Application tushanshu // Talia :: Heralds of Valdemar

[thequeensown]

Player Information:
Name: Alma
Age: 32
Contact: almalthia@plurk // almalthia80 @gmail
Game Cast: NA

Character Information:
Name: Talia
Canon: Heralds of Valdemar book series
Canon Point: End of Arrows of the Queen, after she's poisoned herself
Age: 20-21
Reference:
Arrows of the Queen: Book 1
Arrow's Flight: Book 2
Arrow's Fall: Book 3

Setting:
~In a time long ago there was known the land of Velgarth, a continent strewn by the wars of sorcerers and magic. The peoples of this land were decimated under the magical wars and the land took back the powers it had bestowed upon its people; and so Velgarth returned the magic to its people.~

Velgarth is a continent of olden days, where technology is non-existent. Electricity is only capable through the use of magic, and horseback remains the typical form of transportation; or gryphonback, if you happen to know one. Clothing is made of linen, leather and typically held in place by rope belts or metal fastenings. If it were to be compared to history as we know it, one would say Medieval.

Castles and Queens. Stone work and thatched homes. Conspiracy and magic. Such is the world of Velgarth and its people.

MAP OF VELGARTH

Valdemar:
A place known for freedom of practice and fairness to its people. Haven is the captial city of Valdemar. It is tightly packed and most of the buildings have been built for room upwards instead of outwards. The roads are made in a circular manner so there is no direct way to the Royal Palace in the heart of the city. The walls that marked the limits of the city during its founding are still there now. The Royal Palace and the Collegiums sit within the heart of the city. Surrounding them are the houses of the rich and the noble families. The city is protected by the Guard.

Current Ruler
Queen Selenay

Religious Belief / God/Goddess name
The world of Velgarth is a world where magic is real and one might actually find themselves in an sit down conversation with a God or Goddess that has taken an interest in them. Deities are real and take an interest in the Velgarth setting; this interest can range from granting abilities to their priests to large-scale protection like the Iftel border and shielding of Iftel and Karse by Vkandis Sunlord and the Dhorisha Plain by Kal'enel after the Mage Wars and again during the Mage Storm trilogy.

Other, less proactive deities and their sects are occasionally mentioned in the stories. Most notable is the small sect of female mage-warriors to which Need belonged during her human life. Baron Valdemar prayed to "every deity he had heard of" in the Grove on the night the first Companions were born, which explains in part Valdemar's historical tolerance for all religions.

Location
Valdemar lies right beyond the Northern borders of Karse.

Uniform/ Style of Clothing
Dark Blue and Silver: The uniform of the Royal Guard.
Light Blue: Unaffiliated students at the Collegium, typically those that become inventors and scholars.
Green: The uniform worn by those in the Healers Collegium, trainees wearing a lighter hue.
Scarlet: The uniform worn by those in the Bardic Collegium, the trainees wearing a russet red.
Grey: The uniform worn by Heralds-in-training.
White: The uniform worn by Heralds once they have completed their training Circuit and achieved their full rank.

Karse:
Karse lies right beyond the Southern borders of Valdemar. It is difficult to pass into the border of Karse from Valdemar because most of the border is protected by mountains; this came in handy when Karse and Valdemar were at War with each other.

For a long time, evil Sun-Priests claimed that they were the "True rulers of Karse," known as the Sons of the Sun; Vkandis being the Sun. These False rulers would create "miracles" by way of mage gift to fool the onlookers in the crowd into believing them. They then made a new tradition, that of the annual Feast of the Children. This was when parents were ordered to take their children to the Temples and there they would be inspected by Sun-Priests. This began when a child was five and ended when he/she was thirteen. Some of these children who were "chosen" by the Priests were thrown into the Fires; others were taken for service to the SunLord. Regardless, the children who were taken were never permitted to see their parents again. The children that were taken were either extremely intelligent, or had the God-granted ability to use magic. If one of the children had witch-powers (like Mind-Magic) they were sacrificed. The others were taken to be trained as Black-Robed Priests; Or, the Demon-Summoners. The intelligent children would grow and study in places known as Children Cloisters until they were either chosen to be novices or were given duties as a servant. Now before the evil Priests had taken over, there was such a thing as Cleansing and the Feast of Children, but it was only meant as a Rite of Passage, not a feared place of sacrifice and abduction.

