History Characters / ArrowsTrilogyAndRelatedBooks

[[center:[-[[Characters/HeraldsOfValdemar Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/DeitiesAndGeneralCharacterTropes Deities and General Character Tropes]] | [[Characters/MageWarsTrilogy Mage Wars Trilogy]] | [[Characters/LastHeraldMageTrilogy Last Herald Mage Trilogy]] | [[Characters/CollegiumChronicles Collegium Chronicles]] | [[Characters/BrightlyBurning Brightly Burning]] | [[Characters/VowsAndHonor Vows and Honor]] | [[Characters/ExileDuology Exile Duology]] | [[Characters/ArrowsTrilogyAndRelatedBooks Arrows Trilogy and Related Books]] | [[Characters/MageWindsAndMageStorms Mage Winds and Mage Storms]] | [[Characters/DariansTale Darian'sTale]]-]]]

This subsection of the Characters/HeraldsOfValdemar CharacterSheet covers the original ''Heralds of Valdemar'' trilogy (commonly known as the "Arrows" trilogy), as well as the stand-alone novels ''Take a Thief'' and ''By the Sword''.

!Herald Skif and Companion Cymry
* ActionMom: In ''Arrow's Fall'' (after a tryst with Rolan in ''Arrow's Flight'') Cymry gives birth to a colt. He's never mentioned again, but Cymry goes on to be instrumental in some great deeds, including killing Mornelithe Falconsbane.
* BloodBrothers: With Talia.
* GoodFeelsGood: Realizes this after becoming a Herald.
* InterspeciesRomance: With Nyara, sort of. (She's actually human, but extensively modified.)
* KnifeNut: Especially with throwing knives, which go exactly where he wants to put them.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: Talia again.
* LovableRogue: In the ''Arrows'' books and ''Take a Thief''. Not so much in ''Mage Winds''.
* OverprotectiveDad: Takes on shades of this in the "Mage Winds" trilogy, to the annoyance of Elspeth. While he's doing it to guard her against enemy mages, she resents the implication that she can't look out for herself.
* RealMenWearPink: Skif gets a certain amount of teasing from the other male Trainees over his chore assignments of laundry and mending. (Both of which he learned during his thief days.) They stop teasing him when he points out he's the only male in a room full of women.
* ReformedCriminal
* StreetUrchin

