Tanis Trilives

Tanis Trilives
Vital statistics
Title	Ghostly Puppeteer - Maestro at Galston House.
Nation	Gesselheim / Galston House
Physical attributes
Race	Human Ghost
Sex	Female
Age	9 (deceased 270 years)
Fighting Style	Tactician

Character

First featured in Devastation of Indines. 

Quotes: 

• “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s Grand Play is about to begin!”
• "Well, yes, I suppose I am a ghost... but aren't we all ghosts, in one way or another?"

"I think this story will make for a splendid play! I can't wait to start making some new puppets!"

Story

Within Gesselheim. the wastelands of the south, legend holds that a once grand theatre house stands in the midst of an abandoned ghost town. Every night, the lights flicker to life, and the old puppets rise from their rest and perform once again. Ghosts waft in from across the wastelands to gather and watch their performances, the final legacy of their once-proud culture.

Galston House is the name of that ancient theatre, and Tanis Trilives is its ghostly curator. Tanis's mother, Framboise Galston, was the owner of the great theatre, and the inheritor of the centuries of history and culture it contained. Things took a turn for the worse when the chief patron of Galston House, the Overlord Rexan, was assassinated, ending the Centennial Wars and sending the entire nation of Gesselheim into a three-century decline. It was at this same time that Framboise disappeared and left Tani's father, Josef Trilives, wracked with grief and despair. In a final, desperate act to preserve the legacy of Galston House, Tanis's father bound her spirit to Indines using ancient arts of necromancy. Now, Tanis keeps up the ancient traditions of Galston House, even though her patrons are no longer of this world.

Plot During Devastation

With the resurrection of the Overlord Rexan, once the chief patron of Galston House, has come a call to restore the ancient tradition and culture of Gesselheim. To many in that nation, Tanis and her art of theater are a symbol of that long-lost glory. Rexan declares Tanis and her work to be a national treasure, and appoints her as the chief chronicler of the reestablished nation. To this end, she has gone on an adventure to collect new material and stories, so that she can write a grand play that tells of the rise, ruin, and rebirth of her country.

Future Adventures

After the events of Devastation, Tanis is firmly established as a national icon, and Galston House is now filled with living patrons once more. Still, the mystery of her mother's disappearance haunts her memory. Tanis continues to search for the truth of that fateful day when a mysterious patron gave her mother a mysterious ring...

10 Facts about Tanis

1. She loves music, literature, and all other forms of the arts. She is a fan of Voco Astrum, despite his being afraid of ghosts.
2. Though she is nearly three centuries old, she retains her youthful mannerisms and bubbly outlook on the world.
3. Occasionally her living and dead patrons will leave money as thanks for the performances she puts on. Since she has no living expenses, she donates this money to up-and-coming artists in her region.
4. As a ghost, Tanis can change her appearance at will, but she still keeps a limited selection of dresses, which are all period dresses from the golden age of Gesselheim.
5. Tanis crafts her puppets herself, using found materials brought by her ghostly patrons.
6. She has a stage assistant, Jaime, who was enchanted by the legend of the ghostly theatre, and traveled from the eastern side of the nation, half a continent away, to study the ancient puppet theater forms under her tutelage.
7. She has recently become interested in recent Technomagical developments regarding photography and projection, both new developments from the north. As a leading icon in culture, she is hoping to assist in developing some new, uniquely Gesselhemian form of art with these technologies.
8. Tanis uses ghostly possession to manipulate her puppets. This is in line with the ancient Gesselhemian tradition of puppeteering, where the operator switches between controlling and delivering lines with a small selection of highly articulate puppets individually.
9. Her favorite thing about being a ghost is flying. Her least favorite thing is that animals are often afraid of her.
10. Her spirit is not tied to any particular place, so she can roam around freely. However, she becomes anxious if she is away from Galston House for too long, as she is nervous leaving her shows completely in the hands of her assistant.

Personality: Airheaded, Carefree, Sage
Personal Possessions: Her three dolls, sewn by her mother (Mephisto, Eris and Loki)
Likes: Productions, Attention, Jokes, Music, Magic Tricks
Dislikes: Books, Robots, Pirates

Appearance

A young pale girl with blonde-white hair dressed in a gothic dress. 

Her three dolls resemble caricatures of other characters of the World of Indines.

Eris: Shekhtur

Mephisto: Rexan

Loki: Eligor

Powers & Abilities

Able to posses inanimated puppets.

Relationships

• Fan of -> Voco
• Patronized by -> Rexan
• Friend of -> Hepzibah
• Sought by -> Mikhail

Game appearances and playstyle

Devastation of Indines

• Tanis has three puppets, and can switch which one she posesses at any time, changing the playing field for the opponent on the fly.

Strikers

• Tanis' Striker card improves mobility and range.