The long-time enemy of Karse was Valdemar. Valdemar was a supposedly a land full of DemonSpawn that rode on their White HellHorses (Heralds and Companions). Everyone in Karse believed this land and its people to be evil and they fought with the False rulers and the Demons that they summoned. This continued on for years until Vkandis Himself decided that it was enough. The False Son was struck down by lightning on a cloudless day during one of his fake rituals, with a lot of witnesses. Vkandis then possessed a golden statue that was a likeliness of Him and stepped towards the other Priests. He then took the large crown of prophecy off His head (which was quite impossible seeing that the crown was part of the statue), and the crown began to shrink. Once it shrunk to the size of a human's head, He placed it upon, not a man's, but a womans' head, declaring her for all to see as the True Son of the Sun and new ruler of Karse. Her name was Solaris. To further prove her worth, she was visited by a Firecat shortly thereafter. Solaris then declared all Fires to be extinguished forever and that Karse would be at peace with Valdemar.
• Avatars of Vkandis are called Firecats.
1. Firecats are about the size of a bobcat, they are catlike in appearance with cream-colored coats with red points on the ears and tail.
2. Firecats have the ability to Gate themselves and objects they carry in a method they call "Jumping."
3. Firecats are reincarnated former Sons of the Suns who advise those who need guidance in ruling the country.

Current Ruler
High Priestess Solaris, the True Son of the Sun

Religious Belief / God/Goddess name
God- Vkandis SunLord. - Followers are known as Sun Priests. Somewhere in the history of Karse (though everyone seems to have forgotten this), there is said to have been a female consort to Vkandis; Her name is/was the Goddess Kalanel. At one point or another, the Order of Priests and devotees that followed Her disappeared and her sacred statue was removed from its place besides Vkandis' statue in the Temple. It is unknown as to when and why this occurred.

Location
Karse lies right beyond the Southern borders of Valdemar. It is difficult to pass into the border of Karse from Valdemar because most of the border is protected by mountains; This probably came in very handy when Karse and Valdemar were at War with each other.

Uniform/ Style of Clothing
Guards: Flowing scarlet and gold uniforms, embroidered with sashes of rank and feathered turbans.
Sun Priests & Novices: All wear Vkandis-medals of round gold disks blazoned with a sun-in-glory hung on a gold chain. The Sun-Priests rank are shown by the color of their robes.
Black: The once-feared Demon-Summoners for the False rulers of Karse. Once the True ruler of Karse was chosen by Vkandis, Solaris declared all demon-summoning to be anathema. She declared that the black-robed priests would retain their rank, but do nothing more than a red-robed priest would do.
Red: Another high-ranking Priest, though not a demon-summoner like the black robes once were.

Holderkin:
Sensholding was the name of Talia's village.

The Holderkin are a puritanical group originally from Karse who live on the southeastern border of Valdemar. Holderkin society is patriarchal. Men are the heads of the family, their authority is absolute. Women are submissive in all aspects of life. Families are polygamous, with several wives to each husband. The First Wife is in charge of all the Underwives and the children. The widowed mother of the head of the household has a specially honored place in the family. At age 13, daughters are either married or sent to the temples to be devotees of the Goddess. The Holderkin also worship a patriarchal God.

Heralds:
The Monarch made the laws and the Heralds upheld them, dispensing them under the guidance of their Companions. They were, by nature, a self-sacrificing group and knew well that many Heralds would die in the line of duty. Heralds live and often die in the service of Valdemar, keeping it safe, honest, and well run.

Companions:
Baron Valdemar founded the country of Valdemar with his Followers long ago, when they fled from persecution in the Eastern Empire. The Baron was a good man and became a good king whose main concern was for his people. He knew that he had ruled wisely, and was certain that his son would rule equally well, but he worried that his descendants might not be fit rulers. The terrors of abusive government that had driven him to flee with his people and settle in Valdemar were clear in his mind as he prayed to all the benign Powers to find a solution to this dilemma. He was answered by a miracle—the appearance of the first Companions. These otherworldly Guardians, though they looked like white horses of the finest quality, were spirit beings who would ensure the continuation of a lineage of caring and competent rulers for Valdemar and justice and honor for Valdemar’s people. By Choosing people willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of Valdemar, the Companions provided at class of incorruptible guardians for the country, from its rulers, who had to be Heralds to take the throne, to all the other Heralds who would serve the land as its dispensers of justice, its organizers of defenses in emergencies, and its messengers in times of peace as well as times of strife.

What a "Companion's Choice" is, isn't clear. It's a meeting of minds, and of the Companion being the person's bondmate for life. Various Choices have been described as "being weighed and measured," "falling into [the Companion's] blue eyes," and "finding something I didn't know I was missing". Companions are in a mutual relationship with their Herald, and the bond can affect both sides, both physically and mentally. The Companion becomes the Herald's best friend, offering support and help to his or her Herald. The joining makes the Herald's Gift's stronger (or wakes them up) and is known to especially augment Mindspeech.. The Choice is, mostly, permanent. It can be broken in the early stages, but it leaves the two broken, emotionally and physically. After the initial phase, the loss of Herald or Companion is followed by depression and almost always death. Companions only Choose those who understand duty (or can learn it), and are good people. They do tend to Choose those who will need to help Valdemar in some way in the future. Companions usually are 10 or older when they go out to Choose, but some can choose earlier, or later, if they wish so there is no set rhyme or reason.

