History Characters / DeitiesAndGeneralCharacterTropes

[[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 deals with the deities of the setting, as well as general character tropes shared by various groups within the series.

!Kal'enel, the Star-eyed Goddess
The Goddess of all the Kaled'a'in clans, she has four aspects, the Maiden, the Warrior, the Mother and the Crone. It's mentioned in ''The Mage Storms'' that ancient Karse had a Goddess with an almost identical name, in addition to the God Vkandis. At least one other goddess is another face of Hers, and there used to be a pair of twin goddesses with names very similar to Hers.
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* BargainWithHeaven: The Kal'enedral sworn to her can, in a time of need, call out her Greater Name in order to pause time and try to trade something in exchange for Her saving someone's life.
* DivineDelegation: The souls of her Sworn continue to serve her after they die, acting as trainers and advisers to living Sworn (among other things). In the ''Mage Winds'' trilogy, she branches out a little further by selecting a pair of Avatars.
* DivineIntervention: She frequently interferes on behalf of the Shin'a'in, generally through her spirit Kalen'a'dral but also through omens and infrequent appearances. The Tayledras see her less often and the Kaled'a'in even less so.
* EthnicGoddess: The parts of her who are the Star-Eyed take forms resembling Kaled'a'in and seem to be specific to that culture and ethnicity.
* GodsHandsAreTied: She'll act in her peoples' favor, but only so far. The Mage Winds books mention gods making some kind of agreement to not interfere very much in the world, and the Mage Storms books has characters speculate that it's so free will can exist.
* TheHecateSisters: Her aspects are Maiden, Warrior, Mother, and Crone.
* IHaveManyNames: In the Oath books the Star-Eyed confirms that the Goddess Kethry worships, the Windborn Soulshaper, is another of her faces. Kal'enel refers to Companions as "children of my other self". Additionally, somewhere in the pre-Mage Wars era certain people worshipped two sets of twins - one pair of which was Kerenal the Healer and Karanel the Fighter.
* MonochromaticEyes: Her eyes look like a starry night sky, without discernible irises or pupils.
* NobleBirdOfPrey: She's associated with birds and flying. Her avatars come in the form of hawks and falcons.
* TheOmniscient: Averted, even She doesn't always know what's going to happen.
* PhysicalGod: There is no doubt that She exists and She has interfered relatively often and unmistakably in the lives of her people over the years.
* PowerAtAPrice: Her interventions aren't free. When she made the Plains livable, for example, she required an actual HumanSacrifice, which is remembered in its name (Dhorisha Shin'a, or Plains of Sacrifice). However, it's implied that she doesn't for ask anything the people would be unable or unwilling to give.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She is good to her people, but she doesn't baby them either.
* ShipperOnDeck: She really likes Tarma and Kethry being together, in... [[HeterosexualLifePartner whatever]] [[PseudoRomanticFriendship capacity]] [[BloodBrothers that is]], to the point of sending an omen to prove to the Shin'a'in that their bond is real. When Kethry has a mortal wound and Tarma cries over her and swears that even [[FightingForAHomeland her clan]] is meaningless without Kethry to share it with, the Star-Eyed is so delighted that she asks no price to heal her beyond temporary exhaustion.
* StarPower: As implied by her title, the Star-Eyed is associated with stars, and her power and avatars come in the form of stars. She is also associated with night and the moon, in contrast to Vkandis' association with the sun.

!Vkandis the Sun Lord
The God worshiped in Karse [[spoiler:and Iftel]].
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* BoltOfDivineRetribution: How he chose to start off his dramatic re-organization of the corrupt Karsite priesthood.
* IHaveManyNames: V'kandis, Vkanda, Vykaendys. He also may be the seldom-mentioned partner to Kal'enal, mentioned only as "Hunter, Guardian, Rover, Guide." Before the Mage Wars certain people worshipped two sets of twin gods, one of whom was Dara the Hunter.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: It's speculated that Vkandis gave the Karsite priests the ability to summon demons so they could protect themselves during the Cataclysm. Eventually the priests would corrupt that power.
* ThePowerOfTheSun: Associated with the sun.
* SmiteMeOMightySmiter: He's the mighty smiter in question. Unlike most cases of this trope, he actually ''does'' start smiting people. Namely, most of the upper ranks of his priesthood.

