Taldaris

This page contains spoilers for the following products: The Reaper's Right Hand.
You can disable this banner in your personal preferences.

Taldaris

(Person)

Titles

First Emperor, General, Grand Prince

Alignment

Lawful neutral

Ancestry/Species

Human
Impariut inevitable

Gender

Male

Homeland

Oppara, Taldor
Sayashto, Axis

Born

1 Abadius -1312 AR

Died

31 Kuthona -1144 AR (age 168)

Images of Taldaris

Source: Taldor, the First Empire, pg(s). 7–8

Taldaris

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(extraplanar, inevitable, lawful)

CR

13

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Images of Taldaris

Source: The Reaper's Right Hand, pg(s). 60

Taldaris founded the Principalities of Taldaris, the seed of what is now known as Taldor, by uniting the local city-states along the eastern coast of the Inner Sea between -1293 AR and -1281 AR. He was subsequently crowned Taldor's first emperor (or Grand Prince as they are officially named) and ruled until his death on 31 Kuthona, -1144 AR. His soul lived on after judgment in Axis for over 1,000 years before his ultimate transformation into an impariut inevitable.

Background

Mythic childhood

Taldan mythology tells of an infant Taldaris raised by wild lions on the Tandak Plains, where even as a youth he is said to have performed extraordinary tasks, such as beheading a threatening cockatrice with his bare hands. He was adopted by Opparan soldiers, who taught Taldaris discipline, oratory, and skill at arms from these warriors, and he eventually rose to the rank of captain.

His rapid rise won the praise of the childless grand prince of Oppara, who named Taldaris his heir upon his death. Some Taldan histories of Taldaris link his imperial coronation to his crowning as grand prince of Oppara, and cite the date as 13 Rova, -1295 AR.

Founding of Taldor

Using his tactical prowess, superior forces, and uncanny luck, Taldaris led his troops in a 12-year-long war of conquest beginning in -1293 AR that transformed his title in Oppara to a fledgling unified nation of city-states. He first attacked the larger cities along the Inner Sea coast that posed the greatest threat. Once he had secured their allegiance and resources, he turned his attention on the more distant settlements of the area. He then declared his new nation as the Principalities of Taldaris, ruling over an area that stretched along the coast from the southern Verduran Forest to the Jalrune River. During this period, Taldaris is also said to have faced and slain the grogrisant, a lion-like beast that had terrorized the city-states for centuries.

The Principalities of Taldaris became Taldor in -1281 AR, with Taldaris crowned as emperor.

Reign and death

During his exceptionally long reign (-1295 to -1144 AR), the people under Taldaris' rule saw themselves as an empire united against the barbarism of the rest of the world. Taldan myths claim that his long life was unaided by the sun orchid elixir, and that he died after personally defeating Verksaris the Kingeater, a dragon that menaced Golsifar. The dragon's venom purportedly killed him three days after their battle, though not before Taldaris extracted gold from the dragon's gullet that legend holds was used to forge the Primogen Crown.

Afterlife and transformation

After his death, Taldaris was sent by Pharasma to Axis. As a shade, he regularly communicated with his successors for advice and blessings while making himself at home in Axis and getting elected as part of the ruling council of the district of Sayashto. However, he had difficulty leaving his mortal life behind until Aroden's ascension, after which the Taldans started to forget him; this freed his attentions and allowed him to solve the riddles inscribed on his shade body to earn entrance to the Adamantine Crucible and fully transform into an impariut inevitable.

As an impariut, Taldaris regularly visits the Universe to nurture kingdoms, mentor monarchs, and execute tyrants. He has gradually given away his mementos of Taldor's earliest years in confidence that his legacy will live on.

Legacy

One of Taldaris' many legacies is the piecemeal suit of plate armor known as Taldaris's Bequeathal. The emperor wore the oldest parts of this armor when fighting the grogrisant and countless other foes that threatened Taldor. He bequeathed the armor to the nation itself, to be used to defend the nation against invasion. Many great heroes donned the armor to achieve great victories but none moreso than its last wearer, the mortal Iomedae during the Shining Crusade.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.