Thunstone is a
scholar and
playboy who investigates mysterious
supernatural events. He is physically large and strong, intelligent, handsome, and wealthy. He is also well-read in
occult matters and has access to several weapons that are especially potent against
vampires,
werewolves and other supernatural creatures. Thunstone has a sword-cane with a
silver blade said to have been forged by
Saint Dunstan, patron saint of silversmiths and a noted opponent of the
Devil. The blade is inscribed with a text from
Judges chapter 5 in the
Vulgate, "Sic pereant omnes inimici tui" — "thus perish all your enemies". The sword-cane had also been used by Wellman's earlier character,
Judge Pursuivant, who passed it on to Thunstone when his advanced age made him too weak to effectively wield it. In addition to the
ghosts and other traditional supernatural beings, several of Thunstone's enemies are Wellman's unique creations. These include the
shonokins, a race of human-like creatures who claim to have ruled
North America before the coming of humans. Thunstone's most persistent foe is a
sorcerer named Rowley Thorne, who appears in a number of the stories. ==Collections==