!Heralds
The official agents of the Monarch of Valdemar, serving as judges, soldiers, diplomats... and, if required, spies, saboteurs, and assassins. Heralds wear white uniforms.
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* ArtifactTitle: In-universe -- most Heralds aren't heralds; they're called that because the first three people Chosen were the king, the crown prince, and the royal herald. Since there can only be one monarch and one heir but any number of heralds, the name stuck.
* ChangelingFantasy: Not universally, but many Herald-Trainees were plucked out of old, ordinary lives, some of which were horrific, when their Companions arrived to get them. Somewhat [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the very first book written (''Arrows of the Queen'') as just before Rolan arrives and Chooses Talia, she briefly daydreams a Herald coming to choose her along with her Companion in tow.
* TheChosenMany: Most Heralds are found by their Companions when their PubertySuperpower innate Gifts start to kick in. The Collegium not only trains them to use their abilities but gives them a sense of home and fellowship which they probably wouldn't find among the [=unGifted=].
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Heraldic devotion to duty is legendary; they can torment themselves over the 'weakness' of wanting a moment or two to just relax.
* CircuitJudge: The main duty of a Herald riding circuit.
* EthicalSlut: Heralds off duty tend to be "hedonistic and anything but chaste," with casual dalliances among their fellows being the norm. Justified, since the demands of Duty are so compelling -- and the job is so dangerous -- that long-term bonds usually won't last.
* FishOutOfWater: New trainees often experience this.
* GoodFeelsGood: The call of duty aside, most Heralds do what they do because they enjoy it. The fellowship of a Companion and the Heraldic Circle are definitely a bonus.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Heralds are chosen for their moral balance as well as their innate goodness. If they feel they must, they will deal with you so brutally and decisively that even "good" people will wince.
* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Easy to identify by their Heraldic Whites, which are ''entirely'' white, boots and all. Certain characters have a RunningGag of complaining about the "shoot me now" uniform (e.g. Kerowyn) and avoiding wearing them as much as possible -- except in cases where being [[NeedleInAStackOfNeedles yet another Herald in white]] makes them ''less'' conspicuous.
* HonorBeforeReason: Sometimes, though not always portrayed as a good thing. One non-Herald character muses that Companions must know how to look for someone who can balance morality and expediency.
* HopeBringer: When a Herald and Companion show up, the situation is about to get much better or much worse.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Pretty much a requirement, it's mentioned that, theoretically anyone can be corrupted, but that most evildoers [[EvilCannotComprehendGood wouldn't be able to figure out what would corrupt a Herald]] much less provide it.
* LivingLieDetector: Via the Truth Spell. Some can merely make a lie obvious; others can ''force'' a person to tell the truth.
* MindOverManners: Heralds have a lot of codes, often self-imposed, against reading the minds or emotions of others 1) when not required by duty, 2) when there's time or means to find out some other way, or 3) without their informed consent.
* PragmaticHero: A Herald would do ''anything'' in the service of Valdemar.
* PsychicPowers: Heraldic "Gifts" are generally Mind Magic instead of true magic.
* SamaritanSyndrome: People in danger draw Heralds like a lodestone.
* SlaveToPR: They work hard to maintain the reputation of the Heraldic Circle, the training college, and the monarchy. A Herald on duty will never look anything but trustworthy, capable, and approachable... no matter how tired, angry, or scared they may be feeling.
* TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: All Heralds have at least one [[PubertySuperpower innate Gift]]. The Collegium -- and prior to that, an apprentice/mentor system -- exists to make sure trainees are comfortably in command of their abilities before they graduate, since an untrained or half-trained Gift is dangerous for everyone.
* UndyingLoyalty: A Herald is never too far from his or her Companion, especially on duty.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: The people who are Chosen are also the kind of people who feel that their Gifts carry an obligation to use them for the greater good. The more powerful the Gifts, the greater the obligation.

