Baird of Queenscove

Baird of Queenscove
Titles
Primary Title	Duke of Queenscove
Positions
Primary Position	Chief of palace healers
Biographical Information
Nationality	Tortallan
Magical Information
Gift Color	Emerald
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Hair	Red
Eyes	Dark green
Family Information
Children	Nealan, Jessamine and others
Affilliation
Rank	Duke
Occupation	Healer
Affiliation	Tortall; Royal family
Bibliographical Information
Universe	Tortallan Universe character

Duke Baird of Queenscove was chief of the Palace healers from the early 430s onwards. He was an extremely talented healer, with an emerald-green Gift, which ran in his family. His father and great-grandmother had already been healers before Baird. The duke was a devoted servant to the Crown and served Tortall through the reigns of two kings. He married Wilina of Haryse, the daughter of Emry of Haryse, the war hero, and had children by her.

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

Duke Baird was the main healer to attend the royal family during Queen Lianne's and Crown Prince Jon's bouts with the Sweating Sickness, a Tortallan epidemic. He also served as a healer during the Tusaine War. He had an incredibly strong healing Gift, but was grateful all the same when Squire Alan offered his services. He became chief of the palace healers at the age of 28, which made him one of the youngest chief healers in Tortallan history. As a page, Alanna noted that Duke Baird's healing gift was so powerful, it was clear he was blessed by the gods.

Before Queen Lianne's death, Baird attended her throughout that illness as well, which were magically caused by Roger of Conté.

In 460 HE, Baird traveled north with Kel and company for the Scanran War in order to help with healing and the layout of refugee camps. He also had the ulterior motive of seeing whether or not his assistant at the time could handle the palace alone. He assisted Keladry of Mindelan for the first few weeks of her command of Haven, and helped his son Nealan assess the health of the refugees and the convict army squads.

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.

Queenscove Family Tree

Queenscove family
See Haryse Queenscoves See Masbolle Wilina of Haryse Baird of Queenscove Queenscove woman Masbolle man See Disart See Yaman Graeme of Queenscove Cathal of Queenscove Jessamine of Queenscove Balduin of Disart See Masbolle Nealan of Queenscove Yukimi noh Daiomoru Queenscove woman

Trivia

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