Talindë Ae'tharis

Scion Talindë Ae'tharis, Champion of Seren (a.k.a. Thalsam, Auridel)

Why did you decide to pick staves, Faluinë? Was a sword not-- ah! Okay! I'll stop!

— @Kura

Talindë Ae'tharis is the elven Scion of House Ae'tharis and - perhaps more importantly - the Champion of both Seren and her counterpart Marvaeth. He is considered the master of the Sceptre of Aetharis and controls access to the realm of Aetharis that the Sceptre represents. Whilst he did initially steal the Sceptre from House Ae'tharis, he has since been accepted among its favourite masters.
Talindë has changed significantly in recent times due to the trauma adventuring has brought him, and though many of the changes concern him, he is most thankful for the sudden shift in his life's path. For without this, he would not have found Burdyr Donderiall - his dearest love and closest friend, his confidant and his light in the darkest of times. Without this, he would not have found Azsire, who has become second in his heart.
Bearing the Sceptre has been an intriguing experience for him. At first, the staff was uncontrollable, altering time and space at a whim to protect him and do as it pleased. With the addition of pauldrons designed to tame it, the Sceptre's powers have been far easier to wield. He spends a great deal of time within the realm of Aetharis, speaking to its avatar - whom he considers a member of his own family, and whom is also the intelligence present in the Sceptre itself - and studying the wealth of knowledge locked away in her realm.

Physical Description

Body Features

Though he's covered much of it with armour, he does have lightly tanned skin with yellow undertones. On his wrists lie the Champion Marks of Seren, standing out from the sea of blue crystal as shining engravings and sparkling gems. Beneath his armour, crystals have delicately entwined themselves around much of his flesh - not that he's shared this information with anyone - to replace skin with calm shimmering blue. A few gems can now be seen crawling up his neck, though he doesn't seek to draw attention to them. He finds them fascinating and recognises that they grant him an extra layer of protection.

Facial Features

His face is narrow and angled, as many elven faces typically are, and a light dusting of silvery-blonde stubble graces his jawline (accompanied by the beginnings of a beard).

Identifying Characteristics

No other is quite so attached to crystal as Talindë is (literally), and nobody else can claim to bear Seren's champion marks either.
Nor can anyone claim to have Marvaeth's Champion Mark. Not that Talindë would ever willingly show it.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Talindë prefers to keep quiet about his own past in favour of keeping his eyes firmly set on the task at hand - he rarely speaks of his family or history, even when it might be relevant. This proved awkward when Galasthin sent nobles - including his ex-fiancée, Runaia In'tharon - after him due to his grave injury at the hands of the Light Rampant in Eckehart Mansion. Whilst he had survived brightbleed due to the Sceptre's intervention and the party's swift action - and gotten together with Burdyr in the aftermath - the Sceptre's alarm had alerted his kin to the danger, and it was only through careful talk that he was able to continue his adventures with the party.

Before the Party

In times before the Lost Ones...

