The First Law Union Citizens / Characters

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Nobility

Glokta Family

Sand*

Sand dan Glokta

See Union Inquisition

Ardee

Ardee dan Glokta (nee West)

"No one gets what they deserve."

Sister of Collem West, bored with her station in life and what is expected of her gender.

Abusive Parents:
- Her father was an abusive alcoholic who beat his children so badly that West ran away, leaving Ardee alone to bare the full brunt of his abuse. When she got pregnant, her father beat her so badly that she miscarried, and when he died, not only was Ardee relieved, she celebrated by pissing on his grave.
- Ardee manages to do a much better parent to her own daughter, Savine. At least until The Wisdom of Crowds reveals she and Glokta engineered the Great Change which put Savine's life in danger multiple times, with neither of them apologizing or even displaying the slightest hint of guilt over the trauma they inflicted on their daughter.
Beware the Silly Ones: The funny, perpetually drunk mother of Savine turns out to be perfectly willing to cause a rebellion that results in the deaths of thousands so she and Glokta can usurp Bayaz's hold on the Union through their daughter Savine.
Broken Bird: Abused by her father since childhood - when she gets pregnant he beats her so badly she has a miscarriage - and then ignored by polite society, except for her brother, who's embarrassed by her.
Deadpan Snarker: Her barbed tongue marks her in strong contrast to the noble ladies that Jezal usually meets.
Earn Your Happy Ending: After a steady diet of misery and abuse, ends up married to Glokta, ensuring no one will be able to harm her or her illegitimate child, or ever mock or ignore her again.
Happily Married: Glokta married her to prevent attempts on her life for baring King Jezal's bastard. Despite the strangeness of the circumstances leading up to it, Ardee seems more-or-less happy with the arrangement.
Lady Drunk: Ardee spends the vast majority of her time getting drunk.
Morality Pet: To Glokta; Collem asks him to keep an eye on her as a favor between old friends, but Glokta grows genuinely fond of her.
My God, What Have I Done?: After Savine informs her that she plans on marrying Orso, Ardee is horrified that her lies resulted in Savine having incest with her half-brother, prompting her to reveal the whole truth.
Shipper with an Agenda: She and Finree conspire together to get Savine and Leo married both because it's an alliance between two powerful families but because Savine is already pregnant with Leo's kids from a one night stand. Ardee has even more motivation to push them together given that Savine had just broken off her relationship with Orso after finding out they're half-siblings.
Unholy Matrimony: While everyone in the Union knows Glokta is a monster and fears him, Ardee can be just as ruthless herself. The Great Change that resulted in the deaths of thousands turns out to have been her idea which she and Glokta worked together to accomplish. The two are quite pleased with their marriage.

Savine*

Savine dan Glokta

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds

If she was to be cast as the villain, so be it. They were always the most interesting characters anyway.

An incredibly ambitious noblewoman, Savine is infamous for her keen business savvy and utter ruthlessness. Having reaped considerable wealth from her investments and unethical business practices, Savine is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain her status. The only child of Arch Lector Glokta, the most feared man in the Union, Savine, and the world at large, is unaware of her adoption, or that her true father is King Jezal dan Luthar.

