History Literature / TheGodsAreBastards

'''Zaruda:''' That, Juno my dear, is because you’ll fuck anything that moves.
'''Juniper:''' That just isn’t true. Only sentient beings whom I don’t actively dislike. I have ''standards''.

* AnythingThatMoves: Juniper. Apparently a normal behavior for young dryads.

* AffablyEvil: ''Evil'' is a strong word, but even among those characters whose goals and methods are pretty reprehensible, many are extremely charismatic and likable. Naturally, this makes them all the more dangerous.

* BullyingADragon: Arachne does this. A lot.
** And quite literally, in the case of [[https://tiraas.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/bonus-12-continued/ Zanzayed the Blue]] - [[spoiler: it's what gets her her MeaningfulName]]

* AntiMagic: Mithril neutralises magic. This makes Zaruda's CoolSword a GameBreaker in some resperts - and enables her to hold her own alongside her classmates.

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: The Pantheon were once mortals and got their current position by [[KlingonPromotion killing the previous generation of gods]]. It's later revealed that the Elder Gods were ''also'' once humanoids. Whether there ever existed any god ''not'' of human origin remains an open question.

* GoddamnBats: Turn up during the very videogame-y Descent, a series of challenges the freshmen go through as part of their training. The trope is named but never really played straight, since several of the protagonists have powers that render them irrelevant.

* GoddamnBats: [[invoked]] Turn up during the very videogame-y Descent, a series of challenges the freshmen go through as part of their training. The trope is [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] but never really played straight, since several of the protagonists have powers that render them irrelevant.

* GoddamnBats: Turn up during the very videogame-y Descent, a series of challenges the freshmen go through as part of their training. The trope is named but never really played straight, since several of the protagonists have powers that render them irrelevant.

The story begins focused on a group of eight freshmen (a dryad, two paladins, a half-demon, a possessed human, a drow, a pixie, and a pirate princess) attending a [[ExtranormalInstitute school for adventurers]]. The scope expands rapidly from there, with an [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters increasingly large cast]] and multiple organizations and individuals vying over the fate of an empire.

A summary of the plot is essentially impossible without spoiling it, but recurring themes include feminism, the struggles of persecuted minorities (such as immigrants and gay people), the [[EndOfAnEra end of the Age of Adventures]], and morally complex characters (especially the antagonists).

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: The current gods were mortals who got their current position by [[KlingonPromotion killing the previous generation of gods]]. It's later revealed that the Elder Gods were ''also'' once humanoids. Whether there ever existed any god ''not'' of human origin remains an open question.

* TheFairFolk: They fey, creations of Naiya the Elder Goddess. There are several varieties, but they're generally highly magical and [[BlueAndOrangeMorality entirely unfamiliar with ordinary morality and social norms]]. Two of the eight original protagonists, Fross the pixie and Juniper the dryad, are specimens. See also OurFairiesAreDifferent, below.

* GeniusLoci: The Crawl, a dungeon in the TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons sense which [[SinkOrSwimMentor Arachne Tellwyrn]] uses for training students. It keeps itself clean and makes sure everyone plays by the rules.
--> '''Rowe:''' Here, the Crawl is the only god, and its rules are absolute.

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: The current gods were mortals who got their current position by [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt killing the previous generation of gods]]. It's later revealed that the Elder Gods were ''also'' once humanoids. Whether there ever existed any god ''not'' of human origin remains an open question.

* MarySue: {{Averted}}, though not for lack trying. WordOfGod is that the original concept for [[BigGood Arachne]] [[SinkOrSwimMentor Tellwyrn]] was "[[ExaggeratedTrope big fat]] MarySue", but Webb just couldn't get it to work.

* GodIsEvil: Hinted at by the title, although so far the gods seem to be mostly doing their best.

* MagicNuke: In the backstory, TheEmpire eventually deployed one of these against the orcish nation, reducing their capital city to a twisted pile of haunted ruins.

* MagnificentBastard: Alan Vandro, a thoroughly sleazy and sexist Thieves Guild operative who nevertheless has enough style, intelligence, and resources that even the reader can't help but like him.
* ManipulativeBastard: Bishop Darling, technically. But he's mostly a good guy.

** To Red vs Blue ("do you ever wonder why we're here?")

* WhamLine: When the Archpope Justinian's ultimate plan is revealed.

* XMeetsY: EpicFantasy meets {{Western}}.