The Valdemar Companion

by John Helfers; Denise Little

  Tallen-flowers

  These bloomed around Master Lenne’s tannery, and acted as a warning of pollution. If the tallen sickened and died, Master Lenne knew there was a problem, and would fix it before worse damage was done. (Oath)

  Tallo

  Former name of Moondance k’Treva. He talked with Vanyel and revealed that, like the younger man, he had been a misunderstood youth, both shay’a’chern and having his magical Gifts appearing early, frightening his family. Unlike Vanyel, however, Tallo was of humble birth. Rebelling against parents who did not understand what was happening to him, Tallo ran away with his lover, a member of a travelling troupe of gleemen. A quarrel loosed Tallo’s untrained Mage-Glfts, killing his friend, and a remorseful Tallo tried to kill himself. Found by Savil, who brought him to Starwind, Tallo was gradually transformed into the Healer-Adept Moondance. (LHM)

  Talon-sheath

  A metal claw-guard that fits over each talon to protect them against weapons. The sheaths make walking awkward, but prevent crippling combat Injuries. (Owl)

  Talsheena (gender unspecified)

  Reaycha’s young gryphon partner in the campaign to defeat Falconsbane. (Winds)

  Taltherian wine

  An excellent strong wine. Alberich gave Skif his first glass. (TT)

  Tam

  Lord Withen’s chief stableman and his most trusted horse trainer. (LHM)

  Tam (Master)

  One of the Artificers, she and Master Levy were assigned by Magister Henhin to go to the Queen and present the Craftsmen’s plan of counterattack on the storms. (Storm)

  Tarnar

  A Skyhawk who took over Tarma’s scout patrol while she looked for a secret path around Declin Lord Keicrag’s stronghold. (Oath)

  Tamas

  One of Sewen’s sargeants. (Oath)

  Tamsin

  Lady Cinnabar’s lifebonded mate and a Healer in Urtho’s camp. (Gryphon)

  Tan Twoknives

  One of Lord Rendan’s band of cutthroats. (LHM)

  Tandere Cycle

  A Bardic song supposedly written by the same Bard who created “Blood Bound.” (LHM)

  Tangle-cord

  A rope weapon one throws to trip an opponent. (Winds)

  Tansy

  A young mother of two toddlers entranced by the colddrake queen in the Pelagir village of Garthhoid. Her husband was killed by the monster and her grandfather sacrificed himself to save them by sticking a pitchfork into the side of the colddrake queen. This broke the enchantment and freed his granddaughter, enabling Vanyel to save her and her children. (LHM)

  Tansy Gelcress

  Good neighbor of the Alders in Errold’s Grove, married to Olek Gelcress. (Owl)

  Tantara

  A land far from the Kaled’a’in Clans. Amberdrake’s family volunteered to live there in the city of Therium so that the Kaled’a’in would have agents in the north. When Ma’ar took over the neighboring realm of Predain and moved against Tantara, Amberdrake’s family was caught in the war, and he never saw them again. (Gryphon)

  Tantras (Herald)

  The Herald who volunteered to be the non-active anchor while the Herald Mages reset the Guardian Web, knowing that if there was an accident, he would die. His Companion was Delian. (LHM)

  Tantris (Companion)

  The Companion to Herald Kris, who nicknamed him Fairyfoot. Tantris was killed along with Kris by Ancar’s troops. (Arrows)

  Taran Shire

  A seasoned gryphon trainer at Ka’venusho. (Gryphon)

  Taroc

  A popular tavern game. (BB, Oath)

  Tarres

  A hedge-wizard with the Skybolts, he went with Lerryn Twoblades’ group when the company had to split up to lose the enemy forces pursing them. Kerowyn and the second group could have used Tarres’ skills to counter the enemy mage chasing them. (Oath)

  Tarrn

  A neuter kyree historian, he was the Compiler of Chronicles, which were then interpreted in his accompanying Commentaries. Outside of White Gryphon, he was the finest scholar in the ancient Kal’ed’a’in tongue. (Storm)

  Tashi

  A girl who was part of Vanyci’s mini-Court, she had a crush on Tylendel. (LHM)

  Tashiketh Pral Skylshaen

  Leader of the gryphon wing from Iftel. Like the rest of his kind, he was heavier than a k’Leshyan gryphon in beak, neck, and chest. (Storm)

  Tashir Remoerdis

  The son of Deveran, he was the only survivor of the massacre at the palace, He escaped to be Chosen by the Companion Leshya and became the ruler of Lincas-Baires and a staunch ally of Valdemar. (LHM)

