Elocien Andras

## Appearances

The Shadow of What Was Lost

Duke **Elocien Andras** serves Andarra as the Northwarden, head of Administration. He is the brother of King Kevran Andras, husband of Geladra and father of Prince Torin and Princess Deldri. He was instrumental in overthrowing the Augurs during the Unseen War, and was known for his hardline Loyalist (anti-Gifted) tendencies. As time has passed, his attitude has softened significantly, largely due to the revelation that his son was Gifted.

## Description

### Appearance

Elocien is tall, with a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes. He has a small beard that gives him a uniquely dignified air, and his blond hair shows no signs of fading despite his age. He is often clad in a rich blue cloak that radiates a regal poise.

### Personality

In his earlier life, Elocien was known for being particularly stern. He was competent as a father and leader, but the intensity of his hatred for the Gifted superseded most of his other traits. He often spent time warning his children of the perils Gifted and Augurs presented to society.

As time passed, his personality softened significantly. He began to show more good humour, tried to treat his children more gently, and became surprisingly supportive of his son upon discovering Torin's Mark. With a newfound regret for his previous actions, his new priority became helping the Gifted of Andarra — a radical departure that did not escape the notice of his wife and colleagues. His spiteful reputation often precedes him, so his reasonable demeanour is usually a surprise to people who meet him for the first time.

## History

### Pre-Revolution

As a member of the token monarchy, Elocien served the ruling Augurs alongside his brother, the King of Andarra. While he dispassionately resented the state of rule, he saw no avenue for normal humans to overthrow the current system of government.

One day, he was approached by a mysterious woman, who promised he could overthrow the Augurs with her help. Skeptical, he and his brother met under conditions that she specified, and were shocked to see Jakarris si'Ithridian, leader of the Augurs, appear as well.

Expecting to be tried and executed, Elocien and his brother were even more surprised to learn that Jakarris intended to sabotage the rule of the Augurs from within, and would be working alongside them.

### The Revolution

The woman provided them with the Oathstones, Traps, Vessels and Finders required to establish administrative power over the Gifted, and assured them the opportunity to strike would soon present itself. Jakarris used his influence as the chief Augur to falsify the public record of the Augurs' predictions, causing them to lose the trust of the public and go into hiding while they sorted out the issue.

In the meantime, some of the Gifted, no longer beholden to their masters, took the opportunity to manipulate normal citizens, making sport of mass violence, rapes and other severe crimes. As these events occurred, Elocien fastidiously recorded the incidents in a personal journal to steel his resolve and remain convinced that he was doing the right thing.

Eventually, public opinion against both Augurs and Gifted in Andarra reached a boiling point. Elocien and his brother led the revolution that overthrew them from the ruling class, and instated a new system of government as well as Administration, an organization to police the use of Essence. Elocien himself created the Tenets, and specifically worded them to be as harsh as possible on the Gifted.

With the revolution complete, Elocien and his brother convened with Jakarris, who had recently finished killing all of the other Augurs. He verified that their memories had not been tampered with, then notarized and sealed Elocien's journal chronicling these events before wiping them from the Duke's memory.

It is possible that the manipulation of Elocien's memories caused him to lose the full perspective on the Gifted and become a hardline Loyalist in his new position as Northwarden.

### As Northwarden

Shortly after the revolution, he fathered two children by his wife Geladra, another Loyalist figure inside Administration. She retired to care for Prince Torin and Princess Deldri, while he remained in his position.

Elocien's policies were notoriously cruel towards the Gifted, and he privately requested that any new Augurs discovered in Andarra be brought to him for personal interrogation. In four cases, he repeatedly beat and tortured the Augurs until they died, despite the fact that they were children — one of which was only eight years old.

### A New Master

When a fifth Augur, Erran, was brought to his confines, Elocien began to administer his beatings as usual. Before he could kill the boy, however, he fell victim to Erran's Control and began to lose his sense of individuality. The Augur started by actively battling Elocien's consciousness for dominance over his mind and body, often suppressing Elocien's true thoughts and feelings. However, Elocien occasionally escaped from the Control, lasting long enough to chronicled what little he could of the experience in a journal.

Soon after, Elocien's son Prince Torin was revealed to be Gifted. The true Elocien experienced feelings of revulsion and anger so powerful that they almost shook off the Augur's control. Fearing that the Northwarden would break free and kill his son, Erran forced him to send the boy away. Providing a cover story of sending the Prince to to Calandra for military training, Elocien privately sent Torin to a Gifted school in Caladel — a secret held only by Princess Karaliene, the King, Laiman Kardai, and the Tol Athian Council. Elocien stressed the need for secrecy to his son, implying that if any students found out his identity, they would have to be killed.

As time passed, Erran's Control over Elocien became more permanently linked, causing the Northwarden's own thoughts, ideas and personality to be overwritten by those of the Augur. Elocien began to act as Erran desired, even when not being directly Controlled. This dramatic shift in attitude included new policies that were kinder to the Gifted, and harsher on Administrators who disobeyed the law. His Loyalist fellows, especially Administrator Ionis, were incredibly disappointed by this change in his behaviour.

