History Characters / TheFirstLawNorthLogensBand

* ArcherArchetype: Logen accounts him the best archer he's ever seen... before he met Ferro.

* FatalFlaw: Ultimately, his core flaw is that he's smart enough to realize that he's gotten himself trapped in an endless cycle of violence and bloodshed, but ultimately he isn't smart enough to find a way out of the trap.

-->''"This ain't for you, to kill a man tied up. It's for work like this, you bring along a man like me."''

A sharp-tongued member of Logen's band who is famed for his ruthlessness.

* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Becomes King of the Northmen after the trilogy.
* AtLeastIAdmitIt: He despises people who pretend that they're the good guys despite being ruthless killers. This is also large part of his justification for trying to assassinate Logen.
* AxeCrazy: Has this reputation, though ''The Heroes'' implies that he's actually quite calculated.
* BadBoss: Zigzagged in ''The Heroes''. He can be perfectly affable to his subordinates if he deems them worthy of his respect, but behaves like a total jerk to everyone else. His constant mistreatment of Shivers has [[TheDogBitesBack fatal consequences for him.]]
* BloodKnight: There's nothing that Dow enjoys more than killing. In ''The Heroes'', he jumps at the chance of fighting on the frontlines again after years of inactivity.
* BodyguardBetrayal: He betrays Logen at the end of the original trilogy, and, in ''The Heroes'', is betrayed and killed by Caul Shivers.
* CardCarryingVillain: He's an unrepentant murderer and rapist, and enjoys every minute of it.
** Downplayed. While he makes some unsavory comments about women twice over the course of four novels, he never actually acts on it. Compared to Logen Ninefingers having sex with an unenthusiastic, terrified woman in ''Sharp Ends'', which is QuestionableConsent at best.
* CombatPragmatist: Despite being a fearsome fighter, he doesn't like to take unnecessary risks and is not above fighting dirty. Logen finds out the hard way at the end of the trilogy.
* CoolSword: After betraying Logen, he claims the Maker's sword for himself.
* CurbStompBattle: His duel to the death with Calder is painfully one-sided in Black Dow's favor. The only reason Calder survives is because Caul Shivers betrays and kills him in the middle of it.
* DeadpanSnarker: Has a [[BlackComedy very dark,]] cynical kind of humor.
* TheDogBitesBack: Pulls this on Logen, and then years later Shivers pulls it on him.
* TheDreaded: Nearly as much as Logen. He has a particularly vile reputation for having done just about every underhanded deed you could think of.
* DualWielding: Sword and axe.
* DuelToTheDeath: He's forced to accept Calder's challenge of a duel to save face. Everyone expects Dow to win due to his fearsome reputation and his opponent's status as a NonActionGuy. Dow ''would'' have won had Caul Shivers not betrayed him.
* EarAche: One of his most notable traits is his missing ear.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Claims to not be as bad as Bethod's tax collectors, who leave nothing from villages they 'collect' from. He then claims he never would kill his friends to Logen, and kills him to prevent a madman becoming the King of the North.
* FakeUltimateHero: [[spoiler:Doesn't actually kill Logen Ninefingers, which is a large part of his reputation.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dow reveals he used to be a potter's apprentice before becoming one of the most feared men in the North.
* HairTriggerTemper: Although he seems to be able to turn it off just as quickly. Its hinted at in ''The Heroes'' that he plays the part on purpose. Being known as a crazy fucker who might start killing people on the drop of a hat has its perks.
* HiddenDepths. Used to be a craftsman's apprentice and sometimes regrets leaving that life.
* InTheBack: He's killed in the middle of his duel with Calder when Caul Shivers attacks him while his back is turned.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Although his heart is pretty black, he's noted to express moral disgust on a few rare occasions. The Dogman is also surprised to see how emotional he gets at Forley's funeral.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: He is even more a ruthless a despot than Bethod ever was and while he gets annoyed at Logen dragging the North into someone ''else's'' war, the first thing he does after coming to power is start conquering the rest of the North for himself.
* {{Jerkass}}: Generally acts hostile and abrasive, even to his own allies.
* TheLancer: To Threetrees.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: ''Is'' this trope.
-->''What's my name? White Dow?''
* PetTheDog: Has a few notable moments, such as his interactions with West or his words at Tul Duru's funeral. In ''The Heroes'' he surprises Craw by allowing him to retire once the war is done.
* RetiredMonster: Has shades of this in ''The Heroes''. Being King of the Northmen does not leave one with much time for RapePillageAndBurn.
* SlasherSmile: Often flashes a menacing grin.
* TheSneakyGuy: "You won't see Black Dow coming. Not if he doesn't want to be seen."
* TokenEvilTeammate: Seems to revel in it - he claims he's the one to kill teenagers who they've captured. Revelations about the Bloody Nine shows he might not be so bad in comparison.
* TookALevelInKindness: Surprisingly, he comes across as much more personable in ''The Heroes'', though this might just be how [[NobleTopEnforcer Craw]] sees him.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: He usurps Logen as new King of the North at the end of the original trilogy. Surprisingly enough, he's not really any worse than any other ruler.
* TheUsurper: At the end of the original trilogy, while he fails to assassinate Logen, he takes credit for his death and becomes the new King of the North.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Tul Duru will occasionally work each other into a screaming argument that requires the others to tone down before it comes to blows, but they're both good friends.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He still respects the Dogman even years after the two became enemies, following Dow usurping Logen as King of the North. He regrets that they've become enemies and gets pissed off when one of his allies besmirches the Dogman's reputation.
* WouldHitAGirl: Has no qualms about killing women.
* WouldHurtAChild: Or children, for that matter.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: The Bloody-Nine. [[spoiler:It's an alternate personality in which he gains seemingly superhuman fighting abilities, yet also goes into a battle lust that causes him to kill just about anything in front of him. Even friends and children. By the start of the series, Logen hates the Bloody-Nine and resists him taking over in anything less than the most extreme circumstances]].

