Biography:
Wooden Heart: One of the original Atlas emanations, Tarlach appears in 3597 after Tara has a particularly bad fight with Ailann. He is a psychologist, explaining that he is needed because Daniel, Sloane, Evan, Ailann, Owen, Ross and Suibhne are all suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. He soon discovers that he needs to understand human psychology as well, as there is an enormous gulf between Ashtara’s emotional responses and Tara’s. Tarlach is attracted by Freudian theory because the primacy of sex seems obvious to him. Intimacy with Tara allows Ashtara greater focus – the universe seems more orderly and rational.
Tarlach takes his work seriously, interviewing hundreds of Cu’endhari to gather data on their normal psychological function. He discovers that of the Cu’enashti, Ashtara has the largest quantity of branches (19) whereas the average for others is four and the second-largest has eight. This leads him to speculate that Ashtara’s psychology is especially fragile, perhaps unable to sustain a coherent sense of identity.
Tarlach notes that because Cu’enashti define themselves in relation to their Chosen, they are devoid of self-examination, readily accept what they are told, and suffer their emotional problems alone. He also notes that humans are both curious and suspicious of the Cu’endhari. For this reason, he decides to become a talk show host.
The Tarlach Tadgh Show becomes incredibly popular, but he creates controversy when he discovers that the phenomenon of tree immolation does not result from grief over the death of the Chosen, but rather than inability to cope with being raped. Tarlach focuses a show on the issue, which forces Ashtara to confront Ross’s withdrawal and ostracism.
Eden Blues: In the first half of the novel, Tarlach’s only role is to help Manasseh tell his story and adjust to the pleroma. Tarlach’s testimony to the SongLuminants consists of little more than asking analytical questions to the other emanations, but they are also given an article written by him as an exhibit. Published originally in the Journal of Nau’gsh Psychology, “Healthy Sex Fantasy and Fetish amongst the Cu’enashti Nau’gsh” begins by establishing a clear distinction between human sexual tastes and ethics and those held by the Cu’enashti. To the Cu’enashti, anything the Chosen desires is a healthy source of arousal. He goes on to describe in particular the apple fetish, and then broaches the previously taboo topic of pollination fetish and the sexual interaction between inter-pollinating branches.
The Poison Garden: Tarlach develops Tara-therapy in order to help Aran. However, Owen asks for the therapy, which causes a rift between Owen and Lugh. Tarlach’s role thereafter is a supporting one, helping Lugh to realize his place in the pleroma, working through Seth’s trauma after he faces death, and getting Patrick to accept his pollination fetish.
The Perpetual Rose: Tarlach does intensive counselling with Lorcan to resolve the trauma of being eaten by the Denolin, and to finally integrate him into the pleroma. Tarlach promises that he will pollinate Lorcan. He’s less successful with Driscoll, whose relations within the pleroma are somewhat distant. Along with Tommy, Tarlach begins a study as to what constitutes a “successful” emanation, to better please Tara. Suibhne uses this data to create trading cards for each of the emanations.
The Portable Grove: Although Tarlach has no major plot arcs in this novel, due to its preoccupation with experimental research and psychology, he is a constant participant, and facilitates the development of many other characters. Tarlach takes part in the third experiment, attempting to develop an understanding of what constitutes a “deviancy” in a Cu’enashti. Before he does so, he calls Tara into the pleroma questioning the ethics of the experiments themselves. Together with the legal advice of Constantine, they form the Council for Cu’enashti Psychological Research and develop a somewhat dubious code of ethics. Tara discovers that Constantine has come to Tarlach for therapy because he is boringly normal. The third party in the experiment, Suibhne, is consulted to choose an adequate deviation for Constantine. He suggests that Tara draw a picture on Constantine’s body. The drawing becomes a permanent tattoo; Constantine eventually ends up having all the other emanations put their mark on him. Tara encourages Tarlach and Constantine to become lovers.
The fifth experiment begins with Tarlach administering a number of psychological batteries to the participants. He intends to obtain a baseline for gauging the effects of certain drugs upon nau’gshtamine production, but inadvertently discovers that Chase’s scores indicate a number of psychological issues. Tara questions the efficacy of the testing but agrees to monitor Chase during the experiments. After Tarlach analyzes the results, which show that Blue Moth Mushrooms have a positive effect on nau’gshtamine, he continues to be concerned about Chase and talks Tara into an intervention. Chase is resistant to confronting his struggle with drug addiction and general apathy; his attitude causes Balin to accuse the Atlas emanations of lacking n’aashet n’aaverti. This provokes a duel between Balin and Whirljack. At first, Tarlach feels guilty that he did not take action concerning Chase’s problems sooner. However, Seth claims that the intervention was needed for Whirljack, not Chase, and Tarlach realizes the psychological batteries used on humans need extensive revision before they can be used upon Cu’enashti.