Companions are the returned spirits of departed Heralds and Companions, as well as agents or 'avatars' of the gods (Monarch's Own Companions are the only ones who are Avatars or Agents). Companions try to show they are both fallible and mortal so that their Heralds won't depend on them to get them out of every scrape. When a Herald or Companion dies, he or she is given a rest. They can recover there from their past life. After a time they can choose to return as a Companion (with all memories intact), as a human baby (no memories) and become a Herald again, or to go on, into the next world. There are 'new souls' that the Companions can choose to join the Ranks of the Heralds. Companion's do not return to the world for quite a few lifetimes from their death, so that they don't feel they have to fix their loved one's lives. Companion's often use their human name (if they are a returned spirit), with different Spelling. Vanyel becomes Venyel, Alberich becomes Alberik, Savil becomes Sayvil.

Why Companions Choose the Way They Do:
1. The gender of the Herald has nothing to do with the gender of the Companion. The idea is that the two are best friends, not lovers, and there is nothing that says your best friend has to be of either sex.
2. The Companions don't care about orientation; it's a non-issue for them.
3. The Herald's personality is important. The Herald has to be someone that the Companion respects and can become friends with. If the Companion does not respect the person, that character won't be chosen to become a Herald.
4. The Companion is also looking for someone who is young and who can be trained to do the Herald's physically and emotionally demanding job.
5. The Companion is looking for someone who has a Gift or Gifts (usually Gifts manifest after the Herald is Chosen); there are many very nice, un-Gifted people in the world, and they can't become Heralds.
6. The Companions will only choose people who can be spared from their current life. A Companion won't choose the only possible heir for a farm, someone who has Bardic or Healer talent (and who is needed in those Schools), or someone who is the sole means of support for a family. In other words, if a person has a much-needed skill in another area or is needed by his/her family and/or fellow villagers (like the only blacksmith in a town), etc., then that person will not be Chosen.

Queen's Own:
The title of the Herald Chosen to become the closest friend and advisor of Valdemar's Ruler. Queen's Own for when a Queen is on the throne, and King's Own for when a King is on the Throne. The position has existed since the first days of the Herald-Companion relationships, and it is a position of such special trust that it requires an extraordinary Herald to fill it. A new Monarch's Own is Chosen by the Grove-Born Companion of the last Monarch's Own Herald to occupy that position, which is held for the Herald's lifetime. This Herald has authority and duties above other Heralds. Often, they possess the Gift of Empathy, which is useful for diplomacy. The Monarch's Own is also given a seat on the Council in Valdemar, and votes with them. The character strength and honesty of the Monarch's Own is the reason why Valdemar has suffered so little strife through the centuries, compared with its neighboring kingdoms. A monarch with such a trusted friend is much better able to withstand the stresses of ruling and steer a moral course in difficult times.

The Companion to the Monarch's Own Herald is always a Grove-Born Stallion, and is considered the leader of the Companions. The Grove Born Companions are called that because they come into this world fully grown and just appear one day in a Grove that lies within Companion's Field. They are also very different from regular Companions because they, unlike the others, were never human and are said to be Avatars (god/goddesses). The other Companions are all reincarnations of past Heralds that have died.

The Monarch's Own Herald is always chosen by a Grove Born Companion. Usually, he or she is the only Herald to have a Grove Born now-a-days but in The Mage Winds Trilogy it was discovered that Gwena, Elsepth's Companion, was indeed a Grove Born.

The Monarch's Own Companion is always a stallion (with the exception of Gwena) and never ages, though he can die just as easily as the rest of them can (which isn't that easy). Usually Grove Born Companions have higher Mindspeech abilities than most others, like Talia's Rolan does (though they cannot speak to each other). Grove Born Companions (Rolan specifically) are also VERY fertile and tend to leave a "present" whenever they are done mating.

Unlike other Companions, Grove Born have a different bond with their Heralds. For regular Companions, if the Herald dies, the Companion usually is right behind them... same the other way around. This is because the bond between them is so strong and loving that they can't bear to be without each other. Grove Born Companions share the same strength with their chosen Heralds but they do not necessarily die when the other does. If the Monarch's Own dies somehow, the Companion chooses another immediately. If the Companion dies, the Herald usually lives and another Grove born "pops" up from the grove to choose him/her.

Magic:
The magic of Velgarth is quite varied; from True magic to Divine magic and even Blood magics. It is most common in all of these that one’s powers usually manifest around the time of puberty though sometimes even with potential one's powers may never come about at all. The following is a list of most of the documented Gifts and magics.

