Thara Celehar

Thara Celehar was a clerical Witness for the Dead and is a prelate of Ulis. He was instrumental in rooting out the Tethimadeise Conspiracy, and later became the Witness for the Dead in Amalo, where he worked on many cases. He is the protagonist of The Cemeteries of Amalo.

Appearance
Thara is an elven man who looks 30 or younger, and is around 15 years older than Maia Drazhar. He is very thin in a sickly way and has dark circles under his eyes. He has bright blue eyes and fine white, curly hair. In Lora Selezh, he wore "plain silver rings in his ears", and had "dark-shadowed but vividly blue" eyes. By the time of The Witness for the Dead he wore brass earrings and glass hairpins that looked like pearls. After renouncing his prelacy, he cut his hair to jaw length, but he grew it out long enough to braid back into a prelate's braid by the time of the events in The Witness for the Dead. He typically wears his hair pinned "back into a sober prelate's braid", with his "pearl-headed hairpins" placed “so that none of the metal showed, only the pearls, almost invisible against the whiteness of [his] hair" and he would sometimes tie the tail of his hair with a black ribbon.

His voice is rough and gravelly due to when he contracted sessiva.

His clothes tend to be worn and patched. His favorite frock coat (before it was destroyed in a ghoul attack in Tanvero) is black with gray embroidery.

Personality
Thara is highly self-deprecating, and often fails to look after himself properly. He considered suicide after Evru's execution.

He is most comfortable without being referred to by the title of "othala" or "mer". He prefers speaking to the dead rather than the living.

Life
Thara was descended from the Velverada, at least on his mother's side, though he had a Celehadeise grandmother. He had at least two sisters, and his father remarried at least once, to a woman younger than Thara's eldest sister.

Thara's Velveradeise grandparents inducted him into their cult of Ulis at age 13, which believed in praying silently. Thara began his service to Ulis as a novice shortly after he turned 13.

Thara began hearing the dead slowly, and didn't know when it started: by the time he realized, he'd "been doing it for months."

Thara was disowned by the Celehada via an edict from his grandmother, sometime after taking up his calling.

Thara once had a lover named Zhemena, but the relationship ended, possibly due to lack of interest on the latter's part.

Thara's first prelacy was in Lohaiso, where he contracted sessiva when the disease swept through the area. He survived, but his voice became gravelly as a result.

Thara "served as a curate in the Ulimeire of Sevezho", where he watched children work to death in the factories.

After Sevezho, Thara lived and worked in Aveio, where had "been praying nightly for a way out" of his calling. He eventually took a lover, Evru Dalar. Evru was married to Oseian Dalaran, who abused him. Thara was unable to do anything about it, and the local head prelate refused to help, as he was homophobic and would not help marnei. Eventually, Evru, "in fear and hatred and utmost despair . . . killed his wife and flung her body in a dry well, hoping it would not be found, and no questions would be asked.” Her family located the body, and Thara was called in to Witness for her. Thara saw clearly that Evru was the murderer, and told the truth to the authorities about what he saw. Evru was beheaded. Thara resigned his prelacy and put himself at the mercy of his kinswoman, Csoru Drazharan, at the Untheileneise Court. She was the only member of the Celehada willing to defy Thara's grandmother, mostly to show that "no one commanded the empress".

When Maia Drazhar wanted an alternate perspective he could trust to investigate the murders of Varenechibel IV and his sons, Csevet Aisava suggested Thara, and Maia agreed. Thara Witnessed for Varenechibel IV and his sons, and went to the ulimeire where the crew of the Wisdom of Choharo were buried for further information. Thara told Csoru that he was serving as Maia's chaplain. When Csoru threatened to tell Maia the truth about Thara's past in Aveio, Maia offered to listen to Thara tell him instead. Thara explained it to him.

After finding nothing in Cetho, Thara had a dream of Ulis, and took an airship to Amalo, and continued his investigation, where he uncovered the Curneisei who had planned the murders with the help of a group of Tethimada, and how they did it, which partially spurred Eshevis Tethimar to desperation: an attempted assassination of Maia. Thara returned to the Court after the death of Eshevis, blaming himself for being too late. Maia assured him it wasn't his fault, and welcomed Thara into Maia's household to rest.

Thara later requested a new assignment outside Maia's household, and Archprelate Teru Tethimar, with the request of Orchenis Clunethar, placed him in Amalo as the Witness for the Dead, as there were none there, and he was paid a small stipend by the Amalomeire for his services. Many of his cases were referred to him by the Vigilant Brotherhood of Amalo, but he also accepted petitions from anyone who asked. He had an office in the Prince Zhaicava building in the Veren'malo. He took an apartment "in the Airmen's Quarter for Ulvanensee".

About a month after he took up office, Vineän Brenhazin petitioned him for help investigating the biological father of Lora Selezh.

At some point, Aiveän Zemerin petitioned Thara to Witness for Neshevis Pazhilavar, to discover his intentions for his daughter, Tarazho Zemerin.

