Tamora Pierce Wiki

Welcome to the Tamora Pierce Wiki! Want to edit and see fewer ads cluttering your screen? Consider creating an account and participating in our small community! Registered users will be able to edit pages, will only see ads on the community's main page, and more.

READ MORE

Tamora Pierce Wiki
Register
(giving it a bit more structure and ordering information accordingly)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Ancient times===
 
===Ancient times===
The Ysandir previously lived across the sea, but came to Tortall and took over the Black City.
+
The Ysandir previously lived across the sea, but came to Tortall and took over the Black City.
   
In Tortall, three thousand years before the events of The Provost's Dog series, the Ianto clan, part of the Ysandir race, were in a war with the Searflame [[dragon]] family. The final battle so wreaked the world that it created great marshed where they ripped land with magic, later called the War Gorge Marsh by humans. The [[Great Gods]], with [[the Cat]], tried to put a stop to the battle, but when the Ysandir refused to yield, they began a war with the Great Gods that would eventually lead to their defeat. This war was the first time humans fought on behalf of the gods.<ref name="m">''Mastiff''</ref>
+
In Tortall, three thousand years before the events of The Provost's Dog series, the Ianto clan, part of the Ysandir race, were in a war with the Searflame [[dragon]] family. The final battle so wreaked the world that it created great marshes where they ripped land with magic, later called the War Gorge Marsh by humans. The [[Great Gods]], with [[the Cat]], tried to put a stop to the battle, but when the Ysandir refused to yield, they began a war with the Great Gods that would eventually lead to their defeat. This war was the first time humans fought on behalf of the gods.<ref name="m">''Mastiff''</ref>
   
 
===5th century HE===
 
===5th century HE===

Revision as of 01:40, 21 April 2014

The Ysandir were a very old race that lived in Tortall long before humans settled there. Now they are mainly considered a myth. However, they inhabited the Black City for centuries, invoking the terror of the Bazhir, who called them the Nameless Ones.

History

Ancient times

The Ysandir previously lived across the sea, but came to Tortall and took over the Black City.

In Tortall, three thousand years before the events of The Provost's Dog series, the Ianto clan, part of the Ysandir race, were in a war with the Searflame dragon family. The final battle so wreaked the world that it created great marshes where they ripped land with magic, later called the War Gorge Marsh by humans. The Great Gods, with the Cat, tried to put a stop to the battle, but when the Ysandir refused to yield, they began a war with the Great Gods that would eventually lead to their defeat. This war was the first time humans fought on behalf of the gods.[1]

5th century HE

The Ysandir seem to have mainly died out over the time. However, a group of men and women survived over the ages in the Black City, feeding on the children of the Bazhir. The Ysandir called and then consumed any of the Bazhir teenagers they could. Those the Ysandir called would starve themselves if they could not go to them, but their parents would rather they starve to death than die at the hands of the Ysandir.

By the time Prince Jonathan and Alanna (Alan) went to the Black City, only ten of them were left. When Jonathan and Alanna entered the Black City, they were attacked by the Ysandir.

After Alanna (Alan) noted that Duke Roger was sending a sort of challenge to Jonathan through magic to explore the Black City and certainly meet his death, the Prince urged Alanna to accompany him in his investigation. The Ysandir were shown to be incredibly powerful, and nearly killed both Alanna and the Prince. They also removed Alanna's clothing to reveal her true sex. It seemed that despite Alanna's excellent swordsmanship and the combined power of her own and Jonathan's magical Gift, it seemed that only the will and assistance of The Goddess allowed them to defeat the Ysandir.[2]

Ylon and Ylanda claimed that they were the first Ysandir; the most powerful of them all. They were the last to be killed by Alanna and Jon.

Physical description

All of the Ysandir were extremely attractive. Alanna described them as being too beautiful to look at. The Ysandir were very tall; even the shortest of the women was taller than Gareth I of Naxen. One woman, named Ylanda, had long red nails that were rather clawlike. There was a woman in red named Ylira. One of the other women was a redhead and another was a brunette, while another had snow white hair,. The tallest of the men was Ylon, chief of the Ysandir. He had broad shoulders and a black beard.[2]

All the named Ysandir had names beginning in Y.

Abilities and traits

The Ysandir seemed to have the ability to look into mortals' minds: they knew that the Prince believed that his father would hunt for and destroy the Ysandir, and knew Alanna for a girl. They feared and hated fire above all things. The magic wielded by them was a yellow-green.[2]

The Ysandir seem to have been accomplished musicians, as Pounce mentions that the music of the Ysandir is one thing he misses.[1]

Appearances

The Ysandir only appeared in Alanna: The First Adventure. Alanna and Jon encountered and defeated them at the end of the novel. They were referred to later on in The Song of the Lioness quartet, namely in The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, when Alanna and Jon's adventures in the Black City were told.

They are also mentioned by Pounce in Mastiff, when he tells part of their history relating to the Ianto clan and their wars with the dragons and the gods.

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 Mastiff
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Alanna: The First Adventure