-._ | [APPLICATION] | _.- TAXONOMITES: Stefen
Your name/crazy internet handle/whatever: Beth
Personal journal: nytyngayl (http://nytyngayl.livejournal.com/profile)
Email: marche_of_clan_darkpain[at]homtail[dot]com
AIM: Jaymdae
Characters in Taxon (if applicable): Corwin (http://patternal.livejournal.com/profile)
Spock (http://icanhaslogic.livejournal.com/profile)
Character name: Stefen
Genre (TV/books/etc): Books
Fandom: The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy
Birthday (if applicable): Because of the way he was "raised," Stefen does not actually know his birthday. His best guess is that he is roughly 18 or 19. Perhaps 20 if he's being generous.
Canon point: Magic's Price, after he has lifebonded to Vanyel and just prior to Savil's death.
Why this Character and Canon point?: Essentially, Stefen fills in the role that Vanyel did in the first book and serves as a foil to Van's selfless, cool, and experienced nature. In Magic's Pawn Vanyel served that role to Tylendel, and Stefen takes it up in Magic's Price. His impulsive and sweet nature balances Vanyel's more measured cold one. Stefen, essentially, helps to provide the best insight into Vanyel's thought processes and character and the changes it has gone through over years of duty.
By taking Stefen from this particular canon point, he will be the most stable. Any later and he will be either insane worrying or dealing with the loss of Vanyel. While it is possible to take him from an earlier canon point, and, indeed, less painful upon his arrival in the city to do so, this canon point leaves him with a grounding point in the lifebond, and several opportunities to explore and play with it in IC interactions with other characters.
Programmed Possession: Stefen will be bringing his gittern, Rosewood*. (http://www.earlymusicshop.com/images/catalogue/STEG5/FullSize/STEG5.jpg)
*In canon, Stefen's lute is never mentioned by name. However, considering that he is a Bard and Vanyel's is given a proper name in canon, it isn't that much of stretch to assume that Stefen's is named as well.
Abilities/Weaknesses: Stefen is Gifted with the somewhat-rare Bardic Gift*--the ability to make others feel through music. When Stefen plays and/or sings, he is all but able to control the listeners' emotions, his Gift making them feel the emotion that he puts into the song, as if they themselves are part of it. This Gift, however, is inneffectual without music--if he were not playing or singing, he would be unable to exert any supernatural influence.
Additionally, Stefen has a unique ability, called a Wild Gift and extremely rare (one in a generation is being generous). Namely, Stefen has a strange Gift that allows him to essentially sing pain away. The effect is limited to those listening to the music and, as his plain Bardic Gift, is inneffective without a musical medium with which to exert the ability. For the most part, this gift was employed in Court to assist the ailing King Randale continue his rule to the best of his ability, but will work on any listener, so long as he keeps singing or playing.
As part of the standard training given to all those attending the Collegium (be they Herald, Healer, or Bard), Stefen would have learned weapons as well. Bards are often sent into places that Heralds cannot or will not go to as diplomats of Valdemar and must be able to defend themselves. While never stated in canon, because of his slight build, Stefen would have received light armor and dagger-training in addition to refined hand-to-hand combat on top of what he had learned as a child on the streets of Haven, though he isn't afraid to fight dirty, either.
*It is canonly mentioned that there were “legendary Bards” capable of controlling the physical actions of others through music. Stefen’s Gift may very well be that powerful, though never shown in canon. He is said the be the most talented and Gifted Bard the Collegium has seen “in an age,” though he never actually uses that Gift to control physical action, though it is hinted in one instance that he could have. Furthermore, without direct orders or mission from the Crown, such an act is illegal, and punishable by being stripped of the Gift and turned out of the Collegium. Additionally, since meeting Vanyel, Stefen’s desires to use his Gift to get ahead have diminished drastically, and if he is capable of such a thing, he would not exercise his Gift in that way, self-limiting to the Bardic Gift’s regular influence on emotion and his Wild Gift.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE] Because Stefen's canon is suspiciously lacking in technology, I am not certain how his Gifts would work over a network like the one in Taxon accessed by the tablets. I would be happy to post a permissions meme for those willing to allow the Gift to affect their characters and blame unpredictability of the Gift meeting technology for the ones that it doesn't.
Stefen is physically small, described as slight, but deceptively strong. Still, small as he is, he is still very light and not exactly accused of being the largest at the Collegium. Medren, his roommate, used to have to hold off bullies for him. Medren was in quite a lot of fights on Stefen's account. Additionally, because he never had to actually use what combat training he received, he has let it atrophy somewhat. He has been dependant on the Guard for quite a while and relies almost solely on them and on Vanyel to protect him.
Stefen is also very young--he lacks the experience of older individuals, and it often shows in his responses to situations. Often, he acts without thinking, though, for the most part, he means well. Still, his solutions and reactions are often enacted without the benefit of consideration behind them and, ocassionally, can end in disaster. Wher those with more experience pause to think, Stefen sees a waste of time. Even so, he is blessedly naive about some things, despite a childhood spent on the streets. That naivete affects his decision-making and sometimes blinds him to the consequences of his actions--a definite weakness in dealing with others (which, as a Bard, is part of his job description).
While it would be considered a great strength in his home country, Stefen’s lifebond* to Vanyel also proves itself to be a weakness as well. The lifebond allows partners to feel the other’s emotions (in close proximity) and know when the other is hurt or in danger, but any pain dealt to one is also felt by the other. In cases of extreme distance, the pair may become unable to function without some sense of a greater purpose they are working towards. In the event of the death of one, it is rare that the other would live much longer.** Additionally, the lifebond between Stefen and Vanyel is unusually strong and most of the effects-for good and ill-are amplified. It is fairly easy to strike at one or both through the bond.
