History Literature / LabyrinthsOfEcho

% Both the eponymous city and the kingdom should be transliterated as "Yekho". "Echo" leads to the misconception % of having anything to do with sounds or echoes.

* ActualPacifist: Prequels provide exposition on the healers' Call. Anyone who experiences this is driven to help others. To the point of being unable to sleep if a potential patient can't get to them, so in "Old Times" a healer's house had no locks and criminals won't touch the healers' property. They also tend to be [[TheEmpath good at detecting when someone suffers in the first place]]. A true healer discovering he accidentally harmed someone (for them, it's impossible to have an intent) catches a bad case of HeroicBSOD.
** Juffin had to allow a natural healer to help random bystanders when it could compromise plans to save locals from a FateWorseThanDeath -- after which got this guy kicked out of provincial SI and put into medical school where he belongs. Kofa Yokh stated that no healer was ever imprisoned for using [[BanOnMagic too much magic]] to save a patient's life, only "get a little talking eye to eye with Juffin -- yes, I know, some dislike this". There's no arguing with "the call" -- once it pulls someone, it's let him or break him.
** However, healers ''can'' fight monsters far from "people" enough to not trigger these reactions and not even living in the first place. Natural healers also tend to be talented mages with lots of practice and hell-bent on saving lives. The current King's Healer started in a provincial SI where he once faced the monster hard to resist, extremely hard to kill and "vaporizing" on death. He took a piece of this thing as a trophy and sent it to the capitol.

** The Seven-Leaf's new Grand Magister, [[spoiler: Shurf Lonli-Lokli]], makes up for that in spades, though, being a Plain Magic prodigy almost of the Loiso Pondokhva's level. Its ''witches'' are another matter entirely as well (see Lady Sotofa).

** During Ulviar's Exchange, Max notes that "Sir Max from Echo" is also just a mask, and wonders why the true self was content at wearing the same mask for so long.

** Luukfi Penc: Master Keeper of Knowledge

** Tüvin, the deceases Chief of Huron River Harbor, liked the place and his job so well that his ghost now serves as SpiritAdvisor to the current Chief of Harbor. Unfortunately, he was so drunk when he was killed in a duel with a famous smuggler, that he became TheUnintelligible. Only the said current Chief of Harbor can understand him. Most of the time.

** Because the fear of death is usually the strongest fear in a person, and [[FearlessFool losing all fears]] is an essential step of any aspiring wizard's progress, achieving this becomes necessary to rise above the mediocrity. Though because this "mediocrity" is [[spoiler: around the level of Loyso Pondokhva and Shurf Lonli-Lokli, [[TheArchmage the greatest Plain Magic prodigies of the time]], few magic users actually learn this.]] An another reason is that this is heavily tied into the True Magic, which is an obscure and little-used art in Echo, where the few people has the ability to use it anyway.

** A soul forcibly returned from the Paths of the Dead to Echo looks very much like egyptian depictions, even with the gait. Max comments that those priests might have painted souls from actual specimen.

* FantasyKeepsake: when Max goes back to our world for the first time, hestarts to doubt that his adventures in Echo were real. Then, however, he tests some of his powers and realizes that if he is still a trained combat mage, he must have not been dreaming, after all.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Discussed a lot. It's often mentioned than "it's not like anyone really compared", but there are a few good candidates. For example, pureblood elves, once they'll taste alcohol, will drink until reduced to near-mindless and literally semitransparent state -- they ''are'' immortal, all right... The whole people of Manukhs collected several ''hundreds'' of {{hereditary curse}}s from mouse kings of Uanduk, while their neighbours, the Khenkha, insisted that life under ''one'' self-inflicted (and they consider telepathic talk to be great magic) curse "is not worth living". [[spoiler: The summary effect of the curses upon the Manukh spreads to the Empty Lands and is so great that Max, in agreement with the Khenkha shaman Fayriba, orders the tribe exterminated.]]

** This is especially pronounced for True Magic users, because [[spoiler: the people's strongest fear is usually fear of death, which is ridiculously easy to cheat for them,]] thus this step often comes to them naturally and easily. A lucky few (like Max) are so innately powerful that while they [[spoiler: can feel the fear on the outside, subconsciously they just ''know'' that they are ''way'' too strong to all this shit.]]

