Line #246 Characters/TheDeathGateCycle


1	''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'' has a large cast, partially because all seven worlds are visited and re-visited over the course of the seven-book series. This is a list of some of the prominent characters.
2
3	[[WMG:The Patryn]]
4
5	'''Haplo'''
6
7	A "Runner" whose goal was to escape the Labyrinth (as opposed to "Squatters" who camp and continue the species), Haplo is one of the few to actually succeed. He is introduced as a VillainProtagonist doing reconaissance for Lord Xar, with the express mission of spreading chaos and discord throughout the four worlds so that Lord Xar can arrive as a savior later. Of course, then CharacterDevelopment happens, and Haplo begins to mature from TheDragon of the BigBad of a SealedEvilInACan organization into TheHero (well, an AntiHero at least) and force for peace. Haplo is quiet, unassuming and TheNondescript, aside from his {{Power Tattoo}}s and his ever-present CanineCompanion.
8
9	Haplo appears in all seven books.
10
11	* CanineCompanion: the dog
12	** DogsAreDumb (completely averted, as the dog is shown to be clever, perceptive and, essentially, the manifestation of Haplo's conscience)
13	** EvilDetectingDog
14	** NoNameGiven (referred to always as "the dog" or "Dog!")
15	** SoulJar: [[spoiler:remember how we said the dog was the manifestation of Haplo's conscience? We were being literal.)]]
16	** TrademarkFavoriteFood: Dog ''loves'' sausages.
17	* DeadpanSnarker
18	* DeusExitMachina: Haplo explicitly notes that he could solve all the problems of the first book in about two minutes--if he didn't have to worry about the Sartan blowing up the universe again if they caught wind of him.
19	* TheDragon
20	* InAnotherMansShoes (due to some weird phlebotinum with Death's Gate, Alfred and Haplo have to experience the worst moment in each other's lives. This is the beginning of Haplo's CharacterDevelopment, as he can no longer hate Alfred, or indeed any of the Sartan.)
21	* MeaningfulName ("Haplo", from haploid, meaning "half" or "single")
22	* MoralityPet (In a rather literal sense.)
23	* RebelRelaxation
24	* ScarsAreForever [[spoiler:(Sang-drax puts a scar across his "heart-rune")]]
25	* VillainProtagonist (at least in the beginning; evolves up to AntiHero)
26	* IWorkAlone (Haplo rarely refers to important people by name: Alfred is "You, Sartan!", Marit is "the woman", and his dog is "the dog". Alfred calls him on this at one point. This is reinforced by the fact that his name ''means'' "single, alone".)
27
28	'''Lord Xar'''
29
30	The leader of the Patryn, the first of them to escape the Labyrinth... and the only one of them with the testicular fortitude to voluntarily re-enter it. Which he does, on a daily basis, to help more of his people escape. Oh, and he's also an EvilOverlord who plans to TakeOverTheWorld (or rather, all seven worlds).
31
32	Xar appears in some form in all seven books.
33
34	* ActionSurvivor: The first known Patryn to have escaped the Labyrinth. But what cemented his status is what he did after his wounds healed - he became the first person ever to ''go back in'', so that he could help others escape.
35	* AmbiguouslyEvil: Whether he can be considered "evil" mostly boils down to whether one thinks the "save my people" part of his motivation trumps the "conquer the universe" part.
36	* AntiVillain: Xar is, by his own admission, a ruthless and often cruel man, but he's also deeply invested in the survival and wellbeing of his people, risking his life on a nearly daily basis on the chance he might be able to free Patryns from the Labyrinth.
37	* TheArchmage: Quite possibly the most powerful mortal wizard alive at the time of the novels; his only real competition is Samah [[spoiler: and Alfred]].
38	* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Patryns don't give their allegiance lightly; the fact that Xar made a career out of kicking the crap out of the Labyrinth was what won him the loyalty of most of his followers.
39	* BerserkButton: Anything and everything to do with the Labyrinth and his people's imprisonment therein; meeting Samah (the Labyrinth's creator) for the first time finds Xar nearly incoherent with sheer, spitting rage.
40	* BigBad: Initially appears to be the head villain. Things get more complicated when he ends up with Sang-drax and Kleitus, simultaneously manipulating and being manipulated by both of them, while also opposing the KnightTemplar Sartan (who are ''also'' being advised by the serpents, who play both sides). [[spoiler: In the end, even Xar is forced to admit that the serpents were the greatest threat, and he'd been playing into their, er, hands.]]
41	* BlackCloak: Xar always wears robes that are either all black or [[VillainInAWhiteSuit all white]], perhaps a nod to his rather extreme and harsh personality.
42	* TheChessmaster: Xar is very intelligent and has been building his plans for domination of the worlds for decades.
43	* DeadpanSnarker: When Kleitus informs Xar that he intends to murder him at the first opportunity, Xar dryly responds that it must be pleasant for the lazar to have a goal still. Apparently, Kleitus makes Xar nervous, and being nervous makes the Lord of the Nexus particularly snarky.
44	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: As he falls into Sang-drax's influence, he loses the ability to grasp that not all people are motivated by personal ambition, since the serpents want him to see everyone as potential rivals. [[spoiler: Haplo manages to snap him out of it]].
45	* EvilOverlord: He's undeniably an overlord; how evil he is varies depending on one's perception of him, but he starts falling into it more and more as Sang-drax gains greater influence over him.
46	* FatalFlaw: Pride (in his own power) and Wrath (against the Sartan) are his big ones.
47	* HeelRealization: [[spoiler: During his final confrontation with Haplo and Sang-drax, he finally realizes that he'd been had and was turning into the very thing he once fought against. RedemptionEqualsDeath quickly followed]].
48	* HumanNotepad: Being a Patryn, it goes without saying, but Xar has so many tattoos he's actually started ''tattooing over his tattoos''.
49	* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: He becomes increasingly tyrannical, brutal, and paranoid in the later books, largely due to Sang-drax's influence. [[spoiler: Haplo manages to recall him to himself just barely before he hits rock bottom]].
50	* LikeASonToMe: He calls all his followers "my son/daughter", but with Haplo, he ''really'' means it, explicitly musing that Haplo is closer to him than his own (long-dead) biological children. Though he's too proud and stoic to show it, it's clear that even when he thinks Haplo has betrayed him, having him killed breaks his heart.
51	* MagicKnight: To be expected of a Patryn; best illustrated by the beginning of ''The Hand of Chaos'' where he defeats a legion of [[FromASingleCell chaodyn]] through a combination of superior spellcasting and swordplay.