Little is known of Talindë's early years, owing to the elf's preference of privacy and the lack of prying anyone has done. He has spoken, on rare occasions, of fighting in battles and serving alongside other military forces - but has apparently never seen fit to give context to most.
Recently, he has explained more of his life to Burdyr. He grew up as the Scion to House Ae'tharis, regarded well by his fellows, and was particularly close to the Scions of In'tharon and Tu'rainen - specifically, Runaia In'tharon and Kesserin Tu'rainen. Despite the age gap, he and his brother were also quite close: where Talindë was more restrained, Kurath was not, and Talindë claims that his own mischievous streak is caused by the combination of Kesserin's antics with Kurath's pranks.
He and Runaia were engaged shortly after they had reached adulthood, after a childhood full of flirtation and young love. Their relationship was technically arranged, for it was their parents who organised it, but both elves gladly agreed when asked. Their young relationship was shy and flirtatious at first, but quickly grew passionate - intense, even. Many of Talindë's friends in Galasthin can recall all too many embarrassing moments their relationship caused, even now -- the stolen kisses were never as secret as he hoped for them to be.
The good times were not to last. As they grew older, Runaia's passion turned darker, affected by those around her and the stress their respective houses placed on their shoulders. With the outbreak of genocidal war, it grew to become too much. Talindë, at first, knew not how to cope - he sought to please her, even when it seemed impossible. Yet she was never satisfied for long, and began to take out her ire on him even when there was nothing he could do. She softened the blows with kisses and compliments, and in public, there was no sign of the cracks that had begun to form. But it was never enough. He could not be enough for her, and she did not seem to care enough to repair the damage she was doing.
After the Purge's end, when peace finally again reigned, Talindë broke off their engagement. She refused to accept the decision - and both Houses involved thought similarly. There was little problem with the relationship; a shocking change like this was not to be made without proper discussion. Whilst the change was officially processed, there was still great pressure on Talindë to stop being ridiculous. When Talindë later left Galasthin and word of his supposed engagement to Burdyr Donderiall reached the nation by way of his Scion peers, it was certainly shocking to those that had believed him to be obedient.
Talindë fought in the Purge, to his own displeasure. His bodycount is not one he is proud of, but he can at least claim to have tried to help: even at great cost to himself. His greatest regret is that he could not save more -- nor could he convince his fellows, or even his father, to end the slaughter once it turned foul. Still, he holds great respect for Commander Lyadrí An'thimael, and is one of the few who does not hold the genocidal turn of the Purge against the well-meaning Commander. He had befriended her husband, prior to Ryséon's untimely fall; he thus knew the couple well enough to know the Purge's true purpose.
Not that it mattered, in the end.

Becoming a Champion

The birth of a new Champion

Talindë became a Champion earlier in the year 5623, after Galasthin's nobility ordered the investigation of the Temple of Duality. The noble house of Ae'tharis were often charged with the upkeep and defence of magical ruins, and this was no different a situation - perhaps barring Talindë's own personal interest as a warpriest of Seren. In the course of the investigation, he became separated from his team and fell into a trapped chamber. Only the timely intervention of his goddess - who blessed him with Her champion mark and a warning to turn around - saved him from a warped creature that might otherwise have ended him.
His brother was the only member of House Ae'tharis to know what had happened as Kurath assisted Talindë in researching the mark's effects. Very shortly after, apparently due to the whispers he'd heard in dreams, Talindë made use of the Mark to steal the Sceptre of Aetharis and returned to the Temple to free Seren from her self-made prison. This attempt was foiled by the intervention of the Lost Ones, who revealed the incredible danger of what he'd been attempting - for Marvaeth had been corrupting the ritual from within - and Ashlyn Alarian instead asked him to join them on their mission to stop the Shards of the Void and thus save the world.
He agreed, and began a new chapter in his tale.

