Line #571 Characters/KingdomsDisdain


1	The characters of Paul! Lang's ''Literature/KingdomsDisdain'' series and tie-in novellas.
2
3	'''Except for folder labels, all spoilers are UNMARKED.'''
4
5	----
6	[[foldercontrol]]
7
8	!The Main Party
9
10	[[folder: In General]]
11	-> ''"Don't worry. We excel at putting ourselves in danger."''
12	-->-- '''Cardinal'''
13
14	* FireForgedFriends: Except for Sareash, they all joined the crew in the middle of a fight.
15	* LoveTriangle: Cardinal and Sareash eventually become [[OfficialCouple a couple]], but there's obviously some mutual attraction between Sareash and Worm.
16	* NiceMeanAndInBetween: Cardinal is the "Nice" to Worm's "Mean" and Sareash, Mad, and Trog's "In-Between".
17	* ThePowerOfHate: Cardinal has his "Decay Beam" spell, Sareash has Valsrofen, and Worm uses hatred as motivation as a follower of Jareth.
18	* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: A transplant from another dimension; a runaway princess; an emotionally-detached necromancer; a haughty assassin; and an exiled orc.
19	* SoleSurvivor: Cardinal, Sareash, Trog, and Worm are the only known survivors of the attack by the Beast of the Gulch. This also makes the former three the only known living Night-Star hunters.
20	* VitriolicBestBuds: Prone to bickering and feelings of resentment.
21
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Cardinal]]
25	!!Cardinal, Heretic Wizard, Bloodmage
26	-> ''"“The future isn’t real, it’s just a dream. It’s just a game.”''
27
28	A nineteen-year-old human from our world who wakes up in Laskmeer, and decides to become a hero.
29	----
30	* AmbiguouslyBi: He ''claims'' not to be into dudes, but he gets just as distracted by Mad's appearance as he does by cute women.
31	* AnimalMotif: Birds, specifically cardinals.
32	* AntiNihilist: Judging by his speech to Trog in "The Nature of the Beast", he's becoming one.
33	* BadPowersGoodPeople: He wears a cloak that grows teeth and eats its opponents and as of Book 6, learns a spell that can [[DeaderThanDead utterly annihilate]] a [[ThePowerOfHate hated]] opponent. He's also [[NiceGuy kind]], [[ChronicHeroSyndrome heroic]], and [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl chivalrous]].
34	* BlackAndNerdy: A fan of Star Wars, fantasy, anime, and video games before he was flung to Laskmeer.
35	* BlackMage: After learning combat spells from Mad and Gamoriel.
36	* ChivalrousPervert: At his age a high libido is to be expected, but he doesn't cross any boundaries and mostly keeps sexual thoughts to himself.
37	* ClassicalAntiHero: He's very emotionally insecure and sensitive to criticism, and his attempts to act heroic often come across as awkward and unthreating (at least early on).
38	%%* DeadpanSnarker
39	* DeepSouth: He's originally from Alabama.
40	* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: The glance we get into his former life shows him as bored of his hometown and wishing he had concrete goals.
41	* DistractedByTheSexy: Whether it's a tavern waitress, Sareash, or even [[StupidSexyFlanders Mad Crossbones]]; if they have a nice body, he'll fixate on it for a bit.
42	* {{Fanboy}}: He's a huge fan of Franchise/StarWars, naming two of his swords Luke Skywalker and Ewok. He also names his steed "Rainbow Dash", implying he might be a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic brony]].
43	%%* FriendlyEnemy: With Zavieur.
44	* GenreSavvy: Due to being from a world where reality resembles tabletop fantasy games.
45	* GuileHero: Prefers to use spells that cause confusion over just blasting at people.
46	* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: "[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Even though I am a dude who isn’t into dudes]], I could tell his face was attractive."
47	* HotForTeacher: Clearly has a thing for Gamoriel, the interdemensional angel teaching him to use his magic.
48	* HunterOfMonsters: His main source of income in Laskmeer.
49	* IdentityAmnesia: "I can’t remember my own name, but I can remember Luke Skywalker drinking blue milk in Film/TheLastJedi."
50	* JamesBondage: Caught in the titular "Web of Bones", and later tied up and interrogated in "Corpse Beetle".
51	* OccidentalOtaku: Views his adventure as "Isekai".
52	* TheMcCoy: The most compassionate and emotive of the original trio.
53	* MetaGuy: Compares his adventures in Laskmeer to both fantasy tropes and real-world politics.
54	* UsefulNotes/TheNewTens: He was plucked out of Earth and onto Laskmeer in 2019, and his interests and personality reflect that.
55	* NiceGuy: Compassionate and sweet to everybody. [[spoiler: Which makes it all the more jarring when he uses the [[DeaderThanDead Decay Beam]].]]
56	* ThePowerOfHate: When he learns the Decay Beam.
57	* TheScrooge: His only personal memory from Earth so far has him lamenting paying for a $10 date, because it cuts into his video game money.
58	* SlapSlapKiss: With Sareash.
59	* StupidSexyFlanders: Is tempted to ask Mad, among other things, "Why are you hot?"
60	* TookALevelInBadass: After training with Gamoriel.
61
62	!! The Red Cloak
63
64	Cardinal's enchanted, blood-red cloak that can summon the spirits of angry demons and become a ferocious monster.
65	----
66	* ArsenalAttire: When Cardinal starts out, he lets the Cloak do most of his fighting.
67	* LivingClothes: How sentient they are is unclear, but they at least have some amount of animal instinct and loyalty to their master.
68	* RightHandAttackDog: Cardinal basically sics him on his enemies like one.
69	* TeamPet: Level of sentience is unclear, but it's kind of Cardinal's pet as well as his clothing.
70	* UndyingLoyalty: To Cardinal.
71
72	!! Rainbowdash
73
74	Cardinal's horse, named after [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic a character from My Little Pony]].
75
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Sareash]]
79	!!Sareash Hellel Raleria Hallocen Farmaldas, Crown Princess of Ald and Aldroy
80	-> ''"I've never had a conversation with a wizard covered in blood and guts."''