52	* MeaningfulName: Xar is speculated to have derived from the Russian "czar", which of course is itself derivative of "Caesar".
53	* MeaningfulRename: Xar himself has long since forgotten what his birth name was, thanks to having tattooed over his heart-rune, and since he's old enough to be the grandfather or possibly great-grandfather of every other Patryn character in the series, nobody else ever knew it.
54	* MirrorCharacter: To Samah, emphasized by Haplo and especially by [[spoiler: the vision of the Sundering that he, Haplo, and Alfred share, which casts each observer as the historical figure they most resemble. Xar, of course, gets cast in Samah's role]].
55	* MotiveDecay: At some point his motivation became more about acquiring power for himself than about saving his people, something he slowly realizes during ''The Seventh Gate''. "How did I end here, from where I began?"
56	* NotSoStoic: Around Sang-drax and Kleitus, two beings he doesn't understand and can't control, he finds himself in the uncomfortable position of being visibly nervous. He covers by being [[DeadpanSnarker very snarky to them]].
57	* OldMaster: He looks the part of the elderly mage, which means he is an immensely ''powerful'' mage and every bit as much of a MagicKnight as any of his followers.
58	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: In the end, he realizes that Haplo was telling him the truth all along and Sang-drax is his true enemy; he reverses the spell that would collapse the worlds together, but is killed by the serpent immediately for his trouble]].
59	* StrongerWithAge: It's explicitly stated that Sartan and Patryn magic strengthens as the wielder ages; Xar, who is both immensely old and incredibly powerful, is a walking testament to this fact.
60	* ThatManIsDead: Accidental self-inflicted example. Xar tattooed over his heart-rune with symbols of power, which had a side-effect of making him forget his real name. He has a brief moment of horror in the last book when he realizes that he can no longer remember the name of that young warrior who escaped the Labyrinth so long ago.
61	* VillainousValor: He's not the only Patryn who wants to save the rest of their people from the Labyrinth. He's just the only one who can bring himself to step back into that hell after having once escaped it. And it's not that the Labyrinth doesn't scare him as shitless as anyone else, he just forces himself to do it anyway.
62	* WellIntentionedExtremist: Xar ''will'' save his people from the Labyrinth and restore to them their birthright - that birthright being, unfortunately, as conquerors of the other races.
63	* WorldsStrongestMan: Well, strongest Patryn.
64
65	'''Marit'''
66
67	A Patryn woman whom Haplo loved. They were happy together in the Labyrinth for a short time, but then she left him. Haplo speculates that she was pregnant. [[spoiler:He was right. Later, after she too escapes, Xar brands Haplo a traitor and assigns her to kill him.]]
68
69	Marit appears in ''Elven Star'' (flashback only), ''Serpent Mage'' (flashback only), ''Into the Labyrinth'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.
70
71	* ActionGirl (all Patryn women are {{Action Girl}}s to a certain extent, because the Labyrinth kills everyone else, but it's Marit we spend the most time with)
72	** TheOneThatGotAway
73	** MySecretPregnancy
74	*** NewOldFlame
75	* MindlinkMates: Xar marries her for the resulting PsychicLink just before he sends her off to kill Haplo. She's not GenreSavvy enough to see this for what it is, and too deludedly loyal to Xar to care even if she did.
76	* TheReveal: that she is Haplo's former lover. Or that Haplo's former lover escaped the Labyrinth. Both characters are introduced separately and later revealed to be the same person.
77
78	'''Rue'''
79
80	[[spoiler:Haplo]] and [[spoiler:Marit's]] daughter.
81
82	May or may not have appeared in ''Into the Labyrinth'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.
83
84	* DisappearedDad / MissingMom: Never knowingly met her father, and her mother gave her over to be raised by Squatters shortly after her birth. This scenario is typical among the children of Runners; the fact that Haplo has any memory of his parents at all (they gave up their Run until he was old enough to keep up with them) is unusual among that sub-group.
85	* TheGhost: She never provably appears in the series. Her main impact on the story is the implication of her existence to her father and how it affects his relationship with her mother once he learns she exists at all. [[spoiler: Haplo's]] attempts to find her prove futile, as Rue is a ''very'' common name in the Labyrinth.
86	* HappilyAdopted: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, Haplo and Marit adopt numerous girls named Rue, whom they love equally. One of them theoretically could be their actual daughter.]]
87
88	'''Vasu'''
89
90	Headman of the city of Abri, the only permanent settlement in the Labyrinth. Partially descended from Sartan exiles banished to the Labyrinth for opposing the Sundering. [[spoiler:Becomes leader of the Patryns after Xar's death.]]
91
92	Appears in ''Into the Labyrinth'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.
93
94	[[WMG:The Sartan]]
95
96	'''Alfred'''
97
98	Alfred was but a young man when the Sartan on Arianus put themselves into stasis. He was an old man when he woke up. As the LastOfHisKind on Arianus, he went undercover, posing as a human and engaging in all sorts of shenanigans rather than use his enormous power: for instance, he faints when confronted with danger. He is also TheKlutz writ large. But then he meets Haplo and discovers that the Patryns, formerly SealedEvilInACan, have escaped. Then CharacterDevelopment, TeethClenchedTeamwork (on Haplo's part) and [[FriendlyEnemy Friendly Enemies]] (on Alfred's part) set in, and Alfred begins to come into his own as the other main character of the series... a clumsy, balding Sartan whose [[TookALevelInBadass Level in Badass]] is not [[SpannerInTheWorks because]] of his own cowardice, but [[CowardlyLion despite]] it.
99
100	Alfred appears in all novels of the series except the second one, though his appearance in the fifth is via FlashBack.
101
102	* ComesGreatResponsibility (Alfred is keenly aware of his station, the enormity of his powers, and the potential for a well-meaning NiceJobBreakingItHero. So he develops a defense in the form of...)
103	** ObfuscatingStupidity (instead of using magic, he just passes out in the face of danger. This happened so often that it reached the point of...)
104	*** BecomingTheMask (he practically lost the ability to do magic at all. More pertinently, he lost all confidence in himself.)
105	* CoverBlowingSuperpower: Due to the history of the Sartan he has to hide his powers lest he be exposed. Unfortunately, him healing both Bane and Hugh causes the former the figure Alfred's true heritage.
106	* CowardlyLion
107	* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass
108	* InAnotherMansShoes (Haplo relives the moment when Alfred woke up and discovered that he was the LastOfHisKind. Alfred relives the moment where Haplo's parents were killed saving him.)