* FoodPorn: A numerous, extremely loving and detailed descriptions of food, both mundane and magical, is one of the central themes of the series, especially in the earlier volumes. As the series started [[UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia in mid-90es]], the rumor goes that it was a particularly lean period for the author, which has left its impact. Food even makes a central plot point of several stories, "King Bangee" being the most notable.

* FreakyFridayFlip / PersonalitySwap: The Exchange of Ulviar, also known as the Candle of Fittekh and as the Shadow's Scent. The ritual was invented by the ancient keyifaya king Ulviar the Faceless. Depending on source, his royal healer Fittekh was either the co-inventor or merely assisted Ulviar. The ritual consists of crafting a large wick-less candle from several dozens of rare ingredients, lighting it and extinguishing the flame immediately. The candle slowly glows or smolders spreading a scent [[spoiler: Max]] describes as "a September's night". During this time, at least one of the two participants has to chant the incantation. As there are no data about effects with more than 2 participants, the ritual is best done in a room locked and sealed from inside, and if possible, guarded from the outside to prevent any interventions. The ritual causes the participants' Shadows to come to them and to switch places. The effect holds for 12-20 hours, depending on source, and reverts instantaneously no matter where the participants are, requiring no further action from them. The effect switches not only personas and personalities, but also skills and compulsions - Ulviar possessed not only the healing skills, but also the Healer's call as long as the spell lasted, while Fittekh displayed not only his king's usual ambitions, but also his diplomacy and orator's skills. [[spoiler: After Max, needing to find a way to "want and not want", bemoans his lack of self-control and tells Shurf Lonli-Lokli that he'd like to borrow Shurf's self-control once too often, Shurf tells Max about the ritual. As Shurf considers Max's persona a welcome change from his usual self, Max actually suggests doing it more often.]]

** The Plain Magic. Uses forces of the world. It is subdivided into Black and White Magic (Black Magic mainly affects material things, while White Magic affects minds and emotions) and graded by the amount of magical power used. The ultimate Plain Magic grade is 234, Loyso "rumored to" reach 235. Grades 1 to 5 are pretty harmless, while anything above that is illegal under the Codex of Khrembrer, since the world is already over-drained. An amendment after a century makes an exception for cooks, allowing them to use black magic up to grade 20 for cooking. Plain Magic is safe to use it far from the Heart of the World, but very few can do this, as the effects of spells and enchantments notably fade with distance.

** Nature magic. Irrelevant apocalypse-wise, strong in right hands, but practicable only for certain scope of tasks (such as magic potions) and in places from "rustic" and wilder. As such, used by forest witches and other individuals feeling connection to the surrounding nature and mostly dismissed by Capitol's wizards.

* GovernmentConspiracy: A funny one. Not only in government, but it sprawled its tentacles over all the city from Beggars' Foreman to very rich merchants... and was started because of a tea spoon.

* HeinzHybrid: the various kinds of humans, elves, dwarves and krays (catch-all term, includes several distinctive species) among the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces races]] known in Echo and their descendants seem to beget fertile offspring in almost any combination. Max gets a laugh from learning that Melifaro has simultaneously inherited dwarven and giant blood.
* HereditaryCurse: Manukhs used to control Uandook "mice". Mice kings used to curse all Manukhs. This didn't end well for either side.
* HeroismEqualsJobQualification: General Bubuta Bokh was a great hero during their civil war and once saved the King's life. The problem: he was good on a battlefield, but as a [[DaChief chief of police]] this rustic BoisterousBruiser is comically incompetent -- all the time. The only thing he does well is roaring and [[HollywoodTourettes swearing]] at perps... or anyone in range who annoys and does not outrank him, for that matter.

* HumanSacrifice: An ingeniously insane mage invented a way to consume the forgotten Lunar Bull clan's power and connection to the moon for his purposes by finding, abducting, killing and consuming Lunar Bull clan descendants, while metaphorically feeding the hearts of his victims to an incorporeal entity known as a [[AdorableAbomination Lunar Calf]]. The Lunar Calf itself is actually harmless and just lonely. Trouble starts if the Calf is kept captive and fed until it matures, becoming the clan's eponymous Lunar Bull, as this will destroy the world.

*** The sentient stones of Holomi (no information on killing any Khrebels is given); The mice-kings of Uanduk and the elves of Shimuräd forest, both vulnerable to certain artifacts.

