Aldar

Aldar Rehn is a level eight ice mage from Aemrith and the head of the Xalmyrran Council. Known as the Bastion of the Frostlands and Guardian of Xalmyrra, he directs the council's work from the Imperial Institute in Irrathis. His mages protect settlements from darkness corruption and investigate the means to stop it.

Appearance

Aldar has silver hair, a silver beard, and a muscular build beneath his robes. He habitually strokes his beard while thinking or speaking.

Personality and leadership

Aldar considers the council's purpose to be fighting darkness and resists drawing it into conflicts between Xalmyrra's nations. He assigns research and expeditions, summons council members with a burst of frost above the institute, and directs their response to threats across the region. He keeps a private record of Xalmyrra's strongest mages, assessing their actual capabilities rather than their public rankings.

Magic

Aldar is an ice mage. He forms thick ice walls, rapidly lowers the temperature across a battlefield, and uses ice beneath his feet to move. His spreading frost can hinder precise temporal control.

History

Aldar entered the Irrathis tournament hoping to earn level nine. Deylin defeated him by blinking attacks through his ice defenses.

Council leadership

After the Cataclysm, Aldar recovered memories of two different lives and recognized that the disaster had merged two cycles. He sent council mages to aid villages and smaller towns while Irrathis's surviving mages worked to rebuild the city. He opposed Xarion's decision to march on Soltheris, arguing that the whole region was already suffering. Although he wanted Aurion restrained, he feared that Xarion would take control of Soltheris even if the king surrendered.

Aldar arranged for Silas to bring Eira to Aurion unseen, hoping she could persuade him to avoid the war. He used Silas's abilities despite not fully trusting him. Xarion demanded control of Soltheris, Aurion refused, and their armies prepared to fight. Eira released darkness that killed most of both armies. Aldar held Xarion and Aurion responsible for bringing the conflict to that point and recognized that Eira had restored the devastated land by returning essence to it.

At a later meeting in Zeydrith, Aldar secured a formal alliance between Teryndal, Soltheris, Erenmyr, and Keldara. He proposed a unified expedition into the Land of Darkness and chose Brynor to lead an elite group, seeking the speed and strength of Xalmyrra's best mages rather than a large army.

Eira

Aldar found Eira as an infant outside the Imperial Institute twenty seven years earlier, near the start of his council service. A letter tucked against her named her and asked that she be cared for. He watched her upbringing in an orphanage and arranged for people such as Lirien to guide her. He continued overseeing her work as a scholar, sending her to recover texts and artifacts connected to Arcanis.

In the previous Xalmyrran cycle, Eira's recovered texts, visions, and spiral mark persuaded Aldar to send her into the Temple of no Return with Kaelion and Lirien. He initially withheld the council's conclusion that she was Arcanis's legacy, despite objections from Lyssara that she deserved an explanation. In the current Xalmyrran cycle, he sent a different Eira to investigate Lythenmere Lake, while Kaelion and Lirien went to the temple. Lirien did not return from the temple.

The Cataclysm gave Aldar different memories of Eira's upbringing, including one in which she was brighter and he had intervened more closely. He later suspected that Deylin and Ilyra were her parents and that Deylin had arranged for her to obtain the shard. He did not know who had originally left her at the institute or the full purpose behind the arrangement.

Aldar Rehn is a level eight ice mage from Aemrith and the head of the Xalmyrran Council. Known as the Bastion of the Frostlands and Guardian of Xalmyrra, he coordinates mages against darkness corruption from the Imperial Institute in Irrathis. He works closely with the leaders of Xalmyrra's nations to maintain their alliance.

Appearance

Aldar has silver hair, a silver beard, and a muscular build beneath his robes. He habitually strokes his beard while thinking or speaking.

Personality and leadership

Aldar directs research, assigns expeditions, and sends mages to defend settlements. He keeps a private record of the strongest mages, assessing their actual capabilities rather than relying on public rankings. He considers the council's purpose to be fighting darkness rather than waging wars between nations. His efforts to preserve unity nevertheless include political killings. He used Silas to eliminate a Keldaran general who opposed military support for Soltheris and an electoral opponent whose death helped Xarion become high arbiter. Soltheris's commander Daryas works for Aldar, while Keldara's supreme commander Feryon reports to him.

Magic

Aldar's principal strength is ice magic. He creates thick defensive walls, spreads cold across a battlefield, and shapes ice beneath his feet to move over water. His spreading frost can hinder precise temporal control. He also uses water magic to propel boats.

History

Aldar entered the Irrathis tournament hoping to earn level nine. Deylin defeated him by blinking attacks through his ice defenses.