As time passed, Elocien began to act as a more gentle family figure, and expressed remorse for his harsh actions towards the Gifted in the past. This caused a significant rift in his marriage with Geladra, and the pair's relationship deteriorated quickly — resulting in nearly three years of separate living arrangements. With the Northwarden separated from his familt, Erran began to work more closely in the his presence, publicly using a position as Elocien's manservant to hide the true nature of his actions.

During this time, Fessi and Kol were caught by Administration and brought to him personally. Contrary to his reputation, he let them stay and work with Erran for the benefit of Andarra instead of executing them. Risking treason and his own execution, he kept this knowledge secret by recruiting the Augurs to be palace servants — with mixed results, as they were not properly trained and their ineptitude did raise some suspicions. The one person he informed was Laiman Kardai, the King's top adviser, who he knew could be trusted with this knowledge.

Elocien also became embroiled in a conflict with the Shadraehin, a figure leading an underground community of Shadows dwelling under Tol Athian. Though they did not know the precise location of the Sanctuary, Administration attempted to cut off their food supplies in order to draw the Shadows out. This resulted in violent retribution from the Shadraehin's forces, and many of Elocien's staff members were outright massacred, further fueling the conflict between the two leaders.

## Activities in *The Shadow of What Was Lost*

### Looking for Answers

Elocien quickly catches word of the attacks on Gifted schools in Andarra. Concerned for the safety of his son, he sends an envoy of Elders from Tol Athian to Caladel in order to recall Torin. Unbeknownst to him, the Elders chosen are agents of the Venerate, who have been instrumental in organizing the previous attacks. Now certain of the Prince's location, they repeat the process at Caladel, and return to the Tol with news that all the students, except for Ashalia Chaedris, were killed.

Elocien is shocked by the news, but he later learns that his son's body was not found among the dead. He conducts a fervent, private search for further information which causes him to neglect some of his duties. This irregularity arouses the suspicion of the Shadraehin. Upon meeting Asha — the sole survivor of the attack on Caladel — Scyner forms a plan to place her as a spy in Elocien's ranks. He uses his network to release information about her background, and this knowledge quickly reaches the Northwarden.

Eager to get some answers, Elocien and Erran hide in Asha's room with a Veil, planning to catch her by surprise. He offers to speak with her about Caladel, but quickly rescinds it after a private comment from his manservant (indicating her intention to spy). Asha pleads for him not to leave, explaining that she desperately wants to find out what happened to her friends. By looking at the sketches of Davian and Wirr, and hearing her account of their personalities, he is convinced that Asha's intentions are genuine — this is corroborated by Erran, who Read her as she talked about them.

### Recruiting Asha

Now willing to work with her, Elocien asks Asha to accompany him as he intrudes upon a meeting of the Tol Athian Council. He brazenly kicks the door down, and demands to know why he was not informed about Asha's origins. He informs the Council that Asha will be joining him in the palace, to which she publicly agrees, though he strikes a deal with the Council to place her as the apprentice to a new Representative of Tol Athian's choice.

He brings Asha to the palace, providing her a new permanent residence. Soon after, he reveals that Prince Torin, who Asha knew as her friend Wirr, is his son. He mentions that Wirr's body was not found among the dead from Caladel, and shares the hope that his son somehow survived the ordeal.

As the conversation continues, he introduces Asha to the three Augurs in his care. To prove that he is telling the truth, he has Erran show Asha the most recent massacre of his staff caused by the Shadraehin's forces. As she reels from the knowledge, he offers her a choice: Promise to abandon Scyner's cause and work for him as the Augurs' Scribe, or leave the room with her memories of him and the Augurs wiped. She agrees to help and is officially brought into his service after Erran confirms her truthfulness. Kol remains skeptical, and storms off after Asha's appointment. Aware that she is present in Kol's vision of his own death, Elocien apologizes on his behalf, though he does not explain the cause of Kol's uneasiness.

Refocusing the discussion, he explains his motivations for using the Augurs' visions to protect Andarra. Stressing the need for total secrecy, he instructs her to stay close to the Augurs and listen to their visions while making contact with him every few days using official channels from her Representative duties. Soon after, he leaves to fetch Michal Alac, the senior Representative Asha will be working with, and warns her that her status as a Shadow may prove difficult in her role.

### Urgent Discoveries

Elocien receives word of his son's survival from Princess Karaliene. He invites Asha and Laiman Kardai in to his study to share the news, and relay his son's urgent message regarding the Boundary. Together, they speculate that it must be related to reports of superhuman soldiers violently invading Andarra from the north. Elocien reveals that due to Augurs' vision of the invasion reaching Ilin Illan, he and Kardai were able to convince the King to lower the offensive force sent to meet the Blind down to 9,000 from 15,000. He stresses to Asha that foreknowledge of losing the conflict does not mean they should neglect defending the country.

Later, Elocien is informed of Asha's kidnapping. He intends to send men to rescue her, but Erran reads Teran, and learns that he will kill her at the slightest hint of aggression. Upon her successful rescue, Elocien secretly sends an arrest order for the captors, but news of the incident spreads regardless and the two Shadows are nowhere to be found. Soon after, during Asha's recovery, Elocien receives a package containing the severed heads of the Shadraehin's men, along with a note of apology. When Asha is well enough to leave her room, he asks Kol to bring her to see the package and note, then explains that the men's actions were likely not approved by Scyner.