Character Kit in BattleCon

Unique Abilities

Ability Name	Character Version	Description
Grand Play	Original	Tanis controls 3 puppets, named Loki, Eris and Mephisto. She places these onto her start space and the two adjacent spaces, and leaves her own standup off the board. Before she sets her attack pair, Tanis declares a puppet marker in an unoccupied space and swaps it with her player standup. At the end of a beat, she swaps back, taking her standup off the board. She cannot declare a puppet that she declared last turn unless no other option is available.
Director and Producer	Alternate Art	Tanis controls 3 puppets, named Loki, Eris, and Mephisto. During setup, she places these onto any 3 spaces she wishes. Her own standup is placed with them in her start space. Whenever Tanis calculates range, she calculates it from her nearest puppet (she can choose between two or more puppets at equal distance). If Tanis occupies the same space as a puppet marker, she gets a bonus based on that puppet: Eris: +1 Priority Loki: Stun Guard 2 Mephisto: +1 Power NOTE: Tanis's Storyteller style triggers based on the puppet she is nearest to (you can choose for equidistant puppets).
Poltergist	EX	Tanis controls 3 puppets, named Loki, Eris and Mephisto. She places these onto her start space and the two adjacent spaces, and leaves her own standup off the board. Before she sets her attack pair, Tanis declares a puppet marker in an unoccupied space and swaps it with her player standup. Tanis gains bonuses based on which puppet she controls. Eris: +2 Priority Loki: Stun Guard 3 Mephisto: +1 Power At the end of a beat, she swaps back, taking her standup off the board. Tanis cannot declare a puppet that she declared last turn unless no other option is available.
Phantom of the Ante	Almighty	Tanis controls 3 puppets, named Loki, Eris and Mephisto. She places these onto her start space and the two adjacent spaces, and leaves her own standup off the board. During the Ante Step, Tanis declares a puppet marker in an unoccupied space and swaps it with her player standup. Tanis gains bonuses based on which puppet she controls. Eris: +2 Priority Loki: Stun Guard 3 Mephisto: +1 Power At the end of a beat, she swaps back, taking her standup off the board. Tanis cannot declare a puppet that she declared last turn unless no other option is available.

Personal Styles and Bases

Color	Name	Range	Power	Priority	Effect
	Valiant	+1	+0	-1	Soak 3 if Loki is between Tanis and the opponent. Neither Tanis nor opponents can move into Loki’s space during this beat.
	Playful	+0~1	+0	+0	Reveal: All boosts to Power, Priority, and Maximum Range that would be applied to the nearest opponent (due to antes and passive and triggered effects) are applied to Tanis instead. End of Beat: Move directly to any space.
	Climactic	+0	+0	+1	This attack ignores Soak. Before Activating: Switch places with Mephisto if his space is not occupied (if Mephisto is off of the board, ignore this).
	Distressed	+0	+0	-1	Start of Beat: Move an opponent 1 or 2 spaces closer to Eris. If the opponent is on top of Eris, move them either direction. End of Beat: Move any Puppet Marker to any space.
	Storyteller	+0	+1	+1	Gain a bonus based on which Puppet is possessed: Mephisto: Ignore Stun Guard. Loki: Attacks at range 1 do not hit you. Before Activating, Eris: Advance up to 3 spaces.
	Scene Shift	X	2	4	The range of this attack is the space occupied by an opponent Tanis switched sides with this beat. Before Activating: Advance up to 4 spaces. On Hit: Move each of your Puppet Markers up to 3 spaces. This attack has +1 Power for each Puppet Marker that moved out of the opponent’s space.
FINISHER	Empathy Strings	N/A	N/A	0	You control all movement and Marker effects. If a puppet is between Tanis and an opponent, all damage and life loss that would be applied to Tanis are doubled and applied to the opponent instead.
FINISHER	Curtain Call	1~2	2	5	Before Activating: +4 Power for each puppet adjacent to Tanis (not including her active one).

Unofficial FAQ

• Q: What happens to Tanis' puppets after a Pulse?

A: The Pulse does not prevent Tanis' ability from operating as normal. She swaps out after the Pulse, and swaps back in to a different puppet prior to the next attack pair placement. (link)

Strikers

STRIKER	Tanis Trilives
Scene Shift	Support	2~4	Start of Beat: Move to any unoccupied space. On Damage: Move the opponent to any unoccupied space.
		2
		0
Puppet Strings	Ante		Your attack's printed range is changed to 2~3 (ignore printed styles and bases). You have -1 priority.
Special Effects	Boost		Reveal a base from your hand. You have all the printed effects of that base this beat. Recycle it with your attack.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is about to start!"

Pixel Tactics Unit

Performing Puppet Troupe
	Appears in: Pixel Tactics 2	STR	LIFE
Tanis Trilives		3	14
Puppeteer		2	4
Leader	You can give attack actions to enemy heroes in melee as though you controlled those heroes and they were standing in your unit. These attacks do count towards the one action per turn limit.
Vanguard	Attack: Trade control and position of this hero and another hero in melee.
Flank	Attack: Apply damage to a hero equal to the strength of its forerunner.
Rear	Attack: Apply damage to a hero equal to the strength of its supporter.
Order	Activate the Order power of a hero you control in the current wave.

Disc Duelers

Tanis
Attacks	1
Movements	3
After hitting a disc with an attack, make 1 move and attack with it.

Sellswords

Tanis
	3
3		3
	4
When Tanis is played, choose any adjacent tile and move it adjacent to any other tine in any orientation