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Northern Royalty

Line of King Bethod

King Bethod

A charismatic and ruthless leader. An excellent military tactician who intends to conquer Angland after he has defeated almost every clan in the North. He is Logen's bitter enemy after he betrayed him and his band of men. He has two sons, Calder and Scale.

Affably Evil: He's very charismatic as well as power-hungry. He also turns out to be less one-dimensionally megalomaniacal and more well-intentioned than he initially appears.
Arc Villain: He's the main antagonist for the story arc dealing with the Union's war against the Northmen.
Bad Boss: After a decade of using him to unify the North, he exiled Logen under pain of death. Of course, that's Logen's side of the story. According to Bethod, Logen's psychotic actions as the Bloody Nine kept forcing Bethod into situations where violence was the only option. The only reason he didn't kill Logen and his men is because Bayaz forced him to exile them instead.
Combat by Champion: Bethod conquered many tribes by having Logen fight as his champion. Logen won every single fight.
Combat Pragmatist: As a commander.
Logen: He delights in every trick of war - in setting traps and ambushes, in mounting feints and deceptions, in sending sudden raids against the unwary. Look for him where you expect him least, and expect him to be strongest where he seems the weakest. Beware him most of all when he seems to run.
Cool Crown: His golden crown is often commented on.
Create Your Own Villain: Bethod claims this is what Logen did - he was just one of many war chiefs originally, who hoped to gain a few victory's and then get good terms from his enemies, like everyone else did, so he could keep his home safe and give his sons a little more land. When Logen became his champion, he forced him into all out war by killing the men Bethod wanted to spare or ransom, leading to total war in the North, forcing Bethod to beat everyone or die.
Deal with the Devil: Made one with Bayaz, and a related one with the Shanka.
Defiant to the End: After Logen kills Bethod's champion, Fenris, and advances on him, Bethod doesn't cower or flee. He just keeps mocking Logen and calling him out of his own dark deeds. He keeps insulting him until Logen smashes his head in.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Calder thinks very highly of him in The Heroes, showing that, for all his villainous acts, Bethod really cared for his sons. He even says that one of his only goals in starting the war was to leave more behind for his sons than his own father left behind for him.
Evil Former Friend: To Logen, who served him for many years before being banished. Except then it turns out Logen is an Unreliable Narrator and according to Bethod, Logen's actions as the Bloody Nine are responsible for escalating the war until it reached the point of no return.
Genghis Gambit: His war against the Union is an attempt to strengthen his fragile hold over the North by uniting the recently conquered clans against a common enemy.
The Good King: The things he did for the North make him a legend by The Heroes.
Good Parent: Surprisingly, in later books he comes off as wanting only the best for his sons and doing his best to teach them how to rule.
Noble Savage: The image he attempts to cultivate.
Pragmatic Villainy: While Bethod was not opposed to murder, he also saw the power in mercy. When Calder murdered Forley the Weakest to make himself appear tough, Bethod merely saw the display as wasting an asset. Afterwards he cautioned Calder to appraise a thing's value before destroying it instead of smashing a thing because he can.
Repressive, but Efficient: Stories following his death say Bethod was the evilest bastard who ever set foot in the North, but that's only because people like simple stories of good and evil. Though he was a conqueror, Craw mentions how people don't remember the good Bethod did for the North, like building infrastructure, creating great walls, roads and bridges, and stopping the constant warring between the clans—albeit by waging war on the South.
The Strategist: He unified the North mostly by defeating all his enemies in battle, something he was very good at. Bethod is wildly regarded to be one of the greatest military minds alive, and a severe threat to the Union.
Tragic Villain: The reason Bethod said he had to conquer the North in the first place was because Logen's psychotic episodes as the Bloody-Nine caused so much bloodshed against Bethod's wishes, that he was essentially backed into a corner and had to start a war.
We Used to Be Friends: He and Logen were once friends before becoming bitter enemies. Logen even comments that you can't truly hate a person unless you've loved them once, and he did once love Bethod.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: One interpretation of his actions in conquering the north. He started off by defeating the local clans to stop the bigger ones from squeezing his own. His success grew to the point where he defeated and united almost all the clans, and started to focus on infrastructure to improve the North. His war against the Union is partly to gain territory, but also to strengthen his hold over the North by setting his new subjects against a common enemy.

Scale

King Scale Ironhand

Bayaz: "Brave as a bull, strong as a bull, thick as a bull's arse."

Bethod's older son and heir to the Northern Throne. At least he was until Black Dow became ruler by betraying Logen Ninefingers. As of the end of The Heroes, Scale has become King of the Northmen.

