Character Note: Nalf Rhys Thegn

Nalf is one of those series characters who pops up in early books in minor ways—and then becomes a more major character later. I think every author has a few characters like this. Sometimes they evolve by design; other times a character simply grows on an author and gets promoted. Nalf is an example of the latter. I had so much fun writing his character that he got promoted.

Nalf first appears in The Kheld King as a relation of one of the young women presented to Stefan as a possible bride. Because Nalf’s niece, Aubrey Amundda, is put forward as worthy of becoming Stefan’s queen, readers can safely assume that Nalf is an important man. At that point in the series, Nalf is a Kheld chieftain, a position of secondary leadership in his clan. Later Nalf is shown, again in a quite minor role, as one of the Khelds who is with Stefan in Stauberg when things go bad.

Who Is This Guy?

Nalf was born at Rhodhur in Amallar as the first child of Aegdeth Almarresda, a high clan woman of the Thegnkeld who inherited valuable land holdings in that city. Aegdeth wanted no husband—but she did want children. To that end Aegdeth visited the Mother’s Sanctuary at the Hill, where she performed an act of service and worship by coupling anonymously with a male servitor ‘under the Hill.’ Khelds consider children resulting from these sacred couplings as blessed and fortunate.

Arne ducked under a branch when he moved off the path to avoid a cart. “Having a good time is the Mother’s own nature. She tells all of us, men and women both, to give of our bodies with joy and purpose. Sex under the Hill is just a sacred way to do it.”

“And the women who go there? How do they feel about it?” It was a question Hans should have asked someone else.

“Joyful. Every one of them,” Arne asserted.

--The God Spear, Book 4

 

Because children belong to their mother’s clan, those conceived ‘under the Hill’ are given the name Rhys (‘Blessed’) instead of a father’s name. Aegdeth went on to have another son, Amund, and three daughters—Binna, Hrona, and Elka. All were conceived ‘under the Hill.’ Nalf enjoyed an typical Kheld childhood filled with household chores and a solid, if unexceptional, education in reading/writing Kheldic, basic math, Kheld history, and music. Upon becoming adults Nalf’s sisters inherited their mother’s property; Nalf and Amund set out to make their own ways and fortunes as is Kheld custom.

Appearance

Nalf is of pure Kheld ancestry and looks precisely as readers should expect an adult Kheld male of middle years—late 40s—to look. He is of above average height for a Kheld, about 5’9”, and of stocky build, with a body of thick appearance but that runs more to muscle than fat. He’s active, a physical presence. Nalf’s hair is brown streaked with gray, and his hairline has receded but he’s not bald. He demonstrates his pride in being a Kheld male by wearing a notable display of facial hair: a full fine beard (which has more gray than the hair on his head) which he keeps well-groomed and a moustache. Unlike many Khelds, Nalf has all of his teeth—though a few are crooked. His skin is somewhat ruddy. He has a roundish face with blue eyes and bushy eyebrows. His hands are strong, with short fingers and trimmed nails.

Some History

Nalf’s first move upon reaching manhood was to join Amallar’s border guard where he learned how to use weapons and fight. He was quite good at fighting, but Amallar was not at war with Essera and Sordan was by then occupied; Khelds were not being used in those lands, so Nalf did not engage with enemies. Instead he worked at moving up in rank within his group. He was posted at Trulo, where he learned Esseran ways and how to speak, read, and write Stauba. Nalf’s ambitions found little traction in the border guard where he as often as not got into arguments with Staubaun merchants or townsfolk who looked down on Khelds as inferior. Before too long Nalf resigned from the border guard, figuring he could find a better position, and more influence, among his own people.

Nalf was determined and well-connected and soon established himself in Rhodhur as a keeper of the peace. He succeeded in large part because he was, foremost, a good brawler and, secondarily, he stubbornly worked to find solutions both sides of a conflict could live with. Sometimes this meant separating men from their families and sending them off to work on farms or in trades other than their mothers' or wives'. He became popular with tradesmen and laborers for being willing to take their sides in disputes against female property holders. Nalf had the standing to do so because he was favorably regarded by Rhodhur’s Old Mothers. Not only did Nalf come from a highly respected kin line, he had been conceived ‘under the Hill,’ so was smiled upon by the Mother goddess. Furthermore, Nalf was known to be willing to confront and collar difficult men.

In due time Nalf sought and gained positions of influence in Rhodhur and among the Thegnkeld. To bolster his position, Nalf courted and wed a woman of high clan and property named Meleri Cadwaldda. He and Meleri have five children—three sons and two daughters—who live with their mother on her property outside Rhodhur. Like many Kheld men and fathers, Nalf hasn’t spent a lot of time with his family. Indeed, during the events of the series he spends most of his time living in the Thegnard’s rooms in Rhodhur Hall.

Nalf served under Goff Horvadson, heading Goff’s soldiers when Goff became one of King Stefan Stauberg-Randolphs nobles and ministers, and traveling with Essera’s royal court. In this capacity Nalf saw much of Essera, including Stauberg and Dazunor-Rannuli. While serving under Goff, Nalf took part in the Battle of Rannul that ended the short rebellion of Burelan Phaeros. Nalf did not approve of King Stefan’s hiring of mercenaries for that war, believing that Stefan should have called up regular Kheld lads as soldiers, but he held his tongue and did not publicize this opinion.

After the Battle of Rannul, Nalf was recruited by Stefan to serve as an officer of the Royal Guards. Nalf accepted because he had seen how well the Guards had served as a ladder to Esseran nobility for Erenor Tholeros and others. Thus Nalf was with Stefan at Stauberg and witnessed the execution of the last Malyrdeon Princes, Rheger and Elhanan Dannutheon—but he did not deliver any blows against either Highborn Prince. Even so Nalf and all Khelds were assailed by the populace and the animated, terrifying response of the Wall Entity to those deaths. Nalf was one of two officers who headed the last regiments of Khelds to flee Stauberg.

After the events of Stauberg Nalf asked for release from the Royal Guard because he had come to doubt the Guard as a path to success. He turned his attention back to the public arena and resumed his chieftain status in Rhodhur. Thus he was not at Aral for the hunt that ended with the murder of King Stefan, Goff Horvadson, and many other Kheld leaders. With the death of Goff and so many other important Kheld men the position of Thegnard—leader of the Thegnkeld and traditionally Amallar’s leader—became vacant. Nalf canvassed his fellow chieftains and because of his experience was selected to become the new Thegnard.

Current Situation

Which brings us to Nalf becoming a more major character. This happens in The God Spear, when Nalf meets Hans Stauberg-Randolph—King Stefan’s brother and heir. Nalf is one of the first characters Hans meets when he arrives at Rhodhur Hall. So what is currently important about Nalf Rhys Thegn?

·      Nalf hates Dorilian. Maybe most of his reasons are comically misguided, but Nalf is dead certain about those reasons... which means Nalf can be, and often is, a serious obstacle to building ties with Sordan.

·      Nalf is zeroed in on Hans. Hans is Nalf’s key to putting another Kheld on Essera’s throne—and placing Nalf into the nobility (complete with lands and money for life) the way Stefan did Goff Horvadson and Cullen Brodheson. Nalf’s aggressive plans for Amallar and Hans’s kingship cause Hans to push back. Not what Nalf is hoping for.

·      Nalf’s family ties are extensive. Only Robdan Aelfricson’s kin ties have greater reach. Most important to the novels is that Aubrey Amundda is Nalf’s niece, his brother’s daughter.

·      Nalf is ambitious. He is also crafty and persistent. Nalf may come off as a blustering rustic but he’s naturally intelligent and keyed into people. If he doesn’t already know what’s going on, he’ll find out. While Nalf is going to present problems for Hans—and less so for Dorilian—he will also be useful.

Overview

I had, and still am having, a lot of fun with Nalf. His dialogue is so much fun to write I just had to give him more work. As the series moves from Amallar into the final stages in Essera, Nalf made the team for that journey. His pugnacious nature suits conflict and battle! At the end of the day Nalf is the character of whom early readers of the novels most often said, “He grew on me!”

So of course I had to commission artwork to commemorate the guy. [Illustrations by Jamie Noble.]

I hope readers will enjoy Nalf as much as I do.