Action Survivor: While she's trained in fencing, her skills don't do her much good during the uprising in Valbeck due to the entire city rising up against the nobility. She does manage to kill two men, but spends most of her ordeal running, hiding, and depending on help from others.
Addled Addict: She becomes addicted to pearl dust following her near death experiences in Valbeck and frequently uses it to "calm her nerves."
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: After trying to usurp the throne from Orso and losing everything in the process, Savine turns herself in and begs for Orso's mercy, recognizing it as her best chance for survival. Upon revealing their familial relation, Orso decides to spare her and, at the last second, her husband.
Altar the Speed: She and Leo's mothers push them into marriage since it's both a politically convenient alliance between two powers but also because Savine is already pregnant with Leo's kids. Ever the pragmatist, Savine views it as a convenient arrangement.
Ambition Is Evil: Despite all the wealth and power that she's attained through her savvy business investments and status as the Arch Lector's daughter, Savine always desires more and will do anything to make sure she gets what she wants. In particular she wants to be queen, and while first she was thrilled to marry Orso to get it, once she finds out the truth of her lineage, she finds herself joining a coup instead.
Antagonistic Offspring: While Glokta isn't her biological father, he still raised her and loves her as his own child. This doesn't stop Savine from joining the coup against him when she realizes she could be queen. When Glokta finds out, he seems somewhat proud at her audacity.
Aristocrats Are Evil: She starts off the trilogy as a noblewoman and a businesswoman willing to resort to some pretty despicable actions to maintain her wealth and status, and only grows worse from there.
The Atoner: In The Wisdom of Crowds she attempts to be this during the Great Change. She knows the Burners will kill her eventually but after all the pain and death she's caused both through her factories and her failed rebellion, she wants to add a little good in the world before she leaves it. Once the Burners are defeated, Savine is horrified when Leo betrays Orso to put their son on the throne. Though her attempt to save Orso fails and Savine returns to her calculating ways, she manages to reduce Leo to Authority In Name only and says her brother can't have died for nothing, showing that her desire to do better than the old regime is more than Enlightened Self-Interest.
Bastard Bastard: Though she's unaware of it, she's the secret lovechild of Jezal dan Luthar and Ardee West, and her business practices alone make her pretty immoral. She comes to fully embody the trope when she finds out the truth about her parentage and willingly joins a coup to overthrow Orso so she can become queen.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In public, Savine is composed, polite and graceful in every interaction. In private she reveals just how ruthless, selfish, and treacherous she can be, all while keeping up that same composed, polite, and graceful affect.
Break the Haughty: She starts off as a very haughty and powerful noblewoman used to playing every person to her advantage, but once she's caught in the uprising at Valbeck, she develops PTSD and her once ironclad social status becomes shaky, along with her decision making. Her desire to never be hurt again spurs her to help engineer a civil war so she can become queen, an experience which only serves to break her again when her side loses and she's forced to beg for mercy from Orso just to survive.
Brother–Sister Incest: She and Orso are in a secret relationship, both unaware that they're half-siblings. He eventually proposes to her and the only reason she says no is because her mother reveals the truth to her after Orso pops the question.
Calling the Old Man Out: She's rightfully furious at both her mother and father for hiding from her that she's King Jezal's bastard daughter.
Cain and Abel: Sister variant. She eventually wages war against her half-brother Orso so that she can become queen. The two were lovers previously and Savine had actually planned on marrying him until she was told the truth of her lineage. Despite admitting to herself that she still loves him, she still goes along with the coup, knowing full well she can only succeed if her brother dies. Following their defeat and Orso's mercy, Savine gives up on wanting the throne. Unfortunately her husband doesn't and when he does have Orso executed it's only after Savine's done everything she could to stop it.
The Chessmaster: When it comes to business and politics, at least, Savine is an incredibly savvy schemer who's always a few steps ahead. Her planning is what turns the entire conspiracy against Orso into an actual threat, and even then she only loses because she was outmaneuvered by two other chessmasters.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: Savine gained much of her fortune through smart investing and she's willing to do some pretty horrible things to ensure she makes a profit. Things like employing child laborers to work in hellish conditions or sending her hired thugs to threaten workers organizing strikes for better treatment.
Daddy's Little Villain: She's the only daughter of Sand dan Glokta, Arch Lector of the Union's Inquisition, and one of the few people in the world he genuinely loves. For her part, Savine is a ruthless businesswoman who only grows more ruthless as time goes on, and respects her father immensely. Her opinion of him sours immensely upon learning her true parentage, to the point where she's okay with waging war against him for ambition.
Deliver Us from Evil: Subverted. For a while after giving birth to her children she seems to grow decidedly more heroic, wanting only to protect them and to make up for her past misdeeds. However, at the end of the trilogy she's back to the same underhanded schemes that she was at the start, and while she still tries to tell herself that she's changed for the better she has to admit that she has maybe not changed that much.
Even Evil Has Standards: Downplayed. When she finds out her mill in Valbeck has started turning a profit by essentially enslaving orphaned children in hellish working conditions, she's appalled. But she doesn't stop the practice since it's still making her money. The only thing her guilt motivates her to do is suggest basic improvements to their quality of life—such as not sleeping right next to the machinery—and justifying it by saying it'll improve morale.
