Tavi was born in the Calderon Valley. He was raised at Bernardholt by his uncle Bernard and Bernard's sister Isana. He is known throughout the valley as the oldest person ever who hasn't gained the ability to use furies. He's picked on for this inability, some calling him a "furyless freak".
Furies of Calderon
Herdbane Surprise
Tavi is in search of a lost ram. While searching with his uncle Bernard, they find a lone Herdbane. Tavi manages to kill it, but Bernard is wounded in the fight. Tavi sends Bernard back to Bernardholt to be healed by Isana. The death of the Herdbane gets the attention of the Herdbane's mate and its owner, a Marat named Atsurak. Tavi leads them off of his uncle's return path, only to be caught in a furystorm. During the storm, he finds Amara a Cursor pretending to be a lost slave. They escape Atsurak's pursuit and find shelter in Princeps' Memoriam.
Return to Bernardholt
The next day, they return to Bernardholt to find that Bernard has lost his memory of the attack. Since Tavi is the only one who saw the creature, no one believes him, other than Amara. She decides to take the boy and his story to the Count of Calderon to warn him of an impending possible Marat attack. A local slave named Fade goes with them. Bernard eventually catches up with them, thinking Amara is kidnapping Tavi.
Escape
On the way to see the Count, the group is attacked by Kord and his sons Aric and Bittan. Kord believes they're going to the Count to report Bittan's rape of a local girl, which could cost Kord his steadholt. During the fight, Fidelias, Odiana, and Aldrick ex Gladius catch up and join the fight, attempting to prevent Tavi from reporting that he saw the Herdbane and the Marat. Tavi and Fade, only to be captured by the Marat.
And Capture
The Marat allow Tavi to challenge them so that they won't kill him. Tavi's challenge is to collect the Blessing of Night from the Wax Forest, which is crawling with Wax Spiders. He must also do this before Doroga's daughter Kitai finishes the same challenge. While collecting the Blessing of Night, Tavi is forced to kill a large number of Wax Spiders, which awakens the queen. During the escape from the Wax Forest, Kitai is injured and Tavi uses his collection of Blessing of Night to heal her. Kitai technically finishes the challenge first, but because he stopped to heal her, Tavi is declared successful in his challenge to the Marat. Because he has saved her life and gone through the trail with her, Kitai becomes bonded to him.
Saving the Garrison
Having passed the challenge, Tavi asks the Marat not to attack the Calderon garrison. Atsurak ignores him and continues to plan the assault. Doroga believes this is wrong and moves his clan as well as several others to the garrison to defend it from the attacking Marat. The reinforcements prove critical in holding the garrison. Because of his involvement with protecting Calderon Valley and, in fact, Alera itself, the First Lord Gaius Sextus sponsors Tavi's dream of attending the Academy, paying for everything while he's there. It's passively revealed that Gais Sextus is probably Tavi's grandfather.
Academ's Fury
The Ailing Lord Two years have passed. Tavi is in Alera Imperia at the Academy training to be a Cursor with Max. He is also serving as a messenger for Gaius Sextus. During Tavi's week of final examinations, Gaius collapses from exhaustion from repelling a series of storms the Canim have been sending while also tending to the many issues already plaguing the realm. Tavi arranges for Max to impersonate Gaius while Gaius is incapacitated.
Canim Conundrum
During this time Ambassador Varg has been requesting to see Gaius. Eventually, Varg convinces Tavi to visit the Canim embassy. Varg tells Tavi that he's been hearing things in the wall and suggests Tavi investigate them. He overhears Varg's assistant Sarl talking with someone, but neither the topic nor the other person is made clear.
When Bullies attack
Tavi eventually learns that Isana has come to Alera Imperia, but has disappeared after an attack on the group she was in. While trying to discover her whereabouts, Tavi is attacked by Kalare's son Brencis, who is a bully to Tavi because Tavi has no furies. Max aids Tavi, but is injured during the fight. Kalare is the first to arrive on the scene and tells Lady Placida that Max assaulted Brencis. Tavi is not allowed to defend Max and Max is put in prison.
Protecting the First Lord
Because Max is so neccessary to impersonate Gaius, Tavi plans to break Max out. Tavi enlists the help of Kitai and they free Max. The next day, Tavi is returning from one of his classes to his room where Kitai is hiding. He finds Varg there who kidnaps Kitai and takes her down to The Deeps. There, he releases Kitai and shows her and Tavi a hidden Vord nest. Several Canim have been taken and Sarl appears to be colluding with them to attack Gaius. Tavi goes back to warn of the incoming attack. He manages, with the help of Kitai, to defend Gaius long enough for help to arrive and wipe out the taken Canim and Vord assault group.
Cursor's Fury
Becoming an Officer
Two more years have passed. Tavi has graduated from the Academy and is now at a dig site in the ruins of Appia, a Romanic city. He's helping to reconstruct old Romanic technology. Max brings Tavi his new orders - he's being assigned to the newly formed First Aleran as the Third Subtribune Logistica. To hide his identity, he goes by the name of Rufus Scipio. On his way to the meeting site, Max trains him on legionnaire tactics.
Surprise Attack
Not long after Tavi arrives, Lady Antillus and her son Antillus Crassus arrive. During an exchange between Tavi and Lady Antillus, Tavi manages to pickpocket her coin purse. Inside, he finds a red stone of unknown origin. A couple of days later, during a routine staff meeting, the sky turns red. Out of nowhere a lightning bolt strikes the command tent. Everyone inside is killed. Lady Antillus is nowhere to be found.
To Defend the Realm
Because of the number of command personnel killed, Tavi takes a field promotion to Captain. While investigating Lady Antillus's departure, Tavi learns that the Canim have made landfall in very large numbers and are moving north toward Elinarch. Tavi moves the First Aleran to Elinarch to either defend it or destroy the bridge so the Canim cannot cross the Tiber river.
Canim Assault
After an initial failed Canim raid, Tavi parleys at the enemy war camp. Tavi taunts Sarl in an attempt to discredit the Canim leader in front of his army. Sarl responds by calling forth the same lightning that destroyed the First Aleran leadership down on Tavi. The attack proves ineffective, but Tavi is still forced to retreat back to Elinarch. Tavi lays several traps for the Canim that prove very successful, but the Canim also utilize tactics that catch Tavi off guard. Tavi is forced to give up the bridge before he is able to destroy it.
Reclaiming the Bridge
Tavi eventually comes up with a plan to stop the Canim and to reclaim the bridge long enough to try an unproven tactic. If it fails, the bridge will be destroyed while Tavi and his group of volunteers are still on it, holding off the Canim. The unproven tactic proves successful and Tavi manages to kill Sarl during the assault. The remaining Canim leader, Nasaug, calls for a retreat, ending the battle.
Surprises
Several twists occur outside of the battle, but are about Tavi. It's revealed that Isana is not his aunt, but his mother. While Tavi was still an infant, Isana used her fury to slow Tavi's growth so that his identity as heir to the throne could be hidden. Later, it's seen that Tavi suddenly has the power to furycraft when he accidentally turns off a furylamp.