109	* TheKlutz (a rare male example)
110	* LastOfHisKind: The only survivor of the Sartan on Arianus. [[spoiler:[[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne Making his birth name of "Coren", meaning "chosen" or "to choose" painfully ironic.]]]]
111	* MeaningfulName (his real name, [[spoiler:Coren]], which can mean either "[[spoiler:TheChosenOne"]] or "[[spoiler:[[ComesGreatResponsibility to choose]]]]". For those who are wondering, "Alfred" means "wise counsel" and/or "elf advisor". His assume surname, "Montbank", is derived from "mountebank", another word for a clown, which matches his clumsy persona.)
112	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: He healed Bane when the child was in critical condition after a crystalline tree fell on the boy in the hopes that there was some good in the child. This action however would only lead to more problems later down the line and Alfred laments just how much pain could have been avoided had he just let Bane die that day.
113	* PowerLevels (Sartan had a hierarchy of animal names to denote strength. Alfred rates the title "Serpent Mage", which was ''way'' up near the top.)
114	** VoluntaryShapeshifting [[spoiler:(his green-and-golden dragon alt-form)]]
115	* SquishyWizard (all Sartan are like this, but it's Alfred we spend the most time with. And he's ''extra''-squishy, even by Sartan standards.)
116
117	'''Samah'''
118
119	Samah is the leader of the Council of Seven. It was his idea to sunder the world. He is also charismatic, idealistic and just sympathetic enough to make you wonder.
120
121	Samah appears in ''Serpent Mage'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate'' (flashback only).
122
123	* AntiVillain
124	* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership
125	* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:After opening Death's Gate and allowing the dragon-snakes the free run of the place)]]
126	* JerkAss: Maybe he was supposed to be a wise and charismatic leader, but my ''god'' is he arrogant, unyielding and willfully blind!
127	* PetTheDog: Alfred notes that Samah has a genuine regard for knowledge and the truth- he may restrict access to it but will not destroy it, even if it might incriminate him.
128	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans
129	* WellIntentionedExtremist
130
131	[[WMG:Arianus, the World of Air]]
132
133	'''Hugh The Hand'''
134
135	A member of the Brotherhood of the Hand, ProfessionalKillers to the core, Hugh is hired to assassinate the crown prince of the Volkaran Isles, Prince Bane. He is hired to do so by... [[OffingTheOffspring Bane's father]], the King of the Volkaran Isles, King Stephen. HilarityEnsues, especially since Prince Bane's manservant, a butler named Alfred Montbank, chooses to tag along for the ride...
136
137	Hugh appears in ''Dragon Wing'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
138
139	* AntiHero: he and Haplo get along just fine
140	* BadassNormal: Hugh has no magical abilities, but is one of the deadliest warriors in Arianus, to the point of being able to kill the most powerful wizard in the World of Air.
141	* BastardBastard: Illegitimate nobility, the son of a petty noble who discarded his pregnant mistress and cared not for the resultant child. Also a professional killer, [[spoiler:who started his career with his father.]]
142	* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: He kills Sinistrad in single combat [[spoiler: but doing so costs him his life]].
143	* BoxedCrook: Saved from execution early in book one because King Stephen has need of an assassin.
144	* CallBack: Early in ''Dragon Wing'' when he thinks he's about to be executed, he remarks that his one regret in life is that he never killed a wizard. [[spoiler: At the end of the book, he dies killing a wizard]].
145	* DeadpanSnarker: Has his moments. His conversation with King Stephen is particularly snarky.
146	* DeathSeeker: After [[spoiler: dying in his first book and being resurrected by Alfred he really prefers the bliss of the afterlife.]] Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: Alfred brought him back with a spell that prevents him from ever staying dead]].
147	* DecoyProtagonist: Reading the series for the first time, you'd think Hugh is the hero of at least the first book, and technically he actually is. [[spoiler:Then [[AnyoneCanDie he dies in the climax]] of ''Dragon Wing'' and you realise you haven't seen the half of it yet.]]
148	* TheCynic: Hugh is an incredibly bitter, cynical man as of the beginning of ''Dragon Wing''. His later experiences [[spoiler: such as dying and coming back]] change him profoundly.
149	* FamedInStory: Elf or human, most everyone in the Mid Realm knows his reputation.
150	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: At the end of ''Dragon Wing'', he sacrifices himself to kill Sinistrad]]...
151	** BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: but is resurrected by a...]]
152	** PowerTattoo: [[spoiler: inscribed by Alfred...]]
153	** ResurrectiveImmortality: [[spoiler: which will also bring him back any time he dies again...]]
154	** ImmortalityHurts: [[spoiler: but results in a situation he is, to put it mildly, less than fond of]].
155	** BlessedWithSuck: [[spoiler:Also, now that he can't die, he can't kill. Makes him a damn poor assassin.)]]
156	* {{Jerkass}}: Initially. Later develops into more of a...
157	** JerkWithAHeartOfGold
158	* KarmicDeath: Providing these for those who escape justice is his specialty; he advertises himself as "the Hand of Retribution". He says it's just a means of attracting customers, but there may be a bit more to it...
159	* LoveRedeems: He falls hard for Iridal from pretty much the moment he sees her, and this ends up providing a good chunk of the impetus to finally take a stand.
160	* NobleDemon: Hugh may be a ruthless killer, but he's an honorable man in his own way.
161	* OrphansOrdeal: His mother died when he was a kid, and he never knew his father [[spoiler: until he later tracked him down and killed him]]. He was raised by the Kir, an order of spooky death-worshippers not exactly known for their overflowing compassion. Small wonder he grew up a bitter loner with a fixation on death.
162	* ProfessionalKillers: Considered the second greatest assassin in Arianus... and the first is past her prime.
163	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: Though Alfred doesn't let the "death" part stick]].
164	* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Killed his father for abandoning his mother.]]
165
166	'''Prince Bane'''
167
168	The adopted child of King Stephen and Queen Anne... If by "adopted" we mean "My extremely powerful wizard father stole their actual child and put me in his place instead, and I'm here to help him TakeOverTheWorld, and everyone knows it, and I don't even have to ''hide'' it because he gave me an OrphansPlotTrinket that lets me talk to him and also casts CharmPerson on anyone who sees me. Oh, and, I'm an EnfantTerrible and a BastardUnderstudy."