It's All About Me: Savine is one of the most blatantly self-interested POV characters, not even having a pretense of good intentions. However, her selfishness reaches new heights when she wages war against the crown, at which point she's fine with destroying Rikke, Orso, and her adoptive father so she can become queen, even thinking if the entire world has to lose so she can win, then so be it.
Lady Macbeth: Her husband Leo joined the conspiracy against Orso believing that they'll merely be replacing his corrupt Closed Council with people who have the Unions best interests at heart. Savine, meanwhile, is well aware that the conspiracy's success will mean Orso's death, and that the men replacing the Closed Council will be just as corrupt as their predecessors. This doesn't stop her from making deals behind Leo's back to ensure that they become King and Queen of the Union afterwards, even backstabbing his childhood friend Rikke without Leo's knowledge. The following book has their roles reversed, with Savine feeling remorse for their failed rebellion while Leo becomes more ruthless and committed to seizing power.
Lonely Rich Kid: She realizes that the only friend she's ever had in her life is Zuri, the one her father paid.
Love Epiphany: Savine offers to back the cost of Orso's military campaign in the North with absolutely no strings attached, then stops and wonders why she just did that. Thinking about him makes her realize she did it because she's in love with him.
Love Is a Weakness: She comes to regard it as such after she finds out the truth of her lineage, to the point where she wages war on Orso, who is both her half brother and the only man she's ever loved, in order to get the throne. Once her rebellion fails at Stoffenbeck, she abandons this viewpoint.
Luke, I Am Your Father: She's unaware that she's the bastard daughter of King Jezal dan Luthar, until after she tells her mother she plans on accepting a marriage proposal from her half-brother.
Mama Bear: In the past she expressed disinterest with motherhood and babies in general. She's more surprised than anyone at how fiercely protective she becomes over her kids the second they're born, to the point that she snarls in Yoru Sulfur's face that she'll kill him for threatening her children.
Manipulative Bastard: Savine keeps a book on hand that contains vital information on the habits and secrets of practically everyone in the Union, allowing her to know exactly which buttons to press to manipulate them into acting in her best interest.
More Deadly Than the Male: Savine is far cleverer, more ruthless and more dangerous than any of her male business partners, rivals or lovers. It's only through Savine's scheming that her husband's coup against Orso has any chance of success, and when someone floats by the nickname "The Young Lioness" for her, Orso thinks it fitting, since he heard the females of the species were the ones who actually did all the killing. While Savine becomes The Atoner in the following novel while Leo becomes more evil, she still proves more competent than him at political maneuvering.
My God, What Have I Done?: The full weight of her actions really comes to hit her after her war against Orso fails, causing her to realize all the death and suffering she caused for so many, only served to make her lose everything.
Never Be Hurt Again: She nearly dies several times during the uprising in Valbeck, and the ordeal was so traumatizing that she comes down with PTSD from it and develops a pearl dust addiction. The fear of ever being that weak again contributes to making some pretty questionable decisions with the goal of becoming more powerful. Such as waging war to become the Union's queen so that no one can ever hurt her again.
Nice to the Waiter: When compared to other members of the aristocracy, Savine is impeccably polite and well-mannered to those of a lower status than she is. This is less due to any inherit generosity on her part as it is an acknowledgement of the value on goodwill. She knows some kind words and a few coins here and there doesn't hurt her bottomline. At point she makes plans to improve her reputation through charity work, while simultaneously planning to do so as cheaply as possible.
Oblivious Adoption: She has no idea that Sand dan Glokta isn't her real father until her mother tells her near the end of A Little Hatred.
Only Friend: Zuri, her right-hand woman and steadfast companion. She's well aware how sad it is that the closest person she has to a friend is the woman she pays for companionship, but Zuri does display further loyalty to Savine than one would expect from her position, such as sticking by her in a life-or-death situation.
Politically Correct Villain: Even at her most villainous (in The Trouble With Peace) she holds an enlightened disdain for sexism and racism, contrasting her less ruthless but more bigoted husband.
Pragmatic Villainy: Savine may be ruthless but she's not sadistic or stupid. Everything she does, she does for her own benefit. She knows small kindnesses every now and then don't cost her much and can only earn her goodwill, but at the same time she's willing to cross many moral lines to get what she wants.
Rich Bitch: Savine has tremendous wealth and power from being a noble and an investor, and is very cutthroat about how she maintains said wealth and power.
Secret Relationship: She and Orso have secretly been lovers for a long time because their parents disapprove of them being together. Neither of them know it's because they're half-siblings.
Surprise Incest: Once she's told the real identity of her father, she's rightfully enraged that her parents' lie resulted in her unknowingly "sucking her brother's cock."
Taking You with Me: When Judge tries to throw Savine off of the Tower of Chains, Savine makes it so that Judge falls with her. Broad manages to save Savine by grabbing her ankle while Judge takes the fall alone.
Villain with Good Publicity: She tries to invoke it despite her unethical business practices, having Sworbreck print out puff pieces on her as the "Darling of the Slums", fabricating charitable work she does for the poor in secret. It's all done to build up her support with the working class, so they'll accept her as queen once she deposes Orso. The results among her target audience are mixed.
Would Hurt a Child: She's not proud of it, but she does employ child laborers in her factories, knowing full well how dangerous they are. Later, she personally oversees her henchman threaten the son of a strike organizer to get him to call off the protest.