Recent History

The Unbroken March, the Harp of Virtue, and One Gay Dwarf

The March and the Harp

Shortly after Talindë joined the party on their mission, they travelled through Xin-Jiyu and found themselves ending up in Yulan Sheng, where they sought the Endless Archives. In fear of what might happen to the Sceptre if exposed to the Shard, Talindë withdrew the Sceptre inside itself, and himself alongside them. Ashlyn would hold onto the gem, in the meantime.
Unfortunately, this didn't work out as planned. The Unbroken March surprised the Lost Ones with time-distorting powers, and when they eventually escaped its grasp, three years had passed. For Talindë, however, this was five years of time - none skipped - due to the Sceptre's odd relationship to reality and causality. Left in near-total isolation for five years after decades of personhood, Talindë suffered significant impact to his social skills and mental stability in this time. Only the Sceptre's avatar and his connection to both Seren and Marvaeth lessened the tragedy of his situation.
When released by the party, he was then shocked to find them unwilling to speak to him; indeed, his plight was largely ignored in favour of moving onto the next situation. Forced to join them by the terms of his agreement with his nation, he lapsed into silence except for when they took actions that directly challenged his morals (such as recruiting the vampire Lukas Falkenrath) or when they needed to use his abilities (such as when he was asked to use the Sceptre to locate the Shards). The lack of care for his person had begun to disillusion the elven Champion when Burdyr Donderiall joined the party, and it was fortunate for him that the dwarf took genuine interest in his fellow warpriest.
Over the next few months, he and Burdyr would become far closer, and Burdyr would become the first dwarf to truly be permitted to explore Aetharis. By the time they came to face the Harp of Virtue, Talindë had largely written off most of the rest of the Lost Ones as acquaintances at best, but had cemented his friendship with Burdyr - and was also then forced to deal with the beginnings of an initial crush.
This, too, was when the party met others. Azsire, a snow elf of the Querei, quickly became a thorn in Talindë's side, ever seeking him out with heavy flirtation and innuendo. Jinne was a curiosity to him, and one he would seek to speak with if there was time; Syrin Elathien, as another from Galasthin, was also of some minor interest. The rest of their newfound companions were of little interest, compared.
As he and Burdyr grew closer, the trials the party endured grew harder. Talindë, in an amazing display of utter foolishness, gave up his ability to forget the faces and last words of those who had died in return for lifting the barrier on his memories placed by House Ae'tharis. Burdyr, in turn, sacrificed lifespan in order to lift some of Talindë's Champion corruption, for he alone had seen how far it had progressed.
By that point, before Burdyr's intervention, Talindë had begun to wonder if his body was more crystal than elf. It was.. advanced. Burdyr's sacrifice did not restore him completely, but significantly lessened the impact.
For him, this Shard was far more direct than the last. Instead of being left in solitude for five years on another world, Talindë found himself being dragged away from the group and used as a pawn in the Shard's fights. With his mind clouded, he fought against both his own allies and the other group present with little understanding of what was going on. When finally reunited, he was anxious to be separated yet again - and yet that was what happened.
The Shard's eventual defeat was a relief for him, not least because he'd been forced to remain within reach of Azsire whilst the core party fought the Shard's final challenge. The snow elf had shaved his beard when he'd fallen unconscious, the brat, calling it a crime against fashion. He was utterly shocked to see the party emerge from the fight with Burdyr no longer with them - fortunately, the dwarf had not died permanently. He had instead been reincarnated as an elf. (And oh, did that awaken things in Talindë.)

The Mansion

Peace in Ironfalls

The defeat of the Harp and its subsequent storage within Azsire - now revealed to be an avatar, and not just a whore - was thankfully the end of Talindë's woes for a short time, at least. He returned to Ironfalls with the party and their new tagalongs, and mostly tried to avoid them. When they fell into the pitfall trap of immature games like "Truth or Dare", he rejected them, preferring to stay to the outskirts. Burdyr was the sole exception; he would gladly talk to his closest friend, and indeed sought him out when he could.
In the times that he wasn't with Burdyr in this month of freedom, Talindë spent time trying to relax. He spoke with Jinne on occasion, but otherwise largely steered clear of the business of champions unless actively sought out. Saeryn Ki'renna made efforts to keep in touch with him, offering her crude brand of friendship, and was not entirely rebuffed. Largely, though, Talindë's free hours were either spent in prayer, meditation, or simple wandering - anything that would aid him in grounding himself in this world he had seen so little of, as of late.
He had escaped the Sceptre on the 1st of Rova, or somewhere thereabouts. By the 17th, they had already been in Iskaldhal, hunting the Harp. Their return to Ironfalls in early Lamashan, then, was a welcome break from the mind-crushing tragedy the Shards forced on them. Unfortunately, it would not last. A month later, on the 9th of Neth, the Lost Ones decided to heed the advice of Liese Celadrion and seek out methods of growing stronger. Following a vague lead she had provided, they found their way to Eckehart Mansion.

