Lord Talfryn Blackoak's page

Lord Blackoak is a bear of a man, unkempt and barrel chested, his fine clothing often faded by chalk dust, his sleeves hemmed with dried ink, his beard snarled, his glasses doing little to hide the shrewd and penetrating glare of his gaze. Hunched over, his head hangs low, giving one the impression of his bending over a desk even when he's walking, his staff tapping out a rhythm on the city's cobbles, his large hands always tapping his pockets and pouches as if checking whether he forgot something.

Yet it's his face that draws the eye; striking, patrician, powerful, his demeanor and expression is that of one a man who tolerates no nonsense, who has eschewed the fine things in life so as to dedicate himself to his art, and as such as no time or patience for those who are more frivolous than he. He has perfected his glare, is customarily seen with a glower, and is known as a curmudgeon to all but his best friends.

Ah, the delectable aroma of a freshly turned page, the heft of an old tome in the palm of your hand, the texture of a thousand bindings, from leather to parchment to the truly bizarre. Books. Each containing its own universe, each a love note from an author who thought it worth his life to sit and pen these words, who hoped that another would crack open their creation and commune with their mind.

Since he was young Lord Talfryn Blackoak adored reading, hiding away in his father's library, disappearing around the family estate with a book and sandwich. He showed no interest in fencing, horse back riding, hunting, mastering etiquette and heraldry, could barely sit still during feasts and didn't seem aware of girls even when they openly flirted with him. His father despaired, but his mother, being more tolerant and compassionate, quietly encouraged his studies.

It helped that he was the youngest of four brothers. He was allowed to hide from the world, and when he turned eighteen he petitioned his father to apply for a spot in the Acadamae. To Talfryn's chagrin, a political feud of his father's precluded his being admitted, so that he had to settle for the less glamorous Anomanexus College. But ah! The delights! The mentors, his peers, the untrammeled hours of study!

Talfryn has always regarded those few years as the finest of his life.

When he was entering his third year his father was murdered. Only a month later his eldest two brothers were killed seeking revenge, and his third brother was poisoned but a month after that.

Talfryn was pulled from his College. His mother, bereft, commanded that he assume his duties as Lord Blackoak immediately. Talfryn ranged from bewildered to distraught, and sought only to survive the next few months by traveling at his mother's command. They undertook a three year tour of the civilized nations, and Talfryn's attempts to study were constantly interrupted by lack of books, lack of mentors, lack of time.

His mother turned to drink to assauge her pain, and died in Taldane one miserable night, leaping to her death from their apartment. Talfryn had her body preserved and returned to their ancestral home. It was dark, all the servants dismissed, and for a few days he considered hiring back a complete staff. He never did. He found instead that the gloom and dust were to his liking. The spiders and shadows. Polite society, so curious and excited about his return, was quickly disappointed. He attended no balls. Held no dinners. Visited no operas or performances. Soon the whispers died due to lack of fodder, and he was forgotten.

Instead, Talfryn undertook his studies in private, hiring tutors and entering into correspondence with sages and wizards. The decades passed. He grew slowly in his magical might, finding it difficult to focus, for all thoughts of spellcraft brought only the worst memories of his family's death to his mind. Instead he developed a passion for all studies, becoming a polymath and autodidact, delving into a wide variety of subjects and building a formidable library that became a destination in its own right to those whom he was willing to admit.

Korvosa has all but forgotten Lord Talfryn Blackoak when the adventure begins. Yet his few friends have kept him abreast of recent political developments, and when a close friend, a sage by the name of Quinias falls ill to a mysterious disease, Talfryn undertakes it upon himself to search out a priest who may heal his friend.