81	The crown princess of Aldroy, who wants to get out of the crownlands and see adventure.
82	----
83	* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: This is what bonds her to Cardinal; she wishes that the Rot Lord was real, just so she has somebody to defeat.
84	* BloodKnight: Fantasizes about killing her enemies in righteous fury. She finds the real world's not that simple.
85	* TheBigGuy: The heaviest hitter of the main group, relying primarily on martial weapons rather than spells.
86	* BruiserWithASoftCenter
87	* HighHopesZeroSkill: She wants to be a swordfighting adventurer, but has ''no'' natural talent with the blade; her father and Thermavorous note she's more likely to hit an ally than an intended target. However, through hard work and training, she eventually becomes competent enough to take on the [[TheDreaded Beast of the Gulch]] and ''win''.
88	* HunterOfMonsters: She becomes one after her exile, joining Mad and Cardinal.
89	* InnocentlyInsensitive
90	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Abrasive, insensitive, and arrogant; also more compassionate towards the commonfolk than most of the Royals.
91	* TheKirk: Out of the original trio, she's very brash and the first to charge into battle. She's connected to her own emotions, but has difficulty with those of others.
92	* OfficialCouple: With Cardinal as of "Corpse Beetle".
93	* OverlyLongName: Sareash Hellel Raleria Hallocen Farmaldas, Crown Princess of Ald and Aldroy.
94	* ThePowerOfHate: Her sword, Valsrofen, can only strike down someone/something its user truly hates.
95	* SlapSlapKiss: With Cardinal.
96	* TookALevelInBadass: Mad trains her to use Valsrofen, and gives her a spell that makes her stronger.
97	* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Cardinal before they start dating; then later with Worm.
98	* UpperClassTwit: Somewhat, but not as bad as most of Laskmear's royalty.
99	* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Spares Worm's life, but tells Cardinal she killed him.
100
101	!! Valsrofen
102
103	An enchanted sword said to only be able to kill an opponent its master truly hates. Currently wielded by Sareash.
104	----
105
106	* MundaneUtility: In ''The Nature of the Beast'', Sareash uses it to slice a table in half and get everyone's attention. This works because, apparently, she always hated that particular table.
107	* ThePowerOfHate: Actually ''restricts'' the damage it can do, since it supposedly only works if you truly hate someone.
108
109	!! Gigabob the Brave
110
111	Sareash's horse.
112
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Mad Crossbones]]
116	!!Mad Crossbones
117	-> ''"He forgot the difference between the living and the dead. Both were equally comprised of reusable parts. Neither had anything interesting to say."''
118
119	A powerful Elven wizard, Necromancer, and monster hunter for hire.
120	----
121
122	* BadPowersGoodPeople: A Necromancer who commands armies of skeletons and specializes in killing things. He mainly uses this power for the public good, and shows [[MercyKill compassion]] to the [[FateWorseThanDeath victims of the Mother Leeches]].
123	* BileFascination: He carries around a disembodied, still-beating heart and enjoys dissecting bodies of monsters and humanoids alike.
124	* BlackMage: Though he's proficient with weapons, he primarily battles using elemental and other combat spells. This is also how he trains Cardinal.
125	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He has a difficult time telling the living apart from the dead.
126	* TheComicallySerious
127	* DarkIsNotEvil: It remains to be seen if Crossbones is ever altruistic, but at the very least he uses his necromancy and dark arts to save whole towns.
128	* DemBones: He raises skeletons to not only fight for him, but to act as servants and pull his chariot.
129	* ElementalPowers: A lot of his most frequent spells
130	* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Cardinal, despite claiming not to be a "dude who's into dudes", can't stop thinking about how hot Mad is when he first encounters him.
131	* {{Expy}}: Shares a few similarities to [[Franchise/TheWitcher Gerault]], being an aloof HunterOfMonsters with NoSocialSkills.
132	* ForScience: His core goal is to [[ImmortalitySeeker find the secret to immortality]]. While he's mentioned in passing he'd take it if he could, his main reason is because he wants the knowledge for its own sake.
133	* FrontierDoctor: Laskmeer, to humans, is a new frontier, and Mad is a traveling "Crossbones", or doctor.
134	* AnIcePerson: His favorite spells, next to necromancy, are ice-based. Fitting for his cold personality.
135	* ImmortalitySeeker: His main goal is to find the secret to eternal life, although not necessarily for himself (though he mentioned he might use it), but [[ForScience because that would be an amazing thing to discover]].
136	* LackOfEmpathy: Unlike fellow Elf and wizard Worm, Mad isn't actively cruel. He just doesn't really care how you feel one way or they other.
137	* TheMentor: To Cardinal in spellcasting, and Sareash in Elven combat.
138	* PutOnABus: Leaves the crew without warning at the end of "Corpse Beetle".
139	* Really700YearsOld: He's lived for hundreds of years but looks no older than his 30s-40s.
140	* ShockAndAwe: Not as frequent as his ice spells, but he knows how to weild lightning.
141	* TheSpock: Matter-of-fact and calculating, not regarding emotional stakes at all.
142	* StupidSexyFlanders: Cardinal keeps getting distracted by how hot he is.
143	* TokenNonHuman: An Elf in a human realm, traveling with two humans.
144	* TokenWhite: The only fair-skinned member of the initial Main Three.
145	* ZergRush: His battle application for his Bone Boys.
146
147	!! Bone Boys
148
149	Skeletons reanimated by Mad who assist him in various tasks.
150	----
151
152	* CannonFodder: Used by Mad as human shields.
153	* [[ChariotPulledByCats Chariot Pulled By Dead Guys]]: Mad and Cardinal enter Aldroy with them pulling their cart.
154	* DemBones: Reanimated skeletons.
155	* MundaneUtility: Mad uses them to hand him items in experiments.
156	* WeHaveReserves: A non-villainous example, as they're already dead and nonsentient. Many are destroyed throughout the story because Mad can always make more.
157	* ZergRush: One skeleton is easy to beat, but dozens of them swinging at you will at least wear you down enough to give Mad the upper hand.
