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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2020_0012.jpg]]
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3-->''"I’m fifteen years old, and I look like I’m blind and you and I are fighting for our lives and the whole valley could be overrun with Trolls at any moment. We have to do something with a man who’s tried to kill us, but not something that would let him be killed. We don’t have a home anymore because it’s too dangerous to go back to the one we had. We have to help Phryne, and we don’t have any idea how to do that. We don’t even know how to help ourselves. We’re just running around in circles, trying to protect each other. Nothing makes sense."''
4-->--'''Prue Liss'''
5
6An entry in Creator/TerryBrooks' long-running ''Literature/{{Shannara}}'' series, the ''Legends of Shannara'' duologoy further bridges the gap between ''Literature/TheWordAndTheVoid'' and ''Shannara'' proper, picking up five hundred years after Hawk Freemark led the human and Elven survivors of The Great Wars into the valley.
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8In the time since Hawk's departure, a religous cult has grown up around his myth. These Children of the Hawk, led by Seraphic Skeal Elie, await his return, and frown on anything that might suggest their dogma is incorrect. In the meantime, in Arborlon, the Elf King's new wife schemes to take the throne for herself, and dispose of her stepdaughter, Phryne Amarantyne. All these separate schemes, however, are about to be thrown into disarray, for the magic that guards the valley is failing, and a vast Troll army, led by Taureq Siq, is about to descend upon the valley.
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10When Trackers Panterra Qu and Prue Liss discover this fact, few believe them. The last Knight of the Word, Sider Ament, is one of those that does. Taking Panterra and Prue at their word, Sider does his best to ready the valley for the coming of Taureq Siq, while at the same time, deciding that in the event of his death, Panterra will be his successor. But as Panterra and Prue, in alliance with Phryne try to prepare their respective countries for invasion, a worse threat still threatens--one of the demons from ''Literature/TheWordAndTheVoid'' is drawing near, and has his own plans for the end of everything. With events spiralling out of control, and alleigiances within and without the valley shifting wildy, Panterra, Prue, and Phryne are all going to have to grow up very fast if they hope to save their homeland.
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12The two books in the duology are:
13* ''Bearers of the Black Staff''
14* ''The Measure of the Magic''
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16The character sheet is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/Shannara here]].
17----
18!!This series provides examples of:
19* ArmiesAreEvil: Taureq Siq's army certainly is.
20* TheBigBad: During the first book Taureq Siq, Skeal Elie, and Queen Isoeld all compete for the role. In the second book all three are superseded by the ragpicker, who uses all and sundry for his own ends.
21** BigBadEnsemble: In the first book Taureq Siq, Skeal Elie, and Isoeld could each be considered TheBigBad. In the second book, not so much.
22** BigBadWannabe: Everybody else after the ragpicker arrives.
23* ComingOfAgeStory: The duology serves as one for Panterra, Prue, and Phryne alike, as all three come to grips with the responsibilities of adulthood.
24* ContinuityNod: Arik claims to have come from an ancestral line of early trolls who were friends of Hawk Freemark. This is a reference to Panther and Cat from the ''Genesis'' novels, who were allies of Hawk who eventually mutated into trolls.
25* GambitPileup: The first book saw one approaching, with Taureq Siq, Skeal Elie, and Queen Isoeld all competing for the title of BigBad. The arrival of the ragpicker quickly solves this problem.
26* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:Arik Siq]] who acts as his father's man on the spot for most of ''Bearers of the Black Staff'', and whose machinations drive much of the plot.
27* KillAllHumans: The ragpicker, like all demons, has this as his end game.
28* OurDemonsAreDifferent: The ragpicker is a small "d" demons from ''Literature/TheWordAndTheVoid'', as opposed to one of the capital "D" Demons from ''[[Literature/TheSwordOfShannaraTrilogy The Elfstones of Shannara]]'' and its sequels. This means he's a former human who sold his soul to [[UnseenEvil The Void]] in exchange for power and immortality, and that he desires nothing less than the extinction of all life.
29* PathOfInspiration: Whether the Children of the Hawk were ever a force for good is unknown, but by the time of the duology they're a cult of xenophobes who maintain tyrannical control over the valley, and tolerate no dissent.
30* PlatonicLifePartners: Honorary siblings and best friends Panterra and Prue are always together, and swear that they will never be separated, despite the fact that there is nothing romantic going on.
31* TakeUpMySword: Panterra is convinced to do this by Sider Ament, who in turn had the responsibility thrust on him by his mentor.
32* UnseenEvil: The Void is still around and is malevolent, though it's much more in the background.

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