Tadrielus Galawen
Tadrielus Galawen has lived a life of giant deeds, cataclysmic battles, and legendary feats... but that is behind him now. Deep into middle age for an avariel, Tadrielus has taken to a quiet life in the high alpine forests of the Spine, looking down on Crobhear Lake from above. He has lived most of his life outside of the ancient avariel city of Thyasari, having left in his youth (an act of great defiance at the time).
Given his accomplishments, Tadrielus is on friendly terms with avariel society, but has spent far too long in the open world to be content living within the city. He does not spurn company, but the remoteness of his chosen home offers few visitors, and he enjoys the tranquility after so very long.
Appearance
If one were to take his pure white wings away Tadrielus would not be a particularly imposing figure. He is well muscled but slight in stature, and his head is adorned with long snowy hair and an equally pale beard, behind which usually lies a warm and friendly expression.
These days he tends to go shirtless, finding it easier on his wings, and wears loose-fitting cloth pants and sometimes soft boots. His enchanted armor remains in good condition, but it is rarely worn. The only militaristic part of his attire is the gleaming white sword that he keeps at his side.
These days he tends to go shirtless, finding it easier on his wings, and wears loose-fitting cloth pants and sometimes soft boots. His enchanted armor remains in good condition, but it is rarely worn. The only militaristic part of his attire is the gleaming white sword that he keeps at his side.
Skills and Abilities
Flight: Born with a set of pure white, feathered wings, Tadrielus is an extremely adept flier.
Purifying Luminomancy: Tadrielus has learned many schools of magic in his life, but his greatest skill is with luminomancy. Tadrielus can create, manipulate, and even weaponize light for any number of purposes. In combat this often takes the form of offensive bolts, defensive shields, and disorienting flares.
Tadrielus brings a unique flavor to the art of luminomancy in that his powers are particularly effective against demons, the undead, and malevolent spirits. He can easily bind, banish, or outright destroy all but the most powerful dark forces. He is also able to purifying demonic artifacts, seals, and curses. These abilities stop just short of being true "divine magic," as he does not bind himself to any particular deity.
Other magic: Tadrielus can call upon a handful of elemental spells (fireballs, ice, lightning) and has the avariel gift of healing magic. None of these other magical abilities are anywhere near as powerful as his luminomancy, and have situational use at best.
Swordsman - The Angelic Blade: Tadrielus is an expert swordsman and fights with a powerful artifact of purifying light magic: the Angelic Blade. Purified by Tadrielus himself from its original dark and twisted form, the sword is exceptionally lethal to demons, undead, and dark spirits. It is assumed to be indestructible, and has never needed sharpening. In hands as capable as Tadrielus' it is a truly awesome weapon to behold.
The Sight: Since birth Tadrielus has been gifted with "the sight," otherwise known as the ability to see faeries, demons, spirits, and other beings in the world that are beyond ordinary people's perception. Many key events in his life were shaped by this ability.
Purifying Luminomancy: Tadrielus has learned many schools of magic in his life, but his greatest skill is with luminomancy. Tadrielus can create, manipulate, and even weaponize light for any number of purposes. In combat this often takes the form of offensive bolts, defensive shields, and disorienting flares.
Tadrielus brings a unique flavor to the art of luminomancy in that his powers are particularly effective against demons, the undead, and malevolent spirits. He can easily bind, banish, or outright destroy all but the most powerful dark forces. He is also able to purifying demonic artifacts, seals, and curses. These abilities stop just short of being true "divine magic," as he does not bind himself to any particular deity.
Other magic: Tadrielus can call upon a handful of elemental spells (fireballs, ice, lightning) and has the avariel gift of healing magic. None of these other magical abilities are anywhere near as powerful as his luminomancy, and have situational use at best.
Swordsman - The Angelic Blade: Tadrielus is an expert swordsman and fights with a powerful artifact of purifying light magic: the Angelic Blade. Purified by Tadrielus himself from its original dark and twisted form, the sword is exceptionally lethal to demons, undead, and dark spirits. It is assumed to be indestructible, and has never needed sharpening. In hands as capable as Tadrielus' it is a truly awesome weapon to behold.
The Sight: Since birth Tadrielus has been gifted with "the sight," otherwise known as the ability to see faeries, demons, spirits, and other beings in the world that are beyond ordinary people's perception. Many key events in his life were shaped by this ability.
Personality
In his later years Tadrielus has slowed down and taken on a quieter demeanor than in his youth. He remains friendly, warm-hearted, and generous. He still holds a strong sense of justice and righteousness for the world he has so long fought to protect, but has generally let younger heroes take the lead, seeing his chapter in Arethil's history as more or less concluded.