** TheUndead: Strong-willed people are well-known for coming back as ghosts, although there are some methods to deal with them. The whole process is sufficiently well understood to be commercialized, too. The ancient members of the Order of the Long Way collectively passed "the Paths of the Dead" to achieve a state of corporeal immmortality, being somewhere between this and type III, although the ritual was imperfect.

** Corporeal immortality, [[spoiler: type X]]: the Order of the Long Way. The entire Order passed "the Paths of the Dead" and successfully returned to the world. [[spoiler: While the idea was sound, they did not account for how much the world changed over millenia and now require blood to live.]]

* JustBeforeTheEnd: The shadow of the apocalypse has been hanging over the world since the War of the Codex, and pretty much the entire series is, in one way or another, about preventing it from occurring. [[spoiler:It should have been already ''after'' the end, but they got an earlier [[RealityWarper Arbiter]] to enforce a more satisfying timeline, and even that is barely enough. Max, being an [[RealityWarper Arbiter]] himself, and learning that our world's population has many more Arbiters, comes up with the LiteraryAgentHypothesis solution: publish his adventures as a book, thus making the Arbiters among the readers wish for the stories to continue and thus for the world to persist.]]

* LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces: All anthropomorphic races of Echo are capable of cross-breeding to fertile offspring, making racial distinctions mostly a moot point.

** Kröggels, the dwarves of Echo.
** Humans originating on the Cherukhta continent and divided into three subspecies: mountain (thoughtful and harmonic), flatland (phlegmatic and passive) and seashore (active and full of temper) dwellers. Almost all humans who left Cherukhta for Khonkhona were seashore dwellers. The term "human" is synonymous with "anthropomorphic sentient" in the Kingdom of Echo and becoming progressively more widespread in the world, as most races consider the term a compliment and an acknowledgement of equality.

*** Drakhkhs, the "grim humans", are closest to humans in appearance. Their appearance and personality are either "pretty and nice" or "ugly and nasty", the appearance can switch to fit the current mood and situation. Drakhkhs and their descendants from marriages with humans prefer nature magic and barely and slowly learn plain magic.
*** Skarkhls can be any beast, bird, plant or even mushroom. Some of them prefer the human form and spend almost their entire lives in human shape. Skarkhl descendants of large wild dog breeds excel at shapeshifting. They enjoy to marry humans, and about the half of denizens of the Echo kingdom are to some degree skarkhls. The denizens of the Shimara county, where Juffin comes from, are mainly fox skarkhls.

*** Faffs, the "invisible humans". Fully human when visible and can effortlessly merge into the background. Maintaining visibility actually requires conscious efforts for them. The founder of Echo, Khalla Makhun the Furry, always wore a fur coat just to be seen without maintaining visibility. Faff-human or faff-elven descendants no longer possess this trait and have to learn magic for any disguises, although Plain Magic comes easily to them.
*** Khlekhkhels, the water-dwelling humans. They can freely breath underwater. The few families in the city of Echo have houses on the shores of the Khuron river with extensive underwater apartments.

* LotusEaterMachine: A form of death sentence in Kumon is being subjected to a magical variety until death of dehydration / starvation. Known cures are removing the body part contacting the item, personal intervention of the Khalif of Kumon or [[spoiler: any other person who came in contact with the Well of Pain]].
* LovePotion: Tehhi Shekk tries using one on Sir Max when they first meet, and it works... in a way. [[spoiler:Actually, it kills him on the spot due to his previously established abnormal reaction on all local drugs. Luckily, Juffin teleports in almost immediately, puts Tehhi and Max's body in bed together (according to a legend, death by love potion can be reversed if the poisoner "proceeds with seduction"), and leaves to procure a second heart for Max from his Shadow. Turns out, the legend was right and Max comes back to life, but Juffin implants a second heart into him, anyway.]] In any case, it was superfluous to begin with, and Tehhi and Max start dating after this.

** See BlatantLies above. As Max is called out on his lie, the people ask him not to heal, but at least to kill them, as Anavuayna [[DeaderThanDead destroys both body and soul]], while death by any other mundane means, especially from Max, means a high chance to come back as a ghost / be reborn in TheMultiverse.