!Companions
Magical creatures resembling horses. They determine who will or will not be a Herald, using their powers and experience to weed out any who might become corrupt, and partner with one such person for life.
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* AchillesHeel: To Heralds. Because Companions are large, eye catching and FightsLikeANormal, they are easy targets for enemies. And their bond means that killing a Companion will at least incapacitate a Herald. Enemies of Valdemar have targeted Companions for that reason.
* TheBeautifulElite: Vanity tends to be a Companion's vice. They like to look good for the general public, and for their fellow Companions (especially if they want a dalliance). Naturally, they have sets of show tack, all in blue and silver, with bells. And don't you ''dare'' call them horses.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Everyone a Companion meets- future Herald or not, foreigner or not- instinctively feels that a creature so ethereally beautiful '''must''' be trustworthy. Which is one reason why perfect strangers are still willing to help Companions and/or follow them. The Karsite character Karal actually doesn't recognize Companions at first, because they're so different from the savage "demon-horses" described in his country's propaganda.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Why they Choose whom they Choose. Some of them, like Yfandes, tell their Heralds they knew they would die because they Chose that Herald but have no regrets.
* BondCreatures: Heralds and Companions are a single working unit. It's rare for one to outlive the other, and neither would want to.
* CallToAdventure: They deliver it.
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: And exactly where to find you. And will shanghai you from wherever you are and carry you off to the Collegium without so much as a by-your-leave. Even if you're being burned to death at the time.
* TheChooserOfTheOne: Companions are the ones to say [[TheChosenMany who is a Herald]] and who is not. Once they have Chosen a partner, no one is allowed to override their Choice; in some cases a person who would ordinarily have washed out of the Collegium is allowed to stay because their Companion supports them. Companions also ring the Death Bell for Heralds who have died, pronouncing at least one character a posthumous Herald.
* CoolHorse: They appear to be graceful, pure white horses with blue eyes. Their strength, stamina, and intelligence ''far'' exceeds any normal horse, without even going into their personalities and supernatural powers. Their silver hooves even make a musical chime when they strike the ground.
* FightsLikeANormal: Despite possessing mental or even magical powers, Companions fight with teeth and hooves like a warsteed, though the incredible coordination they have with their riders makes this ''very'' effective. They also have a tendency to trample the bodies of anyone who attacks them or their Heralds.
* GoodIsNotSoft: As noted above, they fight like horses. If a Companion wants you dead, it won't be pretty, and it might not even be quick.
* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Valdemar's citizens may be wary of the guards, the royal family, or even individual Heralds, but almost no one hates Companions.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Even more so than Heralds, though this by no means makes them infallible.
* InnocentBlueEyes: All Companions are incorruptible, and they all have blue eyes.
* InsistentTerminology: It's an insult to call them horses (except affectionately) and even worse to treat them like one.
* IntellectualAnimal: Initially, they are thought of in terms of horse-like animals who are intellectually equal to their Heralds. Later, they are considered (more accurately) guardian spirits in a horse-like body.
* IrrationalHatred: Not immune to it (or at least not in later books). In ''Exile's Honor'', a very young, very traumatized Companion convinced some of his fellows they should kill Alberich, '''solely''' because he was from Karse. Alberich's own Companion and the current Grove-born Companion quickly arrived and made it clear they would defend him with lethal force if necessary.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Will sometimes use this on Heralds.
* {{Masquerade}}: Companions have a lot of secrets (see Reincarnation below).
* MembershipToken: The badge and sign of a Herald. Pure white horses with blue eyes are extremely rare to begin with, and the ringing silver hooves of a Companion can't be duplicated, so no one can just put on white clothes, bleach a horse, and pretend to be a Herald. Nor can a Companion [[OnlyTheChosenMayRide be forced to carry someone]] against their will. The drawback is that Companions are all-but-impossible to conceal when stealth is needed.
** In one of the short stories, a con artist faked a Companion fairly successfully with a well trained, genuinely blue-eyed white horse; it took an outsider to point out to the investigating Heralds that it ''could'' be bogus, because it was too firmly in the Heralds' minds that Companions can't be counterfeited.
* MindOverManners: Similar to Heralds, Companions generally stay out of others' minds and business unless duty requires it, the situation makes it the most expedient thing to do, or they have the other's consent.
* MundaneUtility: They are their Heralds' main transportation and occasional bodyguard.
* MysticalWhiteHair: Pure white; later revealed to be because they innately channel magic to boost their endurance. They have OccultBlueEyes for the same reason.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: They keep their intelligence concealed from the public at large, even going so far as to wear saddle and bridle. This has two functions: it keeps them BeneathSuspicion -- no one expects the 'horse' to do anything once his Herald is out of commission -- and the tack is either for comfort or somehow functional (an injured Herald can pull herself to safety by grabbing her Companion's reins, for example).
* OnlyTheChosenMayRide: Generally. Companions will carry riders other than their Chosen as a special favor -- or in an emergency -- but as a rule they won't carry anyone but their own Heralds. Needless to say, no one can stay on a Companion who isn't willing to be ridden, as Prince Thanel found out the hard way.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Grove-born Companions are essentially archangels who have taken on a mortal form, while regular Companions are ordinary angels (or reincarnated spirits) in a mortal body. At least some appear to be reincarnated Heralds, which is a secret the Companions do ''not'' want to get out, and some Companions apparently go the other direction and return to life as Heralds.\\
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In the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy, when in conversation with Karal about various Sons of the Sun being re-incarnated as Firecats, (the mystical companions and advisers to particularly favored or important priests) the Companion Florian (the somewhat self-appointed Valdemaran ambassador/cultural adviser to Karal) mentions absently that 'it depends on how many times you've been around'... which implies that many, if not all, of the souls concerned recycle fairly continuously (with a brief stop in the Havens to rest and recharge a bit) between Heralds -- who don't remember their previous lives -- and Companions -- who ''do'', and that's the source of their legendary wisdom... accumulated life experience! [[spoiler: Florian dies as a HeroicSacrifice during the final Mage Storm, and Karal (who was granted a brief vision of Florian's human form) resolves to keep an eye out among the Heraldic Trainees in about twenty years or so...]]
* OmniscientMoralityLicense: Companions don't have to answer to anyone for what they do (except perhaps other Companions).
* {{Reincarnation}}: Many Companions are reborn souls, often of former Heralds.
* ReincarnationRomance: ''Profoundly'' averted, and the desire to avoid this is at least part of the reason Companions don't reveal who or what they are.
* SapientSteed: They are regarded as persons in every way. Injuring a Companion is treated the same as assaulting a Herald, and killing one is murder.
* SpiritAdvisor: They are either embodied guardian spirits or reincarnated worthy souls, with the twist that they don't ''tell'' their Heralds that, nor do they advise much unless directly asked.
* WhatBeautifulEyes: ''Blue'' eyes. Between the color itself and the way they Choose new Heralds with a HeldGaze, looking a Companion in the eye is often a magic moment.

