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3%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
4%%
5%%
6Characters for ''Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne''.
7----
8
9[[foldercontrol]]
10
11[[folder:The Malkeenian Imperial Family]]
12
13The ruling family of the Annurian empire, based in the capital, Annur, where they make their home in the Dawn Palace. Claim to be descended from the goddess Intarra, their patron, who is said to have had a child with one of their ancestors centuries ago.
14
15----
16
17* BadassFamily: Valyn is fearsome Kettral warrior, Kaden has near-supernatural abilities from his monk training, and Adare is a fierce leader who's been touched by divinity.
18* DivineParentage: Descended from the goddess Intara, who becomes their patron
19* ElementalEyeColors: Due to their divine ancestry, all the emperors and most of their children have eyes that are described as 'blazing'. As in, their pupils are ''literally'' on fire.
20* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Emperor sends his heir for brutal training under the Shin monks and his second son to serve in the military.
21
22!!Kaden hui'Malkeenian
23
24->''"I'm not ready."''
25
26The current Emperor of Annur after his father's death, Kaden spent half his life isolated in the Bone Mountains, training as a monk under the Shin, and has little to no idea about how to rule an empire, nor does he understand what all his monk training will amount to - especially when the Shin are being hunted by an unseen creature in the mountains.
27
28----
29
30* BlindObedience: Has been indoctrinated into this by the Shin
31* DeadpanSnarker: Is overall pretty serious, but has his moments of sass
32* DistractedByTheSexy: When he sees Triste.... Justified in that she's the only girl his age he's seen since he left Annur, and it doesn't hurt that she's drop-dead gorgeous.
33* EmotionSuppression: As part of his Shin training.
34* TheEmperor: Becomes this after his father's death.
35* FishOutOfWater: Once he leaves Ashk'lan and his isolated life among the Shin for the real world.
36* ReluctantRuler: He knew he would have to take the throne one day, he just knows he isn't ready in any way at the moment.
37* SociallyAwkwardHero: After spending most of his life with emotionally repressed monks and no contact with the outside world.
38* TheStoic: See above. This becomes a plot point, as emptying your mind is a key element of reaching the vaniate.
39* TheWhitePrince: Played with. He hasn't exactly led a sheltered life among the Shin, but he knows nothing about what's going on within his empire.
40* YouNeedToGetLaid: Pulled on him by his ministers and guards, of all people, as a rite of passage and to prepare him for the harem of concubines he will receive. [[spoiler: Also to distract him while they try to assassinate him.]]
41
42!!Valyn hui'Malkeenian
43
44->''"We should've stayed in the palace and kept playing with sticks."''
45
46The only one of the Emperor's children who didn't inherit the blazing fiery eyes of the goddess Intarra, Valyn is a soldier of the Kettral and nearing the end of his training, where he will have to undergo a terrifying trial. But at the same time, his father has just died, leaving his brother and sister in danger, and there may be a traitor among the Kettral who has his or her sights set on Valyn.
47
48* BadLiar: Is mocked for this by his friends.
49* BerserkButton: ''Don't'' mess with Lin. Or Kaden.
50* BigBrotherInstinct: Is fiercely protective of his younger brother Kaden, and most of his motivation throughout the series is focused on protecting Kaden.
51* BlindWeaponmaster: [[spoiler: Thanks to his Hull-given enhanced senses.]]
52* CannotSpitItOut: His feelings for Lin.
53* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Lin calls him out on it.
54* {{Determinator}}: As evidenced by the end of the second book, Valyn does not give up.
55* EyeColorChange: Undergoes one after Hull's Trial.
56* HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler: After Il Tornja blinds him at the end of the second book.]]
57* HeroicBSOD: Goes into one [[spoiler: after Lin's death]] and then again [[spoiler: after he's blinded]].
58* MasterSwordsman: His weapon of choice.
59* MoralityAdjustment: Goes from arguing with Lin that right and wrong are necessities to saying "fuck necessity" when Kaden calls him out on his brutal killing of [[spoiler: Yurl.]]
60* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Goes on one after [[spoiler: Yurl, whereupon he brutally kills him after chopping off both arms]]
61* TeamDad: To his Wing. He's devastated when [[spoiler: Laith]] is killed on his watch.
62* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Lin. They get a kiss in before [[spoiler: she dies.]]
63* UnstoppableRage: See above
64* WarriorPrince: Was raised in the imperial palace before being sent to join the Kettral as a young boy. He doesn't really give much importance to his princely status, though he is teased about it by his friends.
65
66!!Adare hui'Malkeenian
67
68->''"I'm not just a princess. I'm also the Minister of Finance."''
69
70The eldest child and only daughter of Emperor Sanlitun, Adare has always struggled with the fact that, as a woman, she won't get to sit the throne and her only worth will be in marrying well. But when her father dies, it's she and not her brothers who is at the heart of the capital, trying to solve his murder and keep the family line alive while balancing her duties as Minister of Finance in a court where no one thinks she's ready for the job.
71
72----
73
74* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Her fellow ministers don't take her seriously because she's a girl.
75* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Moulds herself into this in order to be taken more seriously as a woman.
76* BadassBookworm: Is smart and well-educated, but learns to get her hands dirty too.
77* DaddysGirl: As the only one of her siblings who stayed back in the capital, she develops a close bond with her father and seems to be the one he trusts the most as well.
78* {{Determinator}}: Like her brother, she never gives up.
79* IronLady: Strives to be this, but has trouble controlling her anger.
80* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Has a moment of this at the end of the book, when she realises [[spoiler: she just sent an innocent man to his death.]]
81%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
82%%* TheSmartGuy
83* WellDoneSonGuy: Towards her father. Her mother even comments that Adare would rather die than disappoint her father.
84* YouKilledMyFather: Her motivation in the first book
85
86!!Sanlitun hui'Malkeenian
87
88->''"You are my last blade. You, and Kaden, and Valyn."''
89
90The late Emperor of Annur, Sanlitun dies under mysterious circumstances before the book begins, kicking off the events of the series.
91
92----
93
94* ActionDad: Is noted to be an ex-soldier and badass fighter as well as a monarch
95* TheChessmaster: Manipulates the events before the series to set his children up for success
96* DeadManWriting: His letter to Adare
97%%* DeathByOriginStory
98* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Adare, Valyn and Kaden only have rosy memories of him, but he wasn't popular throughout the empire.
99* TheEmperor: The titular emperor of the first book, prior to his death
100* TheGoodKing: Presumably. But considering we've only seen him from his children's perspective and they're obviously slightly biased....
101* MasterSwordsman: Not that we ever see, but there are references to him teaching his sons to fight
102* PapaWolf: As seen in his reaction when his young sons are kidnapped and held hostage by his enemies.
103* PosthumousCharacter: Dies before the series kicks off
104* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Trained as a Shin monk, has served as a soldier, and doesn't hesitate to go out and lead his armies on the front lines
105* SoProudOfYou: Never says it explicitly, but makes it clear to Adare
106* TheStoic: Like Kaden, a result of growing up among the Shin.
107* ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler: He gambles with his life in order to uncover the conspiracy against his family by arranging to meet with all the suspected conspirators alone and leaving a record of the names and dates of the meetings for Adare to find. He dies - and his handy note leads her straight to his killer.]]
108
109!!Sioan hui'Malkeenian
110
111The late Empress of Annur and mother of Valyn, Kaden and Adare, she died of consumption several years prior to the first book.
112
113----
114
115* ADayInTheLimelight: Gets her own POV in the Prologue to the second book.
116* ArrangedMarriage: Presumably had one with Sanlitun. They seem to get on fine, but she gave her children non-Annurian names as a way of silent rebellion.
117* MamaBear: From what we see of her briefly, she's fiercely protective of her children, even to the point of calling out her own husband, the emperor, on his treatment of them.
118* PosthumousCharacter: Dies six years before the series, of consumption.