!Queen's Own Herald Talia and Grove-born Companion Rolan
* AgonyOfTheFeet: Her feet are crushed at the apex of Ancar's ColdBloodedTorture session. Even after months of healing, she still walks with a limp.
* BadPowersGoodPeople: She can force anyone to experience [[EmotionBomb any emotion, at any level]], ''and'' she could potentially do it so subtly that her victims would never know their minds had been altered. If she weren't a Herald and under extreme self control, she would be terrifying.
* BetterAsFriends: With Kris. Played with between her and Skif; they're so much better as friends that they don't even manage to get a romance off the ground to start with -- [[RunningGag they fall asleep at every attempt]]. Afterward, Skif winds up with a reputation as a ladykiller, and Talia never lets on that they never once managed to do the deed.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Being an empath means she can heal your angst and trauma, as she does for her friends and people in need. It also means that she can ''destroy your mind'', and if she thinks she should do it, she will.
* BloodBrothers: With Skif, after a very brief and completely failed try at a teenage romance.
* {{Bookworm}}: One thing that puts her at odds with her family is the fact that she's always skipping chores to read books. She also snuck into her father's library on full moon nights to read. At one point she was afraid that she'd been found out for it, only to be told by her father's wives that she was now [[OhCrap thirteen and ready for marriage]].
* TheConfidant: Officially to Selenay as the Queen's Own Herald, but many, many others come to her for advice or at least a sympathetic ear.
* DirtyMindReading[=/=]SexByProxy: Unavoidably, due to her empathy and the fact that Rolan is, ahem, quite a mare's stallion.
* EmotionBomb: Her Empathy, when she chooses to use it offensively. She first does it involuntarily in ''Arrow's Flight'' when her gift goes rogue, but after some training she can do it consciously and under control.
* TheEmpath: Her magical power. She can perceive emotion and act as a LivingLieDetector, but she can also project, ''forcing'' an emotional state on others or allowing them to feel her emotions directly.
* FaceYourFears: In a way she was always dependent on Rolan, because it was only his timely arrival that saved her from being forced into the soul-crushing Holderkin patriarchy. A part of her always feared what would have happened if he ''hadn't'' come. Then in the third book, she undergoes [[RapeAsDrama almost exactly what she feared]], and realizes it didn't matter: she is still Talia.
* FarmBoy: She starts out as an inexperienced girl from the insular world of the Holderkin. She serves the usual purpose of TheEveryman, being an unschooled view into the world of Valdemar. In addition, she wasn't Chosen as the Queen's Own primarily because of her latent and immense empathic abilities (though they certainly help), she was Chosen because she [[SimpleMindedWisdom knew how to deal with]] [[SpoiledBrat spoiled little girls]].
* FishOutOfWater: Since her people are kind of a WackyWaysideTribe to Valdemar as a whole, she's totally out of her depth when she gets to the Collegium.
* TheHeart: To pretty much all of the Heraldic Circle: when she's not saving the world, she spends her time consoling the bereaved, introducing future-best-friends to each other, matchmaking, and just generally making everybody's lives a little bit happier. When it's announced she's getting married, people come from ''across the country'' just to celebrate her day of joy.
* HeroicBSOD: In the third book, after undergoing prolonged physical and emotional torture.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: She catches a bit of this in ''Arrow's Flight'' -- between her own necessary actions as Herald and an EvilChancellor spreading rumors about her at home, the townspeople start to fear her and think she's influencing their minds with her Empathy. By the same token, she can ''feel'' everyone's distrust, making it all the harder for her to look confident, approachable, and trustworthy.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Her partner Dirk is ''at least'' OneHeadTaller and built far more substantially.
* HonestAdvisor: Part of her job as Queen's Own.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Inflicted by Rolan on Talia twice. The first time, it was a temporary measure to get Talia to Haven without a mental breakdown. The second time, it was because Talia saw something she shouldn't have and that could lead her to discover a lot of the Companions' secrets prematurely.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: With both Skif and (eventually) Kris.
* MeaningfulName: Talia means "dew of God" in Hebrew. Her arrival at the Collegium is a definite relief for the Heraldic Circle, and the "from God" part becomes even more appropriate [[spoiler: once we learn the true nature of Grove-Born Companions.]] Especially so since she also becomes an Honorary Priestess of Karse.
* MindlinkMates: With Dirk.
* MindRape: In an unusual heroic example, Talia can and ''will'' inflict MindRape on a few select people who deserved it. In other cases (crippling phobia, for example), she can go into someone's head and rearrange their emotions, but she won't do it without their informed consent.
* MundaneUtility: Her empathy comes with almost as many perks as setbacks, especially after she finishes her training.
** She is really good at knowing which people will 'click' socially. In ''Storm Warning'', she correctly assesses that An'desha and Karal will be good friends after a brief conversation with the latter.
** She can not only experience her partner's emotions but make him directly feel hers. Needless to say, once she and Dirk finally pair up, GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex.
** She knows she should be wary of [[BitchInSheepsClothing Orthallen]], even though his façade is perfect.
** She is such a telepathic beacon that anyone with magic can communicate with her, even if she's drowning or in a coma. This has saved her life twice.
* NeverAcceptedInHisHometown: She was completely disowned by her Holding for "running away" and getting Chosen as a Herald.
* NoodleIncident: The details of her diplomatic mission to Karse, where she befriended Solaris and was named an honorary Sun Priest, are only briefly mentioned in the main series. To learn what actually happened, you need to read the title story in the ''Sun in Glory'' anthology.
* OlderAndWiser: In the Mage Winds.
* ParentalSubstitute: Talia is more of a mother to Elspeth than Selenay. She was the one raising her and disciplining her out of her RoyalBrat stage.
* PowerIncontinence: In ''Arrow's Flight''. Ironically, she was doing pretty well to control her Empathy until she heard rumors that she ''didn't'' have control of it, creating a feedback loop of self doubt that resulted in her Gift going rogue.
* RapeAsDrama: In ''Arrow's Fall''.
* RunawayFiance: At first.
* ShipperOnDeck: She plays matchmaker -- largely non-romantically -- for several people that she instinctively knows will click.
* ShrinkingViolet: Initially. She grows out of it with time and CharacterDevelopment.
* SilkHidingSteel: Becomes this.
* TheVoiceless: Rolan. He ''can'' Mindspeak anyone he chooses, but like most Companions he pretends he can't, and since Talia's Gift is Empathy (which is implied to work ''against'' Mindspeech), Rolan only speaks to her once, when he Chooses her.
* WhenSheSmiles: Her smile -- and the joy behind it -- is said to transfigure her face.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Border children don't get much of a childhood; she had adult responsibilities before she was thirteen, and going into Heraldic training was more of the same.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: A good chunk of the plot in ''Arrow's Flight'' is her inner struggle to decide when and how to use her Empathy.