Council leadership

After the Cataclysm, Aldar recovered two sets of memories and recognized that the disaster had merged two cycles. He directed relief to damaged settlements and opposed Xarion's proposed attack on Soltheris. He had Silas bring Eira to Aurion in an attempt to settle the conflict. Xarion demanded control of Soltheris, Aurion refused, and their armies prepared to fight. Eira released darkness that killed most of both armies. Aldar blamed the two leaders for pushing the conflict to that point.

At the subsequent meeting in Zeydrith, Aldar secured a formal alliance between Teryndal, Soltheris, Erenmyr, and Keldara. He chose Brynor to lead an elite expedition into the Land of Darkness, searching for its source and for the missing Lirien. Silas followed unseen, while Renneth separately investigated Eira's disappearance and the whereabouts of her companions.

Silas had offered his services directly to Aldar, who accepted his unusual abilities without fully trusting him. Rhalyn later told Aldar that Silas's true form resembled the captured Krexyn. Silas had also suggested the tournament that gathered Xalmyrra's strongest mages, influencing Aldar's plans while serving Zal'therak. Aldar recognized that he had been following Silas's guidance while believing he was directing him.

Aldar had kept a chamber beneath the council hall sealed without knowing what lay inside it. After the gate was discovered there, he opened it to investigation by Thalvian. Once the gate could be activated, he considered it a possible escape route if Xalmyrra fell to the darkness. He refused to send mages through while the renewed attacks required their presence, approving Thalvian's proposal to test it with an enchanted device and cable instead.

When Maelis returned with fatal corruption and news of the darkness engulfing villages near Velundra, Aldar mobilized the council and sent reinforcements. He remained with her after Ilyra's healing failed, while the other mages departed to protect the threatened settlements.

Eira and Cassian

Aldar found Eira outside the Imperial Institute as an infant, with a letter naming her and asking that she be cared for. He watched her upbringing in an orphanage, ensured that Lirien guided her, and later directed her work as a scholar. In the previous Xalmyrran cycle, her recovered texts persuaded Aldar to send her into the Temple of no Return with Lirien and Kaelion. He initially withheld the council's conclusion that she was Arcanis's legacy, despite objections that she deserved an explanation. In the current Xalmyrran cycle, he sent a woman posing as Eira to investigate Lythenmere Lake, while Kaelion and Lirien went to the temple. Lirien did not return from the temple.

The Cataclysm gave Aldar differing memories of Eira's upbringing. He suspected that Ilyra and Deylin were her parents and that her acquisition of the spiral shard had been arranged. Ilyra's return confirmed her history with Deylin and their belief that Eira would break the cycles. Aldar continued searching for Eira after she disappeared and maintained his confidence in her abilities.

Aldar is an old adventuring friend of Dorian and Rowenna Ironvale. During a holiday from council work, he sailed west from Aemrith with the couple and the young Renneth. They found an infant aboard a drifting boat. Dorian and Rowenna adopted the child as Cassian. Aldar later encouraged them to send Cassian into the world to develop his magic and become Xarion's companion. He wanted the two men to lead Teryndal together, with Cassian restraining Xarion's ambition.

Aldar initially considered Cassian's arrival from the western sea evidence that he came from beyond Xalmyrra. After comparing the Ironvales' memories, he realized that they had found Cassian in both cycles. He concluded that someone had arranged the discovery twice. The identity and purpose of that person remained unknown to him.

Relationships

• Maelis: Maelis was an old friend who had taught Aldar in his youth. As she lay dying, he confessed that he had used Silas to eliminate political threats, that Daryas served him, and that Feryon reported to him. She accepted that he had acted to unite Xalmyrra. He stayed beside her until her body dissolved into essence.
• Cassian and Xarion: Aldar remains close to Dorian and Rowenna, with whom he once explored the world. His guidance of their adopted son was also an effort to shape Xarion's leadership. He values Xarion's intelligence and potential while resisting his ambitions when they threaten Xalmyrra's peace.
• Brynor: Brynor is among the mages he trusts with the council's most demanding expeditions.

Aldar Rehn is the head of the Xalmyrran Council and the wielder of the spiral shard formerly carried by Eira. An ice mage from Aemrith, he was already level eight before the shard bonded to him. He is known as the Bastion of the Frostlands and Guardian of Xalmyrra. He directs the council's work from the Imperial Institute in Irrathis and remains in Xalmyrra to organize its rebuilding after the cycles ended.

Appearance

Aldar has a muscular build and habitually strokes his beard while thinking or speaking. His beard is silver, while orange streaks have appeared in his formerly silver hair as he practiced fire magic.