119
120[[/folder]]
121
122[[folder:The Shin]]
123
124An isolated, mysterious order of monks who live in Ashk'lan, deep within the Bone Mountains, virtually at the edge of civilisation. They spend their days meditating, working and living a simple, Spartan life in order to worship the Blank God, and in the hopes of attaining what they call the '''vaniate''.
125
126----
127
128%%* EmotionSuppression
129%%* TheStoic
130
131!!Akiil
132
133-> "''Just work? ''Just'' work? Work is an affliction, my friend, a potentially ''fatal'' affliction."''
134
135Kaden's best friend and a young Shin novice, who started out as a thief in Annur and wasn't too happy about being dragged off to the Shin as punishment.
136
137----
138
139* ADayInTheLimelight: In the online short story 'The Last Abbot of Ashk'lan'.
140* AscendedExtra: Is a minor character in the first book, and then becomes one of the protagonists of the sequel series.
141* TheArtfulDodger: Was one before being arrested and sent off to the Shin as punishment
142* ClassClown: His irreverance contrasts with Kaden's seriousness
143* DeadpanSnarker: One of the funnier characters in the first book
144* HeterosexualLifePartners: Is Kaden's best friend
145* InterclassFriendship: His friendship with Kaden is underscored with a bit of bitterness on Akiil's end because of their different upbringings.
146* LoveableRogue: Was a thief in his childhood before joining the Shin, and reverts back to his old ways when he leaves the order.
147* LovesOnlyGold: His motivation in the sequel series is to get as rich as possible
148* MarkOfShame: The brand on his arm marking him as a thief who was caught and punished
149* MessyHair: Reportedly wears his this way as a deliberate rebellion against the Shin style of shaved heads.
150
151!!Rampuri Tan
152
153Kaden's ''unmial'' (teacher), a cantankerous, anti-social and impatient Shin monk who knows more than he's letting on.
154
155----
156
157%%* BadassTeacher
158%%* CynicalMentor
159%%* DeadpanSnarker
160* EccentricMentor: For the Shin, who are all cool and composed, while Tan has a temper and an unorthodox attitude.
161%%* TechnicalPacifist
162* WarriorMonk: Though the Shin are pacifists, Tan carries a weapon and knows how to fight.
163
164!!Abbot Schial Nin
165
166The Abbot of Ashk'lan and leader of the Shin monks.
167
168----
169%%* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
170
171!!Pater
172
173A very young Shin novice who follows Kaden and Akiil around and still has a very optimistic view of the world.
174
175----
176
177* CheerfulChild: His whole personality
178* ChildrenAreInnocent: In contrast to the more cynical Kaden and Akiil
179* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:He is murdered in cold blood when the conspirators launch their attack on Ashk’lan.]]
180* MotorMouth: Is constantly chattering and pestering his older friends with questions
181* TagalongKid: To Kaden and Akiil
182
183[[/folder]]
184
185[[folder:The Kettral]]
186
187An elite military branch who are the equivalent of Annur's special ops squad, they make their headquarters in the Qirin Islands, use special dark blades and act as soldiers, spies and assassins of the empire. Oh, and they ride giant wild birds called kettral. A typical 'Wing' or team of Kettral include a leader, a flier, a demolitions master, an archer and a leech.
188
189----
190
191%%* BadassArmy
192
193!!Ha Lin Cha
194
195->''"I don't belong to those bastards, and I certainly don't belong to you."''
196
197Valyn's closest friend (and crush), a brave and often ruthless Kettral cadet who helps Valyn try and uncover the conspiracy against his family.
198
199----
200
201* ActionGirl: Like all the Kettral women, she can handle herself in a fight.
202* BerserkButton: Insinuating that she can't protect herself and needs a man to save her. A big point of contention between her and Valyn.
203* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Shooting and killing the girl Valyn is carrying to safety out of a collapsing tavern, so he dump the (literally) dead weight and make the leap without hindrance. Even more jarring considering it's her first ever kill.
204* HeroicBSOD: When she fails to defend herself against Balendin and Yurl, leaving her feeling totally helpless and pissed off about it.
