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Keep residents

     Charles Matthias 

First mention: Metamor Keep by Copernicus
First appearance & major appearance: Writer's Guild by Charles Matthias

Initially, Charles is a kind-hearted rat morph who led a writer's guild and avoided all violence. He turned out to be hiding a Dark Secret: he was a member of the Sondeckis, a secretive mage clan from the south who can channel tremendous physical force. Charles fled after their leader turned them into assassins, and took a vow of pacifism to avoid taking another life. But since the Keep has a rule that all able-bodied citizens must fight in its defense, Charles is forced to break that vow, eventually joining the Long Scouts to satisfy this requirement.

Being the central character of Metamor Keep's most prolific author, he is one of the main stars of the longest, and longest running, series of arcs to date.

  • Actual Pacifist: Starts out as one due to his refusal to fight. Despite this, many of his friends knew he was a capable fighter because he had manifested his powers in anger previously, crushing things easily that should have taken someone with far more power than he possessed.
  • Author Avatar: Charles was named after his writer, who even adopted his character's species as his fursona.
  • Freak Out: In "Attacking Cossack", as a direct result of breaking his vows.
  • Frequently-Broken Unbreakable Vow: He breaks his vow never to use Sondeck against another in an early story, and then breaks another vow never to kill as a direct consequence (he's conscripted into a patrol), and then breaks the first vow as a direct consequence of that.
  • Hand Blast: Sondecks possess the ability to project the force of a punch through the air for several feet. The simplest defense against it is simply by redirecting the force with a V gesture. This defense has both been used by and against Charles.
  • Martial Pacifist: What he becomes, after revoking his vows.
  • Heroic Vow: He made two after leaving the Sondecki: to never use his Sondeck against another person, and to never take another life.
  • Real Life Writes the Plot: Most of one of the earliest arcs involves this characters relationship and eventual marriage to a recently arrived woman who was also changed into a rat. Behind the scenes, the author was inserting his girlfriend into the story throughout this arc and reading the stories to her. While reading her the very touching scene near the end where his character finally proposes, the author took the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend as well. The two of them have been happily married ever since.
  • Religious Bruiser: He is one of the most devout Ecclesians in the cast, and he is still able to kick ass.
  • Reluctant Warrior: Was an Actual Pacifist for his first years at Metamor Keep. When he realizes that taking no action could kill the defenseless, he has to beg God to release him from his reckless vow.

     Misha Brightleaf 

First mention, appearance, & major appearance: Welcoming Committee by Chris O'Kane

A siege engineer from Marigund, who became a fox morph after the Battle of Three Gates, who then became one of the finest scouts in all of the Midlands. He is the leader of the Long Scouts, who make frequent trips into the Giantdowns to grief Nasoj and the Lutin tribes. His immediate family includes two of the most powerful wizards alive, and he himself has inherited his grandfather's axe, with powerful magic of its own. Thanks to his expertise with machinery, he rebuilt an ancient mechanical fox named Madog. He also became the first user of the taur form, especially after he learned to control it.

  • Ancestral Weapon: His great axe, Whisper, which actually dates back hundreds of years.
  • Creepy Souvenir: One of his most morbid habits is to collect the ears of the lutins he's killed, and string them into a necklace. This gives Misha the false reputation of being Ax-Crazy.
  • Gadgeteer Genius: Besides repairing a mechanical fox from scratch, he always makes very advanced clocks for their era.
  • Heroic Safe Mode: In response to the rape of his love interest, and the death of his best friend, he plans out a raid on a nearby lutin fortress, as coldly and as swiftly as revenge can be served. After the raid, he passes out for 3 whole days.

     Rickkter 

First mention, appearance, & major appearance: A Place Where There Is No Darkness by Chris Hoekstra

A Kankoran from the Southlands, a mercenary for the eastern kingdoms, a scholar of magical artifacts, a mage, a diplomat, a bounty hunter ... Rickkter has had many jobs in his life, and has succeeded at nearly everything he does. The reason he comes to Metamor Keep, however, is to search for a cure for his incurable illness. And he almost succeeds, but he falls victim to the curse first. Since then, he has taken up residence as both a mage who collects and studies every school of magic, and a warrior whose skill and cunning can outclass all but the best opponents.

  • The Ace: In his introduction story, he finds a way to outmatch every single character in the Keep at something. When Copernicus beats him at pool (because Copernicus always wins at pool), Rickkter switches to a different billiards game, where Copernicus's own skill is used against him.
  • Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: One of his few weaknesses is his lack of social graces and humility. He nearly gets killed by the Duke at their first meeting, after he is denied residence, and refuses to take "no" for an answer.
  • Combat Medic: Although not his specialty nor his focus, magical healing is one of his essential tools in the battlefield.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Has no qualms about making a dishonorable move in battle, if it is the difference between living and dying.
  • Emergency Transformation: Willingly took on the curse of Metamor to escape a terminal illness, though he spent his time before the curse set in searching the library for a different cure, which he found the day after turning into a raccoon.
  • Extended Disarming: In his first appearance, he is advised to enter the audience chamber unarmed. He proceeds to unload his throwing knives, his crossbow and bolts, his swords, his hidden daggers, his bow and arrows, another belt of knives...
  • The Gadfly: Towards Charles and Garigan. It's one of the few ways he can satisfy his rivalry against the Sondecki, short of actually fighting one.
  • Genius Bruiser: Before and after he arrives at the Keep, he's mainly known for his stealth and combat ability. It surprises nearly everyone just how well-read he is, not just for magic, but for poetry and literature.
  • Katanas Are Just Better: He wields a katana that has remained in near-perfect condition for 200 years.
  • Magic Knight: Uses both magic and melee as needed.
  • My Greatest Failure: He lost twelve of his best friends and his love Deanna to an arcane incident 10 years ago, something that was his own fault.
  • The Rival: To Charles, as Sondeckis and Kankorans are enemies by nature.
  • Walking Armory: Generally always carries a variety of long-range weapons and melee weapons (some of which may also be enchanted), and his trusty katana.