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: After he kills Bethod, Logen becomes the new King of the North. Unfortunately, his rule is short-lived.

* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Of the BloodKnight and TheAtoner tropes. Yes, Logen is sympathetic and feels immense regret and shame over his actions as 'The Bloody-Nine', but desiring to change doesn't mean anything if you don't take the steps to change. Once he's given the chance to start anew somewhere, [[spoiler: he goes right back to fighting, which eventually leaves him as King before he is deposed.]]

* ShutUpHannibal: After realizing he's been used by Bayaz, he bluntly rejects his advice and tells him to stay the hell away from him.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Becomes King of the Northmen after the trilogy.

** Downplayed. While he makes some unsavory comments about women twice over the course of four novels, he never actually acts on it. Compared to Logen Ninefingers' having sex with a woman in ''Sharp Ends'', which is QuestionableConsent at best.

--> Downplayed. While he makes some unsavory comments about women twice over the course of four novels, he never actually acts on it. Compared to Logen Ninefingers' having sex with a woman in Sharp Ends, which is QuestionableConsent at best.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Logen is one of the nicest characters in the original trilogy, but he's one of the most feared men in the North for a reason. His Bloody-Nine persona is a dangerous psychotic who's a danger to friend and foe alike.

* PoisonousFriend: Bethod reveals that it was Logen's bloodlust as the Bloody-Nine that forced Bethod's hand to become king. The times when Bethod tried to smooth things over nonviolently were usually sabotaged by Logen killing important people, making peace impossible.

* AwesomeMcCoolName: Even by Named Man standards.

* KnifeNut: Prefers larger weapons in a fight, but always has a few knives as backup. One of his mottoes is, "You can never have too many knives."

* PetTheDog: Has a few notable moments, such as his interactions with West or his words at Threetrees' funeral. In ''The Heroes'' he surprises Craw by allowing him to retire once the war is done.

* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Tul Duru will occasionally work each other into a screaming argument that requires the others to tone down before it comes to blows, but their both good friends.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: He's the weakest member of his tribe, and certainly of the band.

* BadassBeard: He's a gigantic warrior with an impressive beard.

[[folder:Logen Ninefingers]]
!! Logen Ninefingers

[[folder:The Dogman]]

Logen's oldest friend, a Named Man of some repute. He has sharp teeth, a sharp nose and an even sharper sense of smell.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Everyone likes the Dogman. Even his enemies admit that he's a good guy.
* TheArcher: His primary weapon, as a scout.
* CombatPragmatist: Pretty common among the Northmen.
* TheGoodKing: He becomes leader of a Northern Protectorate by the end of ''The Heroes'' and is widely beloved by his people over fifteen years later in ''A Little Hatred''.
* {{Good Parent|s}}: He's a loving and devoted father to his daughter Rikke, whom he provides with equal amounts of loving support and worldly wisdom.
* HumbleHero: In a world of oversized egos, he's one of the few meek and unassuming characters.
* TheNoseKnows: His namesake is his extremely sharp sense of smell.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Helped by his sense of smell.
* StealthExpert: Played with. He's famous for his stealth, but due to the relatively realistic nature of the series, we occasionally see Dogman trip over things or bump into people he wasn't expecting.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rudd Threetrees]]
!!Rudd Threetrees

-->'''Harding Grim:''' ''Never took an easy path, if he thought it was the wrong one. Never stepped back from a fight, if he thought it had to be done. I stood with him, walked with him, fought with him, ten years, all over the North. I've no complaints.''

An elderly member of Logen's band, a skilled and inspiring leader in his own right.
----