The Eckehart Mansion

They had not even set foot in the door yet when Talindë was snatched by a vicious plant, ropes held tight around his neck to hang him 'til dead. This would, in retrospect, be a sign of things to come. Whilst this creature was relatively easy to defeat, the rest of their opponents were not. The mansion, as it so turned out, had some sort of planar troubles affecting it. By the next day, Talindë had already been forced away from the rest - separated, as they all were, on a different facet of the mansion's three planes.
The rest of the group reunited quickly. Unfortunately, Talindë was not so lucky. He left notes for them and explored the mansion alone, desperate to make his way back to Burdyr. The mansion had other plans for him. He befriended Viktoria von Eckehart, a ghost within the mansion, and listened to her plight whilst all too aware the dangers of a ghost unaware of her own death. In turn, she helped him hide from her twisted brother - Ulfric von Eckehart - for some time. It would not last. Eventually, in his desperate search for the way out of the twisted mansion, Talindë found himself pitted directly against Ulfric.
The signs of their clash were still there when the party found Ulfric's lair later on: smears of blood and shattered crystal. Talindë wasn't sure how many times he had died in that fight, but each time, his Lady - and his Lord, for Marvaeth's power finally became useful in a realm of foul darkness, as loath as he was to admit it - had urged him back to his feet. Each time, he had felt himself lose a little more of himself to the mansion's encroaching darkness. Though he eventually won, in some parody of a victory, it was not a kindness. Now near-blind with the dark corruption and struggling to maintain his strength, even writing messages to Burdyr became a challenge, and his messages became far more scarce.
Though the party were catching up, and this was his source of hope. They would reach him soon enough, he swore. And so he kept running, as much as he could - and solved the final puzzle, reaching Silas von Eckehart's office long before the rest. Silas - whose mansion they were in. Silas - who was apparently a vampire and a necromancer, and who recognised the sigils Talindë always wore.
A deal was reached. Talindë's blood for Silas's cure. Pale and unwilling to suffer overly long, Talindë submitted to the vampire's bite, and blacked out. He was not able to escape the vampire's grasp until after he had awoken, and fled the moment he could, making his way deep within Silas's vaults. There, he thought he could at least be somewhat safe - there, Silas would not need to pursue him, and Burdyr would surely reach him. There, too, did he finally realise his feelings for the dwarf. In a stolen dream connection aided by Licia Galewen, the two confessed their love.
In the waking reality, these vaults should have been peaceful. Talindë was left unbothered in them, and roamed them in search of useful artifacts or information. In one area, he found a library, and soon lost himself in the shelves. When Licia appeared in the library with him, he was then more relieved than anything, wishing to know where Burdyr and the rest were-- only to find her blade embedded in him. It was not Licia, not really - it was instead a foul doppelgänger that had taken her form. Worse: the blade, the Light Rampant, was one of Silas's many artifacts, and was infused with the power to inflict brightbleed. Only by pure instinct did Talindë fight the agony coursing through him enough to freeze himself in crystal, aided by the quick thinking of his Sceptre. The doppelgänger made her escape via teleportation, leaving him to die - and likely taking his form with her as she went.
And he should have died there. He would have died there, in a manner far more foul than any prior death and one harder to resurrect from, if Burdyr had not beseeched Istralar to save him, seeking the help of the very world itself. Heartbeat by heartbeat, the party struggled on towards him, now aided by Silas. They acted swiftly, combining Champion powers with an antimagic field to purge brightbleed from Talindë and healing him to the best extent they could.

