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Added Replacement Goldfish to Black Dow's profile.
Added DiffLines:
* ReplacementGoldfish: It's implied that Dow sees Curnden Craw (who was once Threetrees' second-in-command) as something of a stand-in for Threetrees himself. Craw is less than pleased with this, both because he sees himself as an InadequateInheritor, and because it tends to result in his band getting tasked with more important (and dangerous) jobs.
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Trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup
Deleted line(s) 167 (click to see context) :
* KickTheSonOfABitch: He killed Stranger-Come-Knocking in the Circle, not because the latter was a monstrous rapist, but because he was infamous enough for his death to add to Stour's legend.
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None
Changed line(s) 298 (click to see context) from:
* BrokenPedestal: Calder expresses disappointment in Reachey's attempt on his life, mostly because he thought better of Reachey than that. In contrast, when Craw betrayed Calder, there were no hard feelings because Calder knew Craw was sticking to his principles.
to:
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler: Calder expresses disappointment in Reachey's attempt on his life, mostly because he thought better of Reachey than that. In contrast, when Craw betrayed Calder, there were no hard feelings because Calder knew Craw was sticking to his principles.]]
Changed line(s) 300 (click to see context) from:
* FrameUp: Calder has him assassinated in revenge for his attempt on Calder's life, and frames Glama Golden for the deed.
to:
* FrameUp: [[spoiler: Attmepts to have Calder assasinated and frames it on Black Dow when it fails. When Calder finds out he has him Reachey assassinated in revenge for his attempt on Calder's life, revenge, and frames Glama Golden for the deed.]]
Changed line(s) 302,305 (click to see context) from:
* KilledOffscreen: He's killed by Calder offscreen.
* PapaWolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter her life.
* TheReliableOne: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out of pragmatism.
* PapaWolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter her life.
* TheReliableOne: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out of pragmatism.
to:
* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler: He's killed by Calder offscreen.
offscreen.]]
* PapaWolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. [[spoiler: He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter herlife.
life.]]
* TheReliableOne: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. [[spoiler: Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out ofpragmatism.
pragmatism.]]
* PapaWolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. [[spoiler: He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter her
* TheReliableOne: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. [[spoiler: Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out of
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None
Changed line(s) 299 (click to see context) from:
* CoolOldGuy: He's a reasonable old man with a reputation as a straight edge and promises to side with Calder within reason. Turns out he's not quite as much of a straight edge as he advertises.]
to:
* CoolOldGuy: He's a reasonable old man with a reputation as a straight edge and promises to side with Calder within reason. Turns [[spoiler: It turns out he's not quite as much of a straight edge as he advertises.]advertises, and was manipulating the conflict between Calder and Black Dow for his own gain.]]
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None
Changed line(s) 11,12 (click to see context) from:
!!Bethod's Line
to:
!!Line of King Bethod
Changed line(s) 180,187 (click to see context) from:
!!!Bethod's Court
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
to:
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
[[folder:Logen Ninefingers]]
!!Logen Ninefingers
Changed line(s) 189,202 (click to see context) from:
* AchillesHeel: The entire left side of his body is covered in blue writing that gives the left side of his body a HealingFactor which makes him impervious to harm. Meanwhile, he wears impenetrable armor over his right side. Logen kills him by stabbing his sword into his left side and pushes it further and further in until it starts stabbing the organs on his right.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
to:
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
--->See [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthLogensBand Logen's Band]]
Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Black Dow]]
!!Black Dow
-->''"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. By the end of the trilogy he works is way to becoming King of the Northmen, or Protector of the North as he calls himself.
----
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!Northern Royal Court
!!Court of King Bethod
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
----
* AchillesHeel: The entire left side of his body is covered in blue writing that gives the left side of his body a HealingFactor which makes him impervious to harm. Meanwhile, he wears impenetrable armor over his right side. Logen kills him by stabbing his sword into his left side and pushes it further and further in until it starts stabbing the organs on his right.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
[[/folder]]
!!Black Dow
-->''"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. By the end of the trilogy he works is way to becoming King of the Northmen, or Protector of the North as he calls himself.
----
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!Northern Royal Court
!!Court of King Bethod
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
----
* AchillesHeel: The entire left side of his body is covered in blue writing that gives the left side of his body a HealingFactor which makes him impervious to harm. Meanwhile, he wears impenetrable armor over his right side. Logen kills him by stabbing his sword into his left side and pushes it further and further in until it starts stabbing the organs on his right.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
[[/folder]]
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[[/folder]]
!!Court of Black Dow, Protector of the North
!!!Black Dow's War-Chiefs
[[folder:Caul Reachey]]
!!Caul Reachey
One of Black Dow's five war-chiefs, and Calder's father-in-law.
----
* BrokenPedestal: Calder expresses disappointment in Reachey's attempt on his life, mostly because he thought better of Reachey than that. In contrast, when Craw betrayed Calder, there were no hard feelings because Calder knew Craw was sticking to his principles.
* CoolOldGuy: He's a reasonable old man with a reputation as a straight edge and promises to side with Calder within reason. Turns out he's not quite as much of a straight edge as he advertises.]
* FrameUp: Calder has him assassinated in revenge for his attempt on Calder's life, and frames Glama Golden for the deed.
* IHaveYourWife: His daughter is held hostage by Black Dow to ensure Reachey's good behavior.
* KilledOffscreen: He's killed by Calder offscreen.
* PapaWolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter her life.
* TheReliableOne: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out of pragmatism.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Brodd Tenways]]
!!Brodd Tenways
One of Black Dow's five war-chiefs. He's the most loyal among them and possesses a burning hatred of Bethod's sons.
----
* EvilOldFolks: An evil, elderly war-chief.
* {{Gonk}}: Tenways has bad teeth, a foul smell, and patches of a hideous rash covering his twisted face. The overall effect has Calder describe him as "ugly as incest."
* TheMole: Bayaz reveals that Tenways' loyalty was mostly a show, and he was really one of his agents.
* NotMeThisTime: He wasn't behind the assassination attempt on Calder. Caul Reachey was.
* SinsOfTheFather: Tenways lost to Bethod twice in battle and lost everything he had as a result. Since Bethod's death, however, he's transferred all his loathing to his sons, Scale and Calder, instead.
* UriahGambit: He withholds backup for Scale during a battle, nearly resulting in his death.
* VillainousRescue: Tenways actually saves Calder's life from Mitterick's soldiers.
* YesMan: He's the most vocal in his support of Black Dow, and comes across as a toadying bootlicker as a result. In reality, this is an act, and he's really one of Bayaz's pawns.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cairm Ironhead]]
!!Cairm Ironhead
One of Black Dow's war-chiefs and Glama Golden's rival.
----
* HiddenDepths: Calder is surprised to realize that Ironhead is more politically cunning than Calder anticipated.
* KilledOffscreen: He dies during the TimeSkip between ''Literature/TheHeroes'' and the ''Age of Madness'' trilogy. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed his killer was Jonas Clover.]]
* TheRival: He and Glama Golden despise each other and are in frequent competition.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He and Glama hate each other but they're forced to work together under Black Dow.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Glama Golden]]
!!Glama Golden
One of Black Dow's war-chiefs who's known for his vanity and his rivalry with Cairm Ironhead.
----
* BlingOfWar: He goes into battle decked out with golden armor, rings, bracelets and necklaces. It's where he got his name from.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:He gets an undeservedly excruciating death in ''Red Country'' when Logen, as the Bloody-Nine, literally rips him apart during their duel to the death.]]
* CurbstompBattle: [[spoiler:In ''Red Country'', while his and Logen's duel starts off seemingly on even footing, it ends with Logen effortlessly killing him.]]
* DuelToTheDeath: In ''Red Country'' he's become a pit fighter who engages in these. [[spoiler:His last one, against Logen Ninefingers, does not go well for him.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: He's introduced in ''Red Country'' defending Shy South from some of Papa Ring's thugs. [[spoiler:When Papa Ring kidnaps Shy to force Logen to throw the duel, he keeps it secret from Golden because he knows he'd disapprove.]]
* TheExile: After he's [[spoiler:framed for Reachey's assassination]], he's forced to flee the North and remain in exile in the Far Country.
* FallenOnHardTimesJob: From a mighty, feared war-chief to a measly pit fighter for a crime boss.
* FrameUp: [[spoiler:Calder assassinates Caul Reachey and frames Glama Golden for the deed.]]
* MirrorCharacter: By the time of ''Red Country'' he's become a lot like Logen, a killer who's remorseful of his violent past but can't quite escape its shadow.
* NobleTopEnforcer: He becomes this to the crime boss, Papa Ring. Unlike his other hired muscle, Glama is reserved, has standards, and no longer relishes violence.
* PunchClockVillain: He works for the crime boss, Papa Ring, but otherwise he's nowhere close to being a villain.
* TheRival: He and Cairm Ironhead despise each other and are in frequent competition.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He and Ironhead hate each other but they're forced to work together under Black Dow.
* TookALevelInKindness: He's lost a lot of his vanity and arrogance by the time of ''Red Country'', having become a more thoughtful and less violent person. [[spoiler:[[ShootTheShaggyDog Not that it helps him any.]]]]
