Taristan of Old Cor

By @marcellamac\_art

**Taristan of Old Cor** is of Spindleblood, twin brother to Cortael of Old Cor, uncle of Corayne an-Amarat, and husband to Erida of Galland.

## Biography

### Early Life

Taristan and his twin brother Cortael never knew their parents. While Cortael was chosen by the Vedera to be raised in Iona to one day hopefully be able to open a Spindle towards the Vedera's home world, Taristan was cast aside as superfluous. He had to fight for his food and learned to fend for himself. Taristan grew up jaded and hardened as a street urchin and then as a mercenary. It was Red Ronin who found him and told him of his Corblood. He now fights on behalf of What Waits.

Taristan was first raised in an orphanage in Corransport, Galland. He was twelve when he ended up in a Treckish war camp. They put a sword in his hand, gave him food, and told him to fight. He fought Jydi raiders and the Countless of the Temurijon during the wars of the Temur emperor.

### *Realm Breaker*

Upon killing Cortael, Taristan and Corayne are the only people known to have Corblood, and thus are able to open and close Spindles. Taristan and Ronin plan to open as many Spindles as they can in order to weaken the realm and thin the boundary between Allward and What Waits.

Taristan meets Corayne at his betrothal feast to Queen Erida in Ascal, Galland.

Taristan and Ronin open a Spindle in the old chapel of Castle Vergon on the border of Galland and Madrance, while Erida witnesses it. It opens to the realm Irridas. Taristan forces What Waits back when he asks Erida if she will serve What Waits with him and Ronin in what appears to be a genuine desire to give her the choice.

## Personality

Taristan will stop at nothing to conquer the Ward, even if it means destroying it in the process. He is jaded and hardened by his rough childhood. He resents his brother for being chosen by the Vedera to be raised in luxury. Above everything, Taristan is a "survivor first, born of hardship and long, rough years upon the Ward." He has a taciturn manner. He sneers at seemingly all requirements of court or any kind of simple etiquette. Like others with Corblood, Taristan is always restless. Even as a child, his feet were always moving. His childhood gave him his "hard edge of a hard life, and a seed of mistrust planted so deep no man could uproot it." Erida sees him sometimes trying to hold back What Waits with an incredible amount of restraint. He does this noticeably to give Erida the chance to make the choice about killing Prince Orleon.

## Physical Description

Taristan is about thirty-five years old. He and Cortael are mirror images of each other. He's a rogue and ragged in appearance. Taristan is tall and lean. He has curly, dark red hair, a fine face, piercing black eyes, a stern jaw, thin lips, and a high brow. He has a "roguish smile, a flowing gait, and the proud arrogance of a conqueror." All things considered he has a handsome face. He has hair like copper, a shadow of a beard, a thin mouth unsuited to smiles, a long nose, and a brow like a rod of iron. Like Corayne, his eyes are black and endless. He has a sharp glance. When What Waits possesses him, his eyes have a red sheen. After Corayne attacks him with her Spindleblade, he has four lines torn down the left side of his face starting below the eye. One of his eyebrows has a split in it, cut by the tiniest white scar. From the chest down, his veins appear like white scars. As he gains more power, more of his veins turn white, as if something grows and branches in him. His blood is darker than a mortal's blood should be. He has the bearing of a soldier. Taristan has wiry muscles standing out at his neck, the kind earned hard through necessity.

## Powers & Abilities

Due to his service to What Waits, Taristan has supernatural powers and abilities. He is essentially immortal. He can surviving a sword to the heart and poisoning. He heals almost instantly. While able to heal, he still feels pain. In exchange for his powers, What Waits is able to possess him. He is also an excellent swordsman and fighter. He fights like an alley cat using his Spindleblade and a dagger. He moves with the grace of a dancer, not a warrior. As someone with Corblood, Taristan is capable of opening Spindles using his blood and a Spindleblade. Even without the "gifts" of What Waits, Taristan is ruthless killer, lethal and sure. Taristan gains strength with every Spindle opened. After opening the Spindle to Irridas, Taristan gains the strength to crush diamonds and gems into dust.

## Relationships

### Erida of Galland

At the start of their relationship, Erida views Taristan as “the promise of empire.” He is someone who “held value as much as weakness. High enough to help her, low enough not to control her.” They are like "wolves sizing each other up." They are fourteen years apart in age.

## Quotes

* "What you learned in a palace, I learned better in the mud." - Taristan to Cortael
* "I wanted the horizon more than I wanted any cup or coin or concubine." - Taristan to Erida
* "There are breakers of castles, breakers of chains, breakers of kings and kingdoms. You are a realm breaker, Taristan. You would crack this world apart and build an empire from its ruins. So would I.” - Erida to Taristan
* "Fear should never be ignored, only controlled. I learned that lesson long ago. It’s good I don’t have to teach it to you.” - Taristan to Erida

## Gallery

Taristan and Erida of Galland; by @morgana0anagrom
## Trivia

* According to Erida, Taristan smells like the tang of smoke and the new embers of flame.

## References

1. ↑ *Blade Breaker*: pg. 142
2. ↑ *Blade Breaker*: pg. 176
3. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 261
4. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 332
5. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 17
6. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 441
7. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 444
8. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 447
9. ↑ *Realm Breaker*: pg. 350