Brock Family

Lord Brock

One of the richest and most powerful noblemen in the Union during the events of The First Law trilogy.

Aristocrats Are Evil: A power-hungry nobleman who sells out his country so he can become king and abandons his children to the Inquisition when his plans are foiled so he can make his own escape.
Dirty Coward: In addition to fleeing once his Gurkish allies have been defeated to avoid repercussions, he also abandons his children—a daughter and two sons—who are arrested by the Inquisition. Fortunately they're granted the king's mercy.
Elective Monarchy: After the deaths of King Guslav's heirs, Prince Ladisla and Prince Raynault, Lord Brock is posed as the prime candidate to be voted in as the next King of the Union by the Open Council. He doesn't take it well when Bayaz arranges for Jezal to become king instead.
Parental Abandonment: He abandons his children so he can make his own escape, leading to their capture by the Inquisition. Fortunately they're not punished by the king for their father's treason.
The Quisling: Instead of just accepting that he lost the kingship, Brock allies with Emperor Uthman-ul-Dosht of Gurkhul. In exchange for Brock being made King of the Union, he agrees to allow the Union itself to be absorbed into the Gurkish Empire.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Once the Gurkish are defeated at the Battle of Adua, Brock flees to Gurkhul.
Sins of the Father: Thanks to him, the surname "Brock" carries a stigma to it and his children and grandchildren have to work twice as hard to be recognized as good people in their own right instead of just the brood of a traitor. Both Jezal and Orso have to argue against their advisors wanting to punish the dan Brock family for Lord Brock's deeds.
Small Role, Big Impact: Lord Brock doesn't appear that much, but his failed bid for the throne and subsequent treason in the original trilogy have far reaching consequences for the rest of the series. His son Harod, daughter-in-law Finree, and grandson Leo, are all forced to deal with the stigma of his treachery, and the descendants of his former allies work behind the scenes to destabilize the Union in the Age of Madness trilogy.

Hal

Harod "Hal" dan Brock

The son of the disgraced Lord Brock, Hal is a good man dedicated to redeeming his family name and proving his worth by working twice as hard to escape his treasonous father's shadow. He is happily married to Finree dan Brock, who aspires and eventually succeeds in making him Governor of Angland.

Affectionate Nickname: Despite his father's crimes, Harod is very likable and most everyone calls him "Hal" instead of Harod.
Good Parents: His son Leo distinctly views him as such after his death. It's revealed this is a mutual lie Leo and Finree tell each other. The truth is that Hal was neglectful at best, avoiding his son whenever he didn't "act like a man" and shipped him off to live with the Dogman as soon as possible.
Hard Work Hardly Works: Despite his belief that just doing good and working twice as hard as anyone else will be enough to restore his status, it's really his wife's political maneuvering that ensures his promotion to Governor of Angland.
Happily Married: He and Finree may be opposites in many ways regarding their personalities and personal ideologies, but their love for each other burns bright. Finree, despite her ambitious nature and the stigma associated with his family name, married him anyway, even if that made it an uphill battle to achieve her own goals.
- [[Averted in later years, when Leo says their relationship eventually fell apart and only stayed together for appearances. Its unclear what the reasons for this were, possibly because Hal had his son shipped off to the North or due to the backroom agreements Finree made to which promoted to Hal to being Governor.]]
Killed Offscreen: He died offscreen three years prior to the events of the Age of Madness trilogy.
Murder the Hypotenuse: Unbeknownst to Hal, Finree's childhood acquaintance Bremer dan Gorst is very much in love with her. Upon finding Hal wounded, unconscious and very much alone in Osrung, Gorst attempts to strangle Hal to death so that can have Finree for himself. Gorst stops as he hears Finree approaches and neither her nor Hal have any idea what Gorst had attempted.
Pitbull Dates Puppy: He's the "puppy" in the scenario when compared to his wife's "pitbull." Hal is a naive optimist who believes he can redeem his family's name is by proving himself through hard-work and sacrifice. Finree, meanwhile, is cynical and ambitious and believes the best way to get power is through political maneuvering and scheming.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Hal believes being a good person, doing his duty, being trustworthy, and working harder than anyone else is the best way for him to redeem his family's name and restore his status. His wife disagrees, and it's ultimately her political wheeling and dealing behind his back that results in Hal becoming Lord Governor of Angland.

