Trisana Chandler

Trisana Chandler
Biographical Information
Nickname	Tris, Coppercurls
Born	1024 K.F.
Nationality	Capchenite (former), Emelanese
Physical Description
Gender	Female
Height	5'3" (in 1039 K.F.)
Hair	Red
Eyes	Grey
Family Information
Parents	Valden and Darra Chandler
Siblings	Sandrilene fa Toren, Daja Kisubo and Briar Moss Template:Adopted
Other Family	Aymery Glassfire Template:Cousin, Uraelle Chandler Template:Aunt, Murris Template:Uncle, Emmine Template:Aunt
Affilliation
Rank	Merchant
Affiliation	Winding Circle
Bibliographical Information
Universe	Emelan Universe character

Niko: "I wish that by now you could trust me."

Tris: "Everyone I ever trusted sent me away"

— Niko and Tris

Trisana "Tris" Chandler is a powerful ambient weather mage and an estranged member of House Chandler. Tris loves to read, comes from a merchant family, and has a temper. Before she learned control over her magic, strange things would happen when she got angry or emotional, such as causing it to hail indoors or to strike lightning nearby. Because of this, her parents passed her around their relatives, finally leaving her at Broken Circle Temple. Tris did not fit in at Stone Circle either, so Niklaren Goldeye, (Niko), was asked to take her to Winding Circle Temple. At Winding Circle, it was finally discovered she had ambient weather magic and she was moved to Discipline cottage, which is still in Winding Temple. There she also found a new family in Briar Moss, Sandrilene fa Toren and Daja Kisubo. Like her adoptive brother and sisters she was given her mage's medailon at the early age of thirteen, meaning she was considered an adult among mages with all rights and responsibilities. At not even twenty she had already had two students, Kethlun Warder and Zhegorz Fiavrus, and has learnt how to scry the winds. She has the ambition to attend the University of Lightsbridge to be able to practice "normal" academic magic.

She appears in all four novels of the Circle of Magic quartet, as well as in Shatterglass and in The Will of the Empress.

Biography

Early life

"We can't keep her. Her parents swore that she was tested for magic and found to have none, but ... I don't know if she is possessed by a spirit, or part elemental, or carying a ghost, to be at the center of such uproar, and I don't care."

—Dedicate Superior of Stone Circle in Ninver, Capchen, refering to Tris.

Tris was born in the early summer of 1024 K.F. as the daughter of Darra and Valden Chandler. Tris's family, thought she was either haunted or an elemental based on the strength of the weather phenomena that she unwittingly created. Magic testers, even the most expensive one in Ninver, had repeatedly found she had no magic, although she actually was in possession of academic magic which was just blocked by her untamed ambient magic. At a very young age before she came to Winding Circle, Tris was transferred from one family member to another, for nobody wanted her because of the ruckus that followed her when she accidentally used magic. She therefore developed a rather bitter feeling towards her family and a love of animals, the only ones who would accept her. It seems that the longest time she spent with any family member was her three-year-stay with Aunt Uraelle, who had used Tris mainly for working and taught her how to clean thoroughly. Uraelle used to take Tris' books away when she didn't do the chore's to her satisfaction. Around 1033 KF Tris was staying with her uncle Murris and her aunt Emmine.

Eventually her family gave up on her and sent her to Stone Circle Temple in Ninver, Capchen. There her magic was discovered by Niklaren Goldeye when they were trying to get rid of her as well by transferring her to Winding Circle Temple. By then Tris was about ten years old. While most weather mages can just control rainfall or winds, Tris has power of earthquakes, rainfall, lightning (which is a very rare magic), winds, cyclones, volcanoes and water.

Life in Winding Circle Temple

Niko: "If you would lend me some of your magic, it will be easier."

Tris: "What must I do?"

Niko: "I'll call it forth, as long as you agree to let me do it. Not just in words, Trisana. You must agree from within. You have to trust me."

Tris: "Sure, Niko."

— Trisana Chandler and her teacher Niklaren Goldeye when he needs to borrow some of her magic for an especially power-consuming spell to see the past

In the Winding Circle Temple Tris didn't fit in. She preferred spending her time with reading instead of being in the company of the other children. By then she had learned not to trust in other's sentiments towards her. Thus Tris had to leave the dormitories. Her new home was to be Discipline, a little cottage run by Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn and the home to all children who don't fit into the dormitories. Tris found a new family in the two dedicates and the other three children, who were sent to live in the cottage. They were Daja Kisubo, Briar Moss and Sandrilene fa Toren. Tris didn't accept the others at first, thinking that they, like all others before them, only pretended to be her friend. But after some time they grew closer and eventually considered each other as family.

First magical workings

In the temple Tris also learned about her magic. Niklaren Goldeye was her main teacher, but she also had occasional lessons with the dedicates of Winding Circle, among them dedicates Lark, Crane and Frostpine. Her studies included reading about stars and weather patterns and learning about the tides and moon phases. She also did a lot of theoretical reading on these and other topics. She also studied the properties of metals with Frostpine and Daja once.

