Tom was born in a coastal village, though he never knew his father. His mother, a seamstress, struggled to make ends meet and raised him alone. When Tom was around eight, a group of bandits raided the village, burning homes and taking hostages. During the chaos, Tom and his mother were separated. He was captured by slavers and put to work on a smuggling ship, forced to perform menial tasks. Over the next few years, he learned how to navigate the dangerous waters of piracy, though his heart yearned to escape.

One night, during a violent storm, Tom managed to slip away unnoticed while the smugglers were preoccupied with the weather. He found himself in the hold of the Griffin, an airship docked at a nearby port for repairs. Tom hid there, terrified and determined to avoid capture. When the crew discovered him, he was weak from hunger but defiant. The first mate, a gruff but fair man, took pity on him and, seeing potential in the boy’s quick thinking and determination, decided to give him a chance rather than cast him out.

Now, Tom has made a place for himself on the Griffin, always wondering about his lost mother and trying to leave behind the horrors of his past while learning the ways of the sky. Despite his young age, he’s resourceful and skilled, having learned from both the pirates and the crew of the Griffin. Yet, there’s always the lurking fear that someone from his old life may come looking for him.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Tom first appears in Engines of Alchemancy (The Alchemancer Book One).