Heralds of Valdemar: Difference between revisions

* ''The Valdemar Companion: A Guide to Mercedes Lackey's World of Valdemar'' -- Nearly everything you wanted to know about Valdemar, plus a Valdemar novelette.

 

== Tropes A to M ==

* [[Abdicate the Throne]]: Elspeth, from the position of Heir, to take on the mantle of the first Herald-Mage since Vanyel's time.

** Another one is used by Karal in ''Storm Warning'' to catch the mole responsible for {{spoiler|Ulrich's}} death, by presenting himself as an easy target for assassination.

* [[Boarding School of Horrors]]: Lavan attends a day school of this in ''Brightly Burning''.

* [[Bond Creatures]]: The Companions, most prominently; also the bondbirds of the Tayledras. The Firecats of Karse may answer to this trope too. They're more independent-minded than their cousins the Companions, but still ultimately attached to one person.

* [[A Boy and His X]]: Heralds could be described as "people with [[Psychic Powers]] and their [[Non-Human Sidekick|Non Human Sidekicks]]". The bondbirds of the Tayledras occasionally play this role, particularly in ''Owl Knight''.

** Averted in Valdemar, where one must be Chosen as a Herald, with all the [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness]] that implies, in order to be eligible for the throne. It is in fact key to the origin of the Heraldic Circle: King Valdemar, concerned that one of his descendents would eventually fall into this trope, prayed to every God he could think of for a way to ensure that his successors would always be worthy people, and was answered by the appearance of three Companions who promptly Chose him, his son, and his herald.

** Played straight, meanwhile, with the King of Hardorn, who was a pretty good king and ally of Valdemar until his son Ancar killed him and took over, enslaving his people and starting wars with Valdemar and Karse.

* [[Snake Talk]]: Most of the Gryphons. But not in any evil or sinister sense; it's due to their vocal anatomy.

* [[Spirit Advisor]]: