Karal Austreben
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Basic facts
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Name: Karal Austreben, Sun-priest of Vkandis Sunlord (vkandis_son) |  |
Background
Karal is the son of the chief stableman of the Rising Sun inn, and was claimed by the Sun-priests (a subset known as Voices) when he was nine. In Karse, children identified as having the mage gift or high intelligence are claimed by the church, drugged for ease of transport, and taken to the Children's Cloister, never to be seen by their families again. Some of them are eventually burned alive for heresy, and all the children - including Karal, several times - at the Cloister are required to watch.
Karal grew up and was educated in the Cloister, quickly rising to advanced classes with the highborn students due to his intelligence and devotion to studies. He pleased his teachers but was ceaselessly bullied by his classmates.
The priest Ulrich eventually chose him as mentoree and secretary, and fostered both his love of scholarly pursuits and his love of horses. When Karal was twelve, Solaris ascended to the head of the church, and of Karse (it's essentially a theocracy), as Son of the Sun, and the entire corrupt hierarchy and customs of the church were overhauled (no more burning kids for a start!). Ulrich went to the Temple at Sunhame and was heavily involved in the reforms, and perforce so was Karal.
Long time enemies, Karse and Valdemar forged an alliance against a common enemy after Solaris ascended as Son of the Sun. The alliance continues in the face of the twin threats of the mage storms (waves of magic sweeping across the world that mutate non-magic things and screw royally with any active magics) and the Eastern Empire. Ulrich was sent as envoy from Karse, and Karal accompanied him as secretary.
There he acquired a Firecat to advise him, and a Companion as a sort of Valdemaran advisor. (Companion = very pretty blue-eyed white horse on the outside, sentient magical being on the inside.)
Ulrich was killed by an assassin, leaving Karal to stand as Karse's envoy and, when a magical breakwater was identified as being a temporary solution to the mage storm problem, to act as a channel for tremendous magical powers.
Because Solaris refused to appoint a new envoy, Karal was left to struggle on in a position he was in no way ready for, while trying to get over the death of a man who was mentor, father figure, and dear friend.
Where Canon and Character go separate ways
Karal comes from just after the end of Storm Warning, but before the beginning of Storm Rising. The mage storms are temporarily under control, the Eastern Empire's threat is lessened. In canon, Karal is told to stay and continue to be the envoy, despite his total lack of effectiveness due to his youth and inexperience, and the stress it is causing him.
However, instead of being left there to be threatened, bullied, stressed nearly to the breaking point and get an ulcer, Karal is sent to Fandom.
Solaris, rather than keeping him as her official envoy and ignoring the evidence that someone more experienced should take his place, decrees (well, really, Vkandis decrees it through Solaris) that he is to go - and the idea is backed by the Companions - to get much needed experience and gain the time and distance he needs to be ready for the events to come.
Time in Fandom will run differently from time in Valdemar. Months will pass in Fandom and only days will pass in Valdemar, so Karal will be willing to come, else he'd feel he was abandoning his duty. He will return to Valdemar regularly to attend council meetings, as it is not common knowledge that he is gone.
Canon is being stretched by making the breathing space granted by the breakwater far longer and, at the time Karal comes to Fandom, having the Alliance believe it's a long-term solution, and by downplaying the threat of the Eastern Empire.
ALSO, in canon Karal states that he is a novice priest because he hasn't taken any vows. Later, he is referred to as an acolyte, and then Solaris 'declares' him to be a full Priest. However, these things are quite inconsistent. And, at the Iftel border, Karal questions whether he is a priest, with the clear implication that mere declaration is not sufficient. Therefore the stance that is being taken is that Solaris's declaration was for political expediency only. In Karal's mind he will continue to be a novice until he takes his vows, though he does refer to himself as a priest.
