Thora Plonk

"So it's hard for you all to believe that I'm the famous Madame Plonk 's sister, eh?"

―Thora Plonk addressing the Band during their visit in The Rescue

Thora Plonk, also known as the Rogue smith of Silverveil, was a female Snowy Owl, or Bubo scandiacus, and sister to the famous singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, Madame Plonk.

History[]

Thora Plonk was one of the two daughters of Berrick, a retired Kielian League soldier, and was hatched in the Northern Kingdoms on the eastern coast of the Everwinter Sea. Berrick had lost his mate, Thea, in the War of the Ice Talons, and soon took another mate named Rodmilla. She treated Thora's sister Brunwella kindly, while Thora herself was treated cruelly because of her gray scale disease that made her feathers look splotchy. In fact, she was often called "Splotch" by Rodmilla.

Unable to bear being an outcast in her own home, Thora fled and traveled the Northern Kingdoms for a year before returning. During her travels, she met Octavia, who introduced her to a rogue smith on Dark Fowl Island. Over time, her talent for blacksmithing grew and in a short time, she could forge battle claws which only experienced smiths could handle. Later on Dark Fowl Island in a grog tree, she heard a dark rumor concerning her own family and Thora felt compelled to ensure the well-being of her family. Before coming home, she had given a pair of battle claws to her good friend Sigfried, whom she considered to be more than a friend.

Upon her arrival at her birth hollow, she attempted to reconcile her animosity between Rodmilla and herself. Rodmilla seemed to reciprocate her feelings but Thora was still quite suspicious. When the news of the death of Melvonia Plonk, famous singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, reached the Firth of Canis, Rodmilla was frantic about having Thora practice so she could replace her by singing at the auditions. This raised even further suspicion, because Brunwella was the better singer of the two sisters. To make matters worse, Rodmilla would be the hostess to the young Marquis Henryk VI and his parents, Marquis Henryk V and Marquise Gertrude. Rodmilla planned to marry off Brunwella to the young Henryk, much to the horror of Thora's sister.

Unfortunately, the inevitable happened and the young Henryk proposed. Thora told Brunwella that they would find their father with the Resistance on Dark Fowl Island and tell him of their circumstances. As for the auditions, Thora suggested that Brunwella switch with her so she could sing. Rodmilla was nowhere to be found on the night of the auditions so the switch worked even better. Thora was able to hear her sister sing and she knew without a doubt that she would become the next singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

On the way to Dark Fowl Island, Thora and Brunwella were met by Torsten, a member of the Resistance, who informed them that Sigfried had been grievously wounded in a raid on the Ice Talons' headquarters. While Brunwella and Torsten searched for Berrick, Thora visited Sigfried and found out that he had worn her battle claws into battle and that Rodmilla was a slipgizzle for the League of Ice Talons. Later Rodmilla came with three Ice Talons guards to infiltrate the Resistance hideout but their cover was blown by Thora. As Rodmilla flew at Thora, Sigfried sacrificed himself to save her. Moments later, Berrick, Torsten and Brunwella returned. Unfortunately, Berrick was killed by an Ice Talon guard and Rodmilla, but Thora was able to kill her stepmother with Sigfried's battle claws. After the Final Ceremony of Berrick and Sigfried, Thora left the Northern Kingdoms to become the rogue smith of Silverveil and inform Sigfried's parents that he died a hero's death.

The Rescue[]

After Soren's parents appeared to him as scrooms and warned him of Metal Beak, Soren went to Bubo, the Great Ga'Hoole Tree's blacksmith, to find out more. After further discussion, Soren found out that the dead Barred Owl in the Beaks was a rogue smith that acted as a slipgizzle for the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. When Soren found out about a rogue smith in Silverveil, he got the idea that she might know about the real reason behind Ezylryb's disappearance.

On the night of the Milkberry Harvest Festival, the Band left for to find the Rogue Smith of Silverveil. After a bit of searching, Digger managed to find the Rogue Smith of Silverveil, by literally running straight into her. The Rogue Smith was suspicious of this odd group of owls that had come from the Great Ga'Hoole Tree without consent but eventually gave in when Gylfie said she reminded her of her sister, Madame Plonk. She also revealed that she didn't do business with Metal Beak and his gang when Soren said that they had come because of Metal Beak.