The day before Midsummer in 1035 K.F. Tris experimented with the tides. She was weakened by the effort it cost her to probe her magic against the forces of nature and Niko gave her the book Daring the Wheel: Those Who Defied Nature's Magic to read, which had a sobering experience on her. She had learned that she was not to defy the powers of nature because that would probably lead to her death and so had gotten off easy with just being tired after her little experiment.

Just a few weeks later Tris is trapped together with the other three children living at Discipline in a cave during an earthquake. This would have probably lead to their death, had not Sandry spun their magics together to strengthen them. Tris helped the four by making sure fresh air came into their prison, by widen Daja's and Briar's reach and by providing Daja with magma heat so Daja could melt the metals around them for a protective cage.

Aymery's visit and pirate attack

Approximately ten weeks after the earthqake pirates began their attack on Winding Circle. At the same time Tris' cousin Aymery Glassfire, a student at the University of Lightsbridge, arrived, supposedly to do studies in the temple's library. Tris was quite surprised to see her cousin again but she was also glad because he had always been the only family member who had shown any kindness towards her. Aymery was just as surprised as Tris and told her that her father was fatally ill and that she would do better to return home. Tris refused, however. Only days later Aymery even moved into Discipline cottage because the temple dormitories were full with refugees. Briar, who had searched Aymery's belongings, told Tris that something was wrong with her cousin. At the beginning Tris wouldn't believe him, but when they followed him one night they surprised him when he tried to open the north gate for the pirates. Tris took him to task. She learned that he had been working for the pirates all along and was bound to their head mage, Enahar, by blood and magic. Still he wanted to save her. When the pirates entered the temple grounds they killed Aymery, enraging Tris to the point where her temper would cause her powers to get away from her, again. She sent a strong hailstorm on the pirates and Winding Circle, waking the dedicates, who had been under the influence of a sleeping potion smuggled into the kitchen by Aymery, and saving the temple.

Her rage towards the pirates didn't vanish the next day, however. Although Aymery had betrayed the temple she still had loved him. He was family and the only one who had been kind to her. Her rage finally boiled over and Tris attacked the pirate ships with her magic. With a little help from her three friends she destroyed the fleet's flagship with her lightning and killed their head mage, Enahar. This saved her and all of Winding Circle, but she would still have nightmares and bad feelings for it years later. To repair some of the damage she had done Tris volunteered in the infirmaries to help care for the wounded from the attack, which included injured pirates. After the attack Tris also realised that she needed to learn control of her magic as to prevent killing so many people ever again.

Niko: "Have you any ideas about what area of your talents we should concentrate on?"

Tris: "I need to learn control, Niko--for real. With everything. I think the rest has to wait. I don't want this to happen again. Not ever."

Niko: "At least you know it. You could have been another Enahar, living off human pain."

— Niko and Tris after the pirate attack

Travels

Tharios

While she and Niko were travelling, Tris reads about scrying winds, and eventually learns to see things by the winds. She also has an ability to listen to things on the winds beforehand. In the city of Tharios, Tris takes on Kethlun Warder (Keth) when it is discovered he has lightning and glass magic. He had accidentally created Chime, a flying, moving, glass dragon. The lightning aspect makes Tris the ideal teacher for him. Tris discovers that Glakisa Irakory (Glaki) has academic magic and is responsible for her teaching as well.

Namorn

When Sandry goes to visit her relatives in Namorn, Tris, Daja and Briar accompany her. By this time Tris decides that she is going to get an Academic credential from Lightsbridge University so that she can practice "proper magic" and earn a living. She leaves Little Bear behind, but takes Chime with her.

During their two month travel north she saves the caravan from a collapsed dam while they are crossing a ford. Instead of this bringing the friends closer together it pulls them farther apart, especially Tris and Sandry.

While in Namorn they discover Zhegorz (a man Daja met in Cold Fire) who they realise isn't crazy, but a scryer. The others figure out that Tris too can scry and she becomes Zhegorz's teacher.

Tris saves a fishing fleet while at the imperial palace, and while at Landreg she repairs the damage done to a shorline near a villege which would cause a bridge to collapse. She also helps Briar save Sandry from a kidnapping attempt and uses her powers to block up the tunnels under the imperial palace.

These events cause Tris to become a valuable commodity to the empress who has her mage, Ishabal Ladyhammer, make her trip down a flight of stairs when Sandry's party is preparing to leave Namorn. Tris volunteers to stay behind while her friends make their escape. She would meet up with them on the Namorn southern border and escape the grasp of the empress.

Physical description

She has curly copper-coloured hair, gray eyes, and wears brass-rimmed spectacles. Tris's nose is rather long. She is slightly chubby and is called "Fatty" a few times by some of the crueler persons surrounding her. When Tris first comes to Winding Circle Temple she wears a old, stained dress that doesn't even really fit her as it is quite tight on the seams. At the age of ten, when she first comes to Winding Circle, Tris is four feet and four inches (4'4") tall. Six months later she has grown three inches, which makes her four feet and seven inches (4'7") around Mead Moon in 1035 KF. When she is fourteen she is five feet three inches (5'3") tall, half a foot smaller than Niko. Later, when she obtains her mage's credential, she does her hair in numerous braids, although her foster-brother Briar Moss still calls her 'Coppercurls.' Her magic is with weather and her braids are her mage kit, each one storing things like lightning and wind. Her braids do not store rain, however, as it makes her hair go frizzy.