!Healers
The doctors and surgeons of Valdemar. Some can heal quickly through magic; others use drugs and surgery. All tend to be pragmatic and thrifty. Healers wear green uniforms.
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* {{Deprogram}}: [=MindHealers=] do a benevolent version to characters who have been traumatized, usually by implanting a mental association that brings up a calming memory or thought immediately after a painful one, hopefully breaking the cycle before a dark moment can feed on itself and become an obsession.
* TheEmpath: The ability to read emotions is often tied in with Healing Gift; there's a subdiscipline called [=MindHealing=] that uses projective Empathy to deal with emotional illnesses.
* HealingHands: The Healing Gift. Not all Healers possess it, however; there is a place for Healers who use surgery and medicine, though they have to deal with the disappointment of those who expected a quick fix.
* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Valdemar's Healers, as an organization, wear a green uniform for the same reason that Heralds wear Whites, so that they can be quickly spotted and identified in an emergency.
* MundaneUtility: Defied. Healing uses personal and mental energy, so they don't Heal if the patient can be cured through other means. After all, there might be an emergency later that day.
* SamaritanSyndrome: Not to the extent of Heralds, but Healers definitely have the temptation to wear themselves to a thread helping everyone. Learning how to avoid burnout and HeroicFatigue is part of their training, and they believe a little honest selfishness is healthy.
* ShootTheMedicFirst: Yep. Dying in combat is a definite risk for field Healers, though smarter armies try to take Healers alive if possible and force them to Heal until they burn out.

!Bards
Musicians who serve Valdemar by writing, singing, and performing songs, often with an eye to influencing public opinion. Some Bards have the ability to make their hearers ''experience'' their music. Bards wear red uniforms.
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* CharmPerson: Good Bards have at least a touch of this, either from their Gift or their personal charisma.
* DiplomaticImmunity: Bardic immunity prevents anyone from punishing them for what they sing (they're sort of Valdemar's press, after all), but it has its limits.
* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Following the same trend as their Heralds and Healers, Valdemaran Bards can be identified by their bright scarlet uniforms.
* MagicMusic: The Bardic Gift is a kind of projective Empathy. In normal cases it can't actually control someone's behavior, but it can influence their minds and emotions.

!Artificers and Generalists
Persons who gained an education at the Collegium, whether earned through unusual intelligence and creativity or bought by well-heeled parents. In later books, the inventors and engineers of this group become prominent, along with the beginnings of steam-based technology. While students, this group wear blue uniforms.
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* FromNobodyToNightmare: The "Blues" are a mixed bag of talented youngsters and lesser children of aristocrats. Since they rarely have political roles waiting for them, they tend to pass BeneathNotice when trouble's afoot ''and'' [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney the bad ones generally have aristocratic families or connections]], limiting the extent to which the Heralds can punish them. In ''Arrows of the Queen'', a group of them bully Talia with no reprisal until their DeadlyPrank very nearly gets her killed. The books written after the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy are usually discernible even without looking at the publication date because of the more balanced depictions of the Blues.
* HufflepuffHouse: The students who aren't training to be Heralds, Healers, or Bards were the least explored branch of the Collegium until the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy.
* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: A few Artificers came to prominence just as magic was returning to Valdemar; their attempts to study magic energy as any other field of physics irritated Firesong no end, but it produced useful results.