Adipose Rex: Thanks to the loss of his hand, Scale as gone to siege as King of the Northmen, transforming from a mountain of muscle to a mountain of blubber.
The Alcoholic: Frequently seen drinking during his time as king.
An Arm and a Leg: He loses a hand to Bremer dan Gorst in their duel. He gets it replaced with an iron prosthesis earning the nickname Scale Ironhand.
Awesome, but Impractical: He wears a horned helmet into battle. In their fight, Gorst grabs a hold of one of the horns and hammers its impracticality into Scale's head. Literally.
The Berserker: He goes into a blood rage
Big Brother Instinct: In spite of having nothing in common with his witty, wimpy half-brother Calder, he loves him and protects him from his own sharp tongue.
Big Brother Mentor: Tries to be this to Calder, but Calder's twice as smart as he is. His presence does dissuade people from just killing Calder, though.
Blood Knight: Scale absolutely loves fighting and war.
The Brute: Not a bad guy, really, but only understands solving things through violence.
Co-Dragons: He and his brother Calder act as this to their father during The First Law trilogy, serving as the brawn and brains respectively.
Cool Uncle: He acts this way to his nephew and heir, Stour Nightfall, whom he dotes on. This is likely because he has no children of his own, coupled with the fact that the two have a lot in common, particularly during Scale's younger days. Stour even gets along better with Scale more than he does his own father. Not that this stops Stour from killing him to be king all the sooner.
Dual Wielding: Sword and mace combo.
Dumb Muscle: Played so very straight. He's brawny, mean, and prefers to solve his problems through violence, but he's not intelligent, especially when compared to his more calculating little brother.
Dragon Ascendant: He goes from one of his father's Co-Dragons who survives the original trilogy and then, after a brief period of serving Black Dow, takes up his father's mantle as King of the North. Though his younger brother Calder ends up being The Man Behind the Man for him, so it's arguably a rare case of Co-Dragons Ascendant.
Enemy Mine: He and Calder team up with Black Dow to make one last attempt on Logen's life in Last Argument of Kings. They fail, and afterwards both end up subservient to Black Dow, who surpasses them as ruler.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Though he doesn't agree with some of Calder's ideas and wishes he was a warrior, Scale really does love his little brother. His first instinct on hearing he was nearly assassinated is to try to kill the man believed to be responsible, even though it would just get them both into trouble.
Frontline General: One of the reasons why Scale is so well-liked by his men is because he fights with them in battles. This seems to be a prerequisite for any Northerner who wants respect. His near death at the hands of Bremer dan Gorst is evidence why this isn't always a good decision.
Glory Days: His time as King is mostly spent reminiscing on his past exploits and reveling in the tales of his nephew, Stour Nightfall, who greatly resembles him in his youth.
Graceful Loser: At the end of A Little Hatred, Scale takes the loss of his war against the Union remarkably rather well considering that he was on the verge of winning and only lost because Stour challenged Leo dan Brock to a duel in the circle, only gently chastising Stour for the failure.
Hot-Blooded: Scale is a very passionate individual, and he's quick to anger and action without cooler heads to reign him in.
Killed Mid-Sentence: Stour shoves a knife in his throat without warning right in the middle of their conversation.
Not Quite Dead: Loses his hand and is captured by the Union, but Bayaz returns him to Calder at the end of The Heroes.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The impulsive, violent Red to Calder's scheming, cowardly Blue.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Scale and Calder flee after Logen kills Bethod. They later return, having teamed up with Black Dow for one last chance at Logen.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Scale is an unintelligent brute who prefers to settle his problems through violence. Calder is a scheming snake who is terrified of the mere thought of fighting.
Puppet King: Even though Calder ultimately decides he loves his brother too much to assassinate and usurp him, the end of The Heroes implies that Scale is more of a puppet that Calder rules through. This is confirmed in A Little Hatred where it's an open secret that Calder is the real ruler, with even Scale good-naturedly acknowledging it.
Warrior Prince: He's heir to the Northern throne and a skilled fighter who's earned the admiration and respect of his men through battle.
You Shall Not Pass!: Does this at the old bridge. Thanks to Bremer dan Gorst, it doesn't work. He is revealed to have survived though.

Calder*

Prince "Black" Calder

POV: The Heroes

Dogman: "Bethod's youngest son. And a snake."

Bethod's younger son, a charmer and schemer among the straightforward warriors of the North. Introduced in The First Law, he becomes a POV character in The Heroes.