169
170	Bane appears in ''Dragon Wing'', ''Fire Sea'' (flashback only), and ''The Hand of Chaos''.
171
172	* AbusiveParents: his real dad, Sinistrad, uses him in his EvilPlan ''the day after he was born''.
173	* AffablyEvil: Bane is always cheerful and charming, even while poisoning people.
174	* AmbitionIsEvil: [[spoiler: ''"I will be king!"'']]
175	* BastardUnderstudy: To Sinistrad, who seemed himself rather ignorant of just how intelligent (and ruthless) the boy was. Later becomes this [[spoiler: to Xar himself, who sees through the human child easily but likes the kid's intelligence, ruthlessness and guts]].
176	* ChangelingFantasy: Though raised as the son of King Stephen and Queen Anne, he was really the offspring of the wizard Sinistrad. Of course, everyone ''knew'' this - they just couldn't do anything about it.
177	* CharmPerson: Sinistrad wrapped Bane in a powerful spell that compels anyone who sees him to adore and dote on him.
178	* ChildMage: Inherited his parents' magical ability, though he doesn't know many spells without Sinistrad to walk him through it.
179	* DeliberatelyCuteChild: Sinistrad's CharmPerson spell on him works on this principle.
180	* EnfantTerrible: What a charming, adorable, precocious little sociopath.
181	* TheEvilPrince: The fact that Bane qualifies for this trope at ''ten'' should tell you something about him.
182	* FreudianExcuse: Growing up in a loveless royal court with your only companion being the disembodied voice of an evil wizard would leave anyone a little twisted.
183	* GodGuise: Tries to pass himself off as a young god to the Gegs. Fails when it becomes apparent that even with Sinistrad's help, he just doesn't have the magical chops to fake it believably.
184	* ManipulativeBastard: Bane is ''very'' good at using peoples' emotions - particularly adults' instinctive desire to protect him - to make them do what he wants.
185	* OffingTheOffspring: King Stephen explains that Queen Anne is pregnant, so now that there's a ''real'' heir to the throne they can do away with the CreepyChild they got left with.
186	* SelfMadeOrphan: Tries (and fails) to kill [[spoiler: Sinistrad]] after realizing he has no intention of sharing power; later hires Hugh to kill his adoptive father and mother.
187	* TheSociopath: It's outright stated that "right" and "wrong" mean nothing to Bane, only "What do I want?" and "how do I get it?"
188	* SwitchedAtBirth: With Stephen and Anne's real son, who suffocated in the thin air of the High Realm not long after the switch.
189
190	'''Limbeck Bolttightener'''
191
192	A member of the "Gegs," dwarves who live on the continent of Drevlin and spend their entire lives in service of 1) an EternalEngine called the Kicksey-Winsey, and 2) the Welves, their gods. Limbeck is a CloudCuckooLander in that he is always asking "Why," and is convinced that these "Welves" are actually elves from the Tribus Kingdom. This is why the High Froman ("foreman", not [[Webcomic/{{Concerned}} anybody else]]) decides to execute him by throwing him off the edge. Limbeck falls to a low island where he comes across a man with glowing {{Power Tattoo}}s and a dog...
193
194	Limbeck appears in ''Dragon Wing'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
195
196	* AgentMulder: Limbeck desperately wants to believe that there is more to life than serving the Kicksey-winsey
197	** TheUnmaskedWorld: gets to see all the Mid and High Realms for himself
198	*** BreakTheCutie [[spoiler:later becomes a ruthless general]]
199	*** BewareTheNiceOnes: Limbeck is a gentle soul, but if you push him to the breaking point, he can literally change the world.
200	* NonActionGuy: Limbeck is no fighter, and is actually rather out of shape (unusual for a Geg).
201	* RebelLeader: Though he starts off an unusually ''nice'' one.
202	* RuleOfSymbolism: During his second appearance, he now has a pair of glasses that cause abominable headaches but allow him to see clearly. His wife Jarre comments that she liked the blind and idealistic version of him better.
203	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Embodied in a single character! He starts off massively idealistic, becomes completely cynical, and later [[spoiler:is jolted back to idealism]].
204	* WideEyedIdealist: Initially, he really doesn't understand why everyone can't just get along.
205
206	'''Sinistrad'''
207
208	Bane's father. A completely EvilSorcerer [[CardCarryingVillain and proud of it]], he concocts a plan to rule Arianus purely for his own gain, though he pitches himself to his fellow mysteriarchs (powerful human wizards) as a WellIntentionedExtremist trying to preserve their culture and prominence among the human kingdoms. Very clever, though not ''quite'' the MagnificentBastard he thinks he is, largely because of a need to see his enemies squirm and a complete disregard for all life that isn't him. [[spoiler: Both these traits come back to bite him hard in the end]].
209
210	Sinistrad appears in ''Dragon Wing''.
211
212	* TheArchmage: The mysteriarchs are the most powerful human wizards; Sinistrad is the most powerful mysteriarch. With the possible exception of the Kenkari keepers, he was almost certainly the most powerful mensch wizard on Arianus. Haplo's not that impressed with him, though.
213	* BaldOfEvil: He has no hair anywhere on his body; it's apparently a birth defect.
214	* CardCarryingVillain: The fact that he actually changed his name to Sinistrad in the first place indicates that he doesn't care about being seen as evil.
215	* TheChessmaster: He developed an elaborate long-term plan that, had it succeeded, would have resulted in the mysteriarchs - and by extension, Sinistrad himself - ruling Arianus.
216	* DarkIsEvil: From his deathly pallor to his black robes and skullcap, every inch of his aesthetic screams this.
217	* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler: He dies at the end of the first book, and later books show him for the small fish he really was.]]
218	* DomesticAbuse: After Bane's birth, he seemed to keep Iridal around mostly so he'd have a convenient target whenever he felt the urge to KickTheDog.
219	* DracoInLeatherPants: In-universe to Iridal when they were both young. She's largely wizened up by now, but he can still invoke it when he needs to control her.
220	* EvilSorcerer: A ruthless man singlemindedly dedicated to using his magic to acquire more and more power.
221	* InbredAndEvil: Like with so many other mysteriarchs he is a result of the endless inbreeding amongst his kin which is the most likely source of his lack of hair and is as unpleasant as they come.
222	* ManipulativeBastard: Played his fellow mysteriarchs for fools for more than ten years.
223	* MeaningfulName: "Sinistrad" is pretty obviously [[IncrediblyLamePun "sinister"]].
224	** MeaningfulRename: Deliberately changed his name to fit the persona he was crafting for himself- we never learn his real name.
