Saldon of the Bells: Dramatis Personae
My Household: Exalt Corail Miriam Evantine: Me; I'm a languages student, somewhat short, slim, with curled blond hair and blue eyes. I work hard to stay in fashion. I belong to House Evantine, “de novo” (anew): a holly twig with three berries on a yellow background, brown, red, pale yellow. It's based in Court Marsilion, Arquian, a dreary place to have to call a homeland. As you might expect, I've done my share of fighting in the border skirmishes that we call "wars" there, and I was terribly glad to leave all that silliness behind me to attend University at Saldon. Jader Beil: He's a thaumaturgic theory student, whatever that means. He's red-haired, huge, a constable's son from Ankham. An extraordinarily nice fellow, very concerned for others. I'm really quite glad to have met him while registering for University, even if he was the one who started the fight that ended up introducing us all. Lissa Traskelion: She's an astronomy student, which I understand but can't for the life of me consider useful. Which means maybe I should have taken it up! She's medium height, with thick brown hair she almost always pulls back, more's the pity, and brown eyes. She's tanned, which is unfortunate but typical for a farmgirl from Travioch. I happen to know she has freckles all over her body — but that was an accidental glimpse, I swear it. One of her friends is Wren Falk. Exalt Rand Tisair: He's a history student, thin, with long blond hair, green eyes, and an acerbic sense of humor. He smokes like an Arquian peat fire and I'm a bit afraid he may dabble in strong substances more than is good for him. He comes from an exalted family in Candor and is a nephew Domina Rhian Galliumaunes here in Saldon. He doesn't say much, but he has a talent for defusing (or exacerbating) difficult situations. Celi: Our cook. An older woman whose family has since moved out. She arrives every morning and leaves every evening. Pavonine and Palladios: Our cats. Myrdd brought them for me once after I had been complaining about being alone, in one of my few fits of melancholy. Pavonine is a tortoiseshell and Palladios is all white, just like the legendary swords we named them after. Other Friends Aralia Black: Another student in the languages school of the university; I've just meet her and find her absolutely lovely; petite, with long black hair and dark eyes. She's demure and respectable, from an apparently wealthy mercantile family. Her older brother Catus is in the archon's guard, and her older sister Jessamine is engaged to marry into the rather slender Saldonian branch of House Jaffray, from Ankham. I hope to get to know Aralia much better soon. Exalt Myrdd Brandon: He's a rather mysterious sort, one of those broody silent types. He belongs to House Arvais, which as far as I can tell is dead except for him. He studies history like Rand and is often accompanied by his companion Gavier. He's very pale for a native Saldonian, with long black hair and violet eyes — clearly there's non-Saldonian blood in his background. Our going theory is that he was a sickly child who was never well-socialized into noble circles, judging from his awkwardness in society. I've decided to try to help him integrate better, because of various favors he's done us this year. Exalt Kincaid Chalviery: Dark skin, hair, and eyes, which is typical for a Saldonian. He belongs to House Chalviery, “alere flammam” (to feed the flames), a lantern with flames gouting from it, red, orange, gold, yellow, the house is native to Saldon. He's one of my best new friends here in exalted circles, and currently carrying on a secretive affair of the heart with Exalt Angelaica Aryx. Exalt Tisane Feschiani, Exalt: Another native Saldonian, of House Feschiani, “viribus unitis” (with forces united), a lattice-work of ivy, green, black. Tisane is a bit more of a follower in our group; his family was briefly involved in last winter's political upheavals, in which I had the most minor part to play, but I think they're good people. He has a lovely little bastard sister, Caitlin, with whom I've had two impromptu but quite mutually satisfying encounters. Caitlin s'Feschiani: The lovely bastard child of Exalt Feschiani, senior, she's working in the Feschiani house as a maid of light work as she picks up the polish needed to move her into the Church of Thame as an aspirant. She clearly takes after her mother, as she is quite slight, and her coloring is very pale. She's a scholar but also a sweet libertine. Exalt Ysabeau Parfail: A lovely woman in a rather athletic sense; Ysabeau has lived on Saldon most of her life and loves to sail. However, in most other things she is quite ladylike and genteel. She belongs to House Parfail from Candor — her father is a diplomat —“vulneratus non victus” (wounded but not conquered), stag’s antlers wrapped in red ribbon, gold, tan, white, red. She's the civilizing influence on our little group. Stefano Montresor: Young, dark-haired charity student studying talismancy, which I understand has something to do with making talismans. He's a year ahead of me at University. He stalked me for a while and our first real