!Herald Kris and Companion Tantris
* BetterAsFriends: With Talia
* BigBrotherInstinct: For Dirk, after his early heartbreak. "I helped him get over his broken heart, and ''I will kill'' anyone who tries to hurt him like that again."
* ConfirmedBachelor: Not that he's ''chaste'' -- quite the opposite, really -- but he doesn't want a permanent partner who won't understand how much Duty means to him.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: When Kris tells Talia of his and Dirk's history as partners, it's implied that a lot of their previous missions would make good SpyFiction.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Dirk.
* HiddenDepths: Dirk and Kris often went on cloak-and-dagger secret missions among other things. For emphasis, both of them are named for knives.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: With Talia.
* MentorArchetype: He's a teacher at the Collegium when not on patrol, and the experience helps him get Talia trained properly when her Gift goes rogue. He wanted to be Kyril's successor as Dean, but circumstances didn't work out that way.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: [[Funny/HeraldsOfValdemar The incident with the chicken]], on his first shift in the kitchens as a Trainee.
* ThePromise: Kris tells Talia that he will get her a bouquet of her favorite flower when she gets married to Dirk. At the end of ''Arrow's Fall'' -- from beyond the grave -- he does.
* {{Reincarnation}}: After ''Storm Warning'', Mercedes Lackey [[WordOfGod confirmed offscreen]] that Tantris is the reincarnation of Vanyel's friend Tantras.
* SacrificialLion: Both Kris and Tantris in ''Arrow's Fall''.
* SecretLegacy: Very likely to be a descendant of Vanyel, since he is related to the royal family and certainly has the good looks. He may even have had [=MageGift=], since in the post-magic setting of Valdemar this was usually misidentified and trained as [=FarSight=].
* ShipperOnDeck: He fully supports Talia's relationship with Dirk, telling her nothing would make him happier than to see his two best friends get together.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: He accidentally kicks off a lot of suffering in ''Arrow's Fall'' when he flat-out tells Dirk that he and Talia were lovers. Dirk promptly tries to pull a IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, complicating Talia ''and'' Kris' efforts to get Dirk and Talia together. He is also the one who tells Talia about the rumors that she unconsciously influences others with her Empathy, which eventually results in her Gift going out of control in ''Arrow's Flight''. He even managed this pre-series: when he rejected [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lady Naril]], it never occurred to him that she'd manipulate Dirk into falling in love with her as a means of revenge on Kris, nor that leaving her alone with him once she'd been found out might get Dirk (verbally) flayed alive.
* UnwittingPawn: His uncle used him in multiple plots to get the throne. He tried to get Kris named heir ''pro tem'' before Elspeth was Chosen and manipulated him a few different ways to undermine Talia. He even let Selenay send Kris into the trap that would kill him rather than speak up and risk the discovery of his plans.

!Herald Dirk and Companion Ahrodie
* DrowningMySorrows: Does this in ''Arrow's Fall'' out of guilt when one of his Fetching Trainees dies on her Internship; he taught her an UpToEleven Fetching technique that enabled her to save several children from burning to death, but never mentioned the DangerousForbiddenTechnique he discovered in the Archives after she left for said Internship that she might have used to save herself.
* FriendToAllChildren: He's described as the sort of person that children and animals trust immediately.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: When Kris tells Talia of his and Dirk's history as partners, it's implied that a lot of their previous missions would make good SpyFiction. Even when he's reassigned to the Collegium after his marriage to Talia, Kyril tells them outright that Dirk will still be expected to go on the sort of 'special missions' he used to pull off with Kris.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Dirk.
* HiddenDepths: It's heavily implied by Kris to Talia that Dirk and Kris have been frequently used for under the table intelligence missions. When Kerowyn meets him in ''By the Sword'', she observes that he looks like a farmboy and moves like an assassin.
* HollywoodHomely: No one, not even those who love him, thinks his looks are his best quality. Even he thinks he's ugly, though he's aware of his good qualities too.
* TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: He was badly emotionally burned by a [[BitchInSheepsClothing beautiful but vicious noblewoman]] who was only dating him to get close to Kris. When she was found out, she called him an idiot (among other insults) for thinking a woman like her would want a homely man like him. Kris thinks Dirk would have been DrivenToSuicide without his Companion.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Kris.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: With Talia.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Tries to pull this. It ends poorly.
* LoveAtFirstSight: He and Talia, as with all Lifebonded couples, but neither of them realize it until much later due to Talia only being thirteen when they met. If they had known, it would have saved Dirk from the heartbreak detailed in TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest ''and'' the tragic, near-disaster of the cycle of miscommunication between Dirk, Kris, and Talia in ''Arrow's Fall'' [[spoiler: that turned out to be orchestrated by [[EvilChancellor Lord Orthallen]] in order to destabilize Talia and potentially break up one of the Heraldic Circle's best working partnerships.]]
* MentorArchetype: Like his frequent work-partner, Kris, Dirk teaches a lot of Fetching classes whenever he's not on assignment elsewhere; his DrowningHisSorrows sub-plot in ''Arrow's Fall'' is because he feel he failed one of his students. His teaching of [=FireStarter=] Griffon is considered an essential part of one of Valdemar's early victories in the war against Ancar. After his marriage to Talia, he's permanently assigned to the Collegium as the Orientation Counsellor
* MindlinkMates: With Talia.
* NiceGuy: He's the weaker but stabler partner of the lifebond, providing the anchor so Talia doesn't get overwhelmed.

