Renalia Irebar

Renalia Irebar is a Forest fairy, a member of an elite team of rangers located in Aminira Glade. Despite her intimidating status as a ranger and defender of Isilda, Renalia comes across as far more gentle and caring than one would expect of a fairy warrior. In appearance, she is much like all the other Forest fairy women; she has brown hair and eyes and a rather fair complexion, and her ranger uniform consists of green garb with a dark brown cloak. She is one of the few fairies who knows both the fairy language and the Common tongue and is not ashamed to speak both. Renalia, despite being among the rangers who arrest Taf and Ace, helps the two boys escape Aminira Glade.

Personality
Despite her tough exterior, Renalia proves to be friendly even to those her peers may be hostile toward. She is a gifted diplomat, able to reason with even her stubborn superior officer. She tends to always look at both sides of an argument, and to be willing to do what she deems is the right thing, even if it is not socially acceptable.

Skills
Renalia is a fairy ranger stationed in Aminira Glade. She is part of an elite branch of rangers, who are charged with the specific task of protecting Isilda by guarding Aminira Glade and arresting intruders. Her rank, however, is much more difficult to determine. It seems as though she answers to a superior, Captain Thaddeus, but she has some status in her group; guards who Thaddeus places in charge of Ace and Taf back away when she orders them about (although this could be because she is passing on orders that Thaddeus gave her). She also has enough status in her group to stand up to Thaddeus and to question his actions without being punished.

Of course, as a fairy Renalia has skills that all fairies possess; she has increased mobility and heightened senses. She is also able to communicate telepathically with others. In addition, Renalia is bi-lingual; she can speak both fairy and the Common tongue.

Renalia appears to have more skills than her humble appearance lets on. For one thing, she has an element of persuasion, able to convince Thaddeus to abandon his plans to be completely heartless toward Ace and Taf. She is also quite the tactician; when the ranger camp falls into an uproar due to an impending Vaidigon attack, Renalia keeps her cool long enough to quickly plan out an escape for Ace and Taf.

In many ways, Renalia displays qualities that are above and beyond those of some of her fellow rangers. For example, in "When Push Comes to Shove," Renalia displays expertise again and again, practically putting Ace and Taf's guards to shame. Renalia drops away from Ace, Taf, and their guards for a brief period of time, returning to get firewood. No one notices her leaving nor her return until after she speaks. The guards she startles are particularly sheepish, realizing that she has been so quiet that not even they, who have enhanced fairy senses and should have been on the alert besides, had heard her. Renalia is also far more comfortable in and experienced with the forest than the guards; she easily outpaces them when she orders them to follow her into the forest. Renalia has no trouble dispatching two of the guards by herself when she seeks to rescue Ace and Taf from their clutches.

Ace and Taf

 * Although Renalia begins as one of Ace and Taf's captors, she quickly assesses their plight and becomes their advocate. She pleads with Thaddeus for some time to show them more mercy, and she eventually wins at least a little laxity from Thaddeus toward the boys. She speaks to both boys amiably and with great courtesy, but she shows some distaste (and possibly mistrust) for Taf, who she recognizes has been causing mischief in the forest.


 * However, Renalia proves to be much more than simply a smiling face among enemies. When Thaddeus decides to drag Ace and Taf to Isilda, Renalia realizes that their situation has called for intervention. She helps Ace and Taf escape, even going so far as to temporarily incapacitate a few of her fellow rangers in order to do so. She serves as an almost sisterly role as she guides them to safety. When Renalia bids Taf and Ace farewell by the end of When Push Comes to Shove, it is clear that she has developed an affection for the two boys. She offers them her best advice and then adds that they may feel free to use her name if they ever find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Thaddeus

 * Renalia certainly seems to have some relationship beyond mere occupations with Captain Thaddeus. She seems to be the only one who is able to talk any sense into him. She also appears to have priviledged insight into his life. When Renalia is left alone with Ace and Taf, she confides to them that the rangers once had more lenient policies toward unsuspecting travelers, but that Thaddeus has been on edge lately, which has made him more harsh. Renalia and Thaddeus seem to have some sort of an understanding between each other, but little more than that can be deduced of their relationship to one another.

Narrim

 * A fellow ranger in need of aid. Renalia meets Narrim in the palace shortly after nearly getting her ranger status revoked by the Lord of Isilda. Narrim seems lost and horrified, and eventually Renalia comes to find that he's had visions of what she believes might be the future. Renalia can't resist helping this fellow ranger and haunted man who has seen glimpses of the destruction of Erien.

The Helpful Ranger

 * Renalia first appears in the thread Ace's Camp when Taf the Sprite abandons Ace Askew to Aminira Glade. Ace's pleasant dreams are interrupted by a hooded figure that speaks in several different voices; this apparition turns out to be six hooded warriors who have discovered Ace and awaken him for questioning. Renalia begins as a nameless hooded figure among these six, and she is not distinguished by name from the ranger group until the continuation thread "When Push Comes to Shove."


