| Nortah Al Sendahl | |
|---|---|
Biographical information
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| Born | |
Physical description
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| Gender |
Male |
| Hair color |
Blond |
Political information
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| Affiliation |
Sixth Order of the Faith |
Appearances information
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Nortah Al Sendahl is the nobleborn son of the First Minister and a member of the Sixth Order in Vaelin Al Sorna’s group.
Appearance and Personality
Nortah is tall, blond haired boy with perfect, pearly white teeth, who develops into a lean man with sculpted muscle, and handsome features.
He begins as a somewhat arrogant young nobleman, who is somewhat unhappy at having to join the Order, and would dearly love to leave. He and Vaelin develop a rivalry, but it eventually softens to almost friendship. After the incident with his father, he becomes more withdrawn and bitter.
He is a fine bowman, as well as adept with throwing knives, though he had no ability with the staff. He excels as a horseman.
History
Nortah is the nobleborn son of Artis Al Sendahl, the First Minister to King Janus Al Nieren. His family are wealthy with much land and many fine houses in Asrael near Lake Rhil.
Blood Song
Nortah joined the Sixth Order in the same group as Vaelin Al Sorna, Barkus Jeshua, Dentos, Caenis Al Nysa, and many others under the tutelage of Master Sollis. It is later revealed that Nortah’s father and Vaelin’s father were rivals; after Vaelin’s father sent his son to the Order, Nortah was also sent, to better his father's position at court. Despite the rule that they have no family but the Order, Nortah regularly speaks of them, which annoys the others. He and Vaelin soon developed a fierce rivalry, frequently getting punished by the Masters for bickering.
Nortah survives the Test of the Run, coming fourth. On his journey, he sees a wolf, probably the Nameless Wolf that saved Vaelin.
During the Test of the Wild, Nortah kills a bear, and comes back with its craws made into a necklace as a prize; it is later revealed that the bear chased him, and fell off a cliff. He also met a trapper who told him news of the wider world, including that Vaelin’s father had resigned his position as Battle Lord, and asked a boon of the King to return his son from the Order. He is disappointed to hear that Vaelin had refused to leave, a chance that he himself hungered for.
When the brothers take on the task of helping Dentos pass the Test of Knowledge, Nortah proved the best teacher. His story telling technique was straightforward but effective, and he encouraged Dentos to think about the meaning of the story. The Test left Nortah aggressively hostile.
When the boys are reward with a trip to the Summertide Fair, Nortah and Vaelin are ordered to stay, allegedly for slacking off. They later learn that it is because Nortah’s father the First Minister is to be hung for treason and corruption. Nortah uses sheets to climb out of the window, and escapes to Order house. Vaelin tracks him to the Summertide Fair, where Nortah is trying to break through the cordon. It takes five soldiers of the Twenty-Seventh Cavalry to struggle to subdue him. Vaelin rescues him from the soldiers, and knocks Nortah out. As more soldiers arrive, and then Barkus, Caenis and Dentos join in, things seem on the verge of turning ugly, until Prince Malcius uses his authority to calm the situation. Nortah’s father is hung in the end; it is later revealed that his crime was to steal power from the King, not money. Nortah believes his mother and sister were also killed, but unbeknownst to him, Vaelin convinces the King to spare them, sending them to the Northern Reaches.
Returning to the Order house, Vaelin expects to face punishment, but find Aspect Gainyl Arlyn and Master Sollis understanding; angrier at what the King did to Nortah’s father, and what that did to Nortah. After the experience, Nortah becomes more withdrawn, though displaying a new found ferocity in training. It is only when Frentis joins the Order, with his energy and blind enthusiasm, that Nortah is somewhat enlivened. He takes on the task of showing Frentis the bow.
The Test of the Melee ends with Nortah holding the captured lance in his hands, blood streaming from wounds on his head and face. He smiled at Vaelin who acted as the leader of the Test, and say “It was a good plan, brother”. Vaelin and Caenis help him to the infirmary, as he succumbs to his wounds.
In the week long exchange to with brothers and sisters from different Orders, Nortah chose to join the Second Order, the Order of Contemplation and Enlightenment. Nortah manages to get himself expelled from the Order after only two days, when he tried it on with a sister giving him a relaxation massage. He is shocked when Vaelin is poisoned during the Aspect massacre. Later, Nortah excelled in the Test of the Horse, setting a new record in the process, and also in the Test of the Bow.
During Frentis’ Test of the Wild, when he doesn’t return, Nortah joins Vaelin, Barkus, Caenis and Dentos to find and rescue him. They track him to tunnels under an inn, thanks to Scratch, the Volarian slave-hounds. The structure seems to be some kind of temple to the mysterious and supposedly defunct Seventh Order of the Faith, the Order of the Dark. Behind a hidden door, they find Frentis tied to a frame, with his torso tattooed with scars. The outlaw One Eye makes a wall of fire, but Caenis recognises it as fake, and leaps through the flame and kills him.
The five friends graduate as full brothers of the Sixth Order, after succeeding in the Test of the Sword. Nortah endured a prolonged contest of several minutes, before being victorious.
Nortah and the others head to the Cumbraelin campaign against unfaithful fanatics hiding in the forests. By this time, Nortah has become more and more bitter at the Order, and started drinking too much.
In the subsequent campaign against Fief Lord Hentes Mustor, the True-blade, Nortah and Dentos are dispatched to command the new Battle Lord, Lakrhil Al Hestian, to stand down, after they capture the keep and kill Mustor. The Battle Lord reluctantly agrees to stand down, but only after executing his prisoners. Nortah is outraged. In a fury he chops off the Battle Lords hand, and would have killed him, except Dentos stops him.
Nortah flees the encampment to the west, with Vaelin in pursuit to bring him to justice. However, he was injured in his escape, and soon succumbs to his wounds. Sella and her people, all gifted with the Dark, find him, and heal him in their camp in the Fallen City deep in Lonak territory. Nortah and Sella soon become lovers. Eventually, Vaelin tracks him there. Seeing that Nortah is happy, Vaelin agrees to tell everyone that he was killed by the Lornak, and he only found his body. He takes Nortah’s sword and his talisman of the Order as evidence of his death. When they part, Vaelin finally reveals that Nortah’s mother and sister are safe in the Northern Reaches.
Tower Lord
Nortah and the community make the arduous treck to the Northern Reaches, and are allowed to settle by Tower Lord Vanos Al Myrna in Nehrin’s Point. Over the years, Nortah has become the school-teacher of the community, and he and Sella have had two children. However, his mother had died before they got to the Reaches, and his sister shuns them, fearing the Dark gifts of the community.
When Vaelin is appointed the Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches, he visits them, and Nortah and Vaelin share a tender embrace. During the visit, Vaelin collapses with a vision from the Blood Song of the death of King Malcius.