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%%* BattleCouple: Arenadd and Skade
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%%* DeathSeeker: Arenadd is this by the end of the trilogy.
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%%* FantasticRacism: And how.
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%%* FantasticRacism: And how.FantasticRacism
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''The Fallen Moon'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Australian author K.J. Taylor. With the exception of the first book, the series has no clear hero. One main character is an undead psychopath, and the other is a fanatical bigot.
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''The Fallen Moon'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Australian author K.J. Taylor.Creator/KJTaylor. With the exception of the first book, the series has no clear hero. One main character is an undead psychopath, and the other is a fanatical bigot.
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* BadDreams: Arren dreams about falling. Both a memory of when he was a child and {{Foreshadowing}}.
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** Skade also has EyesOfGold, although they darken to hazel as she becomes more [[HumanityEnsues human]]
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** Skade also has EyesOfGold, SupernaturalGoldEyes, although they darken to hazel as she becomes more [[HumanityEnsues human]]
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** [[Spoiler: Arenadd is captured as an escaped slave in Herbstitt]]. This is important [[spoiler: in showing him what the life of a Northern slave is actually like, starting to turn his mind from personal revenge towards freeing the North. He later escapes, taking all the other Herbstitt slaves with him.]]
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** [[Spoiler: [[spoiler: Arenadd is captured as an escaped slave in Herbstitt]]. This is important [[spoiler: in showing him what the life of a Northern slave is actually like, starting to turn his mind from personal revenge towards freeing the North. He later escapes, taking all the other Herbstitt slaves with him.]]
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%%* {{Badass}}: Arenadd is this.
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There is also a sequel trilogy, ''Literature/TheRisenSun''.
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%%* BettyAndVeronica: Flell and Skade, although not in direct competition
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%%* DarkMessiah: Arenadd in the third book
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->''"If you think your father was a great man, then ask yourself why he betrayed me. And ask yourself [[TheUndead why even death]] did not stop me from [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge killing him]]."''
-->-- ''Arren''
''The Fallen Moon'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Australian author K.J. Taylor. With the exception of the first book, the series has no clear hero. One main character is an undead psychopath, and the other is a fanatical bigot.
The trilogy consists of:
* ''The Dark Griffin''
* ''The Griffin's Flight''
* ''The Griffin's War''
There is also a sequel trilogy, ''Literature/TheRisenSun''.
In addition, the author has an unpublished collection of short stories which are prequels or otherwise linked to the main series.[[http://kjtaylor.com/category/short-stories/]]
----
!!This series provides examples of:
%%* AntiHero: Arren starts as a lighter type III then quickly slides into [[UnscrupulousHero TypeIV]]
* ArcWords: Several times after the first book Arenadd tells a character "Join me". Depending on the context - and it is often unclear initially which context applies - he then either[[spoiler: frees them or kills them...]]
%%* {{Badass}}: Arenadd is this.
%%** As is Skandar. Massive 15-foot-tall griffins tend to be so.
* BackFromTheDead: Skandar's magic is the ability to help the Night God create ''kraeai kran ae'' by bringing back Arren/Arenadd, repeatedly. [[spoiler: It happens five times by the end of the trilogy; he has one persistent God.]]
* BadDreams: Arren dreams about falling. Both a memory of when he was a child and {{Foreshadowing}}.
%%* BattleCouple: Arenadd and Skade
%%* BetaCouple: Erian and [[spoiler: Elkin]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Flell and Skade, although not in direct competition
%%* BondCreatures: The griffins
%%* ButtMonkey: Arren suffers from this for most of the first book.
* CameBackWrong: Arenadd, without a heartbeat. [[spoiler: Subsequent resurrections cause him to lose/give up increasingly more of his ‘weaker’ more human qualities]]
* ConvenientComa: Occurs whenever Arenadd ‘dies’, frequently allowing him to escape when security is lessened over his dead body. Most notable in [[spoiler: Herbstitt where he actually goes as far as being buried.]]
** Also [[spoiler: after being captured by Erian and [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] in Malvern:]]
-->[[spoiler:''' Laela:''' How did you escape?]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Arenadd:''' I let them [[TheManTheyCouldntHang hang me]] first. ''The Risen Sun'']]
* CoolSword: In their final confrontation, Arenadd and Erian each have one. Arenadd uses the traditional Northern sickle specially made for him; Erian has [[TakeUpMySword his father's sword]] that he has had blessed by the sun god.
