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Portrait of Eréus (Talóreun)
Dates: 608-now DR
Place: City of Taldàna
Type: Known
Eréus was born in 608 DR to Kaléum
and Ara Talóreun. His father was a weaver and
his mother tended to the house, garden and pigs that sustained
them. When Eréus was very young his father was
commissioned by the priests of Taldàna to weave a ceremonially
tapestry to be lain across the feet of Amra for an upcoming
holiday. His father worked long and hard on the task,
refusing paying jobs in favor of this prestigious request.
When the tapestry was done, he took Eréus with
him to the city and presented it to the Temple where it was
thankfully received. Because it was not proper to offer
payment for work rendered as an act of faith, the priests
offered Kaléum something more. They offered to
admit his son Eréus into the temple schools, a boon
that would otherwise have never been possible for the family
to afford. Kaléum thanked the priests for the
opportunity and left his son in their care.
Though his training and studies prepared him
at an early age toward priesthood, at the young age of eleven
he was squired to Thr. Keána Indéren, a knight
of Evermith. He traveled throughout Taldàna and
Ezmir with Thr. Keána and her entrouage, answering
the call to repel Ortor and serve as justices in backwaters.
It was during this time in the city of Wyme'er that
Eréus was confronted by the prophetess Heréda.
After many questions and a spell or two, Heréda
had a long conversation with Eréus's lady. Following
this intercourse the thard sat with her squire and discussed
his future. She explained that the seer had claimed
that he was touched by Amra and that the Temple priests should
investigate the matter more closely. They resolved to
return to Taldàna and seek the Temple's counsel.
On the return trip to Taldàna the entourage
was beset by bandits. Thr. Keána dealt fearsomely
with many of the bandits but three of her entourage were slain.
The remaining two servants, the unconscious thard and
Eréus were captured and taken deep into the woods where
the knight was dealt with in unvirtuous ways. That night,
while the bandits sat drinking and smoking and remarking on
their good fortune and the ransom the Temple might pay for
one of its knights, Eréus dreamt of a lady bathed in
golden light. The lady said to him, "You must awaken
and rise now. You will know no pain for my love will
shield you. Your captors are heavy with sleep and drink.
There is no love in their dark hearts; as there is no
love in mine for them and their deeds. The Golden Lady
will look away. Strike at these demons and when she
turns again, you be filled with her undying love." When
Eréus awoke his lady's sword and shield lie near him.
He offered a silent prayer of forgiveness and then tore
through the bandit's camp with uncommon fury. Those
few bandits that found their way to their feet were cut back
down mercilessly by the young swordsmen, until only those
who offered surrender remained. These he bound to a
wagon that they might walk behind. He freed his lady
and lay her in the wagon's bed, for she could not be wakened
from her state. In this way, Eréus returned to
Taldàna where he was met by priests who had been "told"
of his coming.
In the weeks to come, Thr. Keána recovered
from her state and told the priests the words of Heréda.
The priests held rituals and many were awed by the secrets
revealed. Finally, Thr. Keána came to his chambers
and asked that he follow her to the citadel. There he
was presented to the High Priestess. She spoke briefly
with him and listened carefully to his recount of the visitation
in the forest. Following this she nodded and told him
to return on the next afternoon. Fine clothes were brought
to him on the following day before he traveled again to the
citadel. When he arrived at the Temple he found a grand
ceremony awaited him. Surrounded by all the priests
of Taldàna and many from the surrounding towns and
cities, Eréus was asked to approach the altar. At
the altar the High Priestess led the congregation in three
prayers. Following this she came forward and kissed
Eréus (the Love of the Goddess) and then, sadly, presented
him with a silver sword. Upon taking this sword one
more prayer was offered and then all turned their backs on
him. In this way, he left the temple a Thardor.
For many years Eréus served his country
well. He trained long and hard and prayed for the goddess
to give him further direction. That direction never
came. When his parents had died, he returned to their
small house north of Taldàna and took care of their
garden and their animals. It seemed strange to some
that Amra would chose a Thardor when there was no need for
one, but Eréus has remained faithful that she would
not place this burden on him without care. He knew that
one day she would call upon him and all his suffering would
make sense at that time.
In the year 653 DR, two women came to the house
of his parents with a call from the High Priestess. They
did not understand their request, but when he left his home
behind he knew that Amra had need of him and that he would
never see the house of Kaléum and Ara again. He knew
this and it was good, for he felt this was the time he had
been waiting for all his life. So it was with terrible
sorrow that he accepted the amulet from High Priestess Elésea
the Eleventh and took part in the ritual that closed off his
spirit from the Golden Lady. For the first time since
he was a youth, his world grew eeriely quiet and his prayers
would go no further than the closest ears.
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