!!Court of Black Dow, Protector of the North
!!!Black Dow's War-Chiefs
[[folder:Caul Reachey]]
!!Caul Reachey
One of Black Dow's five war-chiefs, and Calder's father-in-law.
----
* BrokenPedestal: Calder expresses disappointment in Reachey's attempt on his life, mostly because he thought better of Reachey than that. In contrast, when Craw betrayed Calder, there were no hard feelings because Calder knew Craw was sticking to his principles.
* CoolOldGuy: He's a reasonable old man with a reputation as a straight edge and promises to side with Calder within reason. Turns out he's not quite as much of a straight edge as he advertises.]
* FrameUp: Calder has him assassinated in revenge for his attempt on Calder's life, and frames Glama Golden for the deed.
* IHaveYourWife: His daughter is held hostage by Black Dow to ensure Reachey's good behavior.
* KilledOffscreen: He's killed by Calder offscreen.
* PapaWolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter her life.
* TheReliableOne: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out of pragmatism.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Brodd Tenways]]
!!Brodd Tenways
One of Black Dow's five war-chiefs. He's the most loyal among them and possesses a burning hatred of Bethod's sons.
----
* EvilOldFolks: An evil, elderly war-chief.
* {{Gonk}}: Tenways has bad teeth, a foul smell, and patches of a hideous rash covering his twisted face. The overall effect has Calder describe him as "ugly as incest."
* TheMole: Bayaz reveals that Tenways' loyalty was mostly a show, and he was really one of his agents.
* NotMeThisTime: He wasn't behind the assassination attempt on Calder. Caul Reachey was.
* SinsOfTheFather: Tenways lost to Bethod twice in battle and lost everything he had as a result. Since Bethod's death, however, he's transferred all his loathing to his sons, Scale and Calder, instead.
* UriahGambit: He withholds backup for Scale during a battle, nearly resulting in his death.
* VillainousRescue: Tenways actually saves Calder's life from Mitterick's soldiers.
* YesMan: He's the most vocal in his support of Black Dow, and comes across as a toadying bootlicker as a result. In reality, this is an act, and he's really one of Bayaz's pawns.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cairm Ironhead]]
!!Cairm Ironhead
One of Black Dow's war-chiefs and Glama Golden's rival.
----
* HiddenDepths: Calder is surprised to realize that Ironhead is more politically cunning than Calder anticipated.
* KilledOffscreen: He dies during the TimeSkip between ''Literature/TheHeroes'' and the ''Age of Madness'' trilogy. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed his killer was Jonas Clover.]]
* TheRival: He and Glama Golden despise each other and are in frequent competition.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He and Glama hate each other but they're forced to work together under Black Dow.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Glama Golden]]
!!Glama Golden
One of Black Dow's war-chiefs who's known for his vanity and his rivalry with Cairm Ironhead.
----
* BlingOfWar: He goes into battle decked out with golden armor, rings, bracelets and necklaces. It's where he got his name from.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:He gets an undeservedly excruciating death in ''Red Country'' when Logen, as the Bloody-Nine, literally rips him apart during their duel to the death.]]
* CurbstompBattle: [[spoiler:In ''Red Country'', while his and Logen's duel starts off seemingly on even footing, it ends with Logen effortlessly killing him.]]
* DuelToTheDeath: In ''Red Country'' he's become a pit fighter who engages in these. [[spoiler:His last one, against Logen Ninefingers, does not go well for him.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: He's introduced in ''Red Country'' defending Shy South from some of Papa Ring's thugs. [[spoiler:When Papa Ring kidnaps Shy to force Logen to throw the duel, he keeps it secret from Golden because he knows he'd disapprove.]]
* TheExile: After he's [[spoiler:framed for Reachey's assassination]], he's forced to flee the North and remain in exile in the Far Country.
* FallenOnHardTimesJob: From a mighty, feared war-chief to a measly pit fighter for a crime boss.
* FrameUp: [[spoiler:Calder assassinates Caul Reachey and frames Glama Golden for the deed.]]
* MirrorCharacter: By the time of ''Red Country'' he's become a lot like Logen, a killer who's remorseful of his violent past but can't quite escape its shadow.
* NobleTopEnforcer: He becomes this to the crime boss, Papa Ring. Unlike his other hired muscle, Glama is reserved, has standards, and no longer relishes violence.
* PunchClockVillain: He works for the crime boss, Papa Ring, but otherwise he's nowhere close to being a villain.
* TheRival: He and Cairm Ironhead despise each other and are in frequent competition.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He and Ironhead hate each other but they're forced to work together under Black Dow.
* TookALevelInKindness: He's lost a lot of his vanity and arrogance by the time of ''Red Country'', having become a more thoughtful and less violent person. [[spoiler:[[ShootTheShaggyDog Not that it helps him any.]]]]
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[[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthRoyaltyAndRule Northern Royalty]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthLogensBand Logen's Band]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthernProtectorate Northern Protectorate]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorth The North]]\\
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[[WMG:[[center:[-''Literature/TheFirstLaw'' '''[[Characters/TheFirstLaw Characters]]'''\\
'''The Union'''\\
[[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionRoyaltyAndGovernment The Royal Family & Closed Council]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionMilitary Union Military]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionInquisition His Majesty's Inquisition]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionCitizens Nobility & Citizenry of the Union]]\\
'''The North'''\\
[[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthRoyaltyAndRule Northern Royalty]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthLogensBand Logen's Band]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthernProtectorate Northern Protectorate]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorth The North]]\\
'''Other Characters'''\\
[[Characters/TheFirstLawMagi The Magi]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawGurkishEmpire Gurkish Empire]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawStyria Styria]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNearAndFarCountries Near & Far Countries]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawAdua Adua]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawTheFirstLaw The First Law trilogy]] | ''Characters/BestServedCold'' | ''Characters/TheHeroes'' | ''Characters/RedCountry''-]]]]]
'''The Union'''\\
[[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionRoyaltyAndGovernment The Royal Family & Closed Council]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionMilitary Union Military]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionInquisition His Majesty's Inquisition]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawUnionCitizens Nobility & Citizenry of the Union]]\\
'''The North'''\\
[[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthRoyaltyAndRule Northern Royalty]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthLogensBand Logen's Band]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorthernProtectorate Northern Protectorate]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNorth The North]]\\
'''Other Characters'''\\
[[Characters/TheFirstLawMagi The Magi]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawGurkishEmpire Gurkish Empire]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawStyria Styria]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNearAndFarCountries Near & Far Countries]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawAdua Adua]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawTheFirstLaw The First Law trilogy]] | ''Characters/BestServedCold'' | ''Characters/TheHeroes'' | ''Characters/RedCountry''-]]]]]
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* TheRedBaron: Due to his exploits, Stour has garnered the nickname "The Great Wolf" and has made a wolf his personal standard.
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* TheRedBaron: RedBaron: Due to his exploits, Stour has garnered the nickname "The Great Wolf" and has made a wolf his personal standard.
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* PoisonousFriend: Claims that ''Logen'' was this to him, and he only had to conquer the North because Logen made too many enemies with his brutality.
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* AwesomeMcCoolName: His name is Stour Nightfall because he was born during an eclipse. At least, that's how the legend goes. In actuality he was born an hour beforehand but his family's too powerful for anyone to say otherwise.
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved
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* NotSoDifferent: He and Leo dan Brock share a lot of similarities. Both identify as warriors rather than soldiers, both are self-centered and hungry for personal glory, both prefer to fight openly rather than listen to the strategic advice of their much more competent single parent, whom they chafe under. [[spoiler:Highlighting their similarities is one of the ways Leo sways Stour to ally with him rather than remain enemies.]]
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* NotSoDifferent: MirrorCharacter: He and Leo dan Brock share a lot of similarities. Both identify as warriors rather than soldiers, both are self-centered and hungry for personal glory, both prefer to fight openly rather than listen to the strategic advice of their much more competent single parent, whom they chafe under. [[spoiler:Highlighting [[spoiler:[[NotSoDifferentRemark Highlighting their similarities similarities]] is one of the ways Leo sways Stour to ally with him rather than remain enemies.]]
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* PayEvilUntoEvil: [[spoiler:What she does upon encountering Stand-i'-the-Barrows, a warrior from beyond the Crinna who enjoys taking the bones of his victims. After she and her Shanka corner him and his followers fleeing a losing battle, he asks her what she wants. Caurib replies, "Your bones."]]
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* VocalDissonance: [[spoiler:She still possesses her impossibly beautiful voice from when she was young even after she's an old woman with a mangled face.]]
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* CoDragons: He and his brother Calder act as this to their father during ''The First Law'' trilogy, serving as the brawn and brains respectively.
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* DragonAscendant: He goes from one of his father's CoDragons who survives the original trilogy and then, after a brief period of serving Black Dow, takes up his father's mantle as King of the North. Though his younger brother Calder ends up being TheManBehindTheMan for him, so it's arguably a rare case of {{Co Dragons}} [[DragonAscendant Ascendant]].
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* CoDragons: Calder and Scale serve as this to their father during ''The First Law'' trilogy, being the brains and brawn respectively.
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* DragonAscendant: Calder goes from one of his father's CoDragons to TheManBehindTheMan to his older brother, King Scale, arguably making them a rare case of {{Co Dragons}} [[DragonAscendant Ascendant]].