All for Nothing: He spent years trying to achieve his deceased father's ambition for the North by waging another war against the Union. By the end of the book, all of his ambitions have fallen apart thanks to his son challenging Leo dan Brock to the Circle and losing.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: With his wife Sef, and occasionally comes through in interactions with his older brother Scale. In the end, played straight as he loves Scale too much to assassinate and usurp him, instead giving Scale rulership of the North.
Best Served Cold: After he figures out that his father-in-law, Caul Reachey, was the one behind the assassination attempt on him, he waits until after his son is born before having Reachey poisoned, framing another enemy for the deed.
Blue Oni, Red Oni: With Scale. Calder's the scheming blue, to his brother's impulsive, violent red.
The Casanova: His love for his wife is enough to make him swear off other women. Well, almost enough.
The Chessmaster: He spends most of The Heroes trying to scheme and manipulate his way into gaining control of the North from Black Dow. By the end, his plans bare fruit, though only after one incredibly lucky break saves his life.
Co-Dragons: Calder and Scale serve as this to their father during The First Law trilogy, being the brains and brawn respectively.
Curb-Stomp Battle Though Calder challenges Dow to a duel to the death, it's only to buy himself more time, as he doesn't believe he has a chance against him. Sure enough, he's right, and Black Dow spends their "duel" beating the living crap out of him.
Deadpan Snarker: His contempt for his fellow Northerners mentality combined with his quick wit leads to Calder getting some great zingers. Even some of his enemies can't help but laugh at them.
Dirty Coward: By his own admission, Calder takes every opportunity he can to avoid fighting, especially in battles. When he finds out his brother needs him and his men as a reserve, Calder is too cowardly to help, and is horrified when it seemingly leads to Scale's death.
Dragon Ascendant: Calder goes from one of his father's Co-Dragons to The Man Behind the Man to his older brother, King Scale, arguably making them a rare case of Co-Dragons Ascendant.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
- Calder is deeply in love with his wife, Seff, to the point where he swears off other women for her... mostly. Though she's long dead by the time of A Little Hatred, Calder never remarried and says the reason why he could never discipline their son is because she saw too much of her in his face.
- For all of Stour's crimes and blunders, Calder loves him all the same. In The Wisdom of Crowds he's horrified at his son's crippling and when Rikke kills Stour in front of him after pretending to be merciful, Calder tells his warriors to kill everyone in Carleon. It's also all but stated that he loves his younger son as well, even if he does keep his existence secret.
- Calder loved and respected his father, whose advice he frequently remembers long after his death.
- He shows care for his Honorary Uncle, Curnden Craw, even after the latter sells him out to Black Dow, mostly because he respects Craw as being a "straight-edge" and sticking to his principles. In contrast, he assassinates his father-in-law for also selling him out because he'd merely been pretending to be a "straight-edge."
- He also loves his older brother, Scale, even though he also resents him for his brutish nature and for standing in line for the throne. However, by the end of The Heroes, he proves his love for him when he refuses to kill and usurp his weakened brother, willingly giving up the throne he always wanted. And he's horrified when Stour murders him at the end of A Little Hatred.
Evil Is Petty: Even after remembering his father's words that mercy can be power, and reflecting on what a mistake it was to execute Forley the Weakest to make himself seem strong, he still decides to order a kid who played a small role in an assassination attempt on him killed because of some minor pain he got as a result.
The Evil Prince: He's Bethod's second son, a scheming snake of a man, and is deeply resentful of Scale, a brute, being next in line for the throne even though he views himself as more deserving. Subverted when he willingly gives up a chance at the throne rather than murder his brother.
Face Death with Dignity: With his forces beaten by Rikke, he calmly accepts his death and even manages a smile when he realizes Rikke doesn't know everything because she doesn't known about his younger son.
The Friend Nobody Likes: It seems that no one in the North, other than his wife and brother, respects him, because his cowardly, scheming ways are completely antithetical to the Proud Warrior Race Guy mindset of most Northerners.
Go Out with a Smile: Just before his death, he smiles when he realizes that Rikke doesn't know he has another son.
Graceful Loser: Calder accepts his defeat at the hands of Rikke calmly and gracefully, even knowing it means his death.
Happily Married: Calder and his wife, Seff, are completely head over heels in love with each other.
Hot Guy, Ugly Wife: Not ugly per se, but Sef's most mentioned physical trait is her pig nose.
I Have Your Wife: Black Dow is holding Calder's wife, Seff, hostage to ensure Calder—as well as Seff's father—don't try to betray him.