!Karse
A kingdom on Valdemar's southern border. They serve the sun god Vkandis and historically crusaded against Valdemar (and other neighboring kingdoms) for what they considered heretical beliefs and practices.
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* ArchEnemy: Somewhat of an EvilCounterpart to Valdemar since Vanyel's day if not before, until the Mage Storms give them common cause.
* BanOnMagic: A ban on ''Mind'' Magic, which they consider witch powers. Anyone found in possession of what Heralds would consider Gifts is [[BurnTheWitch executed by burning]].
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The priesthood wear different colors of robe, with black being highest.
* CorruptChurch: For centuries, the Vkandis priesthood was corrupt at best, evil at worst.
* DecadentCourt: The Vkandis priesthood is filled with backstabbing and politicking with the bonus that if you failed or angered someone you shouldn't have, you likely got set on fire.
* GodIsGood: Vkandis himself is good, but his followers have done horrific things in His name.
* KillItWithFire: Due to their association with the sun, fire is considered the appropriate way to destroy 'unclean' things. This backfires on them somewhat when the Skybolts and Valdemar hand them two defeats by setting fire to a significant mobile shrine and ''a sizable chunk of their army'', respectively.
** It also backfired on them dramatically during Lavan's time, when he brought what seemed to be the hammer of the gods on the entire Karsite Army
* LightIsGood[=/=]LightIsNotGood: They worship the Sun and the sun god Vkandis, but the priesthood has not always been saintly.
* MutantDraftBoard: Any child with Mage-potential or high intelligence is drafted into the priest ranks, often involuntarily.
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Their most feared power is the ability to summon evil spirits. Solaris put an end to that practice after she came to power.

!Tayledras and Shin'a'in
Two related tribes descended from the ancient Kaled'a'in. They serve the Goddess and are notoriously insular.
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* AfterTheEnd: They have different but complementary roles in the wake of the {{Cataclysm|Backstory}}: the Shin'a'in (People of the Plains) live in and guard the massive crater around Urtho's Tower where his remaining weapons are stored; the Tayledras (Hawkbrothers) travel to the places where the aftereffects of the Mage Wars have [[DeathWorld made the land dangerous]] and clean up the corrupted magic.
* AmplifiedAnimalAptitude: Tayledras raptors and Shin'a'in horses are far beyond the norm, though not quite to the level of IntellectualAnimal.
* AnimalEyeSpy: The Tayledras can do this with their bond birds.
* BanOnMagic: The Shin'a'in force anyone with the Mage Gift to choose between exile or entering the shaman ranks. (Though most tribes have connections with ''someone'' who can take them in, so they're not forced into a strange world alone) This is because they guard the magic weapons of Urtho, and they don't want anyone around who might be tempted to use them. This restriction is lifted after the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy.
* BornInTheSaddle: The Shin'a'in. Many of them can ride before they can walk.
* {{Conlang}}: Tayledras and Shin'a'in, both derived from the older Kaled'a'in. Comparing similar terms from the three languages is occasionally an interesting exercise.
* CoolHorse: The Shin'a'in are master equestrians who spent generations creating the ideal horse. Shin'a'in horses are famous for their endurance, willingness, intelligence, and loyalty. Shin'a'in warsteeds are all of that and more... but they're not pretty.
* ExoticExtendedMarriage: Not only is there no ban on same-sex pairings (see below), polygamy is apparently unremarked upon, as with the core members of the near-exterminated Tale'sedrin clan - all of Kethry's children who go on to become members have multiple marriages.
* FantasticRacism: Notable for their InUniverse aversion where homosexuality is concerned. Among the Shin'a'in and Tayledras, same-sex attraction has apparently been accepted pretty much from the beginning. In some similar real world cultures, homosexuality has been looked down upon because the group need as many children as possible to survive and same-sex couples don't breed, but An'desha's memories in particular spell out that Shin'a'in (and presumably Tayledras) value such couples because their harsh lifestyle means orphans are inevitable, and same-sex couples are [[HappilyAdopted a good resource for raising those orphans]], whereas automatically giving them to the nearest family member can make them a burden on a family group who have enough mouths to feed already. Also, polyamory is common, as are temporary pairings made for the explicit purpose of having children.
** However, the clans often are subject to other forms of racism. When Tarma first took Kethry home to the plains to introduce her as her oath sister - the most treasured and sacred bond known to the Shin'a'in - she was met with skepticism and hostility for claiming this closeness to an outsider and it took a show of favor from the Star-Eyed to calm everyone down. This favor and Tarma and Kethry's own renown mean Kethry's children, years later, are readily accepted as Shin'a'in, but the same isn't always accorded to half-breed kids like An'desha.
* HiddenElfVillage: Tayledras Vales are hidden and guarded to deter outsiders; the Shin'a'in, while not hidden, do ''not'' welcome outsiders into the Plains.
* InHarmonyWithNature: Both. The Tayledras take it a step further, using their magic to shape and cultivate nature in the process of cleansing it of the harmful magical energies left behind by the Mage Wars.
* MagicalNativeAmerican: The base concept, though they develop into their own cultures in time. The Shin'a'in have a nomadic, horse-based lifestyle that also suggests the Bedouins.
* MeaningfulRename: Tayledras sometimes change their use-names, usually after a change of life so profound that they consider the person they formerly were to be 'dead'.
* MightyWhitey: Gracefully averted. While non-natives from Rethwellan (''Vows and Honor'') and Valdemar (''Last Herald-Mage'', ''Mage Winds'', ''Mage Storms'') sometimes get involved in Tayledras or Shin'a'in affairs, they never take over and make the story about themselves, nor are the locals fawningly grateful afterward.
* MysticalWhiteHair: All Tayledras, even the non-Mages, eventually get white hair and blue eyes because they live in close proximity to Nodes and Heartstones.
* NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom: Tayledras use-names are poetic combinations of nouns: Dawnfire, Hawkwind, Iceblade, etc. Evidently they are shorthand for a certain mood; Darkwind says that his is meant to evoke a gathering storm.
* NobleBirdOfPrey: Tayledras, as the name suggests, have an affinity for raptors, whom they have bred and adapted over time to be smarter and more sociable. Many Tayledras form a psychic partnership with one of these birds, and giving someone a feather from your bondbird is effectively a marriage proposal.
* ProverbialWisdom: A trait of the Kaled'a'in peoples, most prominently among the Shin'a'in. There are a ''lot'' of proverbs out there, and those who know them never stop with just one.
* PunctuationShaker: Apostrophes representing glottal stops are a hallmark of the Kaled'a'in language and its offshoot Shin'a'in. The Tayledras language, though also a derivative of Kaled'a'in, seems to have mostly phased out their use.
* ThatManIsDead: The significance of a change of Tayledras use-name. When 'Songwind' became 'Darkwind', he spoke about Songwind as if he were a former member of the tribe, as did everyone else.
* TreeTopTown: Tayledras vale-dwellers live in ekeles, or treehouses. They're considered lofty and luxurious, but most outsiders get nervous in the higher ones.