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** For all of Stour's crimes and blunders, Calder loves him all the same. In ''The Wisdom of Crowds'' [[spoiler:he's horrified at his son's crippling and when Rikke kills Stour in front of him after pretending to be merciful, Calder tells his warriors to kill everyone in Carleon. It's also all but stated that he loves his younger son as well, even if he does keep his existence secret.]]
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* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:With his forces beaten by Rikke, he calmly accepts his death and even manages a smile when he realizes Rikke ''doesn't'' know everything because she doesn't known about his younger son.]]
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* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:Just before his death, he smiles when he realizes that Rikke doesn't know he has another son.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Calder accepts his defeat at the hands of Rikke calmly and gracefully, even knowing it means his death.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Calder accepts his defeat at the hands of Rikke calmly and gracefully, even knowing it means his death.]]
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* PapaWolf: [[spoiler:Stour's crippling and capture just inspires Calder to mount as big an army he can to go to Carleon to rescue him. When Rikke kills Stour in front of him, Calder orders his men to kill everyone in Carleon. When he sees he's going to lose the battle and has been lured into a trap, he orders Downside to kill Clover for betraying his son in the first place, saying he'd been planning to do it after his victory.]]
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* ImpromptuTracheotomy: [[spoiler:Rikke kills Stour by stabbing him in the throat in front of his father after pretending to show mercy. He manages to get out a mangled, "Bitch," before she pushes him off Carleon's walls.]]
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* AdiposeRex: Thanks to the lose of his hand, Scale as gone to siege as King of the Northmen, transforming from a mountain of muscle to a mountain of blubber.
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* AdiposeRex: Thanks to the lose loss of his hand, Scale as gone to siege as King of the Northmen, transforming from a mountain of muscle to a mountain of blubber.
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Fixing a spelling error.
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* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Logen were once friends before becoming bitter enemies. Logen even comments that you can't truly hate a person unless you've loved them once, and he did once love Method.
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* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Logen were once friends before becoming bitter enemies. Logen even comments that you can't truly hate a person unless you've loved them once, and he did once love Method.Bethod.
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* SmugSnake: He's really good at killing people, but other than that he's spoiled brat who thinks he's ten times more awesome than he really is and who goes out of his way to be unnecessarily horrible to absolutely everyone.
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* PlaguedByNightmares: Ever since Calder had Forley the Weakest murdered, he's had nightmares of the event, regretting his decision to kill a good person just to make himself appear strong.
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[[folder:Prince Scale]]
!!Prince Scale Ironhand
!!Prince Scale Ironhand
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!!Prince
!!King Scale Ironhand
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[[folder:Prince Calder*]]
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* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating him in the Circle and sparing his life, Leo tries to invoke this on Stour, reminding him this was how Logen Ninefingers, whom they both admire, won those he bested over to his side. This and a few other arguments end up convincing Stour to be “friends” with Leo. It's then deconstructed when Stour proves himself to still be an utter sociopath who takes Leo's "friendship" as a justification to do whatever he wants by murdering his uncle to become King of the Northmen.]]
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* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler:By the end of ''The Trouble with Peace'', he goes from a smug, bloodthirsty king to an impotent prisoner begging for his life. His forces have been decimated at Stoffenbeck, Carleon has been stolen by Rikke, and Jonas Clover hands him over to his numerous enemies who then slit the tendons behind his knees and haul him away to the very cage where Stour stored his own prisoners.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating him in the Circle and sparing his life, Leo tries to invoke this on Stour, reminding him this was how Logen Ninefingers, whom they both admire, won those he bested over to his side. This and a few other arguments end up convincing Stour to be“friends” "friends" with Leo. It's then deconstructed when Stour proves himself to still be an utter sociopath who takes still plans on seizing the Dogman's Protectorate someday, he's just waiting for Leo's strength to wane. When Leo tries to invoke the "friendship" as for a justification to later cause, Stour flatly tells him he won't do whatever he wants by murdering his uncle to become King of the Northmen.anything for nothing.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating him in the Circle and sparing his life, Leo tries to invoke this on Stour, reminding him this was how Logen Ninefingers, whom they both admire, won those he bested over to his side. This and a few other arguments end up convincing Stour to be
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* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Lampshaded by Clover. Stour has a peasant woman who might have the Long Eye brought to him because he wants to weaponize magic. When the woman cries and begs for her life, Stour actually seems upset that she thinks he's a monster who kills people for no reason. He ends up giving her a coin and tells her to come back if she has another vision, and the entire time Clover winces, expecting Stour to run up and knife her out of sheer meanness. Before Clover can find out if his prediction will come true, a messenger for Stour arrives.
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* DealWithTheDevil: Made one with [[spoiler:Bayaz, and a related one with the Shanka.]]
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* DealWithTheDevil: Made one with [[spoiler:Bayaz, Bayaz, and a related one with the Shanka.]]
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Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. [[spoiler: At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of ''Literature/TheHeroes'', Scale has become King of the Northmen.]]
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Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. [[spoiler: At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of ''Literature/TheHeroes'', Scale has become King of the Northmen.]]
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* AwesomeButImpractical: he wears a horned helmet into battle. In their fight, Gorst grabs a hold of one of the horns and hammers its impracticality into Scale's head. Literally.
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* AwesomeButImpractical: he He wears a horned helmet into battle. In their fight, Gorst grabs a hold of one of the horns and hammers its impracticality into Scale's head. Literally.
* FacialHorror: [[spoiler:As a result of getting her skull split by an axe and the Shanka saving her by crudely sewing his head back together. She has a great pink-grey scar running from brow to mouth lined with golden stitches holding it together, and one side of her face is lower than the other.]]
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* TookALevelInKindness: [[spoiler:By the time of ''The Trouble With Peace'', she's mellowed out considerably, being kind of a jerk at worst. She's no longer interested in the wars of the North and just leaves peacefully as the witch of the lake. She even saves Rikke's life by containing the Long Eye when it threatens to kill her.]]
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misuse of this trope, moving to a TRS draft of a more fitting trope
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* BadDreams: Ever since he murdered Forley the Weakest, he's had nightmares of the event, regretting his decision to kill a good person just to make himself appear strong.
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[[folder:Prince Calder]]
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[[folder:Prince Calder]]Calder*]]
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!!!POV: ''Literature/TheHeroes''
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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Returns in The Trouble With Peace, apparently alive (or at least undead) with her face stiched back together with gold wire.]]
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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Returns in The ''The Trouble With Peace, Peace'', apparently alive (or at least undead) with her face stiched back together with gold wire.]]
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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Returns in The Trouble With Peace, apparently alive (or at least undead) with her face stiched back together with gold wire.
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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Returns in The Trouble With Peace, apparently alive (or at least undead) with her face stiched back together with gold wire.]]
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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Returns in The Trouble With Peace, apparently alive (or at least undead) with her face stiched back together with gold wire.
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[[folder:King Scale]]
!!King Scale Ironhand
!!King Scale Ironhand
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Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of ''Literature/TheHeroes'', Scale has become King of the Northmen.
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Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. [[spoiler: At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of ''Literature/TheHeroes'', Scale has become King of the Northmen.]]
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* CoolUncle: He acts this way to his nephew and heir, Stour Nightfall, whom he dotes on. This is likely because he has no children of his own, coupled with the fact that the two have a lot in common, particularly during Scale's younger days. Stour even gets along better with Scale more than he does his own father. [[spoiler:Not that this stops Stour from killing him to be king all the sooner.]]
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* CoolUncle: He acts this way to his nephew and heir, Stour Nightfall, whom he dotes on. This is likely because he has no children of his own, coupled with the fact that the two have a lot in common, particularly during Scale's younger days. Stour even gets along better with Scale more than he does his own father. [[spoiler:Not [[spoiler: Not that this stops Stour from killing him to be king all the sooner.]]
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[[foldercontrol]]
!!Bethod's Line
[[folder:King Bethod]]
!!King Bethod
A charismatic and ruthless leader. An excellent military tactician who intends to conquer Angland after he has defeated almost every clan in the North. He is Logen's bitter enemy after he betrayed him and his band of men. He has two sons, Calder and Scale.
----
* AffablyEvil: He's very charismatic as well as power-hungry. He also turns out to be less one-dimensionally megalomaniacal and more well-intentioned than he initially appears.
* ArcVillain: He's the main antagonist for the story arc dealing with the Union's war against the Northmen.
* BadBoss: After a decade of using him to unify the North, he exiled Logen under pain of death. Of course, that's Logen's side of the story. According to Bethod, Logen's psychotic actions as the Bloody Nine kept forcing Bethod into situations where violence was the only option. The only reason he didn't kill Logen and his men is because Bayaz forced him to exile them instead.
* CombatByChampion: Bethod conquered many tribes by having Logen fight as his champion. Logen won every single fight.
* CombatPragmatist: As a commander.
-->'''Logen:''' He delights in every trick of war - in setting traps and ambushes, in mounting feints and deceptions, in sending sudden raids against the unwary. Look for him where you expect him least, and expect him to be strongest where he seems the weakest. [[DefensiveFeintTrap Beware him most of all when he seems to run.]]
* CoolCrown: His golden crown is often commented on.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: Bethod claims this is what Logen did - he was just one of many war chiefs originally, who hoped to gain a few victory's and then get good terms from his enemies, like everyone else did, so he could keep his home safe and give his sons a little more land. When Logen became his champion, he forced him into all out war by killing the men Bethod wanted to spare or ransom, leading to total war in the North, forcing Bethod to beat everyone or die.