Planning to investigate the use of Vessels for defence against the Blind invasion, Elocien asks Asha and Erran to sort through Administration's stockpile of confiscated tools. Erran is discovered by Ionis, who marches him to Elocien's study and demands to know if his presence was approved. Asha, using a Veil, rushed to the study to inform Elocien in advance, but he tells her to hide and not to worry. Elocien tells Ionis that it was his idea, which irks the Administrator, causing him to ask what happened to the Duke to change his worldview so radically. The Northwarden dismisses the man, and he stalks off in anger.

When Asha unveils herself, she reveals that she was drawing from her Reserve — implying that Shadows are still able to use Vessels despite being unbound from the Tenets. Elocien asks her to try using the silver ring Ionis took from Erran and she succeeds, destroying one of his bookcases in the process. Elocien asks Asha to keep this discovery secret, as it would cause major panic within Administration if it spreads. She asks him to consider marshalling Shadows armed with Vessels to defend the city, even striking a deal with the Shadreahin if necessary, but he refuses to consider it until the situation becomes more desperate.

The next day, Asha insists on having her memories returned. Elocien is present to oversee the process, and places Asha back in her quarters when she collapses from the strain of remembering. Erran informs him of Tenvar's deception, and Elocien places the Elder under supervision, but is unable to arrest him without solid evidence. Asha suggests a plan to out Tenvar by using a Veil to hide Elder Nashrel as a witness, and he approves it. The plan succeeds, and Tenvar is placed in a Tol Athian cell to await punishment.

### Reunion with Torin

Elocien excitedly embraces his son upon his return to the palace — a gesture that Wirr appreciates, but considers to be out of character for his father. He catches up with his son, alongside Deldri and Geladra, but the female family members soon leave to allow the men to discuss confidential information.

Wirr shares his story, even the truth about Davian, and his father remains sympathetic despite his son's disobedience in running to Desriel. Elocien's attempt to tell Wirr of the King's mental state is interrupted by Asha, who is overjoyed to see her friend alive. Wirr is flabbergasted to learn that Asha has become one of Elocien's most trusted advisors, and the Northwarden amicably leaves the pair to catch up. When he returns, he confirms his association with the palace Augurs to Wirr, who is still in disbelief about his father's change in policy.

To celebrate his son's safe arrival, Elocien throws a banquet where Ilin Illan's finest come to see how Prince Torin has grown during his journey abroad. The event is cut short by news of the Andarran army's decimation at the hands of the invaders. Elocien retreats to a private room with the country's military and political leaders, where he suggests changing the Tenets to allow the Gifted to fight against the invaders. The King bitterly refuses, conspiratorially accusing the Gifted of causing the invasion in the first place to obtain this result.

Crestfallen, but not surprised, Elocien is later approached by Asha, who plans to arm some of the Shadraehin's forces with Vessels for the city's defence. He is still skeptical, but Asha eventually wins him over, and he approves the measure. Soon after, his son visits him in his study, and he tells Wirr that they must return to the banquet to publicly display a positive attitude about the conflict in order to prevent a panic. While at the banquet, word arrives of a friend of Wirr's from Caladel requesting access to the palace. This notification sends the King into a frenzy, where he publicly unveils Wirr's Gifted status and Elocien's measures of secrecy — blowing the cover story in front of many court members, who quickly spread the information.

### Defending Ilin Illan

As the Blind handily overrun the Andarran force, Elocien makes a final plea to the King to change the Tenets. It does not succeed, and he leaves to join his son and General Parathe atop Fedris Idri to observe the invading Blind army. There, he briefly greets Davian, and tells the young Augur they will have much to discuss when the fighting is over. Davian is a little hesitant, but Wirr assures him his father means no harm. They observe as Nihk, a soldier, turns on his comrades and tries to kill him — revealing that the enemies have planted Echoes in Andarra's ranks.

As the retreat is sounded, Elocien allows Wirr and Davian to leave and rescue Asha from her position — though she requires no assistance and actually leads the boys back to Elocien herself, who is now accompanied by an Andarran officer named Hael. Heal quickly reveals himself as an Echo, and murders Parathe in a quick attack, before moving on to strike Wirr. Elocien leaps forward to take the knife in his own stomach as Davian subdues the Echo, protecting his son but receiving a fatal wound in the process. As Elocien's life ebbs away, he begs Wirr not to save him — regardless of any future pleas — so that the Tenets can be changed to grant the Gifted more lax use of their powers. Heartbroken, Wirr complies with his father's final wish.

### A Last Gasp

As Elocien begins to fade and Erran finally lets go of his Control, the Northwarden begins to regain his own senses for the first time in years. He remarks his confusion at the situation, and barely recognizes his own son because he is much older than he last remembers. Panicking, and desperate to cling to life, he makes a final, desperate plea for healing from his son. Wirr is saddened to hear his father's pleas, but he follows what he believes to be Elocien's true wish and remorsefully allows his father to die.