*A lifebond is, essentially, what it sounds like. Something more than the concept of “soulmate,” a lifebond is a strong mental and emotional tie between two (or more) individuals. It ties the bonded to each other until death-and even beyond. Lifebonds are rare and considered sacred-bonding once is usually a once-in-a-generation kind of chance, but twice is unheard of. They can almost never be repudiated (and, indeed, finding anyone that would want to is nearly impossible) or broken. As explained above, a lifebond is at the very center of a person and affects them more deeply than is or can be known.
**In Vanyel’s case, his aunt Savil (a Herald-Mage and both his and Tylendel’s teacher) managed through hard work and force of will to prevent Vanyel from suiciding after the death of his first lifebonded, Tylendel.
Psychology/Personality: If there were one word to describe Stefen's personality, it would be "young." While there are some aspects of his though process that are very naive and self-centered, because of his young life on the streets, he has seen a lot of the dark things that are in the world. On the one hand, he is a teenager coming into adulthood and still getting used to his responsibilities, and on the other, he is an adult missing a childhood. To that end, Stefen is very capable of being oblivious to the needs of others and can be quite focused solely on his own comforts. This is changing, though, since meeting Vanyel and being comissioned to aid the King. He is slowly learning to be more considerate of those around him and losing more of the "me"-centered thinking as he continues to grow up.
Even naive, Stefen is hardly innocent. He knows precisely how the world operates and how to survive in it. He isn't blind to the darker things, realizing quite keenly that humanity is far from perfect and that vices often are what motivates others. He is usually suspicious of the apparent "good intentions" of strangers without some Collegium uniform, whether it be Herald, Bard, or Healer. Once one has managed to earn that trust, however, it is all but unshakable. Still, that slow to trust idea was necessary for street life and, while it has been nearly a decade since he has needed to survive on the streets, the idea remains as one of the basic groundings of his personality. This is even helpful in some cases--or would have been if Stefen had been sent away from the Palace--as Bards are often called on by the Crown to serve as spies due to their near-universal acceptance, where a Herald would arouse suspicion.
Still, Stefen is both sweet and charming when he puts his mind to it. Part of being at Court is playing "The Game" and Stefen has gotten quite good at it, attracting a rather large female following at Haven with both his flattery and his looks. He does consider it a game, however, and does not expect anything to come of any of these compliments and flirtations he dishes out freely. He is no stranger to flattery and is certainly not shy of handing out praise--whether deserved or not. Even so, he is eager to please and earn attention--he enjoys being the center of attention and all but thrives on the compliments and sometimes jealousy of others.
Ten years on the streets necessitated that Stefen be able to determine motive and intent at a glance, and as such he has become incredibly perceptive. This has been trained by Bardic Collegium as part of standard training given to all those that come through (a Bard has to know what to play for them, after all). Often he is able to read others without much effort, though around mental shields and emotional walls is far more difficult. Anyone with practice hiding their emotions, really, is safe from that particular aspect of him. Still, he is accurate more often than not. In the reverse, Stefen is also well-trained in controlling his own expressions--he is quite capable of delivering dazzling smiles and even laughter despite any level of anger, shock, or depression. He is very hard to read sometimes, and he tries to be so around strangers. He will open up a little more once he gets to know a person, but reserves totally dropping his walls for his closest friends.
Stefen makes no secret of the fact that he prefers boys. He was, in fact, quite notorious among the Bardic students for being rather insatiable--enough so that Medren is surprised when Stefen drops all other potential partners and single-mindedly pursues Vanyel. Now with the lifebond, he has become quite passionately monogamous. The loyalty, however, isn't really all that strange despite the apparent clash with his personality. Stefen is one of the most loyal and devoted friends to those that he cares about.
Because of the habits of his childhood "caretaker," Stefen is adamantly against drug use in any format. And expressive of and occasionally violent about it. He refuses to take even prescribed potions,* not wishing to jeopardize what he has earned. He has sworn that he will never go back to the streets, and would rather not take the risk of becoming addicted to anything that would destroy his life and put him back there. For the same reason, he avoids fighting, claiming that he doesn't want to ruin his hands and be unable to play, convinced that that would be the end of his career and he'd end up right back where he started. Still, he isn't afraid to defend himself--as long as he is in his own element. He is more likely to run from a fight than participate in it.
*As this is never mentioned in the book, it is, in fact, headcanon. Though, from what is said in the canon source, this is logically inferrable.
History: Tylendel was a young Herald-Mage-Trainee under the tutelage of Vanyel's aunt Savil when Van first came to Haven. After some difficulty, the two became a pair and lifebonded (previously explained). When Tylendel's twin, Staven, was killed in a feud between families, Tylendel felt him die through the mental bond the twins shared and became crazed with revenge. Vanyel assisted him in killing Staven's killers, but when Tylendel was repudiated by his Companion for it, he killed himself and Vanyel very nearly did as well, however, the efforts of his aunt as well as his own Companion kept him alive.
Because there is a debt owed to Vanyel for the loss of his first lifebond, Tylendel's spirit was reborn to find Vanyel again. Stefen is this reincarnation.
Stefen was born on the streets of Haven--the capital city of Valdemar--and though he never knew his mother, he knew that it wasn't the old woman who "raised" him. She was simply an opportunist who took advantage of his young Gift by forcing him to sing on the corners for pennies and his next meal, often not feeding him in favor of supporting her drug habit. He quickly learned to fend for himself, but it wasn't until a passing Bard--Lynnell-- heard him sing that he managed to finally escape from a life that he despised.