Like Father, Like Son: Part of his bitterness over not being heir to the throne is that Calder believes he's more like his father than Scale is. Whether that's completely true is up for debate, but he's certainly as cunning and ruthless as his father.
The Lost Lenore: Calder remains in mourning for the death of his wife, Seff. Even a decade later he still expresses devotion to her and never remarried.
The Man in Front of the Man: He ends up as this to Scale after the latter becomes king.
Manipulative Bastard: Dead set on reclaiming his father's throne from Black Dow.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Doesn't start with one, since he's never earned it. Then after he defeats Black Dow in the circle (with a little help), people start calling him Black Calder.
Non-Action Guy: He's completely useless in a fight. Even when he does have to fight in an actual battle, his sword is completely unbloodied.
No-Respect Guy: Calder is a very competent schemer and actually raises some decent points about why Black Dow should sue for peace, but his lack of bravery or combat experience means everyone just thinks of Calder as a cowardly weakling not worth listening to.
Older and Wiser: By the time of A Little Hatred, Calder has completely shrugged off his old, arrogant demeanor and become a much more subtle in his scheming.
Overshadowed by Awesome: Calder's own positive, scheming qualities are overshadowed by his older brother's strength and martial prowess.
Papa Wolf: Stour's crippling and capture just inspires Calder to mount as big an army he can to go to Carleon to rescue him. When Rikke kills Stour in front of him, Calder orders his men to kill everyone in Carleon. When he sees he's going to lose the battle and has been lured into a trap, he orders Downside to kill Clover for betraying his son in the first place, saying he'd been planning to do it after his victory.
Perfectly Arranged Marriage: At first he was offended that his father forced him to marry a woman he considered unattractive. After they married, however, Calder grew to truly care for her, to the point that he's so in love with her, he's almost completely sworn off other women... almost.
Plagued by Nightmares: Ever since Calder had Forley the Weakest murdered, he's had nightmares of the event, regretting his decision to kill a good person just to make himself appear strong.
Puppet King: Bayaz plans on using him as one after he becomes King of the Northmen at the end of The Heroes. Instead, Calder decides to pass over the crown to Scale and Scale becomes one to Calder and, through him, Bayaz. Calder being the real power behind the throne is an open-secret to everyone by the time of A Little Hatred.
Rage Breaking Point: After Scale's apparent death, Calder's response is uncharacteristically hot-headed.
Rejected Apology: He tells the Dogman that he hasn't gone a day without regretting ordering Forley the Weakest's execution. The Dogman responds by threatening to murder him if he ever comes into the Dogman's territory.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Scale and Calder flee after Logen kills Bethod. They later return, having teamed up with Black Dow for one last chance at Logen.
Shut Up, Hannibal!/Shut Up, Kirk!: Depending on your perspective, delivers a pretty awesome one to Black Dow, so much so that many of the people there to watch Dow butcher him start laughing.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Scale is an unintelligent brute who prefers to settle his problems through violence. Calder is a scheming snake who is terrified of the mere thought of fighting.
Sleazy Politician: He definitely has the personality of an ambitious, back-stabber who's trying to scheme his way into power. This reputation does him no favors in the martial-focused North.
Smug Smiler: His arrogant smirk is noted to be one of his most defining characteristics. His POV shows that it's a defense mechanism, and he tries to wear that smirk like armor.
Smug Snake: In the original trilogy he certainly fits the mold as a scheming, ambitious, arrogant man. However, it becomes zig-zagged throughout The Heroes. Calder repeatedly schemes himself into a corner and wriggles out in unexpected ways, and displays far more charismatic and humanizing qualities than he previously did. He reverts to his arrogant snake personality when it appears he'll be ruler of the North, but then Bayaz puts him in his place by forcing Calder to be his puppet. Then he escapes that through brotherly love. As of A Little Hatred he's escaped this trope entirely after becoming Older and Wiser.
Too Clever by Half: While Calder is a very smart individual, but he's not quite smart enough to ever get ahead. In fact his scheming usually gets him into big trouble that he's forced to talk his way out of.
The Unfavorite: Calder believes Scale was favored more by his father than him.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Calder's narration reveals he really wanted his father's approval. In fact, one of the reasons why he killed Forley the Weakest was a failed attempt to gain his dad's respect.
Would Hurt a Child: Orders the death of a kid who was involved in an assassination attempt on him. Notably, the kid didn't actually try to kill him, he just minded the others' horses, and while Calder recognizes there's probably nothing to gain from the act, he orders it anyway out of wounded pride.

