Baird of Queenscove

From the Tamora Pierce Wiki

Duke Baird of Queenscove was chief of the Palace healers from the early 430s onwards. He is extremely talented, with an emerald-green Gift, which runs in his family. His father and great-grandmother had already been healers before Baird^[1]. The duke is a devoted servant to the Crown and serves Tortall through the reigns of at least two kings. Baird is married and has several children.

[edit] Biography

Baird was probably born around the beginning of the fifth century of the Human Era. Apart from the fact that he has a sister and once danced with Ilane of Seabeth and Seajen, before she married Piers of Mindelan, not much is known about his early life. It is also unknown where he studied magic. It seems to be obvious, however, that he was already a powerful and talented healer in his youth because he had gained the post of chief of the palace healers at the age of 28, which made him one of the youngest chief healers ever^[2].

Baird has always been a defender of the royal family. He attended both Queen Lianne and Prince Jonathan during the Sweating Sickness. He was also the chief healer during the Tusaine War, allowing Alanna to help the injured when she was unable to fight. He attended Queen Lianne through her last illnesses, including those magically caused by Duke Roger of Conté. He also helped defend Jonathan during his coronation. During the Scanran War, he travelled north to help with the layout of refugee camps and see if his assistant could handle the nobility alone. He aided Keladry of Mindelan for the first few weeks of her command of Haven, and helped his son Nealan assess the health of the refugees and the convict army squads.

[edit] Physical description

Baird is described as tall and lanky with dark green eyes - darker than his son Neal's - in deep sockets. His hair is several shades redder than Neal's light brown, but they share the same-shaped nose. There is no mention of his going grey, despite the fact that the timings suggest that he is, at a minimum, in his early fifties.

[edit] Family

Baird's wife is a green-eyed brunette who is still alive at the time of the Scanran War. His two eldest sons died in the Immortals War; it is unknown whether they were squires or knights at the time. His eldest living son is Nealan or 'Neal', the former squire of Alanna the Lioness. Neal will inherit his father's title, and has already inherited his healing Gift. He has other sons and daughters still living, although it is not said how many. One of them is of an age with Keladry of Mindelan, five years younger than Neal. His daughter Jessamine marries Balduin of Disart.

                                       ?
                                       │
              ┌————————————————————————┴—————————————————————————————————┐
              │                Haryse                                    │
              │                   │                                      │
      Baird of Queenscove ┬ unnamed wife                       unnamed sister ┬ unnamed husband
                          │                                                   │
                          │                                          Domitan of Masbolle
 ┌————————————————————————┴——┬—————————————————┬———————————————————————————————————————┐
 │                           │                 │                                       │
Graeme of Queenscove †  unnamed son †  Nealan of Queenscove ┬ Yukimi noh Daiomoru  Jessamine of Queenscove - Balduin of Disart
                                                            │
                                                    unnamed daughter

[edit] Trivia

The name 'Baird' is Celtic, derived from the name and occupation 'Bard' and means 'minstrel' or 'poet'.

[edit] Notes and references

1. ↑ Random Buzz; "Neal/Yuki offspring"; April 24, 2009
2. ↑ Sheroes-Central; "Question about something Tim posted a long time ago..."; Nov 14, 2002

[edit] See also