Tevidian Tekiel

Tevidian Tekiel
House Tekiel Hijos Vin & sister
Oficio	Lord Prelado
Etnia	Noble
Mundo natal	Scadrial

Tevidian was the Lord Prelan of the Steel Ministry on Scadrial shortly before the Lord Ruler's death, and Vin's father. He was a Tekiel (and as such, a noble of a very pure line), but had to renounce his surname to join the Steel Ministry..

Tevidian bedded many skaa women. Ultimately, he illegitimately sired Vin and her sister, providing them both Allomancy--Vin being Mistborn and her younger sister being a Seeker. He had claimed he killed every skaa he slept with, but Vin's mother deceived Tevidian into thinking she was noble, and so he was too lax with her. Tevidian eventually found her and killed her, but did not manage to kill Vin or her sister. Tevidian did not recognize Vin, and Vin suspected Tevidian never knew he was a father.

Personality

“My lord," Tevidian said, turning away from her. "Look outside your window! Do we not have better things to discuss? The entire city is in rebellion! Skaa torches light up the night, and they dare go out into the mists. They blaspheme in riots, attacking the keeps of the nobility!"

"Let them," the Lord Ruler said in an uncaring voice.

”

—Tevidian and the Lord Ruler arguing about the skaa rebels

Tevidian was shown to deeply care about the stability of the Final Empire, much moreso than the Lord Ruler. Tevidian was extremely agitated at the Great Houses' fall. Like all obligators, he was required to have extreme faith in the Lord Ruler, and so Tevidian was probably agitated because he truly believed in his god and his empire. Though Tevidian was insistent the Lord Ruler needed to act, when the Lord Ruler told him to not question the matter, Tevidian showed obedience and stood down.

Conflict with Inquisitors and Death

The cantons of the Steel Ministry often had internal political struggles, and the Canton of Inquisition sought organizational dominance over the rest of the Ministry for centuries. The Lord Ruler grew weary of the Inquisitors' pleas, as he said that they had many other duties and would be wasted doing administration. Still, the Inquisitors persisted, researching weaknesses in the obligator power structure. Bendal swore that Tevidian had fathered a half-breed child, and hunted Vin's half-brother, Reen, to get him to admit it. Reen died promising Vin had starved to death long ago, but Bendal remained convinced one was out there.

Kar eventually captured Vin, using her as the apex of their arguments against Tevidian and the Canton of Orthodoxy. Before the Lord Ruler, Kar claimed that no noble house would ever have abandoned her. With Vin being so powerful, at least one of her parents had to come from a very pure line. The Lord Ruler pressed Vin, prompting her to say who her father was. Vin admitted it was the lord prelan.

Tevidian protested, but the Lord Ruler questioned him, and the lord prelan eventually admitted that Vin's mother had, in fact, bore children.

With that confession, the Lord Ruler let the Inquisitors kill Tevidian in his own throne room. The other obligators in the room backed away in horror as the Inquisitors plunged their daggers into Tevidian repeatedly, who exulted in the brutality. After Tevidian's death, the Canton of Inquisition, with Kar at its head, was given authority over the Steel Ministry.

“Your point is proven, Kar," the Lord Ruler said, sitting wearily on his throne. "It seems that I have trusted too much in the... obedience of mankind. I did not make a mistake. I have never made a mistake. However, it is time for a change. Gather the high prelans and bring them here—rouse them from their beds, if need be. They will witness as I grant the Canton of Inquisition command and authority over the Ministry. ”

—The Lord Ruler's first words after Tevidian's death.