Mind Magic
The form of magic most commonly used by the Heralds, referred to as 'Gifts'. This is not to be confused with 'True Magic' but is closer related to what we would know as psionics. Outside of Valdemar, Gifts aren't as well recognized (if at all) and are rarely trained to the degree that Valdemarens do if they are recognized. Gifts are accessed by sending energy through channels in the mind. These channels are dormant in most people; those who manifest Gifts have active or open channels. This is the same energy used by Mages, though those without the "Mage Gift" can only use the natural power within themselves except in rare cases where Companions can feed power from themselves to their Herald. Due to this limitation, those who over-use their Gift quickly collapse or die when they overspend their own natural energy.

However, those trained in Gift use are taught how to mesh together – someone Gifted with Farsight would often work with someone Gifted with Fetching, or more than one Gifted with Fetching, for optimal results (Krys and Dirk of the Arrows trilogy are good examples). Healing-meshes are also used when a Herald or Herald-Mage meshes with a Healer to provide them with extra energy for a Healing beyond that Healer’s strength (such as when Vanyel attempted suicide in the Temple in Magic’s Pawn).

The stronger a Gift is, the less common it is, and some Gifts are rare to begin with. It’s also very unusual for a Herald to have Healing or Bardic Gifts, and vice versa. Healing and Firestarting almost never show up as Gifts among the Heralds unless they are going to be badly needed.

*Shields*
• Mind-shields: These are formed by people with mind-gifts (thought-sensing, mindspeaking, empathy). They shield the thoughts and emotions of the creator from projecting and from the creator inadvertently receiving outside thoughts/emotions. Keep in mind that the strength of the Gift will affect the strength or effectiveness of the mind-shield
• Mage-shields: These are the shields that a mage forms to both control their Gift and to help defend against other magic. Once in place, these don't need any extra magic put into them unless they're being actively used to defend from other magic. This does not protect their thoughts. The strength and effectiveness of the mage-shields are affected by the strength of the mage's magic.
• Physical mage-shield: These shields are made by some mages to defend against physical attacks. This usually requires concentration to some degree, and is almost never used constantly due to the fact it needs more magic to fuel it.
• Magical mind-shields: These are not the same as regular mind-shields. They are made using magic specifically for the purpose of defending against mind-magic. More of a spell than anything, and not many mages know how to do it. They require magic to keep up.
• Natural mind-shields: Some non-Gifted have the rare ability to shield their minds - without even realizing it. This is highly unusual and the strength of the shield is usually equivalent to the person's natural strength of will.
Heraldic Gifts
Empathy:
Empathy is a Mind Magic that is the ability to feel the feelings of others, and in some cases to even control them. It is similar to some Bardic gifts that allow Bards to control their audience through their music and a FarSpeaker can hear words. An Empath can also ‘see’ if certain emotions are strongly connected to a person or event.

FarSight:
Also known as Looking or Seeing, it is a Heraldic Gift enabling the possessor to see people or events at a distance far beyond normal vision. Heralds who are not Mindspeakers are likely to be Farseers. Farseeing can be linked with Fetching to transport people or objects from a distance. Farseeing is a Mind Magic that is similar to a magic technique called Scrying. With farseeing, one can see a place of person far away from them. This can be useful to spy on enemy soldiers, or to survey the situation in faraway places. Combined with Fetching, Farseeing is particularly potent.

Fetching:
Fetching is a Mind Magic that is the ability to move objects without physically touching them, and often from a distance. Fetching can be used for a variety of reasons, from sending an important message home to the Monarch from circuit, to stealing the ball during a game of Kirball. It is especially potent when combined with Farseeing, as someone with the Fetching gift would be able to see exactly where they are sending something.

FireStarting:
Firestarting is a type of Mind Magic that is the ability to light things on fire. Most people gifted with firestarting will be able to do no more than light a candle, though there are a few exceptions. Those exceptions tend to arrive just before they are greatly needed, so to have an exceptional firestarting gift is almost a prelude to war. Firestarting is said to be very similar to Fetching, as it could be that the vibrations created before the fire comes is a form of moving an item very fast, in a miniscule way.

ForeSight:
Foresight is a type of Mind Magic that involves seeing into the possible future, and sometimes into the past. This can be useful, for example, in figuring out the tactics of a fight, or in stopping an assassination from happening before it does.
Foresight is not to be relied upon, and the images can sometimes be exact, sometimes representation, and can easily be misinterpreted because the future is always changing.

MindSpeech:
Mindspeech is one of the "Mind Magic" gifts that allows someone to communicate mind to mind. Like most Gifts this one can be inborn with varying degrees of strength. Some who possess this gift can mindspeak with animals, or the intelligent animal races like dyheli, while others can only speak to humans. Some of the intelligent animal races can only speak in this way. The majority of those with the skill form their strongest Mindspeaking bonds with their Companions.