* DealWithTheDevil: Made one with [[spoiler:Bayaz, and a related one with the Shanka.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: After Logen kills Bethod's champion, Fenris, and advances on him, Bethod doesn't cower or flee. He just keeps mocking Logen and calling him out of his own dark deeds. He keeps insulting him until Logen smashes his head in.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Calder thinks very highly of him in ''The Heroes'', showing that, for all his villainous acts, Bethod really cared for his sons. He even says that one of his only goals in starting the war was to leave more behind for his sons than his own father left behind for him.
* EvilFormerFriend: To Logen, who served him for many years before being banished. Except then it turns out Logen is an UnreliableNarrator and according to Bethod, Logen's actions as the Bloody Nine are responsible for escalating the war until it reached the point of no return.
* GenghisGambit: His war against the Union is an attempt to strengthen his fragile hold over the North by uniting the recently conquered clans against a common enemy.
* TheGoodKing: The things he did for the North make him a legend by ''The Heroes.''
* {{Good Parent|s}}: Surprisingly, in later books he comes off as wanting only the best for his sons and doing his best to teach them how to rule.
* NobleSavage: The image he attempts to cultivate.
* PoisonousFriend: Claims that ''Logen'' was this to him, and he only had to conquer the North because Logen made too many enemies with his brutality.
* PragmaticVillainy: While Bethod was not opposed to murder, he also saw the power in mercy. When Calder murdered Forley the Weakest to make himself appear tough, Bethod merely saw the display as wasting an asset. Afterwards he cautioned Calder to appraise a thing's value before destroying it instead of smashing a thing because he can.
* RepressiveButEfficient: Stories following his death say Bethod was the evilest bastard who ever set foot in the North, but that's only because people like simple stories of good and evil. Though he was a conqueror, Craw mentions how people don't remember the good Bethod did for the North, like building infrastructure, creating great walls, roads and bridges, and stopping the constant warring between the clans--albeit by waging war on the South.
* TheStrategist: He unified the North mostly by defeating all his enemies in battle, something he was very good at. Bethod is wildly regarded to be one of the greatest military minds alive, and a severe threat to the Union.
* TragicVillain: The reason Bethod said he had to conquer the North in the first place was because Logen's psychotic episodes as the Bloody-Nine caused so much bloodshed against Bethod's wishes, that he was essentially backed into a corner and ''had'' to start a war.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Logen were once friends before becoming bitter enemies. Logen even comments that you can't truly hate a person unless you've loved them once, and he did once love Method.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: One interpretation of his actions in conquering the north. He started off by defeating the local clans to stop the bigger ones from squeezing his own. His success grew to the point where he defeated and united almost all the clans, and started to focus on infrastructure to improve the North. His war against the Union is partly to gain territory, but also to strengthen his hold over the North by setting his new subjects against a common enemy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:King Scale]]
!!King Scale Ironhand
-->'''Bayaz:''' ''"Brave as a bull, strong as a bull, thick as a bull's arse."''
Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of ''Literature/TheHeroes'', Scale has become King of the Northmen.
----
* AdiposeRex: Thanks to the lose of his hand, Scale as gone to siege as King of the Northmen, transforming from a mountain of muscle to a mountain of blubber.
* TheAlcoholic: Frequently seen drinking during his time as king.
* AnArmAndALeg: He loses a hand to Bremer dan Gorst in their duel. He gets it replaced with an iron prosthesis earning the nickname Scale Ironhand.
* AwesomeButImpractical: he wears a horned helmet into battle. In their fight, Gorst grabs a hold of one of the horns and hammers its impracticality into Scale's head. Literally.
* TheBerserker: He goes into a blood rage
* BigBrotherInstinct: In spite of having nothing in common with his witty, wimpy half-brother Calder, he loves him and protects him from his own sharp tongue.
* BigBrotherMentor: Tries to be this to Calder, but Calder's twice as smart as he is. His presence does dissuade people from just killing Calder, though.
* BloodKnight: Scale absolutely loves fighting and war.
* TheBrute: Not a bad guy, really, but only understands solving things through violence.
* CoolUncle: He acts this way to his nephew and heir, Stour Nightfall, whom he dotes on. This is likely because he has no children of his own, coupled with the fact that the two have a lot in common, particularly during Scale's younger days. Stour even gets along better with Scale more than he does his own father. [[spoiler:Not that this stops Stour from killing him to be king all the sooner.]]
* DualWielding: Sword and mace combo.
* DumbMuscle: Played so very straight. He's brawny, mean, and prefers to solve his problems through violence, but he's not intelligent, especially when compared to his more calculating little brother.
* EnemyMine: He and Calder team up with Black Dow to make one last attempt on Logen's life in ''Last Argument of Kings''. They fail, and afterwards both end up subservient to Black Dow, who surpasses them as ruler.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Though he doesn't agree with some of Calder's ideas and wishes he was a warrior, Scale really does love his little brother. His first instinct on hearing he was nearly assassinated is to try to kill the man believed to be responsible, even though it would just get them both into trouble.
* FrontlineGeneral: One of the reasons why Scale is so well-liked by his men is because he fights with them in battles. This seems to be a prerequisite for any Northerner who wants respect. His near death at the hands of Bremer dan Gorst is evidence why this isn't always a good decision.
* GloryDays: His time as King is mostly spent reminiscing on his past exploits and reveling in the tales of his nephew, Stour Nightfall, who greatly resembles him in his youth.
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:At the end of ''A Little Hatred'', Scale takes the loss of his war against the Union remarkably rather well considering that he was on the verge of winning and only lost because Stour challenged Leo dan Brock to a duel in the circle, only gently chastising Stour for the failure.]]
* HotBlooded: Scale is a very passionate individual, and he's quick to anger and action without cooler heads to reign him in.
* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:Stour shoves a knife in his throat without warning right in the middle of their conversation.]]
* NotQuiteDead: Loses his hand and is captured by the Union, but Bayaz returns him to Calder at the end of ''The Heroes''.
* RedOniBlueOni: The impulsive, violent Red to Calder's scheming, cowardly Blue.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Scale and Calder flee after Logen kills Bethod. They later return, having teamed up with Black Dow for one last chance at Logen.
* SiblingYinYang: Scale is an unintelligent brute who prefers to settle his problems through violence. Calder is a scheming snake who is terrified of the mere thought of fighting.
* PuppetKing: Even though Calder ultimately decides he loves his brother too much to assassinate and usurp him, the end of ''The Heroes'' implies that Scale is more of a puppet that Calder rules through. This is confirmed in ''A Little Hatred'' where it's an open secret that Calder is the real ruler, with even Scale good-naturedly acknowledging it.
* WarriorPrince: He's heir to the Northern throne and a skilled fighter who's earned the admiration and respect of his men through battle.
* YouShallNotPass: Does this at the old bridge. Thanks to Bremer dan Gorst, it doesn't work. He is revealed to have survived though.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Prince Calder]]
!!Prince "Black" Calder
-->'''Dogman:''' ''"Bethod's youngest son. And a snake."''
Bethod's ''younger'' son, a charmer and schemer among the straightforward warriors of the North. Introduced in ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'', he becomes a [=POV=] character in ''Literature/TheHeroes''.
----
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:He spent years trying to achieve his deceased father's ambition for the North by waging another war against the Union. By the end of the book, all of his ambitions have fallen apart thanks to his son challenging Leo dan Brock to the Circle and losing.]]
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: With his wife Sef, and occasionally comes through in interactions with his older brother [[TheBrute Scale]]. In the end, played straight as he loves Scale too much to assassinate and usurp him, instead giving Scale rulership of the North.
* BadDreams: Ever since he murdered Forley the Weakest, he's had nightmares of the event, regretting his decision to kill a good person just to make himself appear strong.
* BestServedCold: After he figures out that his father-in-law, Caul Reachey, was the one behind the assassination attempt on him, he waits until after his son is born before having Reachey poisoned, framing another enemy for the deed.
* BlueOniRedOni: With Scale. Calder's the scheming blue, to his brother's impulsive, violent red.
* TheCasanova: His love for his wife is enough to make him swear off other women. Well, almost enough.
* TheChessmaster: He spends most of ''The Heroes'' trying to scheme and manipulate his way into gaining control of the North from Black Dow. By the end, his plans bare fruit, though only after one incredibly lucky break saves his life.
* CurbStompBattle Though Calder challenges Dow to a duel to the death, it's only to buy himself more time, as he doesn't believe he has a chance against him. Sure enough, he's right, and Black Dow spends their "duel" beating the living crap out of him.
* DeadpanSnarker: His contempt for his fellow Northerners mentality combined with his quick wit leads to Calder getting some great zingers. Even some of his enemies can't help but laugh at them.
* DirtyCoward: By his own admission, Calder takes every opportunity he can to avoid fighting, especially in battles. When he finds out his brother needs him and his men as a reserve, Calder is too cowardly to help, and is horrified when it seemingly leads to Scale's death.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** Calder is deeply in love with his wife, Seff, to the point where he swears off other women for her... mostly. Though she's long dead by the time of ''A Little Hatred'', Calder never remarried and says the reason why he could never discipline their son is because she saw too much of her in his face.