He was then roomed at the Bardic Collegium* with Medren--the nephew of the most famous Herald-Mage** in Valdemar, Vanyel Ashkevron. Medren, though only a year older than Stefen, took the frightened and small boy under his protection and continued to watch out for him throughout their entire time in training. Once established at the Collegium, Stefen continued to capture the attention of the Bardic Council with the sheer level of his Talent--Stefen was one of the more Gifted Bards the Collegium had seen in years. He became one of the most prolific students in the compound, composing several more songs than others his age or level, which a particular skill in love songs and three of his ballads in common repertoire by the time he reached Journeyman status.
Continuing in his musical education, Stefen became notorious throughout the Collegium for being somewhat loose, though he fast discovered his preference for boys rather than girls. Bards hardly being known for their chastity, he was soon sleeping his way though the other Bardic students, which earned him a reputation that he was actually proud of.
Around the time Stefen turned 18, he really began attracting attention. Medren discovered Stefen's Wild Gift and tested it with Breda--a high-ranking Bard with a fondness for students. As King Randale's mysterious and unknown illness continued to progress, the Court began desperately seeking respite for him anywhere as holding Court was becoming close to impossible. Once Stefent's Wild Gift was confirmed--the ability to literally sing pain away--Medren was able to convince his uncle, Vanyel, to broach the idea to the King's Healers, who agreed to try it. The experiment was an overwhelming success. Vanyel invited Stefen back to his room where they shared a meal and Stefen spent the night (virtuously, while Vanyel slept on the floor) to sleep off the large quantities of wine they had unintenionally consumed.
The next morning, Stefen returned to his own room to find a message from the Bardic Council summoning him to appear before before them that evening. Stefen went nervously, and, after a few very long minutes of waiting, he was shown in front of the seven members, who announced that he was being advanced far ahead of schedule to Master status and permanently assigned to Haven as the King's personal Bard, as his Gift was far too valuable to him to lose. Stefen agreed, though more for selfish reasons, as he would be able to use his position to build contacts at Court for the time after the King's death when he would no longer be needed there.
Stefen continued to play for the King as the Healers began studying his Wild Gift, and Vanyel (one of the highest-ranked Herald-Mages in Valdemar) continued to appear at Court in official capacities, which drove Stefen nearly-wild. Vanyel resisted all of Stefen's advances, and, finally fed-up, he enlisted Medren's*** help. Medren ended up writing home to his grandparents (Vanyel's mother and father who did not approve previously of Vanyel's choice in romantic partners) who expressed interest in meeting Vanyel's "friend," Stefen, and asking Vanyel to come home and visit. Stefen convinced Vanyel to make the trip and he and Savil accompanied him, leaving King Randale in the care of the Healers that had nearly managed to mimic Stefen's Gift.
Once they arrived at the ancestral keep of Vanyel's family, Vanyel was "abducted" by his father and brothers for "war meetings" and Stefen by the women and children to entertain them with his his status and skill as Master Bard and his friendship with their cousin Medren. After interminable meetings with his father, Vanyel returned to his room late and found Stefen waiting there for him. Stefen managed to convince him that pursuing the relationship was fine despite the rather large disparity in their ages (Vanyel was nearly 40) and the relative danger Stefen was placing himself in.
After a strange series of dreams that night, Vanyel woke to order his thoughts and realized that he and Stefen had lifebonded, informing the Bard when he woke who, for his part, was absolutely delighted, though understandably shocked.
The next day, Vanyel's mother stole Stefen to play for her and the other ladies in the orchard, however, they were attacked by another mage attempting to hurt Vanyel through his loved ones, and Van arrived just in time to save his mother by taking a leech-blade**** in the shoulder, which rendered him unconscious and impossible to revive by normal means.
Because of the skill necessary to handle a leech-blade, Savil was forced to requisition help from her friends among the Tayledras--legendary and secretive Mage-Adepts concerned with healing the land damaged by pre-historical magic-fought wars. She convinced them to join her at her brother's home where they removed the leech-blade, nearly frightening Stefen to death in the process as he refused to leave Vanyel's side.
The two Adepts--Starwind and Moondance--made a point of mentioning to Savil that Stefen was a reincarnation of her former pupil Tylendel after removing themselves from Vanyel and Stefen's room. Savil made the decision that telling either of the pair would result in negative consequences, and, therefore, all three swore silence on the issue.
At the conclusion of the visit, Vanyel convinced his parents to accompany him, Stefen, and Savil back to Haven where they would be safer from assault intended to strike at Vanyel's emotional core. They agreed and moved to the capital city. He was granted only a few weeks' respite with Stefen, however, before he was called to Rethwellan, another friendly country, with diplomatic purposes.
In the three months that he was gone, Stefen continued to play for the King, enabling him to hold Court and slowly losing the more selfish tendencies in his personality. On the night of Vanyel's return, Stefen presented him with a Mage-focus of pure Amber (Vanyel's more resonant focus-type) that he had been given in exchange for assisting a merchant he had met in the marketplace. After some discussion on the topic, Vanyel violently experienced the death of another Herald-Mage and, once he recovered from the experience, ran outside with Stefen close behind him to inspect the scene. Finding no malice (despite Vanyel's feelings of foreboding), they returned to their room and fell asleep in each other's arms.
*There are three Collegia: Bardic, Heraldic and Healer. Each focuses on training abilities--called Gifts-- specific to the area. Bards focus on music, Healers on Empathy and physical healing ability. The Heraldic Gifts are somewhat more complicated, but consist of several--things like FarSight, ForeSight, Fetching, Mindspeech, etc. In Bardic Collegium, Stefen would learn to compose and play music, as well as how to employ the Bardic Gift, previously explained, more efficiently.