!The Eastern Empire
The Aurinalean Empire is an ancient and powerful nation founded in the wake of the Mage Wars. They have developed magic beyond any other political power in the world, which has also left them somewhat dependent upon it.
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* AnimalMotifs: Wolves. The Emperor wears a crown with twelve wolves on it, and as one character notes, wolves only protect offspring and territory, not the old and useless.
* {{Conscription}}: All men have to serve a turn in the Army. All men of high rank with political aspirations need to do civil service as well.
* CoolChair: The Iron Throne, made up of the personal weapons of every ruler whose territory the Empire has conquered.
* DecadentCourt: All the politicking of Valdemar at its worst, with no moral compunction on its rulers. This is the kind of place where "assassin" is a respectable former job and being unable to lie is a death sentence.
* TheEmpire: Hits all the major notes: expansionist, military, and ancient.
* {{Magitek}}: Invested in magic to a ''ridiculous'' degree, to the point where the Mage Storms nearly bring it to its knees.
* ModestRoyalty: The Emperor's personal style is stark and unadorned, but mostly because severity is more intimidating than opulence.
* NoWomansLand: On the whole. While there are strict laws in place against rape, there's no evident equality for women in the Empire. (Though it's not really different from other countries which are sexist to some degree) Notably, Hulda is the ''only'' named female character from the Empire, and even she might have been from elsewhere.
* OhMyGods: They have a weak state religion honoring the Hundred Little Gods (all the former Emperors and their consorts). There aren't exactly a hundred, but it makes a nice round number to swear by.
* PoliceState: The Emperor is in charge, but the Army is so vast and so well organized that they can and will pull a MilitaryCoup if the current head of state is not to their liking. "Pay the Army, pay it well, and pay it on time" is a maxim.
* PragmaticVillainy: In contrast to Karse and many other villains in the series, the Empire comes across as repressive and cruel but still harshly fair and pragmatic. The Empire encourages being ruthless and brutal but wanton evil is stupid and will swiftly get you killed.
* {{Unperson}}: The harshest punishment in the Empire is to be removed from all official records. Doing so not only negates that person's earthly life, it denies them any immortality.
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* FanNickname: Vkandis the Unsubtle, due to the aforementioned bolt of divine retribution.