Stour Nightfall

"Folk say a lot o' things about my grandfather, Bethod this and Bethod that, but I never even met the bastard. I got my own dreams to think about."

The only son of Black Calder and Seff, nephew to King Scale Ironhand, and heir to the kingdom of the Northmen. Nicknamed the Great Wolf for his prowess in battle, he's helping his father and uncle in waging another war against the Union to seize the Dogman's Protectorate. His prowess as a warrior is matched only by his bloodlust and desire for glory.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: When he goes into the Circle with Leo dan Brock, he's so cocky that even when he's the one allowed to choose which weapon the combatants use, he doesn't care and says his opponent can pick. The ensuing duel proves his confidence was wellfounded as he spends the entirety of it wiping the floor with his opponent with minimal effort.
Ax-Crazy: In addition to being a ruthless war criminal, Clover and Wonderful worry Stour might be actually insane after he details his plan for Rikke. He plans on putting her on display where the Dogman's forces can see her then having her gang-raped by his soldiers, horses and possibly a pig, before cutting the bloody cross into her and sending her guts in a box to her father scented with herbs so he won't know what's inside until he opens it.
Blood Knight: Stour truly is a masterful fighter and loves fighting like the warriors of legend, whether on the battlefield or in the Circle.
Break the Haughty: By the end of The Trouble with Peace, he goes from a smug, bloodthirsty king to an impotent prisoner begging for his life. His forces have been decimated at Stoffenbeck, Carleon has been stolen by Rikke, and Jonas Clover hands him over to his numerous enemies who then slit the tendons behind his knees and haul him away to the very cage where Stour stored his own prisoners.
Defeat Means Friendship: After defeating him in the Circle and sparing his life, Leo tries to invoke this on Stour, reminding him this was how Logen Ninefingers, whom they both admire, won those he bested over to his side. This and a few other arguments end up convincing Stour to be "friends" with Leo. It's then deconstructed when Stour proves himself to still be an utter sociopath who still plans on seizing the Dogman's Protectorate someday, he's just waiting for Leo's strength to wane. When Leo tries to invoke the "friendship" for a later cause, Stour flatly tells him he won't do anything for nothing.
The Dragon: He acts as one to his uncle and his father both in their third war against the Union.
- Dragon-in-Chief: Though he's not a match for his father's intelligence, at the time of the story, he's leagues more dangerous as a warrior than his uncle.
The Evil Prince: Averted. His uncle, the King of the Northmen, is one of the only people Stour is shown getting along with. This is most likely because, not only has Scale already named Stour his heir, but the two of them are much alike, reveling in tales of past glories, and preferring simple combat to intricate schemes. Then unfortunately played straight at the end of A Little Hatred when Stour's near-death experience has taught him life is too short to wait for his moment and he just murders his uncle to become King.
Fatal Flaw: Pride. He could've killed Leo a dozen times over in the Circle but spent most of it just toying with him. By the time he's ready to deliver the killing blow, enough time has passed for Rikke to use her Long Eye to cry out a warning that ends the duel in Leo's favor. Stour only survives because Leo shows mercy and, surprisingly, Stour learns from this encounter.
Frontline General: Ruthless bastard or not, no one can fault his bravery. He goes where the fighting is because that's where the glory's earned.
Glory Hound: Stour doesn't just want to win the war against the Union, he wants to become a Living Legend in the process. He loves hearing tales about his past victories and wants knew songs to be sung of him the same way Northmen sing of Shama Heartless, Whirrun of Bligh and the Bloody-Nine.
Hate Sink: He has his father and uncle's vices with none of their virtues and proves to be a vicious, unlikable bastard even by Northern standards. It almost seems to be lampshaded by Rikke, who loathes him after overhearing him plotting her horrific death, but speculated that when she saw him in person she'd see he's just another human being with his own loves and redeeming aspects. Instead she sees the same strutting jackass he's always been.
Impromptu Tracheotomy: Rikke kills Stour by stabbing him in the throat in front of his father after pretending to show mercy. He manages to get out a mangled, "Bitch," before she pushes him off Carleon's walls.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Lampshaded by Clover. Stour has a peasant woman who might have the Long Eye brought to him because he wants to weaponize magic. When the woman cries and begs for her life, Stour actually seems upset that she thinks he's a monster who kills people for no reason. He ends up giving her a coin and tells her to come back if she has another vision, and the entire time Clover winces, expecting Stour to run up and knife her out of sheer meanness. Before Clover can find out if his prediction will come true, a messenger for Stour arrives.
Jerkass: Most of his interactions with other people amount to belittling them and treating them with utter contempt. Even his own father isn't spared his scorn.
Like Father, Unlike Son: Instead of being strategically minded and cunning like his father, Black Calder, Stour is much more like his uncle, Scale, a warrior who enjoys fighting in the battlefield in search of glory.
Master Swordsman: Stour is a prodigy with a sword and just a few minutes into his duel against Leo dan Brock is enough time for everyone present to know that, despite the latter's skill, Stour is the far more capable swordsman of the two.
Mirror Character: He and Leo dan Brock share a lot of similarities. Both identify as warriors rather than soldiers, both are self-centered and hungry for personal glory, both prefer to fight openly rather than listen to the strategic advice of their much more competent single parent, whom they chafe under. Highlighting their similarities is one of the ways Leo sways Stour to ally with him rather than remain enemies.
Rape, Pillage, and Burn: His Establishing Character Moment is razing a village by personally going from house-to-house to burn it down. Afterwards he says he wants to burn a few more before dinner.
Red Baron: Due to his exploits, Stour has garnered the nickname "The Great Wolf" and has made a wolf his personal standard.
Red Right Hand: His eyes are described as constantly watering. Clover speculates they're "tears of acid contempt" for everyone around him.
Royal Brat: Calder partially believes the reason why Stour turned out the way he did is because Calder never disciplined him after the death of his beloved wife, since he saw too much of Seff in Stour's face. The end result is a spoiled sociopath who's heir to the Northmen Kingdom.
Smug Snake: He's really good at killing people, but other than that he's spoiled brat who thinks he's ten times more awesome than he really is and who goes out of his way to be unnecessarily horrible to absolutely everyone.
The Sociopath: Stour partakes in acts of excessive cruelty on a whim without thought to their long-term consequences, shows no remorse for any of his crimes, displays no real love or loyalty for friends and family, and only cares about himself and glorifying his own massive ego. The only times he shows respect to another person, it's to his uncle Scale, whom he's very similar to. But even then Stour ends up murdering him without batting an eye to become King of the Northmen.
Soldier vs. Warrior: Stour falls firmly on the "Warrior" side, fighting for the thrill of it as well as his own personal glory.
Stupid Evil: After his father spent years plotting the conquest of Uffrith, Stour burns it to the ground for no reason. He later intends to have Rikke raped then tortured to death rather than use her as a valuable hostage, and takes his time slowly bleeding Leo dan Brock in the Circle rather than killing him outright. Clearly he never took his grandfather and father's lessons of not breaking something just because he can.

Other Northern Royals

Logen Ninefingers

See Logen's Band

Black Dow

"This ain't for you, to kill a man tied up. It's for work like this, you bring along a man like me."

A sharp-tongued member of Logen's band who is famed for his ruthlessness. By the end of the trilogy he works is way to becoming King of the Northmen, or Protector of the North as he calls himself.

Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Becomes King of the Northmen after the trilogy.
At Least I Admit It: He despises people who pretend that they're the good guys despite being ruthless killers. This is also large part of his justification for trying to assassinate Logen.
Axe-Crazy: Has this reputation, though The Heroes implies that he's actually quite calculated.
Bad Boss: Zigzagged in The Heroes. He can be perfectly affable to his subordinates if he deems them worthy of his respect, but behaves like a total jerk to everyone else. His constant mistreatment of Shivers has fatal consequences for him.
Blood Knight: There's nothing that Dow enjoys more than killing. In The Heroes, he jumps at the chance of fighting on the frontlines again after years of inactivity.
Bodyguard Betrayal: He betrays Logen at the end of the original trilogy, and, in The Heroes, is betrayed and killed by Caul Shivers.
Card-Carrying Villain: He's an unrepentant murderer and rapist, and enjoys every minute of it.
- Downplayed. While he makes some unsavory comments about women twice over the course of four novels, he never actually acts on it. Compared to Logen Ninefingers having sex with an unenthusiastic, terrified woman in Sharp Ends, which is Questionable Consent at best.
Combat Pragmatist: Despite being a fearsome fighter, he doesn't like to take unnecessary risks and is not above fighting dirty. Logen finds out the hard way at the end of the trilogy.
Cool Sword: After betraying Logen, he claims the Maker's sword for himself.
Curb-Stomp Battle: His duel to the death with Calder is painfully one-sided in Black Dow's favor. The only reason Calder survives is because Caul Shivers betrays and kills him in the middle of it.
Deadpan Snarker: Has a very dark, cynical kind of humor.
The Dog Bites Back: Pulls this on Logen, and then years later Shivers pulls it on him.
The Dreaded: Nearly as much as Logen. He has a particularly vile reputation for having done just about every underhanded deed you could think of.
Dual Wielding: Sword and axe.
Duel to the Death: He's forced to accept Calder's challenge of a duel to save face. Everyone expects Dow to win due to his fearsome reputation and his opponent's status as a Non-Action Guy. Dow would have won had Caul Shivers not betrayed him.
Ear Ache: One of his most notable traits is his missing ear.
Even Evil Has Standards: Claims to not be as bad as Bethod's tax collectors, who leave nothing from villages they 'collect' from. He then claims he never would kill his friends to Logen, and kills him to prevent a madman becoming the King of the North.
Fake Ultimate Hero: Doesn't actually kill Logen Ninefingers, which is a large part of his reputation.
From Nobody to Nightmare: Dow reveals he used to be a potter's apprentice before becoming one of the most feared men in the North.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Although he seems to be able to turn it off just as quickly. Its hinted at in The Heroes that he plays the part on purpose. Being known as a crazy fucker who might start killing people on the drop of a hat has its perks.
Hidden Depths. Used to be a craftsman's apprentice and sometimes regrets leaving that life.
In the Back: He's killed in the middle of his duel with Calder when Caul Shivers attacks him while his back is turned.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Although his heart is pretty black, he's noted to express moral disgust on a few rare occasions. The Dogman is also surprised to see how emotional he gets at Forley's funeral.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: He is even more a ruthless a despot than Bethod ever was and while he gets annoyed at Logen dragging the North into someone else's war, the first thing he does after coming to power is start conquering the rest of the North for himself.
Jerkass: Generally acts hostile and abrasive, even to his own allies.
The Lancer: To Threetrees.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Is this trope.
What's my name? White Dow?
Pet the Dog: Has a few notable moments, such as his interactions with West or his words at Tul Duru's funeral. In The Heroes he surprises Craw by allowing him to retire once the war is done.
Replacement Goldfish: It's implied that Dow sees Curnden Craw (who was once Threetrees' second-in-command) as something of a stand-in for Threetrees himself. Craw is less than pleased with this, both because he sees himself as an Inadequate Inheritor, and because it tends to result in his band getting tasked with more important (and dangerous) jobs.
Retired Monster: Has shades of this in The Heroes. Being King of the Northmen does not leave one with much time for Rape, Pillage, and Burn.
Slasher Smile: Often flashes a menacing grin.
The Sneaky Guy: "You won't see Black Dow coming. Not if he doesn't want to be seen."
Token Evil Teammate: Seems to revel in it - he claims he's the one to kill teenagers who they've captured. Revelations about the Bloody Nine shows he might not be so bad in comparison.
Took a Level in Kindness: Surprisingly, he comes across as much more personable in The Heroes, though this might just be how Craw sees him.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: He usurps Logen as new King of the North at the end of the original trilogy. Surprisingly enough, he's not really any worse than any other ruler.
The Usurper: At the end of the original trilogy, while he fails to assassinate Logen, he takes credit for his death and becomes the new King of the North.
Vitriolic Best Buds: He and Tul Duru will occasionally work each other into a screaming argument that requires the others to tone down before it comes to blows, but they're both good friends.
We Used to Be Friends: He still respects the Dogman even years after the two became enemies, following Dow usurping Logen as King of the North. He regrets that they've become enemies and gets pissed off when one of his allies besmirches the Dogman's reputation.
Would Hit a Girl: Has no qualms about killing women.
Would Hurt a Child: Or children, for that matter.

Northern Royal Court

Court of King Bethod

Fenris the Feared

"With this hand I tore down the statues of Aulcus. Now I kill little men, in little wars."

Bethod's champion, an unstoppable giant.