!Lord Orthallen
* AmbitionIsEvil: Orthallen, as senior Council member and Selenay and Sendar's confidant, is already one of the most powerful people in Valdemar. The fact that he's still not satisfied and wants to be king shows how blindly greedy and ambitious he is.
* BigBad: Of Take a Thief, the Exile's Duology and the Arrows trilogy. Orthallen is constantly in the middle of plots against the throne.
* BigBadFriend: To Sendar, Selenay, and Elspeth. Being their close friend doesn't stop Orthallen from plotting their deaths (and in Sendar's case succeeding), or corruption (he orchestrated Selenay's disastrous first marriage to an emotionally abusive [=ManChild=] who tried to have her assassinated; he also orchestrated Elspeth's RoyalBrat status via Hulda, and almost had her seduced and disgraced much in the same way as Selenay's marriage).
* TheConfidant: Confidant, close personal friend, and high-ranking adviser to Queen Selenay, her father King Sendar, and her grandfather King Roald (and heading towards it with Princess Elspeth). A powerful adviser dedicated to furthering Valdemar's interests (or so everyone believes).
* TheChessmaster
** XanatosSpeedChess: Orthallen is a master of taking advantage of existing opportunities and schemes to further his own agenda and removing traces of his involvement when the plans go south. Not even the ''Companions'' can come up with anything more concrete than 'he gives me the creeps'.
* EvilChancellor: Close personal friend and high-ranking adviser to three generations of the Royal House... while plotting against them all along.
* EvilUncle: To Kris. He does not get more than "displeased" when Selenay sends Kris with Talia to Hardorn, even though he knows his nephew will likely be tortured or killed, because revealing any more would expose his own plans.
* ForegoneConclusion: The reader knows that Orthallen's plots will be foiled (as Selenay is still Queen when Talia is Chosen) but that conversely he will be undiscovered until Talia reveals his plots and Elspeth kills him.
* KarmaHoudini: Of the prequel books. Orthallen's fate is a ForegoneConclusion but that means that readers know that he will escape from his plots scot free until his KarmaHoudiniWarranty eventually runs out.
* ManBehindTheMan: Was shooting for this, knowing he couldn't be king in his own right.

!Herald Keren and Companion Dantris
* BigSisterMentor: Partly this and partly ParentalSubstitute for Talia.
* BornInTheSaddle: Keren is acknowledged by all the Heraldic Circle to be far and away the best equestrian among them.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Talia.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Keren is actually the recipient of this. Talia herself observes that Keren's mental and emotional stability rests on a very fragile tripod: her bonds with her twin Teren, her Companion Dantris, and her Lifebonded Ylsa. Ylsa actually has her job as Special Courier rather than riding a regular circuit partly because of this (it's considered to be much less dangerous). When Ylsa dies, Keren has a nervous breakdown that rapidly approaches a catatonic state, and nearly takes Dantris and Teren with her; it's only Talia figuring out her nascent lifebond with Sherrill that saves her.
* MayDecemberRomance: Keren was about 20-25 years younger than Ylsa, and about 20-25 years older than Sherrill [[note]] Like with Talia and Dirk, this is possibly a RetCon. In ''Arrows Fall'' Keren mentions she and Ylsa were actually in the Collegium at the same time, though they didn't do anything more intimate than wave across the halls at each other, implying that they were several years apart in age but no more than that[[/note]]
* MeaningfulName: 'Keren' is a Hebrew name which means "ray of light". It also rhymes with 'Teren' - the name of the Orientation Instructor - who is revealed to be her twin.
* MindlinkMates: With Herald Ylsa, then Herald Sherrill after Ylsa's death. It's suggested that they could have become a permanent threesome if Sherrill had made a move earlier.
* ParentalSubstitute: Combines this and BigSisterMentor for Talia.
* PsychologistTeacher: It's Keren who breaks through Talia's walls, and she remains Talia's main counselor and confidant throughout the ''Arrows'' trilogy.
* TwinTelepathy: with Herald Teren. Not just with him - it's mentioned Keren and Teren can mindspeak each other's Companions as well as they can their own.

!Herald Jadus and Companion Fortunea
* CompanionCube: Implied with his harp My Lady, as befits a former Bardic Trainee.
* DisabledBadass: despite missing a leg, he's on bodyguard duty for Talia after the assassination attempt at the river - Keren mentions that his [[SwordCane cane has a sword in it]].
* IntergenerationalFriendship: with Talia when she first comes to the Collegium, bordering HappilyAdopted. He even bequeaths her his treasured harp, My Lady, when he dies.
* MagicMusic: Jadus came to the Collegium as a Bardic Trainee, and is implied to also have the Bardic Gift.
* RetiredBadass: Formerly a field Herald and one of the King's bodyguards during the Tedrel Wars. While it's fairly rare for a Herald to live long enough to retire (mentioned as 50% in Talia's orientation, but that went way downhill during the Tedrel Wars), the enforced idleness makes him feel useless.

