A traveling musician and chef. He is a Changling from the Autumn Court in the Wyld lands, and spends most of his days playing in small coffee shops and bars. When he finds work, he usually lands in the kitchen of a diner or other small kitchens and fills the place with his much loved pies. His wanderlust keeps him moving, and planting proper roots.
Personality
Taliesin appears to be a very laid back gentleman. However he is always ready to entertain no matter where it he, either with a great story, an epic ballad or an amusing joke.
Background
Taliesin's Early Years
In her youth, Alison Kennerick was a budding opera singer. While she had a natural talent for singing, there was always someone else who was better than her. This caused her years of frustration. After performing one night as a backup singer, she met a well dressed and handsome man. He saw her talent and knew that if he could cultivate it, she would be amazing. He promised her an opening act in exchange for a favor that would asked later. She agreed without hesitation, and he granted her wish.
Alison spent several years in the spotlight before her mysterious benefactor returned. He called himself Meurig, which seemed strange even for a Welshman, and all he wanted from her was a child. She was to take care of the child until he was thirteen. Than he would take the child under his wing for an undetermined amount of time. Again, she agreed, feeling it was time for her to retire from the spotlight anyway.
Alison gave birth to a boy that Meurig named Taliesin, after the great bard in Arthurian legend. True to his word, Meurig stayed away, allowing Alison to raise the child as she saw fit. Taliesin grew up surrounded by music. He was young when he first sat down at a piano. While normal children would pound and bang on the keys, Taliesin played a lullaby his mother always sang to him.
Time in the Faerie Lands
Taliesin learned to read music before he could read a book. He had enough talent that he performed up on stage several times. Aside from his music, he has a typical childhood. He was popular in school and had a vivid and active imagination. His mother taught him to cook and she had plans for him. She was going to enroll him in a prestigious art school and feed his love of music.
When Talisen turned thirteen, his father came for him. Even though they knew this day was coming, it was not easy for the boy to leave his mother, his friends, and his home. Entering the Nevernever and traveling to the Wyld lands where Autumn held it's court. He realized that here had been something that was missing from his life.
Taliesin's musical education continued, but he shifted from the piano to the lute. He also learned how to defend himself. He learned the art of swordplay, though he would later come to favor the dagger. He was taught the etiquette of dealing with the complicated Sidhe courts. He excelled at Glamour magic, and his father encouraged him to practice in this field.
All Grown up.
All was going well, until he met Celeste. She was a beautiful Fae in the Autumn Court who became enchanted by the budding bard. Taliesin fell hard for her, but to his dismay he found out that she was betrothed. So he did what any bard should do, he serenaded her. Her wrote her an epic song that he performed at her wedding that moved all who attended. Celeste's husband agreed to an arrangement. He allowed Celeste and Taliesin to meet once a year. For one night only they could express their love in whatever form they saw fit, but the rest of the year belonged to him.
After the wedding, Taliesin's father released him, saying he had taught him everything that he could. He was to travel the world and learn songs and stories to bring back to the Court. He returned home to his mother, to show her the man he had become, but he found that his old home did not feel right. It was then that he began his travels.
He has traveled most of Europe, finding that he was able to pick up the languages there easier than he thought. He figured it was due to his magical abilities. He hasn't been states side long, but something began to pull him to the west coast.
SKILLS
Academics - Competent Level
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Taliesin has traveled all over the world and picked up all sorts of knowlege from local legends to what spices go best in a local dish.
Atheletics - Competent Level
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Taliesin keeps himself active, usually by walking everywhere he goes, or the occasional bout of free running. His Fae blood keeps him agile and he uses that to his advanage when things start to get rough.
Bardic Knowledge - Expert Level
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From his many travels, Taliesin has learned a lot of local legends and lore. Either from his travels in the mortal world, or his trips into the Nevernever, he always has a story, or is looking for new ones to pass along on his next adventure. It has also helped him learn about various supernatural creatures.
Taliesin is a very attractive gentleman, but looks only get a man so far. There is something to his ease and personality that draws other people in. It could be the way he speaks, or the lilting accent in his voice, but in the end it probably helps that he has Fae blood running through his veins. Either way, the man knows how to hold a crowd.
Having traveled all over the world, he has picked up local repies and has worked in kitchens from your every day greasy spoon to fine dinning establishments.
It was required training in his teenage years that Taliesin know how to handle a sword. While he can hold his own in a fight, he prefers fighting with daggers.
Musical Prodigy - Expert Level
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From a very young age, Taliesin showed a great talent for music. He started with the piano and later settled on the guitar, but it is rare that he has come across an instrument, either mundane or magical, that he can't make a plesant tune from.
ABILITIES
Power: Faerie Glamour - Enhanced Level
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Taliesin is adept at making people see what he wants them to see. Whether it is a more human apperance, wild olored hair, or to the leaves being a different color in the trees.
Power: Sidhe Physique - Enhanced Level
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Thanks to the blessings of his sidhe blood, Taliesin is physically stronger, more agile, and more durable than ordinary humans, all at Enhanced level. He also heals at an increased rate, several times human normal. Though this works much more slowly than Enhanced level healing, it is very thorough, allowing him to recover from any illness, toxin, or non-fatal wound, given time.
Power: Sidhe Will - Enhanced Level
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As the scion of one of the high sidhe, Rey has greatly enhanced mental fortitude. This allows him to resist most mental or spiritual intrusions, influences, or compulsions, as well as granting him extremely potent willpower for non-mystical purposes.
Power: Siren's Song - Supreme Level
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Taliesin has been told that he has the voice of an Angel, however in truth it's all due to his Fae blood. He doesn't always use this power, but when he does it has hypnotic powers. It has helped on days he wants to have bigger tips in his guitar case, and it is something that his Fae father finds very useful.
Power: Sympathetic Linguist - Enhanced Level
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Taliesin has traveled all over the world leanring stories and songs from anyone who would tell them. He has the ability to comprehend and speak a language he is surrounded by. Though he has limited access when it comes to reading and writing in other languages that he hasn't formally learned.
ADVANTAGES
Taliesin's father has been a prominant figure in his life since he was a teenager. He acts as a protector, and guides Taliesin when he needs it.
A musician is rarely parted from his instrument. Taliesin was gifted a guitar from his father when he came of age, and has been his loyal companion for years. It never loses tune and always has a rich sound whenver it is played by it's owner.
WEAKNESSES
Taliesin is a child of two worlds. WHile he was born in the mortal realm, part of him will always belong to the Fae. That is until he makes that fateful choice between Human and Fae. This does allow him to lie, unless asked something thrice, and all of his oaths are binding contracts. The choice lingers ove rhis head and in times of high stress, one side pulls against the other.
Iron is just bad news for Taliesin. While it doesn't burn him as harslhy as it would a full blooded Fae, it does cause him a lot of discomfort and affects his magical abilities.
Taliesin has trouble staying in one place for too long. While he's happy to work in a greasy kitchen for a few weeks, or maybe even rent a long term hotelroom he hasn't lived in a place with a proper address since he was a teenager. There are always more places to see, more stories to learn and more songs to sing else where.
