Iäna Pel-Thenhior

**Iäna Pel-Thenhior** is the principal director and principal composer of the Vermilion Opera.

## Appearance

Iäna is a half-goblin man. He tends to dress somewhat extravagantly. He is about the height of Maia Drazhar, and is a little taller than his assistant, Thoramis.

When Thara Celehar first met Iäna, Iäna “was several inches taller than [Thara] was, though not goblin-bulky, with ash-gray skin and eyes of the luminous gold particular, like the form of his surname, to the Pelanra, the western coast of Barizhan. He had his [black] hair in long Barizheise braids, and there were gold charms hanging from his ears. He was wearing a beautiful fawn-colored suit and an irritated expression.” His voice was "a carrying baritone."

When Iäna first watched *The Siege of Tekharee* with Thara, he wore “an evening suit of dark blue and silver brocade with earrings of lapis lazuli”, with "startling crimson-lined coattails".

When Iäna visited Thara to petition Thara to Witness for Arveneän Shelsin, Iäna wore “dark green with emerald chip earrings.”

Iäna wore a watered gray silk cloak the night Thara agreed to break into the Cemchelarna School for Foundling Girls. To actually break into the School, he changed into “a plain burgundy coat . . . with his braids tied in a horsetail down his back.”

## Personality

Iäna was curious and helpful. He noted he was “temperamentally better suited to telling everyone else what to do.” Iäna was a self-avowed gossip. He had a great deal of self-assuredness. Iäna was a perfectionist, and noted, “If you aren’t always striving to become better, you stagnate.” Iäna wanted to change the status quo of largely if not entirely elven principal singers, and was slowly working on it, starting with making Othoro Vakrezharad a principal for *Zhelsu*.

Iäna seemed to find Barizheise operas too blood, boring, or both at once.

Iäna seems to be part of the sect that believes in Dach'dakhenmero.

Iäna didn't see the point of gambling, and didn't allow it in the Opera, because he didn't want the singers bankrupting each other.

He hated to eat alone. He liked honey in his golden orchor.

## Life

When Iäna was little, his grandfather on the Thenhior side told him the plots of Pel-Teramed operas. Iäna also knew Arveneän as a child. Iäna used to sneak out after curfew, seemingly with the help and/or encouragement of a friend.

Goblins were rarely principals at opera houses, and Iäna intended to change that, likely becoming one of them: he was "an excellent soprano" until he turned 15 and his voice changed to become "a quite unremarkable baritone". He tried to quit opera out of wounded vanity, but couldn't manage it. He eventually became the principal director and principal composer of the Vermilion Opera, where the Marquess Parzhadel was the sponsor. According to Iäna, he sat in a box by the stage and terrified the singers by taking notes. He resided in Cemchelarna.

Iäna produced two operas prior to *Zhelsu*: *The Empress of Ravens* and *The Zolshenada.* This made him a hot commodity among the operaneisei, as some opera houses didn't have house composers, let alone ones who were so prolific.

To celebrate the wedding of Prince Orchenis Clunethar to Uleviän Clunetharan, the Vermilion Opera performed *The Masque of the Night Empress.*

Iäna wrote *Zhelsu*, with the intent of writing about ordinary people, because he was “tired of operas about emperors and generals.” He prepared to put it on at the Vermilion Opera, and cast Othoro in the lead role, infuriating Arveneän. Arveneän threatened to go to Parzhadel about her complaints, to which Iäna responded that it was a waste of her breath and Parzhadel's time.

Iäna was at the Opera directing *General Olethazh* when Arveneän was murdered. When she didn't show up for rehearsal over the next two days, Iäna knew something was wrong.

During Thara's investigation into the murder of Arveneän, he went to the Vermilion Opera for information, and was directed to Iäna, who told Thara about her. Iäna went with Thara to the Vigilant Brotherhood to identify Arveneän's body, after which they got tea together and Iäna invited Thara to the Opera later to speak to the singers. They sat together in Iäna's box to watch *The Siege of Tekharee*, and Iäna identified Arveneän's patrons for Thara. Afterward, Iäna offered his help in the investigation.