Leaving the Party, Loving a Dwarf

The Four, Apart

Barely restored and struggling to feel like a living being once again, Talindë at least had one bright light in his life: Burdyr. In the aftermath of his wound, the two finally confessed their feelings, and it was Burdyr who Talindë relied upon most heavily as they returned to Ironfalls once again. Unfortunately, his beloved would need to be more of a pillar than either dwarf or elf had expected - the doppelgänger had alerted Galasthin. By the time they arrived, so too had every Scion of Galasthin - including Runaia. And more unexpectedly, including Kurath.
Thankfully, Burdyr had the presence of mind to play along with a quick "engagement" storyline, and assisted Talindë in the hasty meeting his fellow Scions had called. The recess they were granted was barely enough time for Talindë to recover well enough, but he did as he must, and they collected Licia for the larger confrontation with the Scions. In the end, the weight of three Champions and a helpful Kurath was enough to sway Galasthin's Scions into allowing Talindë to continue his adventuring - with a warning that they would be keeping an eye out, and a wary glance at his relationship choices. Burdyr transforming back into a dwarf mid-meeting might have helped, there.
Once the mansion and nobles were thoroughly dealt with, though, Talindë didn't actually particularly want to continue his adventures. Being run so ragged with so little time to recover had severely impacted his mental state, which had already been so fragile from the five years of isolation. Burdyr, thrown into the deep end of this and alone save for Talindë, evidently thought similarly. When the rest of the party made plans to move on, then, the dwarf and elf stayed back. They would research a solution to the Shards without the party's involvement, avoiding the chaos the party always got into, and would therefore spare themselves the pain and suffering that the fighting brought. Barely a week on from their return from the mansion, the two began to figure out their journey.
Part one was, unfortunately, to contact Azsire. As the current possessor of the Harp of Virtue, his help would undoubtedly be needed to solve their issues. And their timing was fortuitous: whilst they expected a response, they hadn't expected him to genuinely need their aid. A few teleports later and an unexpected freefall through the burning city of Cihket, they'd helped Azsire find shelter with them away from Phaiyah, rescued Syrin Elathien from Banshee Queen Valdis's assault on Naarim, and had ended up in a cosy cave in Iskaldhal.
It was the beginning of a genuine friendship between the four. Without the pressure of finding Shards on them and with a base understanding established, they began to be able to relax around one another. The one Talindë had been most reluctant to endure, Azsire, had pulled back almost entirely upon learning of his and Burdyr's relationship - now the only flirtations he got were minor, and largely directed at his dwarf. It made him far more bearable. Syrin, too, was more relaxed now that he wasn't being forced to lead in an impossible situation, and now that his ex-fiancée was no longer around.
The four spent around a month investigating together before reality came crashing back in. The couple awoke in the dead of night to something very wrong, and rushed to Azsire's room to find the avatar unconscious on the floor. At the Sceptre's urging, Talindë held things together on the Material Plane whilst Burdyr used Talindë's light to pave the way into the snow elf's mind, finding Virtue - the Harp herself - worried, and Azsire struggling to manage under an onslaught. By the pair's quick action, they dragged Azsire back to safety, and studied the situation. Evidently, the rest of the party had gotten in trouble. By this point, the others had fallen for Elias's bait - the kidnapped Ceridwen of Undria, held hostage until the party had found a Shard for him to look at - and were deep in Takawaoku, where something they had done or found had sent such tremors through the leylines that Azsire was affected - on a different continent entirely.
There was only one decision to make, and they made it reluctantly. Talindë and Burdyr found Azyel Lathronon, Champion of Nethys, and took one of the other two along with them as they headed South to rejoin the adventures they had sworn to try to avoid.

Back to Reality

The Earth-Mother's Gift

Talindë was unimpressed to find that this new adventure had already found the party travelling via the Silkways with two evil demigods. He was even less impressed when the train took them to Areshket, near enough to Areshkagal's domain that the demon lord got involved and trapped them in a pyramid. It was almost par for the utterly terrifying course when she took their third and entombed him in a coffin.
Thankfully, it was not long before such horrors were behind them and they were instead arriving in Shiar's capital of Masdarat, jewel of the south. A fifth demigod arrived, too, but this one was mercifully better than the rest - Sinashakti was rather chaotic, but overall good, and Talindë was relieved to find some others sane on the journey. Over this time, too, he befriended a drow couple from Rhaead - Nyctria and Fenviar Jhaldrin, fellow adherents of Seren and fellows in being horrified at the turn of events they were forced to endure. In the face of it all, their normality was utterly refreshing, and Nyctria practically demanded that he come and speak to them daily - at least so that they could share in prayer.
Masdarat brought an upending of the mundaneity of travel. They arrived during the Queen's Address, timed so perfectly as to be upon their exact arrival (and incidentally, Azsire's birthday), and the chaotic antics the party got themselves involved in immediately after it did not avoid the invitations to a ball each person - Talindë certainly included - received. Naturally, Azsire demanded to go with them. Also naturally, Syrin was roped into attending with Licia. Talindë didn't have a good feeling about this, but at least they all knew the trap they were walking into.
Days later and three new champions found, Talindë regretted much about coming here. Azsire had been turned into a child, he had been forced to watch his beloved die, and for what? Every step they took made it more apparent that this Shard was toying with them far more than the previous. He clutched the beginnings of love he felt for Azsire close to him, and clung to that lifeline he trusted to Burdyr, and tried. In the end, that was all any of them could do.
Never did he feel more helpless than when he saw Burdyr walking away to face the Shard without him there, too.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