Mindspeech provides more information that regular speech, coloring the speech with memories, emotions and experience that can be felt by the person receiving the mindspeech. It is nearly impossible to lie during mindspeech because of this. Also known as Mindspeech, the skill is closely related to the talents known as Mindtouching, Mindreaching, Mindcalling, and Farspeaking. There are also Two other aspects of this Gift. One is Thought-Sensing the other is Projecting. Thought-Sensing can enable the person to sense what another is thinking. They cannot read minds but they can delve into memories if the person is willing. Projecting is the ability to make people sense what you want them to.

Animal Mindspeech:
Animal Mindspeech is a form of Mind Magic very similar to regular Mindspeech. It is an ability that allows one to speak to animals through the mind, and be heard and understood.

True Magics
Magic of Velgarth
There are four types of magic in Velgarth. They are known as True Magic (otherwise known as the High Magics or Mage-Gift), Earth Magic (otherwise known as the Low or Lesser Magics), Divine Magic (also known as Shamanism), and Blood Magic. Of these, True Magic is what Herald-mages possess, Divine Magic is purely for priest or shaman characters of high standing, and Earth Magic is rare. No player in Arrows will be permitted a Blood Mage.
True Magic
The best known and understood of the four categories of magic in Velgarth, this can only be used by a person with Mage-Gift. Tapping into either the mage’s own personal energies or (at stronger levels) into ley lines and nodes, a mage can manipulate the energy to cast spells. Ley lines are invisible streams of power that criss-cross the land, some mere trickling ‘streams’ and others uncontrollable ‘rivers’. Nodes are where several ley-lines meet, causing deep ‘pools’ of energy. The Tayledras Heartstones are effectively mage-created super-nodes, where many ley-lines are directed and collect, causing a massive source of energy that the Tayledras then use to cleanse the land that was warped by that same magical energy. Also associated with True Magic is Mage Sense and Mage Sight, which permit mages to sense and/or see the magical energies they work with. Most mages have at least one focus stone that aids in magical works.

Mage Gift: A person with Mage Gift can manipulate the magical energy described in the previous paragraph. Every mage starts at the Apprentice level, and through training and tests, may be able to reach a higher 'level' if they have the potential for it. Attempts to do things beyond your current level of magical skill can lead to burning out, insanity, and death.
• Apprentice: One of the two most common types of High Mages, a person with Apprentice-level Mage-gift can only tap into their personal energies, which are restored after they rest for a long enough period. Often dismissed as being weak, those who cannot go beyond Apprentice level often develop the most efficient and useful spells, making up for lack of pure power with creativity.
• Journeyman: The other common type of Mage, Journeymen mages absorb power from leylines latently and store up reserves in themselves and items. This makes it difficult for them to be detected as when they cast spells, they draw on the reserves that they have absorbed, not on the leylines around them. However, the amount they can absorb limits the amount of magic that they can do.
• Master: Master mages can manipulate the leylines around them so that they can use the energy and cast a larger number of more powerful spells than a Journeyman. This helps them to conserve their personal energies, thus tiring less easily. Becoming a Master is difficult due to the level of studying necessary and the far-from-easy tests to earn the rank. (Uncommon)
• Adept: An Adept is capable of everything a Master mage is capable of, as well as capable of controlling and drawing on node-energies. They rarely need to use their own energy, thus tiring only when physically exhausted by the magic they’ve been doing. An Adept will always have an Adept Manifestation, a semi-physical form to their magic that is used almost primarily in mage duels – if an Adept challenges another Adept, it must be answered and whosoever loses gives up any rank they’ve earned. Becoming an Adept is difficult due to the level of studying necessary, and dangerous due to the tests one must go through to earn the rank. (Rare)
Weather-magic: The ability to manipulate or outright control the weather with an ease that a regular mage could never manage. This Gift always comes paired with Mage-Gift. (Rare)

Mage Sense: The ability for someone – be they Mage-talented or not – to sense the magical energies in the world around them. For most, it translates almost to a physical sensation, other than sight. Anyone with Mage-Gift has Mage Sense, and nearly every magically-created being does as well. There is no specific strength to Mage Sense unless there is something particularly abnormal about it. (Uncommon for non-mages)

Mage Sight: The ability to see leylines, nodes, and spells, to perceive Companions and magical constructs or beings according to their true nature, and to see the aura of a mage. Almost every Master or Adept mage has this ability, and some Apprentice and Journeymen have it as well. (Rare for non-mages)
Earth Magic
The ‘lesser’ magics, often not even acknowledged or known about. This is the magic connected to the land, and while the spells that can be worked with Earth Magic are ‘minor’, when well-used, they can be quite effective. This magic uses the natural world’s energies, so it is almost always connected to someone possessing Earth-sense. An Earth Mage is generally sensitive to harm done to the land, and a great deal of the magics they do are connected to restoring abused land to its healthy state. Rulers of Hardorn and Rethwellan are both bound to the land with an Earth Magic ritual, although they must have the Gift of Earth-sense for it to be successful – if it is, they’re able to sense trouble or strife within the boundaries of their country.