205%%* TheLadette
206* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Valyn finds her corpse as he's making his way back to the surface from completing Hull's Trial. Everyone assumes the wounds that killed her came from the slarn, the vicious creatures that must be overcome during the trial. It's only at the funeral that Valyn notices the rope burns on Lin's wrists and realizes that her wounds were actually made by a blade, meaning one of the other cadets must have bound and killed her.
207
208!!Gwenna Sharpe
209
210->''"Today, my illustrious lord commander, would be a good day to start getting things right."''
211
212A hot-tempered, headstrong Kettral cadet with a penchant for demolitions and a love for blowing things up.
213
214----
215
216* ADayInTheLimelight: Gets her own POV in the second book, becomes a main character in the third book, and then a leading protagonist of the sequel series.
217* ActionGirl: Like all the Kettral women.
218* AllLoveIsUnrequited: The third book reveals that she's been in love with Valyn since they were cadets, but he never gives any indication of returning her feelings.
219* AngerBornOfWorry: Constantly expresses this, especially towards Valyn.
220* EnragedByIdiocy: Gwenna is enraged by pretty much everything, but stupidity and incompetance are special pet peeves.
221* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Pyrre admiringly points out her 'beguiling figure'.
222* FieryRedhead: Her long red hair is one of her distinctive features - along with her explosive temper.
223* GeniusBruiser: She knows a lot about explosives, mechanics and chemistry
224* HairTriggerTemper: As mentioned above, is quick to anger.
225* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: Does not react well to Pyrre hinting at something between her and Valyn.
226* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Gwenna is hot-headed and sharp-tongued, but also cares deeply about her teammates and about protecting the innocent.
227* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Tries to pull one by blowing up a bridge, but luckily she survives.]]
228* ManBitesMan: Nearly takes off the ear of one of the [[spoiler: Aedolian Guard]] when he tries to disarm her.
229* TheNicknamer: Calls Valyn a variety of sarcastic, exaggerated honourifics.
230* {{Tsundere}}: Type A, towards Valyn
231* WrenchWench: As the (hot) demolitions master of the Wing
232
233!!Laith Atenkor
234
235->''"Women come and go, but Su'antra's been true to me for years."''
236
237A cadet who has been trained to fly the kettral, giant birds that the Kettral ride into battle - and he loves going very, very fast.
238
239----
240
241* ABoyAndHisX: Has a strong bond with his kettral, Su'antra
242* AcePilot: On a giant bird, of course, not a plane.
243* ChivalrousPervert: Seen in the way he treats the prostitutes he sleeps with, reacting with genuine sorrow towards Amie's death.
244* DeadpanSnarker: Provides most of the comedic relief in the series.
245* DrivesLikeCrazy: More like ''flies'' like crazy.
246* [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal: In the second book.]]
247* ThoseTwoGuys: With Gent in the first book
248
249!!Talal M'hirith
250
251->''"No one wants to learn that they're an abomination."''
252
253A cadet and a leech, Talal uses an unknown source from which to draw his magical abilities and, like most leeches, is the subject of suspicious and distrust by even his peers.
254
255* BlessedWithSuck: How he views his powers.
256* DrivenToSuicide: As a child, when he finds out he's a leech after being raised in a family that fears and despises them.
257* FantasticRacism: Is a victim of this, due to being a leech, as magic users are feared and often persecuted across the empire.
258* TheLancer: Despite initial trust issues, he seems to become Valyn's confidant and adviser in the Wing. Later serves this role to Gwenna.
259* OnlySaneMan: In his Wing - considering Valyn doesn't know what he's doing half the time, Gwenna has a HairTriggerTemper, Laith DrivesLikeCrazy and Annick is flat-out terrifying.
260* YourMagicsNoGoodHere: When he doesn't have access to his well, or source of power.
261
262!!Annick Frencha
263
264->''"If I wanted to kill you, there are better ways than the middle of the day in the middle of a contest."''
265
266Though she looks young and fragile, Annick is the best archer among the cadets and only slightly terrifying in nature.
