Thagdal
Names: Thagdalmy KingKing ThagdalHigh King of the Tanuthe KingHigh KingAwesome FatherThaggyHigh King of the Many-Colored Landthe old manThagdal the High KingAwful FatherAwful KingHis MajestyDionketDagdalLittle Dag
First appears in Book 1: The Many-Colored Land, chapter 1 (Prologue)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: The Many-Colored Land
- Ch 1Thagdal is the golden-haired, bearded King leading the exiles; he wears a golden torc and uses it to silence the others' minds.
- Ch 1Thagdal accuses Pallol of being an ancient enemy and trucebreaker and promises he will answer for it once they are safe.
Book 2: The Golden Torc
- Ch 2Thagdal is High King of the Tanu, ruling through his strong metafunctions, battle skill and above all fertility: father of 11,058, none Firvulag or black-torc.
- Ch 2Thagdal gets first turn with each gold and silver woman; afterward they may have children by other nobles, to propagate the optimal phenotype.
- Ch 2Thagdal assigns his son Ogmol as Bryan's guide and assistant, to solve the Tanu's conundrum before the Grand Combat convenes.
- Ch 2Thagdal explains that the Tanu did not understand how torcs work and were surprised by human latency.
- Ch 2Thagdal plans that Elizabeth will go to Brede, then to Tasha-Bybar, and then to him.
- Ch 3Thagdal is the Tanu High King; he halted the bidding when someone pledged Delbaeth's death, and later left the hall abruptly, spilling his drink.
- Ch 4The Thagdal is aging and increasingly swayed by Gomnol; the Queen's children insist he must never learn of their plot against Elizabeth.
- Ch 5King Thagdal is the Tanu High King, called Awesome Father by Ogmol, who is his son; he deprecated Gomnol as an ugly little runt.
- Ch 9King Thagdal, with Eadone, Aluteyn and Sebi-Gomnol, believes Elizabeth's genes should be assimilated into the Tanu.
- Ch 10Thagdal is the High King and was irritated when Aiken upstaged Stein's accolade; he plans to lead the Delbaeth Quest himself.
- Ch 10King Thagdal grants Aiken the accolade and sends him to serve on the Delbaeth Quest.
- Ch 11The Thagdal is the aging Tanu king; by jus primae noctis he fathers the first child of Mercy.
- Ch 13King Thagdal grants Aiken only eligibility for the High Mêlée, not the Heroic Encounters, if the Quest fails, and gives him three days.
- Ch 16Thagdal, the High King, dismisses Nodonn's doom prophecy, says the Tanu are stronger than ever, and offers Velteyn a new city elsewhere.
- Ch 22Demanded results of the survey before Combat time; will have two weeks to study it before presenting it to the High Table.
- Ch 23The High King has been unable to perform with the silver-torc love-gift girls, and is humiliated and fearful that he is finished.
- Ch 23Thagdal had planned to mate with Elizabeth to engender a new superrace under Gomnol's guidance; he has not yet told Gomnol of the taboo.
- Ch 23Thagdal vows to stop any human-hybrid coalition, to destroy all copies of the survey, and to have Gomnol deal with the anthropologist, without Nodonn's draconian measures.
- Ch 25The King is in low spirits and rumored impotent; he has studied the survey but wavers over its implications.
- Ch 32Thagdal is the Tanu King; he declines the Sword and names Nodonn his deputy to open the sky.
- Ch 33The King fears Aiken Drum will beat Nodonn in the Encounters and be acclaimed Battlemaster, endangering Thagdal's own position.
- Ch 33Thagdal is troubled by Katlinel's defection, the prisoners' escape and Elizabeth's disappearance, and suspects Greg-Donnet obtained his own copy of Bryan's survey.
- Ch 35King Thagdal proclaimed Nodonn Tanu Battlemaster, ending the manifestations of power.
- Ch 37King Thagdal is dismayed that nobody listened to his unity speech. He fears the dirtiest trickster will become High King.
- Ch 39As custodian of the victor's Sword, Thagdal names the Tanu opponent for each Firvulag champion; he may keep or yield the Sword.
- Ch 40Thagdal, the Tanu King, tried to hold back the great wave with a massed mental wall of Tanu, Firvulag and humans, and drowned still holding Nontusvel's hand.
Book 3: The Nonborn King
- Ch 1High King Thagdal decreed that the alien invasion had never happened, following the Battlemaster's counsel.
- Ch 39Tanu king who ordered the Grotto Wilderness battle blotted from Tanu history.
Connections
- enemy ofPallol
- leadsThe Ship
- ally ofEadone
- ally ofDionket
- ally ofMayvar Kingmaker
- related toQueen Nontusvelrule together as King and Queen
- partner ofQueen Nontusvelhusband and wife; King and Queen
- family ofOgmolfather and son
- leadsTanu
- ally ofGreg-Donnet
- family ofCulluketson
- family ofEadoneeldest child
- enemy ofNodonnplans to challenge him for kingship
- ally ofNodonnBattlemaster serving the High King
- leadsLord VelteynHigh King; Velteyn calls him Awful Father
- ally ofSebi-GomnolLord Coercer and adviser
- related toBredeShipspouse who defies his mating scheme
- related toNodonndeputy of the King
- family ofNodonnson and designated heir
- enemy ofAiken Drum
- family ofAgraynelhybrid daughter of the Thagdal, per the passage
- family ofHuldahunborn son
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 1The Ship arrives and crashes
The dying Ship emerges near the planet; the exiles flee in flyers before it plunges into the eastern highlands, creating a huge crater.