  Taver (Companion)

  The Monarch’s Own Companion, he was the Companion of Lancir, who was Queen Elspcth’s Own, then Chose Healer Shavri, the lifebonded of King Randale. When Randale and Shavri died, Taver Chose Shavri’s daughter Jisa, the wife of King Treven, maintaining the link of Companion and Monarch’s Own. Taver was also the name of the first Companion of Talamir, who was killed in the Tedrel wars. (LHM)

  Taving (Lord)

  A councilman and the representative for the South who wondered if the Karsites were just biding their time until they could launch a new crusade, attacking Valdemar and invading his lands first. (LHM)

  Tavis of Brengard

  A high-ranking western nobleman who was secretly helping the Lake Evendim pirates. (Arrows)

  Tavist (King)

  He was Valdemar’s Monarch in the era of the Arvale-Zalmon negotiations. The son of Queen Terilee and father of Queen Leshia, his reign was a quiet one, devoted to studied diplomacy. (LHM)

  Tay

  A kitchen drudge at the “Inn of the Green Man” where Vanyel sought employment, Tay was one of the menials who suffered as a result of Bel’s hangovers. (LHM)

  Tayledras

  The mysterious and secretive people who dwell west of Valdemar in the Pelagir Hills. They were once part of the Kaled’a’in, but the Tayledras and the Shin’a’in’ Clans were sundered from each other after the Mage Wars, with the Tayledras choosing to use magic to cleanse the lands poisoned by Mage-Storms, and the Shin’a’in choosing to forego magic forever, except for shamanic magic. The Herald-Mage Savil was one the few outsiders who knew the Tayledras. She was adopted as a Wlngsib into a Hawkbrother Clan and studied with one of their Adepts, Starwind k’Treva. So little-known and semi-mythical were the Hawkbrothers that children at Forst Reach had been warned for generations to “be good, or The Hawkbrothers will get you.” It was therefore a tremendous shock when two Hawkbrothers came through a Mage-Gate to the Holding and spent several days within the borders of Valdemar. Tayledras dwell in shielded Vales, magically modified areas alive with greenery and warmed by hot springs. Individual Tayledras dwellings, called ekele, sit high upon enormous trees whose growth is augmented and speeded by magic, Because the Tayledras Mages manipulate high levels of magical energy, their work with the powerful nodes bleaches out their hair and eyes, leaving them with silver hair at a very early age. Even Tayledras who forego magic and work as scouts or artisans have silver hair by the time they are thirty—a result of living in the magical energy of the Vales. Tayledras scout dress consists of jerkins and breeches dyed to match the forest. The Tayleras Mages wear wondrous outfits of embroidered and beaded fabric, often silk. Almost all Tayledras are accompanied by uniquely-bred and mind-linked bondbirds. The Vales also have populations of other sentient races associated with them—including hertasi, kyree, tervardi, and dyheli. By the time the Mage-Storm Crisis was over, the Tayledras Vales were firmly allied with Valdemar, and were engaged by Queen Selenay to held rid the country of the bad effects left behind by the Change-circles. (BV)

  Tedrel Companies

  Alleged mercenaries, they were really an entire nation of freelancers sent by Karse to fight Valdemar. After their defeat, the Tedrels looted Karse on their way home. Karse unsucessfully complained about their behavior to the Mercenary Guild. (Sword)

  Tedrel War

  A conflict that occurred fif
teen years before Talia came to Haven. Karse hoped to conquer Valdemar without actually declaring war on it. To accomplish that, Karse hired an entire nation, the Tedrel mercenaries, to attack Valdemar. Selenay’s father King Sendar was killed by an assassin during the fighting, and Selenay, who had barely completed her Herald’s training, assumed the throne and defeated the invaders. (Arrows, Sword, Winds, TT, Oath)

  Tedric

  A hired sword who worked for traders Tarma’s Clan had dealt with. Tarma thought a guard using Mind-magic and accompanying Grumio’s packtrain looked familiar, like Tedric. (Oath)

  Tedric (Herald)

  A herald pensioner posted in Berrybay, he led the rescue team when Talia and Krls were snowbound in the Forest of Sorrows. (Arrows)

  Tel

  The cook at the Pig and Stick Inn of Highjorune, whom Minstrel Renfry persuaded to pack food for Vanyel before he left. (LHM)