* MindScrew: Less than could be expected with all the {{Reality Warper}}s running around, but still pretty prominent, especially with Max's backstory. The most coherent version of events includes multiple pasts, equally valid and real, albeit with cause-effect relationship that keeps the reader's mind from exploding. [[spoiler:The first (by "causality") timeline is Juffin creating him to save the world; the second one is the backstory Max gives us in the first volume, in which he is from our world--apparently he was created with full set of memories which he thought true, and when the Arbiter thinks something is true so strongly, it becomes true; the third one is a supposedly fake story of Max being the lost king of the nomadic tribe--it's made up on-screen by Juffin, but this does not explain Max's mystical link to said tribe that only their lost king is supposed to have, although this may be a case of ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve on the nomads' part. Hard to tell exactly, which is why this is a legitimate example of MindScrew.]] Most of the books feature at least one event that can be considered this, usually the climax.

* MysticalPlague: Anavuayna. While mages above a certain power level are immune to it alltogether, Echo is about to loose 80% of population to it in ''Return of Ugurbado''. Anavuayna slowly liquifies the affected, leaving blank skeletons in puddles of slime. There is no salvation after the heart is affected, yet the victims are fully conscious until death. Healing Anavuayna is possible with a grade 140 white magic spell. After Halla Makhun the Furry found the Heart of the World, he decided to build a city there for his dynasty. Halla challenged Anavuayna, the elven duchess of the area in a card game with the land at stake and won. Anavuayna fled the country, and suffering from BackgroundMagicField withdrawal, found out that Halla cheated. Mad, and mad with fury, she returned to spread a curse over the new city of Echo, creating the epidemy to carry her name. Halla killed her with his bare hands, stopping the plague.

* OlderThanTheyLook up to ReallySevenHundredYearsOld up to TimeAbyss: In the World of Echo, [[spoiler: known as the World of the Rod / Axis in the multiverse, with the Heart of the World as that Rod / Axis]], regular humans (even immigrants) develop and age slower and live up to 300 years. Powerful mages may live well beyond that, as longevity is only a question of knowledge and personal power. Melifaro is fairly young at 115, Juffin is ca. 700 years old, and Maba Kalokh is at least 3000 - he was the first and only Grand Magister in his order's history. Khrebels, e.g. the sentient stones of the Kholomi castle, are probably immortal.
* OneManArmy: Most of the LSIF members, given that it is an OddlySmallOrganisation with just eight or nine officers, two of whom ([[{{Adorkable}} Luukfi]] [[MagicLibrarian Penz]] and [[TheCoroner Skalduar van Dufunbukh]]) are clearly support personnel and never work in the field, but [[AuthorAvatar Max]], [[TheAce Shurf]] and [[GodModeSue Juffin]] in particular. Kofa is no slouch himself, but he's [[RetiredBadass mostly retired from action]], while Melifaro, Melamori and Numminorikh are (usually) still [[CantCatchUp a full notch below]].

** Mountain kröggels of the Kebla princedom are a social and amicable people. Kebla is unique in housing small kröggels and giant ekhls in the same cities. Cities of Kebla are among the most wondrous sights in the world of Echo.
* OurElvesAreBetter: Not better, but very different from fantasy standards. In ''A Bequest for Lonli-Lokli'', Shurf takes the time needed to drive from Echo to the backwater place where his inheritance awaits to drop an InfoDump regarding various sentient species on Max. Said dump also contains a multiple level StealthPun nicely dispersed inside, building upon established elven vulnerability to alcohol. The overall species name is keyifayi ("кейифайи"). [[spoiler:Closest Russian word is "кайф", meaning "flush" or "high".]] The foremost difference between elves, humans and krays is the formers' absence of binary logic. They do not clearly grasp concepts like good vs. evil, black vs. white or for that matter male vs. female. The last heavily influences their and their descendants' love lives to the dismay of non-elven populations. [[spoiler:Max is shocked to learn that King Gurig, being of elven descent, has a male and a female "favorite liaison".]]\\