%%* CulturedBadass: Arenadd seems to become this later in the series, particularly when compared to the mostly less well-educated Northerners.
%%* DarkIsNotEvil: Played with for the Northerners depending on your POV. Starts mostly averted then played straighter.
%%* DarkMessiah: Arenadd in the third book
%%* DeathSeeker: Arenadd is this by the end of the trilogy.
* DespairEventHorizon: Arren after Eluna dies. Later revealed that he was almost DrivenToSuicide.
** Also Skade after becoming a human, this time actually DrivenToSuicide.
* DeusExMachina: In the final battle, [[spoiler: Erian thinks he is safe inside the Sun Temple but then a solar eclipse occurs, weakening Gryphus' power enough to let Arenadd enter the temple where they fight and Arenadd kills him.]]
* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler:Rannagon tricks Arren into a job that's supposed to kill him. After Eluna dies instead, Arren blames it on Rannagon, and procedes to kill him and burn down his city.]] Rannagon claims that he was ''only'' trying to discredit him.
* DrivenToSuicide: Skade when Arenadd first meets her has just tried to drown herself.
** [[spoiler: Elkin after Erian and Kraal die decides that it is BetterToDieThanBeKilled. ]]
** [[spoiler: Arenadd after Skade dies, although his God refuses to let him. ]]
** Arren after Eluna dies, although his friends come just in time to [[InterruptedSuicide change his mind]].
* DrivenToVillainy: All Arren wanted to be was a proper Southern griffiner, but the Southerners [[FantasticRacism refused to give him a chance]]. As soon as he looked to be put in a real position of power on the Council, they[[spoiler:/Rannagon]] took away everything he had gained. Given what happened next, they should have just accepted his loyalty.
%%* EvilDetectingDog / AnimalsHateHim: Arenadd; [[spoiler: as he loses his humanity the effect increases.]]
* ExtraDimensionalShortcut: Skandar's magic is the ability to travel quickly and invisibly between places by passing through a 'shadow world'. The Night God's favour allows Arenadd to share this ability. In addition to faster and unimpeded travel, it is also used for advantages during fights – allowing the user easy retreat and the ability to strike their opponent while remaining untouchable/intangible.
** In the third book, Arrenadd uses it to kidnap [[spoiler: Elkin]], getting past her guards and taking her quickly to a safe place.
%%* FantasticRacism: And how.
* FantasticSlur: Calling Northerners 'darkrobe' as reference to their slave uniform. In defiance of this, from the time he accepts his Northern heritage, Arenadd refuses to wear anything except the robe his parents made him.
** The original design for the slave robe is based off the black woollen robes previously worn by Northern kings.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Arren’s fear of heights and the edge of the city is established very early on. Then, in the climax of the first book [[spoiler: he is shot and falls off the edge while being pursued... and just after he had decided to surrender.]]
* GladiatorGames: The griffin fights in the Arena. [[spoiler: Arren volunteers to fight Darkheart as a CondemnedContestant to try and [[WinYourFreedom win his freedom]]. Unfortunately, it ends as a tie...]]
* HeavenlyBlue: Flell and Erian (and Rannagon) both have bright blue eyes due to being descended from Baraher the Blessed. He wasthe leader of the first group of people to settle Cymria, and was chosen by the sun god Gryphus.
* HeroAntagonist: Erian. Technically, he is hunting down an escaped mass murderer who also killed his father; and by the end of the series he is at least as sympathetic as Arenadd.
* HeroicBastard: Erian is the bastard son of Rannagon. Although presented as antagonist to Arenadd, he [[AntiVillain contains many of the typical qualities of a hero]], particularly once we start seeing some of his POV.
* [[HugeGuyTinyGirl Huge Griffin Tiny Girl]]: Kraal is the largest and most powerful griffin ever seen (equal only to his son, Skandar) yet he chose to be partnered to Elkin,the sick young daughter of the previous Eyre Master. People are initially surprised, but it turns out that with his magic to keep her healthy she makes a highly intelligent and politically savvy Eyre Mistress.