He is not prideful, nor vengeful, although he does not tolerate oppression or injustice when witnessed.
Behind his green eyes is a wistfulness and a sadness that comes from a lifetime's worth of loss.
He is not prideful, nor vengeful, although he does not tolerate oppression or injustice when witnessed.
Behind his green eyes is a wistfulness and a sadness that comes from a lifetime's worth of loss.
Biography & Lore
Tadrielus was meant to be a Forester. He was never particularly strong or coordinated as a child, but he had a good enough mind and a curiosity for the world that made him well suited to the study of plants and the maintenance of the forests around Thyasari. That curiosity would lead him far astray of his people, as the wonder of the open world was too much for him to ignore, and when he was just 150, he left Thyasari for what he assumed would be forever.
Although he was saddened to leave his family, friends, and culture, he knew he could not have been happy there. Over five hundred years of stories are too much to tell in a single sitting, but Tadrielus' natural generosity and his distaste for injustice landed him in several rough situations over the years. He found a group of like-minded friends with whom he traveled the country, taking jobs as adventurers, slaying foul beasts, and even liberating oppressed peoples. Through necessity Tadrielus quickly learned how to fight and found that, when the cause was right, he had a knack for it.
It was in these early years that he met a faerie. Young like himself, she rejected the secluded nature of her people and joined the happy band. Drawn to each other's passion, beauty, and relative strangeness, Tadrielus and Müllerian fell fast in love.
Eventually the band of young adventurers found itself slowing. Their human friends were aging, and the world seemed stable enough not to need protecting. Now married, Tadrielus and his wife attempted a quiet life, but their thirst for excitement and righteous struggle always drew them back into the noise.
Then the world fell apart. The great demon Oradiniir burst from the infernal plane. His dark hordes came with him, and Arethil was plunged into a dark and terrible war. Tadrielus was 300 at this time. In his prime and with a century and a half of experience, he joined the fight. He was good at killing demons, very good. He graduated from soldier to commander within a year, and soon found himself face to face with the devil himself.
There are numerous accounts of the battle that ensued. Some say it was fought on the Spine's highest peaks, some say that it was in a deep and rocky valley. Some say that Tadrielus was struck by lightning and channeled this power into himself, while others saw the sky was clear and full of stars. All the accounts, however, agree on one fact: Tadrielus killed Oradiniir with his own sword.
The Demon Blade of Oradiniir came with Tadrielus out of the battle, and remained in his possession for ages. Its power was undeniable, and with it Tadrielus cemented his place as one of the greatest demon slayers in recent history, all while fighting constantly to contain the darkness within the sword. His acts redeemed him with his people, and he was allowed, at long last, to return to Thyasari. He would not stay, as his life was elsewhere now, but it was a fitting resolution to this part of his story.
Yet heroes do not always have happy endings. Müllerian eventually succumbed to the effervescent nature of her people. Her desire to stay in the mortal realms, and her love for Tadrielus, began to dwindle. They spent fewer and fewer days together, until eventually Tadrielus returned home to find her gone entirely. While it was not a surprise, it left him heavy hearted and broken.
When Tadrielus was 460, the world split once more. A creature known only as "The Serpent" had awoken deep beneath the Spine. As it slowly built its strength more and more creatures of night poured out from the mountains. The Blade of Oradiniir fed on Tadrielus' fractured spirit, and its efficacy against its own kind dwindled. He knew he could not defeat the Serpent, not like this.
Tadrielus on the battlefield, with the Blade of Oradiniir.
Defeated, alone, and with waning purpose, Tadrielus journeyed to a place of legend. He has never revealed where, or from whom he heard the tales, saying that such a place must remained undisturbed. All he has ever revealed is that he spoke to "the goddess of light." She taught him how to use his luminomancy to purge darkness at its core, and with her teachings he expunged the demon spirit from the Blade of Oradiniir, and transformed it into the Angelic Blade.
He was now as a radiant beacon upon the battlefield, and he journeyed deep into the heart of the spine. No one witnessed the battle within, but the Angelic Blade succeeded in slaying the Serpent and preventing his ascension to the surface.
It did not give Tadrielus the same satisfaction. He was an instrument of light, yes, but little more. He continued to fight off the dark forces of the world for another century or so before deciding that, happily, Arethil did not need him anymore. No threat as great as Oradiniir or the Serpent had reared its head, and it was high time he took a rest.
