Fraa Tavener

Fraa Tavener—more often addressed by peers as "Barb"—is an avout of the Concent of Saunt Edhar. In formal settings he uses his avout name, though many continue to call him by his extramuros name. He is frequently seen in chalk halls (e.g., Saunt Grod’s), where a customary gap tends to open around his seat.

Relationships and Affiliations

• Community: Avout resident of the Concent of Saunt Edhar.
• Mentorship: Fraa Erasmas sits with him in study and resolves to take him on as a fid, observing that Barb’s approach markedly accelerates Erasmas’s own grasp of theorics.
• Family: Son of the extramuros artisan Quin.

Attributes and Skills

• Learning style: Relentless, detail-first questioner. He is unabashed about asking until a point is fully clear, even when it inconveniences others, and he focuses on the immediate problem rather than distant goals. Peers note he does not easily read others’ reactions, which frees him from worrying about who is “getting it faster.”
• Technical drawing: Described as “freakishly good” at precise illustration, making him a natural candidate to record technical observations.

Roles and Notable Actions

• Study partner: His persistence in breaking down problems has become a catalyst for peers’ learning, especially for Fraa Erasmas, who credits Barb with helping him correct earlier shortcuts in theorics.
• Observational insight: In peers’ reconstruction of recent events, Barb is credited with noting an instrument orientation consistent with tracking along a polar path, a point that informed later discussions about what might have been observed.
• Speculation in dialog: During a fireside debate about possible explanations for a contested object, he presses the group to consider the possibility of construction by another praxic civilization, pushing discussion beyond strictly conventional assumptions.

Current Status

Barb is active in study following Apert. Some peers refer to him as a new fid and suggest he should not yet take on an avocation; regardless, he continues to pursue understanding in chalk halls and informal dialogs.