267
268----
269
270%%* ActionGirl
271%%* AloofAlly
272* BadassAdorable: Not in her personality, but it's reiterated on many occasions that Annick looks way, way too young to be such a holy terror.
273* DefrostingIceQueen: Very, ''very'' slowly, towards her Wing.
274%%* EmotionlessGirl
275%%* HiddenDepths
276%%* ImprobableAimingSkills
277* OlderThanTheyLook: Everyone who meets her thinks she looks about fifteen at the most, but she's really in her late teens.
278%%* TokenEvilTeammate: Valyn assumes her to be this. [[spoiler: He's wrong.]]
279
280!!Gent Harren
281
282One of Valyn's close friends among the cadets.
283
284----
285
286%%* TheBigGuy
287* ExplosiveStupidity: He's a demolitions master but is described as being comically bad at it.
288* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Has this moment when he makes a joke about the different ways to die just minutes after Valyn's found out his father's been murdered before cutting himself off too late.
289%%* ThoseTwoGuys: With Laith
290
291!!Sami Yurl
292
293Valyn's arch rival among the cadets, Yurl is a noble-born boy who thinks he's better than his peers and bitterly jealous of the prince.
294
295----
296
297* AristocratsAreEvil: Thinks he's better than his peers because of his high birth.
298%%* TheRival: To Valyn
299%%* SmugSnake
300%%* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections
301
302!!Balendin
303
304Yurl's right hand henchman, a leech with very sinister abilities.
305
306----
307
308%%* BloodKnight
309%%* TheDragon: To Yurl
310* EmotionEater: His 'well' or source of magic.
311%%* EvilSorcerer
312* IShallTauntYou: Uses this during this fights, in order to rile up his opponents and make them careless. [[spoiler: Also a side-product of his EmotionEater magic.]]
313* {{Sadist}}: [[spoiler: Emotions are his well, so he feeds off negative emotions like anger, grief and pain.]]
314
315!!The Flea
316
317->''''Then stop commanding the Wing you wanted. Start commanding the Wing you have.''''
318----
319
320* BunnyEarsLawyer: Comes off this way to Valyn because of his often unorthodox practices and advice.
321%%* LivingLegend
322%%* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname
323
324[[/folder]]
325
326[[folder:Other humans]]
327
328!!Ran il Tornja
329
330->"''Legal codes are all well and good, but there's a certain clarity to lopping off a head."''
331
332The ''kenarang'' or military commander of the Annurian army, he's selected to act as regent until Kaden returns to the capital. Irreverent and bold, he helps Adare conduct the investigation into her father's murder.
333
334----
335
336* AgentPeacock: Has traces of this, especially when a disgusted Adare describes his flamboyant dress sense.
337* EarlyBirdCameo [[spoiler: : is actually Tan'is, the Csestriim who kills his own daughter in the intro]]
338* WellIntentionedExtremist[[spoiler: unlike most of his peers he does not actually want to exterminate humanity per se. He has figured a way to revert humanity into Csestriim, thus saving his race and "fixing" their wayward children in the same stroke. Unfortunatedly, said method carries a significant risk of killing all humans as a side effect. In fact, even the best case scenario would likely result in many people dying off instead of reverting back to Csestriimhood]]
339%%* BunnyEarsLawyer
340%%* LoveInterestTraitor
341%%* OfficerAndAGentleman
342%%* RightHandHottie: To Adare
343
344!!Uinian
345
346->"''I demand, as is my ancient right, Trial by Flame."''
347
348The High Priest of Intarra, the patron goddess of the imperial family, and accused of the murder of Emperor Sanlitun.
349
350----
351
352%%* AGodAmI
353%%* TheFundamentalist
354* GiveMeASign: Uses this to prove his innocence by stepping into the place in the Temple of Intarra where the sun's light hits a giant magnifying glass - without being burnt. [[spoiler: Subverted, in that he's a leech and used his magic to pull off the trick.]]
