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Revision as of 21:55, 16 August 2018

Baird of Queenscove (pronounced BAYRd) is a Tortallan nobleman who is the head of a very powerful and old ducal family. He has been chief of the palace healers from 430 HE and onward, and he is a very powerful healer with an extremely strong Gift. Healing magic ran in his family, and his father and great-grandmother were also powerful healers[1]. Duke Baird has served the Crown of Tortall through the reigns of two kings, King Roald and King Jonathan. He married Wilina of Haryse, daughter of the war hero Emry of Haryse, and had children with her.

He became chief of the palace healers at the age of 28, which made him one of the youngest chief healers in Tortallan history[2].

Biography

Early life

Baird was probably born around the beginning of the fifth century of the Human Era. Apart from the fact that he had a sister and once danced with Ilane of Seabeth and Seajen, before she married Piers of Mindelan, not much is known about his early life. The location where he studied magic is also unknown. It was perhaps in Carthak, where many mages did much of their training, including Numair Salmalín, and Lindhall Reed.

Chief of Palace Healers

Sweating Sickness

Duke Baird was the main healer to attend the royal family during Queen Lianne's and Crown Prince Jonathan's bouts with the Sweating Sickness, a Tortallan epidemic. He was shocked when page Alan of Trebond was able to heal Prince Jon.

As he had so powerful a Gift, Alanna guessed that he had been blessed by the gods, as very few humans had that powerful of a magic Gift.

Service in the Tusaine War

Duke Baird served in the Tusaine War as the chief healer, thus gaining experience in the creation and layout of refugee camps and infirmaries. There were a lot of wounded. Squire Alan helped him out with her Gift, for which he was grateful. She did become exhausted however, and Baird said she should get rest, and said he forgot that she didn't have any healer's training, which is why it was hard on her[3].

Reign of King Jonathan

Before Queen Lianne's death, Baird attended her throughout that illness as well. Both sicknesses had been magically caused by Roger, the Conté Duke.

A decade later, the Immortals War broke out in 452 HE. Baird lost two of his sons, who were knights, in the war. This made it so his son Nealan of Queenscove was his heir to the dukedom. Neal, who attended the Royal University in Corus for healing magic and other subjects, decided to withdraw from his education and become a page. Duke Baird, it seemed, tried to convince him to do otherwise, but his son was very stubborn. Neal joined as a page in April of 452 HE.

Baird met Keladry of Mindelan, who was sponsored by his son as a page, after she had gotten in a fight with Joren of Stone Mountain and his cronies. As Neal sputtered at them, Baird took Kel's pride in the fight in stride, and even joked with her about it. They were very matter of fact about this, which frustrated Neal. Baird also informed Kel that he used to dance with her mother, Lady Ilane, while she lived at court before she was married. This shocked Kel, but she liked the duke. Baird, being friends with Alanna the Lioness, knew that the king had forbidden her from speaking to Keladry.

In 456 HE, when both Neal and Kel became squires, Baird conferred with the King's Champion, Alanna the Lioness and asked her to take Neal on as her squire. As the lady also had an incredibly powerful Gift that she healed with, she was perfect for Neal, as no one would claim that she magicked him to succeed like they would with Kel, and so she could teach him how to heal as well as other things to do with being a knight.

The Scanran War

In 460 HE, Baird traveled north to the Scanran border with a company of knights, including Keladry of Mindelan, Alanna the Lioness, and his son. Baird helped Kel mentally prepare for the war and seeing hundreds of refugees turned out of their homes. He also asked her if she would watch out for Neal, knowing that his son was very sensitive, and also that he hid his sensitivity.

After Kel was selected to command a refugee camp by Wyldon of Cavall, the district commander, Baird accompanied her to Haven—which was dubbed later by her. Merric of Hollyrose served as the military and patrol leader of the camp, and Neal was chosen to be chief healer of the camp. Baird and Numair Salmalín helped the three young people get the camp ready, and Duke Baird tutored his son in camp infirmaries.

Physical description

Baird is described as tall and lanky with dark green eyes - darker than his son Neal's - in deep sockets. His hair iwas brown with a reddish tint, but he shared his son's prominent nose. There is no mention of his going grey, despite the fact that the timings suggest that he was, at a minimum, in his early fifties.

Family

Baird's wife was a green-eyed brunette who was still alive at the time of the Scanran War. His two eldest sons died in the Immortals War; it is unknown whether they were squires or knights at the time. His eldest living son was Nealan or 'Neal', the former squire of Alanna the Lioness. Neal would inherit his father's title, and had already inherited his healing Gift. He had other sons and daughters still living, although it is not said how many. One of his daughters was of an age with Keladry of Mindelan, five years younger than Neal. His daughter Jessamine married Balduin of Disart.

Baird's father and great-grandmother were both healers. He had at least one sister, Dom's mother. She seemed to be gifted as well, specialized on protective charms and lesser healings.[1]

Family tree

Trivia

The name 'Baird' is Celtic, derived from the name and occupation 'Bard' and means 'minstrel' or 'poet'.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 Random Buzz; "Neal/Yuki offspring"; April 24, 2009
  2. Sheroes-Central; "Question about something Tim posted a long time ago..."; Nov 14, 2002
  3. In the Hand of the Goddess (Scholastic paperback)
  4. Random Buzz thread as archived at Words of Tamora Pierce "Marinie of Tasride’s Disownment, Neal’s Mother, and Raoul’s Drinking Problem" June 18, 2011. Archived at the Wayback Machine August 31, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  5. 5.0 5.1 First Test (electronic edition) Ch. 7.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Random Buzz thread as archived at Words of Tamora Pierce "Royal University, Archaeology, Neal’s Family, and Carthak" April 21, 2009. At the Wayback Machine January 20, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Tortall: A Spy's Guide (electronic edition) "Immortals".
  8. Lady Knight (electronic edition) Ch. 2.
  9. Lady Knight (electronic edition) Epilogue.

See also