This is the character page for the novella Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, which is part of the greater Cosmere cycle. For more Cosmere characters, see The Cosmere.
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The Waystop
Silence Montane
Silence Motane
A stern woman who runs a waystop in the Forests of Hell, notably the only one to have a fire in it. She's also the White Fox, a bounty hunter who collects on the criminals who pass through.- Bounty Hunter: Her primary source of income rather than what she gets from customers at the waystop.
- Red Baron: She's the bounty hunter known as the White Fox, and only as the White Fox. Keeping her true identity secret is what lets her succeed at hunting bounties in the first place.
- The Stoic: Daggon considers her to show less affection and emotion than a stone.
William Ann Montane
William Ann Motane
Silence's biological daughter, who helps her with both sides of her job.- An Arm and a Leg: She gets partially withered by a shade, necessitating the amputation of her left hand as well as several toes on her left foot.
- Dead Guy Junior: Her father was named William, and Silence named her in his memory.
- Heroic Bastard: Theopolis makes a reference to her being conceived and born out of wedlock, with Silence doesn't deny.
Sebruki
Sebruki
Silence's adoptive daughter, the sole survivor of her family after they were killed by Chesterton Divide's gang.- Revenge Before Reason: When Chesterton Divide arrives at the waystop, Sebruki prepares to kill him with a poisoned crossbow quarrel, despite the fact that Chesterton's men will kill her and everyone at the waystop in retaliation, without getting into the possibility of Shades getting in after being attracted by shed blood. When Silence tries to talk her down, it takes Sebruki a moment before she drops the crossbow.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Aside from a few trauma-induced behaviors she normally acts like an ordinary girl of eight years, but when the right buttons get pushed she acts like Silence in full bounty hunter mode. When she sees Chesterton in the waystop, she gets Silence's crossbow, loads it, and poisons the bolt in preparation to kill him. All of these steps very distinctly take time, especially cranking the crossbow to draw it, which makes it all the more troubling than simply taking a knife to try and stab him.
Dob
Dob
The waystop stablehand.- Secret Secret-Keeper: He knows Silence is the White Fox, though she never told him, and he never told her he knows.
Travelers
Theopolis
Theopolis
A fort tax collector and Silence's business partner, who turns in her bounties for her in exchange for a cut of the profit.- All Devouring Black Hole Loan Sharks: Silence's debt to him is the main reason she has to work as a bounty hunter.
- Consummate Liar: He's out for himself and a profit, and will pull any tricks and tell any lies it takes to make sure he benefits, no matter who he screws over in the process. He backs this up with genuine skill at acting, which Silence hates about him.
- Secret-Keeper: Outside of Silence's family (and Dob), he's the only one who knows that Silence is the White Fox. He works as her contact with bounty-paying authorities.
- Verbal Tic: He ends insincere questions with "hmmm?"
Chesterton Divide
Chesterton Divide
An outlaw and the man responsible for the death of Lastport's governor.- Then Let Me Be Evil: Played with. Before killing the governor, whether on purpose of by accident, he was already an ordinary highway robber. But afterwards, he's already being hunted for the greatest possible crime with no hope for mercy or leniency, so there's no reason for him to hold back from any other crime, no matter how heinous, because there's no way the fate in store for him can possibly get worse. As a result his list of crimes starts with assassination, murder, rape, and extortion, and then continues on for another page.
Others
Shades
Shades
The unquiet dead of the Forests of Hell. Coming into physical contact will causes the flesh of the area contacted to begin withering away, potentially permanently crippling a limb, or resulting in outright death if not treated, depending on the area hit. They generally avoid people, but if one of the Simple Rules is broken they will swarm and kill whoever broke them, before attacking anything in the immediate area. Silver is the only thing that can repel them, silver weapons to drive the shades off, silver dust to treat injuries given by the Shades.- Horror Hates a Rulebreaker: Shades will go after you if you, 1. start a fire, 2. shed the blood of another, and 3. run at night. Those three conditions form the guidelines for surviving the Forests of Hell called the Simple Rules. Break them and you will be swarmed by flesh-withering shades.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Shade's eyes are normally an emerald color, however if they get enraged their eyes will prompt turn a dark red, and begin to attack.