!Herald-Captain Kerowyn and Companion Sayvil
* ActionGirl: To the point where she stands out even in a series ''filled'' with Action Girls.
* BetterAsFriends: With Daren. They become lovers during their training with Tarma, but Kero is well aware that there's no room for her to live the kind of life she wants as the consort of a prince of Rethwellan. A decade and change later when she's leading the Skybolts and he's Rethwellan's Lord Martial, they like and respect one another but feel no interest in rekindling a romance.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: As Captain of the Skybolts, she finds herself without anyone to be her real friend and confidant. This makes her more open to TalkingInYourDreams with Eldan.
* CanonWelding: She links the Valdemar stories to Lackey's older Tarma and Kethry adventures (she is Kethry's granddaughter and Tarma was her mentor).
* DefrostingIceQueen: Even her old friends joked that when the 'ice queen' fell, she'd fall hard. Kero duly lampshades this once she realizes her feelings for Eldan.
* EmbarrassingRescue: Her story begins when she rescues her brother's fiancée. Dierna is certainly grateful to be rescued, but the aftermath proves highly uncomfortable for everyone.
* FamedInStory: Her early adventures were turned into a ballad which dogs her throughout the rest of her career, to her distinct chagrin. It doesn't help that she has perfect pitch and not all of the people who perform that song in her honor are good at singing.
* FightsLikeANormal: Is a Mindspeaker, but until she is Chosen she rarely uses the ability, feeling it would make others distrust her. Also wields Need, but does her best not to rely on Need's abilities.
* GladToBeAliveSex: She and Eldan begin their relationship with an AfterActionPatchup. Kero lampshades the trope in the process, acknowledging that she's felt the impulse plenty of times before, this is just the first time it's happened in the vicinity of someone she wouldn't mind waking up with.
* GoodIsNotNice: She's plain-spoken to the point of rudeness ''most'' of the time, though she can be diplomatic if the situation calls for it.
* GoodIsNotSoft: She's ruthlessly pragmatic for a Herald, able to suggest assassination without blinking an eye, but she'll only do it after considering every other option and deciding that one will cost the fewest lives.
* InsigniaRipoffRitual: She performs the self-inflicted "I quit" version halfway through ''By The Sword''.
* MageKiller: Kero herself and the Skybolts. When they arrive in Valdemar, which regards enemy mages as TheDreaded, they surprise the population with their attitude of "mages are human and they die as easily as anyone else."
* MindlinkMates: She and Eldan can speak mind-to-mind, and can open their minds to each other while making love, but they are ''not'' permanently connected to each other like a Lifebonded couple.
* MindOverManners: She scrupulously avoids using her Mindspeech whenever possible out of fear that her fellow mercenaries won't be able to trust her otherwise. She also refuses to learn how to use mind powers offensively, out of a sense that it isn't fair, which marks her out as Herald potential very early in the story.
* [[AFatherToHisMen A Mother to Her Men]]: As Captain of the Skybolts, she is fiercely protective of her people and will ''not'' let an employer play games with their lives. She won't send non-volunteers into risky situations, and when she's Chosen -- an event that is joyful for most people -- she agonizes over how to reconcile her new duties to Valdemar with her commitment to the Skybolts.
* NotStayingForBreakfast: She purposefully exhausts Eldan with a night of lovemaking and leaves while he is still asleep in order to avoid a confrontation about her decision, fearing that he might convince her to change her mind.
* OlderAndWiser: In and after the ''Mage Winds'' trilogy.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Nearly. In a non-romantic example, her fellow Skybolts were trying to tell her they'd deposed the abusive former Captain and promoted her. She assumed they were agents of said Captain out to arrest her and fled accordingly.
* {{Reincarnation}}: Sayvil is Herald-Mage Savil, reborn with her knowledge of magic (and her tart attitude) intact.
* SecretLegacy: Her mother was a BlackSheep among Kethry's children and her father disliked mages, causing her to grow up unaware of her Shin'a'in relatives until the events of ''By the Sword'' kick in.
* TalkingInYourDreams: With Eldan, for over ten years.