158
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder: [[spoiler: Worm]] ]]
162	!! Edreimlecheth / "Worm"
163	-> ''"Since you are a human, you would probably butcher my elvish name with your indelicate tongue. Among those in my field, however, I am known simply as Worm.”''
164
165	An Elven sorceror and assassin in the League of Shadows and the [[StarterVillain first enemy the group encounters]]. However, as of "The Nature of the Beast", circumstances led to him joining Sareash, Cardinal, and Trog.
166	----
167	* AnimalMotif: He nicknamed himself "Worm", and the narrative often compares him to a caterpillar or butterfly. (Caterpillars are sometimes referred to as "worms").
168	* CharacterDevelopment: Thanks to his failures to manipulate Sareash and the bravery of Cardinal, he starts to reconsider his stance on humanity.
169	* TheChessmaster:: He ''thinks'' he's one, anyway. His actual track record is hit-or-miss.
170	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Sareash spares his life, and though it's not an overnight switch, he eventually forms an alliance with her.
171	* EvilIsPetty: He doesn't just want to kill people; he wants to humiliate them for the slightest provacations.
172	* FantasticRacism: Regards humans as an [[AlwaysChaoticEvil inherently destructive]] plague.
173	* FieryRedhead
174	* TheFundamentalist: A devout worshipper of Jerath.
175	* TheHeavy: He's only a hired hand in Lacturn's conspiracy, but he and Zavieeur are the first non-animal enemies the heroes directly fight.
176	* HeelFaceTurn: In "The Nature of the Beast", he's so put-off by Drathe summoning the Beast of the Gulch that he sides with the heroes against it, and eventually joins them for real.
177	* HiddenDepths: In "Corpse Beetle", Sareash notes he looks serene when he is near death, and he comments, "You people took everything from me, and now you've come to claim my life." What this means is yet to be seen, but from the sound of it either humans or the Royals in particular may have caused his StartOfDarkness.
178	* {{Jerkass}}: He's rude and condescending to enemies and allies alike.
179	* NobleDemon: Cruel as he is, he has a code.
180	* SmugSnake: A lot more confident in his abilities than he should me.
181	* SpannerInTheWorks: Drathe's coup may have succeeded had it not been for Worm turning on her.
182	* TokenEvilTeammate: A smug, manipulative, merciless zealot with an insult for everybody eventually joins the Party without fully shedding any of these traits.
183	* TokenWhite: When he joins the main party, he's the only fair-skinned member since Mad Crossbones left weeks before.
184	* TragicBigot: While he takes it too far, he has reasons for distrusting humanity given his backstory and what the Samaar did to the Goblins.
185	* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Sareash.
186
187	[[/folder]]
188
189	[[folder: [[spoiler: Trog]] ]]
190
191	!! Trog
192	-> ''"Still just Trog."''
193
194	The competent but unpopular Orcish leader of the Night Star Barrack. Joins the main party after the devastating battle with the Beast of the Gulch.
195
196	----
197
198	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: After wanting to kill Cardinal and Sareash for challenging her leadership, she joins them as a sort of protector when Cardinal offers her compassion.
199	* BigBadEnsemble: Appears to be the more "human" enemy to the Beast's "monster" enemy in the Night Star Arc. In actuality, she's not the one the heroes needed to worry about.
200	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Exiled from her homeland, then briefly found love before it tragically fell apart. Then targeted by who she thought was her best friend to be murdered and usurped as leader.
201	* DeadpanSnarker: Despite being seen as plain-spoken and unwitty by herself and others, she has her moments.
202	--> Sareash: ''"It's Sareash. My name is Sareash"''
203	--> Trog: ''"Um, Trog. Still only Trog."''
204	* DeathSeeker: Her desire to die is constantly at battle with her natural will to live.
205	* DefeatMeansFriendship: After Cardinal beats her in a duel, spares her life, and gives her some life advice, she decides to join him on his quest.
206	* DeterminedDefeatist: She's pretty sure that having hope in a better future is foolish, but at the end of Book 9 decides to at least try.
207	* GreenEyedMonster: Due to her insecurity and self-loathing, she readily believed her husband would leave her for somebody else. It even turns out a lot like the [[Theatre/{{Othello}} trope namer]].
208	* HunterOfMonsters: Her upbringing as an orc made her one of the best in Lasmeer.
209	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Pretty impersonal and closed off, initially coming across as the arc villain; but eventually shows a good side.
210	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After killing her husband and [[AmbiguousSituation his possible]] lover in a blind rage.
211	* NoSocialSkills: Despite being a competent leader, she's also gruff and un-charasmatic; making her barrack ripe for mutineers.
212	* WeUsedToBeFriends: She and Drathe were best friends with the latter first joined the barrack; but now they've grown distant and bitter toward each other. Subverted, in that Drathe was planning to kill her the whole time. She still looks sad when informed of her death, however.
213
214	[[/folder]]
215
216
217	! Aldroy Royal Family and Court
218
219	[[folder: Sareash]]
220
221	See "Main Party" above.
222
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	[[folder: King Farmaldas]]
226
227	!! King Farmaldas of Aldroy
228
229	The King of Aldroy, regarded by most of the commoners as a loon because of his belief in The Rot Lord.
230
231	----
232	* FantasyForbiddingFather: Although not so much due to wanting a specific life for his kid, but rather an (understandable) fear that his wreckless daughter will get herself killed trying to be a fighter.
233	* ProperlyParanoid: Prophecy or not, the way Sareash swings a sword at the beginning of "Ten Thousand Teeth" makes his worry about her trying to slay the Rot Lord understandable.
234	* UpperclassTwit: Regardless on whether or not the prophecies he believes are true, they distract him from conspiracies right under his nose and the plight of his people.
235
236	[[/folder]]
237
238	[[folder: Lady Solth]]
239
240	!! Lady Jenieer Solth, Queen of Ald
241
242	----
243	* AmbiguouslyEvil: Until the end of "House of Flies", where she's revealed to be good.
