Maru Sevraseched

Maru Sevraseched is the current Great Avar of Barizhan. He is the father of Shaleän Sevraseched, Thever Sevraseched, Ursu Perenched, Holitho Sevraseched, Chenelo Drazharan, and Nadeian Vizhenka, and the grandfather of Maia Drazhar.

Appearance
He was over eighty years old during The Goblin Emperor. When Maia first saw him, he "was six and a half feet tall, if not more, and mountainously fat. His skin was jet black, his protuberant eyes lurid orange. His hair, white-streaked with age but very thick, was caught in a soldier’s topknot, with braids, brightly ribboned, accenting rather than containing the hip-length mass. His mustache was equally luxuriant, hanging in thick braids well below his jaw. In contrast to his beautifully liveried servants and soldiers, he was dressed very simply in a vast blue robe, and although he wore fire opals in his ears, he had no other jewelry.” He was even taller than the Hezhethora who guarded him.

Maru's device, used on his war banners, is the Corat' Arhos or "Cruelty of Water", a sea serpent.

Personality
Maru was "well known to reward initiative and audacity--when they succeed." He seemed to disagree with his ministers' opinion that his daughters should not be spoken of. He's also a bit mischievous and boisterous, very outgoing, and seems to love parties. He does have some regrets, though he is trying to do better by others he's wronged in the past.

Maru did not "feel it consonant with the dignity of a great ruler to go bobbing about in the air like a child's balloon", so he did not travel by airship.

Maru cared for Barizhan, and did not want to see it destroyed.

Maru always thought of elves as "a cold people", and his trip to the Untheileneise Court only confirmed his suspicions.

Life
Maru participated in the Archipelagar Wars in his youth, which was the last time he left Barizhan until he visited the Untheileneise Court for Maia's birthday.

Maru was the ruler of Barizhan "only because he held the allegiances of the avarsin, the myriad lesser rulers . . . who made up the practical government of Barizhan."

Maru had only six daughters, only two of whom were by his wife. Maru resided in the Corat' Dav Arhos in Barizhan. Maru grew bitter in his wife's inability to give him sons, and wanted "treaties to secure his northern borders against his much larger and powerful neighbor."

Maru wanted Chenelo to be an empress, so he arranged for her to be married to Varenechibel IV. After the marriage, he never responded to any of her letters, because by Barizheise and Elven tradition, a wife becomes a member of her husband's house, and Maru had no authority to intervene in family matters.

After Chenelo's death, Maru recognized his illegitimate daughters.

Maru's government entered into negotiations for a trade agreement with Varenechibel IV's government. But after Maia ascended the throne, Vorzhis Gormened, the ambassador for Barizhan at the Untheileneise Court, told Maia that Barizhan would not hold the Untheileneise Court to the terms of the agreement.

Maru arranged to go to the Untheileneise Court to celebrate Maia's 19th birthday and Winternight. Maru traveled to the Ethuveraz by coach. He sent Hezhethora ahead of him, and also arrived with a full 16-man eshpekh and a large retinue of family and servants, including Nadeian. Maia welcomed him, and asked why Maru hadn't responded to Chenelo's letters.

Maru attended Vorzhis' following luncheon. Maru told stories “about the visit of the self-styled king of the Chadevaneise pirates to the Corat’ Dav Arhos.” He presented Maia with a gift from Maia's aunt, Thever.

Maru later attended the ball to celebrate his arrival. He danced with many elvish women, including Arbelan Drazharan. On Maia's birthday, Maru insisted they go to the Horsemarket of Cetho together. Maru was shocked that Maia knew nothing of horses, let alone how to ride them. When Maru criticized Varenechibel IV's education of Maia, Maia noted that his father had not bothered with such things, nor did Maru. Maru noted, “It is surely neither the first nor the last time that we have been a fool”. Then he bought Maia a horse, Velvet, and taught him about horses.

At the Winternight Ball, Maru danced with Nadeian. After Eshevis Tethimar's failed assassination attempt on Maia, "the Hezhethora formed a bristling square" of protection around Maru and potential threats, while Maru yelled at them. Maru later only allowed himself to be persuaded to bed so long as he had a representative in the Verven'theileian, which was Captain Vizhenka, his son-in-law.

Maru later arranged for Maia to meet him at the stables to learn how to ride. He spoke with Lord Chancellor Eiru Berenar and Csevet Aisava and possibly others firmly about how Maia must be allowed time to do things for himself or else Maia would go mad.

Maru had one last luncheon with Maia before his departure. Maru noted that on his death, the avarsin would fight amongst themselves to pick his replacement, as he had no sons. He also said he would have named Maia his heir, but it would destroy Barizhan. Maru left Maia a half eshpekh of soldiers, with Vizhenka, for Maia's protection. He also noted that Nadeian would likely be happier at the Untheileneise Court than at the Corat' Dav Arhos.

Skills
Maru seemed to know a great deal about horses, particularly how to care for and sell them. Maru no longer rode horses himself as, according to him, he was "far too fat and far too old", but he enjoyed teaching.

He was very a very good and graceful dancer.

Chenelo Drazharan
Chenelo sent letters to her father after her marriage, but received no reply. Maru seemingly regretted how he treated her/how her life turned out, and recognized his illegitimate daughters afterward.

Maia Drazhar
Maru cares for Maia, and was genuinely furious about Eshevis' attempted assassination. He would have had Maia succeed him if possible. Maia was intimidated by Maru, but seemed fond of him after they spent some time together.

Nadeian Vizhenka
Maru noted that he was assigning Vizhenka to Maia in part because it meant Nadeian would stay at the Untheileneise Court, where she would likely be happier, than going back to the Corat' Dav Arhos.

Nadaro Gormened
Maru's wife was Nadaro's paternal aunt, and Maru allowed Nadaro and Chenelo to see each other sometimes as girls, so long as Maru and Nadaro's father were allies, but their allyship eventually ended.

Dachensol Rosharis
Rosharis and Maru worked out a clever scheme of buying and selling horses between the Untheileneise Court and the Corat' Dav Arhos.

Selthevis
Selthevis is Maru's secretary, and seemingly very close to him.

Shaleän Sevraseched
Maru currently acknowledges Shaleän, but he does not discuss her, at least partially due to her life as a sea captain.

Captain Vizhenka
Maru trusts Vizhenka with himself, Nadeian, and Maia.

Quotations

 * To Maia, about Chenelo: “It seemed better. She was not ours. We could not help her. What else was there to say?”
 * Vorzhis to Maia, about Maru: “He did not gain his power—nor hold it for so many years—by being amiable and obliging.”

Trivia

 * Dachensol Habrobar designed Chenelo's personal signet half on Drazhadeise cats and half on the Corat' Arhos. Varenechibel IV found it unsuitable and had her use the Drazhadeise cats instead. Maia later used the signet as his own.
 * Vorzhis noted that Maru had not "gone more than twenty miles from the Corat' Dav Arhos" in Vorzhis' memory. Maru didn't leave Barizhan for around 50+ years.
 * Maru stayed in Ermezhis Drazhar's rooms while at the Untheileneise Court.