225	* NecessarilyEvil: How he pitches himself to his fellow mysteriarchs.
226	* ObviouslyEvil: And will freely admit it.
227	* OffingTheOffspring: Tried to kill Bane after [[spoiler: he turned on him. "I can get more sons!" Iridal and Hugh stopped him from succeeding]].
228	* PetTheDog: Subverted. He seems at first to genuinely care about Bane, but even that's just part of the plan. Iridal is ''not'' happy when she finds out...
229	* ScaledUp: [[spoiler: A successful one! He didn't succeed in saving himself, as he'd already been fatally knifed before transforming, but he did manage to kill Hugh with this form before expiring.]]
230	* TheSociopath: Like father, like son.
231	* SorcerousOverlord: Already the ruler of the mysteriarchs. Had his eyes on rulership of Arianus as well.
232	* SquishyWizard: [[spoiler: Dies to Hugh's knife as easily as any other man.]]
233	* WillNotTellALie: Ask him up front and he'll freely admit what he's doing and why. This is not because of any sense of honesty on his part but because he loves it when his enemies know what he's planning, but are helpless to stop it. He ''will'' lie though if there's no other way to advance a scheme.
234
235	'''Lady Iridal'''
236
237	Sinistrad's wife and Bane's mother. Though a powerful mysteriarch in her own right, Sinistrad has used a combination of charisma and fear to keep her under control for years, and she is less a willing participant in his plots than just another pawn. [[spoiler: With Hugh's help she breaks free from Sinistrad's control and kills him, only to have Bane snatched away by Haplo. She devoted herself to searching for him, but finally was forced to admit that he was beyond saving and killed him herself to save King Stephen's life.]]
238
239	Iridal appears in ''Dragon Wing'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', and ''Into the Labyrinth''.
240
241	* BigDamnHeroes: Twice. First, saving Bane from Sinistrad in ''Dragon Wing'', and later [[spoiler: saving Stephen from Bane in ''Hand of Chaos'']].
242	* BrokenBird: Once an idealistic, good-natured young woman, years of living in Sinistrad's shadow ground her into the dirt. [[spoiler: In her appearances after he's dead, she seems to be putting herself back together again fairly well]].
243	* FatalFlaw: Iridal consistently believes that she can influence her family to be better people; unfortunately, [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter her husband and son are manipulative sociopaths]]. [[spoiler: Not to say she doesn't get over it]].
244	* KaleidoscopeEyes: Iridal's eyes constantly change colors, possibly a side-effect of her coming from a powerful wizard lineage.
245	* LoveMakesYouDumb: In her younger years she was madly in love with Sinistrad, and despite numerous warnings from so many people around her, including Sinistrad himself, she went ahead with marrying him, and went to regret it.
246	* MamaBear: One of the few things that can provoke a violent reaction from Iridal is to try and hurt Bane. [[spoiler: And when she realizes that Bane doesn't need to be protected from the world so much as the world needs to be protected from Bane, she takes it upon herself to ShootTheDog]].
247	* MysticalWhiteHair: This powerful wizardess has long, thick white hair.
248	* PrematurelyGreyHaired: The years stress she has endured in her marriage with Sinistrad turned her once red hair into a brilliant white.
249	* ShootTheDog: [[spoiler: Kills Bane herself rather than let him assassinate Stephen]].
250	* TheDogBitesBack: To Sinistrad; when he [[spoiler: tries to kill Bane, she immediately attacks ''him'', which in turn gives Hugh the opening he needs]].
251	* TeenPregnancy: She was a teenager when she married Sinistrad and had Bane (not that he seemed to have been much older); by the present of the story, she's still only 26.
252	* TookALevelInBadass: Being out from under Sinistrad's shadow did wonders for her- she comes off as ''far'' more formidable in ''Hand of Chaos'' than in ''Dragon Wing''.
253	* UnwittingPawn: Initially, she was Sinistrad's tool in birthing a child to act as his emissary to the Mid Realms. [[spoiler: Later on, Bane himself manipulates her to his advantage, but she's wizened up by now...]]
254	* WideEyedIdealist: As a young woman. The present Iridal in ''Hand of Chaos'' is more of a...
255	** KnightInSourArmor
256	* WizardDuel: Has a brief one against Sinistrad after [[spoiler: he tries to kill Bane. She loses, creates an opening for Hugh...]]
257
258
259	[[WMG:Pryan]]
260	'''Paithan Quindiniar'''
261
262	An elf trader, son of a CloudCuckooLander who wants to fly to the stars in a rocket, Paithan begins the story by trying to sell some elven weapons to the dwarves through human intermediaries. Then one of those humans tries to seduce him. Then the dwarf buyer informs them that his entire tribe has been wiped out by walking death giants called tytans. Then those tytans knock on the Quindiniar household's front door...
263
264	Paithan appears in ''Elven Star'' and ''Into the Labyrinth''.
265
266	* BookDumb (he's not stupid by any stretch- he just has a phenomenal lack of interest in organized scholarship)
267	* HandsomeLech
268	* InterspeciesRomance (with Rega)
269	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
270
271	'''Aleatha Quindiniar'''
272
273	Paithan's sister, a wealthy trollop known for using her fortune and beauty to get whatever she wants. Then the tytans show up...
274
275	Aleatha appears in ''Elven Star'' and ''Into the Labyrinth''.
276
277	* GoldDigger: Was planning to marry the powerful Lord Durndrun purely for the title and status it would bring her. This gets called off when her fiancee (And just about everyone else in Equilan) is killed by the tytans.
278	* InterspeciesRomance: With Roland
279
280	'''Roland and Rega Redleaf'''
281
282	The human intermediaries, Roland and Rega are brother and sister, but pretend to be married so that Rega can pretend to fall in love with Paithan so that Roland can pretend to be offended and the two of them can get a bigger share of the profit. ASimplePlan. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong?
283
284	Roland and Rega appear in ''Elven Star'' and ''Into the Labyrinth''.
285
286	* ActionGirl (Rega)
287	** FauxActionGirl (Rega is supposed to be very tough, but we don't get too many chances to see it. Probably justified, though, by the fact that she never winds up pitted against someone in her weight class- not much even the best human warrior can do against a tytan...)
288	* BrotherSisterTeam
289	* TheCon
290	* InterspeciesRomance (Rega with Paithan, Roland with Aleatha)
291	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold (both of them qualify, though Roland has more "jerk" and Rega has more "heart of gold".)