 * However, upon reaching the camp, she is the first of her regiment to attempt to earn some mercy for Ace. She steps in on Ace's behalf when her superior refuses to show Ace mercy; and her fellows, though uncomfortable with the situation, refuse to interfere. Renalia acts with a mixture of tact and mercy as she speaks quietly to her officer, Thaddeus, in the fairy language so Ace cannot understand. When Ace begins to apologize for intruding on the fairies' realm, Renalia assesses that Ace does not seem harmful, and indeed looks to be quite honest. She perceives that Ace may be manipulative, but he is ultimately honest and therefore harmless.


 * In the end, Renalia gets her way and earns some leniency (and food) for Taf and Ace. She speaks to them on polite and amiable terms, but she does offer a bit of a wary eye on Taf, who she hesitates to unbind, citing the fact that Taf has been leading unsuspecting travelers into Aminira to get them caught by the fairies.


 * Renalia is also the first to directly communicate with Ace and Taf in a non-harmful manner. She engages in conversation first with Ace, believing his story about Taf pulling a prank on him and convincing him to trespass into the forest. She introduces herself as the boys wait for food, also revealing that she knows a good deal about Taf, including the name the rangers have given him, "Taf Tooth-picker," and the fact that Taf has been pulling more than a few similar pranks on other travelers to the vicinity. She offers food to Taf and Ace, who dig in heartily. When Ace offers his hand in thanks for her help, Renalia instinctively hesitates but manages to clumsily imitate a human handshake. Renalia brushes the thanks humbly aside, assuring the boys that she has done nothing more than what the rangers would normally do for accidental trespassers. However, she divulges, the rangers (especially Thaddeus) have been particularly on edge lately, although she does not explain why. She does, however, offer the lads advice to remain quiet.

A Tricky Rescue

 * When Thaddeus returns a few hours later announcing that he has decided to take the boys to Isilda (presumably as prisoners), Renalia subtly asserts her distaste for the subject, but Thaddeus does not listen. When Ace asks Renalia anxiously what is going to happen, she reassures him. "Don't worry... You'll be out of here in no time" ("When Push Comes to Shove," post #18). Interestingly, however, as the rangers prepare to leave for Isilda, Renalia mysteriously disappears for a time. She does not reappear until later, after the camp has fallen into a hustle due to what Thaddeus presumes is an impending Vaidigon strike. She emerges from the forest carrying firewood, startling Ace and Taf's guards at her sudden and silent appearance.


 * When Taf explains what has happened at camp to get everyone so spooked, Renalia immediately realizes the danger and telepathically instructs the boys to be calm and to follow her lead. She orders the guards to lead their captives after her away from camp and into the forest. However, the guards have difficulty keeping up with Renalia, as she has more grace and experience traversing through the forest. She quickly gets ahead and out of view. Again Renalia disappears just before danger strikes, as several guards are dragged into the forest or knocked unconscious by unseen foes. Renalia makes her next appearance as she snatches Ace away from the remaining guards into the underbrush, although it is unclear whether this is truly Renalia or simply a lookalike (possibly even a Vaidigon impersonating her). As the presumed Renalia continues to reassure Ace and helps Ace and Taf escape, however, it seems that she truly is Renalia--although in helping the boys she also knocks two of her fellow rangers unconscious with quick blows.


 * Although Taf wishes to celebrate their victory over the guards, Renalia disagrees. She knows there is little time before the fairies awaken. She therefore continues to lead the boys through the forest, quicker but more cautiously this time. She later emerges from the forest with the boys in tow. She suggests the boys head far away, possibly to Rielle where they can vanish in the crowds, before heading back into the forest. Before she leaves, however, she offers the boys a wink and a salute, suggesting that if they are ever in any danger, they may be able to get out of it if they mention her name. With that, she vanishes back into the glade.

Discipline in Isilda

 * Renalia doesn't show up again until much later. Prometheus stumbles across her in the throne room of the Lord of Isilda, where she is being charged with spreading mass panic due to her actions in the Glade. She comes close to having her title as ranger stripped, but the lord shows mercy (at least temporarily) when it turns out that Vaidigons are, indeed, about to attack the Glade. Renalia is given her weapon back by the Steward after having had it confiscated. When Narrim stumbles onto the scene, Renalia gives him her full attention and is quick to try to understand what has happened to the tormented ranger.


 * When Renalia finally understands that Narrim has had visions of danger in the east, Renalia decides to take Narrim to the Council headquarters as quickly as possible to warn them. It may be they are the next target of the Vaidigons.

Appearances

 * "Ace's Camp"
 * "When Push Comes to Shove"
 * "Reinforcements Arrive"
 * "Meeting the Steward"