!Prince Daren [[spoiler:and Companion Jasan]]
* BabiesEverAfter: Once he and Selenay meet, they are parents of twins within a year.
* BetterAsFriends: With Kerowyn. He tries to convince her to come back to Rethwellan with him and marry him, but she's not having it, and they both come to agree that a relationship between them would be a disaster.
* HotBlooded: As a young man.
* InLoveWithLove: The main reason he asks Kerowyn, his first serious lover, to marry him. She wisely refuses, knowing he needs more time to grow up.
* LoveAtFirstSight: With Selenay.
* MindlinkMates: With Selenay.
* RoyalBrat: At first. He grows out of it.
* ShelteredAristocrat: When he initially shows up in ''By the Sword''; Tarma and Kerowyn between them take care of that.
* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: He has the Earth sense -- a mostly-unconscious ability to read the land which tends to run in noble families. It features heavily in the climax of ''By the Sword'' but seldom gets mentioned otherwise.
** His Earth-sense does serve as a ChekhovsGun for the climax of the Mage Storm trilogy where Tremaine gains Earth-sense, it's revealed that at least one of the rulers of each country has it and the ability becomes crucial for protecting the nodes during the Final Storm.
* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: Their twins, Lyra and Kris.
* TheWisePrince: Eventually, after Tarma and Kerowyn beat some sense into him. It's a contrast to his brother Thanel, who never learned to respect women and saw Selenay as a means to the throne.

!Herald Eldan and Companion Ratha
* AnimalEyeSpy: A skill of Eldan's, made possible by a special form of telepathy.
* CarnivoreConfusion: Downplayed. He won't kill for food because of his connection to animals, but he has no problem eating meat that others have killed.
* TheDeterminator: Like all Heralds. It also shows through in his relationship with Kerowyn; Eldan does everything within his power to maintain some kind of contact with Kero. He legally requires her to meet him in person in order to collect his ransom, and when she finds a way around that, he manages to connect with her in her dreams, and he keeps this ''extremely'' long-range relationship up for nearly a decade.
* DistressedDude: He was spying in Karse and discovered by a Karsite priestess, who had him bound up and was about to torture him. Cue the lost mercenary woman on a warsteed, with a lot of arrows and a magic sword...
* EarlyBirdCameo: A man with his skunk-stripe hair appears in ''Arrow's Flight'', sitting beside Selenay at a Heralds' revel. Not confirmed, but he does tell Kero that he and Selenay were close when they were students
* IWillWaitForYou: A subtle example; he never took up with anyone else after Kerowyn, and ten years later still hopes to reunite with her.
* {{Reincarnation}}: Ratha has the same name as a Tayledras species of cat and reacts with surprised respect when Kero speaks Shin'a'in, suggesting he was one of the Kale'da'in peoples in a former life, but this is never explored.
* SecretLegacy. Possibly, given Lackey's predilection for CanonWelding and hidden legacies in the Valdemar series. Aside from Eldan, the only Herald we see who has Animal Mindspeech is [[Characters/CollegiumChronicles Mags' wife and King's Own Herald Amily]]; their eldest child, Perry, also has it, meaning Eldan [[SuperpowerfulGenetics might be a descendant]].
* SkunkStripe: A streak of white hair at each temple.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: In addition to standard [=MindSpeech=], Eldan possesses a rarer form which allows him to sense and communicate with the minds of animals.
* TalkingInYourDreams: With Kerowyn, for over ten years. She isn't too pleased to find out they weren't ''just'' dreams.
* WhatTheHellHero: Ratha confronts Kero as she's trying to make a MoreHeroThanThou SneakyDeparture, forcing her to explain everything. Once she explains her reasons, however - including her belief that Need is serving as a beacon to somehow draw Karsite priestesses to their location - he concedes and wishes her well.

!Characters described in other pages:
* Queen Selenay and Companion Caryo: Characters/ExileDuology
* Weaponsmaster Alberich and Companion Kantor: Characters/ExileDuology
* Princess Elspeth and Companion Gwena: Characters/MageWindsAndMageStorms
* King Ancar: Characters/MageWindsAndMageStorms
* Hulda: Characters/MageWindsAndMageStorms

** His Earth-sense does serve as a ChekovsGun for the climax of the Mage Storm trilogy where Tremaine gains Earth-sense, it's revealed that at least one of the rulers of each country has it and the ability becomes crucial for protecting the nodes during the Final Storm.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Appears (by description only) in ''Arrow's Flight'', sitting beside Selenay at the Heralds' party celebrating Elspeth's Choosing by Gwena.
* HiddenLegacy. Possibly, given Lackey's habit of CanonWelding and HiddenLegacy in the Valdemar series in particular. Aside from Eldan the only Herald we see who also has Animal Mindspeech is [[Characters/CollegiumChronicles Mags' wife and King's Own Herald Amily]]; their eldest child, Perry, also has it, meaning Eldan might be a descendant.

* MayDecemberRomance: Keren was about 20-25 years younger than Ylsa, and about 20-25 years older than Sherrill [[note]] Like with Talia and Dirk, this is a possibly RetCon. In ''Arrows Fall'' Keren mentions she and Ylsa were actually in the Collegium at the same time, though they didn't do anything more intimate than wave across the halls at each other, implying that they were several years apart in age but not more than that[[/note]]

* MindlinkMates: With Herald Ylsa, then Herald Sherril after Ylsa's death. It's suggested that they could have become a permanent threesome if Sherril had made a move earlier.

* RetiredBadass: Formerly a field Herald and the King's bodyguard during the Tedrel Wars. While it's fairly rare for a Herald to live long enough to retire (mentioned as 50% in Talia's orientation, but that went way downhill during the Tedrel Wars), the enforced idleness makes him feel useless.

* BigBadFriend: To Sendar and Selenay. Being their close friend doesn't stop Orthallen from plotting their deaths (and in Sendar's case succeeding).
* TheConfidant: Confidant, close personal friend, and high-ranking adviser to Queen Selenay, her father King Sendar, and her grandfather King Roald. A powerful adviser dedicated to furthering Valdemar's interests (or so everyone believes).

** XanatosSpeedChess: Orthallen is a master of taking advantage of existing opportunities and schemes to further his own agenda and removing traces of his involvement when the plans go south.

* MayDecemberRomance: Keren was about 20-25 years younger than Ylsa, and about 20-25 years older than Sherrill
* MeaningfulName: 'Keren' is a Hebrew name which means "ray of light".

* CompanionCube: As befits a former Bardic Trainee, implied with his harp My Lady.

* RetiredBadass: Formerly a field Herald and the King's bodyguard during the Tedrel Wars. While it's rare for a Herald to live long enough to retire, the enforced idleness makes him feel useless.

* BadPowersGoodPeople: She can force anyone to experience any emotion she wants to, at any level she wants to, ''and'' she could potentially do it so subtly that her victims would never know their minds had been altered. If she weren't a Herald and under extreme self control, she would be terrifying.

* TheConfidant: Part of her job as Queen's Own.

* TheEmpath: Her magical power. She can perceive emotion and act as a LivingLieDetector, but she can also project, ''forcing'' an emotional state on others or causing them to experience her emotions directly.

* HugeGuyTinyGirl: The tiny girl to Dirk's huge guy.

* MindRape: In an unusual heroic example, Talia inflicts MindRape as a punishment on a few select people who deserved it. In other cases (crippling phobia, for example), she can go into someone's head and rearrange their emotions, but she won't do it without their informed consent.

* PowerIncontinence: In ''Arrow's Flight''. Ironically, she was doing pretty well to control her Empathy until she hears rumors that she ''doesn't'' have conscious control of it, creating a feedback loop of self doubt that results in her Gift going entirely rogue.

* {{Reincarnation}}: Ratha is implied to be a reincarnated Shin'a'in, judging by his reaction when Kero speaks the language to him, but this is never really explored.

* ActionMom: {{Downplayed}}, but in ''Arrow's Fall'' Cymry gives birth to a colt. That doesn't make her kick ass any less, for all she's a minor character.

* EmbarrassingRescue: Her story begins when she rescues her brother's fiancee; while Dierna is certainly grateful to be rescued, the aftermath proves highly uncomfortable for everyone.

* SecretLegacy: Her mother was a BlackSheep among Kethry's children and her father disliked mages, causing her to pretty much grow up unaware of her Shin'a'in relatives until the events of ''By the Sword'' kick in.

* WhatTheHellHero: Ratha confronts Kero as she's trying to make a MoreHeroThanThou SneakyDeparture, forcing her to explain everything.

* {{Reincarnation}}: after ''Storm Warning'', Mercedes Lackey [[WordOfGod confirmed offscreen]] that Tantris is the reincarnation of Vanyel's friend Tantras.

* AmbitionIsEvil: Orthallen, as senior Council member and Selenay and Sendar's confidant, is one of the most powerful people in Valdemar. The fact that he's still not satisfied and wants to be king shows how blindly greedy and ambitious he is.

* NeverLiveItDown: in-universe. [[Funny/HeraldsOfValdemar The incident with the chicken]], on his first shift in the kitchens as a Trainee.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: when Kris tells Talia of his and Dirk's history as partners, it's implied that a lot of their previous missions would make good SpyFiction.

* HiddenDepths: It's heavily implied by Kris to Talia that Dirk and Kris are frequently used for under the table intelligence missions among other things.

* {{Reincarnation}}: after ''Storm Warning'', Mercedes Lackey [[WordOfGod confirmed offscreen]] that [[spoiler:Tantris is the reincarnation of Vanyel's friend Tantras]]

* HollywoodHomely: No one, not even those who love him, thinks his looks are his best quality. Even he thinks he's ugly. Fortunately, he also knows he's a good singer, a gifted dancer, and a very good Herald.

