Stellan: The Forge Master Who Shaped a Revenge

Overview

Stellan is a master blacksmith and the adoptive father figure of Aris, the protagonist of Starside by Alex Aster. He serves as her only family after the destruction of her village and is the one who trains her in combat and metalworking. His death early in the story—at the hands of Cadoc Bolter—sets Aris on her path of vengeance and toward the gods. Though he appears only in flashbacks and in the opening chapters, his influence permeates Aris’s every decision, from her fighting style to her refusal to surrender. Stellan is a quiet, gruff man whose love is expressed through action rather than words. He embodies the themes of sacrifice, loyalty, and the cost of vengeance.

Plot Role

Stellan’s primary function is as the catalyst for Aris’s journey. In Chapter 2, Aris returns home and finds him dying, his Starside-steel dagger stolen. He begs her to kill him and take the blade, whispering, “Find Vander Evren.” His death forces Aris to accept the dagger and begin the Questral. Throughout the story, Stellan appears in Aris’s memories, guiding her with lessons about listening, breathing through fear, and rising from ashes. His training directly enables her to survive the Culling, win duels, and eventually confront Harlan Raker and the gods. The dagger he gives her becomes a symbol of her mission and a tool that later leads her to Vander Evren.

Motivations and Traits

Stellan’s motivations are revealed indirectly through his actions and dialogue. He is deeply protective of Aris, having spent years keeping her safe from the dangers of Nightfell and from exposure as a lightning-marked survivor. He refuses to share information about Starside, believing it would endanger her. His traits include:

• Reserved and stoic: He communicates through metalworking rather than words. Aris recalls that they once went days without speaking.
• Self-sacrificing: He gives his life for Aris, instructing her to kill him so the dagger doesn’t fall into enemy hands.
• Caring beneath gruffness: He sewed long-sleeved shirts to cover Aris’s marks, bought her sugared bread, and called her a phoenix.
• Far-sighted: He leaves a legacy of training and a final message to find Vander Evren, knowing that only that powerful heir can help Aris reach the gods.

Chronological Arc

Stellan’s story is told almost entirely in retrospect. His arc spans from Aris’s childhood to his death, with the key moments including:

1. Finding Aris: After her family’s murder, Stellan discovers the twelve-year-old girl and takes her in, despite his own gruff nature.
2. Training her: Over the next ten years, he teaches her swordsmanship, smelting, and survival. He also collects a book from a Great House that he keeps hidden.
3. The night before the Questral: Aris argues with him about her decision to compete. He tries to dissuade her, listing all the ways she could die, but she refuses to listen.
4. His death: While she is away meeting other challengers, Cadoc breaks in, steals the Starside-steel dagger, and mortally wounds Stellan. Aris finds him bleeding; he forces her to kill him to claim the blade.
5. Posthumous influence: Stellan appears in Aris’s memories during the Culling, the desert illusion, and the City on Fire. His voice urges her to rise, to listen, to take one steadying breath.

Relationships

Aris (Adoptive Daughter)

Stellan and Aris share a bond forged through shared hardship and silence. Aris resents his secrecy but also loves him deeply. She remembers his small kindnesses—the fried bread, the handmade shirts, the figure he carved for her bedside. His death leaves her with guilt and a vow of vengeance. She later confesses to Vander that she feels responsible for not being with Stellan when he died.

Vander Evren

Stellan saved Vander’s life fifty years before the events of the novel, giving him a “quest magic” that helped his people. This debt is why Vander agrees to help Aris when she summons him and speaks Stellan’s name. Vander acknowledges Stellan’s honor and spares Aris because of him.

Cadoc Bolter (Antagonist)

Cadoc murders Stellan to steal the Starside-steel dagger. This act makes him Aris’s primary target for much of the story. Their confrontation on the dragon’s back in the City on Fire is a direct consequence of Cadoc’s crime.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

Stellan is closely tied to several major themes of the book:

Sacrifice and Loyalty

His death is the ultimate sacrifice. He gives his life so that Aris can have the dagger and a chance at revenge. He also acted loyally for years, protecting her from the guards who would have killed her for her scars.

Vengeance vs. Humanity

Stellan’s training teaches Aris discipline and mercy alongside combat. He calls her a phoenix, encouraging her to rise from ashes but not to burn everything down. However, his dying wish for revenge pushes her toward a path of bloody vengeance, which she must later reconcile.

Memory and Identity

Aris’s identity is shaped by her memories of Stellan. His voice becomes her internal compass. In the desert illusion, it is his question—“Why do you rise?”—that breaks the demon’s hold. He represents the love she fights to protect.

Power and Hierarchy

Stellan is a lowly blacksmith in a world where Great Houses hold all power. His knowledge of Starside-steel and his connection to Vander show that true power can come from skill and loyalty, not noble birth.

Questions and Answers

1. Who killed Stellan in Starside? Cadoc Bolter, a challenger from a Great House, killed Stellan to steal the Starside-steel dagger. Aris learns this during her confrontation with Cadoc in Chapter 40.

2. Why does Stellan refuse to tell Aris about Starside? Stellan believes that knowledge of Starside would only endanger her by making her want to cross the gates. He fears she will die like her family, so he keeps the truth hidden to protect her.

3. What is the significance of Stellan’s dagger? The dagger is one of the few pieces of Starside-steel left in Stormside. It can shatter lesser metals and later becomes a key weapon for Aris. Stellan’s instruction to “Find Vander Evren” tied to the dagger ultimately summons the heir and secures Aris an ally.

4. How does Stellan appear in Aris’s memories throughout the novel? He appears as a guiding voice during critical moments: in the thorn labyrinth, she remembers his advice to listen; in the desert illusion, his question helps her break the demon’s hold; in the City on Fire, his call to rise gives her the strength to walk through flames.

5. What is Stellan’s relationship with Vander Evren? Fifty years before the story, Stellan saved Vander’s life. This act created a debt that Vander honors when Aris invokes Stellan’s name. Vander calls Stellan a dear friend and acknowledges his courage.

For further exploration of these themes, see our analysis of vengeance vs. humanity, sacrifice and loyalty, and the ending explained. If you have more questions, visit our Questions and Answers page.