Touchstone (originally Torrigan) is the king of the Old Kingdom during Lirael and Abhorsen, and the husband of Sabriel. Despite being an illegitimate son (his father was Northern Nobleman), he still has Royal Blood through the Great Charters and was the only survivor of the Royal Lineage after Kerrigor's attack. He and Sabriel fall in love during Sabriel and they have two children - Prince Sameth (Wallmaker) and Princess Ellimere (Heir Apparent).
Character Summary[]
Copied from Wikipedia [1]
Touchstone (formerly Torrigan) is the illegitimate son of the previous Queen of the Old Kingdom and an unnamed nobleman. He served as a member of the Royal Guard when Kerrigor betrayed the family and murdered them. After the betrayal, Touchstone entered a state of berserker-like rage and the then-Abhorsen bound Touchstone in a figurehead of a ship in Holehallow, the Royal Tombs. When Sabriel entered the tomb, she released him from this bond. He claimed amnesia of the past, because he felt guilty about not protecting the Queen and princesses. While on the Sea, however, he tells Sabriel what happened when the Royal Family was murdered. During the years between Sabriel and Lirael, he restored many of the Charter Stones that had been broken, including the Great Stones. He too is mostly absent from Lirael and Abhorsen. When he participates in the Binding at the end of Abhorsen, he revealed that his true name was Torrigan; he wielded Ranna, as an homage to his 200 year slumber.
The name Touchstone might have come from Shakespeare's play As You Like It where the character Touchstone is described as "a wise fool who acts as a kind of guide or point of reference throughout the play, putting everyone, including himself, to the comic test". Sabriel says to Touchstone upon hearing his decided name, "You know, there is a tradition of a wise fool..." indicating the connection.
Family[]
Name | Relationship (in which Book) |
---|---|
Sabriel | Wife (in Lirael & Abhorsen) |
Prince Sameth | Son (in Lirael & Abhorsen) |
Princess Ellimere | Daughter (in Lirael & Abhorsen) |
Kerrigor/Rogir | Brother (in Sabriel) |
Queen | Mother (pre-Sabriel) |
Lirael | Half-Sister-in-law (in Lirael & Abhorsen) |