* HumanSacrifice: Northerners practice this for the [[TotalEclipseOfThePlot Blood Moon]]
* IdentityAmnesia: [[spoiler: Fully committing himself to the Night God causes Arenadd to lose all personal memories of Arren.]] [[spoiler: Particularly convenient given that two of the three people he has been tasked with killing are his (ex-)girlfriend and their daughter...]]
* InterspeciesRomance: Arenadd and Skade, sort of. She was a griffin, but got physically turned into a human and started developing human emotions
* KarmicTransformation: Skade is [[HumanityEnsues turned into a human]] as [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment punishment]] for killing humans.
* LaResistance: The Northerner rebels hiding out in the mountains. When Arenadd and Skandar arrive to act as figureheads, they are finally able to start the full-blown rebellion to reclaim the North.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Arren captures the black griffin then sells him to the Arena where he is kept in a cage and forced to fight for the audience’s entertainment. [[spoiler: The same thing then happens to him when he is convicted of stealing a griffin chick.]]
** Also, at the very start of the series, he raids a smuggling den in his role as Master of Trade, Eluna killing a man who tries to escape. The man’s friends and family are the ones who [[spoiler: beat him up and put the slave collar on him]]
* LongLostRelative: Arenadd discovers that [[spoiler: Caedmon, the slave elder from Herbstitt,]] is actually his great-uncle, and the griffiner leader of the Northern rebels, Arddryn, is his great-aunt. When they were younger his grandfather was arrested and sold inteo slavery in the south. Arddryn then started a rebellion to free the North, but it was crushed and she fled while [[spoiler: Caedmon]] was sold along with the other captured fighters.
** Arenadd also meets Arddryn’s daughter and his (second) cousin (once removed), Saeddryn.
** Arddryn herself dies before seeing [[spoiler: Caedmon]] again, but hears about him from Arenadd.
%%* LukeIAmYourFather: Kraal to Skandar, almost word for word. Skandar doesn’t care.
* MadeASlave: The Northerners as a [[SlaveRace race]] have this as their {{Backstory}} after being conquered by the Southerners.
** [[Spoiler: Arenadd is captured as an escaped slave in Herbstitt]]. This is important [[spoiler: in showing him what the life of a Northern slave is actually like, starting to turn his mind from personal revenge towards freeing the North. He later escapes, taking all the other Herbstitt slaves with him.]]
** His parents were slaves as children, but were freed when Eagleholm had to sell or free all its slaves to raise funds. [[spoiler: They are then captured and enslaved again by Erian when they try to escape to follow Arren, both as bait and revenge against him. Erian keeps his mother but sells his father at Herbstitt, where he is reunited with his son.]]
* MamaDidntRaiseNoCriminal: While Cardock can excuse Arren [[spoiler: killing Rannagon]] as revenge for Eluna and being pushed too far, he has a harder time dealing with the realisation that he [[spoiler: killed the guards in the slave barracks]], and the amount of extortion and similar he practiced while Master of Trade (even if he needed the money because the Eyrie [[FantasticRacism wouldn’t pay him fairly]].* MeaningfulRename: Arenadd accepting his Northern name and heritage.
** His original name change also counts, choosing Arren Cardockson as a way of rejecting his Northern family and trying to fit in with the Southerners.
** Also Darkheart being freed and becoming Skandar.
* MistakenForServant: Arren, at least twice after Eluna dies; once when returning with the dark griffin, and again by Erian in the Hatchery. Partially justified in that he is one of the few Northerners in the South who is [[SlaveRace not a slave]], and in the second instance [[spoiler: he is actually wearing a slave collar.]]
* NewChildLeftBehind: Flell got pregnant just before Arren’s life fell apart. She tried to tell him on the final night when he came to ask her [[PreempriveAppology forgiveness]], but he left before she had a chance. After that, she didn’t what to tell him and it wasn’t safe to even if she found him. He finds out 20 years later.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Arenadd’s attitude towards [[spoiler: burning the Eyrie (revenge against Rannagon which snowballed slightly)]] and [[spoiler: stealing/freeing the Herbstitt slaves (to cover his escape and spite the Southerners).]] Also his initial success as a griffiner seemed to prove that Northerers could be ‘civilized’, but he spent the entire time denying his heritage. [[spoiler: He ends up leading the revolution anyway.]]
%%* OurGriffinsAreDifferent
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The ''Kraeai kran ae'' is the Night God's avatar. While he is unable to die (or at least, she keeps bringing him BackFromTheDead) is also has no heartbeat and is not truly alive.