The years since, Tadrielus has found peace, or as much as he can hope to find. He still mourns the loss of his wife and his friends through the ages, but he is satisfied with his mark on the world. He takes comfort in the peaceful valleys and the sparkling waters. He allows himself his memories, the good and the bad. Most importantly, he has learned to accept his life for what it was.
Whispers of avariel society rejoining the world have reached him recently, and it makes him quite happy. Perhaps more young people will see the world now, and maybe one of them will take his place.
Although he was saddened to leave his family, friends, and culture, he knew he could not have been happy there. Over five hundred years of stories are too much to tell in a single sitting, but Tadrielus' natural generosity and his distaste for injustice landed him in several rough situations over the years. He found a group of like-minded friends with whom he traveled the country, taking jobs as adventurers, slaying foul beasts, and even liberating oppressed peoples. Through necessity Tadrielus quickly learned how to fight and found that, when the cause was right, he had a knack for it.
It was in these early years that he met a faerie. Young like himself, she rejected the secluded nature of her people and joined the happy band. Drawn to each other's passion, beauty, and relative strangeness, Tadrielus and Müllerian fell fast in love.
Eventually the band of young adventurers found itself slowing. Their human friends were aging, and the world seemed stable enough not to need protecting. Now married, Tadrielus and his wife attempted a quiet life, but their thirst for excitement and righteous struggle always drew them back into the noise.
Then the world fell apart. The great demon Oradiniir burst from the infernal plane. His dark hordes came with him, and Arethil was plunged into a dark and terrible war. Tadrielus was 300 at this time. In his prime and with a century and a half of experience, he joined the fight. He was good at killing demons, very good. He graduated from soldier to commander within a year, and soon found himself face to face with the devil himself.
There are numerous accounts of the battle that ensued. Some say it was fought on the Spine's highest peaks, some say that it was in a deep and rocky valley. Some say that Tadrielus was struck by lightning and channeled this power into himself, while others saw the sky was clear and full of stars. All the accounts, however, agree on one fact: Tadrielus killed Oradiniir with his own sword.
The Demon Blade of Oradiniir came with Tadrielus out of the battle, and remained in his possession for ages. Its power was undeniable, and with it Tadrielus cemented his place as one of the greatest demon slayers in recent history, all while fighting constantly to contain the darkness within the sword. His acts redeemed him with his people, and he was allowed, at long last, to return to Thyasari. He would not stay, as his life was elsewhere now, but it was a fitting resolution to this part of his story.
Yet heroes do not always have happy endings. Müllerian eventually succumbed to the effervescent nature of her people. Her desire to stay in the mortal realms, and her love for Tadrielus, began to dwindle. They spent fewer and fewer days together, until eventually Tadrielus returned home to find her gone entirely. While it was not a surprise, it left him heavy hearted and broken.
When Tadrielus was 460, the world split once more. A creature known only as "The Serpent" had awoken deep beneath the Spine. As it slowly built its strength more and more creatures of night poured out from the mountains. The Blade of Oradiniir fed on Tadrielus' fractured spirit, and its efficacy against its own kind dwindled. He knew he could not defeat the Serpent, not like this.
Tadrielus on the battlefield, with the Blade of Oradiniir.
Defeated, alone, and with waning purpose, Tadrielus journeyed to a place of legend. He has never revealed where, or from whom he heard the tales, saying that such a place must remained undisturbed. All he has ever revealed is that he spoke to "the goddess of light." She taught him how to use his luminomancy to purge darkness at its core, and with her teachings he expunged the demon spirit from the Blade of Oradiniir, and transformed it into the Angelic Blade.
He was now as a radiant beacon upon the battlefield, and he journeyed deep into the heart of the spine. No one witnessed the battle within, but the Angelic Blade succeeded in slaying the Serpent and preventing his ascension to the surface.
It did not give Tadrielus the same satisfaction. He was an instrument of light, yes, but little more. He continued to fight off the dark forces of the world for another century or so before deciding that, happily, Arethil did not need him anymore. No threat as great as Oradiniir or the Serpent had reared its head, and it was high time he took a rest.
The years since, Tadrielus has found peace, or as much as he can hope to find. He still mourns the loss of his wife and his friends through the ages, but he is satisfied with his mark on the world. He takes comfort in the peaceful valleys and the sparkling waters. He allows himself his memories, the good and the bad. Most importantly, he has learned to accept his life for what it was.
Whispers of avariel society rejoining the world have reached him recently, and it makes him quite happy. Perhaps more young people will see the world now, and maybe one of them will take his place.