* ShipperOnDeck: She really likes Tarma and Kethry being together, in... [[HeterosexualLifePartner whatever]] [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship capacity]] [[BloodBrothers that is]], to the point of sending an omen to prove to the Shin'a'in that their bond is real. When Kethry has a mortal wound and Tarma cries over her and swears that even [[FightingForAHomeland her clan]] is meaningless without Kethry to share it with, the Star-Eyed is so delighted that she asks no price to heal her beyond temporary exhaustion.

* EthnicGod: The parts of her who are the Star-Eyed take forms resembling Kaled'a'in and seem to be specific to that culture and ethnicity.

The Goddess of all the Kaled'a'in clans, she has four aspects, the Maiden, the Warrior, the Mother and the Crone. It's mentioned in ''The Mage Storms'' that ancient Karse had a Goddess with an almost identical name, in addition to the God Vkandis.

* ShipperOnDeck: She really likes Tarma and Kethry being together, in... [[HeterosexualLifePartner whatever]] [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship capacity]] [[BloodBrothers that is]], to the point of sending an omen to prove to the Shin'a'in that their bond is real. When Kethry has a mortal wound and Tarma cries over her and swears that even [[FightingForAHomeland her clan]] is meaningless without Kethry to share it with, the Star-Eyed is so delighted that she asks no price to heal her.

* ExoticExtendedMarriage: Not only is there no ban on same-sex pairings (see below), polygamy is apparently allowed under certain conditions, as with the core members of the near-exterminated Tale'sedrin clan.
* FantasticRacism: Notable for their InUniverse aversion where homosexuality is concerned. Among the Shin'a'in and Tayledras, same-sex attraction has apparently been accepted pretty much from the beginning. In some similar real world cultures, homosexuality has been looked down upon because the group need as many children as possible to survive and same-sex couples don't breed, but An'desha's memories in particular spell out that Shin'a'in (and presumably Tayledras) value such couples because their harsh lifestyle means orphans are inevitable, and same-sex couples are [[HappilyAdopted a good resource for raising those orphans]], whereas automatically giving them to the nearest family member can make them a burden on a family group who have enough mouths to feed already.

* PragmaticVillainy: In contrast to Karse and many other villains in the series, the Empire comes across as repressive and cruel but still harshly fair and pragmatic. The Empire encourages being ruthless and brutal but being evil for the sake of evil is stupid and will swiftly get you killed.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Valdemar's citizens may be wary of the guards, the royal family, or even individual Heralds, but almost no one hates Companions.

* NoWomansLand: On the whole. While there are strict laws in place against rape, there's no evident equality for women in the Empire. Notably, Hulda is the ''only'' named female character from the Empire, and even she might have been from elsewhere.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: All the politicking of Valdemar at its worst, with no moral compunction on its rulers. This is the kind of place where "assassin" is a respectable former job and being unable to lie is a death sentence.

The God worshiped in Karse. [[spoiler:and Iftel]].

* FromNobodyToNightmare: The unaffiliated students (the "Blues") are a mixed bag of talented youngsters and lesser children of aristocrats. Since they rarely have political roles waiting for them, they tend to pass BeneathNotice when trouble's afoot ''and'' [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney the bad ones generally have aristocratic families or connections]] and the Heralds are limited in the kinds of punishment that can be brought to bear against them. In ''Arrows of the Queen'', a group of them bully Talia with no reprisal until their DeadlyPrank very nearly gets her killed. The books written after the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy are usually discernible even without looking at the publication date because of the more balanced depictions of the Blues.

* BanOnMagic: A ban on ''Mind''Magic, which they consider witch powers. Anyone found in possession of what Heralds would consider Gifts is [[BurnTheWitch executed by burning]].

* PowerAtAPrice: Her interventions aren't free. When she made the Plains livable, for example, she required an actual HumanSacrifice, which is remembered in its name (Dhorisha Shin'a, or Plains of Sacrifice). However, it's implied that she doesn't for ask anything the people would be unable or unwilling to give.

* IrrationalHatred: Not immune to it (or at least not in later books). In ''Exile's Honor'', a very young, very traumatized Companion convinced some of his fellows to beat Alberich to death, '''solely''' because of his race. Alberich's own Companion and the current Grove-born Companion made it clear they would defend Alberich with lethal force if necessary.

