Eyvan's Kin and Friends

Merisa Lathkule (Majarra) is an even tempered woman, who raised Eyvan pretty much on her own for several years after the death of their mother. She is very intelligent, with a shrewd business sense and an even sharper tongue.
She inherited the Majarra blonde hair and favors that side of her family, but she has her mother's eyes. She likes bright colors, and where she takes care that she always looks good, she only takes pains over her appearance on special occasions.
Her even-temperedness is offset by a stubborn streak a mile wide, a combination of traits that will probably make her an excellent mother once she and Terain finally have children. Her experience with raising Eyvan (even at such a young age herself) has left her with a strong desire for children of her own. Despite her fears about childbirth (probably a direct result of her mother's death), it is only a matter of time before this wish is fulfilled.
Her love for travel has also hindered the expansion of her family, and Terain is not only tolerant of this he enjoys hearing her talk about her past diplomatic excursions÷where she has never formally been trained as a bard, she has picked up many of their storytelling abilities and public speaking tricks over the years.

Terain Lathkule is a slender man (though only because Merisa keeps him active) with mouse-brown hair that is already beginning to thin a bit on top. He is slightly nearsighted, and wears glasses to correct the problem when he is reading or working; in other situations he has a tendency to squint. Like his wife he smiles easily and is even-tempered, but he does not share her stubbornness. He is a man of few words.
He and Eyvan met at the University when both were doing some legal research÷they had seen each other but never been introduced prior to that. This led to an acquaintance that slowly deepened into a friendship as the two families were joined with the marriage of Maria and Luvico. Their friendship was severely strained when Terain proposed to Merisa÷Eyvan found himself very jealous of his relationship with his sister, and even implied at one point that their father was manipulating her into this marriage. Terain followed Merisa's advice and was patient with Eyvan, and he gradually realized that it was a love-match as well as being politically convenient. Things were finally relaxing a bit between them when Eyvan came into conflict with his father and moved into the Sepulchers.
Since Eyvan decided not to continue his legal studies, Terain has become de facto legal council for the Majarra family; bookish by nature, it is sometimes only Merisa's fond prodding that keeps him from getting too involved in his work.
He would like to travel with his wife and see more of the world, but accepts resignedly that familial pressure from both sides will probably prevent this. He also is looking forward to having children.

Luvico Majarra is a distant presence to Eyvan÷unlike Merisa he had little to do with the boy when he was growing up. He does not understand how Eyvan can so consistently and callously reject their father and the family name, and thus he is slightly cool to his younger brother whenever they meet. He is also somewhat elitist, and does not understand how Eyvan can be willing to live among the rabble as one of them.
He is not a cruel man, however, and he would welcome Eyvan back if he chose to return. He is a doting father, and a good husband, though he has been known to spend more time with his financial and political obligations than perhaps he should, and his wife is not a strong enough presence to alert him to this. His marriage to Maria Lathkule was arranged, and where they are genuinely affectionate, it would not surprise Eyvan to find out that either was having an affair (something he does not understand).
Luvico is more heavily built than the rest of his family, and looks more like his mother than any of his siblings.

Maria Majarra (Lathkule) is a shy young woman, rather unsure of herself, with long black hair and blue-grey eyes. She seems very charming, and plainly knows her duties as hostess when they have company, but it is difficult to tell what is going on behind that facade. As far as Eyvan can tell she is a good wife to Luvico, and a distant mother to Pathan, but he has never gotten to know her that well. She does, however, have a stunning high soprano that Eyvan feels could easily rival any castrato's, if she ever got proper training.

Pathan Majarra is still in that unformed state typical of many three-year-olds; he has a sunny smile and is generally a happy baby, but he is beginning to show signs of the famed Majarra stubbornness. He is also (as the first son and the first grandson) a little bit spoiled, though his aunt Janise does her best to keep that in check.
He has inherited his mother's dark hair and his grandfather's grey eyes.

Janise Majarra is much quieter than the rest of her family, whether because she was so sick as a child or because of her resultant upbringing in Travioch is unknown. She keeps to herself, though she has grown from that sickly child to a stunning young woman÷she probably only will remain single as long as she chooses (which may be a while). She has fawn-colored hair that has unexpected red highlights in the sun, and green-grey eyes (family speculation has it that there was an aseku many generations in the past)
Eyvan likes her, though she is as much an enigma to him as she is to everyone else, and he trusts her good judgement. Her style of dress amuses her older brother, and he would not dream of asking her to change it. She spends enough time in the stables that he has to agree trousers are more practical÷and she can be just as stubborn as the rest of her family.

Okala Marin is a cheerful young woman who befriended Eyvan almost as soon as he entered House Carmine, proving that she excels at drawing people out. She is one of the middle children in a house of nine or so (they don't bother keeping count, what with children and pets and visitors and the like), and she has taken Eyvan out to visit her family at least once. Her father, a member of the Guild of Stonecutters, Potters, Masons and Tilemakers (he is one of the latter) seemed a bit bemused by the tall young man with the aristocratic mien his daughter brought home, but her mother, like Okala, swept Eyvan right under her wing (which left the young noble a bit puzzled, but charmed. This family seemed to have all the love he felt his was missing, and this visit probably cemented his friendship with Okala like nothing else could have).
Okala, like her family, is just one of those people who seems to have enough love an good cheer for most of the world, and isn't afraid to share it. She is remarkably protective of her friends, and Eyvan sometimes wonders where she is going to find a mate who can keep up with her.

Linden is still very much a mystery to Eyvan. She is as sturdy as the earth that is her element, having helped to support Eyvan through one or two bad patches after Yossef's death. Her emotions run very deep, like still water that has a dangerous undercurrent. She has been a friend and a teacher to Eyvan, and he is always willing to do her a favor. He did not see much of her when he and Yossef were an "item", the one time he asked she said it was because the duelist upset his balance, a comment he still does not wholly understand.

Elsebeth makes Eyvan think of the faint memories he has of his grandmother÷a little dotty, a little nosy, concerned about her charges, but extremely likeable nonetheless. She keeps her pigeons, often talking to them like they were children, and despite her feelings about the importance of cleanliness ("People die when they slip on dirty stairs, you know,") it can be assumed she disliked Yossef more for the way he isolated Eyvan than because of his habit of tracking things in.
Elsebeth is always willing to listen to her boarders' problems, and is likely to celebrate any triumphs that are brought to her attention, no matter how small they may seem. She would be delighted to see Eyvan settle down with some nice young man, and is very happy to see him getting out and about again.

Goffrey Chalmers of the City Guard usually works Parkside down by the Setting Sun in the late evening/early morning. He seems a friendly type, if a bit shy for a guard. Eyvan suspects he may be widder, though the bard has nothing other than intuition÷the only time he has ever seen Gof when he wasn't working was when the guard had to bring him the news of Yossef's death.
Gof is respectful of nobility, but even though he knows Eyvan's "secret" (Eyvan thinks) he is willing to treat him as an equal, and go along with calling him Matteo. Eyvan isn't sure why this is, though he has come to suspect that it has something to do with Gof's shyness. (Perhaps Gof is the child of one of those widowed nobles with children÷someone who understands Nicholas' desire to serve).

Among other nobles his closest companions have probably been (stupidly enough) his Ilzimmer cousins and the Lathkules that have become his in-laws. He does know the young Massalan family passably well (he and Ilariu were tutored by the same man at one point), and was invited to their wedding. Other than that he has many acquaintances, but no close friends, among the other nobility.