244	* GoldDigger: Her ultimate reason for marrying Farmaldas was to escape poverty, but luckily she's also genuinely fond of the man and ultimately cares for her stepdaughter despite their disagreements.
245	* RagsToRiches
246	* WickedStepmother: Sareash sees her as this, and she's not exactly blameless; she forces her to act like a "proper lady" and is very cold and controlling; though she's ultimately on the side of good.
247
248	[[/folder]]
249
250	[[folder: Lacturn]]
251
252	!! Minister Deraldo Lacturn
253
254	The youngest and most charismatic of the King's council, who often gives out stupid advice. He is actually a revolutionary attempting to overthrow and kill the royal amily. Also the Protagonist of upcoming prequel book, "The Useless Prince".
255	----
256
257	* AffablyEvil: Genuinely charming and witty, even while leading a coup to kill the royals (which includes women and children).
258	* AntiVillain: If the story were all from his point of view, it wouldn't be difficult to see him as the good guy. The prequel tie-in, "The Useless Prince", is based around this concept. His methods are still extreme and cruel, but at least in that story, the monarchs he's facing are ''worse''.
259	* BigBad: Leading the coup that sends Sareash on the run.
260	* ADayInTheLimelight: ''The Tale of the Useless Prince'' is all about his journey from an idle, hedonistic Governor's son to a violent revolutionary.
261	* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: As the son of a Governor, he had privileges but no purpose. He sets out on a boat to nowhere in particular and eventually embraces the goal of overthrowing the rich and monarchs.
262	* [[TheFool The Ofzblart]]: A hedonist turning revolutionary in a whim, who only seems to fall upward.
263	* IAmLegion: His [[spoiler: true form]], kind of. The [[spoiler: spiders can split apart and think for themselves, but they have all of the living Lacturn's memories and personality]].
264	* MightyWhitey: While race relations aren't the same in Laskmeer as in our realm, his story in ''Useless Prince'' still fits; the wealthy son of a nobleman shows up to a group of poor, oppressed revolutionaries (mostly made up of [[FantasticRacism non-human races]]), and within a few days leads them to victory. Culhut weaponizes this, reasoning that a human of high birth can bring about change better than the rest of them could.
265	* ObfuscatingStupidity: As a member of the council.
266	* TokenWhite: Of the King's council, he's the only one of Alto descent.
267	* WellIntentionedExtremist: He's a radical revolutionary seeking to end monarchies, for the good of the people.
268	* TheWormThatWalks: [[spoiler: After Culhut's pact with the Rot Lord to revive him, his body is turned into a hoarde of spiders that only appear human.]]
269	* WouldHurtAChild: Sareash is technically nineteen, but just barely grown and he's more than willing to have her killed.
270
271	[[/folder]]
272
273	[[folder: Thermavorous]]
274
275	!! Alucant Samhed Thermavorous, Minister of Warfare
276
277	----
278	* TheMentor: To Sareash growing up.
279	* MentorOccupationalHazard: Sareash accidentally kills him while slaying the hornets.
280
281	[[/folder]]
282
283	[[folder: Malphum]]
284
285	!! Minister Malphum
286
287	----
288	* OutOfFocus: So far, the least focused-on member of the Council.
289
290	[[/folder]]
291
292	[[folder: Igrislid Dajame]]
293
294	!! Igrislid Dajame
295
296	The Captain of the Guard in Aldroy.
297
298	----
299	[[/folder]]
300
301	[[folder: Queen Velvet]]
302	!! Queen Velvet
303
304	----
305	* MissingMom: Dead at the start of the series.
306
307	[[/folder]]
308
309	[[folder: Filsa the Seer]]
310
311	!! Filsa the Seer
312
313	The Seer who foretold the slaying of the Rot Lord. She was eaten by a giant dragonfly.
314	----
315
316	* DroppedABridgeOnHer: Eaten by a giant dragonfly right after giving her prophecy.
317
318	[[/folder]]
319
320	! The Shadow League
321
322	A group of skilled assassins for hire.
323	----
324
325	[[folder: Worm]]
326
327	See "Main Party" above.
328
329	[[/folder]]
330
331	[[folder: Zavieeur]]
332
333	!! Vslrischssch Zaiveeur Hrklsshssyk
334
335	A [[LizardFolk Clokken]] member of the Shadow Guild, and a pretty personable guy.
336
337	----
338	* AboveGoodAndEvil: Doesn't see himself as so much "above" as "alien" to most humanoid morality.
339	* AffablyEvil: A skilled killer-for-hire, but also a great conversationalist who means every word he says.
340	* AntiVillain
341	* BecauseImGoodAtIt: The main reason he's an assassin.
342	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Clokkens don't have concepts of glory, heroism, deceit, or hate like most other races. They simply wish for the survival of their people. This makes attempting to appeal to Zavieeur's "better nature" a fool's errand.
343	* DeaderThanDead: Ultimately annihilated by the Decay Beam.
344	* FriendlyEnemy: He regards Cardinal as his friend even as he has him [[JamesBondage tied up]], and the latter remarks that he finds it impossible to be offended.
345	* TheHeavy: He's only a hired hand in Lacturn's conspiracy, but he and Zavieeur are the first non-animal enemies the heroes direct fight.
346	* GrapplingHookGun: Wields two of them; they suit his reptilian flexibility.
347	* LizardFolk: The Clokkens.
348	* SimpleMindedWisdom: A strange variant; Zavieeur is quick-thinking in a fight, but as his POV chapters show, he thinks in single sentences and experiences base emotions. Because of this, he cuts through the bullshit and gives Cardinal some interesting things to think about.
349	* SmugSnake: Confidant that his fighting prowess and incantations will defeat the trio, and tells Cardinal as much as if it is scientific fact. Had Cardinal not just trained with a goddess, he might have been right...
350	[[/folder]]
351
352	! Gods and Angels
353
354	[[folder: Gamoriel]]
355
356	!! Gamoriel
357
358	A higher being with ambiguous intentions; often takes the form of a woman with blood-red hair.
359
360	----
361	* AmbiguouslyEvil: She seems to be a force for good and for tearing down oppressive hierarchies. Cardinal, narrating from the future, notes that she is "[[FallenAngel fallen]]".
