Princess Talmani
Realm’s Sweetheart
She walked as though the world itself was hers to command, yet her heart belonged to no one, not even the man who built a city in her name.
Overview
Princess Talmani was a figure of unmatched grace and poise, a beacon of elven nobility whose beauty was said to rival the stars themselves. Known as the Realm’s Sweetheart, she was a healer, a diplomat, and a symbol of elven resilience in an age when humans rapidly overtook the world. Though history remembers her as the queen who united Elves and dwarves in the Redoe Alliance, those who study her life know a deeper truth—she was bound to a fate she did not choose.
Though she was wedded to Prince Germund of the dwarves to cement an alliance, her heart was never truly his. Their marriage, orchestrated by the rulers of their people, was shadowed by a deception—her husband’s love for her was not of his own will, but the result of a potion crafted to ensure the alliance. And though she played the role of a dutiful queen, her soul remained untethered, much like the wind that danced through the golden fields of her homeland.
Early Life
Born in 5th Suncrest, 1797 BAR, Talmani was the daughter of Queen Alma of the Sunset Plains, a ruler known for her wisdom and foresight. Raised among the silverwood trees of her homeland, she was trained in the healing arts, the ways of diplomacy, and the intricate dances that told the history of her people. From a young age, she was beloved by all who knew her, her voice like a song carried on the wind, her laughter a melody that soothed even the most troubled of hearts.
Though she was admired for her kindness and intelligence, her fate was sealed the moment humans expanded into the lands of elves and dwarves. The world was changing, and Queen Alma saw only one way to ensure her people's survival—marriage. It was a duty Talmani could not refuse, though she harbored no love for the match.
Marriage to Prince Germund
On 2nd Bloommere, 1782 BAR, Talmani was wed to Prince Germund of the Dwarves in a union meant to forge an unbreakable bond between their people. The ceremony, held beneath the ancient silverwood of the Sunset Plains, was a spectacle of grandeur. Elven enchanters wove spells of prosperity into the air, while dwarven smiths carved runes of protection into the very ground they stood upon. To the world, it was a moment of triumph.
But to Talmani, it was a gilded cage.
Her husband’s love was unquestionable—he worshiped her, adored her beyond all reason. And yet, she sensed something unnatural in the way his devotion clung to her like an enchantment. Unbeknownst to her at the time, King Ebbe, Germund’s father, had sought the help of a Human sorceress, Berea, to ensure the marriage’s success. A powerful love potion was brewed and given to Germund, binding him in an obsession that Talmani could never return.
Despite this, she fulfilled her duty. She stood by Germund’s side as they led their people to the uncharted lands of the northeast, escaping the encroaching human kingdoms. There, under her guidance and his architectural genius, Hyste Talma was born—a city carved into the mountains, built as a sanctuary for dwarves and elves alike.
Germund, blinded by his devotion, named it in her honor. But Talmani, for all the reverence she received, never truly called it home.
Life in Hyste Talma
Talmani played her role well. She helped establish the city’s healing halls, training a generation of elven and dwarven healers. She oversaw the planting of the first gardens in The Dome, ensuring that even in the heart of the mountains, her people would not forget the forests of their homeland. She worked tirelessly to maintain peace between the stubborn dwarves and the proud elves who now shared a single home.
And yet, she was always an outsider in her own kingdom.
The dwarves respected her but never truly understood her. The elves revered her but whispered of how she had been given away like a bargaining chip. And Germund—he loved her so deeply it became suffocating. Talmani longed for freedom, but duty held her chains fast.
Legacy and Disappearance
For years, Talmani endured. But as time passed, the illusion of harmony began to fray. Within the shadows of the Black Castle, whispers of discontent and betrayal grew. Some say she conspired against Germund, hoping to break free from the life she had never chosen. Others believe she sought a cure for the magic that bound her husband to her, desperate to see if the love he claimed to hold was real.
And then—she was gone.
One cold Frostveil night, Talmani disappeared without a trace. No one knows whether she fled into the wilds, was taken by a secret faction, or met a darker fate within the castle’s walls. Germund, devastated beyond words, spent the rest of his life searching for her, his love for her undying even in despair.
Her name became legend. In elven poetry, she is the Queen of the Unchained, a woman who walked away from fate itself. In dwarven histories, she is Talmani the Vanished, the only wound Germund could never heal. And in the echoes of Hyste Talma, there are those who swear they still hear her voice carried on the wind, whispering of a love that was never hers to return.
She was duty-bound, yet untamed. And though they named a city for her, she belonged only to the wind.
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