**A Herald-Mage is gifted with both a Heraldic Gift and the Mage Gift, which are two different sets of gifts. Heralds serve as the stewards of Valdemar and are primarily responsible for its protection. Vanyel is unique in that he has all of the Heraldic Gifts, as well as a very minor Healing and Bardic gift along with a powerful Mage-Gift. Heralds are also Chosen by Companions--intelligent creatures resembling white horses--who assist their Chosen in their duties.
***Interestingly, it was Medren who first recognized the lifebond between Vanyel and Stefen, coming to that conclusion based on Stefen's reactions to Vanyel's attempts to maintain distance between the two of them. Medren had also been playing matchmaker to the both of them since he first introduced Vanyel to Stefen, believing (with good reason) that Van needed someone (despite his protests that closeness to him put others in danger), and that he would be unable to resist Stefen's charm or attractiveness.
****A leech-blade is a dark magic-forged weapon that feeds on life energy. It is, in regular cases, universally deadly as no matter where it hits, it digs in and drains the energy out of a person. However, in Vanyel's case, the lifebond to Stefen allowed for him to draw additional energy from the Bard and slow the process. This gave Savil the time to retrieve the assistance necessary to remove it.
Arrival Post (Third Person): "This shouldn't be happening! It can't be happening!" Stefen hadn't intended to speak out loud, but the frustration and the fear obvious in his voice had, it seemed, other plans aside from stunned silence. Maybe not stunned, if the look of resigned terror on his face said anything--like someone watching their worst nightmare come to life, only they had been expecting it. Nothing was ever simple, and the half of him that was still a child wanted to complain about how unfair this all was, while the half that was more what he should have been--the half that was Master Bard Stefen, performer to the King-- knew that it wouldn't have changed anything if he did.
"Well-guarded, indeed. One moment in Haven, the next here..." Not that he hadn't heard of stranger things happening from the Heralds and with his particularly strong ties to both King Randale and Herald-Mage Vanyel, he was a particularly prime target.
Vanyel.
Oh gods. He had been right. If they knew who he was, it was only a matter of time before the worst happened and if they didn't know how important he was to either, it was only a matter of time before they found out and...
"V-Van...?" But he wasn't really expecting an answer. This place looked too alien, even for the kind of "company" that Van tended to keep. And if the Herald wasn't here, then there was only one real option left--Stefen was being used as leverage. Abducted by some invisible force with some phantom goal in mind. Vanyel had enough enemies that there was no telling what any of them wanted.
It wasn't until he reached up to run a hand through his fiery red hair that he realized that he was still clutching an instrument against his slight body. That added a whole other level of confusing to the situation. This looked enough like a strange prison, so...why was he permitted an instrument? And his favorite, no less.
"R-Rosewood? What are you doing here?" He held her a little more gently against his chest, but she was a small comfort in the face of abduction.
Calm down, Stef. You've had training. Nothing is wrong with Vanyel or you'd know. He closed his green eyes and took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He was supposed to be attached to the palace, not dealing with magic or prisons or any of...well, this.
Someone has to be looking for me. Let's face it, at this point I'm too important for someone not to have noticed that I've vanished. But that would only make them--whoever "them" were--try even harder to hide him. After a few moments of silent internal struggle, an oath that would not have been very welcome at Court all but exploded from him and the look on his face turned into a mixture of frustration and rage. There wasn't anything that he was capable of doing to get himself out of this--all he could do was wait to be found.
And that was precisely what he set out to do, dropping to sit on the floor and sulk (even if he would never have called it that) very much like the child that he had barely outgrown.
"Havens..."
Additional Third Person Sample:Court had been ending earlier and earlier as Randale's illness continued to progress--who had once been an imposing regal figure was left more and more every day, a faded shell of the man that he used to be. If not for Stefen's strange Gift, they wouldn't have been able to hold Court in the first place, even if he occasionally had to hide from Randale's Healers until his voice recovered from hours of non-stop singing and his fingers stopped bleeding from the same hours of self-accompaniment.
"I suppose I could ask for an accompanist," he mused aloud to no one. "They couldn't really say no, and I'm fairly sure I could extend my Gift to cover the both of us. It wouldn't even have to be a Master, just a student or two with some free time..."
Thoughts to consider. It wasn't even a half-bad idea.
But they'd let him go early today so the king could rest. Which meant that he was several hours too soon for Vanyel to be done with all his palace duties and the room would probably (doubtless) be cold and empty. There wasn't any reason why he couldn't take advantage of the extra time to suprise Van for no reason at all.
As well-acquainted as Stefen was the streets of Haven, these were the kinds of places that he never would have come as a child. He much preferred the rows of shops and stalls to the slums, brothels, and drug houses that had been his childhood. He could probably still have navigated every sewer and dark alley blindfolded, but the thought of having to made him shudder. No, he was glad that he'd had the good fortune to be discovered by the Collegium and pulled out of that life and away from the clutches of that woman...
The market was distracting, though, and it brought a smile to his face to see all of the orchestrated chaos that in many ways seemed to echo the Collegium. Haven had never been the picture of organization--since the Founding when the refugees and just picked up and fled and settled in the first place they had found in whatever places they happened to hold at the time. It was refreshing, though, in contrast to the stuffy throne room, that still managed to somehow feel cold despite the throngs of warms bodies trying to get their own petition heard before the king retired for the evening.
The grin on his face wouldn't be gotten rid of, either. Not when he paused in front of one of the booths that lined the street and as he brushed his bright red hair behind his ear as he examined something not important at all trying to think of something that Van wouldn't be expecting to find him with when he finally came home (probably exhausted and sore like always).
Personal journal: nytyngayl (http://nytyngayl.livejournal.com/profile)
Email: marche_of_clan_darkpain[at]homtail[dot]com
AIM: Jaymdae
Characters in Taxon (if applicable): Corwin (http://patternal.livejournal.com/profile)
Spock (http://icanhaslogic.livejournal.com/profile)
Character name: Stefen
Genre (TV/books/etc): Books
Fandom: The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy
Birthday (if applicable): Because of the way he was "raised," Stefen does not actually know his birthday. His best guess is that he is roughly 18 or 19. Perhaps 20 if he's being generous.
Canon point: Magic's Price, after he has lifebonded to Vanyel and just prior to Savil's death.
Why this Character and Canon point?: Essentially, Stefen fills in the role that Vanyel did in the first book and serves as a foil to Van's selfless, cool, and experienced nature. In Magic's Pawn Vanyel served that role to Tylendel, and Stefen takes it up in Magic's Price. His impulsive and sweet nature balances Vanyel's more measured cold one. Stefen, essentially, helps to provide the best insight into Vanyel's thought processes and character and the changes it has gone through over years of duty.
By taking Stefen from this particular canon point, he will be the most stable. Any later and he will be either insane worrying or dealing with the loss of Vanyel. While it is possible to take him from an earlier canon point, and, indeed, less painful upon his arrival in the city to do so, this canon point leaves him with a grounding point in the lifebond, and several opportunities to explore and play with it in IC interactions with other characters.
Programmed Possession: Stefen will be bringing his gittern, Rosewood*. (http://www.earlymusicshop.com/images/catalogue/STEG5/FullSize/STEG5.jpg)
*In canon, Stefen's lute is never mentioned by name. However, considering that he is a Bard and Vanyel's is given a proper name in canon, it isn't that much of stretch to assume that Stefen's is named as well.
Abilities/Weaknesses: Stefen is Gifted with the somewhat-rare Bardic Gift*--the ability to make others feel through music. When Stefen plays and/or sings, he is all but able to control the listeners' emotions, his Gift making them feel the emotion that he puts into the song, as if they themselves are part of it. This Gift, however, is inneffectual without music--if he were not playing or singing, he would be unable to exert any supernatural influence.
Additionally, Stefen has a unique ability, called a Wild Gift and extremely rare (one in a generation is being generous). Namely, Stefen has a strange Gift that allows him to essentially sing pain away. The effect is limited to those listening to the music and, as his plain Bardic Gift, is inneffective without a musical medium with which to exert the ability. For the most part, this gift was employed in Court to assist the ailing King Randale continue his rule to the best of his ability, but will work on any listener, so long as he keeps singing or playing.
As part of the standard training given to all those attending the Collegium (be they Herald, Healer, or Bard), Stefen would have learned weapons as well. Bards are often sent into places that Heralds cannot or will not go to as diplomats of Valdemar and must be able to defend themselves. While never stated in canon, because of his slight build, Stefen would have received light armor and dagger-training in addition to refined hand-to-hand combat on top of what he had learned as a child on the streets of Haven, though he isn't afraid to fight dirty, either.
*It is canonly mentioned that there were “legendary Bards” capable of controlling the physical actions of others through music. Stefen’s Gift may very well be that powerful, though never shown in canon. He is said the be the most talented and Gifted Bard the Collegium has seen “in an age,” though he never actually uses that Gift to control physical action, though it is hinted in one instance that he could have. Furthermore, without direct orders or mission from the Crown, such an act is illegal, and punishable by being stripped of the Gift and turned out of the Collegium. Additionally, since meeting Vanyel, Stefen’s desires to use his Gift to get ahead have diminished drastically, and if he is capable of such a thing, he would not exercise his Gift in that way, self-limiting to the Bardic Gift’s regular influence on emotion and his Wild Gift.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE] Because Stefen's canon is suspiciously lacking in technology, I am not certain how his Gifts would work over a network like the one in Taxon accessed by the tablets. I would be happy to post a permissions meme for those willing to allow the Gift to affect their characters and blame unpredictability of the Gift meeting technology for the ones that it doesn't.
Stefen is physically small, described as slight, but deceptively strong. Still, small as he is, he is still very light and not exactly accused of being the largest at the Collegium. Medren, his roommate, used to have to hold off bullies for him. Medren was in quite a lot of fights on Stefen's account. Additionally, because he never had to actually use what combat training he received, he has let it atrophy somewhat. He has been dependant on the Guard for quite a while and relies almost solely on them and on Vanyel to protect him.
Stefen is also very young--he lacks the experience of older individuals, and it often shows in his responses to situations. Often, he acts without thinking, though, for the most part, he means well. Still, his solutions and reactions are often enacted without the benefit of consideration behind them and, ocassionally, can end in disaster. Wher those with more experience pause to think, Stefen sees a waste of time. Even so, he is blessedly naive about some things, despite a childhood spent on the streets. That naivete affects his decision-making and sometimes blinds him to the consequences of his actions--a definite weakness in dealing with others (which, as a Bard, is part of his job description).
While it would be considered a great strength in his home country, Stefen’s lifebond* to Vanyel also proves itself to be a weakness as well. The lifebond allows partners to feel the other’s emotions (in close proximity) and know when the other is hurt or in danger, but any pain dealt to one is also felt by the other. In cases of extreme distance, the pair may become unable to function without some sense of a greater purpose they are working towards. In the event of the death of one, it is rare that the other would live much longer.** Additionally, the lifebond between Stefen and Vanyel is unusually strong and most of the effects-for good and ill-are amplified. It is fairly easy to strike at one or both through the bond.