  Telemaine

  The captain of the Haven Guards, he was originally in charge of the investigation into the deaths at the Merchant School. (BB)

  Teleson

  A long-distance communication device, also known as a mind-mirror, it was found in the hidden room beneath Urtho’s tower, and enabled the party at the ruins to communicate with Haven and Karse. Operating by amplifying Mindspeech, the device used resonance from an arrangement of crystals. Requiring very little magic to function, the teleson was self sustaining once started. it had a round crystal lens mounted on top, which showed the image of a distant speaker. A thin but distinct voice emerged from a gray metal box holding the crystal cradled in a quarter-moon-shaped depression. (Storm)

  Teleson set

  An amplifying metal lacework headband sometimes worn by Kelvren which assists communication between him and the Tayledras, since his Mindspeech is not particularly strong. (Owl)

  Teleson-spell

  A spell which assists a mage in speaking mind-to-mind. (Storm)

  Telica

  One of Hadanelith’s victims in White Gryphon. (Gryphon)

  Tell Alder

  The middlemost of Keisha’s live brothers. (Owl)

  Tell-Me-True Spell

  The Karsite equivalent of a Valdemaran Truth-Spell. (Storm)

  Tembor Earth-Shaker

  A god worshipped in Hardorn whose sect rivals that of Kindas Sun-Kindler. (Arrows)

  Temple High Sanctuary

  The most imposing structure in Talia’s hometown of Sensholding. She used to be awed by it, thinking it the grandest building imaginable, but when she arrived at Haven, she learned it was really rather small and threadbare. (Arrows)

  Temple Row

  The street in Delton where Thalhkarsh’s temple was located. (Oath)

  Temple Servant

  Among the Holderkin, the Goddess’s servants had less freedom and more duties than the Temple’s Handmaidens, and literally lived and died in their assigned Cloister corridors. (Arrows)

  Temple and Priory of Thenoth

  Thenoth was the lord of the beasts, and his followers care for injured, sick, and aged animals. Skif worked at the Thenoth temple in Haven just before he was Chosen. (TT)

  Temple of Belden

  A charitable order comprised of four priests and six novices. Beel was a novice in the small temple, which educated children as one of its charitable acts. (TT)

  Temple of Kernos

  The spiritual center in Haven. Excess food from Midwinter Feasts of wealthier families is taken to the Temple and distributed there to the hungry poor. (BB)

  Temple of Thathkarsh

  Raised in one night by the demon who promoted itself to godhood, it was adorned with obscene statues. Rites of Dark Desires were held there, conducted by the Thalhkarsh’s high priest, an apprentice mage he controlled. (Oath)

  Temple of Ursa

  A temple outside Petras that contained an escape tunnel from the royal palace. The usurper Raschar used this tunnel to flee the Skyhawk-led uprising on Midsummer Night. (Oath)

  Tenavril (Magister)

  A writer of philosophy, he is regarded as an authority on demons. (Oath)

  Tent shrines

  Religious shrines to the Star-Eyed Goddess, they are identical in every Shin’a’in camp. Four simple tiny wooden altars sit against the tent’s walls. To the east stands one to the Maiden, containing her symbol, a single fresh blossom in spring and summer, burning incense in fall and winter. The Warrior’s altar is at the south wall, adorned with an ever-burning flame. The Mother’s altar stands to the west and holds a sheaf of grain. The Crone dominates the north side, and her emblem is a smooth black stone. Prayers are always sung to these deities, not spoken. (Oath)

  Teren (Herald)

  Herald Keren’s twin brother, and Queen’s Own Herald Talamir’s grandson. His situation is unusual in that he wasn’t Chosen at the same time as his sister but seven years later. Teren is completely devoted to the Heraldic Circle, and in later years he replaced Elcarth as Dean of the Collegium. (Arrows, TT, Winds)

  Terill (Queen)

  The Queen Terill was the mother of King Tavist of Valdemar. (LHM)

  Terilee River

  The main river in the southern half of the kingdom, it parallels the South Trade Road for much of its length. (Arrows)

  Terthorn

  An acquaintance of Barlen’s who tried to cook some snails in white wine and discovered that the remains produced an intense red dye. (Owl)

  Tervardi

  A sentient birdlike race created by Urtho and his predecessors. They are magnificent singers, especially noted for their amazing trills. Their eminently defensible treetop homes gave the Tayledras the idea of building ekele. (Owls, Storm, Winds)

  Ter’hala

  A black-clad Kal’enedral, he was so old that his blood-feud would never be completed. (Storm)

