Herald

Heralds are exclusive to Valdemar, possess the highest quality of moral fiber and are selected only by being Chosen by a Companion. Heralds are called "The Arrows of the Queen," and serve the Kingdom of Valdemar and its' Monarch as messengers, spies, information-gatherers, peace-keepers and civil marshals. They serve on "circuit," where they cover a section of Valdemar to resolve civil disputes, support the Guards in maintaining order, uphold Valdemaran law, dispense justice, and act as the representatives of the Crown. They also serve as leaders in times of crisis.

Fair, incorruptible, self-sacrificing, and above question due to the mystical nature of their Companions, the Heralds are respected throughout Valdemar and feared by her enemies.

There is a list of all known Heralds and their Companion pairings.

Chosen

Main article: Chosen

A Companion will introduce themself to their Chosen via Mindspeech, saying they Choose that person. Heralds usually can communicate mind-to-mind Mindspeech) with their Companions, even those who are not able to speak mind to mind with anyone else. But some Heralds have little or no Mindspeech, even with their Companion (such as Sherrill or Talia.)

The criteria for being Chosen can be obscure. Their moral and ethical character is most important, but it is also because they have the ability to fill Valdemar's specific needs at that time, through their special Gift, or skills, personality, experience, etc.

Those who are chosen typically have at least one Gift, which may be active or latent. Their Companion may bring out or augment this Gift. Their training will include managing, using and maximizing their Gift. Additional Gifts may arise during or after the development of the first Gift.

Heralds are often chosen when their Gift emerges; although usually chosen as young adults, a person of any age might be chosen. But not every person with a Gift wil be Chosen.

Accepting the Companion establishes a deep mental and emotional bond between the pair.

It is a violation of Valdemar law to prevent a Companion from accessing its' Chosen.

If a young person is chosen from a poor family, the Crown may provide a stipend to cover the labor and support that person might have given to the family. It is perceived as an honor to have a family member "Chosen".

There is a certain wariness brought on when a large number of new Heralds are Chosen, as this means one of two things: that Valdemar will be expanding in coming years, or that there will be a significant conflict or trouble in the coming years. Both of which would require more Heralds. Historically, the latter situation is more common, especially when the newly Chosen possess certain Gifts that are more suited to battle rather than diplomacy.

Training

All Heralds start as Trainees, and learn law, languages, weaponry, strategy, geography, science, survival skills, orienteering, horsemanship, surveying, maths, literature and sometimes specialist topics such as disguise, spycraft, or how to use their gifts in a specific manner. Trainee Heralds wear gray; fully trained Heralds wear Whites, a white uniform sometimes referred to as "Oh Shoot Me Now" due to its conspicuous and visible nature.

Past Herald-Trainees are noted as including assassins, spies, foreign agents or military personnel including officers, and a host of other unexpected things. Skif becomes the first Herald-Trainee to have been an actual thief, though Donni was an apprentice thief.

The average age of a Herald-Trainee is usually twelve or thirteen, though Trainees have been known to be as varied in ages as in background. After anywhere from three to five years worth of education, the Trainee is then granted Whites and sent out on an Internship of rounds (Circuit) with a more experienced Herald which lasts from a year to two years. Exceptions are made for some Trainees, including the Heir-Presumptive, who usually undergoes a long term internship serving in Haven's Courts and other duties within Haven, and those who have certain special abilities which cannot be risked, including Herald-Mages.

Valdemar law requires that the Monarch be a Herald. Thus, a presumed heir to the throne must be "Chosen" to be an heir.

The Companions use this to maintain a web of communications keeping all Heralds and companions linked.

Heralds are held to an extraordinarily high moral standard. If a Herald or Herald-Trainee does not abide by this moral standard, they will be hounded by their Companion until they fall into line, and one who does unforgivable acts may be repudiated by their Companion. This will usually be followed up by the Companion's suicide in some manner or another. The result for the repudiated Herald or Herald-Trainee is generally a wound so deep that it may mar the soul, though that is not assured, but it will also quite commonly leave the victim catatonic as a result, blankly nonresponsive. Those who are responsive, are typically insane to the point that they are unable to use any Gifts that they might possess. However, repudiation does not necessarily mean that one is relieved of their Herald status, as when Tylendel was repudiated, the Death Bell tolled for him, indicating that he was accepted by the Companions as a full Herald and should be buried with Herald's honors. One can assume that Tylendel was given this distinction because his repudiation and the terrible acts that caused it were in turn caused by severe psychological trauma.

Heraldic Gifts

Heraldic Gifts (with the exception of the exceptionally rare Mage-Gift) are the psychic abilities which contribute to the individual being Chosen. The 'power' which fuels them flows through mental 'channels'. In a Herald, at least one of these channels is open, allowing for use of a specific MindGift. Typically these channels open on their own, but varying kinds of trauma (mental as in the case of Tylendel Frelennye or magical as exampled in Vanyel Ashkevron can 'blast' or 'burn' them open -- moving the Gift from latent or potential to open and active, or close them, often painfully.

A Herald can possess anywhere from one to all Gifts in varying degrees of strength, but typically has one primary Gift. It is rare for a Herald to have more than three Gifts of any degree.

Training at the Collegium and through mentorship by fully trained Heralds will enhance and develop the Gifts to their maximum, which varies from Herald to Herald. Although all Gifts require training, a Companion can, in certain circumstances, deliver the training mind-to-mind to a receptive Herald although this is not routinely encouraged except when required to prevent harm to the Herald or others.

Noted Heraldic Gifts

• Animal Mindspeech
• Bardic Gift
• Empathy (Sensory/Projective)
• FarSight
• ForeSight
• Fetching
• FireStarting
• Healing
• Mage-Gift
• Mindspeech (ThoughtSensing and/or Projection)
• Projecting/illusion (causing others to see an image that is not present)
• Touchreading (Touch sense or Psychometry), giving the person various information when they touch an object

Variants

Sometimes Heralds develop variants of the known Gifts. These usually involve naturally using a Gift in a way it isn't "supposed" to work. Herald Wil's Pastsight variation of Foresight is an example, as is Herald Amily's variation on Animal Mindspeech.

Wild talent

Occasionally, unusual or one-of-a-kind Gifts may crop up, such as Herald Arville's Luck, or Artificer Abi's structural sense. The Collegium strives to find ways to train unusual Gifts, if possible.

Specialized Heralds

There are several specialized positions within the Heraldic Circle. These include:

• Dean of the Collegium
• Lord Marshal's Herald
• Monarch's Own Herald
• Seneschal's Herald
• Herald Chronicler
• Weaponsmaster
• Herald Investigator

Herald-Mages, another form of specialized herald, are Heralds with the Mage-Gift -- a rare gift of True Magic in addition to their MindGifts. A Herald-Mage might have a strong Mage-Gift and a weak MindGift, or alternately a strong MindGift and a weak Mage-Gift.