Earth Magic: Magic done using the natural world’s energies, used primarily to heal the land, but sometimes for minor spells that can be used for surprising effect. Not often recognized, it is currently best known in Hardorn, Rethwellan, and the Tayledras. (Rare)

Earth-sense: The ability to sense the condition of the land, and the natural energies it gives off. Someone with Earth-sense is likely to be vulnerable to harm done to the land they’re near. (Rare)

Divine Magic
The source of true miracles by priests and spells by shamans that work, Divine Magic doesn’t require any innate talent or skill. What it does require is devotion. Gods and powerful spirits are able to channel power from the spirit planes to those worshippers they deem devoted enough, and in enough need. Sometimes this is done through the worshippers, and sometimes it’s done with nothing needed from them except a prayer, or setting things up in a manner deemed necessary. Demons are also capable of doing much the same for those who serve them, but this is considered warped, unnatural, and evil.

Notably, the Son of the Sun in Karse and the Goddess-sworn Shin’a’in Oathbound (particularly those who serve Her as priests such as the Kal’enedral) are known to be able to do Divine Magic, as their Gods recognize the level of devotion they show.

Blood Magic
Those who follow this line of magic are called Blood-Path Mages, and are generally despised for the perversion of magic they practice. Taking power from the pain and suffering of others, they practice a corrupted form of magic that boosts their ‘level’ quite a bit higher. A mage who might never have been more than an Apprentice can do nearly Master level magics, if they learn how to gather the energy of their victims properly, and a Blood-path Adept is extremely powerful and very dangerous. The cost to this is very low, although to the ‘lesser’ and ‘weaker’ Blood mages, the rush of power and the pain of others becomes quite addictive. It also tends to leave a distinct taint to the magical aura they have, and in the magics they do, which can alert someone with Mage Sense or Sight to the nature of their foe.

Interestingly, there are magics practiced that are considered acceptable despite involving pain, blood and even death. The Dhorisha Plains were renewed by the willing sacrifice of one Elder or Shaman from every clan. Some mages use their own blood to bind spells or boost their energy. This is the exception, not the rule, leaving no taint on the user and generally not considered to be Blood Magic.

Personality:
Talia is not used to conforming and is of her own mind amongst her Border dwelling Holderkin, believing women are just as authoritative as men. She is good with children and has been responsible for watching, and teaching, the children of her Hold since she was nine years old.

Though Talia has a constant press of concern regarding her Gift, she presents herself as secure in both her abilities to use and not misuse them. She went through many trials when training to use them and seems confident that she is capable in their use both as a Herald and as a person. This is not, however, entirely accurate; if at all. She is truthfully, even years into being a trained Herald, questioning her Gift and the uses of it. She knows there is only the slightest wavering between using it as she should and taking advantage of it, as she has been pressed to. She worries if she has been properly trained to handle her own Gifts, especially after her breakdown on her Circuit. In truth, it would be very easy to misuse her Gift and she is well aware of it.

Unlike other Gifts, the only thing to keep Talia from misusing her Gift is her own moral values, and as she is still young, there is a wavering in them; she can be coaxed to see things perhaps in a way she shouldn't. She knows that she should do what is best for the kingdom and her monarch, but she questions if reading and persuading people as she can is right. So, she sometimes hesitates in using her Gifts at all, which could prove to be her downfall in a battle of political leanings; let alone cost her own life in an attack of physical means.

Heralds as a whole are Chosen with specific personality types; patient, unselfish, responsible, and capable of heroic devotion to their duties. Talia herself has proven in the past to be more than sufficiently patient, enduring the Brat’s outlandish tantrums time and time again during her youth. She has faced the question constantly of whether or not she is justly using her powers, and instead of exploding at people, she stops and tries to reason things out from their own perspective. She is unselfish in that is willingly accepted that she was going to die in the service of the crown. She used everything in her power to warn the Queen and her entourage that they were heading into a trap and that Elspeth’s engagement to Ancar wasn’t what it appeared to be.

Responsible. Talia is holding the weight of the Queen’s worries on her shoulders, and is doing so without hesitation. She knows that Selenay is trying to make certain that Elspeth is prepared for her own imminent Choosing, and is doing everything in her power to make this burden easier on the Queen. She tries to do her best to intercept problems or keep them from the Queen entirely, doing her best to solve mysteries on her own. When Lord Orthallen does his best to undermine the Queen and makes a subversive go at the throne, she and Skif (one of her closest and dearest friends) set out to find proof before even bringing the matter to the Queen.