Personality and leadership

Aldar coordinates mages against darkness corruption, assigns research and expeditions, and maintains a private record of their actual capabilities rather than relying on public rankings. He considers the council's purpose to be fighting darkness and resists diverting its strength into wars between nations. He nevertheless used Silas to kill a Keldaran general who opposed military support for Soltheris and an electoral opponent whose death helped Xarion become high arbiter. As Aurion's commander, Daryas worked for Aldar, while Keldara's supreme commander Feryon reported to him.

Magic

Aldar's original strength is ice magic. He forms thick walls that withstand heavy attacks, rapidly lowers the temperature across a battlefield, and shapes ice beneath his feet to move over water. His spreading frost can hinder precise temporal control.

He also uses water magic, including currents to propel a boat, and combines fire and compressed air in combat.

History

Aldar entered the Irrathis tournament hoping to earn level nine. Deylin defeated him by blinking attacks through his ice defenses.

Council leadership

In the previous Xalmyrran cycle, Eira's recovered texts persuaded Aldar to send her into the Temple of no Return with Kaelion and Lirien. In the final Xalmyrran cycle, Hrzai was posing as Eira when Aldar sent her to investigate Lythenmere Lake, while Kaelion and Lirien went to the temple. Lirien did not return from the temple.

After the Cataclysm, Aldar recovered two sets of memories and recognized that the disaster had merged two cycles. He directed relief to damaged settlements and opposed Xarion's proposed attack on Soltheris. He arranged for Silas to bring Eira to Aurion to attempt a settlement. Xarion demanded control of Soltheris, Aurion refused, and their armies prepared to fight. Eira released darkness that killed most of both armies, and Aldar blamed the two leaders for bringing Xalmyrra to that point.

Aldar subsequently secured a formal alliance between Teryndal, Soltheris, Erenmyr, and Keldara, with Brynor leading an elite expedition into the Land of Darkness. The expedition sought its source and the missing Lirien, while Renneth separately investigated Eira's disappearance. Aldar later learned that Silas had been influencing his plans, including the tournament intended to gather Xalmyrra's strongest mages.

As the darkness advanced, Aldar opened the council's hidden gate to investigation by Thalvian, hoping it could provide an escape if Xalmyrra fell. He supported Zayren's attempts to cross the void with a tether. Zayren connected the tether to another gate from within the void and returned without learning its destination. Aldar recognized him as a level nine aether mage.

The spiral shard

Aldar began learning fire magic from Renneth before acquiring the shard. He also studied air magic and worked on a revised system of mage levels. To test Kaelion under that system, he challenged him in the Irrathis colosseum, using ice, fire, air, and water magic. Kaelion defeated him, though their restricted supply of essence left both men close to exhaustion.

When Eira returned through the Irrathis gate, she handed Aldar the severed hand containing her shard. It responded to him and bonded to his palm, releasing waves of purple light and force that required the surrounding mages to shield the city. Eira could no longer reclaim its power.

After Thalena broke the cycles, Aldar recognized her as Arcanis, the author of the texts that had directed his expeditions. He sought further instruction in air and fire magic, and she offered to introduce him to teachers in Thalassai. He chose to remain in Xalmyrra until its reconstruction was underway. He also began experiencing unfamiliar images of fighting Jorhan, without knowing whether they belonged to his past or future.

Aldar organized rebuilding work, including Dravemir, and sent Aurion and Lirien south on a council mission. He sent Renneth and Maric north to explore beyond the region formerly enclosed by storms. With Brynor still absent, he intended to use the shard to investigate what had happened to him.

Relationships

• Eira and Lirien: Aldar found Eira outside the Imperial Institute as an infant, with a letter naming her and asking that she be cared for. He watched her upbringing in an orphanage and ensured that people such as Lirien guided her. As a scholar, Eira recovered the texts on which his temple expedition depended. He pushed her hard and withheld the council's conclusion that she was Arcanis's legacy.
• Cassian and Xarion: Aldar is an old adventuring friend of Dorian and Rowenna Ironvale. In the earlier of the two cycles whose memories merged, he found the infant Cassian aboard a boat west of Aemrith during a holiday from council work. Thalena had sent the child toward him, while Orin arranged the quest that brought the Ironvales there. In the other cycle, Deylin and the adult Cassian placed the infant into Aldar's hands. Dorian and Rowenna raised him in both. Aldar encouraged the couple to send Cassian into the world to develop his magic and become Xarion's companion. He wanted the two men to lead Teryndal together, with Cassian restraining Xarion's ambition. He values Xarion's intelligence while opposing his decisions when they threaten the peace of Xalmyrra.
• Maelis: Maelis was an old friend who taught Aldar in his youth. When corruption left her beyond Ilyra's ability to heal, he stayed with her and confessed his use of Silas to eliminate political threats. She accepted that he had acted for Xalmyrra's unity and died in his company.

