Trima Solas

Master Trima Solas

Tomas cautiously crept into the basement vault. Each footstep within the cold marbled entryway betrayed his presence, rivaled in volume only by his own heartbeat. He paused, holding his breath, his fingers nervously tugging at his robes, the delicate gold embroidery against the thick blue fabric denoting his status as a visiting apprentice to the great Goldaming Family.   The silence echoed back.   Exhaling in relief he continued forward, navigating through the darkened hallways by touch alone. He never should have let Yarva and Janikk talk him into this. What had he been thinking, agreeing to steal that book for her from the Library Basement? But now here he was, and damned if he wasn't going to have something to show for it, some secret tome of knowledge to rub in their faces.   Tomas briefly debated casting some sort of charm spell to light his way, but decided to trust Jarikk's warnings. If the basement really was covered in Antimagic Runes there was no way he had enough Imperium to use them up, much less cast anything useful afterwards. Best not to risk setting off any magical sensors.   "Magic is no match for discipline and hard work. No secret shortcuts await you here, only pain. Turn back, that you may save yourself!"   The voice boomed throughout the room, breaking Tomas' resolve and sending him careening from the Library. No dare was worth this. Not even for Yarva.   Trima stepped from behind her pillar, watching the frightened young man trip over his own robes in his panicked exodus. She snorted in amusement before narrowing her eyes. This was the third apprentice this week. Something wasn't right.   She surveyed the room intently, her eyes well adjusted to the darkness, before nodding the all clear to her trainee and slipping back into the shadows. The Council would hear of this. Tomorrow.
  Trima Solas' aspirations of assisting her parents' Necromancy ended upon diagnoses of her Unattunable Disorder, opening the door on a new career as a Master Librarian of the Great Library. Under her watch, none have yet succeeded in accessing the records held in the Basement Vault without proper authorization.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

As an only child, Trima was expected to carry on her family's legacy of Grief Walking as they assisted both the living and the recently deceased through the grieving process. From an early age her parents spared no expense in her education, and while she was an attentive student she failed to display any level of magical abilities.  
Seeking: Best magical tutor in all of Fillimet! See Solas family for details. Contact information enclosed.
— Advertisement sent across Andisol Valley
  The Solases invited famed instructors from across Fillimet to tutor their beloved daughter, but in spite of their best efforts Trima failed to awaken any level of magical attunement, and even seemed to disrupt or reflect any magic in her direct vicinity. A traveling Seeker of the Hidden Flame mentioned to the Solases that Trima exhibited the symptoms of Unattunable Disorder, and suggested her parents travel to Arcana and request an audience with a friend of his, an attunement specialist named Hasia Goldaming, to confirm his prognosis.   Hasia recognized the signs immediately but performed her standard attunement tests anyway, at the insistence of Trima's parents. She quizzed the young Solas throughout, impressed at her thorough understanding of magical principles despite her complete lack of magical abilities. At the conclusion of the test, and with Trima's parents pleading for help with a cure, Hasia focused all her attention on the frustrated child in front of her.  
I cannot offer you magic. You are Unattunable, and will forever live outside of its effects.   What I can offer you is a home, a job, and the keys to the most dangerous secrets in the entire world of magic. We Goldamings are a curious family, always seeking answers and rarely asking if these are things the world should really know. We need Librarians, individuals immune to our magical abilities, to keep us in our place as a force for good, by limiting our access to that which would destroy the world.   Is this something you could help us with?
Hasia Goldaming
  Trima jumped at the offer. She had grown accustomed to the looks of pity levied on her parents during their outings as a family, and the jeers from her former classmates at her inability to enact even the simplest of spells.  
All my life I had watched as I was denied things afforded to my peers, solely due to my Unattunability. The thought that I would be denying mages the information and power they sought held a certain appeal.   Of course, what I really found with the Librarians was a second family, one who truly understood.
— Trima
  Today Trima serves not only as a Master Librarian at the Great Library, but also as one of the favored instructors among new recruits. These fledgling Librarians quickly recognize her experience, both as a Librarian and as an Unattunable outcast in a world of magic, and gravitate towards her genial nature and love of pranks.

Education

In addition to extensive training in magic theory from private schools and personal tutors alike, Trima constantly practices martial combat with and without weapons. Hasia Goldaming provides regular sparring training for all Librarians, with actual mages dedicated to help protect the secrets of the Library. This has become a highlight for Trima, who enjoys pitting her reflexes and magical understanding against the Mage-adepts.  
I cannot divulge that information. Your request runs against every rule in the Charter.   But I will assist with your application to the Council. They will know the true urgency of your request.
— Trima
  Outside of work Trima is granted the luxury of full access to the archives she defends, provided she keep the secrets she learns. She remains a voracious reader, and has therefore also become a valuable resource for those hunting dangerous rogue mages. While she will not divulge the information within the Basement without proper authorization, she will readily listen to the facts of a case and actively assist those who require access to the knowledge she guards.

Employment

Are you lost, Mage? I have not received the necessary pre-approvals to grant you entry. Turn. Back. Now.
— Trima
  Trima serves as a Master Librarian of the Great Library. In her tenure she has so far personally disrupted countless attempts at unauthorized access to the basement records, five of them requiring lethal force after all other dissuasion methods failed. She also remains one of the most popular instructors for new Librarians.

Intellectual Characteristics

Trima possesses a sharp blade and a sharper mind. Her extensive knowledge of magical theory, despite her Unattunable Disorder, provides her the knowledge to deftly counter most attempts to access the Basement without resorting to violence.

Personality Characteristics

Virtues & Personality perks

I wouldn't worry about it. Trima gave her word. She'll take care of it.
— overheard conversation between Librarians
  Trima never makes a promise she doesn't intend to keep, and as a result her word is held in high regard among those with dealings at the Great Library. Considering she has taken on responsibilities ranging anywhere from training new Librarians to previewing access requests in addition to her regular duties defending the Basement collections, her dedication and persistence remain impressive.   Her fellow Librarians worry she will exhaust herself and frequently remind her to slow down and take some time for herself. In the past they would scheme with her parents to plan enforced vacations away with her family, far away from the Library. Trima has since learned to take time for herself, and she and her parents now take turns visiting each other at more regular intervals.

Vices & Personality flaws

And then she told me I should take my spell and cast it up my butt so I could see where I was going!
— disgruntled mage apprentice
  Despite developing friendships with many Goldamings and their apprentices, Trima remains distrustful of those who devote their lives to magic. She tends to anticipate the worst from new magically inclined acquaintances and is slow to warm towards strangers, aside from new Librarians.   Most mages begrudgingly admit that a lifetime of protecting dangerous knowledge from the mages attempting to steal it, coupled with a childhood of ridicule and exclusion due to her Unattunability, certainly provide her with ample reason for the distrust. Others, however, have interpreted the distrust as personal attacks and taken measures in attempts to remove her from the Library. These efforts have failed, but bad blood remains in many cases.

Personality Quirks

Trima has developed a reputation as a prankster. This has caused some problems with her peers but has endeared her to new Librarians, who love to join her in pranking many of the veteran Librarians. Her creativity has led to some notable exploits, many involving food items.   To this day Hasia Goldaming refuses to take the first taste of any desert if a Librarian has been spotted nearby, and always brings her own water to her weekly sparring sessions. She does not always extend the same warning to her peers.

Social

Family Ties

Trima remains close with her parents, exchanging letters on a highly regular schedule. Her parents will sometimes also request their clients to carry messages through the afterlife to some of the Necromancers studying in the library to carry to their daughter for more urgent matters, such as requests for her meal preferences during her next visit home. She misses them, and upon occasion still finds herself longing for the days she dreamed of working in their family business, but she also fully supports their selected apprentice and even occasionally enlists his help in planning surprises for her parents.  
I miss you both, and can't wait until your visit next week. Of course I will be spending every moment I can in your company. The Librarians may be my second family, but you'll always be my first.   Much love,
— Trima
Current Location
Ethnicity
Currently Held Titles
Children
Current Residence
The Goldaming Estate
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Great Library
Building / Landmark | Dec 5, 2020

The Great Library houses all known magical knowledge of the Goldaming Family, including research and experimentation notes. The records are magically preserved for posterity and available for review by any Goldaming or apprentice.

The Librarians
Organization | Oct 4, 2020

This elite military force stands between the most dangerous magical knowledge archive in Fillimet and the mages who would unleash this knowledge upon the world.

Goldaming Family
Organization | Oct 4, 2020

The Goldaming family is the ruling family of Arcana, and also the only tax-paying citizens of the nation. They are an open-minded and multicultural family, spending their time pursuing magical understanding and expanding upon the uses of magic.



Cover image: Nature Forest Trees by jplenio

Comments

Author's Notes

This character was loosely inspired by Tris (necromancertris).


Please Login in order to comment!
Aug 13, 2020 23:55 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Aww I really like Trima. She sounds like a really good person who overcame her Unattunable condition really well. I love the snippet of writing at the beginning too! :D

Emy x
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber
Powered by World Anvil