** Upiates ("Упиаты"), the peaceful elves. They never left their homelands on the Uandook continent. Generally very passive, but nigh-omnipotent if sufficiently disturbed to take action. The population of the Kuman Khalifate is almost entirely composed of their descendants from short-lived marriages with humans. [[spoiler:Relaxation and being at peace are main effects of opiate derived drugs.]]
** Amfitamayas ("Амфитамайи"), the excited elves. Amfitamayas are inventors, travelers and conquerors. All elves on the Khonkhona continent who came with the conqueror Ulviar the Faceless and all elves on the Cherukhta continent are amfitamayas. [[spoiler:Excitement and strong drive to action are main effects of amphetamines derived drugs.]]
** Elcidiayas ("Элсидиайи"), the invisible elves. They are absolutely immaterial and inhabit material items. Their proximity fills sentients with existential childlike happiness. After prolonged co-habitation elcidiayas may share their knowledge with other sentients, and True Magic users vastly benefit from it. Antiques' merchants mainly profit from searching for and selling of items inhabited by elcidiayas. [[spoiler:Hallucinations and expanded consciousness are main effects of hallucinogenic drugs, and the probably best known hallucinogenic is LSD, transliterated to "ЛСД" in Russian.]]

* PocketProtector: Happens twice in ''The Foxes of Magakhon'': once when a bottle of Kakhar's Balsam protects Max from a Baboom shot and the second time, when Magister Honna's headband (which Max wraps around his neck) prevents his magical decapitation--too bad it burns up on use. [[spoiler:In retrospect, the two events are connected, solidifying Max's status as CosmicPlaything: Kakhar's Balsam is a stimulant that kept him awake on a long mission and Honna's headband was an amulet that prevented Khumgat from claiming him during his sleep: with both out of the way, Max almost disappears from the world of Echo the next time he falls asleep.]]

* PowerFloats: while flight takes a lot out of the mage, levitation a few centimeters above ground is much easier, while keeping the added bonuses of not leaving footprints, not leaving a trace for Masters of Tracking and not triggering various traps and enchantments on the ground.

** The Old Kings' Incantation, used with leftover drinks in cups (and possibly leftovers on plates) and then drinking (and eating) those leftovers, transfers power from the drinker to the caster. Invented by king Khalla Makhun the Furry, as he blended Plain and True Magic in an attempt to prolong his life.

* ProfessionalKiller: Misa Luddis, aka "the Noseless Misa" -- an old lady who used to kill ''[[BadassNormal not]]'' by spells, but "did wonders with cold steel". In the old good time, one Juffin Hally "the Kettarian Hunter", and his two apprentices, secretly including Shurf Lonli-Lokli "the Mad Fishmonger".

* RagingStiffie: result of the gräm potion. Gräm requires a lvl 20+ black magic and is forbidden under the Codex. Max happens to confiscate some counterfeit gräm and spikes Melifaro's kamra cup with a single serving. Melifaro simultaneously returns the favor by spiking the entire pitcher with at least a triple dose, but Max leaves after taking only a few sips. Juffin, aware of the mutual pranks, orders a fresh pitcher, but leaves the spiked one on the table. As Kofa Yokh helps himself to the spiked kamra, Juffin enjoys the show and Kofa ends up in the Rendezvous Quarter.

* YiddishAsASecondLanguage: In the original Sir Nuflin speaks with a strong Odessa accent, which is heavily influenced by Yiddish.

* TheKingdom: The United Kingdom, the capital of which is Echo.

* FoodPorn: A numerous, extremely loving and detailed descriptions of food, both mundane and magical, is one of the central themes of the series, especially in the earlier volumes. As the series started [[TheNewRussia in mid-90es]], the rumor goes that it was a particularly lean period for the author, which has left its impact. Food even makes a central plot point of several stories, "King Bangee" being the most notable.

* UnevenHybrid: Late in the series Max learns that most of his colleagues have non-humans down their bloodlines: Juffin, like most Kettarians, has some [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werefox]] blood in him; Shurf is descended from the [[OurElvesAreBetter elves]]; Melifaro has both [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarven]] ''and'' [[OurGiantsAreBigger giant]] ancestors; Melamori has a lot of elven and [[{{Invisibility}} faff]] blood. In fact, the only pure-blooded humans in Secret Investigations are Kofa and Max himself (insofar one disregards his birth in an entirely different world).

* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy by means of AlternateSelf and FlashSideways: As Murakoks share the memories across all of their instances, Max suspects JosefStalin whose pseudonim was "Koba" to be a Murakok instance of Echo's Beggars' Foreman who also goes by "Koba". Thus Koba's [[BlackComedy weird jokes]] about Echo's LSIF make Max both wary and curious about the man.

