History Characters / LabyrinthsOfEcho

* TheSociopath: Loyso acknowledges other powerful mages, such as Juffin and Max, respects "their territory" in the ''Realpolitik'' balance of power kind of way, and is (like most real-life sociopaths) charming and persuasive when he need to be, but he never shows any empathy and compassion for others and is completely focused on his own esoteric pursuits.

** Juffin later admits that he alone could be WAY more efficient at that (like he was in his times of [[TheRedBaron Kettarian Hunter]], but he just wanted to create his own Order — at the time when this would've been contraindicated politically. So he got wiser and created his Order as a sort of a magical police.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: To Max after his Arbiter powers caused Melamori a nasty BedmateReveal.

* HappilyMarried: Which is more-or-less normal for the LSIF in general, but Numminorikh is the only team member with kids. Two of them, in fact, the younger of which is [[BrattyHalfPint a disaster in human form]]. Juffin initially was less than thrilled of this for moral reasons, but acquiesced later.

See his entry at LSIF. Mockingly referred as "the nineth volume" by Max with the reference to Manga's magnum opus.

* ItRunsInTheFamily: Most of the LSIF members come from families inextricably linked to various Orders and are hereditary powerful mages. Kofa and Melamori come from the Seven-Leaf tradition, Melifaro's father and grandfather were both Senior Magisters in the Order of Hidden Grass, while Numminorikh (and Juffin, though it is less direct in his case) is linked to the Order of the Clock of Backwards Time, and Lonli-Lokli is a retired Magister of the Holey Chalice himself.

* BigFriendlyDog: Droopy, Max's Wasteland Shepherd. Named by Max as a tribute to [[WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}} a certain white dog with long ears who solves crimes]]. Very protective of Max and at least borderline sentient. Already the size of a St.Bernard's dog as a puppy and now grown up.
* BlessedWithSuck: Max is an "Arbiter", which is incredibly rare in Echo. [[spoiler: The last Arbiter is King Mönin, while our world has many more of them.]] Arbiters are {{BornWinner}}s in regard to power, luck and intuition, their words actually [[RealityWarper shape reality]] on the Dark Side of the world. The downside is that all the wishes of an Arbiter, regardless how small, become reality - without conscious control over when, where, and under which circumstances this will happen. Death also considers Arbiters a prized morsel, and they are exempt from any and all ways to cheat., although the Keyifaya elves think otherwise. [[spoiler:And from another point of view, specifically Max turned out to be one of the ultimate death-cheaters.]]

* ImmuneToMindControl: Max becomes completely immune to all charms and illusions (including mind control) after being impaled by the King Mönin's sword in ''Dorot, Lord of Manukhs'' as the sword materialises again whenever any such magic is used against him, causing enough pain to dispel it... [[SentientPhlebotinum unless it doesn't feel like it on a particular occasion]].

* UnwantedHarem: The Khenkha tribe assumed Max was their lost king and dumped three twin sisters on him.

* TheOmniscient by being BlessedWithSuck: Melifaro sometimes acts as a type 2, being able to accurately guess things from insufficient data. The suck comes from Melifaro having absolutely no control over triggering this skill.

* DirtyOldMan: After a mutual prank by Max and Melifaro in ''Oak Leaf Club'', a kamra jar spiked with a triple dose of magical aphrodesiac is left on Juffin's desk. Then Kofa walks in, immediately identifies what's in the jar... and downs the whole thing, before heading for the Rendezvous Quarter. As Juffin later explains, unlike Max and Melifaro, Kofa would ''never'' pass up an offer of free gräm.

* InvoluntaryShapeshifter and VoluntaryShapeshifting in one: Khumkha Yokh, one of the seven founding masters of the Order of the Seven-Leaf, enchanted his only son to improve Kofa's [[BigFun character]] and [[BigEater appetite]]. The resulting sir Kofa Yokh in Echo is in his default appearance an elder, wise, patient and jolly gentleman of somewhat round proportions. If sir Kofa leaves the vicinity of Echo, Khumkha's enchantment fades and the world is treated to the original Kofa Yokh, whom Max described as a "Lord of the British Empire ... arriving at an Arabian royal court". The aptitude at shapeshifting seems to be hereditary, as sir Kofa can change his own and others' appearances at will, although the out-of-Echo Kofa dislikes doing so.

* BigFriendlyDog: Drimarondo, the only part of the eponymous bequest Shurf Lonli-Lokli took to Echo from the Khotta county. When standing on hind legs, the size of Melamori. Fully sentient and [[TalkingAnimal capable of speech]] after imbibing some experimental potions.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Shurf took the Fishmonger (keeper of holey fish basins) job of the Holey Chalice Order and drank all the water in the basins, taking up the power supposed to be ditributed to about 600 fellow order members. The things he pulled off earned him the [[spoiler: "Mad Fishmonger"]] monicker, and that was during the Order wars. He pulled the ThatManIsDead listed above to survive some consequences and returned to his original name, Shurf Lonli-Lokli.

* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Melamori is not really "tiny", but when she dates the Arvarokhian commander Allotkho, Max observes that you can hide six Melamoris behind him.

* CreepyMortician: Completely averted.

* StarvingStudent: Averted, though not for any reason linked to him — he ''would've'' fit the trope (as he loves to study, but cannot be bothered to work), but his wife is a wealthy antiques dealer, so they're never short of money.

Former member of the Order of Hidden Grass. Left Echo for several expeditions and wrote the [[GreatBigBookOfEverything Encyclopedia of the World in 8 volumes]] from data obtained on his travels. Echo's foremost and sometimes only expert on various subjects. Sir Manga is bound by numerous oaths of silence - the information withheld from the encyclopedia would easily double its volume. During an especially dire situation somewhere on Arvarokh on his last expedition, sir Manga swore an oath "to the sky above" to never leave the Uguland province of Echo again if he was to survive, thus ending his career.

* TheRival: Nuflin considered him his bitterest rival and tried to upstage and destroy him at every opportunity. Honna on his part was more amused by it.

Firstborn son of Manga. GentleGiant of the family, possibly due to giant (ekhl) blood.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He may seem nice, affable, even almost decadent, good pal to those who knew him from childhood, his "great accomplishement" is having his marshal of ceremonies to allow a little more hospitality for his guests... But as a crown prince, he was put through TrainingFromHell. If he ever thinks it's necessary, a natural-born ruler and competent mage with [[TheUnfettered steel self-control]] and CompellingVoice pops up in an eyeblink.

The incumbent King of the United Kingdom, son of Gurig VII who won the War of the Codex. Described as pretty and fairly young, friendly and easy-going to a fault. [[BiTheWay Bisexual]], as often seen with elves and elven descendants.

* ILetGwenStacyDie: Mentioned several times in the books, Shurf's working partner and best friend in the early LSIF, Totohatta Shlomm, died in action when Shurf was a moment too late to defend him. This is implied (and eventually outright stated) to be the reason of his diligent protectiveness for later junior LSIF members, namely Melifaro and eventually Max.

* MyGreatestFailure: Mentioned several times in the books, Shurf's working partner and best friend in the early LSIF, Totohatta Shlomm, died in action the one time Shurf was a moment too late to defend him. This is implied (and eventually outright stated) to be the reason of his diligent protectiveness for later junior LSIF members, namely Melifaro and eventually Max.

* MyGreatestFailure: Mentioned several times in the books, Shurf's working partner and best friend in the early LSIF, Totohatta Shlomm, died in action the one time Shurf was a moment too late to defend him. This is implied to be the reason of his diligent protectiveness for later junior LSIF members, namely Melifaro and eventually Max.

* MyGreatestFailure: Mentioned several times in the books, Shurf's former colleague and best friend in the early LSIF - Totohatta Shlomm, the finest Master of Pursuit he'd ever seen - died in action the one time Shurf was a moment too late to defend him. This is implied to be the reason of his diligent protectiveness for later junior LSIF members, namely Melifaro and eventually Max.

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: InUniverse, Shurf was never expelled from the Order of the Holey Chalice, owing to the fact that his antics greatly improved the Order's standing even if he no longer answered to them.

[[ScarilyCompetentTracker Master of Tracking the Hiding and the Fleeing Ones]].

* CantCatchUp: It is eventually revealed that Juffin, Shurf, and even Max have the same Tracking ability as herself, which leads to a massive inferiority complex for Melamori and eventually, a self-imposed exile to Arvarokh (from where she returns wielding powers that nobody can even begin to replicate).

* ScarilyCompetentTracker: By having the Tracking gift.
* StarCrossedLovers: Max and Melamori. [[spoiler: Max claims a mutual ThatManIsDead after Melamori returns from Arvarokh, saying that where two lonely kids were, now reside a wise burivukh lady and an Arbiter gone utterly crazy.]]

* TheNoseKnows: Scenters are rare individuals with this power. Calling upon a Scenter is a viable alternative to calling upon a [[ScarilyCompetentTracker Master of Tracking]], as Masters of Tracking have different limits and are vulnerable to several effects and countermeasures.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Numminorikh's family was strongly tied with the Order of the Clock of Backwarding Time. His mother held the position of Master Opener of Doors. Numminorikh learned from her, and with his ability to open and pass any door, [[spoiler: including doors on the Dark Way and doors between worlds]], exceeds at tracking beyond the capabilities of a Master of Tracking.