During his ten years at the Academy Talus has developed a number of skills that mark him as one of the most exceptional students currently training to be a Dreadlord.
Like every Apprentices that is inducted into the Academy Talus has been taught various martial skills. He is a decent enough archer, and hand to hand combatant, but truly excels in swordsmanship. Perhaps due to his own magical abilities, Talus has focused his study of bladecraft quite finely. He is considered by most Proctors at the Academy to be an excellent Swordsman, though he is still far from being a blademaster.
As is standard at the Academy Talus has also been instructed in the basics of
College Magic. He is a capable enough magician, capable of casting most basic spells with only a little bit of concentration and time to say the proper incantation.
What makes Talus truly exceptional however are his personal magical gifts.
Though there is no real name for his Talent, the Proctors of the Academy have dubbed Talus' ability as 'phase-walking'. In simplest terms, Talus is able to transfer himself, part of himself, or even other objects into an ethereal form. Though this is not sustainable for long, this ethereal form changes how Talus interacts with things in the 'real' world.
While phase-walking Talus is capable of moving faster and crossing distances quicker. He does not teleport, but rather moves without the resistance of air or the boundaries of his flesh. He is also capable of interacting and changing things in this ethereal form, though the outcome of interactions may not always be what he planned.
For instance, if Talus is phase-walking and he grabs a lamp and throws it against the wall the lamp in the real world may explode in it's place...or simply go out without anything else occurring. These interactions may change as he grows to understand his magic further, but as of yet Talus cannot fully predict what will happen.
Though regular objects such as blades, arrows, and stones pass right through Talus as he's phase-walking, magic has an unpredictable effect on his ethereal form.
Utilizing this ability is not easy for Talus, and phase-walking puts quite a strain on his body and mind. Realistically he is only capable of utilizing this ability in full for just a few seconds, thus he has had to learn how to adapt parts of his body instead of the full thing.
Talus' personality has been shaped by a constant state of being either in fight or flight mode during his days at the Academy.
Over the years the young man has learned to act and behave in certain ways to keep himself alive. He is incredibly reserved emotionally and tends not to act without thought. Outwardly he appears stable and held together, but inside he is a growing mess of different emotions and instincts.
The fact of the matter is that Talus, much like other Students at the Academy, is in a constant state of evaluating and checking everyone around him. His abilities and general strengths keep him at a place of confidence, but when that confidence is shaken the young man tends to lash out.
Despite this relative instability, Talus manages to keep himself together most of the time. This allows him to project an air of confidence and decisiveness which many hold in high regard.