Line #28 Literature/RoguesOfTheRepublic


1	''Rogues of the Republic'' is a fantasy series by Patrick Weekes (of Creator/BioWare fame), revolving around the nine titular rogues, led by the ex-military scout Loch.
2
3	Loch is a devout patriot of the Republic, but she has been branded a traitor and is thought dead by enemies and allies alike. After she and her second in command, Kail, escape from prison, they gather up a crew of neer-do-wells to help Loch complete a job to save the Republic, gaining money and revenge in the process.
4
5	The trilogy features a richly detailed world as well as memorable characters and strong humor. Themes from Creator/BioWare properties creep in here and there, but the series is unrelated to any of their existing properties.
6
7	The series consists of three books:
8
9	[[index]]
10
11	* ''Literature/ThePalaceJob'' (2013)
12	* ''Literature/TheProphecyCon'' (2014)
13	* ''Literature/ThePaladinCaper'' (2015)
14
15	[[/index]]
16	----
17	!!These books provide examples of:
18
19	* AntiMagic: ''Yvkefer''-alloy is a metal that disrupts magic in the vicinity. It is a common (if expensive) addition to armor in order to ward off magical attacks, and ''yvkefer'' visors render the wearer immune to mind control.
20	* CriminalFoundFamily: The main CaperCrew grows incredibly close despite being picked for their skills and wound do anything for each other.
21	* EverybodyHatesHades: Byn-kodar, God of Death, is seen as a vile daemon, and those who worship him are mostly insane and sociopathic necromancers. True death priests are rare, but they are ''very'' powerful, with complete dominion over all magic, and are nearly impossible to kill. [[spoiler:Except Byn-kodar doesn't actually exist. He is a name given to the death powers that all the gods share. When, on rare occasion, a death priest is needed, they select a devout priest of a normal god and grant them the powers. This is why death priests have power over magic; all magic ultimately comes from the gods, and the death priests are being blessed by all the gods at once]].
22	* FantasticRacism: There's quite a bit, but the most obvious examples are the magical creatures. Fairies, unicorns, and satyrs are essentially bundles of magic that have gained sentience. They were born from the magic of the ancients leaking after the ancients left the world, something that the ancients don't particularly appreciate. There are a number of ancient constructs with orders to destroy any magical creatures they find, deeming them subhuman parasites.
23	* FloatingContinent: The capital of the Republic is Heaven's Spire, a city held up by millennia-old levitation crystals and filled with the wealthiest elites of the country.
24	* IBangedYourMom: Kail's favorite tactic, which he uses to incite his enemies into a blind rage where they'll make mistakes. He uses it a ''lot''.
25	* LostTechnology: The {{Magitek}} the ancients left behind. For the most part, the modern countries have a good understanding of how it all works and can replicate much of it, but the greater wonders like levitation crystals and automated golems remain out of reach.
26	* {{Omniglot}}: It's unclear if Kail can actually speak multiple languages, but he certainly knows enough to tell you [[IBangedYourMom He Banged Your Mom]] in every single language, even the tongue of the ancients.
27	* OurDwarvesAreDifferent: A calm, industrious race known for clever machines and a near-utopian society where everyone tries to help everyone else. Also, they don't live underground, though they do mine as much as any other industrial race would have to.
28	* OncePerEpisode: Early in each book, Loch steals a weapon that she will use for most of the book.
29	* OurElvesAreDifferent: Nature-loving {{Magitek}} cyborgs who [[TranshumanAliens might have been human once]]. They were a servant race of the ancients and helped maintain their machines, but now that the ancients are gone and their technology is not properly maintained, the elves try to stay away from it because the malfunctioning energy has odd effects on the crystals implanted in their bodies.
30	* {{Precursors}}: The "ancients" colonized the continent thousands of years ago, bringing with them incredible {{Magitek}} and all manner of servants, including all the human races, elves, and dwarves. Most modern civilizations are built on the scraps of technology they left behind, and even though none of it is operating perfectly, it is still capable of incredible things. They left the world in order to [[spoiler:protect it from the Glimmering Folk. As long as the ancients are gone, the Glimmering Folk cannot step foot on the world or any other connected to it]].
31	* PowerCrystal: Most ancient technology is based on crystals, often absorbing energy from some ambient source (like sunlight) and doing something useful with it (like levitating). They are also used as keys and communicators, but those are more expensive.
32	* ShipperOnDeck: For clergy of the love god, this is literally part of the job. (Desidora reminisces fondly about helping young lovers sneak into each others' houses.)
33	* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: While the crew generally has to juggle multiple enemies at once, they do fall nicely into this. In ''The Palace Job'', for example, the first two villains, while vicious, are entirely human and rather stupid. The middle three are all clever, supernaturally enhanced, and so dangerous just escaping them is an achievement. Finally, the BigBadDuumvirate consists of the evil genius ruler of a powerful nation and the local version of the Antichrist.
34	* TalkingWeapon: There are a few ancient weapons scattered around with the souls of Ancients bound within them. While the weapons retain their full intelligence and memories, they usually can't speak more than two or three phrases, and only in the Ancient language.
35	* {{Unicorn}}: Shapeshifting magical parasites with mind control powers. And yes, they really like virgins... but virgins don't stay that way for long around them.
36	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Unicorns can take any animal shape, including human. Ululenia usually takes a snowy white form, but she can probably change the coloration.

Context Literature / RoguesOfTheRepublic