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Coram Smythesson of Trebond (pronounced kore-UHM SMIGHth-suhn) is a Tortallan nobleman of the 5th century HE. He is the Baron of Fief Trebond and is married to Rispah Cooper, his baroness. He has ten children with her.

Biography[]

Early life and career[]

Coram's ancestors had worked for the Trebond family for generations, and he took up that mantle after soldiering. He trained as a blacksmith, but worked as a soldier in the king's army and was very good at what he did. As a soldier, when he was still "but a lad", Coram fought in the Battle of Joyous Forest, where he saved the life of Duke Gareth, earning the other man's trust and favor.[2] He later retired and returned to Trebond, working as a sergeant-at-arms for Lord Alan and teaching Thom of Trebond basic fighting skills. As Alanna was Thom's twin, Coram couldn't escape teaching her, too, which he did gladly because she was more adept at it than her brother. He feared the task of having to take Thom to the palace because he knew that Thom would make a fool of himself as well as of Coram, who was supposed to teach the boy the basic fighting skills.[3]

The Royal Palace[]

Originally intended to accompany her brother Thom to his training as a knight at the palace, Coram was tricked into taking Alanna instead because she threatened to make him see things with magic. He stayed with Alanna in Corus, acting as her manservant and living in the same quarters with her. In his free time he served in the palace guard.[4] Coram became Alanna's faithful friend and companion on her path to knighthood. When Alanna was a squire, Coram went back to Trebond and ran the fief. He looked briefly for a suitable man to continue his work for him when he would accompany her in her travels when she would become a knight.

Bloody Hawk[]

Once Alanna became a knight, Coram went with her on her unofficial exile. They first went to the Great Southern Desert and happened across the Bloody Hawk, a Bazhir tribe that was hostile to Tortallans. Alanna fought and was adopted into the tribe. She defeated Akhnan ibn Nazzir, the shaman and became the shaman upon his death. Coram was accepted into the tribe as well and was present when Myles of Olau adopted her as his daughter. They left the Desert when Alanna had a large fight with Prince Jonathan who expected her to marry him.

Port Caynn[]

Coram at first disapproved of staying at House Azik in Port Caynn, since it was owned by George Cooper, the Rogue. He immediately changed his mind about the crime organization upon meeting Rispah Cooper, George's cousin, who was Queen of the Ladies of the Rogue. They began a small and hesitant romance.

Quest for the Dominion Jewel[]

Coram went with Alanna when she left Tortall to see other lands. They heard about the Dominion Jewel, an artifact of ancient power, and Alanna wanted to find it and claim it for Tortall and Jonathan. They met Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon. While staying at an inn in Maren, Coram got drunk one night and starting singing the verses of the Tireless Beggar, a tavern song. After leaving the inn, the company happened across Princess Thayet, the beautiful daughter of Sarain's assassinated warlord Adigun jin Wilima. The princess and her family servant Buriram Tourakom accompanied them to the Roof of the World to claim that Jewel from Chitral.

Upon returning to Corus, Coram was delighted to be reunited with Rispah in the flesh, even though Alanna used her magic so Coram could see her in the fire each night—Rispah agreed to this in writing. Jonathan, who was now King of Tortall, was glad to receive the Dominion Jewel and named Alanna his King's Champion much to her chagrin.

Coronation Day Battle[]

Coram fought in the Coronation Day Battle against Roger of Conté and his minions. They were victorious, but there were still grave losses on their side.

Marriage, fiefdom, and children[]

Coram married Rispah and Jonathan bequeathed Fief Trebond to them after it was annexed into the Crown.[5]

Coram and Rispah had ten children: Jonthair, Alinna, Thomsen, Mylec, Daran, Liam, Thayine, Rose, Elenna, and Buran.[6]

Scanran War[]

By the time the Scanran War broke out Coram was too old to do fighting or scouting work. Instead he helped by coordinating the supplies and housing soldiers passing through.[7]

Many of his sons also participated in the fighting.

Physical description[]

Coram is described as burly and strong with a fine figure for a man.

Personality and traits[]

Coram hated magic,[8] because it made him nervous, which was why Alanna could persuade him to let her go to the palace with the threat of making him see things.[3] He was a soldier in his heart and could be quite rough sometimes, but normally he was a kind person and he was good in caring for children.[9] He was a faithful servant and friend to Alanna, keeping the estates in order while no-one else is available to do it.

Relationships[]

Alanna the Lioness[]

Because of Lord Alan's absence from the twins' lives, Coram acted as a father figure to them, especially Alanna. She was the most responsive to learning about fighting, while Thom was more aloof. During her page training, he was her friend and confidant and helped her out when she needed it. Their bond was strengthened after spending time together when she became a knight errant, and he looked out for her with fatherly protection when she took lovers like George Cooper and Liam Ironarm.

Coram could be counted as Alanna's oldest and most stalwart friend, as he had been with her since day one and throughout her young life.

Rispah Cooper[]

Coram at first distrusted the Rogue and his Court, but came around when he met Rispah. They flirted when they first met, much to Alanna's awe and amusement. When they left Port Caynn for Maren and other lands, Rispah gave written permission for Alanna to use her magic so Coram could see her—which Liam did not approve of when he first heard of it, although Rispah did consent.

They kept up their romance while Coram was away, and rekindled things in the flesh when he returned. After the battle, they married. They received Fief Trebond from King Jonathan IV and became its baron and baroness. They certainly got busy after that as they had ten children, beating out Piers and Ilane of Mindelan for the most children.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Alanna: The First Adventure, Ch. 2 (pg. 25; Random House paperback)
  2. Alanna: The First Adventure, Ch. 2 (pg. 21; Random House paperback)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Alanna: The First Adventure, Ch. 1 (pg. 11 - 13; Random House paperback)
  4. Alanna: The First Adventure, Ch. 2 (pg. 22; Random House paperback)
  5. Dispute: Tamora Pierce mentions that Fief Trebond was annexed to the Crown because there was no male heir, but this is directly disputed in Lioness Rampant when Alanna mentions that women can inherit land but not titles. It is possible that she signed Trebond over to Jonathan with the caveat that it go to Coram, or else this would be a large inconsistency. In fact, in signing it over to Jonathan, he could have made it a barony, when previously it was the estate of a lord and as Alanna wouldn't have been able to inherit the title, she wouldn't have had the privilege of signing over both the title and lands.
  6. Random Buzz; "Roger, Contes, and Inheritance."; April 17, 2009
  7. Random Buzz; "Champion's Duties, Scanran War, King Roald/DukeG, Bazhir"; April 22, 2009
  8. Alanna: The First Adventure, Ch. 1 (pg. 2; Random House paperback)
  9. Lioness Rampant
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