     Murikeer Khannas 

First mention, appearance, and major appearance: Warding the Watchwoods by Ryx

Murikeer was only 10 years old when the Battle of Three Gates hit. He paid little attention at the time, but 3 years later, the curse took effect, even though he was far to the south of the curse's range. His journey to the Keep was not pleasant; the Sathmorans hunted him to the mountains and beyond, forcing him to live as a hermit, having lost all trust in humanity. Another 3 years passed, and during a great adventure through the Giantdowns, he met a Long Scout, who reintroduced to him the idea of coming to the Keep.

Though younger than most of MK's heroes, and much more introverted, he stands out for his exceptional magic skill and knowledge. He becomes Rickkter's pupil, and one of the most promising new mages for the Keep.

  • The Hermit: He was on trying to get to Metamor, but the [hunters after his pelt] made him change his mind and stay hidden in the wild north. Even after arriving at the Keep, he's generally not good with people, and avoids crowds.
  • Master of Illusion: A heroic example. Illusion magic came naturally to Murikeer, but being hunted into the wild from all sides forced him to learn how to disguise himself and his home from enemies.
  • Photographic Memory: He can memorize entire runes with a single glance. This dramatically speeds up the time it takes to learn new runes.
  • Shrinking Violet: His bad experiences with humans have made him quite shy around them. His experiences with the humans of Metamor Keep don't endear him to them either.
  • Teen Genius: In his first stories, he's only 17 years old, yet he's already mastered the ancient advanced texts given to him by his teacher.

     George 

First mention: A Long Patrol by Chris O'Kane
First appearance: Live and Let Die by Chris Hoekstra
First major appearance: Clearing the Courtyard by Ryx

A jackal morph. Originally a wealthy retired bandit from Marigund, he was an old friend of Misha's. After the Battle, Misha asked George to lend his services to the Keep. George was hesitant at first, but the people of Metamor were so welcoming and accepting for someone of his background, he declared his loyalty to them, and now acts as Patrol Master of the Keep.

Largely a background character in early stories, he became more and more prominent (thanks to his closeness with Misha, and the popularity of the Long Scouts and patrols) until he is now practically the face of Metamor's military.

     Raven hin'Elric 

First mention, appearance & major appearance: Lightbringer by Raven Blackmane

A wolf morph and Metamor's high priestess of the Lothanasi faith.

  • Flat-Earth Atheist: She believes the "gods" that she regularly deals with are nothing more than super-powerful beings who trade a portion of their power for worship and other favors.
  • High Priestess
  • Religion is Magic: Draws upon the gods' mana for spells, can also summon them to request stronger favors.

     Pascal 

First mention & appearance: Metamor Keep by Copernicus
First major appearance: Alchemy by Pascal Q Porcupine

A porcupine morph who is also a male-to-female gendermorph, thanks to her being at the intersection of both curses when they were cast. She is the Keep's court alchemist, known for inventing many concoctions of Phlebotinum to help the Keep's heroes, and being one of the go-to's for magic expertise. Also, her fur color is dyed in purple and pink zebra-stripes.

  • Alchemy Is Magic: Some of her alchemy inventions are adhesives, dyes, resins, and pharmaceuticals, which are at least chemically possible ... and then you have her morph rings, living latex, dyes that drain hair color, and healing elixirs.
  • Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: As mentioned, purple and pink zebra-stripes. She's also fond of invoking this on other Keep residents.
  • Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: In the short-term, she does this when there's a project on her mind. Long-term, she's known to study subjects extensively, and then drop them within a month.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: She's weird, even by Metamor Keep standards, but her inventions always work.
  • Fun Personified: Bright and colorful? Flighty disposition? Crazy science experiments? Rarely used in serious story arcs? In one story, she even points out that her alchemy doesn't allow her to make magic, normal-looking dyes.
  • The Professor: Her well-rounded knowledge of both science and magic lets her occasionally provide both Expo Speak and Applied Phlebotinum to the protagonists.
  • Shameless Fanservice Girl: She prefers not wearing clothes. Sometimes she encourages other (always animal) morphs into nudity as well.

     Laracin 

First mention, appearance, & major appearance: A New Season by Dan D'Alimonte

A human who was turned into a tree at the Battle of Three Gates.

Non-Keep residents

     Nasoj 

First mention: Metamor Keep by Copernicus
First appearance & major appearance: Malvoisin by Wanderer

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