** Calder loved and respected his father, whose advice he frequently remembers long after his death.
** He shows care for his HonoraryUncle, Curnden Craw, even after the latter sells him out to Black Dow, mostly because he respects Craw as being a "straight-edge" and sticking to his principles. In contrast, he assassinates his father-in-law for also selling him out because he'd merely been pretending to be a "straight-edge."
** He also loves his older brother, Scale, even though he also resents him for his brutish nature and for standing in line for the throne. However, by the end of ''The Heroes'', he proves his love for him when he refuses to kill and usurp his weakened brother, willingly giving up the throne he always wanted. [[spoiler:And he's horrified when Stour murders him at the end of ''A Little Hatred''.]]
* EvilIsPetty: Even after remembering his father's words that mercy can be power, and reflecting on what a mistake it was to execute Forley the Weakest to make himself seem strong, he still decides to order a kid who played a small role in an assassination attempt on him killed because of some minor pain he got as a result.
* TheEvilPrince: He's Bethod's second son, a scheming snake of a man, and is deeply resentful of Scale, a brute, being next in line for the throne even though he views himself as more deserving. Subverted when he willingly gives up a chance at the throne rather than murder his brother.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: It seems that no one in the North, other than his wife and brother, respects him, because his cowardly, scheming ways are completely antithetical to the ProudWarriorRaceGuy mindset of most Northerners.
* HappilyMarried: Calder and his wife, Seff, are completely head over heels in love with each other.
* HotGuyUglyWife: Not ''ugly'' per se, but Sef's most mentioned physical trait is her pig nose.
* IHaveYourWife: Black Dow is holding Calder's wife, Seff, hostage to ensure Calder--as well as Seff's father--don't try to betray him.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Part of his bitterness over not being heir to the throne is that Calder believes he's more like his father than Scale is. Whether that's completely true is up for debate, but he's certainly as cunning and ruthless as his father.
* TheLostLenore: Calder remains in mourning for the death of his wife, Seff. Even a decade later he still expresses devotion to her and never remarried.
* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: He ends up as this to Scale after the latter becomes king.
* ManipulativeBastard: Dead set on reclaiming his father's throne from Black Dow.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Doesn't start with one, since he's never earned it. Then after he defeats Black Dow in the circle (with a little help), people start calling him Black Calder.
* NonActionGuy: He's completely useless in a fight. Even when he does have to fight in an actual battle, his sword is completely unbloodied.
* NoRespectGuy: Calder is a very competent schemer and actually raises some decent points about why Black Dow should sue for peace, but his lack of bravery or combat experience means everyone just thinks of Calder as a cowardly weakling not worth listening to.
* OlderAndWiser: By the time of ''A Little Hatred'', Calder has completely shrugged off his old, arrogant demeanor and become a much more subtle in his scheming.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Calder's own positive, scheming qualities are overshadowed by his older brother's strength and martial prowess.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: At first he was offended that his father forced him to marry a woman he considered unattractive. After they married, however, Calder grew to truly care for her, to the point that he's so in love with her, he's almost completely sworn off other women... almost.
* PuppetKing: Bayaz plans on using him as one after he becomes King of the Northmen at the end of ''The Heroes''. Instead, Calder decides to pass over the crown to Scale and Scale becomes one to Calder and, through him, Bayaz. Calder being the real power behind the throne is an open-secret to everyone by the time of ''A Little Hatred''.
* RageBreakingPoint: After Scale's apparent death, Calder's response is uncharacteristically hot-headed.
* RejectedApology: He tells the Dogman that he hasn't gone a day without regretting ordering Forley the Weakest's execution. The Dogman responds by threatening to murder him if he ever comes into the Dogman's territory.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Scale and Calder flee after Logen kills Bethod. They later return, having teamed up with Black Dow for one last chance at Logen.
* ShutUpHannibal[=/=]ShutUpKirk: Depending on your perspective, delivers a pretty awesome one to Black Dow, so much so that many of the people there to watch Dow butcher him start laughing.
* SiblingYinYang: Scale is an unintelligent brute who prefers to settle his problems through violence. Calder is a scheming snake who is terrified of the mere thought of fighting.
* SleazyPolitician: He definitely has the personality of an ambitious, back-stabber who's trying to scheme his way into power. This reputation does him no favors in the martial-focused North.
* SmugSmiler: His arrogant smirk is noted to be one of his most defining characteristics. His [=POV=] shows that it's a defense mechanism, and he tries to wear that smirk like armor.
* SmugSnake: In the original trilogy he certainly fits the mold as a scheming, ambitious, arrogant man. However, it becomes zig-zagged throughout ''The Heroes''. Calder repeatedly schemes himself into a corner and wriggles out in unexpected ways, and displays far more charismatic and humanizing qualities than he previously did. He reverts to his arrogant snake personality when it appears he'll be ruler of the North, but then Bayaz puts him in his place by forcing Calder to be his puppet. Then he escapes ''that'' through brotherly love. As of ''A Little Hatred'' he's escaped this trope entirely after becoming OlderAndWiser.
* TooCleverByHalf: While Calder is a very smart individual, but he's not quite smart enough to ever get ahead. In fact his scheming usually gets him into big trouble that he's forced to talk his way out of.
* TheUnfavorite: Calder believes Scale was favored more by his father than him.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Calder's narration reveals he really wanted his father's approval. In fact, one of the reasons why he killed Forley the Weakest was a failed attempt to gain his dad's respect.
* WouldHurtAChild: Orders the death of a kid who was involved in an assassination attempt on him. Notably, the kid didn't actually try to kill him, he just minded the others' horses, and while Calder recognizes there's probably nothing to gain from the act, he orders it anyway out of wounded pride.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stour Nightfall]]
!!Stour Nightfall
-->''"Folk say a lot o' things about my grandfather, Bethod this and Bethod that, but I never even met the bastard. I got my own dreams to think about."''
The only son of Black Calder and Seff, nephew to King Scale Ironhand, and heir to the kingdom of the Northmen. Nicknamed the Great Wolf for his prowess in battle, he's helping his father and uncle in waging another war against the Union to seize the Dogman's Protectorate. His prowess as a warrior is matched only by his bloodlust and desire for glory.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: When he goes into the Circle with [[spoiler:Leo dan Brock]], he's so cocky that even when he's the one allowed to choose which weapon the combatants use, he doesn't care and says his opponent can pick. The ensuing duel proves his confidence was wellfounded as he spends the entirety of it wiping the floor with his opponent with minimal effort.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: His name is Stour Nightfall because he was born during an eclipse. At least, that's how the legend goes. In actuality he was born an hour beforehand but his family's too powerful for anyone to say otherwise.
* AxCrazy: In addition to being a ruthless war criminal, Clover and Wonderful worry Stour might be actually insane after he details his plan for Rikke. He plans on putting her on display where the Dogman's forces can see her then having her gang-raped by his soldiers, horses and possibly a pig, before cutting the bloody cross into her and sending her guts in a box to her father scented with herbs so he won't know what's inside until he opens it.
* BloodKnight: Stour truly is a masterful fighter and loves fighting like the warriors of legend, whether on the battlefield or in the Circle.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating him in the Circle and sparing his life, Leo tries to invoke this on Stour, reminding him this was how Logen Ninefingers, whom they both admire, won those he bested over to his side. This and a few other arguments end up convincing Stour to be “friends” with Leo. It's then deconstructed when Stour proves himself to still be an utter sociopath who takes Leo's "friendship" as a justification to do whatever he wants by murdering his uncle to become King of the Northmen.]]
* TheDragon: He acts as one to his uncle and his father both in their third war against the Union.
** DragonInChief: Though he's not a match for his father's intelligence, at the time of the story, he's leagues more dangerous as a warrior than his uncle.
* TheEvilPrince: Averted. His uncle, the King of the Northmen, is one of the only people Stour is shown getting along with. This is most likely because, not only has Scale already named Stour his heir, but the two of them are much alike, reveling in tales of past glories, and preferring simple combat to intricate schemes. [[spoiler:Then unfortunately played straight at the end of ''A Little Hatred'' when Stour's near-death experience has taught him life is too short to wait for his moment and he just murders his uncle to become King.]]
* FatalFlaw: Pride. [[spoiler:He could've killed Leo a dozen times over in the Circle but spent most of it just toying with him. By the time he's ready to deliver the killing blow, enough time has passed for Rikke to use her Long Eye to cry out a warning that ends the duel in Leo's favor. Stour only survives because Leo shows mercy and, surprisingly, Stour learns from this encounter.]]
* FrontlineGeneral: Ruthless bastard or not, no one can fault his bravery. He goes where the fighting is because that's where the glory's earned.
* GloryHound: Stour doesn't just want to win the war against the Union, he wants to become a LivingLegend in the process. He loves hearing tales about his past victories and wants knew songs to be sung of him the same way Northmen sing of Shama Heartless, Whirrun of Bligh and the Bloody-Nine.
* HateSink: He has his father and uncle's vices with none of their virtues and proves to be a vicious, unlikable bastard even by Northern standards. It almost seems to be lampshaded by Rikke, who loathes him after overhearing him plotting her horrific death, but speculated that when she saw him in person she'd see he's just another human being with his own loves and redeeming aspects. Instead she sees the same strutting jackass he's always been.