*A lifebond is, essentially, what it sounds like. Something more than the concept of “soulmate,” a lifebond is a strong mental and emotional tie between two (or more) individuals. It ties the bonded to each other until death-and even beyond. Lifebonds are rare and considered sacred-bonding once is usually a once-in-a-generation kind of chance, but twice is unheard of. They can almost never be repudiated (and, indeed, finding anyone that would want to is nearly impossible) or broken. As explained above, a lifebond is at the very center of a person and affects them more deeply than is or can be known.
**In Vanyel’s case, his aunt Savil (a Herald-Mage and both his and Tylendel’s teacher) managed through hard work and force of will to prevent Vanyel from suiciding after the death of his first lifebonded, Tylendel.
Psychology/Personality: If there were one word to describe Stefen's personality, it would be "young." While there are some aspects of his though process that are very naive and self-centered, because of his young life on the streets, he has seen a lot of the dark things that are in the world. On the one hand, he is a teenager coming into adulthood and still getting used to his responsibilities, and on the other, he is an adult missing a childhood. To that end, Stefen is very capable of being oblivious to the needs of others and can be quite focused solely on his own comforts. This is changing, though, since meeting Vanyel and being comissioned to aid the King. He is slowly learning to be more considerate of those around him and losing more of the "me"-centered thinking as he continues to grow up.
Even naive, Stefen is hardly innocent. He knows precisely how the world operates and how to survive in it. He isn't blind to the darker things, realizing quite keenly that humanity is far from perfect and that vices often are what motivates others. He is usually suspicious of the apparent "good intentions" of strangers without some Collegium uniform, whether it be Herald, Bard, or Healer. Once one has managed to earn that trust, however, it is all but unshakable. Still, that slow to trust idea was necessary for street life and, while it has been nearly a decade since he has needed to survive on the streets, the idea remains as one of the basic groundings of his personality. This is even helpful in some cases--or would have been if Stefen had been sent away from the Palace--as Bards are often called on by the Crown to serve as spies due to their near-universal acceptance, where a Herald would arouse suspicion.
Still, Stefen is both sweet and charming when he puts his mind to it. Part of being at Court is playing "The Game" and Stefen has gotten quite good at it, attracting a rather large female following at Haven with both his flattery and his looks. He does consider it a game, however, and does not expect anything to come of any of these compliments and flirtations he dishes out freely. He is no stranger to flattery and is certainly not shy of handing out praise--whether deserved or not. Even so, he is eager to please and earn attention--he enjoys being the center of attention and all but thrives on the compliments and sometimes jealousy of others.
Ten years on the streets necessitated that Stefen be able to determine motive and intent at a glance, and as such he has become incredibly perceptive. This has been trained by Bardic Collegium as part of standard training given to all those that come through (a Bard has to know what to play for them, after all). Often he is able to read others without much effort, though around mental shields and emotional walls is far more difficult. Anyone with practice hiding their emotions, really, is safe from that particular aspect of him. Still, he is accurate more often than not. In the reverse, Stefen is also well-trained in controlling his own expressions--he is quite capable of delivering dazzling smiles and even laughter despite any level of anger, shock, or depression. He is very hard to read sometimes, and he tries to be so around strangers. He will open up a little more once he gets to know a person, but reserves totally dropping his walls for his closest friends.
Stefen makes no secret of the fact that he prefers boys. He was, in fact, quite notorious among the Bardic students for being rather insatiable--enough so that Medren is surprised when Stefen drops all other potential partners and single-mindedly pursues Vanyel. Now with the lifebond, he has become quite passionately monogamous. The loyalty, however, isn't really all that strange despite the apparent clash with his personality. Stefen is one of the most loyal and devoted friends to those that he cares about.
Because of the habits of his childhood "caretaker," Stefen is adamantly against drug use in any format. And expressive of and occasionally violent about it. He refuses to take even prescribed potions,* not wishing to jeopardize what he has earned. He has sworn that he will never go back to the streets, and would rather not take the risk of becoming addicted to anything that would destroy his life and put him back there. For the same reason, he avoids fighting, claiming that he doesn't want to ruin his hands and be unable to play, convinced that that would be the end of his career and he'd end up right back where he started. Still, he isn't afraid to defend himself--as long as he is in his own element. He is more likely to run from a fight than participate in it.
*As this is never mentioned in the book, it is, in fact, headcanon. Though, from what is said in the canon source, this is logically inferrable.
History: Tylendel was a young Herald-Mage-Trainee under the tutelage of Vanyel's aunt Savil when Van first came to Haven. After some difficulty, the two became a pair and lifebonded (previously explained). When Tylendel's twin, Staven, was killed in a feud between families, Tylendel felt him die through the mental bond the twins shared and became crazed with revenge. Vanyel assisted him in killing Staven's killers, but when Tylendel was repudiated by his Companion for it, he killed himself and Vanyel very nearly did as well, however, the efforts of his aunt as well as his own Companion kept him alive.
Because there is a debt owed to Vanyel for the loss of his first lifebond, Tylendel's spirit was reborn to find Vanyel again. Stefen is this reincarnation.
Stefen was born on the streets of Haven--the capital city of Valdemar--and though he never knew his mother, he knew that it wasn't the old woman who "raised" him. She was simply an opportunist who took advantage of his young Gift by forcing him to sing on the corners for pennies and his next meal, often not feeding him in favor of supporting her drug habit. He quickly learned to fend for himself, but it wasn't until a passing Bard--Lynnell-- heard him sing that he managed to finally escape from a life that he despised.