  Te’sorthene

  A Shin’a’in word meaning “heart-friend or spirit-friend.” (Oath)

  Tevar

  King Theran’s younger brother, and an Orienteering instructor at Heraldic Collegium, Tevar’s specialty is wilderness survival. He Is an expert on Valdemar’s flora and fauna. (BB)

  Teyll-deer

  The name of the natural deer of the Pelagiris. (Winds)

  Thalhkarsh

  A demonic spirit summoned from the Abyssal Planes when a foolish mage named Leland made an error in his incantation. Thalhlarsh took over a temple in the city of Delton and demanded sex and blood sacrifice from his followers. Tarma and Kethry thought they had defeated him, but he was recalled into being in the city of Oberdorn by an old enemy of theirs named Lastel Longknife. Tarma and Kethry nearly died battling him at his new temple. Nemor, a priest of Anathei of the Purifying Flame, saved them and captured Thalhkarsh, who was taken to the priest’s temple for safeholding until they could re-educate him. (Oath)

  Thayer (General)

  The commander of the Imperial Army, a no-nonsense officer with a raspy voice, the result of a youthful Injury. (Storm)

  Theran (King)

  The King of Valdemar during Herald Lavan Firestarter’s time. In addition to his intelligence, natural ruling abilities, and a commanding presence, he looked like a King. He sentenced Jisette Jelnack to permanent incarceration with the Cloistered Order of Kernos Sequestered. (BB)

  Therium

  A city in Tantara where Amberdrake’s family were living as agents for the Kaled’a’in, When he returned there, fleeing from Ma’ar’s invasion, they had disappeared. (Gryphon)

  Thesa (Healer)

  The Healer who worked to bring Dirk back from the crisis caused when he used his Fetching Gift at extreme range, which pushed his strength to its limits. (Arrows)

  Thiera (Saint, The Immaculate)

  A Saint of Valdemar venerated for her purity and resistance to worldly temptations. (LHM)

  Third Army

  Urtho’s army before the Cataclysm, afterward it became the population of Iftel. Its human members served a god who decreed magic power would be held by priests only. Accompanying the humans to the
ir new home were gryphons, kyree, ratha, tyrill, and dyheli. (Storm)

  Thomlan Vel Cercian

  A wealthy merchant whose home Skif robbed and vandalized. (TT)

  Thorinna

  A friend of Lady Treesa’s who gave her a set of horrible plaster cherubs, which were broken when the screaming of Treesa’s women panicked the untrained young mage Tashir. (LHM)

  Thornton

  A town in Valdemar where an old man, accompanying himself on the hurdy-gurdy, insisted on singing “Kerowyn’s Ride” for her. Meant as a compliment, it irked the Captain; as she had perfect pitch, most amateur singers offended her. (Sword)

  Thoser (Brother)

  A priest of Anathei that questioned a young woman who claimed the forbidden worship of Thalhkarsh had been renewed in Oberdorn’s old temple of Duross. (Oath)

  Three Rivers

  The Collegium cook Mero’s hometown. It is also home to a cultural group that believes there is only one god, an oddity among the polytheistic peoples of Velgarth. The sect’s teachings are contained in their oft-quoted Book of the One. (Arrows)

  Throne City

  The capital of Jkatha. During their civil war rebels drove the kingdom’s rightful ruler, Queen Sursha, out of Throne City. (Oath)

  Throwing spike

  A Shin’a’in weapon usually worn in a wrist sheath. (Oath)

  Thundersnow k’Sheyna

  The Tayledras scout who went to Dawnfire’s ekele to see if she wanted to go hunting, and found her dead. (Winds)

  Ti’aeva’leshy’a

  Considered a forest spirit by superstitious villagers, It is a snow-white ghost bird with faint blue-gray markings. (Winds)

  Tilden (Archduke)

  The Archduke of Rethwellan and King Stefansen’s former horsemaster, he holds estates on the Rethwellan/Jkatha border. He married his former bodyguard and fathered several daughters. Among them a scholarly girl named Arboli who is older than the twins, Kira and Merili, and three younger girls. (Oath)

  Tildy

  Kethry’s old nurse, she rescued Kethry from Wethes Goidmarchant when Kethry’s brother married her off for money. Tildy also took Kethry to the White Winds school when the girl’s mage Gifts began manifesting. (Oath)

  Tilredan

  The dyheli stag who carried packs on Wintermoon’s and Skif’s expedition to find Nyara. (Winds)