* {{Jerkass}}: Most of his interactions with other people amount to belittling them and treating them with utter contempt. Even his own father isn't spared his scorn.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: He killed Stranger-Come-Knocking in the Circle, not because the latter was a monstrous rapist, but because he was infamous enough for his death to add to Stour's legend.
* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: Instead of being strategically minded and cunning like his father, Black Calder, Stour is much more like his uncle, Scale, a warrior who enjoys fighting in the battlefield in search of glory.
* MasterSwordsman: Stour is a prodigy with a sword and just a few minutes into his duel against [[spoiler:Leo dan Brock]] is enough time for everyone present to know that, despite the latter's skill, Stour is the far more capable swordsman of the two.
* NotSoDifferent: He and Leo dan Brock share a lot of similarities. Both identify as warriors rather than soldiers, both are self-centered and hungry for personal glory, both prefer to fight openly rather than listen to the strategic advice of their much more competent single parent, whom they chafe under. [[spoiler:Highlighting their similarities is one of the ways Leo sways Stour to ally with him rather than remain enemies.]]
* RapePillageAndBurn: His EstablishingCharacterMoment is razing a village by personally going from house-to-house to burn it down. Afterwards he says he wants to burn a few more before dinner.
* TheRedBaron: Due to his exploits, Stour has garnered the nickname "The Great Wolf" and has made a wolf his personal standard.
* RedRightHand: His eyes are described as constantly watering. Clover speculates they're "tears of acid contempt" for everyone around him.
* RoyalBrat: Calder partially believes the reason why Stour turned out the way he did is because Calder never disciplined him after the death of his beloved wife, since he saw too much of Seff in Stour's face. The end result is a spoiled sociopath who's heir to the Northmen Kingdom.
* TheSociopath: Stour partakes in acts of excessive cruelty on a whim without thought to their long-term consequences, shows no remorse for any of his crimes, displays no real love or loyalty for friends and family, and only cares about himself and glorifying his own massive ego. The only times he shows respect to another person, it's to his uncle Scale, whom he's very similar to. [[spoiler:But even then Stour ends up murdering him without batting an eye to become King of the Northmen.]]
* SoldierVsWarrior: Stour falls firmly on the "Warrior" side, fighting for the thrill of it as well as his own personal glory.
* StupidEvil: After his father spent years plotting the conquest of Uffrith, Stour burns it to the ground for no reason. He later intends to have Rikke raped then tortured to death rather than use her as a valuable hostage, and takes his time slowly bleeding [[spoiler:Leo dan Brock]] in the Circle rather than killing him outright. Clearly he never took his grandfather and father's lessons of not breaking something just because he can.
[[/folder]]
!!!Bethod's Court
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
----
* AchillesHeel: The entire left side of his body is covered in blue writing that gives the left side of his body a HealingFactor which makes him impervious to harm. Meanwhile, he wears impenetrable armor over his right side. Logen kills him by stabbing his sword into his left side and pushes it further and further in until it starts stabbing the organs on his right.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Caurib]]
!!Caurib
A sorceress from the utmost North, unaffiliated with the Order of the Magi, who serves King Bethod.
----
* CompellingVoice: Her power, the Golden Voice, allows her to seduce anyone and control them with her voice. When the Dogman and Harding Grim try to assassinate her, she uses it to convince Grim to stab the Dogman. They're only saved by Black Dow's arrival.
* TheEvilGenius: Though Bethod is a genius when it comes to warfare, she provides the magical genius and skills integral to his war.
* EvilSorceress: A sorceress who uses her magic to help Bethod conquer the North and wage war against the South.
* FogOfDoom: She summons mists to conceal Bethod's armies.
* MakeupIsEvil: Bayaz even mocks her for wearing so much makeup.
[[/folder]]
!!Bethod's Line
[[folder:King Bethod]]
!!King Bethod
A charismatic and ruthless leader. An excellent military tactician who intends to conquer Angland after he has defeated almost every clan in the North. He is Logen's bitter enemy after he betrayed him and his band of men. He has two sons, Calder and Scale.
----
* AffablyEvil: He's very charismatic as well as power-hungry. He also turns out to be less one-dimensionally megalomaniacal and more well-intentioned than he initially appears.
* ArcVillain: He's the main antagonist for the story arc dealing with the Union's war against the Northmen.
* BadBoss: After a decade of using him to unify the North, he exiled Logen under pain of death. Of course, that's Logen's side of the story. According to Bethod, Logen's psychotic actions as the Bloody Nine kept forcing Bethod into situations where violence was the only option. The only reason he didn't kill Logen and his men is because Bayaz forced him to exile them instead.
* CombatByChampion: Bethod conquered many tribes by having Logen fight as his champion. Logen won every single fight.
* CombatPragmatist: As a commander.
-->'''Logen:''' He delights in every trick of war - in setting traps and ambushes, in mounting feints and deceptions, in sending sudden raids against the unwary. Look for him where you expect him least, and expect him to be strongest where he seems the weakest. [[DefensiveFeintTrap Beware him most of all when he seems to run.]]
* CoolCrown: His golden crown is often commented on.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: Bethod claims this is what Logen did - he was just one of many war chiefs originally, who hoped to gain a few victory's and then get good terms from his enemies, like everyone else did, so he could keep his home safe and give his sons a little more land. When Logen became his champion, he forced him into all out war by killing the men Bethod wanted to spare or ransom, leading to total war in the North, forcing Bethod to beat everyone or die.
* DealWithTheDevil: Made one with [[spoiler:Bayaz, and a related one with the Shanka.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: After Logen kills Bethod's champion, Fenris, and advances on him, Bethod doesn't cower or flee. He just keeps mocking Logen and calling him out of his own dark deeds. He keeps insulting him until Logen smashes his head in.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Calder thinks very highly of him in ''The Heroes'', showing that, for all his villainous acts, Bethod really cared for his sons. He even says that one of his only goals in starting the war was to leave more behind for his sons than his own father left behind for him.
* EvilFormerFriend: To Logen, who served him for many years before being banished. Except then it turns out Logen is an UnreliableNarrator and according to Bethod, Logen's actions as the Bloody Nine are responsible for escalating the war until it reached the point of no return.
* GenghisGambit: His war against the Union is an attempt to strengthen his fragile hold over the North by uniting the recently conquered clans against a common enemy.
* TheGoodKing: The things he did for the North make him a legend by ''The Heroes.''
* {{Good Parent|s}}: Surprisingly, in later books he comes off as wanting only the best for his sons and doing his best to teach them how to rule.
* NobleSavage: The image he attempts to cultivate.
* PoisonousFriend: Claims that ''Logen'' was this to him, and he only had to conquer the North because Logen made too many enemies with his brutality.
* PragmaticVillainy: While Bethod was not opposed to murder, he also saw the power in mercy. When Calder murdered Forley the Weakest to make himself appear tough, Bethod merely saw the display as wasting an asset. Afterwards he cautioned Calder to appraise a thing's value before destroying it instead of smashing a thing because he can.
* RepressiveButEfficient: Stories following his death say Bethod was the evilest bastard who ever set foot in the North, but that's only because people like simple stories of good and evil. Though he was a conqueror, Craw mentions how people don't remember the good Bethod did for the North, like building infrastructure, creating great walls, roads and bridges, and stopping the constant warring between the clans--albeit by waging war on the South.
* TheStrategist: He unified the North mostly by defeating all his enemies in battle, something he was very good at. Bethod is wildly regarded to be one of the greatest military minds alive, and a severe threat to the Union.
* TragicVillain: The reason Bethod said he had to conquer the North in the first place was because Logen's psychotic episodes as the Bloody-Nine caused so much bloodshed against Bethod's wishes, that he was essentially backed into a corner and ''had'' to start a war.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Logen were once friends before becoming bitter enemies. Logen even comments that you can't truly hate a person unless you've loved them once, and he did once love Method.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: One interpretation of his actions in conquering the north. He started off by defeating the local clans to stop the bigger ones from squeezing his own. His success grew to the point where he defeated and united almost all the clans, and started to focus on infrastructure to improve the North. His war against the Union is partly to gain territory, but also to strengthen his hold over the North by setting his new subjects against a common enemy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:King Scale]]
!!King Scale Ironhand
-->'''Bayaz:''' ''"Brave as a bull, strong as a bull, thick as a bull's arse."''
Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of ''Literature/TheHeroes'', Scale has become King of the Northmen.
----
* AdiposeRex: Thanks to the lose of his hand, Scale as gone to siege as King of the Northmen, transforming from a mountain of muscle to a mountain of blubber.
* TheAlcoholic: Frequently seen drinking during his time as king.
* AnArmAndALeg: He loses a hand to Bremer dan Gorst in their duel. He gets it replaced with an iron prosthesis earning the nickname Scale Ironhand.
* AwesomeButImpractical: he wears a horned helmet into battle. In their fight, Gorst grabs a hold of one of the horns and hammers its impracticality into Scale's head. Literally.
* TheBerserker: He goes into a blood rage
* BigBrotherInstinct: In spite of having nothing in common with his witty, wimpy half-brother Calder, he loves him and protects him from his own sharp tongue.
* BigBrotherMentor: Tries to be this to Calder, but Calder's twice as smart as he is. His presence does dissuade people from just killing Calder, though.