** CompleteImmortality: Elsidiayas, the intangible elves. Possibly the nameless entity at the point opposite to Heart of the World.

*** sufficiently powerful mages, especially True Magic users, effectively stop aging and are notoriously hard to kill.

* ImmortalProcreationClause: while all pure-blooded elves are effectively immortal, their descendants from marriages with humans or krays are merely long-lived, yet mortal. The elves, [[WhoWantsToLiveForever grieving for their family members]], built the city of Kharumba, where their descendants may stay forever, while their respective deaths wait outside.

In late 2014, Martynchik returned to the franchise with a new series, titled ''Dreams of Echo'', currently at two volumes, telling of the Max' new adventures [[spoiler:since his return from the Quiet City]]. While the franchise always had a major emphasis in the dreams and their worlds, this series concentrated on them soecifically, each new adventure having something to do with the protagonist's and other people dreams and (sometimes) nightmares. It also significantly changes the interpersonal dynamics between many characters, reflecting their new status, maturity, or lack thereof.

* EgyptianMythology: Max assumes some transfer of knowledge between Echo and the ancient Egypt, and suspects [[spoiler: Mokhi Ainti, Juffin's mentor]] of being an actual ancient Egyptian. Points in case:

* MercyKill: See BlatantLies above. As Max is called out on his lie, the people ask him not to heal, but at least to kill them, as Anavuayna [[DeaderThanDead destroys both body and soul]], while death by any other mundane means, especially from Max, means a high chance to come back as a ghost / be reborn in TheMultiverse.

* ChunkySalsaRule: Even the most skilled mages can be taken out with a Baboom sling headshot, yet Order mages (and by extension the LSIF) consider them a plebeian weapon violating their contests of magic skill. It is relatively easy for the skilled mage to protect himself from a Baboom slug, but it requires careful preparation and actually expecting the attack, as not only it's difficult for most (except the very top-tier ones--and we're speaking [[TheAce Loyso and Shurf's level]] here) magic users to keep the spell constantly active, but the spell itself is so much above the officially permitted threshold that just using it constitutes a crime.

* ChunkySalsaRule: Even the most skilled mages can be taken out with a Baboom sling headshot, yet Order mages (and by extension the LSIF) consider them a plebeian weapon violating their contests of magic skill. It is relatively easy for the skilled mage to protect himself from a Baboom slug, but it requires careful preparation and actually expecting the attack, as not only it's difficult for most (except the very top-tier ones--and we're speaking [[TheAce Loyso and Shurf's level]] here) magic users to keep the spell constantly active, but the spell itself is much above the officially permitted threshold, thus itself being a crime.

* ChunkySalsaRule: Even the most skilled mages can be taken out with a Baboom sling headshot[[note]]It is relatively easy for the skilled mage to protect himself from a Baboom slug, but it requires careful preparation and actually expecting the attack, as not only it's difficult for most (except the very top-tier ones — and we're speaking [[TheAce Loyso and Shurf's level]] here) magic users to keep the spell constantly active, but the spell itself is much above the officially permitted threshold, thus itself being a crime.[[/note]], yet Order mages (and by extension the LSIF) consider them a plebeian weapon violating their contests of magic skill.

* HumanSacrifice: An ingeniously insane mage invented a way to consume the forgotten Lunar Bull clan's power and connection to the moon for his purposes by finding, abducting, killing and consuming Lunar Bull clan descendants, while metaphorically feeding the hearts of his victims to an incorporeal entity known as a [[AdorableAbomination Lunar Calf]][[note]]the Lunar Calf is actually harmless and just lonely. Trouble starts if the Calf is kept captive and fed until it matures, becoming the clan's eponymous Lunar Bull, as this will destroy the world[[/note]].