Aldar Rehn is the head of the Xalmyrran Council and the wielder of the spiral shard formerly carried by Eira. An ice mage from Aemrith, he was already level eight before the shard bonded to him. Known as the Bastion of the Frostlands and Guardian of Xalmyrra, he organizes mages from the Imperial Institute in Irrathis and personally clears darkness corruption from inhabited regions.

Appearance

Aldar has a muscular build and habitually strokes his beard while thinking or speaking. His beard is silver, while orange streaks have appeared in his formerly silver hair as he practiced fire magic.

Personality and leadership

Aldar coordinates mages against darkness, assigns research and expeditions, and maintains a private record of their actual capabilities rather than relying on public rankings. He considers the council's purpose to be fighting darkness and resists diverting its strength into wars between nations. He nevertheless used Silas to kill a Keldaran general who opposed military support for Soltheris and an electoral opponent whose death helped Xarion become high arbiter. As Aurion's commander, Daryas worked for Aldar, while Keldara's supreme commander Feryon reported to him.

Magic

Aldar's original strength is ice magic. He forms thick walls that withstand heavy attacks, rapidly lowers the temperature across a battlefield, and shapes ice beneath his feet to move over water. His spreading frost can hinder precise temporal control.

He also uses water magic, including currents to propel a boat, and combines fire and compressed air in combat. With air magic, he flies between settlements to carry out his work against corruption.

History

Aldar entered the Irrathis tournament hoping to earn level nine. Deylin defeated him by blinking attacks through his ice defenses.

Council leadership

In the previous Xalmyrran cycle, Eira's recovered texts persuaded Aldar to send her into the Temple of no Return with Kaelion and Lirien. In the final Xalmyrran cycle, Hrzai was posing as Eira when Aldar sent her to investigate Lythenmere Lake, while Kaelion and Lirien went to the temple. Lirien did not return from the temple.

After the Cataclysm, Aldar recovered two sets of memories and recognized that the disaster had merged two cycles. He directed relief to damaged settlements and opposed Xarion's proposed attack on Soltheris. He arranged for Silas to bring Eira to Aurion to attempt a settlement. Xarion demanded control of Soltheris, Aurion refused, and their armies prepared to fight. Eira released darkness that killed most of both armies, and Aldar blamed the two leaders for bringing Xalmyrra to that point.

Aldar secured a formal alliance between Teryndal, Soltheris, Erenmyr, and Keldara, with Brynor leading an elite expedition into the Land of Darkness. The expedition sought its source and the missing Lirien, while Renneth separately investigated Eira's disappearance. Aldar later learned that Silas had influenced his plans, including the tournament intended to gather Xalmyrra's strongest mages.

As the darkness advanced, Aldar opened the council's hidden gate to investigation by Thalvian, hoping it could provide an escape if Xalmyrra fell. He supported Zayren's attempts to cross the void with a tether. Zayren connected the tether to another gate from within the void and returned without learning its destination. Aldar recognized him as a level nine aether mage.

The spiral shard

Aldar began learning fire magic from Renneth before acquiring the shard. He also studied air magic and worked on a revised system of mage levels. To test Kaelion under that system, he challenged him in the Irrathis colosseum, using ice, fire, air, and water magic. Kaelion defeated him, though their restricted supply of essence left both men close to exhaustion.

When Eira returned through the Irrathis gate, she handed Aldar the severed hand containing her shard. It responded to him and bonded to his palm, releasing waves of purple light and force that required the surrounding mages to shield the city. Eira could no longer reclaim its power.

After Thalena broke the cycles, Aldar recognized her as Arcanis, the author of the texts that had directed his expeditions. He sought further instruction in air and fire magic, and she offered to introduce him to teachers in Thalassai. He remained in Xalmyrra to organize rebuilding work, including Dravemir. He also began experiencing unfamiliar images of fighting Jorhan, without knowing whether they belonged to his past or future.

Aldar sent Aurion and Lirien south on a council mission, preparing them for the possibility of a long absence. Renneth and Maric went north to explore beyond the region formerly enclosed by storms; Aldar instructed them to return within a year. Rhyzmar, who had recently begun helping the council, disappeared into a time rift while walking with Aldar in Irrathis.