* BloodKnight: Scale absolutely loves fighting and war.
* TheBrute: Not a bad guy, really, but only understands solving things through violence.
* CoolUncle: He acts this way to his nephew and heir, Stour Nightfall, whom he dotes on. This is likely because he has no children of his own, coupled with the fact that the two have a lot in common, particularly during Scale's younger days. Stour even gets along better with Scale more than he does his own father. [[spoiler:Not that this stops Stour from killing him to be king all the sooner.]]
* DualWielding: Sword and mace combo.
* DumbMuscle: Played so very straight. He's brawny, mean, and prefers to solve his problems through violence, but he's not intelligent, especially when compared to his more calculating little brother.
* EnemyMine: He and Calder team up with Black Dow to make one last attempt on Logen's life in ''Last Argument of Kings''. They fail, and afterwards both end up subservient to Black Dow, who surpasses them as ruler.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Though he doesn't agree with some of Calder's ideas and wishes he was a warrior, Scale really does love his little brother. His first instinct on hearing he was nearly assassinated is to try to kill the man believed to be responsible, even though it would just get them both into trouble.
* FrontlineGeneral: One of the reasons why Scale is so well-liked by his men is because he fights with them in battles. This seems to be a prerequisite for any Northerner who wants respect. His near death at the hands of Bremer dan Gorst is evidence why this isn't always a good decision.
* GloryDays: His time as King is mostly spent reminiscing on his past exploits and reveling in the tales of his nephew, Stour Nightfall, who greatly resembles him in his youth.
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:At the end of ''A Little Hatred'', Scale takes the loss of his war against the Union remarkably rather well considering that he was on the verge of winning and only lost because Stour challenged Leo dan Brock to a duel in the circle, only gently chastising Stour for the failure.]]
* HotBlooded: Scale is a very passionate individual, and he's quick to anger and action without cooler heads to reign him in.
* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:Stour shoves a knife in his throat without warning right in the middle of their conversation.]]
* NotQuiteDead: Loses his hand and is captured by the Union, but Bayaz returns him to Calder at the end of ''The Heroes''.
* RedOniBlueOni: The impulsive, violent Red to Calder's scheming, cowardly Blue.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Scale and Calder flee after Logen kills Bethod. They later return, having teamed up with Black Dow for one last chance at Logen.
* SiblingYinYang: Scale is an unintelligent brute who prefers to settle his problems through violence. Calder is a scheming snake who is terrified of the mere thought of fighting.
* PuppetKing: Even though Calder ultimately decides he loves his brother too much to assassinate and usurp him, the end of ''The Heroes'' implies that Scale is more of a puppet that Calder rules through. This is confirmed in ''A Little Hatred'' where it's an open secret that Calder is the real ruler, with even Scale good-naturedly acknowledging it.
* WarriorPrince: He's heir to the Northern throne and a skilled fighter who's earned the admiration and respect of his men through battle.
* YouShallNotPass: Does this at the old bridge. Thanks to Bremer dan Gorst, it doesn't work. He is revealed to have survived though.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Prince Calder]]
!!Prince "Black" Calder
-->'''Dogman:''' ''"Bethod's youngest son. And a snake."''
Bethod's ''younger'' son, a charmer and schemer among the straightforward warriors of the North. Introduced in ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'', he becomes a [=POV=] character in ''Literature/TheHeroes''.
----
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:He spent years trying to achieve his deceased father's ambition for the North by waging another war against the Union. By the end of the book, all of his ambitions have fallen apart thanks to his son challenging Leo dan Brock to the Circle and losing.]]
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: With his wife Sef, and occasionally comes through in interactions with his older brother [[TheBrute Scale]]. In the end, played straight as he loves Scale too much to assassinate and usurp him, instead giving Scale rulership of the North.
* BadDreams: Ever since he murdered Forley the Weakest, he's had nightmares of the event, regretting his decision to kill a good person just to make himself appear strong.
* BestServedCold: After he figures out that his father-in-law, Caul Reachey, was the one behind the assassination attempt on him, he waits until after his son is born before having Reachey poisoned, framing another enemy for the deed.
* BlueOniRedOni: With Scale. Calder's the scheming blue, to his brother's impulsive, violent red.
* TheCasanova: His love for his wife is enough to make him swear off other women. Well, almost enough.
* TheChessmaster: He spends most of ''The Heroes'' trying to scheme and manipulate his way into gaining control of the North from Black Dow. By the end, his plans bare fruit, though only after one incredibly lucky break saves his life.
* CurbStompBattle Though Calder challenges Dow to a duel to the death, it's only to buy himself more time, as he doesn't believe he has a chance against him. Sure enough, he's right, and Black Dow spends their "duel" beating the living crap out of him.
* DeadpanSnarker: His contempt for his fellow Northerners mentality combined with his quick wit leads to Calder getting some great zingers. Even some of his enemies can't help but laugh at them.
* DirtyCoward: By his own admission, Calder takes every opportunity he can to avoid fighting, especially in battles. When he finds out his brother needs him and his men as a reserve, Calder is too cowardly to help, and is horrified when it seemingly leads to Scale's death.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** Calder is deeply in love with his wife, Seff, to the point where he swears off other women for her... mostly. Though she's long dead by the time of ''A Little Hatred'', Calder never remarried and says the reason why he could never discipline their son is because she saw too much of her in his face.
** Calder loved and respected his father, whose advice he frequently remembers long after his death.
** He shows care for his HonoraryUncle, Curnden Craw, even after the latter sells him out to Black Dow, mostly because he respects Craw as being a "straight-edge" and sticking to his principles. In contrast, he assassinates his father-in-law for also selling him out because he'd merely been pretending to be a "straight-edge."
** He also loves his older brother, Scale, even though he also resents him for his brutish nature and for standing in line for the throne. However, by the end of ''The Heroes'', he proves his love for him when he refuses to kill and usurp his weakened brother, willingly giving up the throne he always wanted. [[spoiler:And he's horrified when Stour murders him at the end of ''A Little Hatred''.]]
* EvilIsPetty: Even after remembering his father's words that mercy can be power, and reflecting on what a mistake it was to execute Forley the Weakest to make himself seem strong, he still decides to order a kid who played a small role in an assassination attempt on him killed because of some minor pain he got as a result.
* TheEvilPrince: He's Bethod's second son, a scheming snake of a man, and is deeply resentful of Scale, a brute, being next in line for the throne even though he views himself as more deserving. Subverted when he willingly gives up a chance at the throne rather than murder his brother.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: It seems that no one in the North, other than his wife and brother, respects him, because his cowardly, scheming ways are completely antithetical to the ProudWarriorRaceGuy mindset of most Northerners.
* HappilyMarried: Calder and his wife, Seff, are completely head over heels in love with each other.
* HotGuyUglyWife: Not ''ugly'' per se, but Sef's most mentioned physical trait is her pig nose.
* IHaveYourWife: Black Dow is holding Calder's wife, Seff, hostage to ensure Calder--as well as Seff's father--don't try to betray him.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Part of his bitterness over not being heir to the throne is that Calder believes he's more like his father than Scale is. Whether that's completely true is up for debate, but he's certainly as cunning and ruthless as his father.
* TheLostLenore: Calder remains in mourning for the death of his wife, Seff. Even a decade later he still expresses devotion to her and never remarried.
* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: He ends up as this to Scale after the latter becomes king.
* ManipulativeBastard: Dead set on reclaiming his father's throne from Black Dow.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Doesn't start with one, since he's never earned it. Then after he defeats Black Dow in the circle (with a little help), people start calling him Black Calder.
* NonActionGuy: He's completely useless in a fight. Even when he does have to fight in an actual battle, his sword is completely unbloodied.
* NoRespectGuy: Calder is a very competent schemer and actually raises some decent points about why Black Dow should sue for peace, but his lack of bravery or combat experience means everyone just thinks of Calder as a cowardly weakling not worth listening to.
* OlderAndWiser: By the time of ''A Little Hatred'', Calder has completely shrugged off his old, arrogant demeanor and become a much more subtle in his scheming.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Calder's own positive, scheming qualities are overshadowed by his older brother's strength and martial prowess.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: At first he was offended that his father forced him to marry a woman he considered unattractive. After they married, however, Calder grew to truly care for her, to the point that he's so in love with her, he's almost completely sworn off other women... almost.
* PuppetKing: Bayaz plans on using him as one after he becomes King of the Northmen at the end of ''The Heroes''. Instead, Calder decides to pass over the crown to Scale and Scale becomes one to Calder and, through him, Bayaz. Calder being the real power behind the throne is an open-secret to everyone by the time of ''A Little Hatred''.
* RageBreakingPoint: After Scale's apparent death, Calder's response is uncharacteristically hot-headed.
* RejectedApology: He tells the Dogman that he hasn't gone a day without regretting ordering Forley the Weakest's execution. The Dogman responds by threatening to murder him if he ever comes into the Dogman's territory.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Scale and Calder flee after Logen kills Bethod. They later return, having teamed up with Black Dow for one last chance at Logen.
* ShutUpHannibal[=/=]ShutUpKirk: Depending on your perspective, delivers a pretty awesome one to Black Dow, so much so that many of the people there to watch Dow butcher him start laughing.
* SiblingYinYang: Scale is an unintelligent brute who prefers to settle his problems through violence. Calder is a scheming snake who is terrified of the mere thought of fighting.
