seems to have settled in at the Stone of Tear.
TSR,Ch11 - When Egwene sees Birgitte in Tel'aran'rhiod she thinks it must be her imagination from listening to Thom's stories.
TSR,Ch21 - Moiraine thinks Thom will keep Elayne and Nynaeve out of trouble in Tanchico. She had to get rid of him because he had too much influence on Rand.
TSR,Ch35 - Elayne tells Egwene that Thom and Juilin are with her and Nynaeve.
TSR,Ch37 - Jasin Natael reminds Mat of Thom.
TFoH,Ch15 - Nynaeve admits to Egwene that Ronde Macura drugged her and Thom and Juilin had to rescue them.
TFoH,Ch15 - Egwene dreams of Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled low so she could not see his wound, while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead.
TFoH,Ch19 - Morgase thinks of the men in her life including Thom.
TFoH,Ch24 - Egwene has a hard time with the image of Thom and Juilin performing in a circus.
TFoH,Ch46 - Rand thinks that Thom would be proud of him the way he manipulates the Tairen High Lords.
TFoH,Ch52 - Moiraine gives Rand a letter for Thom.
TFoH,Ch53 - In her letter, Moiraine again asks Rand to deliver her letter to Thom.
LoC,Ch8 - Nynaeve wishes that Thom and Juilin were back to help her leave Salidar.
LoC,Ch12 - Nynaeve really wants to leave Salidar and hopes Thom and Juilin return in time to accompany her.
LoC,Ch22 - As he juggles, Mat wonders how Thom is doing and thinks that Elayne and Nynaeve probably got him killed.
LoC,Ch28 - Rand wonders if Thom knows anything about the Warder bond.
LoC,Ch33 - Rand gives Moiraine's letter to Mat to deliver to Thom in Salidar.
LoC,Ch39 - Egwene agrees that Mat, Birgitte, Thom and Juilin will accompany Elayne and Nynaeve to Ebou Dar.
LoC,Ch50 - Rand finds Thom's flute in his wardrobe and plays it to relax.
ACoS,Ch9 - Nicola and Areina try to blackmail Egwene by telling her that they heard Thom and Juilin say that Nynaeve and Elayne were pretending to be full Aes Sedai while they were still Accepted.
ACoS,Ch17 - At The Wandering Woman Mat's men report that they have not seen Thom or Juilin.
TPoD,Ch5 - Elayne truly regrets leaving Mat, Thom, Olver and Vanin in the hands of the Seanchan.
WH,Ch12 - Min juggles knives the way Thom taught her.
WH,Ch17 - After the gholam attack, Mat tells his Redarms to leave Ebou Dar and take Thom and the others with them, but they refuse to go.
WH,Ch21 - Bayle Domon tells Egeanin that he will recruit Mat and Thom to help them escape Ebou Dar.
WH,Ch25 - Rand plays Thom's flute to pass the time.
WH,Ch26 - Elayne recalls good advice from Thom and Morgase regarding spies. Keep them happy and feed them bad information.
CoT,Ch4 - The Seeker knows of Thom and thinks he was involved in the events the night Tuon disappeared.
CoT,Ch24 - Rand sees swirling colors when he thinks of Thom and Mat.
KoD,Ch13 - Elayne wonders how Thom, Mat and Olver are doing.
KoD,Ch34 - Furyk Karede thinks Thom is in charge of the army that kidnapped Tuon and that he is a great captain and a spy for the White Tower.
KoD,Ch35 - Elayne wonders how Thom is doing.
TGS,Ch15 - Min thinks about the help she got from Thom on using her knives.
TGS,Ch26 - When Min flourishes her knives, Aviendha thinks it is a silly trick like Thom Merrilin used to do.
TGS,Ch31 - Rand sees an image of Mat riding through Caemlyn with Thom.
TGS,Ch36 - Mat does not think Thom will complain about having to spend thirty days in Caemlyn before heading to the Tower of Ghenjei.
ToM,Ch11 - Elayne and Birgitte learn from Mat-s letter that Thom is safe but they wonder about Olver.
ToM,Ch21 - Morgase thinks that Thom and Gareth Bryne loved her, but not like Tallanvor.
ToM,Ch44 - Morgase learned from Taringail that marriage is dangerous so she never made Thom or Bryne her official consort. Gaebril reinforced the danger.
ToM,Epilogue - Olver thinks Talmanes is not as much fun as Noal or Thom.

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