Tris has a sensible throat, being the first of the children affected by the smoke in Gold Ridge Valley and "coughing a great deal".

Personality and traits

Tris: "Let me be. My feelings are none of your affair."

Daja: "They are if you burn this house down around us."

— Tris and Daja the morning after Aymery's death

Tris has quite a temper and in her childhood she has learned not to make friends immediately, as most people betrayed her trust by sending her away once they noticed the peculiar weather phenomenons taking place around Tris. She doesn't like people who cheat by copying or trying to shove ahead in a line, one aspect which makes her unpopular with the other children in the temple.

She dislikes buttermilk.

Tris is also very insecure, even when it comes to dealing with her foster-siblings. When they all return from their travels she realizes that the rest of her family will be rich, while she will struggle to make a living, which is also why she wants to attend Lightsbridge University. When they reach Namorn she feels out of place and does not want to ascoiate with the wealthy world she finds there.

She forgets all about her insecurity, however, when someone needs her help, especially family, but also others. Thus she was able to teach a much older student in Kethlun Warder, even if he didn't believe a mere girl could teach him anything at the beginning. When people she cares about are in danger her temper is likely to get the better of her. When she was still unable to control her power this was often accompanied by strange weather phenomena, like hail indoors or simply lightning crawling over Tris' skin.

Skills and abilities

Skills

Tris has acquired several useful skills before she came to Discipline. Thus she is the only one of the four children who can properly clean a house and teaches this to the others. She is also very good at reading and writing which she teaches Briar. Furthermore she is the best of them when it comes to bargaining. Her abilities in this field even exceed those of Daja, who is a Trader.

However Tris also lacks certain skills. Thus she is the only one of the four young mages who can't speak Tradertalk when she comes to Discipline. She learns some of it while living at the cottage. Briar has also to teach her how to pick locks and Tris isn't adept at fighting, either. Out of the four she is the one who tires the quickest. She has also lost some social skills due to her casting out by each of her family members and can come off as rude and unpleasant.

Magical abilities

Daja: "How do you know it will be cooler?"

Tris: "Am I the weather-witch around here or not? I know."

— Daja Kisubo and Trisana Chandler on a hot day at Discipline cottage

Tris is arguably one of the most powerful mages in the world. She has ambient magic with weather and the earth, affecting various types of elemental currents, such as the flow of magma or the ocean tides. She is the only known weather mage that can predict the weather accurately, one hundred percent of the time. She stores her magic, as well as raw power, in her hair, which she braids in specific magical patterns taught to her by her foster-sister, Sandry. The braids allow her to keep vast amounts of power with her at all times and can only be unpinned by Tris. On the wind, she can scry places far away, witnessing events as they unfold. This is a skill that only one in a generation possesses, as most mages go mad attempting to see on the winds. The breezes can be made by Tris to bring her voices, while at the same time cooling her off (She learned to scry first in Shatterglass). During rain, she can create a shield of air so the people under it don't get wet. She can pin people with wind and create breezes and tornadoes. She is also capable of manipulating water, earth, and magma. She can spin winds and water into threads and balls, shaping them to her need. She can raise shields against spells in a few moments that would take most accomplished mages hours to make. One of her more interesting powers is her ability to sprout lightning and to control it at will. That's another one of the special aspects of Tris' magic. Unlike most mages working with weather she doesn't have to wait for a existing storm but sprouts lightning on her own. Especially when she was new to her power her lightning used to crawl all over her skin when she was in an emotional upheaval. When their powers were still linked through Sandry's spinning them together Tris' lightning didn't hurt any of her forster sisters or brother.

Relationships

Family

"If my father wants me, he'll send for me. The last time I saw him, he told a stranger that he and my mother didn't want me back. Not ever!"

—Tris to her cousin Aymery after he told her of her father's illness

Tris feels quite resentful towards her family because they made it quite obvious in the past that they didn't want her around for all the odd things happening around the girl. Thus Tris even refuses to consider going home when Aymery tells her that her father is dying—which was a lie of his to get his cousin into safety. In fact Aymery is the only relative Tris feels kind towards, even when she realizes he betrayed Winding Circle to Enahar and his pirate fleet. Aymery's death awakens her rage and she can't be stopped from seeking revenge, thus destroying the pirate fleet, eve though she had help.

Appearances

• The Circle of Magic
  • Sandry's Book
  • Tris's Book
  • Daja's Book
  • Briar's Book
• The Circle Opens
  • Magic Steps Template:Mention
  • Street Magic Template:Mention
  • Cold Fire Template:Mention
  • Shatterglass
• The Will of the Empress

Tamora Pierce is planing to write another novel centered around Tris and her experiences at Lightsbridge University. This novel is tentatively scheduled for publication in 2012, after the book centering around Briar, Evvy and Rosethorn in Yanjing, and doesn't have a title yet.