362	* FallenAngel: "I DIDN'T SIMPLY FALL! THE DESCENT BECAME THAT WHICH CONCIEVED ME!"
363	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Implied throughout, and confirmed in "The Nature of the Beast" when she reveals her horrifying true self
364	* TheMentor: To Cardinal, teaching him magic.
365	* {{Shapeshifter}}: Takes on various forms during her training with Cardinal, most prominently that of a young woman with blood-red hair.
366
367	[[/folder]]
368
369	[[folder: The Rot Lord]]
370
371	!! Keltnin Savos / Freghk-Lihng-Ghaugh / The Dirt King / The Rot Lord
372
373	A legendary god of decay who the ancient goblins and later the people of Laskmeer blame for the monsters that plague their land.
374
375	----
376	* AffablyEvil: When Mad finally finds him, he welcomes him inside and offers him tea.
377	* AmbiguouslyEvil: Seems to be the GreaterScopeVillain, but Gamoriel's (his enemy's) ambiguous nature there might be more to him.
378	* BigBad
379	* ChaoticEvil: Only wants to cause death and decay; the life he creates are destructive bugs.
380	* GreaterScopeVillain
381	* PestController: Created the giant bugs that plague the realm.
382	* ThePigPen
383	* ShroudedInMyth
384	* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: He's the creator of eldridge horrors and God of Decay. When Mad meets him he just looks like some guy.
385
386	[[/folder]]
387
388	[[folder: Bal'zomest]]
389
390	!! Bal’zomest
391
392	The ancient Dragon God of the Islands.
393	----
394
395	* CrystalDragonJesus: A dragon deity whose holy book resembles The Bible.
396	* AFormYouAreMoreComfortableWith: Appears in the form of a woman to King Alcoor.
397
398	[[/folder]]
399
400	[[folder: Jareth]]
401
402	A fairy god whose worshippers regard humanity as the source of all that's wrong in the world.
403
404	----
405	* GodOfEvil: His sees hatred as a virtue.
406	* ThePowerOfHate: Feeds off of it; to his followers, hating your enemies is a sacred act.
407
408	[[/folder]]
409
410	[[folder: Brannuc]]
411
412	!! Branuuc, the Mighty Armed God
413
414	----
415	* TheAlcoholic: Said to drink all the time.
416
417	[[/folder]]
418
419	[[folder: The Almighty]]
420
421	!! The Almighty
422	The Creator of the universe, and top of the foodchain as far as deities go.
423
424	----
425	* BigGood: Said to be the highest on the heiarchy, and benevolent at that.
426	* {{God}} - Quite possibly the Abrahamic God, or someone similar; Gamoriel speaks of Him creating both Earth and Laskmeer.
427
428	[[/folder]]
429
430	! The Night Star Barrack
431
432	A clan, or "Barrack", of Beast Hunters led by Trog that Cardinal and Sareash join in "Sick Butterfly".
433
434	----
435
436	[[folder: Trog]]
437
438	See Main Party above.
439
440	[[/folder]]
441
442	[[folder: Drathe]]
443
444	!! Drathe
445
446	----
447
448	* ArcVillain: Of the Night-Star Arc.
449	* TheBeastmaster: With her flute, courtesy of the Rot Lord.
450	* BigBadEnsemble: With the Beast of the Gulch.
451	* FantasticRacism: She uses slurs against Elves and Orcs, even while paling around with them.
452	* TheChessmaster: Her ultimate plan is to kill Trog, and she manipulates everyone in the barrack to get that done.
453	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Genuinely adores Memeunta, and her whole motivation is to avenge her beloved father.
454	* ManicPixieDreamGirl: A violent version of one.
455	* MsFanservice: Wears skimpy clothing and flirts with just about everybody.
456	* OneWingedAngel: In her moth form.
457	* WeUsedToBeFriends: Trog genuinely saw her as a friend; they would stay up talking about their lives all night and were close until the argument over what to do with the Beast got between them. Really, she had been planning to kill Trog the whole time.
458	* YouKilledMyFather: Why she wants to kill Trog.
459
460	[[/folder]]
461
462	[[folder: Memeunta]]
463
464	!! Memeunta
465
466	----
467
468	[[/folder]]
469
470	[[folder: Graggi Nucolt]]
471
472	!! Graggi Nucolt
473
474	A Dwarf who wants to persuade Night Star to go after the Beast of the Gulch.
475	----
476
477	[[/folder]]
478
479	[[folder: Releeze]]
480
481	A Clokken bartender in the Night Star common area.
482	----
483
484	* LizardFolk: A Clokken.
485	* NonActionGuy: Appears to be a sort of "support staff" to the. monster hunters, rather than a hunter himself.
486
487	[[/folder]]
488
489	[[folder: Vostag]]
490
491	!! Vostag
492
493	The original leader of the barrack, and Drathe's father, who was killed by Trog.
494	----
495
496	* AscendedExtra: Gets a larger role in "Bru-Nack".
497	* AssholeVictim: A xenophobe who picked a fight with a [[FantasticRacism wounded orc]] just because of his prejudice, and winded up getting killed.
498	* DeathByRacism: See above.
499	* EntitledToHaveYou: Thinks that Bru-Nack is obligated to stay with him because he took him in.
500	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Genuinely gentle to his daughter, and at first to Bru-Nack.
501	* TragicBigot: Hinted at; he grew up in harsh lands under a treaty to honor foreign customs, and views other races outside humanity as more powerful and therefore more dangerous.
502
503	[[/folder]]
504
505
506	! Animals, Beasts, and Monsters
507
508	[[folder: In General]]
509
510	* NonMaliciousMonster: The monsters either natural predators trying to eat, instinctually territorial, or being controlled by TheBeastmaster. They can't really be blamed on a moral level even if their actions are horrified.
511	* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Since they're animals who terrorize the human population, their deaths aren't met with much pathos.