Finree*

Finree dan Brock

POV: The Heroes

A Union noblewoman with ambitious plans. She married Harod dan Brock despite his reputation as the son of a traitor and worked to ensure he became Governor of Angland. As of the Age of Madness trilogy, her husband has died, leaving her as the acting Lady Governor.

Affectionate Nickname: 'Fin,' to her martinet father Kroy, who nevertheless clearly adores his only child.
All Girls Want Badboys: Downplayed. She briefly gains some minor respect for Gorst after finding out about his violent exploits in the war, but she remains happily married to her kind husband.
Ambition Is Evil: Averted. Finree is ambitious but overall she's a good person and she doesn't stoop to any lows to get ahead.
Abusive Parents: Downplayed, but Finree regularly admonishes and chastises her son for his hot-blooded temperament and attitude towards the more banal aspects of authority which left Leo with a serious self-esteem complex. Leo notices at the end of trilogy that in spite of becoming the Lord Regent of the Union, he's still groveling for his mother's approval.
Daddy's Girl: Finree dearly loves her father, General Kroy, who raised her alone after her mother's death. She even chews out Bayaz when she finds out her father's resigning because he went against Bayaz's wishes when he sued for peace.
Damsel out of Distress: She negotiates her own release and that of a number of other prisoners from Black Dow.
Deadpan Snarker: She has a very quick wit, which doesn't do her any favors sometimes.
Happily Married: Though her and Harod have their differences, their marriage is a happy and loving one overall.
I Have You Now, My Pretty: She ends up captured by Stranger-Come-Knocking who plainly states his intention to have her father "civilized" children for him. Luckily, she's saved at the last minute. Unfortunately, Brint's wife isn't so luckily.
Ignored Expert: Finree has been dealing with wars in the North since before Leo was born and has one of the keenest military minds in the setting. Yet despite all of her advice, her son Leo can't help but leap into action without thinking, often making her job to protect the Northern Protectorate and Angland much more difficult.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's opinionated and has a sharp tongue, but she's a good, charitable person at heart.
Lady Macbeth: Averted. She's ambitious and scheming to make her husband Governor of Angland, to the point where she ponders eliminating the current governor, Meed, but she's not evil at all, and after achieving power she becomes the ultimate Reasonable Authority Figure in Angland.
Locked Out of the Loop: She had no idea Leo and Savine were going to instigate a civil war against the crown, and when she finds out, she's reduced to tears begging them to stop, horrified of what will happen to them.
Manipulative Bitch: A much nicer example than most. She tries to manipulate others to advance in politics but she's a good person overall.
Military Brat: Since she grew up around army personnel, she knows more about good strategy than some of her father's generals.
Ms. Vice Girl: She's ambitious and scheming but ultimately a very good person.
Oblivious to Love: She had no idea that Bremer dan Gorst was in love with her until he told her to her face.
Parents as People: She has a hard time connecting with her son Leo due to mistakes on both of their parts. She eventually tells Leo she only wanted him to be happy, though, by the time she says this, he's lost everything that gave him happiness and just snaps, he "wishes she had just fucking said so."
Pitbull Dates Puppy: Finree is ambitious, abrasive, and willing to play dirty to get ahead, while her husband believes in getting ahead by working hard and being a good person.
Reasonable Authority Figure: As Lady Governor of Angland, Finree takes her responsibilities to the state of Angland and the Dogman's Protectorate very seriously. She doesn't take unnecessary risks with the lives of her men, doesn't care about being perceived as weak by her enemies, and even though it would've been easy to abandon the Dogman's people, she won't cut them loose because it's the right thing to do.
Rich Kid Turned Social Activist: Finree grew up in a rich household but is one of the few kind nobles to display consistent kindness and compassion to the innocents hurt by the Union's actions.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Not actual royalty, but Finree grew up in a rich household of nobility. She is one of the few kind nobles to display consistent kindness, loyalty to her allies, and compassion to the innocents hurt by the Union's actions, fulfulling her "noblesse oblige".
Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Her husband, Harod, is brave, loyal, innocent, and optimistic while Finree is a devious cynic. She loves him anyway and married him even though his family had fallen from grace after his father's failed bid at becoming king.
Smart People Play Chess: Finree and her father play a game implied to be the Union equivalent of chess, and they're smart enough to keep all the pieces in their mind so they can plan their moves even when separated by large distances.
Surrounded by Idiots: Having been raised by a talented military officer, she's quick to notice all the failings of the officers around her. In the Age of Madness trilogy, it grows worse as her son Leo constantly disregards her sound military advice.
Survivor's Guilt: While she ends up escaping from Stranger-Come-Knocking's lecherous clutches, Aliz dan Brint remains his captive, and her ultimate fate is never revealed. When Finree gets back to camp, she suffers from a great deal of guilt for not being able to save her friend.
Too Clever by Half: As Black Dow notes after she tries to press her luck in their negotiation, she's sharp, but she doesn't want to be so sharp that she cuts her own throat.
You Just Had to Say It: Despite her intelligence and charm, Finree can't stop herself from sassing some people when it's not socially appropriate.
Wealthy Philanthropist: Coming from a wealthy and noble background, Finree is a good person who's compassionate enough to want to give refugees aid for purely altruistic reasons.