Mer Urmenezh petitioned Thara to Witness for his sister, Inshiran Urmenezhen, and Thara used the walks he took when he had insomnia to explore cemeteries in search of her grave.

He investigated the murder of Arveneän Shelsin, which led to his meeting and befriending her former employer, Iäna Pel-Thenhior. After agreeing to more help from Iäna, Thara finally discovered that Inshiran was buried in Ulchoranee with her dead child, Ulanu. The next morning, Iäna petitioned Thara to Witness for Arveneän, and they visited Vinsu Nadaran's boardinghouse, where Iäna was furious about Arveneän's theft of Opera property.

Thara went to the Vermilion Opera to ask for Iäna's help visiting pawn shops. Afterward, Iäna took Thara to dinner at the Torivontaram, his mother's teahouse, and introduced Thara to her. Nebeno Pel-Thenhior told Iäna she liked Thara. Thara wondered if Iäna was courting him, and the whole experience was pleasant - because he liked Iäna - and frightening. That night he had nightmares about Evru.

Thara attended the reading of Nepena Duhalar's will, where he learned that Nepena had left his grandson, Tura Olora, a sizeable inheritance. Thara later attended the premiere of Zhelsu at the Vermilion Opera. When the opera concluded and the audience began rioting, Iäna grabbed Thara and dragged him backstage, to speak with the performers. Thara confided what he'd learned about Tura to Iäna, and they confronted the singer in the dressing room. Tura ran to the rooftop, where he confessed to killing Arveneän, as she attempted to blackmail him over the identity of his lover, and then Tura leapt to his death.

He investigated the murder of Tomilo Ulzhavel, largely alongside his new apprentice, Velhiro Tomasaran, which led to his uncovering the photography and blackmail conspiracy of Pavalo Temin and her supporters, as well as the mysteries under the Hill of Werewolves, and resulted in his burning out, and passing on his duties as Witness to Velhiro.

Skills
Thara is trained in being able to listen, which allows people to say more than they plan.

Thara is quite knowledgeable on many different subjects, particularly when it comes to different belief systems.

Thara was previously a very strong Witness for the Dead, and able to listen to the dead shortly after their passing, to learn their names and often how they died, or other important details about their lives.

Aiva Vernezar
Aiva did not like Thara, in part due to a belief that Thara was reporting to the Archprelate, and Orchenis' maneuvering around him to get a Witness in Amalo. Thara was wary of Aiva.

Amiru Chonhadrin
Amiru and Thara appeared to be friends, and Amiru looked after him. Thara seemed to enjoy talking to her.

Anora Chanavar
Anora and Thara are close friends, and care for each other. Anora dislikes Thara's lack of interest in his own continued existence. They often go to meals together, where Thara confides in him.

Subpraeceptor Azhanharad
According to Thara, Azhanharad did not like him. Thara suspected that the root of Azhanharad's dislike was the belief “that a disgraced prelate was not a suitable person to uncover Varenechibel’s murderers.” Despite their disagreements, Azhanharad was the only member of the Vigilant Brotherhood Thara trusted to take him seriously. Azhanharad later showed worry for Thara, and said that he trusted Thara's probity.

Csenaia Ulzhavar
He seemed to get along well with Thara, and Anora noted they were friends.

Csoru Drazharan
Thara and Csoru always disliked each other, even prior to his being disowned, and Thara reasoned that Csoru likely only stood up to the Celehadeise edict to disown Thara because Csoru was empress and would not be bossed around by anyone.

Ediro Zanarin
Ediro hated Thara for many reasons: the odd position he held in Amalo and who did or didn't hold authority over him, the sound of his voice, and his connection through marriage to Maia (via Thara's kinswoman, the widow empress), which Ediro perceived as giving Thara an attitude of false importance. Ediro also disliked that Thara didn't care about rank, and she was skeptical of his work. She also thought it inapropriate that a disgraced prelate had investigated the murderers of Varenechibel IV.

Evru Dalar
Thara loved Evru, and was broken-hearted over his death.

Iäna Pel-Thenhior
Thara and Iäna are close friends.

Maia Drazhar
Maia considers Thara a friend and ally, and Thara deeply respects Maia.

Nebeno Pel-Thenhior
Nebeno likes Thara, and told Thara and Iäna as much.

Pelovar
Pelovar was seemingly a Witness for the Dead who taught Thara about their duties.

Teru Tethimar
Thara greatly respects the Archprelate, and the Archprelate seems fond of Thara. The Archprelate has comforted Thara over the things Thara has had to do in the course of his duties in the past.

Velhiro Tomasaran
Velhiro and Thara had a friendly, supportive relationship, and Velhiro thought very highly of Thara.

Trivia

 * His favorite type of tea is orchor, which is dark, bitter, and strong.
 * In Amalo, he feeds stray cats. He reads the newspapers and Barizheise novels when waiting for petitioners; it is unclear how much he enjoys either.
 * He is technically entitled to the title of "osmer", but was disowned by the Celehada, so he can't really use it.
 * Thara only had two lovers prior to The Witness for the Dead.