He was then roomed at the Bardic Collegium* with Medren--the nephew of the most famous Herald-Mage** in Valdemar, Vanyel Ashkevron. Medren, though only a year older than Stefen, took the frightened and small boy under his protection and continued to watch out for him throughout their entire time in training. Once established at the Collegium, Stefen continued to capture the attention of the Bardic Council with the sheer level of his Talent--Stefen was one of the more Gifted Bards the Collegium had seen in years. He became one of the most prolific students in the compound, composing several more songs than others his age or level, which a particular skill in love songs and three of his ballads in common repertoire by the time he reached Journeyman status.
Continuing in his musical education, Stefen became notorious throughout the Collegium for being somewhat loose, though he fast discovered his preference for boys rather than girls. Bards hardly being known for their chastity, he was soon sleeping his way though the other Bardic students, which earned him a reputation that he was actually proud of.
Around the time Stefen turned 18, he really began attracting attention. Medren discovered Stefen's Wild Gift and tested it with Breda--a high-ranking Bard with a fondness for students. As King Randale's mysterious and unknown illness continued to progress, the Court began desperately seeking respite for him anywhere as holding Court was becoming close to impossible. Once Stefent's Wild Gift was confirmed--the ability to literally sing pain away--Medren was able to convince his uncle, Vanyel, to broach the idea to the King's Healers, who agreed to try it. The experiment was an overwhelming success. Vanyel invited Stefen back to his room where they shared a meal and Stefen spent the night (virtuously, while Vanyel slept on the floor) to sleep off the large quantities of wine they had unintenionally consumed.
The next morning, Stefen returned to his own room to find a message from the Bardic Council summoning him to appear before before them that evening. Stefen went nervously, and, after a few very long minutes of waiting, he was shown in front of the seven members, who announced that he was being advanced far ahead of schedule to Master status and permanently assigned to Haven as the King's personal Bard, as his Gift was far too valuable to him to lose. Stefen agreed, though more for selfish reasons, as he would be able to use his position to build contacts at Court for the time after the King's death when he would no longer be needed there.
Stefen continued to play for the King as the Healers began studying his Wild Gift, and Vanyel (one of the highest-ranked Herald-Mages in Valdemar) continued to appear at Court in official capacities, which drove Stefen nearly-wild. Vanyel resisted all of Stefen's advances, and, finally fed-up, he enlisted Medren's*** help. Medren ended up writing home to his grandparents (Vanyel's mother and father who did not approve previously of Vanyel's choice in romantic partners) who expressed interest in meeting Vanyel's "friend," Stefen, and asking Vanyel to come home and visit. Stefen convinced Vanyel to make the trip and he and Savil accompanied him, leaving King Randale in the care of the Healers that had nearly managed to mimic Stefen's Gift.
Once they arrived at the ancestral keep of Vanyel's family, Vanyel was "abducted" by his father and brothers for "war meetings" and Stefen by the women and children to entertain them with his his status and skill as Master Bard and his friendship with their cousin Medren. After interminable meetings with his father, Vanyel returned to his room late and found Stefen waiting there for him. Stefen managed to convince him that pursuing the relationship was fine despite the rather large disparity in their ages (Vanyel was nearly 40) and the relative danger Stefen was placing himself in.
After a strange series of dreams that night, Vanyel woke to order his thoughts and realized that he and Stefen had lifebonded, informing the Bard when he woke who, for his part, was absolutely delighted, though understandably shocked.
The next day, Vanyel's mother stole Stefen to play for her and the other ladies in the orchard, however, they were attacked by another mage attempting to hurt Vanyel through his loved ones, and Van arrived just in time to save his mother by taking a leech-blade**** in the shoulder, which rendered him unconscious and impossible to revive by normal means.
Because of the skill necessary to handle a leech-blade, Savil was forced to requisition help from her friends among the Tayledras--legendary and secretive Mage-Adepts concerned with healing the land damaged by pre-historical magic-fought wars. She convinced them to join her at her brother's home where they removed the leech-blade, nearly frightening Stefen to death in the process as he refused to leave Vanyel's side.
The two Adepts--Starwind and Moondance--made a point of mentioning to Savil that Stefen was a reincarnation of her former pupil Tylendel after removing themselves from Vanyel and Stefen's room. Savil made the decision that telling either of the pair would result in negative consequences, and, therefore, all three swore silence on the issue.
At the conclusion of the visit, Vanyel convinced his parents to accompany him, Stefen, and Savil back to Haven where they would be safer from assault intended to strike at Vanyel's emotional core. They agreed and moved to the capital city. He was granted only a few weeks' respite with Stefen, however, before he was called to Rethwellan, another friendly country, with diplomatic purposes.
In the three months that he was gone, Stefen continued to play for the King, enabling him to hold Court and slowly losing the more selfish tendencies in his personality. On the night of Vanyel's return, Stefen presented him with a Mage-focus of pure Amber (Vanyel's more resonant focus-type) that he had been given in exchange for assisting a merchant he had met in the marketplace. After some discussion on the topic, Vanyel violently experienced the death of another Herald-Mage and, once he recovered from the experience, ran outside with Stefen close behind him to inspect the scene. Finding no malice (despite Vanyel's feelings of foreboding), they returned to their room and fell asleep in each other's arms.
*There are three Collegia: Bardic, Heraldic and Healer. Each focuses on training abilities--called Gifts-- specific to the area. Bards focus on music, Healers on Empathy and physical healing ability. The Heraldic Gifts are somewhat more complicated, but consist of several--things like FarSight, ForeSight, Fetching, Mindspeech, etc. In Bardic Collegium, Stefen would learn to compose and play music, as well as how to employ the Bardic Gift, previously explained, more efficiently.