292
293	'''Drugar'''
294
295	A prince of the dwarven tribe, who is attempting to buy elven weapons to defend his people against the tytans. LastOfHisKind, now that his tribe's been wiped out.
296
297	Drugar appears in ''Elven Star'' and ''Into the Labyrinth''.
298
299	* AxCrazy (for about half of ''Elven Star'', due to grief and rage over the death of his people. He gets better before he kills anyone, though)
300	* HatesBeingNicknamed (don't call him "Blackbeard")
301	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething (he's a prince of his people, but dwarved royalty are expected to earn their keep and not put on airs)
302	* TheQuietOne
303	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds (see AxCrazy above)
304
305	'''Zifnab'''
306
307	An eccentric old man who claims to be a wizard. And Film/JamesBond. And/or [[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Dorothy Gale]]. And/or [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker]]. His pet dragon constantly has to keep him straightened out. He's probably insane. Or maybe it's just ObfuscatingStupidity... No, he's just insane. (No, seriously, he is. But when you find out ''why'' he's insane, you totally don't blame him.)
308
309	Zifnab appears in ''Elven Star'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
310
311	* BackFromTheDead: Another one of his eccentricities. He does a HeroicSacrifice ''twice'', to save the same characters each time. Both cases are almost immediately revealed to have been faked.
312	* BlatantLies: In ''Elven Star'', he insists that he's not a Sartan despite being able to effortlessly bypass Haplo's wards, a feat no mensch wizard would be capable of. Haplo doesn't buy it for a second, and in ''Hand of Chaos'' he finally admits that yes, he ''is'' a Sartan.
313	* BreakingTheFourthWall[=/=]NoFourthWall: ''Constantly''. Zifnab is wise enough - or insane enough - to seemingly be fully aware that he's a fictional character, and also aware of ''other'' fictional characters to boot.
314	* CloudCuckooLander: Zifnab speaks almost entirely in non-sequiturs and pop culture references none of the other characters can get. It's almost impossible to hold a coherent conversation with him even when he ''doesn't'' think he's James Bond.
315	* EccentricMentor: He's genuinely one of the oldest and wisest people in the Sundered Realms. Alas, he's also (almost) completely insane.
316	* {{Expy}}: of Fizban from the same authors' ''Dragonlance Chronicles''[[note]]in fact, he almost introduces himself as Fizban before changing his mind[[/note]] - though Zifnab may be even weirder, if possible.
317	* GoMadFromTheRevelation : [[spoiler: He is a Sartan who opposed the Sundering and stayed on Earth during TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, attempting without success to save the millions abandoned there.]]
318	** ActionSurvivor: [[spoiler:and if that wasn't enough, Samah then condemned him, along with all the other Sartan dissenters, to the Labyrinth. Zifnab is believed to have been the first to escape it - making him the '''only''' person to have traversed the Labyrinth from the First Gate to the Final Gate without external assistance - after which he wrote a huge collection of books for other escapees to educate themselves with. This library forms the foundation of Xar's knowledge base.)]]
319	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Zifnab stops goofing around and starts talking sense, for the love of the One, ''listen to him''.
320	* SmallNameBigEgo: At least as far as the people he interacts with are concerned, as despite his constant claims of being a powerful wizard, he almost never does anything to prove it. [[spoiler: Of course, as an immensely ancient and -when lucid - powerful Sartan and the actual first person to escape the Labyrinth, that sense of his own importance may not be so inflated...]]
321	* TheSlowPath: The Sundering was twelve (Sartan) generations ago. The Sartans of Chelestra (and Alfred, a generation or so later) spent most of that time in hibernation. Zifnab didn't.
322	* TimeAbyss: Zifnab is older than most civilizations' histories. Even for a Sartan, that's ''old''. And considering he was a contemporary of Samah's, he was presumably fairly old even ''before'' the Sundering.
323	* WizardClassic: A rather ragged version, admittedly, just like his inspiration Fizban.
324
325	'''Zifnab's Dragon'''
326
327	Zifnab's constant companion, a highly intelligent but bloodthirsty being kept in check only by a powerful spell that makes him think he's a butler. [[WalkingSpoiler Or is he...]]
328
329	The dragon appears in ''Elven Star'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
330
331	* ArchEnemy: [[spoiler: he and Sang-Drax appear to have a history, though it's not elaborated on]]
332	* BigGood: [[spoiler: As the apparent leader - or at least spokesman - of the Pryan dragons, he's the chief opposition to the Serpents]].
333	* BreakingTheFourthWall[=/=]NoFourthWall: though not quite as much as Zifnab, he'll get in a pop-culture related one-liner here and there. [[spoiler: Being a timeless cosmic being, he may well have been there for that pop culture]]
334	* DeadpanSnarker: The dragon often has the long-suffering air of someone forced to shepherd a bunch of unruly children, "his" wizard being foremost among them, and frequently makes dry remarks about the situation.
335	** ServileSnarker: in his "butler" persona
336	* HypercompetentSidekick: [[spoiler: From his and Zifnab's interactions, it's clear who's the brains of the operation, especially in later books]]
337	* NoNameGiven: He's only ever "the dragon" or "Zifnab's dragon".
338	* ObfuscatingStupidity: He pretends to be a bloodthirsty beast placed under a spell that compels him to act like a butler. [[spoiler: He's really an immensely ancient and wise embodiment of order]].
339	* OnlySaneMan: He's usually the voice of reason compared to Zifnab's lunacy.
340	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: He's a giant, wingless serpent from the depths of Pryan's jungle [[spoiler: and an ancient embodiment of peace and harmony]].
341
342
343	[[WMG:Abarrach]]
344
345	'''Jera'''
346
347	A minor noblewoman of the Sartan capitol city of Necropolis, and a necromancer in charge of maintaining the city's support staff of cadavers. She and her husband Jonathan are HappilyMarried. When Haplo is kidnapped by the Sartan king, Dynast Kleitus, the two of them volunteer to help Alfred rescue him. This is where things go OffTheRails: Jera is killed by a guard, and Jonathan, distraught, brings her back to life. But because he didn't wait the required three days for her soul to depart, she CameBackWrong: now she is a "lazar," eternally doomed to neither life nor death, and AxeCrazy with hatred for both...
348
349	Jera appears in ''Fire Sea''.
350
351	* AxeCrazy Now that she's a lazar.
352	* CameBackWrong Pretty much the poster girl in this series.
353	* HappilyMarried With Jonathan.