* PlaceOfPower: Arenadd is first able to talk with the Night God from [[spoiler: within Taranis’ Throne: a stone circle.]]
** [[spoiler: Erian and Sennek journey to the Isle of the Sun in hopes of finding guidance and a weapon against him.]]
* PreemptiveApology: Arren to Flell before [[spoiler: he kills her father and (accidentally) burns the Eyrie to the ground]]
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: This is basically what the Night God has done to Arenadd, [[spoiler: particularly once she starts taking his memories]]
* ReformedButRejected: Arren, on a racial level. Despite from a very young age having done everything he can to cut himself off from his Northern heritage, people in Eagleholm refuse to see him as anything other than [[FantasticRacism ‘the blackrobe griffiner’]]. With a few exceptions, only Eluna’s presence gains him even grudging respect to his face.
* SapientSteed: the griffins. They are intelligent and have their own language, but are usually willing to let their partner fly on them.
* ShadowWalker: Skandar's magic is the ability to travel quickly and invisibly between places by passing through a 'shadow world'. The Night God's favour allows Arenadd to share this ability.
* ShaggyDogStory: Arren finding the cave in book two. [[spoiler:Turns out, he wasn't cursed, he ''is'' a curse, and he's told in no uncertain terms that he isn't welcome there.]]
* SlaveBrand: Northerner slaves have a brand on the back of their hand. [[spoiler: Arenadd gets one when he is captured in Herbstitt]]
* SlaveCollar: Worn by Northerner slaves from childhood, and now with spikes on the inside! [[spoiler: They can be broken and removed only if hit in the correct spot]]
* SlaveLiberation: the Resistance’s motivation. Uses primarily types A and B (steal and buy slaves to free them)
* SlaveRace: enough of the Northerners are slaves to qualify
* SssssnakeTalk: Griffish has elements of this due to trying to get the words around a beak.
* SolarAndLunar: The Southerners worship the sun god, Gryphus, while the Northerners worship Scathach, the Night God. Erian and Arenadd are [[TheChosenOne the chosen avatars]] for their respective gods.
* StarsAreSouls: When a Northerner dies the Night God gathers their soul and places them in the sky as a star. [[spoiler:When Skade dies, the Night God rewards Arenadd for his work by agreeing to turn her into a star as well, rather than allowing her to go back to the land magic like other griffins.]] Gryphus gives his followers a more stereotypical Heaven.
* TalkingInYourSleep: Arren sleeptalks calling for help because he is falling
* TechnicolourEyes: Skandar has silver eyes; justified because he is a griffin.
** Skade also has EyesOfGold, although they darken to hazel as she becomes more [[HumanityEnsues human]]
* ThatManIsDead: Arenadd about Arren when he gives up on trying to [[GoingNative fit in with the Southerners]]. Rather more [[OurZombiesAreDifferent literal]] than most examples of this trope...
* TheBerserker: Arren/Arenadd. Developing this trait is a sign of his downward spiral after Eluna dies. The Southerners believe it to be a [[FantasticRacism trait of all Northerners]] and use his behaviour as proof that their mistrust of him was justified.
* TheChosenOne: Arren was chosen by the Night God to free the [[SlaveRace Northerner slaves]] and reclaim the North, while Gryphus chose Erian to stop him.
* TheMagocracy: Griffiners occupy all important government positions
* TheManTheyCouldntHang: [[spoiler: Arenadd after being captured in Malvern.]] Granted, he was killed, but since he was already technically dead he simply came back. While his mortal enemy was standing triumphantly over his body. OhCrap indeed.
* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Arenadd accepting his Northern heritage after being told in no uncertain terms that he will never be accepted as a Southerner.
* ThisIsMyHuman: Most of the griffins have this sort of attitude, and frequently refer to their partner in this way
* TotalEclipseOfThePlot: The Blood Moon is a lunar eclipse. It involves a very important Northern ritual [[spoiler: requiring HumanSacrifice, and is the first time Arenadd meets the Night God.]]
** The final battle also includes a solar eclipse, [[spoiler: [[DeusExMachina supposedly caused by the Night God to give Arenadd additional strength and weaken Erian]] ]]
* TraumaCongaLine: Arren; particularly in the first book. In order, he loses his money, his griffin, his trust, his job, his self-respect, his faith, his sanity, his freedom and [[spoiler: his life]].
