Kyrie Talganian (A to Z Challenge)

Kyrie Talganian is R’il’noid and non-aging, but she is not a High R’il’noid and thus not a member of either Council. She is a blue-eyed blond who loves food but has a constant weight problem. Although she is a borderline esper (she finds teleporting difficult, for instance) she has superb truth-sense which she uses in her role as a Confederation adjudicator. In Homecoming she is serving a brief term on Central, the Confederation administrative planet; by the time of Tourist Trap she has been reassigned to Falaron. She is a long-time friend of Elyra’s, and is happy to invite Derik and Elyra to Falaron for a brief vacation. (Falaron is within teleport range for Derik.) She is speaking from near the end of Tourist Trap, shortly after Derik and Elyra have arrived.

Oh, it’s a beautiful planet, and I enjoy being here. And the food! Derik, I might have overreached in having you pay for half of what I sent the youngsters from Gralen’s, but we all have to dine there while you’re here. I wish I could eat as much, and have it show as little, as you do.

I do feel a little overworked at times, being the only Confederation adjudicator on planet. Three or four cases a day! But it’s a fascinating place – you should see the mammoths and saber-tooths! Roi’s loving it, or at least he was the last time he contacted me. I didn’t really believe it when you said he was quite artistic, but he’s been drawing everything. I’ve seen some of his sketches through his eyes, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them myself.

I’m doing my A to Z blogs from my books, both characters and background information. For characters I’ll introduce them quickly, say what point of time they’re talking from since their situations change drastically through the books, and let them talk. Background information will vary according to what I’m talking about. All of these blogs will be scheduled to go live just after midnight Alaska time.

Derik Tarlian (A to Z Challenge)

Derik is a major character in both Homecoming and Tourist Trap, and will continue to be important in the upcoming trilogy. He is Lai’s half brother. He is High R’il’noid, second only to Zhaim among the R’il’noids, and one of Lai’s closest friends. Like many R’il’noids, he will never age beyond maturity, and by the beginning of Homecoming is roughly fifteen centuries old.

Physically, he is athletic (horseback obstacle racing, sailing, hang gliding) medium sized with a rather light build, and monotone in color – his hair, eyes, and skin are all the same medium golden brown color, except for the metallic gold veining in his eyes. He is more than half R’il’nian (the metallic eye veining is a R’il’nian trait) being the son of the purebred R’il’nian, Tarl, and a mother who is a complex crossbred.

Psychologically, he is one of those characters who invented himself. He is bisexual in that his partners are important to him more because of what is inside them than because of external qualities like sex. He is by nature monogamous, but he is effectively immortal in a world where women with his life span are rare and want children, and he is nearly sterile. As a young R’il’noid he had little sense of responsibility, and still suffers from the reputation that earned him. However, by the time his younger half-brother Lai was born he was considered responsible and expert enough that Tarl entrusted much of Lai’s basic esper training to Derik, and he is still the one who trains most of the young R’il’noids in the use of these abilities. He is also the Confederation’s premier expert in xenotelepathy.

Here he is speaking from roughly a third of the way through Homecoming. This is some of what he does not reveal to Roi in the book.

“Of course I understand the difference between love and lust,” I growled at Bera. “And I loved Edward.”

“Did you? Did you truly do what was best for him, or did you please yourself?”

I looked at the bier where what was left of Edward lay, fighting to control tears. Why was Bera talking of this now?

“Perhaps you are not old enough yet to understand,” she said. “Perhaps for now you need to bury this memory. But keep it. Here,” and she plucked a flower from the hedge beside us, a small scarlet flower of the kind called lovers’ lips. “Remember this, and its scent, when you are ready to bring this day back.”

Last night, after I was forced to go into Roi’s mind to understand why he had that poltergeist reaction, I revisited that memory, and this time I understood. Love cannot be bought. Edward was my slave, and while I thought I was doing the best for him, I never really allowed him to be his own person. I’d intended the same with Roi, but in seeing the horrors he had been through I understood all too well that his apparent compliance had been based on fear that I would sell him.

Had the same been true of Edward?

I’m doing my A to Z blogs from my books, both characters and background information. For characters I’ll introduce them quickly, say what point of time they’re talking from since their situations change drastically through the books, and let them talk. Background information will vary according to what I’m talking about. All of these blogs will be scheduled to go live just after midnight Alaska time.