Marquess Ulzhavel

The **Marquess Ulzhavel** was the husband of Tomilo Ulzhavel, uncle of Otila, and grand-uncle of Otilis Ulzhavar and Csenaia Ulzhavar. He was the head of the Ulzhavada in Amalo until he committed suicide, and was succeeded by Otilis.

## Appearance

When Thara Celehar first met him, Ulzhavel was "an old elven man, with a stony face and bright, pale, angry eyes. He was dressed in formal mourning, black-on-black brocade with black lacquer combs and onyx beads in his hair. The emperor's court would call him old-fashioned, but in Amalo, this was no more than was expected." He had a stony voice.

## Personality

"The Marquess Ulzhavel was legendary in Amalo for his stubbornness, he and his father before him. When all the other noble elven families had left the city for their country estates, the Ulzhavada had stayed put.” Ulzhavel "became more and more hermit-like as he aged".

He was old-fashioned in many ways, preferring a "proper Witness for the Dead" over a judicial Witness to investigate Tomilo's murder.

## Life

Ulzhavel married Tomilo when they were both 16, and remained married for 58 years. They wanted children, but were never able to have any, which saddened them.

Around three months prior to the events of *The Grief of Stones*, Esmeän Tativin, Tomilo's secretary, murdered her with hezhelta-laced tea, making it look like a thunderclap coronary. Around three months later, Ulzhavel uncovered a threatening note seemingly indicating that Tomilo was murdered, and sent a letter to Thara, asking Thara to come speak to Ulzhavel at his home. Ulzhavel requested that Thara investigate Tomilo's murder.

Thara theorized that there might be a poison that mimicked the effects of a thunderclap coronary, and requested advice from Csenaia, who informed him about hezhelta. Csenaia, with Thara's help, performed an autopsy on Tomilo's body that revealed that yes, she was killed by hezhelta. After Thara asked for how long hezhelta took to work, he went to Esmeän and asked her if she wrote the threatening note, and accused her of killing Tomilo. Ulzhavel followed Thara, and was horrified by Esmeän's admissions. Esmeän explained that Tomilo had been given photographs of Esmeän, and planned to dismiss her because of them, and Esmeän killed her out of fear. She apologized to Ulzhavel, and Ulzhavel went to fetch the Vigilant Brotherhood to arrest her.

After Esmeän confessed to the murder in court and was sentenced to execution, Ulzhavel committed suicide, saying that "without his wife, he found nothing worthwhile in living." He was succeeded in his position as family head by Otilis.

## Relationships

#### Csenaia Ulzhavar

Ulzhavel noted that Csenaia was brighter than Otilis.

#### Esmeän Tativin

Ulzhavel appeared friendly with Esmeän, and was terribly betrayed and horrified by her actions.

#### Otila

Otila "was rarely on speaking terms with the marquess."

#### Otilis Ulzhavar

Ulzhavel and Otilis were not on speaking terms, and Ulzhavel had barred Otilis from his home.

#### Thara Celehar

Ulzhavel was cordial to Thara, and grateful for Thara's work on the investigation into Tomilo's death.

#### Tomilo Ulzhavel

Ulzhavel greatly loved his wife, which appeared mutual. After her murder was fully solved, he committed suicide out of grief.

## Trivia

* As Tomilo died at age 74, and she and Ulzhavel married when they were both the same age, Ulzhavel likely died at age 73-75.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Addison, Katherine. *The Grief of Stones*, First ed., Tor, 2022.
2. ↑ Addison, Katherine. *The Grief of Stones*, First ed., Tor, 2022.