Heroic devotion? Talia saw her partner and his Companion die at the hands of Ancar’s men. She made certain her Companion, Rolan, escaped capture and then arranged for signal arrows to be given to him after. She suffered rape and torture at their hands and the hands of his sorcerous. She suffered all of this, and never, never broke for them. She never told them any of the secrets the Queen held, nor of any way to subvert the borders of Valdemar. She would not and did not give them anything more to work with then they already knew. When she knew that they would use her broken and battered body to their own benefit, she made the choice to end her life; not selfishly, but to keep her Kingdom safe. She accepted her death, with the knowledge that Rolan would see her message delivered and that the Queen, Princess, and kingdom would be saved.

She has also been placed in a political seat that she has no real business being in, and questions it herself. She was from a small border village and knew little more than she gleaned from the few books she was able to get a hold of. It was only after coming to the Collegium that she began to learn, but political intrigue is not something she is well versed in. But she has learned. She came to Haven green in every way possible. She was untrained in her Gifts and untrained in ways of the court. It was through ‘tough love’ that she learned how politics worked, living first hand through some of the underhanded dealings awaited her. Coming into her position, she was aware that the last Monarch’s Own had died in his position and that there were suspicious circumstances behind his death.

It was during an attempt on her own life that she learned that Talamir was poisoned and killed in his service to the crown and its Queen. It was at this point that she realized just how perilous her position was. The people around the Queen did not want her to have her chief advisor, even if said advisor was just a thirteen year old girl at the time. Lord Orthallen wanted the Queen to depend on him and his position, so that he could better arrange his own political position. He wanted, ultimately, the throne for himself and was willing to sacrifice just about anyone he needed to see it done. Talia learns the harsh reality that things aren’t perfect, even in Haven. Political intrigue is a regular theme around her from the moment she arrives, and gets worse as she attains a position in the Council and the ability to vote with them. It was already rumored that she swayed the Queen’s vote with her Gifts and now with her having her own vote in the process, she’s had to try to prove her character and had people attacking it all the more. She doesn’t enjoy the stuffiness and particulars of Court, but she faces them with focus and decorum.

She is smart, fun-loving, passionate toward her causes. Strong-willed and athletic and holds the fury of a cornered she-cat when crossed unjustly. Quick to laugh and passionate in her ability to love and forgive, though relentless when in support of her friends or loved ones.

Cautious around anything remotely involved in politics, she approaches such things carefully. She is emotional, a sure sign of her still being rather young, and her Gifts tend to augment this fact. She has been known to lash out more than necessary, particularly when emotions are running high around her. If not tightly shielded (and she does let them drop if she's not careful), she can pick up too much from those around her and act without thinking.

When she comes to stay on TuVishan, she is going to be of mixed emotions. She had accepted that she had sacrificed her life for the better of Valdemar and that in taking argonal, her death was inevitable. She had served her best and done everything in her power to make certain her Queen and fellow Heralds would not march into betrayal and their deaths. However, when she realizes that she is not dead (as there are set rules for the death of a Herald, tyvm), she will be more than a little unhappy. She will be lacking her bond with Rolan, her Companion, and it will feel (physically and emotionally) as if half of her soul is missing. SO, yeah. She’s not going to be utterly thrilled about that. She’ll want to return to her Companion, Monarch and realm, because she has duties and if she’s not dead, then they need to be seen to.

She’s going to be a little lost initially, wandering around with a big piece of her missing. :(

Appearance:
Talia is 5'2" tall and weighs approximately 123 lbs. Her brown/auburn hair is kept in various lengths, depending on how much effort she is willing to put into it and what season it is. The main deciding factor on this is that her hair is very curly when it's kept super short, and tends to ease into looser ringlets when longer. She has a heart-shaped face and is very trim and muscled, due to her constant level of physical training.

PB: Tori Amos

Abilities:
Empathy: the ability to read and influence the emotions of others. Talia is a STRONG mental projector and reader and uses her Gift on circuits while acting as envoy and adviser to the Queen.

Mind Healing: focuses on the maladies of the mind and emotions, rather than the physical well-being of the patient. She can ease the transition
of mental illness and will be able to break through deceptions or see if the mind has been tampered with. She can restore the mind, though it can take time and prove quite taxing.

Talia can heal with her mind and read emotions, but she can also hurt with these same gifts. She broke the mind of a man that was known to be a child molester and made him relive the pain and emotion of his victim. Warm and fuzzy, right? Now, in the book, this would only tire her a bit and she'd be up and moving.