* MagicalNativeAmerican: The base concept, though they develop into their own cultures in time. The Shin'a'in have a nomadic, horse-based lifestyle that also suggests the Bedouins.

* IrrationalHatred: Not immune to it (or at least not in later books). In ''Exile's Honor'', a very young, very traumatized Companion convinces some of his fellows to beat Alberich to death, '''solely''' because of his race. At which point Alberich's own Companion, and the current Grove-born Companion, arrive on the scene and make it clear they will defend Alberich with lethal force if necessary.

* MembershipToken: The counterfeit-proof badge and sign of a Herald. Pure white horses with blue eyes are extremely rare to begin with, and the ringing silver hooves of a Companion can't be duplicated, so no one can just put on white clothes, bleach a horse, and pretend to be a Herald. Nor can a Companion [[OnlyTheChosenMayRide be forced to carry someone]] against their will. The drawback is that Companions are all-but-impossible to conceal when stealth is needed.
** In one of the short stories, a con artist faked a Companion fairly successfully with a well trained, genuinely blue-eyed white horse; it took an outsider to point out to the investigating Heralds that it ''could'' be bogus, because it was too firmly in the Heralds' minds that anything that looks like a Companion must be a Companion.

* MagicalNativeAmerican: The base concept, though they develop into their own cultures in time.

* CoolChair: The Iron Throne of the Emperor.

* NoWomansLand: On the whole. While there are strict laws in place against rape, there's no evident equality for women in the Empire.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: A lot of very nasty types lurk in the Blues (in ''Arrows of the Queen'' a group of them try to murder Talia); because they rarely have political roles waiting for them the students are usually BeneathNotice when trouble's afoot, but [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney the bad ones generally have aristocratic families or connections]] and the Heralds are limited in the kinds of punishment that can be brought to bear against them. The books written after the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy are usually discernible even without looking at the publication date because of the more balanced depictions of the Blues.
* HufflepuffHouse: The "Blues" -- the students who aren't training to be Heralds, Healers, or Bards -- were the least explored branch of the Collegium until the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy.

* MembershipToken: The counterfeit-proof badge and sign of a Herald. Pure white horses with blue eyes are extremely rare to begin with, and the ringing silver hooves of a Companion can't be duplicated, so no one can just put on white clothes, bleach a horse, and pretend to be a Herald. (One of the short stories focuses on a con artist who actually did do this fairly successfully with a very well trained, genuinely blue-eyed white horse; it takes an outsider to point out to the investigating Heralds that it ''could'' be an imitation, because 'everyone knows a Companion can't be counterfeited', and revealing the con involves something only a Companion can do) Nor can a Companion [[OnlyTheChosenMayRide be forced to carry someone]] against their will. The drawback is that Companions are all-but-impossible to conceal when stealth is needed.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: A lot of very nasty types lurk in the Blues (in ''Arrows of the Queen'' a group of them try to murder Talia); because they rarely have political roles waiting for them the students are usually BeneathNotice when trouble's afoot, but [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney the bad ones generally have aristocratic families or connections]] and the Heralds are limited in the kinds of punishment that can be brought to bear against them. The books written after the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy are usually discernible even without looking at the publication date because of the more balanced depictions of the Blues.

* FantasticRacism: notable for their InUniverse aversion where homosexuality is concerned. Among the Shin'a'in and Tayledras, homosexuals have apparently been accepted pretty much from the beginning. In some similar real world cultures, homosexuality has been looked down upon because the group need as many children as possible to survive and same-sex couples don't breed, but An'desha's memories in particular spell out that Shin'a'in (and presumably Taylesdras) value same-sex couples because their harsh lifestyle means orphans are inevitable, and same-sex couples are [[HappilyAdopted a good resource for raising those orphans]], whereas automatically giving them to the nearest family member can make them a burden on a family group who have enough mouths to feed already.

* FantasticBigotry: notable for their InUniverse aversion where homosexuality is concerned. Among the Shin'a'in and Tayledras, homosexuals have apparently been accepted pretty much from the beginning. In some similar real world cultures, homosexuality has been looked down upon because the group need as many children as possible to survive and same-sex couples don't breed, but An'desha's memories in particular spell out that Shin'a'in (and presumably Taylesdras) value same-sex couples because their harsh lifestyle means orphans are inevitable, and same-sex couples are [[HappilyAdopted a good resource for raising those orphans]], whereas automatically giving them to the nearest family member can make them a burden on a family group who have enough mouths to feed already.