Talien Radisgad

Artwork by Michael Tresca.

"And I suppose you were reincarnated from a monkey." - Talien Radisgad, whenever anyone asks him if he's a reincarnated satyr.

In all of Elysium, there is no greater hero more reknown or feared than Talien the myrikhan. His fanatical pursuit of evil and his complete willingness to sacrifice nearly anyone and anything for his goals have earned him exceptionally powerful enemies and the favor of Elysium's inhabitants. An adventurer who is not afraid to "plane-hop" to achieve his goals, Talien is Elysium's answer to invaders from other realms who think a casual adventure which involves tearing up most of his home's landscape is all in fun.

Talien bears a passing resemblance to a satyr, but he is much more regal in appearance. He's slim but strong, and his body is covered in short, white fur. Over his chest, face, and upper arms the fur thins enough to reveal smooth, golden skin. His head is crowned with magnificent horns and his feet are small, hard hooves. His hands are backed by hooflike material and make for effective bludgeons when closed in a fist, but Talien's preferred weapons are his horns. Talien favors chain vests and augments this protection with a shield. Utility is at the heart of his wardrobe, a combination of efficiency and minimal encumberance. He wears a suede collar that ties at the rear and is removed only in emergencies.

Talien is a folk hero in Elysium, if only because the outer planes are so often forgotten because of all of the turmoil of the Prime. He is also something of a fantic, which worries Primes (aka Clueless) who don't know him. Often grim and single-minded, Talien is inevitably compared to the other four Companions. Although the Companions are all on good terms, the others of their race often imagine strife and competition where there is none. Talien seems to be rarely interested in what's going on in Elysium itself and much more concerned about what he can do to protect his beloved home.

Although he works with the Transcendent Order, Talien does not lead them nor has he shown any interest in doing so, which suits the Order just find. The philosophy of "know yourself" seems to include "do it yourself" when it comes to Talien. While he is quite capable of cooperating with other factol members, they know better than to call on him for matters that he would consider frivolous.

Talien will never speak his god's name except on concsecrated ground, prayers and godcalls notwithstanding. As a result, nobody really knows who it is Talien worships. Some theorize that he answers to Oberon of the Seelie Court, but Talien does not travel with the court nor does he seem to be interested in frolicing. The bariaurs claim he worships Skerrit, while the satyrs theorize that Damh is his patron -- but they're always quick to add they're only joking, usually with a nervous look over their shoulders. Others claim it is Talisid himself, or Enlil, or some other god that resides in Elysium. Whatever the golden-skulled horned god is that is Talien's patron, he sees fit not to reveal his allegiance.

Talien is "fiend-prejudiced" and has made it clear that he believes there is no such thing as a non-evil fiend, much to the dismay of alu-demons and tieflings who deal with him. His prejudice comes from the frequent invasions of fiends of various types (Talien does not distinguish between them) that have attacked Elysium.

The fastest way to invoke Talien's considerable wrath is to attack Elysium. His allegiance to his home is and his friends is powerful indeed and he retaliates with extreme prejudice against anyone who would dare to violate even one flower in Elysium's fields. Talien holds those who consider themselves powerful in disdain -- it is said he despises setting foot on Faerun for too long because the "air is too rich" for him. Talien takes a distinct pleasure in rattling the power structures of Primes who consider themselves and their doings to be at the center of the universe. He and his mate's power is enough that most powreful archmages know of him and know to avoid him.

Talien's greatest inspiration is Maleficent, his mate. She is the one person Talien will abandon even Elysium for if it should come to that.  Fortunately, Maleficent is nearly as difficult to defeat as the combined forces of Elysium themselves, so Talien has never had to make that choice.

Despite his rages against the forces of evil, Talien is an otherwise calm person, a demeanor people describe as an "inner peace" which he seems to have found in Maleficent. His affections have neither dulled his skills nor weakened his resolve.

Talien greatly enjoys scouting with Maleficent across the planes, so much so that they have made it a routine even in times of peace. He is a restless personality that thrives on challenges. His endless drive can be tiring for some, but this is in part because Talien does still need to sleep, and Maleficent doesn't. He struggles to keep up.

Talien is a gruff personality, but he is a sincere and honest person. The gruffness is an act -- Talien is much more interested in the task at hand, and he has found in the past that few can live up to his black and white views of life. Maleficent lovingly refers to him as "that gruff goat."  Nobody else would dare.

Talien and Maleficent live in a crystal palace which rarely lets its location be known. It moves randomly around Elysium, only appearing in territories the gods allow. Talien often takes in the view from one of the towers, taking in the scenery, sometimes for hours.

Talien is one of Talisid's Five Companions, the strongest and wisest of the cervidals. His relationship with Talisid is warm, and Talisid is the only person Talien treats as "his boss."  He follows Talisid's requests without question.