512
513	[[/folder]]
514
515	[[folder: Teratietus Loxineegus]]
516
517	!! Teratietus Loxineegus
518	The first giant bug Cardinal faces in "Web of Bones".
519
520	----
521	* GiantSpider
522	* StarterVillain: For an amnesiac waking up in a cave, these things are deadly. If Cardinal were to encounter them in the series' current spot, they'd be cannon fodder.
523
524	[[/folder]]
525
526	[[folder: Horses]]
527
528	The most common mount in both Laskmeer and historical times in Cardinal's homeworld..
529	----
530
531	* TokenHeroicOrc: The only non-humanoid animals who aren't either predators or prey to people, due to being herbivores bred for riding and probably not native to Laskmeer.
532
533	[[/folder]]
534
535	[[folder: Zarklago]]
536
537	!! The Zarklago
538	A giant, cat-like beast; the first Cardinal actively fights.
539
540	----
541	* PantheraAwesome
542
543	[[/folder]]
544
545	[[folder: Yellow Horned Dancers]]
546
547	!! Yellow Horned Dancers
548
549	Large flying stinging bugs that can kill human beings.
550	----
551	* TheSwarm: A swarm of deadly insects.
552	* {{Jerkass}}: As a species, they don't even eat meat. They just kill because they're territorial.
553	* MixAndMatchCritters: The color of bees or yellow jackets, chirp like crickets, devour like locusts, have a reputation for being needlessly aggressive like wasps, and are referred to in the title as "flies".
554
555	[[/folder]]
556
557	[[folder: Mother Leeches]]
558
559	!! Mother Leeches
560	A species of giant leeches that paralyze their victims and lay eggs in their bodies.
561	----
562
563	* BodyHorror: They paralyze and sedate their victims and put their larva in their bodies.
564	* FantasticDrug: Their sedating venom can be harvested into controlled dosages to get people high. It's actually a popular side-gig for Monster Hunters to sell after they kill them.
565	* FateWorseThanDeath: As parasites, they prefer for their victims to stay alive as long as possible while their young feast on their flesh. Even [[LackOfEmpathy ''Mad'']] feels sympathy for those caught up in their swamp.
566	* KnightOfCerebus: Monsters before them could be intimidating and creepy, but the Mother Leeches using their venom on Cardinal and almost laying eggs in him kicked off a consistently darker tone for the rest of the series; taking things from action/adventure to pure horror.
567	* MamaBear: A dark example; they paralyze other creatures, including humans, for their children; and fight anybody who tries to stop them.
568	* ParasititicHorror: Comes with being leeches.
569	[[/folder]]
570
571	[[folder: Valps]]
572
573	!! Valps
574
575	----
576
577	[[/folder]]
578
579	[[folder: Corpse Beetles]]
580
581	!! Corpse Beetles
582
583	----
584	[[/folder]]
585
586	[[folder: Beast of the Gulch]]
587
588	!! The Beast of the Gulch
589
590	A miles-spanning underground monster residing in a Gulch near the Night-Star Barrack.
591	----
592	* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: After her duel with Cardinal, it grabs Drathe and drags her to its clutches.
593	* BigBadEnsemble: Initially seems to be the monster enemy at the same time as Trog being the "human" enemy by opposing the heroes at Night-Star; turns out its actually this to Drathe.
594	* TheDreaded: Directly challenging it is seen as a suicide mission.
595	* EldridgeAbomination: The closest monster to one so far.
596	* TheHeavy: Its true role in the Night-Star arc; summoned, though not necessarily controlled, by Drathe's flute.
597	[[/folder]]
598
599	! Races of Alto-Sammar and Laskmeer
600
601	[[folder: Humans]]
602
603	!! In General
604
605	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Worm and other followers of Jareth see them as a plague, with no regard for individual variations.
606	* HumansAreBastards: Seen as shallow and destructive by many other races.
607
608	!! Samaa People
609
610	The brown/tan-skinned people native to Samaar, who were exiled by the Alto 111 years ago to the dangerous island of Laskmeer.
611	----
612
613	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Their belief in the Dragon Gods has similarities to Abrahamic beliefs (lampshaded by Cardinal), and they physically resemble people from the Mediterranian, Middle East, or South Europe.
614
615	!! Alto People
616
617	Fair-skinned humans and current rulers of Alto-Samaar.
618
619	!! The Calde
620
621	[[/folder]]
622
623	[[folder: Elves]]
624
625	!! High Elves
626
627	!! Forest Elves
628
629	[[/folder]]
630
631	[[folder: Dwarves]]
632
633	[[/folder]]
634
635	[[folder: Clokkens]]
636
637	A humanoid reptilian people who generally live in homogenous swamp communities in Laskmeer, though some individuals strike out to do business with other species.
638	----
639
640	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: They're not evil, but they can come across this way to humans because their culture lacks abstract concepts like dignity, honor etc. They value family, the survival of their species, pragmatism, and politeness. It's to the extent where it's actually diffict to be angry at a Clokken assassin, because you really know it's not personal.
641	* LizardFolk: They resemble humanoid lizards.
642	* TheSpock: Driven primarily by pragmatism and efficiency.
643
644	[[/folder]]
645
646	[[folder: Orcs]]
647
648	!! In General
649
650	* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Something common in all orc cultures; even the studious Bloodskulls, outside of their elite intellectuals, hold an esteem for battle and bravery.
651
652	!! Jackalfang Orcs
653
654	* DumbMuscle: Their culture isn't as invested in science as the Bloodskulls, and are regarded as savages by them.
655
656	!! Bloodskull Orcs
657
658	* FlatEarthAtheist: They reject any gods and embrace invention, despite living in a world surrounded by magic.
659	* ForScience: Inventors are regarded with the highest esteem in their culture, even higher than the still-respected warriors.
660	* WarriorPoet: The ideal Bloodskull is a skilled and ruthless warrior who also can write poetry and is inquisitive about the world around them.
661
662	[[/folder]]
663
664	[[folder: Goblins]]
665
666	The native inhabitants of Laskmeer, driven away or into hiding by the Saama. Small green people who are regarded by historians as cruel, but whose folk beliefs influence the current culture.