meeting was, er, rather unusual. But for one reason or the other other, I find myself fascinated by him and ended up making the undoubtedly unfortunate promise to be his patron until he feels comfortable in the high society he'll enter when he becomes a true magister. He's my most regular lover, at the moment; and he assumes he's my only lover, a belief I intend to let him keep. He has a peculiar fetish for fine clothing. A Few Enemies Amais Taper: One of the Roaring Blades, the leader and a merchant’s son. Dark-hair, dark eyes, dark skin, wild but has a sense of honor and caution. Once he tried to threaten Jader, but Jader just picked him up and set him aside until he cooled off. Chart Brillion: One of the Roaring Blades, a coward and sneak. He annoyed me once by pestering a young lady in the quad as I was leaving class, so I whipped him out of the area, being unable to draw on a commoner, of course. That incident was the first time I ever noticed Stefano, by the way. Exalt Damand Shale Verdeux: One of the Roaring Blades, a noble and swordsman. He also has a sense of honor, at least when it comes to other exalts; we've verbally fenced but have yet to touch steel. Mark Sester: One of the Roaring Blades, quite cunning and rough, from Jackscrag. Other Persons of Note Exalt Angelaica Aryx: A member of House Aryx, from Candor, Empyrias. “Memento mori” a falcon’s skull on an ivy background, white, grey and dark green. She's incredibly beautiful, 18 years old, and the ambassador’s daughter. Her brother is Colte and her usual chaperone is her cousin Menthony, who thinks I'm a dog-loving fool after I tried to distract her to let Kincaid speak privately to Angelaica. Exalt Colte Aryx: Angelaica's extremely protective brother. So far we've avoided him, but if he ever catches Kincaid.... Santare Mordanus: Cristophe’s brother, a good-hearted ne’er-do-well whom I've met, and wasted time with, on several occasions. He knows all the brothels on the island, I think. Rhian Gallimaunes, Domina: Salane’s ex-favorite, and the mage Eirian’s current paramour. She has dark hair, green eyes, a well-curved body, and a warm smile and delightful personality guaranteed to enslave any man, myself included. She is Rand Tisair’s young aunt. I have had one surprising but pleasant intimate encounter with her — to be honest, I'm not sure why she chose me for an evening's dalliance, as I have neither power nor money, but I would be very happy to continue to be her occasional lover ... as long as Rand never found out. Gavier: Myrdd Brandon's companion, which in Saldon is an odd role that's a combination of servant, bodyguard, and friend. He often seems more confident than Myrdd himself, leading Rand and I to wonder if he took care of Myrdd during the latter's (theoretical) childhood sickness. Wren Falk: Studying to become a healer; she's a friend of Lyssa. I don't know her very well yet. Exalt Cesar Sinistrari, House Pendaryn: The House's motto is Mors tua, vita mea, or "You must die so that I may live." Cesar has the nasty sense of humor you'd expect from the family; my only run-in with him so far was to attend a dinner in which he'd clearly hoped to set Damand and I at each other's throats. Unfortunately for Cesar, we were both well-behaved. Names That Aren't Very Important — Yet Erian DuLon, Thaumaturge: Archon Salane’s palace mage, from Travioch, a thinnish man, tanned, with brown eyes and wheat-blond hair. He is something of a foppish fool, amiable and, I have no doubt, talented at what he does, but clearly more interested in fun than politics. He is the public admirer of Rhian Gallimaunes, Salane's ex-favorite. I can't blame him for admiring her, but I have a feeling he should be more discreet. Cristophe Mordanus: Salane’s bodyguard, Saldonian, black hair with white streak down middle, slim, white breeches, red waistcoat, intelligent and perceptive as well as quick with blade, brother Santare. I've only seen him, but I know his brother Santare somewhat better. Damnation Whitlock: The palace bard, blind, with white hair, guided by his big white dog Hell. A fascinating man in his 50s whom I'd like to know better, although I'm afraid I'm not quick-witted enough to converse with him. Salane Alyx Damagian, Archon: The Archon of Saldon, House Damagian, “quidquid agas prudenter agas” (whatever you do, do with caution), an ornate dagger with a shattered blade, silver, red. He is the hated and feared ruler of this island, and his offhand flouting of imperial law suggest that he has friends in very high places in Candor. He has one son, Lucan. His current lover is the Lady Sheen from Cappadocia; his former was Rhian Gallimaunes. I've only seen him from afar, and I must say that I have mixed feelings about making a closer aquaintance with him. Certainly, I'm ambitious, but everything I hear indicates that he's a dangerous man to be known to. The Necromancer: A figure of legend whom people are saying has returned to his tower on Saldon. I haven't heard much more than that. Nicholas duChant: A courtier who dueled with Shaze Angeli for reasons unknown. Shaze Angeli: A duelist who dueled with Nicholas DuChant for reasons unknown. |