Tarlach continues to do research about the difference between human and Cu’enashti psychology. He discovers that the genders of a Cu’enashti’s emanations do not map predictably onto their Chosen’s professed sexual preferences. He also discovers the hitherto unknown phenomena of “companion emanation” – an emanation which does not interact sexually with the Chosen. Suffice it to say that Tarlach is gobsmacked.
During the tenth experiment, Tarlach uses his newly developed psychological inventory, the Nau’gsh Inventory of Personality, Psionics and Intelligence (NIPPI) to gain insight into Lucius and Tielo’s nau’gshtamine production problems. It is revealed that Tarlach’s nau’gshtamine production is exactly average, which is improbable, and Tara theorizes that it has to do with psychological stability. Tarlach and Tara decide to set a baseline for optimal nau’gshtamine production instead of relying on the mean. Tara theorizes that nau’gshtamine production is determined by pollen receptivity. Tarlach disseminates a survey which reveals that the highest nau’gshtamine producers are the ones most likely to be viewed as “an easy pollination.” This leads him to develop Pollen Receptive Awareness Technique (PRAT), which successfully raises the nau’gshtamine content of Lucius’ apples.
Tarlach expands the treatment to include Pruning Inhibition Therapy (PIT). His treatment of Evan, Quennel and Barnabas provokes temporary interpersonal complications which are worked out in the eleventh experiment. The therapy is ultimately successful. On a roll, Tarlach decides to develop the Big Budders Program. He meets with Tara and Constantine at the new CCRP offices in the Yggdrasil Tower, and recruits the participants in the twelfth experiment, Ross, Sloane and Valentin, to become Big Budders to the problem emanations Ellery, Lorcan and Chase. The program proves limited in its ability to help difficult emanations, but effective in trolling for pollen partners. Lorcan proves to be psychologically healthy, becomes a Big Budder himself, and uses his new position to seduce Driscoll.
At the beginning of the sixteenth experiment, when Suibhne explains that the fokkerflies can be used to deliver pollen, Tarlach takes it upon himself to arrange a system of cross-pollination requests. Tarlach speculates that cross-pollination is a necessary solution to bring the branches from different trees closer together. In the fourth stress-test, Tarlach is selected to play the living statue of Aphrodite Kallipygos because he has a nice ass. He ends up helping Constantine and Ethan work through some difficult philosophical questions about the nature of individuality in a Cu’enashti entity. The fifth stress-test finds him helping Ari overcome his isolation and reticence to participate in the sharing of branch memory.
Correspondence Chart Entries from The Portable Grove
| Denotation | Tarlach Tadgh (Gaelic: instigator, abettor; poet, storyteller). |
| Numeration | 19th emanation of Ashtara; 19th branch of Atlas; 5 in the correspondence chart. |
| Age | 37 |
| Hotness | 8/10 |
| Vital Statistics | 1.73 meters tall, cock size 15.44 cm when erect. |
| Description | Inoffensively handsome except for a winning smile; gives the effect of being both serious and sympathetic. Bearded, vaguely resembles Freud. Unremarkable medium build with light brown hair and beard. Has a fondness for tweed. |
| Skills | Talk show psychologist. He is insightful but also media savvy. He has a pragmatic view of ethics. Well-known in the pleroma as the master pollen-pimp. |
| Sexual Prowess and Kinks | Other people’s business. Has figured out a million schemes to turn therapy into trolling for pollen partners. |
| Average Duration of Play | 15 minutes, 31 seconds. |
| Totem Tree | Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis, the thornless honey locust. |
| Fixed Star | Merope, the bee-eater, eloquent (23 Tau). |
| Color |  |
| Esoteric Symbol | The Platonic solid icosahedron. |
| Function | Analytic empowerment. |
| Official Title | Lord High Analyst. |
| His Prophecy | Sincerity. |
| Dessert | Bomboloni filled with nau’gsh curd.  |
Persistence of Weeds Addendum
| Branch Growth Characteristics | Natural branch growth prompted by Ashtara’s realization that he needed an analyst to cope with his trauma. Used as a template for his half-brothers on Goliath, Lucius and Solomon. |
| Nul-history | Originally bonded to Owen/Lugh; part of the mass synchronization facilitated by Wynne. |
| Proto-conscious Root Concept | Honesty, designated Analyze. |
| Prime Number of Energy Resonance | 11 |
| From Self-Portraits Not-of-Me II: Baby Pictures by Driscoll Garrett |  |