* SleazyPolitician: He definitely has the personality of an ambitious, back-stabber who's trying to scheme his way into power. This reputation does him no favors in the martial-focused North.
* SmugSmiler: His arrogant smirk is noted to be one of his most defining characteristics. His [=POV=] shows that it's a defense mechanism, and he tries to wear that smirk like armor.
* SmugSnake: In the original trilogy he certainly fits the mold as a scheming, ambitious, arrogant man. However, it becomes zig-zagged throughout ''The Heroes''. Calder repeatedly schemes himself into a corner and wriggles out in unexpected ways, and displays far more charismatic and humanizing qualities than he previously did. He reverts to his arrogant snake personality when it appears he'll be ruler of the North, but then Bayaz puts him in his place by forcing Calder to be his puppet. Then he escapes ''that'' through brotherly love. As of ''A Little Hatred'' he's escaped this trope entirely after becoming OlderAndWiser.
* TooCleverByHalf: While Calder is a very smart individual, but he's not quite smart enough to ever get ahead. In fact his scheming usually gets him into big trouble that he's forced to talk his way out of.
* TheUnfavorite: Calder believes Scale was favored more by his father than him.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Calder's narration reveals he really wanted his father's approval. In fact, one of the reasons why he killed Forley the Weakest was a failed attempt to gain his dad's respect.
* WouldHurtAChild: Orders the death of a kid who was involved in an assassination attempt on him. Notably, the kid didn't actually try to kill him, he just minded the others' horses, and while Calder recognizes there's probably nothing to gain from the act, he orders it anyway out of wounded pride.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stour Nightfall]]
!!Stour Nightfall
-->''"Folk say a lot o' things about my grandfather, Bethod this and Bethod that, but I never even met the bastard. I got my own dreams to think about."''
The only son of Black Calder and Seff, nephew to King Scale Ironhand, and heir to the kingdom of the Northmen. Nicknamed the Great Wolf for his prowess in battle, he's helping his father and uncle in waging another war against the Union to seize the Dogman's Protectorate. His prowess as a warrior is matched only by his bloodlust and desire for glory.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: When he goes into the Circle with [[spoiler:Leo dan Brock]], he's so cocky that even when he's the one allowed to choose which weapon the combatants use, he doesn't care and says his opponent can pick. The ensuing duel proves his confidence was wellfounded as he spends the entirety of it wiping the floor with his opponent with minimal effort.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: His name is Stour Nightfall because he was born during an eclipse. At least, that's how the legend goes. In actuality he was born an hour beforehand but his family's too powerful for anyone to say otherwise.
* AxCrazy: In addition to being a ruthless war criminal, Clover and Wonderful worry Stour might be actually insane after he details his plan for Rikke. He plans on putting her on display where the Dogman's forces can see her then having her gang-raped by his soldiers, horses and possibly a pig, before cutting the bloody cross into her and sending her guts in a box to her father scented with herbs so he won't know what's inside until he opens it.
* BloodKnight: Stour truly is a masterful fighter and loves fighting like the warriors of legend, whether on the battlefield or in the Circle.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating him in the Circle and sparing his life, Leo tries to invoke this on Stour, reminding him this was how Logen Ninefingers, whom they both admire, won those he bested over to his side. This and a few other arguments end up convincing Stour to be “friends” with Leo. It's then deconstructed when Stour proves himself to still be an utter sociopath who takes Leo's "friendship" as a justification to do whatever he wants by murdering his uncle to become King of the Northmen.]]
* TheDragon: He acts as one to his uncle and his father both in their third war against the Union.
** DragonInChief: Though he's not a match for his father's intelligence, at the time of the story, he's leagues more dangerous as a warrior than his uncle.
* TheEvilPrince: Averted. His uncle, the King of the Northmen, is one of the only people Stour is shown getting along with. This is most likely because, not only has Scale already named Stour his heir, but the two of them are much alike, reveling in tales of past glories, and preferring simple combat to intricate schemes. [[spoiler:Then unfortunately played straight at the end of ''A Little Hatred'' when Stour's near-death experience has taught him life is too short to wait for his moment and he just murders his uncle to become King.]]
* FatalFlaw: Pride. [[spoiler:He could've killed Leo a dozen times over in the Circle but spent most of it just toying with him. By the time he's ready to deliver the killing blow, enough time has passed for Rikke to use her Long Eye to cry out a warning that ends the duel in Leo's favor. Stour only survives because Leo shows mercy and, surprisingly, Stour learns from this encounter.]]
* FrontlineGeneral: Ruthless bastard or not, no one can fault his bravery. He goes where the fighting is because that's where the glory's earned.
* GloryHound: Stour doesn't just want to win the war against the Union, he wants to become a LivingLegend in the process. He loves hearing tales about his past victories and wants knew songs to be sung of him the same way Northmen sing of Shama Heartless, Whirrun of Bligh and the Bloody-Nine.
* HateSink: He has his father and uncle's vices with none of their virtues and proves to be a vicious, unlikable bastard even by Northern standards. It almost seems to be lampshaded by Rikke, who loathes him after overhearing him plotting her horrific death, but speculated that when she saw him in person she'd see he's just another human being with his own loves and redeeming aspects. Instead she sees the same strutting jackass he's always been.
* {{Jerkass}}: Most of his interactions with other people amount to belittling them and treating them with utter contempt. Even his own father isn't spared his scorn.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: He killed Stranger-Come-Knocking in the Circle, not because the latter was a monstrous rapist, but because he was infamous enough for his death to add to Stour's legend.
* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: Instead of being strategically minded and cunning like his father, Black Calder, Stour is much more like his uncle, Scale, a warrior who enjoys fighting in the battlefield in search of glory.
* MasterSwordsman: Stour is a prodigy with a sword and just a few minutes into his duel against [[spoiler:Leo dan Brock]] is enough time for everyone present to know that, despite the latter's skill, Stour is the far more capable swordsman of the two.
* NotSoDifferent: He and Leo dan Brock share a lot of similarities. Both identify as warriors rather than soldiers, both are self-centered and hungry for personal glory, both prefer to fight openly rather than listen to the strategic advice of their much more competent single parent, whom they chafe under. [[spoiler:Highlighting their similarities is one of the ways Leo sways Stour to ally with him rather than remain enemies.]]
* RapePillageAndBurn: His EstablishingCharacterMoment is razing a village by personally going from house-to-house to burn it down. Afterwards he says he wants to burn a few more before dinner.
* TheRedBaron: Due to his exploits, Stour has garnered the nickname "The Great Wolf" and has made a wolf his personal standard.
* RedRightHand: His eyes are described as constantly watering. Clover speculates they're "tears of acid contempt" for everyone around him.
* RoyalBrat: Calder partially believes the reason why Stour turned out the way he did is because Calder never disciplined him after the death of his beloved wife, since he saw too much of Seff in Stour's face. The end result is a spoiled sociopath who's heir to the Northmen Kingdom.
* TheSociopath: Stour partakes in acts of excessive cruelty on a whim without thought to their long-term consequences, shows no remorse for any of his crimes, displays no real love or loyalty for friends and family, and only cares about himself and glorifying his own massive ego. The only times he shows respect to another person, it's to his uncle Scale, whom he's very similar to. [[spoiler:But even then Stour ends up murdering him without batting an eye to become King of the Northmen.]]
* SoldierVsWarrior: Stour falls firmly on the "Warrior" side, fighting for the thrill of it as well as his own personal glory.
* StupidEvil: After his father spent years plotting the conquest of Uffrith, Stour burns it to the ground for no reason. He later intends to have Rikke raped then tortured to death rather than use her as a valuable hostage, and takes his time slowly bleeding [[spoiler:Leo dan Brock]] in the Circle rather than killing him outright. Clearly he never took his grandfather and father's lessons of not breaking something just because he can.
[[/folder]]
!!!Bethod's Court
[[folder:Fenris the Feared]]
!!Fenris the Feared
-->''"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."''
Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.
----
* AchillesHeel: The entire left side of his body is covered in blue writing that gives the left side of his body a HealingFactor which makes him impervious to harm. Meanwhile, he wears impenetrable armor over his right side. Logen kills him by stabbing his sword into his left side and pushes it further and further in until it starts stabbing the organs on his right.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least ''thousands'' of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
* TheBrute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical HealingFactor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
* TheChampion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
* TheDreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
* EldritchAbomination: He appears to be a ''terrifying'' man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
* HumanoidAbomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, [[EldritchAbomination he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror]].
* TheJuggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
* NighInvulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Caurib]]
!!Caurib
A sorceress from the utmost North, unaffiliated with the Order of the Magi, who serves King Bethod.
----
* CompellingVoice: Her power, the Golden Voice, allows her to seduce anyone and control them with her voice. When the Dogman and Harding Grim try to assassinate her, she uses it to convince Grim to stab the Dogman. They're only saved by Black Dow's arrival.
* TheEvilGenius: Though Bethod is a genius when it comes to warfare, she provides the magical genius and skills integral to his war.
* EvilSorceress: A sorceress who uses her magic to help Bethod conquer the North and wage war against the South.
* FogOfDoom: She summons mists to conceal Bethod's armies.
* MakeupIsEvil: Bayaz even mocks her for wearing so much makeup.
[[/folder]]