* MysticalPlague: Anavuayna. While mages above a certain power level are immune to it alltogether, Echo is about to loose 80% of population to it in ''Return of Ugurbado''. Anavuayna slowly liquifies the affected, leaving blank skeletons in puddles of slime. There is no salvation after the heart is affected, yet the victims are fully conscious until death. Healing Anavuayna is possible with a grade 140 white magic spell.[[note]]After Halla Makhun the Furry found the Heart of the World, he decided to build a city there for his dynasty. Halla challenged Anavuayna, the elven duchess of the area in a card game with the land at stake and won. Anavuayna fled the country, and suffering from BackgroundMagicField withdrawal, found out that Halla cheated. Mad, and mad with fury, she returned to spread a curse over the new city of Echo, creating the epidemy to carry her name. Halla killed her with his bare hands, stopping the plague.[[/note]]

** Alotho Allirokh of the Ironsided Hoob clan; Lord of Aliurkh and Chijkho; Sternly-Glancing Overlord of two half-hundreds Sharpteeth; mighty and loyal warrior of Tojla Liomurik Silver Cone the Conqueror of Arvarokh who rules it to the limits of the world as told in song by Harlokh Sdobnik[[note]]transliterated, can not translate the name[[/note]], the greatest storyteller among the born; Waterer of the Royal Tree of Spicy Flowers; Keeper of meal-taking carpets; Bringer of the third chalice at the New Moon Feast after the spouse and the Elder Cupbearer; irreplaceable Helmsman of the Royal Boat at the Ulfati lake, who has the right to wear bone shoes on needles of Zoggi; Royal-Chambers-Locking Overlord of a half-hundred of key bundles; Chief of reprisal against Isisorinams; Speaker of the ninth and the twelfth word during the Royal Game of Launi, who kills the Kul'okh bird with two glances, one strike and one ruse; Bearer of three handfuls of coins into the crypt of Kvargi Ishmirmani; Fire-Starter under the royal cauldron for Vatla; Speaker of the Morins' tongue who consumes the Mayushi pig in two-and-a-half goes and who wrought two times twice half-tens songs of his own great heroics.

* ChunkySalsaRule: Even the most skilled mages can be taken out with a Baboom sling headshot, yet Order mages (and by extension the LSIF) consider them a plebeian weapon violating their contests of magic skill.

** Tüvin, the deceases Chief of Huron River Harbor, liked the place and his job so well that his ghost now serves as SpiritAdvisor to the current Chief of Harbor.

** [[MagnificentBastard Loyso Pondokhva]] might as well be a poster boy for this. An incredible Plain Magic prodigy, possibly the most powerful mage of all times, but with basically none talent for a True Magic, he (and his Order of a Water Crow as well) was a textbook MadScientist who'd do ''[[TheUnfettered anything]]'' ForScience and power — up to the destroying of the whole world for the off chance that it'll allow him to absorb all of its energy and grant him godlike powers.

* ProfessionalKiller: Misa Luddis, aka "the Noseless Misa" -- an old lady who used to kill ''[[BadassNormal not]]'' by spells, but "did wonders with cold steel". In the old good time, one Juffin Hally "the Kettarian Hunter", and his two apprentices, secretly including Shurf Lonli-Lokli "the Mad Fishmonger".

* JustBeforeTheEnd: The shadow of the apocalypse has been hanging over the world since the War of the Codex, and pretty much the entire series is, in one way or another, about preventing it from occurring. [[spoiler:It should have been already ''after'' the end, but they got an earlier [[RealityWarper A.
* ChildProdigy: Nuflin Moni Makh, Kofa Yokh, Loyso Pondokhva, Abilat Paras, Shurf Lonli-Lokli, Melifaro and Numminorikh Kuta. To elaborate:
** Young Nuflin is described by contemporary sources as a rbiter]] to enforce a more satisfying timeline, and even that is barely enough. Max, being an [[RealityWarper Arbiter]] himself, and learning that our world's population has many more Arbiters, comes up with the LiteraryAgentHypothesis solution: publish his adventures as a book, thus making the Arbiters among the readers wish for the stories to continue and thus for the world to persist.]]

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: according to Juffin, True Magic has the side effect of modifying the user's moral compass. Common effects are the dichotomies of "interesting vs. boring", "secret vs. obvious" or "free vs. captive".

* JustBeforeTheEnd: The shadow of the apocalypse has been hanging over the world since the War of the Codex, and pretty much the entire series is, in one way or another, about preventing it from occurring. [[spoiler:It should have been already ''after'' the end, but they got an earlier [[RealityWarper Arbiter]] to enforce a more satisfying timeline, and even that is barely enough. Max, being an [[RealityWarper Arbiter]] himself, and learning that our world's population has many more Arbiters, comes up with the LiteraryAgentHypothesis solution: publish his adventures as a book, thus making the Arbiters among the readers wish for the stories to continue and thus for the world to persist.]]