Iäna later visited Thara at the Prince Zhaicava Building, and petitioned Thara to witness for Arveneän, and again offered his help. As they crossed the Abandoned Bridge, Iäna took a brief break to haggle for a duodecimo copy of *The Complete Operas of Pel-Teramed*. Together they went to Vinsu Nadaran's boardinghouse, where Iäna browsed and was furious at Arveneän's enormous wardrobe of largely stolen Opera clothing and accessories.

Iäna let Thara interview the singers at the Opera, and then told Thara how to contact Ema Dravenezh, Parzhadel's secretary.

Iäna investigated who was helping Arveneän steal clothing and accessories, and discovered Lalo Leverin. He assured her she wasn't in trouble, and later introduced her to Thara, to explain her part in the mystery.

Iäna was one of the few mourners at Arveneän's funeral, where Thara let him know he would be going to Tanvero. Iäna worried about him.

After Thara returned from Tanvero and the explosion at the Amal-Athamareise Ashenavo Trinciva, Thara went to the Vermilion Opera to ask for Iäna's help visiting pawn shops. Afterward, Iäna took Thara to dinner at the Torivontaram, his mother's teahouse, and introduced Thara to her. Nebeno Pel-Thenhior told Iäna she liked Thara.

Thara again visited the Opera during *Zhelsu* rehearsals and Iäna let him speak to the singers.

After Thara discovered that Tura Olora had received a sizeable inheritance, Thara joined Iäna in watching the premiere of *Zhelsu*. After the performance, when the audience began rioting, Iäna dragged Thara backstage to the performers, where Thara confided in Iäna, and they confronted Tura in his dressing room. Tura ran to the rooftop, where he confessed to killing Arveneän, as she attempted to blackmail him over the identity of his lover, and then Tura leapt to his death. Iäna later discovered that Veralis Telonar told Arveneän about the money.

Iäna attended Tura's funeral, and afterward, he and Thara went to the Chrysanthemum for tea together. Iäna told Thara that Thara was welcome to share Iäna's box any time he wished.

While the Opera was repaired from the damage during the riots, they missed a performance.

One night Thara was restless and visited the Vermilion Opera during a performance of *General Olethazh* to see Iäna, who was pleased.

The next night, when Thara needed to locate photographers as potential suspects for the murder of Tomilo Ulzhavel, he went to the Torivontaram to ask Iäna for helping locating some, and Iäna agreed to help after they had dinner. Iäna's zhornu, Adreän Pel-Venna, asked for Iäna, and after they spoke, she requested help from Thara for dealing with a revetheralin plaguing her sister-in-law, Cholan Pel-Venna. Thara - with Iäna in tow - visited Cholan and her husband Armedis Pel-Venna, where Thara advised them on what to do. Iäna seemed bothered by seeing Armedis, who disliked him, and as he and Thara left, he shortly turned the topic to his new opera, *The Grief of Stones*.

Iäna took Thara to Dawn Court, and eventually to Mer Nathomar. Iäna grew curious about Thara's investigation, and got a promise from him to speak about Thara's suspicions later.

When Thara received a note asking for help from the girls at the Cemchelarna School for Foundling Girls, he went to Iäna to talk about it, while Iäna was preparing for *Zhelsu*. During the performance, Iäna suggested Thara sneak into Pavalo Temin's office to investigate it, with Iäna's help. Iäna also noted he planned for the next opera he wrote, *after The Grief of Stones*, to be "so shocking it makes *Zhelsu* look tame."

At some point, Iäna told Parzhadel the truth about Tura.

The next afternoon, Thara went to Iäna and agreed to break into the School. That night, they met at the Torivontaram, and Thara explained about Tedoro. During the break-in, they discovered that Pavalo had a stockpile of pornographic photos. Iäna suggested Pavalo used them for money and blackmail. Afterward, they visited Nathomar to ask him about pornographic photography. When Thara explained he couldn't take any of their information to a Witness, or act as one, because he hadn't been petitioned, Iäna suggested *he* petition Tedoro, which Thara noted was fine, so Iäna did so.