Leo*

Leonault "Leo" dan Brock

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom Of Crowds

"Wars may be won by the clever, but battles have to be fought by the brave."

Leo dan Brock is a young nobleman and soldier who is bravely fighting in the war to protect the Dogman's Protectorate from the invading armies of the Northern Kingdom. The only son of Harod dan Brock, Leo is awaiting King Jezal's confirmation that he shall succeed his father as Governor of Angland. In the meantime, he begrudgingly obeys the orders of his mother, acting Lady Governor Finree dan Brock. His exploits have earned him the nickname "the Young Lion."

A Father to His Men: One of Leo's virtues is how much he cares about the men under his command, even surrounding himself with a group of them who act as his True Companions.
Ambiguously Gay: Despite reacting with disgust to even jokes about homosexuality, there are many hints that Leo isn't as straight as he thinks. Despite having two female love interests, his POV reveals that it's usually hard for women to excite him like they do his friends. Meanwhile, he waxes eloquent about the physical attractiveness of the men he surrounds himself with and has a few romantically charged moments with his best friend, Jurand, which leaves Leo always reacting with puzzlement towards what he's feeling.
An Arm and a Leg: During the Battle of Stoffenbeck, Leo falls into Orso's trap and is fired upon by canons. He survives, but his left leg is so ruined it has to be amputated.
Armoured Closet Gay: It's strongly implied that Leo's extreme anger and disgust at the mere mention of homosexuality is due to him being confused about his own sexuality. At the same time that he outwardly decries gays as perverts, his internal reactions show him feeling flustered about the thought of men romantically involved and unable to understand why.
Authority in Name Only: While he's named Lord Regent of the Union, Savine was very careful in the wording of the contract to ensure she has just as much power as him, and the Closed Council she chose is more loyal to her than to him. When he threatens to use brute force to rewrite the law, Savine points out that her popularity with the public combined with her business and political acumen means she can grind the Union to a halt if he ever tries, meaning he can't make a move without her say so.
Awful Wedded Life: By the end of Age of Madness, Savine is clearly through with him and makes it clear their marriage is only a business arrangement. While she admits her culpability in how Leo turned out, she refuses to let him have his way. Any affection or care between them is dead and Savine intends him to "pay the bill" for his misdeeds.
Blood Knight: Leo feels most alive while fighting on the battlefield, much preferring settling matters through force of arms than through long-term strategy. It's a little disturbing to see somehow usually so good-natured capable of inflicting such brutality during a fight and having no conflicted feelings about it whatsoever.
Boomerang Bigot: Leo acts virulently homophobic while simultaneously showing multiple signs of attraction to men.
Break the Haughty: After the battle of Stoffenbeck, Leo is left shattered. His friends are dead, his ideals are gone, he realizes he was just a selfish, easily manipulated fool and he can't even bring himself to speak to Orso when Orso confronts him.
Calling the Old Man Out: After he's crippled, he finally lays into Finree for her harsh parenting, along with his father Hal, horrifying Finree who says she only ever wanted him to be happy. Leo ends it by snarling he "wishes she had just fucking said so" and storms off.
Career-Ending Injury: He sustains a wound on his right leg from his duel with Stour Nightfall. While the rest of his injuries heal, his leg doesn't. It causes him constant pain to the point where stairs become a challenge for him, let alone dueling at the level he could before. A physician tells him it may never heal. And then, the Battle of Stoffenbeck results in him completely losing his left leg, meaning his bad leg is now his only leg.
Casual Kink: He discovers he enjoys being verbally and physically smacked around by his lovers and neither he nor his wife Savine see it as anything but fun.
Childhood Friend Romance: He becomes romantically involved with Rikke who was his childhood friend while he fostered with her father in Uffrith. There is also a lot of romantic subtext between Leo and his best friend Jurand, who grew up together.
Defeat Means Friendship: After hearing stories of people like Logen Ninefingers befriending those they bested in combat, Leo spares Stour Nightfall's life in the Circle and offers a hand of friendship to end the war between the North and the Protectorate. Unfortunately, while Stour ceases active warfare, he only does so to play for time since Leo's position is stronger now. Stour still plans on seizing the Protectorate eventually, and when Leo approaches him for an alliance in another war, Stour has no intention of helping him without getting anything in return.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: After his Face–Heel Turn, he genuinely has no idea why Savine objects to him betraying and executing Orso, thinking it just made sense to kill him because he was a threat to their power. Never-mind that Orso offered them both clemency for their failed rebellion, or that he betrayed her to the Burners to grab control of the People's Army, or that Orso is her brother.
