Numair Salmalín
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Numair Salmalín is a fictional character created by Tamora Pierce. He exists in the Tortallan universe and is a major character in the series The Immortals but is mentioned also in later series. He is originally from Tyra and his birth name is Arram Draper. He lived and studied in Carthak, but took on the name Numair when he became a Black Robe Mage, supposedly because Arram Draper was not a fitting name for a mage; in truth, he adopted a new name to protect himself from the Emperor of Carthak, who was hunting him after he left the country. He spent several years on the run and made his living juggling in Corus, along with a few other tricks.
Upon reaching Tortall he became King Jonathan IV's chief mage after several years of service. A good-looking young man, he was involved with many women at court. He is described as being six feet five inches tall, with a swarthy complexion, raven black hair, brown eyes and a long nose. His appearance is roughly based on the actor Jeff Goldblum. (Interview with Tammy)
Over the course of The Immortals series, he became the teacher and mentor of Veralidaine Sarrasri (Daine) and they went on many adventures during the four book saga ranging from Tortall, Carthak, and even the Divine Realms. Though he was fourteen years her senior the two developed a romantic relationship in the last book of the series and later married shortly before Trickster's Choice. In the Protector of the Small series he is employed at the royal palace, teaching magic to knights in training.
We learn in Trickster's Choice that Numair and Daine have a shape-shifting daughter named Sarralyn after Daine's mother, Sarra, and in Trickster's Queen, they have a son, Rikash, named after the Stormwing, a bird with a human head and metal feathers on its wings, Daine befriended in the third book, Emperor Mage; who died in the course of the Immortals War while fighting a creature of Chaos.
Numair is one of seven Black Robe Mages in the world. His Gift is black with white sparkles and he is able to shape-shift, including the form of a black hawk, which is the form he first meets Daine in. He is often said to be the most powerful mage in the Realm by several people over the course of the books featuring the Tortallan universe.
Numair is so powerful that he can not cast small spells and charms. In one of the books, he recalls lighting his clothes on fire when he tried to dry them. Also, using a simple spell to call boulders, he called them from 10 miles away, instead of closer ones, because he could not do the "simple" magic involved in calling the closer ones. In the last book of the Protector of the Small series ("Lady Knight") Duke Baird recalls Numair admitting to having to blow out candles rather than with use his gift to extinguish the flame because it would cause an explosion.
Whether it is relevant or not, his first name may have a connection to panther and his last to haven. This seems warranted of a connection since Numair is described as having acquired much grace as he matured, despite his stature.In the first novel of the Immortals Series (Wild Magic) he is described as moving with the ease of a giant cat, presumably a panther. Also the fact that much of Numair is black (his robe, hair, parts of his magic) may be related to the black panther. Haven may also be a reference to the need of a new name, perhaps his own safe haven from Ozorne.
Tamora Pierce is writing a book about Numair's early life that is said to be published in 2011.