Around three days later, Thara visited Iäna at the Vermilion Opera before a performance of *General Olethazh*, and told him all that happened to him with Pavelo, the School, the revethavar, and burning out. Iäna became increasingly alarmed. During the performance, Iäna offered his heartfelt support, and offered his company. Thara was appreciative, and asked about finding placements for the foundlings in the School. Iäna agreed to attempt a venture between the different opera houses.

Around four days later, Thara visited Iäna during rehearsal for *The Dream of the Empress Corivero*, and Iäna said that all the foundlings had been snatched up. Thara told Iäna that how Esmeän Tativin killed Marquise Tomilo Ulzhavel, and how Marquess Ulzhavel committed suicide out of grief. Iäna pointed out that it was likely that Pavalo was responsible for sending the blackmail photos of Esmeän to Tomilo, as revenge. Afterward, Iäna checked on Thara, and they held hands for a while.

## Skills

Iäna knew many of “the performers and street philosophers and most of the barrow-men” around the Abandoned Bridge. He also knew all the pawn shops in Cemchelarna, and was liked there.

Iäna could speak Barizhin and Ethuverazhin.

If he worked slowly, Iäna could pick simple locks with hairpins.

## Relationships

#### Armedis Pel-Venna

Armedis disliked Iäna, and they were not on speaking terms for old "stupid reasons".

#### Arveneän Shelsin

Iäna and Arveneän hated each other since childhood. Iäna helped Thara investigate Arveneän's death. The one thing they agreed on was improving your craft.

#### Hestheno

Hestheno is possibly a friend of Thara's.

#### Nebeno Pel-Thenhior

Nebeno and Iäna seemed to have a close relationship. Iäna noted that Nebeno has never listened to him.

#### Othoro Vakrezharad

Iäna was supportive of Othoro, particularly in cases where there was racist bias against her and her career.

#### Thara Celehar

Iäna and Thara were very close friends. Thara liked Iäna. Iäna deeply cared for Thara.

#### Tura Olora

Iäna and Tura often argued. Iäna implored him not to jump.

## Quotations

* To Thara: “You don’t laugh enough, othala".
* To Thara: “I might kill someone over an opera, but it would never be one of my singers.”
* To Thara: “I will have to tell my mother that being gaudy has its uses.”
* To Lalo: “I’m not about to punish anyone for being in love.”
* To Thara: “I enjoy your company, and I hate the thought that your last memory of the Opera should be Tura’s death.”
* To Thara: “You know,” Pel-Thenhior said, “you could come every night we perform if you wanted to. It’s *my* box, after all.”
* To Thara: “Photographers, like other undesirables, keep very late hours,” said Pel-Thenhior.”
* To Thara: “I’ll take any reaction to my operas except boredom.”
* To Thara: “Scandal makes money,” Pel-Thenhior said dryly.”
* To Thara: “I would be of comfort to thee if I could.”

## Trivia

* Iäna's box at the Opera is “on the first tier, almost on the stage—not an angle the stage was meant to be viewed from” and was “one of the least fashionable boxes, being farthest from the prince’s box at the center back of the auditorium.”
* Iäna is free to leave the Opera in the mornings, as afternoons are for rehearsals.
* Iäna's apartment/flat is near the Belvorsina III ostro stop in Cemchelarna. It has a main room with an elaborate desk, “with the geometrical carvings popular a hundred years ago, and on it were stacks and stacks of paper, some of it ruled for musical notation, some of it filled with writing in a strong Barizheise hand.” There were a number of photographs of beautifully dressed and coifed women on the walls of the room. The women were Iäna's friends, who were “other women of the demimonde, who will never be respectable and therefore can enjoy the luxury of having themselves photographed.”

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Addison, Katherine. *The Witness for the Dead*, First ed., Tor, 2021.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 Addison, Katherine. *The Grief of Stones*, First ed., Tor, 2022.