355%%* HighPriest
356%%* SinisterMinister
357%%* SmugSnake
358
359!!Triste
360
361A beautiful young girl whose mother is a leina, a priestess of Ciena, goddess of pleasure, and part of an order of elite and cultured courtesans that cater solely to the aristocratic classes. She meets Kaden when his ministers 'give' her to him as a concubine for the newly crowned emperor.
362
363----
364
365%%* BrokenBird
366* DisappearedDad: Her high-born father never formally acknowledged her.
367* DistractedByTheSexy: The Aedolians use her for this purpose for Kaden.
368* HeroicBastard: Her father is a nobleman and her mother is a concubine.
369* HighClassCallGirl: She comes from an order of women who are just this, but while she's learnt the 'low arts' (dancing, singing, painting), her mother, a concubine, refused to let her learn the 'high mysteries', AKA the 'bodily pleasures'.
370%%* ShrinkingViolet
371* WonderChild: Or 'goddessborn', a child born to a leina despite all the contraceptive precautions taken, whose mother chose not to abort her.
372* YoungerThanTheyLook: Kaden first assumes her to be a grown woman - mostly due to her clothes, which accentuate her curves - but on a closer look realises that she's about his age or younger, so a teenager.
373
374!!Pyrre
375
376A confident, irreverent and chatty merchant woman who arrives with her husband in Ashk'lan, seemingly harmless - but hoarding a stash of weapons.
377
378----
379
380%%* ActionGirl
381%%* DeadpanSnarker
382* DirtyOldWoman: Not old per se, but described as being roughly middle aged.
383* MurderInc: [[spoiler: Belongs to one called the Skullsworn.]]
384%%* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[spoiler: Skullsworn.]]
385* ProfessionalKiller: [[spoiler: A Skullsworn, one of the assassins who serve under Ananshael, the god of death.]]
386
387[[/folder]]
388
389[[folder:Deities and other mythical beings]]
390
391!!The Csestriim
392
393An ancient, immortal and genetically superior race that predated mankind and whose children gradually evolved into humans, which spawned a centuries long war between the Csestriim and the humans. The Csestriim lost and receded from history, becoming little more than myths and children's stories, but now it seems they're returning to the surface.
394
395----
396
397%%* BigBad
398%%* TheConspiracy
399%%* TheDreaded
400%%* EldritchAbomination
401%%* TheFaceless: Except for the prologue
402%%* HiddenVillain
403* MercyKill: What they thought they were doing to the humans. See below.
404* OffingTheOffspring: In the prologue, we see the Csestriim murdering their children because they've contracted the Rot - in other words, they've begun to age and to feel emotions.
405%%* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove
406
407!!Intarra
408
409The goddess of light, fire and the sun, patron of the Malkeenian imperial family line and said to be their ancestress.
410
411----
412
413* GodInHumanForm: Evoked this when she interbred with the Malkeenian line
414* TheOldGods: She and a few of the others are part of the original pantheon of gods who then gave birth to the younger, newer ones
415%%* ThePowerOfTheSun
416
417!!Hull
418
419Known as the Owl King, he is the god of darkness and the night, and the patron god of the Kettral.
420
421----
422
423%%* DarkIsNotEvil
424%%* TheOldGods: Like Intarra
425
426!!The Blank God
427
428Thought by some to be the first and thus the only true god, he is worshipped by the Shin, who attempt to reach him through meditation.
429
430----
431
432%%* TheAntiGod
433%%* TopGod: According to the Shin
434
435!!Mashkent
436
437The god of pain and suffering, whose name gave rise to the curse ''Kent-kissing'.
438
439----
440
441* CatsAreMean: His nickname is 'the Cat'
442
443!!Ananshael
444
445The god of death, patron of the Skullsworn, an order of assassins, whose name gave rise to the curse ''Shael-spawned'.
446
447----
448
449* TheGrimReaper
450
451!!Bedisa
452
453The goddess of birth, life and creation, consort to Ananshael.
454
455----
456
457* OddCouple: With Ananshael, who's the god of death
458
459!!Ciena
460
461The goddess of pleasure, patron to the leina, an order of elite courtesans.
462

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