354	* {{Necromancer}}
355	* TheSmartGuy While alive
356	* TokenEvilTeammate Briefly after her transformation. She turns on the heroes as soon as she gets a good oppurtunity, though.
357	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Like all the lazar except for Jonathan and Kleitus.
358	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse It's specifically mentioned she remained a lazar at the end of book 3 however we never see her again.
359
360	'''Jonathan'''
361
362	A minor nobleman in the Sartan capitol city of Necropolis, and a necromancer in charge of maintaining the city's support staff of cadavers. He is HappilyMarried to Jera. After her messy resurrection, he joins Haplo and Alfred in their flight, eventually entering a room fraught with Abarrachi history, the "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Chamber of the Damned]]." Strangely, though, entering the chamber brings on a feeling of peace and contentment to the three. Jonathan is eventually turned into a lazar as well, but his adventures are not over...
363
364	Jonathan appears in ''Fire Sea'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
365
366	* TheAtoner For what he did to Jera.
367	* GeniusDitz In life- he's a very skilled necromancer, but is otherwise rather naive and absent minded. This changes following his religious experience.
368	* IncorruptiblePurePureness The only lazar to be at peace with himself, andâ€”more pertinentlyâ€”the only being, living or otherwise, who can undo a lazar and separate soul from corpse.
369	* {{Necromancer}}
370
371	'''Dynast Kleitus'''
372
373	The ruler of Necropolis, the last surviving city on Abarrach. As a ruler, he is AffablyEvil, offering his enemies drinks and polite gaming sessions, while on the side poisoning Haplo so that he can study the runes on the Patryn's body (keep in mind that the Sartan of Abarrach have lost much of their knowledge of magic, having had more important things to occupy themselves with; to them, Haplo and the power he brings might be the difference between life and extinction). When he gets turned into a lazar, though, he goes all EvilOverlord and manages to keep his rulership of Abarrach despite the lazar being AlwaysChaoticEvil in general. This tells you something about just how AxeCrazy Kleitus is.
374
375	Kleitus appears in ''Fire Sea'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
376
377	* AffablyEvil: While alive, Kleitus is a polite, cultured man who'll invite his enemies over for drinks and gaming, execute them out of hand when they become more valuable dead than alive, and calmly discuss the finer points of rune magic with Haplo while the Patryn is dying from the poison Kleitus himself gave him. As a lazar, he's at least capable of holding conversation without immediately murdering whoever he's talking to, which may not sound like much, but is really quite something when compared to [[AxCrazy the other lazar]].
378	* ArcVillain: Of ''Fire Sea''.
379	* AxCrazy: As a lazar, he's consumed with hatred for the living, but unlike most of the other lazar, he can make that hate work for him rather than being dominated by it.
380	* BigBadWannabe: He's not as powerful as Xar, but he's up there. His plans for the universe are almost as horrifying as the Serpents' (and may be ''worse'' depending on if you think "universe locked in a state of eternal chaos and misery" is better or worse than "universe of tormented undead ruled by Kleitus"). Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for everyone else) things in the last books never quite work out in his favor.
381	* BlackCloak: He wears heavy black robes (as a Sartan necromancer) with purple trim (because he's royalty).
382	* TheChessmaster: Kleitus is fond of strategy games, and is no slouch at applying that skill to his day-to-day life; he schemes rings around Haplo in ''Fire Sea'', and keeps plotting even after he's dead.
383	* DemotedToDragon: Xar manages to force him into servitude through a display of more powerful magic. Kleitus is [[TheStarscream less than enthused about this]].
384	* TheEmperor: His title as Dynast is equivalent to this; he's explicitly stated to outrank other monarchs such as kings and princes, something even his opponents admit.
385	* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Jera notes that, whatever his other failings, Kleitus was a dutiful son. Even in death, his mother remains housed in the palace[[note]]albeit under house arrest, as she never realized she was dead and was no longer wanted at official functions[[/note]] and is constantly attended by servants and necromancers courtesy of her son.
386	* EvilOverlord: As Dynast, he's the most powerful ruler on Abarrach. As lord of the lazar, he's one of the most dangerous rulers in the multiverse.
387	* EvilSorcerer: Really the only Sartan or Patryn who fits this trope. Even in life he was a power-hungry necromancer. In death, he's a power-hungry ''NighInvulnerable, OmnicidalManiac'' necromancer. [[SarcasmMode Fun guy]].
388	* EvilVersusEvil: He and the serpents despise each other, as their goals are mutually exclusive- they want to corrupt all life so they can feed on the ensuing chaos, while Kleitus just wants to kill everyone so he can rule an empire of the dead[[note]]Considering that the lazar are one of the only factions the serpents ''never'' try to get a TreacherousAdvisor installed in, the implication is that they can't feed on the undead, who are therefore useless to them[[/note]]. He also doesn't get along with Xar or the Patryns, being a (former) Sartan.
389	* ImplacableMan: As a lazar, he's functionally indestructible, as there's only one spell that can reliably kill him, and few Sartan are capable of casting it. He'll come back from anything less.
390	* LargeAndInCharge: Sartan on the whole tend to be either slender or pudgy and aren't all that physically imposing. Kleitus, on the other hand, is a tall and powerfully built man who looks the part of the ruler of his world.
391	* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Near the climax of ''Fire Sea'', one of the Kairn Telest Sartan shoots him dead center with an arrow while in the middle of a speech. Kleitus, not missing a beat, proceeds to rip the arrow out and start gesturing with it.
392	* {{Necromancer}}: One of the most powerful of the Abarrach Sartan, and they're a culture with "necromancer" as their [[PlanetOfHats hat]].
393	* ObfuscatingStupidity: He's noted to promote the perception of himself as a lighthearted gamester to distract his court from his true political acumen.
394	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: his first encounter with Xar- it's remarked on as having been a spectacular, albeit brief, battle, but it only gets referenced in passing and we never see it.
395	* OmnicidalManiac: It's explicitly stated that the lazar Kleitus's goal is to kill every living person on every world, then rule over a universe of the undead for all eternity. You can't say the man thinks small...
396	* OurLichesAreDifferent: As a lazar, he's an undead wizard of immense strength.
397	* SummonBiggerFish: [[spoiler: In ''Seventh Gate'', he's the "bigger fish" the Cursed Blade summons to combat Ramu and the Sartan]].
398	* TheStarscream: [[spoiler: He may be forced to serve Xar in ''Into the Labyrinth'', but that's not say he's fond of the arrangement, and outright states his intentions to kill Xar as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Xar, for his part, doesn't trust Kleitus as far as he can throw him, but keeps him around because he knows more about necromancy than anyone (and, admittedly, because he's close to impossible to kill).]]
