Tal (aka Taliesin)

Face-up artist(s):

Luts

Body blushing artist(s):

Me

Date of acquisition:

March 2014

Provenance:

Luts

Reason for choice:

Abadon was the manliest, most mature-looking male MSD sculpt that I could find. Legitimately, that was my criteria. I wanted a muscle-y body, because werewolves run around and (in my universe, at least) have all kinds of healing, strength, speed, stamina, and other physical advantages. And I really, [i]really[/i] didn't want an anime pretty boy with a ski slope nose, or a head that looked like a fifteen year old. I wanted a body that would complement the posing of the A-line MNF Chloe that Tal would be paired with.

Best Points:

He's totally muscle-y and he poses like a dream. Like a DREAM. His hands and feet are beautifully sculpted and have the tiniest details, like the undersides of his nails being slightly indented into his fingertips. His hands are completely gorgeous, total pianist hands, and just a touch large for his face. His feet, which are about 5.6/5.7cm, fit most of the shoes made for MNF, so it's easy to find him footwear.

Worst Points:

His head is 6/7 and not 7/8, so it looks small if I'm not careful about how I shoot him with my Chloe. The head to body ratio is more proportionate compared to a human's, but in this case, that isn't a benefit. His feet, though convenient for shoe-buying, are simply too small for his frame. They ought to be longer, if not wider. There are no MDF option hands so far, which is really frustrating, but hopefully Luts will introduce those in the future. Finally, he's too big for MNF boy clothing and too small for 50cm clothing. Last I checked, no one on Etsy or Ebay was selling clothing for MDFs, which means that the only retailer selling MDF clothing is Luts itself. The clothes are made by Nine9style, so they're very good quality, but they're also pricey and the shipping to the U.S. is brutal.

Eyes:

Luts Gray Glass

Wig:

Usually a blonde Monique wig in the style of Draco Malfoy, occasionally a long blonde wavy wig from Luts, rarely a sandy faux fur wig (maker unknown).

Fashion style(s):

Werewolf transformation-readiness chic: pretty much anything he can get out of or destroy reasonable quickly.

Casual or formal current men's fashion for occasions, because I'm too lazy to make him the period clothing that would be more appropriate for his backstory.

Key fashion accessory:

Bare feet?

Name story:

In Welsh, Taliesin means "shining brow" or "handsome." Historically, there was a 6th century bard of this name, who was believed to be a wizard, a prophet, and sometimes, a companion to King Arthur.

Tal's werewolf-y advantages give him an almost uncanny warning system, through a combination of exceptional hearing, enhanced sight, and an unbeatable sense of smell. These advantages would make him seem almost magical. As Tal he's also pretty good-looking, the name seemed like a good fit.

And honestly, I just plain liked the way it sounded.

Character age:

mid to late twenties

Character gender:

male

Offsite roleplay:

This doll's character is not available for offsite roleplay.

Tal grew up in a farm village in the middle of nowhere. The town previously had a harmonious relationship with the local werewolves, but when the old pastor died, a new and prejudiced pastor replaced him. Gradually, the anti-werewolf sentiment grew, and the peaceful, coexisting pack of wolves moved on. This all happened when Tal was very young, so his memories of this time are hazy.

As a child, his best friends were a boy named Cass and a girl named Pepper. The three were inseparable, getting in and out of trouble together. Tal's father, the blacksmith, always said that if you saw one of the three, the other two were certainly about, and trouble couldn't be far behind. And even though Pepper's mother was the local witchy woman, and she didn't have a father (though the town often whispered), Tal and his family and Cass loved her all the same.

But the preachers' hold on the people was steadily growing, and the animosity between wolves and humans was only getting worse. By driving away the local pack, the village had unwittingly made itself vulnerable to just the kind of wolves it had been trying to protect itself from: those with looser morals, hungry for power and territory, ready to douse the sparks of inter-species hostility with kerosene.

At ten, Tal was kidnapped and Turned. To the villagers, his family included, it was if he'd simply vanished. The preacher insisted it was the work of wolves, sub-human and demonic creatures, who would feed on him and discard him. No doubt they'd find his carcass someday soon. Pepper tried to hold onto hope that he was still out there somewhere, and did her best to keep his family's spirits up. Tal's father died of grief and drink five years later, while his mother took over the forge and carried on alone.

Eventually, he managed to escape his captivity and return home, where he found Pepper still waiting, his mother aged by grief and hard work, and his friend Cass in the guard. Under socialized, half feral, and fearing another betrayal, it took Tal a long time to open up again. The three friends eventually resumed their companionship, though things would never really be the same. Love blossomed between Pepper and Tal, and a spurned Cassidy distanced himself. Still, Tal considered himself blessed, and when an abandoned, stray werewolf cub stumbled into Pepper's cottage, he was eventually convinced to give the cub the kind of home he himself had been stolen away from.

For more photos of Tal, please visit this folder on my flickr.