FAMILY STRAIN:

Given the challenges cited above, it’s no surprise that Tam appears to have a poor relationship with his parents—especially his father. Numerous reports indicate that he blames them for refusing to move Linh to a residence farther from water while she adjusted to her ability, and for not appealing the Council’s decision to banish her. One note even suggests that Tam suspected his parents wanted Linh to be banished because they were embarrassed by the negative attention she was bringing to their family. Plus, it would’ve allowed them the opportunity to pass their son off as an only child and no longer have to deal with the twin-related scorn. But there’s no way to determine if those theories are true. What is clear is that even now, both Tam and Linh keep minimal contact with their parents—and the encounters they have look far from idyllic.

A SILVER STATEMENT:

Tam wears his hair cut with long, jagged bangs partially covering his eyes—and the tips of his bangs gleam with silver. Apparently he melted down the chain from his registry pendant and dipped his hair in the molten metal as an act of defiance and protest against the way that he and his sister had been treated. In fact, certain reports even indicate that he threw the registry crystal in his father’s face right before leaving the Lost Cities.

AN UNIMPRESSIVE WAYWARD:

Notes from the faculty at Exillium make it clear that Tam had a reputation for being a defiant troublemaker, both with the Coaches and the other Waywards. (One report even brands Tam as the worst Wayward at the school—though that report did seem biased against Tam because he was a Shade.) And Tam definitely did not excel in his skill lessons in the program, often receiving mediocre marks at best. But it’s difficult to determine how much his performance and attitude were influenced by the harsh atmosphere at Exillium during the majority of his attendance. As touched on above, the school was severely neglected by the Council, lacking the basic funds and supplies it needed to safely operate—which caused the Coaches to enforce a number of overly strict rules in an attempt to maintain some semblance of control. After Sophie Foster participated in the program, she convinced Councillor Oralie to give Exillium the aid it needed—and the situation has vastly improved. But Tam and Linh returned to the Lost Cities not long after, so there’s no way to know if Tam’s performance would’ve progressed.

RELUCTANT CHANGES:

Tam and Linh agreed to help Sophie and her friends when they snuck into the ogres’ capital (Ravagog). And that mission led to the discovery of vital information on how to cure the gnomish plague. But in order to escape the ogres’ city, Linh was forced to flood (and destroy) more than half of Ravagog. So she—and her brother—seemed surprised when their efforts were viewed by the Council as a victory. And both twins were genuinely stunned (and a touch reluctant) when they were welcomed back into the Lost Cities and offered admission into Foxfire. They made it clear that should they return, they had no desire to live with their parents again, so special arrangements were made. And with that, Tam and Linh’s banishment ended. The Black Swan also offered to let them join the order—and Linh seemed eager to swear fealty. But Tam had a number of reservations and only joined the Black Swan when he apparently grew tired of his sister “nagging” him about it.

STILL SOMEWHAT ADRIFT:

Since leaving their makeshift camp near the Wildwood Colony, Tam and Linh have floated from home to home. They stayed in an empty dwarven house for a period. Then in one of the Black Swan’s hideouts—until that location was compromised. And now it appears they’re staying with Sir Tiergan in Solreef (since Wylie has moved to [LOCATION REDACTED FOR SECURITY] to be with his father during Prentice’s recovery). But it’s unclear if Solreef is a permanent arrangement, or whether they’ll be moving again. What is clear is that Tam continues to refuse his parents’ invitations to return to Choralmere (and while Linh recently dwelled there, the move was not meant to be permanent). The rift between the Song twins and their parents obviously needs more time (and perhaps more effort on Quan and Mai’s part) in order to heal.

A TEST OF TRUST:

Tam refuses to trust anyone until he’s taken a reading of their shadowvapor and measured their potential for darkness against their illumination. It’s unclear how often his readings lead him to reject someone as an associate, but reports do indicate that he tested Sophie Foster, as well as the rest of her friends—and the Black Swan—before working with them. In his defense, the process is both quick and painless, and does seem to shed at least some light on a person’s character.

FRENEMIES:

While the above term may seem too gimmicky for a subheading in an official file, it’s truly the best word to describe the strange relationship dynamic between Tam and Keefe Sencen. The two boys are decidedly not friends—in fact, reports suggest they disliked each other almost immediately (and the nicknames they use for each other range from the clever and witty to downright mean-spirited). Some suspect it’s because Tam violated Keefe’s privacy and read Keefe’s shadowvapor without his permission when they first met, while others would argue it’s because Keefe refused to have his shadowvapor read as though he had something to hide. Others still might suggest it’s actually because the two have quite a bit in common—but prefer to think of themselves as uniquely alone in their challenges and principles. Whatever the cause, it’s doubtful that Tam and Keefe will ever truly be friends. But it’s important to note that they have never appeared to truly be enemies, either—a fact that became increasingly vital when Tam was taken by the Neverseen and Keefe’s mom (Lady Gisela) forced him to use his ability on her son. Had there been true ill will between the boys, Tam wouldn’t have attempted to warn Keefe about what his mom was planning—and Keefe would’ve tried to harm Tam in their final showdown.

THE TRUE POWER OF DARKNESS:

Tam’s skill as a Shade has always been impressive—particularly considering the fact that he’s had so little formal training. For instance, on the mission to Ravagog, he was able to hide his friends in shadow and help them move through the city undetected. He also lifted the veils of shadowvapor in Prentice Endal’s mind, bringing back what little remained of Prentice’s shattered consciousness in order for Sophie to perform a mental healing. But a truly astounding aspect of Tam’s talent was discovered after the Neverseen’s Shade (who called herself Umber) attacked Sophie and Fitz with shadowflux. Few Shades can detect the rare sixth element, much less control it. And only the best can store it within themselves to draw upon later. (Evidently, shadowflux does not like to obey and chooses to embrace only the most powerful Shades.) But Tam was able to feel the darkness that lingered in Fitz’s and Sophie’s wounds and command it—which was enough to convince Lady Zillah (his Shade Mentor) that he should be training with shadowflux—and after some debate, Tam agreed to the lessons. Lady Zillah can’t actually command shadowflux, but she knew enough to guide Tam through special exercises at Foxfire—often at night. And the progress Tam made during those lessons proved vital in the showdown he and his friends had with the Neverseen at Everglen. Not only was Tam able to break through the Neverseen’s force fields and leave them defenseless against the newborn trolls, but one of Tam’s attacks also seemed to damage the ability of the Neverseen’s Psionipath, forcing them to flee. Unfortunately, that display of power also showed Lady Gisela that Tam could command shadowflux—and since the Neverseen’s Shade was killed in that battle, Lady Gisela set her sights on Tam.