- Book 2 · Ch 2Presentation to the High Table
The honorees are presented; Elizabeth is hailed with Slonshal. Thagdal and Nontusvel welcome them, Nontusvel promises Bryan he will see Mercy, and Ogmol is named as his assistant.
- Book 2 · Ch 2Thagdal explains Tanu breeding and torcs
Over the supper Thagdal and Nontusvel explain his sovereignty by fertility, the eugenic program with human help, and how honorary golden torcs were granted to key human arrivals.
- Book 2 · Ch 2Thagdal explains Tanu history of torcs
Thagdal tells the human guests how Gomnol discovered human latency and invented the assay device, silver and gray torcs, which let the Tanu dominate the Firvulag.
- Book 2 · Ch 2Toast to Elizabeth and fellowship
Thagdal declares Elizabeth a gift of Tana and announces her training under Brede; the court toasts fellowship, then feasting and dancing begin.
- Book 2 · Ch 3Stein's sword display and auction
Stein cuts flung oranges and the Tanu bid for him as a gladiator. A bid of Delbaeth's death by Aiken Drum halts the auction.
- Book 2 · Ch 3Mayvar takes Aiken to kin
After Aiken displays his growing mind, the assembly grants him a test. Mayvar takes him to kin and leaves with Aiken and Stein; Thagdal departs.
- Book 2 · Ch 10Stein's arena trial
At the Sport Meeting Stein slays the hyainailouros, is given the King's accolade, while Aiken upstages him, irritating Thagdal.
- Book 2 · Ch 10Royal box discussion
Bryan reports on his survey while Tanu leaders voice fears about human influence, and Greg-Donnet rants about cloning.
- Book 2 · Ch 10Aiken's accolade
King Thagdal knights Aiken; Mayvar forbids him a Tanu name for now, and he is sent on the Delbaeth Quest.
- Book 2 · Ch 11Mercy reveals her powers and plans
Mercy conjures cherries, explains her creator powers, ambitions with Nodonn and the Thagdal's child, then seduces Bryan and secures his promise to help her.
- Book 2 · Ch 13Aiken and Stein enter Delbaeth's cave
After the Hunt loses Delbaeth underground, Aiken and Stein defy the King's ridicule, shed armor and vanish into the cave as bats while several Tanu agree to wait three days.
- Book 2 · Ch 16Arrival of new time-travelers
At dawn, Pitkin receives several batches of costumed time-travelers and cargo at the time-portal under the watch of the Tanu leaders; guardians frisk them for iron and sort them.
- Book 2 · Ch 16Dispute over the fate of Finiah
The leaders debate rebuilding Finiah. Nodonn wants a fortified mining outpost and blames the time-gate; Thagdal and Gomnol offer a new city; Velteyn accepts and vows revenge at the Grand Combat.
- Book 2 · Ch 23The King's failure and the doomsday survey
After Thagdal fails again with a love-gift girl, Nontusvel comforts him. He reveals Brede's taboo on Elizabeth and Bryan's survey predicting Tanu downfall. He vows to stop a human-hybrid coalition and destroy the reports.
- Book 2 · Ch 32Opening of the Grand Combat
Tanu and Firvulag armies assemble on the Plain; Eadone declares the First Day, and Nodonn pierces the clouds with the photon Sword so the sky opens and the Combat begins.
- Book 2 · Ch 33Thagdal confides in Nontusvel
After the chariot races, Thagdal tells the Queen of defections, escapes and Aiken Drum's rising support. They console each other.
- Book 2 · Ch 33Felice proposes flooding the Med Basin
Felice reveals her plan to open Gibraltar, and exposes that Thagdal had Sukey tortured while pregnant. Stein, enraged, agrees to reconnoiter.
- Book 2 · Ch 35Leyr returns to challenge Imidol
At the vacant Coercer presidency, the banished Leyr appeared as aspirant beside Imidol; they agreed to a death duel in the High Mêlée.
- Book 2 · Ch 37Nodonn presents Bryan's survey
At the banquet, Nodonn brings the torc-compelled Bryan before the Tanu to expose the consequences of human assimilation, while Celadeyr defiantly backs Aiken Drum.
- Book 2 · Ch 39Banners are planted for the Heroic Encounters
Firvulag and Tanu champions rally behind Pallol, Nodonn and Aiken Drum, revealing a split among the Tanu. A cloaked woman with the chain of silence calms the crowd and the Marshal opens the Encounters.
- Book 2 · Ch 39Thagdal names the pairings
Thagdal assigns Tanu opponents to each Firvulag hero. The results leave Nodonn's side with a lead lost, as Imidol's defeat gives the Firvulag the point lead.
- Book 2 · Ch 40Aiken named Lugonn and defies Thagdal
Mayvar names Aiken the Shining One, Young Lugonn. He plants the Sword of Sharn before Thagdal instead of giving fealty; Brede ordains a final Combat of Sword and Spear.
- Book 2 · Ch 40The great flood
The Spain-Africa dike collapses and a 230-meter wave sweeps over the White Silver Plain as the champions clash, drowning Thagdal and the gathered multitude.
- Book 3 · Ch 1Ambush on the Donaar and invaders' escape
Three days later, the Tanu ambush failed: 419 knights died, including Hual and Mitheyn, and Leyr was maimed. The invaders reached the Atlantic and sailed away; the king hid the affair.