Achilles' Heel: The entire left side of his body is covered in blue writing that gives the left side of his body a Healing Factor which makes him impervious to harm. Meanwhile, he wears impenetrable armor over his right side. Logen kills him by stabbing his sword into his left side and pushes it further and further in until it starts stabbing the organs on his right.
Ambiguously Human: He appears more or less human, if rather imposing. But he's big enough to be a giant and strong enough to fight off several named men at once without a weapon of his own. His very presence inspires a queasy, instinctive fear in the hardest of men, and he is at least thousands of years old yet still in the prime of his power. Plus his magical tattoos, which make half of him invincible, elevate what little humanity he may have had to something supernatural. The spirits claim he is no man at all, but something far more. His life before becoming Glustrod's champion is left untold, but given Glustrod's penchant for communing with devils and the devil-blooded, it's entirely possible he was never fully human to begin with.
The Brute: To Bethod, he's a giant that stands over seven-feet-tall and is borderline indestructible thanks to his armor and mystical Healing Factor. It's no surprise Bethod uses him strictly for killing.
The Champion: He serves as Bethod's after Logen was exiled.
The Dreaded: Right there in the name. His mere presence mystically compels his enemies to break down in his presence.
Eldritch Abomination: He appears to be a terrifying man, but that by itself is relatively mundane. The real horror of him is the overpowering sense of sickening, dizzying dread he inspires in all who behold him. Logen realizes that Fenris gives off the same vibe as the cursed, radiated ruins of Aulcus, being powered by similar forces as those that destroyed the old city.
Half-Human Hybrid: Of some sort. Invoked with his armor and tattoos.
Humanoid Abomination: He appears human-esque, but his form towers above all other men and is rippling with tight muscle and hslf-coated in intricate tattoos. His unblinking eyes bulge from his thick skull and his voice is grating and inhuman. His wounds on one side never bleed and his strength is more than enough to mown the greatest warriors with ease. Worst of all, he radiates an upsetting, otherworldly aura that reduces the bravest men to nausea and terror.
The Juggernaut: He's completely unstoppable in battle. Even Logen doesn't stand a chance against him until Caurib is killed.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Start with naming him after a legendary, giant, god-killing wolf. Then add "the Feared."
Nigh-Invulnerability: Half of his body is covered with magic runes in the language of demons that make him impervious to any harm.
Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: Fenris, or Fenrir, is a figure from Norse mythology. The son of Loki, he is a great and vicious wolf that can barely be contained by the most powerful of binds, prophesied to break free during Ragnarok and kill Odin the Allfather himself. A name to inspire fear and power.
Really 700 Years Old: If his claims that he served under Glustrod during the fall of the Old Empire are true. And given the fact that a spirit corroborates the story, they most likely are.

Caurib

A sorceress from the utmost North, unaffiliated with the Order of the Magi, who serves King Bethod.

Back from the Dead: Returns in The Trouble With Peace, apparently alive (or at least undead) with her face stiched back together with gold wire.
Compelling Voice: Her power, the Golden Voice, allows her to seduce anyone and control them with her voice. When the Dogman and Harding Grim try to assassinate her, she uses it to convince Grim to stab the Dogman. They're only saved by Black Dow's arrival.
The Evil Genius: Though Bethod is a genius when it comes to warfare, she provides the magical genius and skills integral to his war.
Evil Sorceress: A sorceress who uses her magic to help Bethod conquer the North and wage war against the South.
Facial Horror: As a result of getting her skull split by an axe and the Shanka saving her by crudely sewing his head back together. She has a great pink-grey scar running from brow to mouth lined with golden stitches holding it together, and one side of her face is lower than the other.
Fog of Doom: She summons mists to conceal Bethod's armies.
Makeup Is Evil: Bayaz even mocks her for wearing so much makeup.
Pay Evil unto Evil: What she does upon encountering Stand-i'-the-Barrows, a warrior from beyond the Crinna who enjoys taking the bones of his victims. After she and her Shanka corner him and his followers fleeing a losing battle, he asks her what she wants. Caurib replies, "Your bones."
Took a Level in Kindness: By the time of The Trouble With Peace, she's mellowed out considerably, being kind of a jerk at worst. She's no longer interested in the wars of the North and just leaves peacefully as the witch of the lake. She even saves Rikke's life by containing the Long Eye when it threatens to kill her.
Vocal Dissonance: She still possesses her impossibly beautiful voice from when she was young even after she's an old woman with a mangled face.

Court of Black Dow, Protector of the North

Black Dow's War-Chiefs

Caul Reachey

One of Black Dow's five war-chiefs, and Calder's father-in-law.