Face Death with Dignity: When he's about to be hanged for treason, Leo opts to go out with as much dignity as he can. It's only after Orso pardons him at the last minute that Leo breaks down crying.
Face–Heel Turn: He goes from an idealistic, if foolish and well meaning man to a fascist, treacherous and cruel would-be dictator who betrays the man who offered him mercy.
Fish out of Water: Leo is most at home fighting on the frontlines, not engaging in politics. He's hopelessly out of his element dealing with his fellow noblemen in Adua, and much prefers the directness and customs of the North.
Foil: To Glokta. Both are Union nobles who started off as vainglorious military commanders, both were injured and crippled to near death after foolhardy charges on the battlefield, and both became manipulative schemers who decided to betray others in order to secure their own safety and power. Unlike Glokta, Leo isn't as quick with his wits, doesn't plan ahead for the long-term, and is too proud and vain to have any major introspection. At the end of the Age of Madness trilogy, Savine notes that while both men had done horrible things, Glokta never wanted to have any heroic paintings made of himself.
Foreign Culture Fetish: In contrast to his bigotry towards non-whites (like the Gurkish) and whites from other ethnicities (like Styrians), Leo has a profound fascination and infatuation with the warrior culture of the North.
Frontline General: Leo prefers to be where the action is thickest during battle, in particular acting as the point of the spear during a charge.
Glory Seeker: Leo has gained tremendous renown as the Young Lion but always seeks to expand his legend in battle. Frequently it means he doesn't put thought into the consequences of his actions until after the fact.
Green-Eyed Monster: It's implied that Savine's assessment that Leo sent Jurand and Glaward away because Leo was jealous of Jurand sleeping with Glaward instead of him is correct. It's also presumably why by the end of the trilogy, Leo is thinking of sending Glaward away somewhere.
Hypocrite: Despite being profoundly racist towards non-whites and xenophobic towards whites from other cultures (like Styrians), he has a Foreign Culture Fetish towards Northern culture.
Hot-Blooded: One of the signs of Leo's immaturity is that he lets himself be swayed by whatever intense emotion possesses him at the moment. While his passion inspires his soldiers, others use it to manipulate him for their own ends, knowing that Leo won't actually stop and think about the consequences of his actions.
Ignored Epiphany: More than once Leo will recognize the wisdom of his mother's advice or realize that his acting without thinking resulted in disaster, but each time it looks like the revelation will inspire him to turn over a new leaf, he falls back into the same old glory-seeking, battle-loving habits that caused him trouble in the first place.
Last-Minute Reprieve: A second before Leo is to be hanged for treason, Orso stops the execution and commutes his sentence to life imprisonment instead.
Leeroy Jenkins: Due to his battle-loving and glory-seeking tendencies, Leo has a habit of acting in the heat of the moment, not thinking through the practical or strategic benefits of his actions. In his first chapter alone an unnecessary battle he instigates costs the life of one of his True Companions.
Oblivious to Love: It's strongly implied that his best friend Jurand has romantic feelings for him, but all of the hints go straight over Leo's head. At the same time, Leo also doesn't seem self-aware enough to realize his own feelings towards Jurand could be considered romantic.
Politically Incorrect Hero: Despite being one of the more "heroic"—or, at least, well-intentioned—protagonists, Leo's incredibly homophobic, to the point of sending away two of his True Companions, including his best friend, after discovering they're gay. He's also racist towards non-whites and openly voices his displeasure at seeing so many dark skinned people in Adua, which Orso and Savine are quick to call him on. His bigotry even extends to white people of other ethnicities, at one point thinking of Orso as a "half Styrian mongrel". Later, the "Hero" part goes away entirely.
Protagonist Journey to Villain: The Wisdom of Crowds reveals his entire character arc was about his journey from a wannabe hero into a wannabe evil overlord, as he betrays Orso the second they've defeated the Burners and eventually executes him and anyone loyal to him to make himself Lord Regent. The only reason he's not more villainous is because Savine is around to curtail his warmongering desires by making sure the contract they had written gives her equal power to him, and she refuses to allow Orso's death to be entirely for nothing.