* TrojanPrisoner: Need to get a bunch of runaway slaves through a guard checkpoint? Have the hero’s girlfriend (the only one not a member of the SlaveRace) borrow his griffin and pretend to be a griffiner with an entourage. If the bluff fails, move to [[ZergRush plan B]]
* UnscrupulousHero: Erain. While he ''is'' trying to catch a mass murderer, he threatens to torture said murderer's parents, and he still enslaves them when they prove they don't know anything.
** Arenadd also frequently fits this category.
%%* VillainProtagonist: Arren, according to [[WordOfGod the author]].
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: [[spoiler: Skandar and Arenadd are able to travel through the ‘shadow world’ without being detected and much faster than the real world]]
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Eluna. She dies about a third of the way through book one.]]
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Lampshaded later in the series when events are shown from the POV of both the Northerners and Southerners
----
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->''"If you think your father was a great man, then ask yourself why he betrayed me. And ask yourself [[TheUndead why even death]] did not stop me from [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge killing him]]."''
-->-- ''Arren''
''The Fallen Moon'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Australian author K.J. Taylor. With the exception of the first book, the series has no clear hero. One main character is an undead psychopath, and the other is a fanatical bigot.
The trilogy consists of:
* ''The Dark Griffin''
* ''The Griffin's Flight''
* ''The Griffin's War''
There is also a sequel trilogy, ''Literature/TheRisenSun''.
In addition, the author has an unpublished collection of short stories which are prequels or otherwise linked to the main series.[[http://kjtaylor.com/category/short-stories/]]
----
!!This series provides examples of:
%%* AntiHero: Arren starts as a lighter type III then quickly slides into [[UnscrupulousHero TypeIV]]
* ArcWords: Several times after the first book Arenadd tells a character "Join me". Depending on the context - and it is often unclear initially which context applies - he then either[[spoiler: frees them or kills them...]]
%%* {{Badass}}: Arenadd is this.
%%** As is Skandar. Massive 15-foot-tall griffins tend to be so.
* BackFromTheDead: Skandar's magic is the ability to help the Night God create ''kraeai kran ae'' by bringing back Arren/Arenadd, repeatedly. [[spoiler: It happens five times by the end of the trilogy; he has one persistent God.]]
* BadDreams: Arren dreams about falling. Both a memory of when he was a child and {{Foreshadowing}}.
%%* BattleCouple: Arenadd and Skade
%%* BetaCouple: Erian and [[spoiler: Elkin]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Flell and Skade, although not in direct competition
%%* BondCreatures: The griffins
%%* ButtMonkey: Arren suffers from this for most of the first book.
* CameBackWrong: Arenadd, without a heartbeat. [[spoiler: Subsequent resurrections cause him to lose/give up increasingly more of his ‘weaker’ more human qualities]]
* ConvenientComa: Occurs whenever Arenadd ‘dies’, frequently allowing him to escape when security is lessened over his dead body. Most notable in [[spoiler: Herbstitt where he actually goes as far as being buried.]]
** Also [[spoiler: after being captured by Erian and [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] in Malvern:]]
-->[[spoiler:''' Laela:''' How did you escape?]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Arenadd:''' I let them [[TheManTheyCouldntHang hang me]] first. ''The Risen Sun'']]
* CoolSword: In their final confrontation, Arenadd and Erian each have one. Arenadd uses the traditional Northern sickle specially made for him; Erian has [[TakeUpMySword his father's sword]] that he has had blessed by the sun god.
%%* CulturedBadass: Arenadd seems to become this later in the series, particularly when compared to the mostly less well-educated Northerners.
%%* DarkIsNotEvil: Played with for the Northerners depending on your POV. Starts mostly averted then played straighter.
%%* DarkMessiah: Arenadd in the third book
%%* DeathSeeker: Arenadd is this by the end of the trilogy.
* DespairEventHorizon: Arren after Eluna dies. Later revealed that he was almost DrivenToSuicide.
** Also Skade after becoming a human, this time actually DrivenToSuicide.
* DeusExMachina: In the final battle, [[spoiler: Erian thinks he is safe inside the Sun Temple but then a solar eclipse occurs, weakening Gryphus' power enough to let Arenadd enter the temple where they fight and Arenadd kills him.]]
* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler:Rannagon tricks Arren into a job that's supposed to kill him. After Eluna dies instead, Arren blames it on Rannagon, and procedes to kill him and burn down his city.]] Rannagon claims that he was ''only'' trying to discredit him.
* DrivenToSuicide: Skade when Arenadd first meets her has just tried to drown herself.
** [[spoiler: Elkin after Erian and Kraal die decides that it is BetterToDieThanBeKilled. ]]
** [[spoiler: Arenadd after Skade dies, although his God refuses to let him. ]]
** Arren after Eluna dies, although his friends come just in time to [[InterruptedSuicide change his mind]].
* DrivenToVillainy: All Arren wanted to be was a proper Southern griffiner, but the Southerners [[FantasticRacism refused to give him a chance]]. As soon as he looked to be put in a real position of power on the Council, they[[spoiler:/Rannagon]] took away everything he had gained. Given what happened next, they should have just accepted his loyalty.
%%* EvilDetectingDog / AnimalsHateHim: Arenadd; [[spoiler: as he loses his humanity the effect increases.]]
* ExtraDimensionalShortcut: Skandar's magic is the ability to travel quickly and invisibly between places by passing through a 'shadow world'. The Night God's favour allows Arenadd to share this ability. In addition to faster and unimpeded travel, it is also used for advantages during fights – allowing the user easy retreat and the ability to strike their opponent while remaining untouchable/intangible.
** In the third book, Arrenadd uses it to kidnap [[spoiler: Elkin]], getting past her guards and taking her quickly to a safe place.
%%* FantasticRacism: And how.
* FantasticSlur: Calling Northerners 'darkrobe' as reference to their slave uniform. In defiance of this, from the time he accepts his Northern heritage, Arenadd refuses to wear anything except the robe his parents made him.
** The original design for the slave robe is based off the black woollen robes previously worn by Northern kings.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Arren’s fear of heights and the edge of the city is established very early on. Then, in the climax of the first book [[spoiler: he is shot and falls off the edge while being pursued... and just after he had decided to surrender.]]
* GladiatorGames: The griffin fights in the Arena. [[spoiler: Arren volunteers to fight Darkheart as a CondemnedContestant to try and [[WinYourFreedom win his freedom]]. Unfortunately, it ends as a tie...]]
* HeavenlyBlue: Flell and Erian (and Rannagon) both have bright blue eyes due to being descended from Baraher the Blessed. He wasthe leader of the first group of people to settle Cymria, and was chosen by the sun god Gryphus.
* HeroAntagonist: Erian. Technically, he is hunting down an escaped mass murderer who also killed his father; and by the end of the series he is at least as sympathetic as Arenadd.
* HeroicBastard: Erian is the bastard son of Rannagon. Although presented as antagonist to Arenadd, he [[AntiVillain contains many of the typical qualities of a hero]], particularly once we start seeing some of his POV.
* [[HugeGuyTinyGirl Huge Griffin Tiny Girl]]: Kraal is the largest and most powerful griffin ever seen (equal only to his son, Skandar) yet he chose to be partnered to Elkin,the sick young daughter of the previous Eyre Master. People are initially surprised, but it turns out that with his magic to keep her healthy she makes a highly intelligent and politically savvy Eyre Mistress.
* HumanSacrifice: Northerners practice this for the [[TotalEclipseOfThePlot Blood Moon]]
* IdentityAmnesia: [[spoiler: Fully committing himself to the Night God causes Arenadd to lose all personal memories of Arren.]] [[spoiler: Particularly convenient given that two of the three people he has been tasked with killing are his (ex-)girlfriend and their daughter...]]
* InterspeciesRomance: Arenadd and Skade, sort of. She was a griffin, but got physically turned into a human and started developing human emotions
* KarmicTransformation: Skade is [[HumanityEnsues turned into a human]] as [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment punishment]] for killing humans.
* LaResistance: The Northerner rebels hiding out in the mountains. When Arenadd and Skandar arrive to act as figureheads, they are finally able to start the full-blown rebellion to reclaim the North.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Arren captures the black griffin then sells him to the Arena where he is kept in a cage and forced to fight for the audience’s entertainment. [[spoiler: The same thing then happens to him when he is convicted of stealing a griffin chick.]]