Restoring corrupted settlements

With Jorhan no longer containing Xalmyrra's darkness, inhabited areas became vulnerable to renewed corruption. Aldar learned to control the corruption through his shard and worked in Brondoris, where much of the city had become uninhabitable. He demonstrated his control by raising a dark substance above his palm when Thalena visited.

Thalena informed him of another large patch near Velundra, and Aldar flew south to deal with it.

Relationships

• Eira and Lirien: Aldar found Eira outside the Imperial Institute as an infant, with a letter naming her and asking that she be cared for. He watched her upbringing in an orphanage and ensured that people such as Lirien guided her. As a scholar, Eira recovered the texts on which his temple expedition depended. He pushed her hard and withheld the council's conclusion that she was Arcanis's legacy. Eira regards him as the closest person she had to a father, with Lirien having acted as her mother.
• Cassian and Xarion: Aldar is an old adventuring friend of Dorian and Rowenna Ironvale. In the earlier of the two cycles whose memories merged, he found the infant Cassian aboard a boat west of Aemrith during a holiday from council work. Thalena had sent the child toward him, while Orin arranged the quest that brought the Ironvales there. In the other cycle, Deylin and the adult Cassian placed the infant into Aldar's hands. Dorian and Rowenna raised him in both. Aldar encouraged the couple to send Cassian into the world to develop his magic and become Xarion's companion. He wanted the two men to lead Teryndal together, with Cassian restraining Xarion's ambition. He values Xarion's intelligence while opposing his decisions when they threaten the peace of Xalmyrra.
• Maelis: Maelis was an old friend who taught Aldar in his youth. When corruption left her beyond Ilyra's ability to heal, he stayed with her and confessed his use of Silas to eliminate political threats. She accepted that he had acted for Xalmyrra's unity and died in his company.

Aldar Rehn is an ice mage from Aemrith, the wielder of Eira's former spiral shard, and the former head of the Xalmyrran Council. Known as the Bastion of the Frostlands and Guardian of Xalmyrra, he was already level eight before receiving the shard. He relinquished the council headship to Brynor to devote himself to fighting darkness and protecting Valrindor.

Appearance

Aldar has a muscular build and habitually strokes his beard while thinking or speaking. His beard is silver, while orange streaks have appeared in his formerly silver hair as he practiced fire magic. He wears council robes threaded with silver.

Personality and leadership

From the Imperial Institute in Irrathis, Aldar coordinated mages against darkness corruption, assigned research and expeditions, and maintained a private record of their actual capabilities. He considered the council's purpose to be fighting darkness and resisted diverting its strength into wars between nations. He nevertheless used Silas to kill a Keldaran general who opposed military support for Soltheris and an electoral opponent whose death helped Xarion become high arbiter. As Aurion's commander, Daryas worked for Aldar, while Keldara's supreme commander Feryon reported to him.

Magic

Aldar's original strength is ice magic. He forms thick walls that withstand heavy attacks, rapidly lowers the temperature across a battlefield, and shapes ice beneath his feet to move over water. His spreading frost can hinder precise temporal control.

He also uses water magic, including currents to propel a boat, and developed fire and air magic before receiving the shard. He uses air magic to fly between settlements and combines compressed air with fire in combat. The shard strengthens his fire magic. He has not fully mastered its healing magic.

History

Aldar entered the Irrathis tournament hoping to earn level nine. Deylin defeated him by blinking attacks through his ice defenses.

Council leadership

In the previous Xalmyrran cycle, Eira's recovered texts persuaded Aldar to send her into the Temple of no Return with Kaelion and Lirien. In the final Xalmyrran cycle, Hrzai was posing as Eira when Aldar sent her to investigate Lythenmere Lake, while Kaelion and Lirien went to the temple. Lirien did not return from the temple.

After the Cataclysm, Aldar recovered two sets of memories and recognized that the disaster had merged two cycles. He directed relief to damaged settlements and opposed Xarion's proposed attack on Soltheris. He arranged for Silas to bring Eira to Aurion to attempt a settlement. Xarion demanded control of Soltheris, Aurion refused, and their armies prepared to fight. Eira released darkness that killed most of both armies, and Aldar blamed the two leaders for bringing Xalmyrra to that point.

Aldar secured a formal alliance between Teryndal, Soltheris, Erenmyr, and Keldara, with Brynor leading an elite expedition into the Land of Darkness. The expedition sought its source and the missing Lirien, while Renneth separately investigated Eira's disappearance. Aldar later learned that Silas had influenced his plans, including the tournament intended to gather Xalmyrra's strongest mages.