As a faithful follower of Seren, Talindë seeks to restore his Lady to her full power and banish the dark shade of Marvaeth from this reality - but as a Champion, he understands that his duty must sometimes be to the world at large first, rather than to his Lady.
Still, the costs he would pay to save his Lady from the dark threat she holds - the foul deity Marvaeth - are great. His own life for his deity's? Until recently, this was a cost he would have paid gladly.
As of 5627, though, he has new motivations: two of them, in fact. Burdyr has relit a spark for life in the elven champion, and he would do all he could to instead live a peaceful life with his beloved. Now, too, he has begun to fall for Azsire, and wants nothing more for the snow elven avatar than freedom from the burdens he bears.
He has not given up on restoring Seren, but now, with his heart so full, he recognises he must find a way to proceed without harming himself. They have earnt this, at least.

Social

Family Ties

Has mentioned at least one younger brother, Kurath Ae'tharis, and has spoken in passing of the noble family he grew up in.

Religious Views

Talindë has been a faithful adherent of Seren for many long years, appreciating her value of life and harmony over the other members of the elven pantheon. Since he first learnt her story as a child, he has seen it as inherently wrong that Galasthin's society ceased worshipping Seren in fear of the influence Marvaeth could spread. He draws his powers as a warpriest from his worship of her - and if he chooses not to mention that negative energy comes as willingly as its opposite, then that remains his own business alone.

Social Aptitude

After five years of isolation, Talindë's social graces have somewhat disintegrated. Whereas he has always been quieter and more reserved, his stoicism now presents itself with full force. The real world is far more overwhelming in noise and life than the Sceptre's own demiplane, and the group he travels with have little to no sense of propriety.
That being said, in more familiar surroundings with those he's comfortable with, Talindë is more than happy to fall back on his quiet confidence and charisma to provide compassionate advice and firm friendship. Though his virtues are ironclad - to the possible disappointment of both Kraia Woodslough and Burdyr Donderiall - he doesn't insist on remaining 'above' the others like certain other elves might, and will allow himself to be convinced into many sillier approaches if the right method of persuasion is used.

Relationships

Azsire

Partner (Vital)

Towards Talindë Ae'tharis

4

4

Honest

---

Talindë Ae'tharis

Partner (Vital)

Towards Azsire

4

4

Frank

---

Nicknames & Petnames

Auridel (Talindë, from Azsire Astelmir (Azsire, from Talindë)

Talindë Ae'tharis

Partner (Vital)

Towards Burdyr Donderiall

5

5

Frank

---

Burdyr Donderiall

Partner (Vital)

Towards Talindë Ae'tharis

5

5

Frank

---

Runaia In'tharon

Ex-Fiancée (Vital)

Towards Talindë Ae'tharis

2

2

Subversive

---

Talindë Ae'tharis

Ex-Fiancé (Important)

Towards Runaia In'tharon

-2

-2

Honest

---

Talindë is an elven warpriest that was formerly the heir to an ancient noble family of Galasthin. He has since embraced his role as Champion of Seren and now travels with the Lost Ones to aid them.

Character Location

Masdarat

View Character Profile

Alignment

Neutral Good

Current Location

Masdarat

Species

Elf

Ethnicity

Galasthin Elf

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Champion of both Seren and Marvaeth. Scion of House Ae'tharis, and thus a noble of Galasthin. Also recognised as King Oberon of a Court in the First World, alongside Queen Titania.

Professions

• Servants of Death
• Warpriest

Currently Held Titles

• Champion of the Divine
• Scion of Galasthin

Date of Birth

12/07/5477

Year of Birth

5477 EA 149 Years old

Birthplace

Galasthin

Family

House Ae'tharis

Spouses

Siblings

Pronouns

he/him

Gender

Male

Presentation

Masculine

Eyes

Bright blue.

Hair

Long silver-blond hair kept half-up in a ponytail; lately, the blond has all but disappeared.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Warm and well sunned

Height

6'4

Belief/Deity

Follows Seren and thus also Marvaeth

Aligned Organization

House Ae'tharis

Other Affiliations

• Galasthin
• Nobility of Galasthin

Ruled Locations

• Aetharis

Talindë and child!Azsire by AlbieDraws