399	* VoiceOfTheLegion: As a lazar, he speaks with the voice of his soul and the voice of his body slightly out of sync, producing this effect. Even Xar finds it unsettling.
400
401	'''Balthazar'''
402
403	The chancellor to a small tribe of Abarrach natives who, under the leadership of Prince Edmund, travel to Necropolis seeking sanctuary. A fair amount of the third book is narrated from his point of view. While he serves mostly as a viewpoint character in ''Fire Sea'', the narrative returns to Abarrach in Book Seven, where he comes into more prominence as the desperate-but-strong-willed, and ''very'' canny, leader of the remaining Abarrach population.
404
405	Balthazar appears in ''Fire Sea'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.
406
407	* ActionSurvivor
408	* AntiVillain (in ''Fire Sea'' he takes a somewhat antagonistic role despite having good motivations. He becomes a more purely heroic character in ''Seventh Gate'')
409	* EvilChancellor (subverted. He fits almost all the stereotypes, but is a good man who only wants the best for his people and his prince. To put it in his own words: "I am not an evil man. But I ''am'' a desperate one.")
410	* {{Necromancer}}
411
412	[[WMG:Chelestra]]
413
414	'''Grundle'''
415
416	A dwarf woman (yes, you heard that right) who is the princess of her tribe. Her two best friends are Alake, the princess of the human population, and Sabia, the princess of the elven tribe. All three races have worked together on a set of submarines called the Sun-Chasers, which are set to do just that: the seasun of Chelestra is migrating, and the mensch must follow it or freeze to death. But then the subs are destroyed by horrendous slimy serpents, who demand that the three princesses be sacrificed to them...
417
418	Grundle appears in ''Serpent Mage''.
419
420	* ActionGirl (all dwarven women on Chelestra are expected to be proficient in such activities as axe-throwing)
421	* {{Determinator}} (any time she makes up her mind to do something, it's next to impossible to get her to stop)
422	* PluckyGirl (keeps her head remarkably well, considering she's facing villains that are MadeOfEvil and makes every SpiderSense for miles start tingling)
423
424	'''Devon'''
425
426	A young elf prince who is betrothed to Sabia. He deliberately restrains her and goes to sacrifice himself in her place. Of course, the sub runs over Haplo as they travel, so things go OffTheRails from there, with the "dragon-snakes" swearing allegiance to Haplo. Haplo returns the trio of kids to their families, and helps the mensch plan the next leg in their migration: there is only one landmass in Chelestra that will remain unfrozen no matter where the sea-sun goes, but it is already populated by the Sartan...
427
428	Devon appears in ''Serpent Mage''.
429
430	* {{Crossdresser}} (his PaperThinDisguise)
431	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:(after he returns and finds out that Sabia was ''also'' DrivenToSuicide by the thought of living without her betrothed and best friends. Gets some CleanPrettyReliable from Haplo to straighten him out.]])
432	* NonActionGuy (the elves of Chelestra know the basics of how to use weapons, but since it's been generations since they actually went to war, this isn't good for much besides entertainment at parties and they know it)
433	* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage (he and Sabia were an arranged couple who were very much in love [[spoiler: so much so that she killed herself when she thought the serpents had him]])
434
435	'''Alake'''
436
437	The princess of the human kingdom of Phondra, she is another one of Grundle's childhood friends. She falls in love with Haplo shortly after meeting him.
438
439	Alake appears in ''Serpent Mage''.
440
441	* DiedInYourArmsTonight (Haplo's arms, after being mortally wounded by one of the dragon-snakes)
442
443	'''The Serpents'''
444
445	Called varyingly serpents (by the Sartan) and dragon-snakes (by the mensch), these creatures are literally evil incarnate, created by the hate and fear of the mortal soul and given physical form by the Sundering. Their power is absolute, matched within the series only by their cousins and opposites, the dragons of Pryan, but they are very cunning as well, using their shape-changing to appear in whatever form suits their current purposes. They're immortal themselves, but have a real fondness for the [[ColdBloodedTorture painful deaths]] of others, whether inflicted by themselves or a third party. Though only introduced in ''Serpent Mage'', they are the ultimate antagonists of the series.
446
447	The serpents appear in ''Serpent Mage'', ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'' and ''The Seventh Gate''.
448
449	* AlwaysChaoticEvil (for obvious reasons...)
450	* AsLongAsThereIsEvil
451	* BigBad
452	* ColdBloodedTorture (one of their favorite hobbies, alongisde emotional manipulation)
453	* EmotionBomb (they can create artificial terror-auras, though they seem to prefer natural fear when they can cause it)
454	* FightingAShadow (they can be killed, but it won't stick- and the reborn serpent will be twice as powerful as before)
455	* HiveMind (to an extent. They are united in purpose, but as avatars of chaos they will quarrel among themselves anyway, especially if a particularly powerful leader who was holding the others together is killed)
456	* OneWingedAngel (they tend to revert to their true forms in a fight)
457	** ScaledUp
458	* RealityWarper (their magic is powerful enough to qualify as this- what limitations it has are largely unknown)
459	* VoluntaryShapeshifting
460
461	'''Sang-Drax'''
462
463	A dragon-snake who begins working undercover in Arianus. While he is not the leader of the dragon-snakes in ''Serpent Mage'', he grows into that position in ''The Hand of Chaos'', and serves as TheRival and a RecurringBoss to Haplo.
464
465	Sang-drax appears in ''Serpent Mage'' (unnamed), ''The Hand of Chaos'', ''Into the Labyrinth'', and ''The Seventh Gate''.
466
467	* BigBad / TheDragon (Sang-drax is shown to be the chief enforcer of the dragon-snakes' rarely seen Royal One, but it's heavily implied that in some sense the dragon-snakes are all part of the same being.)
468	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Four or five times in as many minutes.
469	* TheCorrupter
470	* FauxAffablyEvil
471	* FightingAShadow (Haplo kills him at the climax of the sixth book. He's back and good as new in the seventh)
472	* MadeOfEvil (like all dragon-snakes)
473	* ManipulativeBastard
474	* MeaningfulName ("Sang-drax" being "snake-dragon" in Elvish)
475	* RedEyesTakeWarning
476	* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler:Haplo takes his eye]]
477	* VoluntaryShapeshifting
478

Context Characters / TheDeathGateCycle