“ Poor little Torak. You don't know what you're agreeing to. You don't even know where you are.
—Tenris to Torak, Spirit Walker, chapter 19
Tenris was the Seal Clan Mage and one of the seven Soul-Eaters. His face is half burnt from the Great Fire, which was caused by his brother, Torak's father. Tenris summoned the demon bear that killed Torak's father, and he later created sickness stemming from poisoned juniper berries to lure out Torak, who turned out to be a spirit walker. Tenris was prepared to kill him when he was stopped by Renn, Wolf, and Torak, and he fell prey to the notched-fin Hunter that he angered. At some point, Tenris fathered a son with Seshru, a tokoroth named Naiginn.
Appearance[]
- Tenris was a well-muscled and handsome individual with thick sandy hair, a dark-golden beard, and gray eyes. He had a straight nose and a strong jaw-line. The left side of his face was scorched from the top of his mouth to his scalp. His jerkin and leggings were plain but he wore a thick braided hide belt fringed with puffin beaks.[2]
History[]
Early Life[]
He was a Seal from birth, with his mother being a Seal. When he was eleven summers old, he met Fin-Kedinn while the two were being fostered with the Wolf Clan. Torak's Father was nine summers old at the time. However, in the eleventh winter of his friendship with Fin-Kedinn, Torak's Father was named the Wolf Clan Mage, but Tenris was not named the Seal Clan Mage. He parted from everyone else, and wandered on his own for a while. He never saw Fin-Kedinn again. Three years before the events of Spirit Walker, he poisoned four people of the Seal Clan and let them die from the poison, to see if the poison he had created worked like he wanted it to.
Wolf Brother[]
While he does not appear directly in the novel he is referenced. Hord while fostering with The Red Deer Clan was tricked by Tenris (known as the Crippled Wanderer) to help him capture a bear. Tenris put a demon in the bear creating a monster that would threatened the Forrest for months. The Demon Bear was used to kill Fa for revenge for the burns he suffered.
Spirit Walker[]
Tenris using Tokoroth was able to create a sickness which threatened to destroy the Forest by poisoning berries. Torak came to the Seals meeting Tenris. Tenris pretended to help Torak create a "cure" for the sickness, though none actually existed. Upon discovering Torak's power, he tried to absorb Torak's spirit walker powers by eating his heart. To prepare for the ritual he killed a young Hunter (Orca) and tore out its teeth. He made an amulet to hide himself from the vengeful Hunter. It would instead attack a Seal boy's skin boat nearly killing him. He tricked Torak into thinking that together they would make the cure to the sickness. Instead he captured Torak and revealed he created the sickness which did not have a cure. He would bind Torak to his altar with his Tokoroth keeping Wolf from interfering and using fire to block any other assistance. However, just before Tenris cut out Torak's heart, Renn shot his hand from far away, in Bale's skinboat, and Tenris dropped the knife, allowing Torak to escape into the sea. Tenris dived into the sea after him and tried to drag him back to complete the ritual. Torak sensing the vengeful Hunter ripped the amulet from Tenris' neck and dropped it into the sea. Tenris panicked upon realizing he could not protect himself. He then told Torak to ask Fin-Kedinn tell him the truth. He would then be killed by the vengeful Hunter.
Oath Breaker[]
It is revealed that Tenris had a piece of the Fire Opal which is how he was able to create the Tokaroth. He has hidden it under his altar. While Bale was trying to find it to prevent the Soul-Eaters from getting it, Thiazzi would kill Bale and claim Tenris' piece of the Fire Opal.
Ghost Hunter[]
Eostra, using Tenris' piece of the Fire Opal, summoned Tenris' subjugated soul along with the other dead Soul-Eater as part of ritual to make her immortal. When the Fire Opal was broken by Torak, Tenris' soul disappeared.
Personality[]
Tenris was described as the Soul-Eater who "was as slippery as a seal". He was an isolationist, who started the idea of not mixing the Land with the Sea. This allowed him to exercise total domination over the Seal Clan, and to have much influence over the other Sea Clans. He was very persuasive, and his voice was described as "beautiful" on multiple occasions, and is low pitched, with an undercurrent of power in it. He is patient and clever as he was able to develop a complicated plan to draw the one who destroyed the Demon Bear to him. He also was careful as he made sure to take a precaution against being pursued by the vengeful Hunter. He is envious as demonstrated by his reaction to Fa becoming a Mage and his goal to steal Torak's power. He seemed to be caring and kind, however, this seems to be a facade, as he is shown to want only power at the end of Spirit Walker. He was cruel as he created two Tokoroth whom he abused, poisoned the Seals to test his poison while pretending to cure it, and his murder of the baby Orca. He is arguably the most manipulative of the Soul-Eaters and due to his willingness to kill kin and murder the young Orca, one of the darker characters in the series.
Abilities
Tenris as a Mage and Soul-Eater was very powerful. He used two Tokoroth that he had created to poison the Juniper berries in the Forest so that the clans would fall sick and he could dominate them. Upon learning of Torak being a Spirit Walker, he would attempt to steal his power with a ritual. He was a capable skin boater and a strong swimmer.
Gallery[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Spirit Walker, chapter 33
- ↑ Spirit Walker, chapter 18
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Main characters | Torak • Renn • Wolf |
| Supporting characters | Fin-Kedinn • Dark • Saeunn • Bale • Darkfur • Pebble |
| Soul-Eaters | Eostra • Thiazzi • Seshru • Nef • Tenris • Torak's father • Narrander |