As the darkness advanced, Aldar opened the council's hidden gate to investigation by Thalvian, hoping it could provide an escape if Xalmyrra fell. He supported Zayren's attempts to cross the void with a tether. Zayren connected the tether to another gate from within the void and returned without learning its destination. Aldar recognized him as a level nine aether mage.

The spiral shard

Aldar began learning fire magic from Renneth before acquiring the shard. He also studied air magic and worked on a revised system of mage levels. To test Kaelion under that system, he challenged him in the Irrathis colosseum, using ice, fire, air, and water magic. Kaelion defeated him, though their restricted supply of essence left both men close to exhaustion.

When Eira returned through the Irrathis gate, she handed Aldar the severed hand containing her shard. It responded to him and bonded to his palm, releasing waves of purple light and force that required the surrounding mages to shield the city. Eira could no longer reclaim its power.

After Thalena broke the cycles, Aldar recognized her as Arcanis and remained in Xalmyrra to organize rebuilding, including Dravemir. He sought further instruction in fire and air magic, and Thalena offered to introduce him to teachers in Thalassai. He also experienced unfamiliar images of fighting Jorhan, without knowing whether they belonged to his past or future.

Aldar sent Aurion and Lirien south on a council mission and Renneth and Maric north to explore. With Jorhan no longer containing Xalmyrra's darkness, Aldar used the shard to control the corruption and began clearing inhabited areas. He worked in Brondoris, where much of the city had become uninhabitable, and flew south to Velundra after Thalena warned him of another large patch.

Protector of Valrindor

When Brynor returned, Aldar proposed that he become council head. He prepared the transfer of authority and secured the support of Xalmyrra's leaders. After Brynor signed the papers, Aldar continued serving the council through missions rather than directing its daily work. Aurion, newly wielding Jorhan's shard, accompanied him to learn how to handle corruption.

Following Glin, Aldar traveled to Haverloch with Ilyra and Tazarin. Ilyra stayed to heal wounded mages while Aldar flew on. Raphael's advancing ice threatened Valalav and the mages escaping the battle. Aldar drew deeply on the shard and raised a wall of fire across the horizon to halt the ice. Virel deflected a projectile aimed at him, and Raphael withdrew. Exhausted by the effort, Aldar needed Lythariel to carry him while they searched the crater for Thalena and Deylin, who had escaped into the void.

In the subsequent talks, Aldar proposed cooperation between Haverloch and the Xalmyrran Council. Haverloch agreed to send a representative to improve communication with the council and provided transport for his return. He traveled to Chronasis to inform Cassian of the battle and Thalena's disappearance. By comparing the people taken by the time rifts with the accounts of those who returned, he identified Thalion as Xarion.

When Hadrian reported Zain's new shard and conquests, Aldar carried the warning back to Xalmyrra and pledged the council's support to Thalassai.

Relationships

• Eira and Lirien: Aldar found Eira outside the Imperial Institute as an infant, with a letter naming her and asking that she be cared for. He watched her upbringing in an orphanage and ensured that people such as Lirien guided her. As a scholar, Eira recovered the texts on which his temple expedition depended. He pushed her hard and withheld the council's conclusion that she was Arcanis's legacy. Eira regards him as the closest person she had to a father, with Lirien having acted as her mother.
• Cassian and Xarion: Aldar is an old adventuring friend of Dorian and Rowenna Ironvale. In the earlier of the two cycles whose memories merged, he found the infant Cassian aboard a boat west of Aemrith during a holiday from council work. Thalena had sent the child toward him, while Orin arranged the quest that brought the Ironvales there. In the other cycle, Deylin and the adult Cassian placed the infant into Aldar's hands. Dorian and Rowenna raised him in both. Aldar encouraged the couple to send Cassian into the world to develop his magic and become Xarion's companion. He wanted the two men to lead Teryndal together, with Cassian restraining Xarion's ambition. He values Xarion's intelligence while opposing his decisions when they threaten Xalmyrra's peace.
• Maelis: Maelis was an old friend who taught Aldar in his youth. When corruption left her beyond Ilyra's ability to heal, he stayed with her and confessed his use of Silas to eliminate political threats. She accepted that he had acted for Xalmyrra's unity and died in his company.
• Brynor and Aurion: Aldar trusted Brynor with the council's strongest expeditions and chose him as his successor. He continues advising Brynor and supplies him with assessments of mages and proposed missions. His dealings with Aurion have changed from attempts to restrain the king's ambitions to training him as a fellow shard wielder.

