Played by Anthony Grocock.
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Appearing as a young man of slight build, Tamarind stands just over six feet in height. He has his mother's raven hair accentuated by pale skin. His eyes, slightly downcast under his fringe, are startlingly violet. Tamarind is extremely handsome; in fact he is beautiful, his face almost androgynous, and people cannot help but react to his appearance.
In contrast to this he is reticent in attitude, hiding himself beyond flawless court manners or a simple jest - he has let no-one inside. He is most often to be found sitting on a window ledge or balcony overlooking the gardens head bent over a sketch pad or canvas. Or perhaps he gazes out over the view, a fey melody drifting on the breeze as his fingers almost idly caress the strings of his silver lute.
Tamarind is clearly little older than he appears (mid-twenties in 106 PPF) despite the century which has passed since Deirdre's demise.
For the first few years of his life Tamarind lived with Deirdre on a large rambling estate with many servants, he has happy memories of dashing madly through maze-like passageways, fighting monsters beyond thick velvet drapes and sliding down enormous banisters.
At the age of five Deirdre took Tamarind to a new home, a black castle set on a tall peak under a purple tinged sky. Surrounded by a dense forest it was more forbidding but no less beautiful. Here, she said, she would always have time for him. After a few years, however, she began to be away for longer periods and seemed more distracted. Finally when Tamarind was eleven years old she knelt down in front of him, brushing his hair out of his eyes as she explained that she had to leave for a time - there were things she must do to ensure their safety and she could not take him with her. He would have to be strong and wait for her here. She would come back for him as soon as all was resolved.
Ten years he waited in their fortress, growing older but always hoping that the next morning she would come riding through the gate or appear (as she sometimes had) in a purple rainbow of light. But the path was always empty and the rainbows only in his mind.
Finally a day came when, walking as he had countless times before along the Grand Balcony he saw a new door set into the wall, small and of iron rather than the usual oak. Beyond was a small chamber in which a small silk-wrapped bundle rested on a pedestal. Inside the bundle were two of the Trumps. One, like the one he carried always in his breast pocket, was of her. The other was of the castle she had often talked about - Amber.
As he held the cards he felt a rush of hope. He focused his thoughts on his mother, felt the card go cold in his hand and then ... nothing. Just as always before. The surge of excitement gave way to cold fear. With an effort he shoved away the dark possibilities - she needed his help. He clung to the idea as if he could make it real by force of will.
Returning to the balcony he saw the view changing, a ripple like a heat haze spreading out from the edge of the forest. As it passed he saw the edge of the forest, far in the distance. Where before there had only been trees now he could see the dark smudge of distant mountains. The world around him had changed but he could spare it little attention as he hurried to the armoury, donning his armour and grabbing a crystal edged spear. Then he turned his attention to the second card. The card filled his vision, the effort left him weak and swaying but the image slowly cleared - he half stepped, half fell through into a vast courtyard, not hearing Michael's desperate shout behind him...
Upon arriving in the courtyard guards surrounded him, alarms could be heard and the pounding of many booted feet on stone. The endless drills with Michael and his mother slipped into action, he could fight but he would surely lose - yet to surrender now could mean abandoning his only chance. Reason overcame emotion and he put up his spear.
"I am here to see the Princess Deirdre of Amber, please inform her that Tamarind has arrived." To his surprise his voice was clear and steady, ringing off the stone walls. His announcement seemed to confuse the guards who looked askance at one another. Instructing him to wait peacefully an officer hurried away through a great archway...
Tamarind's arrival in Amber in 97 PPF caused some disruption - his Trumping into the Great Courtyard of the castle, armed (with a crystal spear) and armoured (in his crystal plate armour) and demanding an audience with Princess Deirdre of Amber was unexpected, so say the least.
After he came to accept the harsh truth of his mother's death, Tamarind began to settle into Amber. He swore loyalty to Random, and was given Deirdre's old rooms as his own. He has taken many of her effects out of storage to redecorate them with.
Flora took him under her wing and oversaw his integration into the Family.
He has spoken to all who knew her about Deirdre and her death, and once the family's initial suspicion abated he petitioned the King for permission to visit the site of her death. Permission was granted, on which occasion (along with Beltaine) he was met and been escorted by Lord Feldane, visiting his mothers memorial at the Abyss. He has also visited the monument to her in Castle Rosa.
Since his arrival Tamarind has learned the art of the Trumps from Caine, and shown himself to be an accomplished artist, musician (assisted by his lute, which can play itself) and dancer. He has also found the shadow of Haven as a private retreat and place in which to draw Trumps.
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The back of Tamarind's Trumps consists of a deep purple field. In the centre of this field re a crossed silver lute and silver paintbrush with, around them, silver scrollwork borders. On the front of his cards, around the actual Trump image, is a deep purple border with the same sort of silver scrollwork as on the back.
When Tamarind asked them.
"To be perfectly honest, dear, I'm sorry to say we didn't get on very well, though of course I was as sorry as anyone over what happened to her. We didn't have, well, anything in common really. And although she hid it quite well, she really had a huge chip on her shoulder; one can tell these things, you know. She never really tried made much effort to fit in here. I don't know, perhaps it was because Father always seemed a little hostile to her, or never liked her, though I don't know why - Father just did not encourage questions like that. And she certainly knew how to twist Corwin around her little finger, you had to admire her for that. I tried to make friends on a few occasions, but she just did not seem interested..."
"She was a loyal child of Oberon, if perhaps a little too quiet and withdrawn for her own good. But a decent enough sort, even if not the most ladylike of my sisters. I was saddened by her untimely end."
"To be honest, kid, we didn't have much in common. She was never into what I considered a good time back then, and never made any effort to get me interested in whatever she liked. She always seemed to hold herself aloof, and spent a lot of time out in shadow, too, to get away from the rest of us I'd guess - not that I can blame her for that, did it myself on more than one occasion, after all! And there was always the impression that dad didn't like her much, too. I never found out why; I'd guess it was something before my time. Still, regardless of anything else, I was sorry to see her go into the Abyss with Brand at the end there. A bad business." He shakes his head sadly.
With Beltaine, Tamarind has also developed a Meta-Concert - a power based on trust, linking the two of them to become greater than than they could be individually.
Go to the Altair, Beltaine, Damien, Ibrahim, Phoenix, Owen or Tristan pages.
Or go back to The Last Enemy Page.
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