Tohlim holds the position of Aquafa's vizier during the Zol Empire's occupation. His role demands overt collaboration with Zolian authorities, including Viceroy Utalu, leading to acts of public subservience such as tending Utalu's gangrenous wound. Beneath this facade, Tohlim remains secretly loyal to the Aquafan king, who commands the resistance against Zol. The king employs a strategy of deliberately reintroducing the lethal mittsual plague, exploiting its unique impact on Zolians as biological warfare. Tohlim actively facilitates these plague outbreaks, enabling Van's escape via the salt mine attack and wounding Utalu by targeting a falconry expedition. His actions advance the resistance's goal of using the plague against the occupiers. Tohlim also maneuvers politically within the occupation's structure; his visible cooperation with Zol masks his true commitment to Aquafa's liberation, placing him at the heart of the conflict between the conquered Aquafans and their Zolian oppressors.