thespa Hormir was born in Selgaunt, Sembia to Ulthan and Barice Hormir. Their faher, Ulthan, owned a warehouse near the port and made a living by renting storage space to the large shipping companies.
When Thespa was sixteen, they were on their way home from helping clean the family warehouse when they blacked out. They woke up in a dimly lit room, restrained against a wall. Their body was held in place from the neck down by a fleshy, organic device. A very tall, silhouetted figure entered and began interacting with what Thespa could now see was another restrained person on the opposing wall. They looked frantically around the room, desperately trying to find a means to escape. As the figure then turned and approached Thespa, they could see the smooth, purple skin of an illithid. It placed a small worm-like creature on their face, which crawled up underneath their left eyelid. Thespa could feel it squirm deeper into their head before blacking out again.
Thespa woke up again, this time in a different room. They were unrestrained on the floor. There were several other bodies surrounding them in a catatonic state. Thespa got up and moved quietly out of the room. They navigated winding, dimly-lit hallways, dashing stealthily past rooms and making their way towards what they hoped was an exit. They could hear occasional muffled voices coming from doorways along the way, one of which they were able to make out:
Voice 1: "...erwise they'll be able to find you."
Voice 2: "Do you really think I need it? I think I'll be fine on my own."
Voice 1: "I'm sure you're good, but should you be found out this will keep you from being divined."
Voice 2: "Oh, I see. That's a good precaution to take."
Voice 1: "Exactly. Just make sure you attune to it before you depart."
Thespa waited a moment before peeking into the doorway where they heard the voices. Anyone having a conversation in the room seemed to have left. The room was cold and dark, but relatively cozy in comparison to the bare hallways they came from. There were bookcases against the walls as well as a tapestry of the crest of the Sembian kingdom. There was a desk in the center of the room, also with the national crest on its side. There were several papers and other stationery on the desk, as well as a silver necklace with an amber pendant depicting a closed eye hanging from it. Thespa put it around their neck and continued back down the hallway. They wandered down these hallways for what seemed like a very long time before finding an exit.
Upon going outside Thespa found themself somewhere in the wilderness north of Selgaunt. They were able to make their way home by going south to the coastline and following it back to the city. Their parents were extremely relieved to be reunited with their child after having been missing for four days. Thespa recounted their experience to their parents, as well as their suspicion that the Sembian government was responsible. This prompted the three of them to leave their home and most of their belongings and move east to Baulder's Gate. In the days following this, Thespa began to notice several changes in their body. Their eyes changed from a brown to an amber color, their fingernails turned to a soft, dark grey material, and a series of sharp, back-facing teeth grew in their throat.
In the following two years Thespa made an effort to visit libraries and gather any information they could about illithids and related species in an attempt to find out what is happening to them. At the time of their enrollment at Strixhaven, Thespa has a feminine-looking face with amber eyes and black hair. They are 5'4" tall and like to wear large, comfy sweaters and scarves.