** Also, at the very start of the series, he raids a smuggling den in his role as Master of Trade, Eluna killing a man who tries to escape. The man’s friends and family are the ones who [[spoiler: beat him up and put the slave collar on him]]
* LongLostRelative: Arenadd discovers that [[spoiler: Caedmon, the slave elder from Herbstitt,]] is actually his great-uncle, and the griffiner leader of the Northern rebels, Arddryn, is his great-aunt. When they were younger his grandfather was arrested and sold inteo slavery in the south. Arddryn then started a rebellion to free the North, but it was crushed and she fled while [[spoiler: Caedmon]] was sold along with the other captured fighters.
** Arenadd also meets Arddryn’s daughter and his (second) cousin (once removed), Saeddryn.
** Arddryn herself dies before seeing [[spoiler: Caedmon]] again, but hears about him from Arenadd.
%%* LukeIAmYourFather: Kraal to Skandar, almost word for word. Skandar doesn’t care.
* MadeASlave: The Northerners as a [[SlaveRace race]] have this as their {{Backstory}} after being conquered by the Southerners.
** [[Spoiler: Arenadd is captured as an escaped slave in Herbstitt]]. This is important [[spoiler: in showing him what the life of a Northern slave is actually like, starting to turn his mind from personal revenge towards freeing the North. He later escapes, taking all the other Herbstitt slaves with him.]]
** His parents were slaves as children, but were freed when Eagleholm had to sell or free all its slaves to raise funds. [[spoiler: They are then captured and enslaved again by Erian when they try to escape to follow Arren, both as bait and revenge against him. Erian keeps his mother but sells his father at Herbstitt, where he is reunited with his son.]]
* MamaDidntRaiseNoCriminal: While Cardock can excuse Arren [[spoiler: killing Rannagon]] as revenge for Eluna and being pushed too far, he has a harder time dealing with the realisation that he [[spoiler: killed the guards in the slave barracks]], and the amount of extortion and similar he practiced while Master of Trade (even if he needed the money because the Eyrie [[FantasticRacism wouldn’t pay him fairly]].* MeaningfulRename: Arenadd accepting his Northern name and heritage.
** His original name change also counts, choosing Arren Cardockson as a way of rejecting his Northern family and trying to fit in with the Southerners.
** Also Darkheart being freed and becoming Skandar.
* MistakenForServant: Arren, at least twice after Eluna dies; once when returning with the dark griffin, and again by Erian in the Hatchery. Partially justified in that he is one of the few Northerners in the South who is [[SlaveRace not a slave]], and in the second instance [[spoiler: he is actually wearing a slave collar.]]
* NewChildLeftBehind: Flell got pregnant just before Arren’s life fell apart. She tried to tell him on the final night when he came to ask her [[PreempriveAppology forgiveness]], but he left before she had a chance. After that, she didn’t what to tell him and it wasn’t safe to even if she found him. He finds out 20 years later.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Arenadd’s attitude towards [[spoiler: burning the Eyrie (revenge against Rannagon which snowballed slightly)]] and [[spoiler: stealing/freeing the Herbstitt slaves (to cover his escape and spite the Southerners).]] Also his initial success as a griffiner seemed to prove that Northerers could be ‘civilized’, but he spent the entire time denying his heritage. [[spoiler: He ends up leading the revolution anyway.]]
%%* OurGriffinsAreDifferent
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The ''Kraeai kran ae'' is the Night God's avatar. While he is unable to die (or at least, she keeps bringing him BackFromTheDead) is also has no heartbeat and is not truly alive.
* PlaceOfPower: Arenadd is first able to talk with the Night God from [[spoiler: within Taranis’ Throne: a stone circle.]]
** [[spoiler: Erian and Sennek journey to the Isle of the Sun in hopes of finding guidance and a weapon against him.]]
* PreemptiveApology: Arren to Flell before [[spoiler: he kills her father and (accidentally) burns the Eyrie to the ground]]
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: This is basically what the Night God has done to Arenadd, [[spoiler: particularly once she starts taking his memories]]
* ReformedButRejected: Arren, on a racial level. Despite from a very young age having done everything he can to cut himself off from his Northern heritage, people in Eagleholm refuse to see him as anything other than [[FantasticRacism ‘the blackrobe griffiner’]]. With a few exceptions, only Eluna’s presence gains him even grudging respect to his face.
