Tay Trefenwyd is a character in First King of Shannara. He is an Elven Druid and one of the few Druids who listens to Bremen's warnings about the Warlock Lord's return.
Biography
Tay was a Druid who studied elemental magic. He was the best friend of Jerle Shannara, and like Jerle was in love with Preia Starle. However, he never acted on his love out of respect for Jerle.
When Bremen warns the Druids Tay and his fellow Druid Risca leave Paranor; in doing so they avoid being massacred by the Warlock Lord along with the rest of the second Druid Order.
Tay travels home to the Westland to persuade the Elven King Courtann Ballindarroch to send his army to the Eastland in order to aid the Dwarves in resisting the Warlock Lord. He also asks for aid in seeking out the Black Elfstone so as to keep it out of the hands of the enemy. However, after the king agrees to consider sending relief to the Dwarves and grants Tay permission to search for the Elfstone, agents of the Warlock Lord assassinate almost all of the royal family. Tay is only able to save two of the King's grandchildren.
While the Elves are reeling from the murders, Tay leaves for the Breakline with Jerle, Preia, and a party of Elven Hunters, eventually discovering the ancient castle of Chew Magna where the Black Elfstone is housed. Tay is forced to disguise himself as a subverted creature of magic in order to enter the garden in which the Elfstone is hidden, and when he takes the Elfstone the fortress begins collapsing around the company.
The party successfully makes its way out of the crumbling castle only to run into a force of a hundred Gnomes and several Skull Bearers. Too weak after his exploits inside Chew Magna to call on more of his own magic, Tay resorts to using the Black Elfstone, which Bremen had warned him not to do.
Although the Black Elfstone destroys all the Gnomes and Skull Bearers, it is designed to function by absorbing the magic it's used against and transferring that magic to the Elfstone's user. As a consequence, the Skull Bearers's magic is transferred into Tay's body and begins subverting his mind. Tay realizes what is happening and he takes his own life to avoid becoming a creature of evil, using his command of the elements to draw all the air out of his lungs. Tay had known the risk associated with using the Elfstone, but he sacrificed himself so that his friends could escape and so the Black Elfstone would not fall into the Warlock Lord's hands.