She has been trained in combat by a master at arms and is more than capable with a sword/throwing knives/bow and arrow. She is slight of build so her physical fighting abilities are not as strong as some, but she is fit and will go down fighting rather than not. She is an able-bodied horse-woman and can do anything horseback; no really, try her. She is diplomatic and well-rounded, willing and able to do what must be done.

Inventory:
Just herself in scraps of clothing; perhaps with her bottle of remaining argonal still in hand.

Suite:
A one story home in Water will be more than adequate for Talia. She's shared her space with others (Holderkin or Heralds) all her life and doesn't need much space. She's not overly in need of riches or luxury, and will watch out for those lower class kedan around her. (Also, it will be amusing for anyone in a gang to think she's vulnerable because she's small.)

In-Character Samples:

Third Person:
Talia stared out over the edge of Tu Vishan's shell, her hazel eyes fixed on a point far off in the horizon. It had only been a few days since she had been accosted, or saved dependent upon the point of view, and brought to live on the strange living vessel, but it had seemed already a good deal longer.

She was certain, if she inquired, that there would be any number of passengers willing to help her keep herself busy. She was certain she could inquire of any of the kedan and find tasks she was capable of doing.

However, her mind was elsewhere. In truth, her mind was on another world entirely; a world she was told that she was better off putting behind her for the time being. Her hand balled into a fist at the thought, brows knitting in frustration as a savage shake of her head followed. "No," she breathed softly, throat tight around the word. She refused to concede that she was trapped here for an unknown length of time, the fate of her own kingdom unknown. She refused to accept that her beloved Companion had been forcibly taken from her, along with her life-bonded, Dirk.

Dirk .. She had only just accepted that she was life-bonded, but they hadn’t had a chance to examine the relationship. What would Dirk think when he was told she was gone? Would he think her dead? Would he have fought those that had declared such? Or would he have accepted when no amount of searching with no amount of Gifts had found her?

She eased her fist and looked away from the water and down at the bottle she held grasped in her hand. Within the glass vial remained the contents of the argonal she had tried to kill herself with. Though no large amount, easily enough remained still coating the walls that she might have attempted it again.

She gazed at the bottle for a good while, throat tight as she inhaled slowly and looked out at the water again. Talia heaved her arm then and sent the vial spinning out over the water, watching as it was engulfed with barely any splash. She had heard tales of what happened to those that had died while aboard Tu Vishan, and their ultimate return just a short time later. There was no point in attempting such a thing as suicide aboard the enchanted creature she rode. Clearly her destiny had been taken from her own hands and was being guided by those of another.

Although not pleased, and desperately alone, Talia would not give into such a person without some fashion of a fight. She was a Herald, and by the Stars, she wasn't going to simply wallow in self-pity. She would see her beloved Companion and life-mate again; no matter what those around her might have said to suggest otherwise. She was no longer in Valdemar, but that didn't mean that she was relieved of her duties and responsibilities. There were those that would be in need of her help and she would be there to see it given.

She was, and would always be, a Herald.

Network:
[Video]
[It has been a few days since her arrival upon Tu Vishan. A few days to adjust to technology she'd never before encountered... a few days to adjust to half of her soul being ripped away... a few days to begin to recover from the injuries she'd obtained before her arrival.

A few days too many, in many regards.

Though her arrival had neutralized the killing effect of her argonal poisoning, she was still incredibly sick. It was something she'd debated with herself for many pain filled hours, reaching out for help, but in the end she admitted that to not do so was both irresponsible and idiotic, despite her empathic shields still not being at their full strength. She knew that she was likely projecting without her shields stable, and that those with empathic or telepathic abilities were surely to have picked up on her; she wasn't 'quiet' when she projected. Even trying her best to rein in her errant emotions, it was still likely that the residents around her were still being effected by her at the edge of their perception. So, she activates the console in her own living quarters, unmindful about projecting her general location via any identifying marks in the room itself behind her.

Being as how she hasn't done much more than clean herself up in her own apartment, she looks quite the worse for wear when she appears. Bruises, though fading, still color her face, and her lip is obviously healing from a nasty split. Her hair hasn't gotten more than a cursory wash and combing, the ringlets framing her face in a tangled disarray.

Be grateful you can only see the bruises on her face, for their friends decorate a good portion of her body. What isn't covered in healing bruises bares a new variety of scars, both magically and physically administered during her imprisonment.]

My name is Talia... Chosen of Rolan... [She closes her eyes, nausea sweeping through her before her abdomen tightens in a painful spasm. She closes her eyes during it, nostrils flaring widely as she waits it out. With a sharp exhale she refocuses her attention on the console's screen.]

I require a healer... There is little enough I can offer in repayment other than my thanks and the coins I was given at my arrival... and my appreciation.