* SapientSteed: the griffins. They are intelligent and have their own language, but are usually willing to let their partner fly on them.
* ShadowWalker: Skandar's magic is the ability to travel quickly and invisibly between places by passing through a 'shadow world'. The Night God's favour allows Arenadd to share this ability.
* ShaggyDogStory: Arren finding the cave in book two. [[spoiler:Turns out, he wasn't cursed, he ''is'' a curse, and he's told in no uncertain terms that he isn't welcome there.]]
* SlaveBrand: Northerner slaves have a brand on the back of their hand. [[spoiler: Arenadd gets one when he is captured in Herbstitt]]
* SlaveCollar: Worn by Northerner slaves from childhood, and now with spikes on the inside! [[spoiler: They can be broken and removed only if hit in the correct spot]]
* SlaveLiberation: the Resistance’s motivation. Uses primarily types A and B (steal and buy slaves to free them)
* SlaveRace: enough of the Northerners are slaves to qualify
* SssssnakeTalk: Griffish has elements of this due to trying to get the words around a beak.
* SolarAndLunar: The Southerners worship the sun god, Gryphus, while the Northerners worship Scathach, the Night God. Erian and Arenadd are [[TheChosenOne the chosen avatars]] for their respective gods.
* StarsAreSouls: When a Northerner dies the Night God gathers their soul and places them in the sky as a star. [[spoiler:When Skade dies, the Night God rewards Arenadd for his work by agreeing to turn her into a star as well, rather than allowing her to go back to the land magic like other griffins.]] Gryphus gives his followers a more stereotypical Heaven.
* TalkingInYourSleep: Arren sleeptalks calling for help because he is falling
* TechnicolourEyes: Skandar has silver eyes; justified because he is a griffin.
** Skade also has EyesOfGold, although they darken to hazel as she becomes more [[HumanityEnsues human]]
* ThatManIsDead: Arenadd about Arren when he gives up on trying to [[GoingNative fit in with the Southerners]]. Rather more [[OurZombiesAreDifferent literal]] than most examples of this trope...
* TheBerserker: Arren/Arenadd. Developing this trait is a sign of his downward spiral after Eluna dies. The Southerners believe it to be a [[FantasticRacism trait of all Northerners]] and use his behaviour as proof that their mistrust of him was justified.
* TheChosenOne: Arren was chosen by the Night God to free the [[SlaveRace Northerner slaves]] and reclaim the North, while Gryphus chose Erian to stop him.
* TheMagocracy: Griffiners occupy all important government positions
* TheManTheyCouldntHang: [[spoiler: Arenadd after being captured in Malvern.]] Granted, he was killed, but since he was already technically dead he simply came back. While his mortal enemy was standing triumphantly over his body. OhCrap indeed.
* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Arenadd accepting his Northern heritage after being told in no uncertain terms that he will never be accepted as a Southerner.
* ThisIsMyHuman: Most of the griffins have this sort of attitude, and frequently refer to their partner in this way
* TotalEclipseOfThePlot: The Blood Moon is a lunar eclipse. It involves a very important Northern ritual [[spoiler: requiring HumanSacrifice, and is the first time Arenadd meets the Night God.]]
** The final battle also includes a solar eclipse, [[spoiler: [[DeusExMachina supposedly caused by the Night God to give Arenadd additional strength and weaken Erian]] ]]
* TraumaCongaLine: Arren; particularly in the first book. In order, he loses his money, his griffin, his trust, his job, his self-respect, his faith, his sanity, his freedom and [[spoiler: his life]].
* TrojanPrisoner: Need to get a bunch of runaway slaves through a guard checkpoint? Have the hero’s girlfriend (the only one not a member of the SlaveRace) borrow his griffin and pretend to be a griffiner with an entourage. If the bluff fails, move to [[ZergRush plan B]]
* UnscrupulousHero: Erain. While he ''is'' trying to catch a mass murderer, he threatens to torture said murderer's parents, and he still enslaves them when they prove they don't know anything.
** Arenadd also frequently fits this category.
%%* VillainProtagonist: Arren, according to [[WordOfGod the author]].
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: [[spoiler: Skandar and Arenadd are able to travel through the ‘shadow world’ without being detected and much faster than the real world]]
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Eluna. She dies about a third of the way through book one.]]
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Lampshaded later in the series when events are shown from the POV of both the Northerners and Southerners
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