Aldar Rehn was an ice mage from Aemrith and the former head of the Xalmyrran Council. Known as the Bastion of the Frostlands and Guardian of Xalmyrra, he was already a level eight mage before inheriting Eira's spiral shard. He relinquished the council headship to Brynor to devote himself to fighting darkness and protecting Valrindor. Alistair killed him during the battle at Cyndarel and took his shard.

Appearance

Aldar had a muscular build and originally had silver hair and a silver beard. Orange streaks appeared in his hair as he learned fire magic, and his beard later became partly orange. He habitually stroked his beard while thinking or speaking and wore council robes threaded with silver.

Personality and leadership

From the Imperial Institute in Irrathis, Aldar coordinated mages against the darkness corruption, assigned expeditions, and maintained a private record of their actual capabilities. He considered the council's purpose to be fighting darkness and resisted diverting its strength into wars between Xalmyrra's nations. He nevertheless used Silas to kill a Keldaran general who opposed military support for Soltheris and an electoral opponent whose death helped Xarion become high arbiter. As Aurion's commander, Daryas worked for Aldar, while Keldara's supreme commander Feryon reported to him.

Magic

Aldar's original strength was ice magic. He formed thick walls that withstood heavy attacks, rapidly lowered the temperature across a battlefield, and shaped ice beneath his feet to move over water. His spreading frost could hinder precise temporal control. He used water magic during his earlier adventures and developed fire and air magic before receiving the shard. His later fighting combined intense heat with compressed air to move, cut through shields, and prevent his opponents from recovering between attacks.

The shard greatly increased his power and allowed him to shape and remove darkness corruption. It did not give him Jorhan's knowledge of individual spells, and he had not fully mastered its healing magic.

History

Aldar entered the Irrathis tournament hoping to earn level nine. Deylin defeated him by blinking attacks through his ice defenses.

Council leadership

Aldar was an old adventuring friend of Dorian and Rowenna Ironvale. In the earlier of the two cycles whose memories merged, he found the infant Cassian aboard a boat west of Aemrith during a holiday from council work with the couple and the young Renneth. Thalena had sent the child toward him, while Orin arranged the quest that brought the Ironvales there. In the other cycle, Deylin and the adult Cassian placed the infant into Aldar's hands. Dorian and Rowenna raised him in both. Aldar later encouraged them to send Cassian into the world to develop his magic and become Xarion's companion. He wanted the two men to lead Teryndal together, with Cassian restraining Xarion's ambition.

In the previous Xalmyrran cycle, Eira's recovered texts persuaded Aldar to send her into the Temple of no Return with Kaelion and Lirien. He initially withheld the council's conclusion that she was Arcanis's legacy. In the final Xalmyrran cycle, Hrzai was posing as Eira when Aldar sent her to investigate Lythenmere Lake, while Kaelion and Lirien went to the temple. Lirien did not return from the temple. After the Cataclysm, he directed relief to damaged settlements and opposed Xarion's proposed attack on Soltheris. He arranged for Silas to bring Eira to Aurion to attempt a settlement. Xarion demanded control of Soltheris, Aurion refused, and their armies prepared to fight. Eira released darkness that killed most of both armies.

Aldar subsequently secured a formal alliance between Teryndal, Soltheris, Erenmyr, and Keldara, with Brynor leading their expedition into the Land of Darkness. Silas followed the expedition unseen. Aldar also opened the council's hidden gate to investigation by Thalvian, hoping it could provide an escape if the darkness overwhelmed Xalmyrra. He later learned that Silas had influenced his plans, including the tournament intended to gather Xalmyrra's strongest mages.

The spiral shard

Aldar began studying fire magic with Renneth while the darkness advanced. Before acquiring the shard, he tested Kaelion in the Irrathis colosseum using ice, fire, air, and water magic. Kaelion defeated him, though their limited essence supply brought both men close to exhaustion.

When Eira returned to Irrathis, she entrusted Aldar with the severed hand containing her spiral shard. The shard responded to him and bonded to his palm, releasing waves of purple light and force that required the surrounding mages to shield the city. Aldar thereafter experienced unfamiliar images of fighting Jorhan. He could not determine whether the ancient battle belonged to his own memories or those of Aldred Behn.

After Thalena broke the cycles, Aldar remained in Xalmyrra to organize rebuilding and council missions. He sent Aurion and Lirien south and Renneth and Maric north. The shard enabled him to control darkness corruption, and he cleared inhabited regions including Brondoris and the lands near Lirathen. The work consumed the shard's finite essence.