**A Herald-Mage is gifted with both a Heraldic Gift and the Mage Gift, which are two different sets of gifts. Heralds serve as the stewards of Valdemar and are primarily responsible for its protection. Vanyel is unique in that he has all of the Heraldic Gifts, as well as a very minor Healing and Bardic gift along with a powerful Mage-Gift. Heralds are also Chosen by Companions--intelligent creatures resembling white horses--who assist their Chosen in their duties.
***Interestingly, it was Medren who first recognized the lifebond between Vanyel and Stefen, coming to that conclusion based on Stefen's reactions to Vanyel's attempts to maintain distance between the two of them. Medren had also been playing matchmaker to the both of them since he first introduced Vanyel to Stefen, believing (with good reason) that Van needed someone (despite his protests that closeness to him put others in danger), and that he would be unable to resist Stefen's charm or attractiveness.
****A leech-blade is a dark magic-forged weapon that feeds on life energy. It is, in regular cases, universally deadly as no matter where it hits, it digs in and drains the energy out of a person. However, in Vanyel's case, the lifebond to Stefen allowed for him to draw additional energy from the Bard and slow the process. This gave Savil the time to retrieve the assistance necessary to remove it.
Arrival Post (Third Person): "This shouldn't be happening! It can't be happening!" Stefen hadn't intended to speak out loud, but the frustration and the fear obvious in his voice had, it seemed, other plans aside from stunned silence. Maybe not stunned, if the look of resigned terror on his face said anything--like someone watching their worst nightmare come to life, only they had been expecting it. Nothing was ever simple, and the half of him that was still a child wanted to complain about how unfair this all was, while the half that was more what he should have been--the half that was Master Bard Stefen, performer to the King-- knew that it wouldn't have changed anything if he did.
"Well-guarded, indeed. One moment in Haven, the next here..." Not that he hadn't heard of stranger things happening from the Heralds and with his particularly strong ties to both King Randale and Herald-Mage Vanyel, he was a particularly prime target.
Vanyel.
Oh gods. He had been right. If they knew who he was, it was only a matter of time before the worst happened and if they didn't know how important he was to either, it was only a matter of time before they found out and...
"V-Van...?" But he wasn't really expecting an answer. This place looked too alien, even for the kind of "company" that Van tended to keep. And if the Herald wasn't here, then there was only one real option left--Stefen was being used as leverage. Abducted by some invisible force with some phantom goal in mind. Vanyel had enough enemies that there was no telling what any of them wanted.
It wasn't until he reached up to run a hand through his fiery red hair that he realized that he was still clutching an instrument against his slight body. That added a whole other level of confusing to the situation. This looked enough like a strange prison, so...why was he permitted an instrument? And his favorite, no less.
"R-Rosewood? What are you doing here?" He held her a little more gently against his chest, but she was a small comfort in the face of abduction.
Calm down, Stef. You've had training. Nothing is wrong with Vanyel or you'd know. He closed his green eyes and took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He was supposed to be attached to the palace, not dealing with magic or prisons or any of...well, this.
Someone has to be looking for me. Let's face it, at this point I'm too important for someone not to have noticed that I've vanished. But that would only make them--whoever "them" were--try even harder to hide him. After a few moments of silent internal struggle, an oath that would not have been very welcome at Court all but exploded from him and the look on his face turned into a mixture of frustration and rage. There wasn't anything that he was capable of doing to get himself out of this--all he could do was wait to be found.
And that was precisely what he set out to do, dropping to sit on the floor and sulk (even if he would never have called it that) very much like the child that he had barely outgrown.
"Havens..."
Additional Third Person Sample:Court had been ending earlier and earlier as Randale's illness continued to progress--who had once been an imposing regal figure was left more and more every day, a faded shell of the man that he used to be. If not for Stefen's strange Gift, they wouldn't have been able to hold Court in the first place, even if he occasionally had to hide from Randale's Healers until his voice recovered from hours of non-stop singing and his fingers stopped bleeding from the same hours of self-accompaniment.
"I suppose I could ask for an accompanist," he mused aloud to no one. "They couldn't really say no, and I'm fairly sure I could extend my Gift to cover the both of us. It wouldn't even have to be a Master, just a student or two with some free time..."
Thoughts to consider. It wasn't even a half-bad idea.
But they'd let him go early today so the king could rest. Which meant that he was several hours too soon for Vanyel to be done with all his palace duties and the room would probably (doubtless) be cold and empty. There wasn't any reason why he couldn't take advantage of the extra time to suprise Van for no reason at all.
As well-acquainted as Stefen was the streets of Haven, these were the kinds of places that he never would have come as a child. He much preferred the rows of shops and stalls to the slums, brothels, and drug houses that had been his childhood. He could probably still have navigated every sewer and dark alley blindfolded, but the thought of having to made him shudder. No, he was glad that he'd had the good fortune to be discovered by the Collegium and pulled out of that life and away from the clutches of that woman...
The market was distracting, though, and it brought a smile to his face to see all of the orchestrated chaos that in many ways seemed to echo the Collegium. Haven had never been the picture of organization--since the Founding when the refugees and just picked up and fled and settled in the first place they had found in whatever places they happened to hold at the time. It was refreshing, though, in contrast to the stuffy throne room, that still managed to somehow feel cold despite the throngs of warms bodies trying to get their own petition heard before the king retired for the evening.
The grin on his face wouldn't be gotten rid of, either. Not when he paused in front of one of the booths that lined the street and as he brushed his bright red hair behind his ear as he examined something not important at all trying to think of something that Van wouldn't be expecting to find him with when he finally came home (probably exhausted and sore like always).