%%* AgonyOfTheFeet:

%%* MayDecemberRomance: she's 19-20, Dirk is in his mid-30s.
%%** only by RetCon. (Is this age difference confirmed anywhere on-screen?) When Talia arrives at the Collegium, she's told a funny story about Kris, who "got his Whites a few months ago"; Kris and Dirk are year-mates, and he mentions in ''Arrow's Flight'' that they actually went on internship together. That makes them six years apart at most, unless Dirk was one of the rare mature-age Chosen.

** The PowerPerversionPotential of knowing exactly what your partner enjoys need not be detailed here.

* WhenSheSmiles

* BabiesEverAfter: Once he and Selenay meet, they are parents within a year. Of twins.

* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn

* CompanionCube: as befits a former Bardic Trainee, implied with his harp My Lady.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: with Talia when she first comes to the Collegium, bordering HappilyAdopted. He even [[spoiler: bequeaths her his treasured harp, My Lady, when he dies]].

* RetiredBadass: Formerly a field Herald and the King's bodyguard during the Tedrel Wars.

* ActionMom: {{Downplayed}}, but in ''Arrow's Fall'' Cymry gives birth to a colt. That doesn't make her kick ass any less, for all she sort of sinks into the background.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: She catches a bit of this in ''Arrow's Flight'' -- between her own necessary actions as Herald and an EvilChancellor spreading rumors at home, the townspeople start to fear her and think she's influencing their minds with her Empathy. By the same token, she can ''feel'' everyone's distrust, making it all the harder for her to look confident, approachable, and trustworthy.

* MayDecemberRomance: she's 19-20, Dirk is in his mid-30s.
** only by RetCon. (Is this age difference confirmed anywhere on-screen?) When Talia arrives at the Collegium, she's told a funny story about Kris, who "got his Whites a few months ago"; Kris and Dirk are year-mates, and he mentions in ''Arrow's Flight'' that they actually went on internship together. That makes them six years apart at most, unless Dirk was one of the rare mature-age Chosen.

* NeverAcceptedInHisHometown: She is completely disowned by her Holding for "running away" and getting Chosen as a Herald.

* TheWisePrince: Eventually, after Tarma and Kerowyn beat some sense into him. It's a contrast to his brother Karathanelan.

* CarnivoreConfusion: Downplayed. Because of his connection to animals, he'll eat meat, but he won't kill it himself.
* TheDeterminator: Like all Heralds. It also shows through in his relationship with Kerowyn; Eldan does everything within his power to maintain some kind of contact with Kero, from legally requiring her to redeem the ransom he'd promised her in person to meeting her telepathically in dreams all the way from Valdemar.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: He accidentally kicks off a lot of suffering in ''Arrow's Fall'' when he flat-out tells Dirk that he and Talia were lovers. Dirk promptly tries to pull a IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, complicating Talia ''and'' Kris' efforts to get Dirk and Talia together. He is also the one who tells Talia about the rumors that she unconsciously influences others with her Empathy, which eventually results in her Gift going out of control in ''Arrow's Flight''. He even managed this pre-series: when he rejected [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lady Naril]], it never occurred to him that she'd manipulate Dirk into falling in love with her as a means of revenge on Kris.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Lord Orthallen used him in multiple plots to get the throne. He tried to get Kris named heir ''pro tem'' before Elspeth was Chosen and manipulated him a few different ways to undermine Talia. He even let Selenay send Kris into the trap that would kill him rather than speak up and risk the discovery of his plans.]]

* HiddenDepths: It's heavily implied by Kris to Talia that Dirk and Kris have been frequently used for under the table intelligence missions; {{Lampshaded}} in ''By the Sword'' by Kerowyn, who thinks that Dirk 'moves like an assassin''.
* HollywoodHomely: what he's regarded as by other people. In his early years he has a far worse opinion of himself; Kris mentions to Talia that when Dirk was Chosen, he tried to get Ahrodie to Choose his sister instead because Dirk thought he was too ugly to be a Herald.
* TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: He was badly emotionally burned by a [[BitchInSheepsClothing beautiful but vicious noblewoman]] who was only dating him to get close to Kris. When she was found out, she called him an idiot (among other insults) for thinking a woman like her would want a homely man like him, crushing his spirit. Kris thinks Dirk would have been DrivenToSuicide without his Companion.

* FamedInStory: Her early adventures were turned into a ballad which dogs her throughout the rest of her career, to her distinct chagrin. It doesn't help that she has perfect pitch, and not all of the people who perform that song in her honor are good at singing.

* GoodIsNotSoft: She's ruthlessly pragmatic, able to contemplate sending assassination squads without blinking an eye -- but she never does it lightly and only when it's the best way to get something done without losing more lives. [[GoodIsNotNice She won't be too polite or diplomatic about it, either]].

* MindOverManners: She scrupulously avoids using her Mindspeech whenever possible out of fear that her fellow mercenaries won't be able to trust her otherwise.