Protector of Valrindor

Aldar arranged Brynor's succession with the support of Xalmyrra's leaders. After Brynor signed the transfer of authority, Aldar continued serving the council through missions rather than directing its daily work. Aurion, newly wielding Jorhan's shard, accompanied him to learn how to handle corruption.

Following Glin, Aldar traveled to Haverloch with Ilyra and Tazarin. Ilyra stayed to heal wounded mages while Aldar flew on. Raphael's advancing ice threatened Valalav and the mages escaping the battle. Aldar drew deeply on the shard and raised a wall of fire across the horizon to halt the ice. Virel deflected a projectile aimed at him, and Raphael withdrew. Exhausted by the effort, Aldar needed Lythariel to carry him while they searched the crater for Thalena and Deylin, who had escaped into the void.

In the subsequent talks, Aldar proposed cooperation between Haverloch and the Xalmyrran Council. Haverloch agreed to send a representative to improve communication with the council, which already worked with Thalassai. He returned to Chronasis to inform Cassian of the battle and Thalena's disappearance. When Hadrian reported Zain's new shard and conquests, Aldar carried the warning back to Xalmyrra and pledged the council's support to Thalassai. He also supported Xarion's proposal for a council representing Valrindor's nations.

Cyndarel and death

Renneth's return revealed that messages about the fighting at Cyndarel had not reached Xalmyrra. Aldar warned Daryas, followed the railway through the eastern mountains, and found mages posing as Garrik's guards. When they attacked, he killed most and pinned the remaining mage to an ice wall to question her about their orders.

Before leaving Soltheris, Aldar had seen Seralyth, whom Aurion had restored using his shard. Aurion's explanation of Jorhan's cycle spells prompted Aldar to use his own shard more broadly. At Cyndarel, he enclosed the city in dense darkness and storms modeled on Xalmyrra's veil. Purple lightning and bolts formed from compressed darkness battered the city's shields, while the threat of losing their memories deterred the defenders from escaping. Aldar lacked Jorhan's knowledge of the cycle spells and did not know the barrier's full effect on anyone who crossed it.

Garrik, Virel, and Astheron protected Aldar while he maintained the storm. When Gabriel demanded that he stop, Aldar threatened to destroy the city rather than allow the god and its defenders to prevail. Gabriel repeatedly attacked and descended again after his manifested body was destroyed. When the god reached Aldar directly, Aldar seized his neck and burned his body away with blue fire.

Aldar later confronted Raphael with Khoradyn and Zhang. He rejected Raphael's offer to leave Xalmyrra untouched while ruling the rest of Valrindor. He raised his body temperature and created a vast wall of fire. He overcame Raphael's ice, broke through his defenses, and continuously burned him to exhaust the Malverand heart's regeneration. He intended to recover the heart for Cassian to destroy. As Raphael weakened, he asked Aldar to lead Valrindor. Aldar answered that he would protect the world rather than rule it.

Alistair intervened before the fight ended. He blinked an explosive device onto Raphael's chest and detonated it with a cosmic ray, killing Raphael, Aldar, Khoradyn, and Zhang. He recovered Raphael's heart and found Aldar's remains near a river. Alistair burned away Aldar's hand to extract the spiral shard and bonded it to himself. Aldar's body then crumbled to dust. Alistair assumed Aldar's appearance and joined Aldar's allies under that identity.

Relationships

• Eira and Lirien: Aldar found Eira outside the Imperial Institute as an infant, with a letter naming her and asking that she be cared for. He watched her upbringing in an orphanage and ensured that people such as Lirien guided her. As a scholar, Eira recovered the texts on which his temple expedition depended. He pushed her hard and concealed information from her, but she regarded him as the closest person she had to a father. In his final moments, he thought of her as a daughter and regretted that he had not treated her better. Eira deeply mourned his death.
• Cassian and Xarion: Aldar remained close to Cassian's adoptive parents and deliberately encouraged the friendship between Cassian and Xarion. He trusted Xarion's intelligence while fearing the consequences of his ambition. Aldar intended Cassian's influence to restrain Xarion's ambition while the two led Teryndal together.
• Maelis: Maelis was an old friend who had taught Aldar in his youth. When corruption left her beyond Ilyra's ability to heal, he stayed with her and confessed his use of Silas to eliminate political opponents. She accepted that he had acted for the unity of Xalmyrra and died in his company.
• Brynor and Aurion: Aldar trusted Brynor with Xalmyrra's strongest expeditions and ultimately with the council itself. In his final thoughts, he was confident that Brynor would continue leading it with Mirael beside him. His dealings with Aurion changed from attempts to restrain the king's ambitions to training him as a fellow shard wielder.