At her forge, the Rogue Smith told the Band her story concerning her stepmother and her origins as a blacksmith. When Soren asked her if she knew anything about Ezylryb and Metal Beak, she replied that Ezylryb had lots of enemies in his past. Before the Band left, the Rogue Smith of Silverveil also told them that Metal Beak got his face torn off in a battle and that he had to get a new mask and beak made by another rogue smith.

The Siege[]

Unfortunately for the Rogue Smith of Silverveil, Kludd needed a new mu metal mask after Soren had destroyed his previous one when rescuing Ezylryb. He threatened the Rogue Smith with death if she didn't comply and even had Wortmore rough her up a bit. In the ruins of an old castle in Silverveil, she fitted Kludd's new mask to his mutilated face. She suspected that something dreadful was brewing in the High Tyto's mind, and to break the silence during the fitting, she asked if he was interested in a new experimental battle claw design.

Kludd sent Wortmore with the Rogue Smith back to her forge for a fitting. As she was fitting Wortmore, the Rogue Smith got enough information out of him to find out that the Pure Ones were planning a siege on the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. She gathered her few belongings and headed to Ambala to inform Mist, the elusive Spotted Owl, of the impending disaster and to possibly set up a new forge with no intention of making battle claws for the Pure Ones.

The Hatchling[]

By this time, the Rogue Smith of Silverveil had turned away from making weapons and instead, created metal art. She had also become a slipgizzle after her encounter with the Pure Ones before the siege on the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. When Gwyndor was unable to determine the nature of the Special Ceremony that Nyroc was to perform, he went to the Rogue Smith of Silverveil to see if she knew. To his horror, she revealed to him that the Special Ceremony required the murder of someone close like a family member or a friend. She used Soren as an example when Kludd pushed him out of his nest to fulfill his own Special Ceremony. Before Gwyndor left, she advised him not to tell Nyroc but to let him figure out for himself.

The Outcast[]

When Nyra was searching for her son and rebuilding the Pure Ones' forces, she decided she would need to assume the identity of a Rogue Smith. To do this, she concluded that she must murder the Rogue Smith of Silverveil. With a hickory club and Kludd's battle claws, she approached the Rogue Smith's forge and went in for a surprise attack. However, the Rogue Smith wheeled around and engaged her in combat. Before she could get her hammer, Nyra brutally shoved the Rogue Smith of Silverveil into her own fire with her own tongs. As she died, Nyra taunted that the Guardians preferred their meat roasted and that it would be quite a surprise for Madame Plonk. Before Nyra left, all that remained of the Rogue Smith of Silverveil were only a few charred bones.

Before Nyroc (known as Coryn at the time) arrived at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree with the Ember of Hoole, Madame Plonk mourned for the loss of her dear sister and the Great Harp remained silent for days.

Lone Wolf[]

It is revealed that she was an aunt figure to Gwynneth before her death at the talons of Nyra.

Frost Wolf[]

Her scroom appears to Gwynneth to tell her that Gwyndor's helmet had been disturbed, making Gwynneth realize that it was stolen.

Personality[]

By nature, Thora Plonk was a very independent, nonconformist owl, shown through her leaving her home when she was barely a fledgling and taking up the profession of a rogue smith, which in itself is an odd job considering that she was a Snowy Owl. She is also portrayed as being quite spirited and resistant, shown through her dealings with her stepmother Rodmilla when she still lived in her family's hollow. Her fiery spirit can also take a vulgar turn, and she is able to spew multiple curses when caught on the wrong foot. In Digger's opinion, Bubo was no match to her when it came to curses.

She is also very perceptive of what happens around her, being able to pick up on Rodmilla's determination to get both her and her sister out of the hollow. When she was threatened by the Pure Ones to make Metal Beak a new mask, Thora was able to deduct that the Pure Ones were arranging a siege on the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

Despite her vulgarity at times, she is capable of great love. Thora cared deeply for her family and friends (excluding Rodmilla of course) and she had an especially strong sisterly bond with Brunwella: a bond that stayed strong over the years up until Thora's untimely death. Both she and Brunwella fell outside the category of being "snow snobs," Snowy Owls who only socialized with other Snowies, and were able to make many friends outside of their own species.

Talents[]

Having no previous experience, Thora Plonk was a natural at the art of blacksmithing when she began her apprenticeship with Orf on Dark Fowl Island in the Northern Kingdoms. Within a few moon cycles, she began making battle claws, a project that was best left for experienced blacksmiths.

Gallery[]

Others Appearances[]

Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf (Mentioned only)
Wolves of the Beyond: Frost Wolf (Appeared as a scroom)