Broken Pedestal: Calder expresses disappointment in Reachey's attempt on his life, mostly because he thought better of Reachey than that. In contrast, when Craw betrayed Calder, there were no hard feelings because Calder knew Craw was sticking to his principles.
Cool Old Guy: He's a reasonable old man with a reputation as a straight edge and promises to side with Calder within reason. It turns out he's not quite as much of a straight edge as he advertises, and was manipulating the conflict between Calder and Black Dow for his own gain.
Frame-Up: Attmepts to have Calder assasinated and frames it on Black Dow when it fails. When Calder finds out he has Reachey assassinated in revenge, and frames Glama Golden for the deed.
I Have Your Wife: His daughter is held hostage by Black Dow to ensure Reachey's good behavior.
Killed Offscreen: He's killed by Calder offscreen.
Papa Wolf: Reachey will do anything to protect his daughter, Seff, who's being held hostage by Black Dow to ensure his good behavior. He's even willing to try to assassinate his son-in-law, Calder, rather than risk his scheming costing his daughter her life.
The Reliable One: Like Craw, Reachey has a reputation as a straight edge due to his dedication to the old way. Unlike Craw, Reachey has no illusions about the old way and is willing to backstab and betray his son-in-law out of pragmatism.

Brodd Tenways

One of Black Dow's five war-chiefs. He's the most loyal among them and possesses a burning hatred of Bethod's sons.

Evil Old Folks: An evil, elderly war-chief.
Gonk: Tenways has bad teeth, a foul smell, and patches of a hideous rash covering his twisted face. The overall effect has Calder describe him as "ugly as incest."
The Mole: Bayaz reveals that Tenways' loyalty was mostly a show, and he was really one of his agents.
Not Me This Time: He wasn't behind the assassination attempt on Calder. Caul Reachey was.
Sins of the Father: Tenways lost to Bethod twice in battle and lost everything he had as a result. Since Bethod's death, however, he's transferred all his loathing to his sons, Scale and Calder, instead.
Uriah Gambit: He withholds backup for Scale during a battle, nearly resulting in his death.
Villainous Rescue: Tenways actually saves Calder's life from Mitterick's soldiers.
Yes-Man: He's the most vocal in his support of Black Dow, and comes across as a toadying bootlicker as a result. In reality, this is an act, and he's really one of Bayaz's pawns.

Cairm Ironhead

One of Black Dow's war-chiefs and Glama Golden's rival.

Hidden Depths: Calder is surprised to realize that Ironhead is more politically cunning than Calder anticipated.
Killed Offscreen: He dies during the Time Skip between The Heroes and the Age of Madness trilogy. It's eventually revealed his killer was Jonas Clover.
The Rival: He and Glama Golden despise each other and are in frequent competition.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He and Glama hate each other but they're forced to work together under Black Dow.

Glama Golden

One of Black Dow's war-chiefs who's known for his vanity and his rivalry with Cairm Ironhead.

Bling of War: He goes into battle decked out with golden armor, rings, bracelets and necklaces. It's where he got his name from.
Cruel and Unusual Death: He gets an undeservedly excruciating death in Red Country when Logen, as the Bloody-Nine, literally rips him apart during their duel to the death.
Curbstomp Battle: In Red Country, while his and Logen's duel starts off seemingly on even footing, it ends with Logen effortlessly killing him.
Duel to the Death: In Red Country he's become a pit fighter who engages in these. His last one, against Logen Ninefingers, does not go well for him.
Everyone Has Standards: He's introduced in Red Country defending Shy South from some of Papa Ring's thugs. When Papa Ring kidnaps Shy to force Logen to throw the duel, he keeps it secret from Golden because he knows he'd disapprove.
The Exile: After he's framed for Reachey's assassination, he's forced to flee the North and remain in exile in the Far Country.
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: From a mighty, feared war-chief to a measly pit fighter for a crime boss.
Frame-Up: Calder assassinates Caul Reachey and frames Glama Golden for the deed.
Mirror Character: By the time of Red Country he's become a lot like Logen, a killer who's remorseful of his violent past but can't quite escape its shadow.
Noble Top Enforcer: He becomes this to the crime boss, Papa Ring. Unlike his other hired muscle, Glama is reserved, has standards, and no longer relishes violence.
Punch-Clock Villain: He works for the crime boss, Papa Ring, but otherwise he's nowhere close to being a villain.
The Rival: He and Cairm Ironhead despise each other and are in frequent competition.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He and Ironhead hate each other but they're forced to work together under Black Dow.
Took a Level in Kindness: He's lost a lot of his vanity and arrogance by the time of Red Country, having become a more thoughtful and less violent person. Not that it helps him any.

Characters / The First Law North Royalty And Rule

Northern Royalty

Line of King Bethod

King Bethod

King Scale Ironhand

Prince "Black" Calder

POV: The Heroes

Stour Nightfall

Other Northern Royals

Logen Ninefingers

Black Dow

Northern Royal Court

Court of King Bethod

Fenris the Feared

Caurib

Court of Black Dow, Protector of the North

Black Dow's War-Chiefs

Caul Reachey

Brodd Tenways

Cairm Ironhead

Glama Golden

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Index

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Characters / The First Law North Royalty And Rule

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Northern Royalty

Line of King Bethod

King Bethod

King Scale Ironhand

Prince "Black" Calder

POV: The Heroes

Stour Nightfall

Other Northern Royals

Logen Ninefingers

Black Dow

Northern Royal Court

Court of King Bethod

Fenris the Feared

Caurib

Court of Black Dow, Protector of the North

Black Dow's War-Chiefs

Caul Reachey

Brodd Tenways

Cairm Ironhead

Glama Golden

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Index

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