Author-avatar created for 'DRAW Your Own Story'. An exaggerated caricature of my self, he has a somewhat bipolar demeanour, oscillating between a shrewd strategist and poetic intellectual, and a childlike irreverent with a vengeful and impulsive streak. Thorvald is very much a "warrior-king" and has accompanied other DYOSers in the story's various adventures, participating directly in several confrontations both on his own and as part of the "hero party".

The eponymous Kingdom of Lym was vaguely described as encompassing Norway and southern Sweden but has never been delineated on a map. Despite his royal background, Thorvald developed a deep-seeded conviction in public welfare, and the Eastern Union was established as a socialist federation, with Thorvald serving as "Supreme Prime Minister for Life" over an otherwise democratic legislature.

• Thorvald's working-class sympathies and largely hands-off ruling style in spite of considerable executive powers channel elements of both Haakon VII and Olav V, although the parallels are entirely coincidental.
• His use of olive oil as a beverage is based on a National Geographic article I read at the time. Despite presumably having since restocked his fridge, it persists as a running gag.
• Thorvald was drawn as his original older avatar in a concept comic predating my sketching début that was never made public. The scene would have been the first appearance of Mr. Toyoda in DYOS, and taken his role in a radically different direction.
• Since the middle of DYOS X, Thorvald has been in CivGeneral's company and has not returned to Union territory. In DYOS X.ii, choxorn remarks that he's vying for the "King Richard Award" for most time in office spent outside the home country.
• Thorvald was misspelled "Thorvlad" by @GenMarshall in several early interactions. He also earned the nickname "Thorn(vald)" by Captain2.
• He has never been seen without his helmet.

Dogs, long walks on the beach, emancipating the Proletariat from the shackles of capitalist oppression.

Stephen Harper, to the point his doppelgängers' invasion of Canada in DYOS X may have been permitted in part to depose the government.

CivGeneral
Friend and confidant. Thorvald's blunder at Aberdeen nearly turned Coruscant into an existential threat, but by the Brazilian Campaign tensions had eased such that they were now in military co-operation, and continued as informal allies in later stories. Thorvald leverages his personal rapport to smooth over their empires' divergent views and/or influence Coruscanti policy. He takes a considerably less charitable view of CG's love life.

Mr. Toyoda
Loathed so much he posted a bounty of €200 billion. The origin of the vendetta has not been disclosed. He is, however, perfectly willing to entreat with Toyoda's personnel, and the hatred does not appear reciprocal.

Captain Locke
Conflicted. Originally terrified simply by mention of his name, Thorvald eventually bought Locke's allegiance but continues to suffer him as a loose cannon to the point of creating an interdimensional sensor array to keep track of his activity.

Vladimir Putin
Political arch-rival, though Russia's accession into the Union seems to have neutered his immediate threat.

Bjørn
Best friend and most trusted advisor. They are rarely seen outside each other's company.

Harald
Close friend and third-in-command, entrusted with acting leadership of the Eastern Union in DYOS XI on.