667	----
668
669	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Deconstructed. Treated this way in in-universe histories and stories; they were apparently a culture based around cruelty who worshipped a God of Decay; and the Saamar were defending themselves from attacks when they slaughtered them. However, everyone from the peasants to the King of Laskmeer takes heed of their folk stories, and when we see a clan of them in Drathe's backstory they're superstitious but benign, and honor their end of a treaty with her village.
670	* FantasyConflictCounterpart:
671	** Like Europeans and Native Americans, they were nearly wiped out by foreign settlers and villainized by history as savage aggressors, while their folklore was still held in high esteem by said settlers.
672	** Like Australians and Aboriginies, the settlers were forced (as a penal colony in Australia and as a people-group exile in Laskmeer) by a more powerful government than them to go to an island widely seen as wild and dangerous, where they had conflicts with the Natives that ended with said exiles gaining most political power.
673	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: As a culture, they're demonized as another monster that the people of Laskmeer had to put down. It's implied that this is widely victors writing history.
674	* TheRemnant: After the genocide, a few tribes still exist on the island.
675
676	[[/folder]]
677
678	[[folder: Crowmen]]
679
680	A race resembling humans and crows that lives in treetops.
681	----
682	* BirdPeople: They look like giant crows and emit "CAWS!" between sentences.
683
684	[[/folder]]
685
686	!! Historical and Legendary Heroes
687
688	[[folder: King Aheerum]]
689
690	!! King Aheerum
691
692	The King who was given Valsrofen by Bal'zomest, to slay his traitorous son.
693	----
694	* FantasyConflictCounterpart: His struggle with his son resembles that of [[Literature/BooksOfSamuel David and Absolom]].
695
696	[[/folder]]
697
698	[[folder: Prince Alcoor]]
699
700	!! Prince Alcoor, son of King Aheerum
701
702	----
703	* FantasyConflictCounterpart: See his father's entry.
704
705	[[/folder]]
706
707	[[folder: General Turp Glurborn]]
708
709	!! General Turp Glurbob
710
711	----
712
713	[[/folder]]
714
715	!! Characters Introduced in "The Tale of the Useless Prince"
716
717	[[folder: Captain Lodin]]
718
719	!! Captain Lodin
720
721	----
722
723	[[/folder]]
724
725	[[folder: Davel]]
726
727	!! Davvel
728
729	----
730	MrExposition: Of theme rather than plot; he explains the wrathful Branuuc and the Dawrfish concept of "ofzblart" (a theatrical stock character whose role is to be a joke), which both become critical motifs for Lacturn.
731
732	[[/folder]]
733
734	!! Characters Introduced in "The Chronicle of Quelk the Slime"
735
736	[[folder: Melatala]]
737
738	[[/folder]]
739
740	[[folder: Quelk]]
741
742	[[/folder]]
743
744	[[folder: Selijah]]
745
746	[[/folder]]
747
748	!! Characters Introduced in "Bru-Nack the Giant and his Eternal Stew"
749
750	[[folder: The Acolyte (MASSIVE SPOILERS)]]
751
752	[[/folder]]
753
754	[[folder: Chaucer]]
755
756	The halfling owner of the Silver Coin, who appears in "Bru-Nack the Giant".
757
758	----
759	* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: To Chomole's frustration, whether they are a man or a woman is hard to pin down. Though they seem to be nonbinary.
760	* DeadpanSnarker: Has a wiseass remark for everyone.
761	* ExtremeOmnisexual: Men, women, angels, goblins... they seem to be into almost everyone, as long as they're not traditionally attractive.
762	* HasAType: Claims that they used to be into the young and beautiful; but their current taste is [[{{Gonk}} extremely ugly people]].
763	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: They're a greedy, selfish wiseass; but they speak gently to Bru-Nack when he's been upset.
764	* [[MrExposition Mx. Exposition]]: Catches Chomole (and the audience) up on Bru-Nack's journey through the TimeSkip.
765	* SeenItAll: Uninterested in the supernatural, if it won't yield a profit, because they've been around it so often before.
766	* SlapSlapKiss: Trades horrible insults with Yaziz, which seems to be an odd sort of foreplay.
767	* ShoutOut: Their name is one to Geoffrey Chaucer, who was also a crass storyteller.
768
769	[[/folder]]
770
771	[[folder: Bru-Nack the Giant]]
772
773	* TheAlcoholic: Ever since the age of ''seven''; Lak gave him grog to treat the pain from his burns, and he got hooked.
774	* AnimalMotif: Whalesnakes; a large but gentle creature often mistaken for fierce.
775	* BeardOfSorrow: His beard in Part 5; it's dusty gray, unkempt, and harboring dandruff.
776	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Deconstructed; the giant sometimes performs feats of stregnth that prove you don't want to piss him off; but his stamina gives out very quickly and he always feels immense guilt.
777	* CelibateHero: He's only been significantly attracted to two people, [[HoYay Hek]] and Clemori. After the latter's death, he doesn't show any interest in sex or romance at all.
778	* CordonBleauChef: How Chomole sees his "anything edible can go in" rule for his stew.
779	* DisabledBadass: He's a burn victim with crippling gigantacism and only one ear; but he survives extremely harsh conditions and is capable of swift acts of retribution. At the very least, he's good at ''appearing'' badass.
780	* DrowningMySorrows: For most of his life, he drinks and eats hallucinogenic plants to keep bad memories and physical pain at bay. It becomes ten times worse after Clemori dies in childbirth.
781	* FunctionalAddict: Justified; due to his immense size, it takes a lot of ale to actually get him drunk. Though not for lack of trying. He chases any and every high he can find, but it rarely affects his ability to function in life.
782	* GeniusDitz: He's slow on the uptake and mispronounces words (also completely butchers the Goblin tongue), but he's a voracious reader with an encyclopedic knowledge of myth and culinary facts.
783	* GentleGiant: He never wants to hurt anybody, just tend his stew and help people.
784	* {{Gonk}}: Increasingly as he ages, depending on whose point of view he's being seen from.
785	* HeroicRedhead: When he was a child, he had bright orange hair. This extends to his beard, which later turns grey-and-white.
786	* HiddenDepths: In Lak and Chomole's POV chapters, he comes across as a moron; but in his own, it's shown that he thinks deeply about literature, religion, and ethics. He also picks up a little more on social cues than others expect, he's just slow on the uptake until after conversations are had.
787	* InnocentlyInsensitive: Part of why Chomole hates him is that he'll unintentionally insult him with his crude ways. His wife even chastises him for coldly refusing the stew to an orphan, based on the rules.
788	* InsufferableImbecile: How Chomole reads his [[{{Malaproper}} "Bru-Nackisms"]].
789	* LethalChef: Chomole thinks he's one, but nobody else seems to agree.
790	* {{Malaproper}}: Because he reads a lot but spent most of his childhood speaking broken Goblin, he mispronounces a lot of big words. Mosspelt and Chomole find it annoying, while his wife Clemori thinks his "Bru-Nackisms" are adorable.
791	* ManChild: Because of a mixture of traumatic events stunting his emotional growth and what's probably autism, he acts like a kid (albeit a PrecociousChild) well into adulthood. He struggles with understanding social nuances and reacts to hardships by shutting down.
792	* StoppedCaring: After Clemori's death, the only thing he doesn't have this attitude toward is his stew. He's completely forgone self-care and forming relationships beyond pleasantries.
793
794	!! The Eternal Stew
795
796	* CompanionCube: Bru-Nack treats it as a living thing he's responsible for caring for.
797	* DisneyDeath: Chomole poisons it with bloodfruit extract, but a splash of it got on the Acolyte's shirt beforehand and she's able to restore it.
798	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: It remains unknown if it's truly a stew heated in the hearth of gods at the dawn of creation; or if it's just a 20-year-old parlor trick. Bru-Nack ultimately decides it doesn't matter, ''he's'' going to treat it as sacred.
799	* ShipOfTheseus: Most likely does not have any of the ingredients it started out with.
800	* TragicKeepsake: Due to being constantly added to, it serves as one for multiple people; Bru-Nack joins it with the creek soup Hek cooked right before he died in battle (which also had greenspice from his parents' bushels), then later becomes the guardian of the whole pot when Petri dies. It's also the only thing he has from his role with the Yiroites.
801	* VagueAge: Due to the legend around it being difficult to prove or disprove; it may have been around since the dawn of time, or it may have just been thrown together by Petri before he met Bru-Nack.
802
803	[[/folder]]
804
805	[[folder: Chomole Orlock]]
806
807	* AnimalMotif: The riverrat; a solitary rodent obsessed with cleanliness.
808	* DeathSeeker: Bru-Nack speculates he may be one when he tries to pick a fight.
809	* EveryoneHasStandards: He hates Bru-Nack, but draws the line at potentially hurting his child.
810	* {{Foil}}: To Bru-Nack; a tidy, handsome young man concerned with appearances.
811	* FreudianExcuse: As the son of a baker, he had to act as a target for the peasants' discontentment in his hometown. This causes him to view lower classes as dim, crass, and cruel.
812	* FriendToAllLivingThings: Weirdly enough, his snobbery does not extend to animals or children. His best friend at the Inn of the Silver Coin is a [[TeamPet giant rat]].
813	* JadedWashout: Essentially the fantasy version of a guy who peaked in college.
814	* KickTheDog: Even after hearing Bru-Nack's life story and realizing he read him entirely wrong, he ''still'' poisons the stew.
815	* PrettyBoy: Described as pretty or handsome by multiple other characters.
816	* SitcomArchnemesis: A coworker variant; he and Bru-Nack do not see eye-to-eye, and he eventually poisons his stew.
817	* VillainProtagonist: His POV chapter places him at odds with the hero.
818
819	[[/folder]]
820
821	[[folder: Lak]]
822
823	* DefrostingIceQueen: It takes ''decades'', but she finally warms up to showing parental affection to her adoptive son by the end.
824	* ALighterShadeOfBlack: She leads a clan that raids and pillages [[CategoryTraitor from other goblins]], but she does so out of necessity, not cruelty; and while she's cold and insulting to Bru-Nack, she's his only surrogate parent who doesn't lie to him.
825	* ParentalSubstitute: As leader of the clan who takes in Bru-Nack, she reluctantly becomes his.
826
827	[[/folder]]
828
829	[[folder: Clemori]]
830
831	* AllWomenAreLustful: She plays this up to [[{{Troll}} mess with Bru-Nack]].
832	* DudeMagnet: Bru-Nack falls in love with her at first sight and Cahtan builds her up as something of a goddess in his stories.
833	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Subverted; if she were with any other male character, ''she'd'' be the tall one. But her husband is about two feet taller, and significantly wider as well.
834	* TheLeader: Though as a Yiroite she doesn't want to be considered one, it's clear she's the one coordinating her group.
835	* TheLostLenore: Her death sends Bru-Nack into a decade-long depression.
836	* StatuesqueStunner: About six feet tall, making her tower over her entire team until her [[GentileGiant husband]] joins the mix.
837	* {{Troll}}: Limited to light teasing rather than hurting feelings; but she enjoys seeing people flustered.
838	* UglyGuyHotWife: How Cahtan describes her relationship, anyway.
839
840	[[/folder]]
841
842	[[folder: Mosspelt Hollyclove]]
843
844	* TheCynic: Doesn't believe most people are smart or capable enough to handle the whole truth about anything.
845
846	[[/folder]]
847
848	[[folder: Cahtan]]
849
850	* ControlFreak: Has to monitor everything his followers do, no matter how arbitrary.
851	* SmallNameBigEgo: He believes himself to be the ultimate messenger of God, who will usher in a new age by overthrowing the current rule. In reality, he only has a hold on a few dozen people and hardly any of the great leaders know he exists.
852	* SmugSnake: He's not nearly as good at manipulation as he thinks he is. While those in his cult are under his charm, Clemori and co. don't for a second fall under his spell.
853

Context Characters / KingdomsDisdain