Pyrrhic Victory: He's won by the end of Age of Madness. His son will be King as he's Lord Regent, he's defeated and executed Orso, the Union is his. But he's also in crippling pain, most of his friends are dead, his battlefield glory days are forever behind him, he feels no joy or satisfaction at anything, his supposed pawns will side against him and Savine makes clear that she'll oppose him on the Council whenever she deems it necessary, forbidding him from starting pointless wars. He's a bitter, broken shell of a man without any happiness despite achieving all he wanted and having thrown away any goodness for it.
Red Baron: His exploits on the battlefield earned him the name "the Young Lion" among his troops, a name which becomes beloved among the citizens of the Union.
Redemption Rejection: With the Burners defeated, Orso offers him a genuine hand in friendship in order for the two of them to work together to rebuild the Union. Leo responds by murdering Lord Marshall Forest, putting all of Orso's royalists under arrest and eventually executing Orso to seize power for himself.
Soldier vs. Warrior: Leo falls firmly on the warrior side of the equation, always preferring to fight rather than wait or plan... or pay attention to important details. Having grown up on the Dogman's stories of famous Northmen who earned glory in battle, Leo seeks to emulate his boyhood heroes.
Ungrateful Bastard: Orso gives Leo a last minute reprieve at Savine's urging and later offers him four Closed Council seats in exchange for helping him overthrow the Burners. Once Judge is dead and Adua is secured, Orso offers Leo a hand in friendship to put the past behind them. Leo instead betrays Orso, kills anyone loyal to him and eventually executes Orso himself.
Unwitting Pawn: Leo is popular among Union citizens and brave, but also short-sighted, hot-blooded, naïve, vain and gullible. In short, the perfect puppet. Leo becomes the figurehead for the planned coup against Orso, which is first organized by Lord Isher then co-opted by Savine who wants to seize the opportunity to become queen and make Leo their Puppet King.
Virtue Is Weakness: Defeat at Orso's hand only inspires him to abandon his remaining principles and be as deceptive as the people he hates. He ends the trilogy refusing Orso's offer for a chance to work together and executes him to seize ultimate power for himself instead.
War Hawk: As soon as he seizes power, Leo intends to wage war on everyone he feels has slighted him or the Union. Rikke only manages to spare the North from his vengeance by reluctantly surrendering Orso over to him, and Leo's first Closed Council meeting has him proposing a new war against Styria to reclaim Sipani where Orso's sister is married to the Chancellor. The only reason he's stopped from declaring war is Savine utterly outmaneuvering Leo by guaranteeing that she has equal political power to him.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Leo may disagree with his mother, but he also desperately yearns for her approval.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Trouble With Peace has Leo genuinely believing his rebellion will save the Union by expunging the corrupt Closed Council and replacing them with good, honest patriots. He didn't intend to cause a civil war or even kill Orso, only "liberate him" from his advisors, and he had no idea his coconspirators plotted to kill him to put Leo in his place. The Wisdom of Crowds has him abandoning any pretensions of well-intentions in order to seize power for its own sake.
Would Hurt a Child: He's perfectly fine with hanging the thirteen-year-old Hildi for her loyalty towards Orso. The only reason she survives is because Savine breaks her out of jail.
Wrong Genre Savvy: He thinks he's the hero of a storybook. Instead he's an Idiot Hero in a Crapsack World whose attempts to fix things only makes things worse.

Wetterlant Family

Fedor

Lord Fedor dan Wetterlant

A member of the Open Council accused of heinous crimes. He's described as having something "missing about the eyes."

Aristocrats Are Evil: An aristocratic rapist and murderer.
Asshole Victim: Wetterlant gets a particularly humiliating and prolonged death, but given that he's a craven, selfish, elitist, sociopathic rapist and murderer, it's very satisfying.
Bad Liar: When Orso confronts Wetterlant in his cell, the man is so appalling a liar that—in the space of a single conversation—he goes from saying he's innocent, to saying he was coerced, to saying it was a mistake from high spirits, to saying that he should be immune from repercussion because he's a member of the Open Council.
Entitled Bastard: Wetterlant believes he can do anything he wants to commoners and that his position as a member of the Open Council means he should never be punished for his actions.
Even Evil Can Be Loved: The only person who has any love for him is his mother, who either doesn't know about her son's evil nature or just doesn't care.
Implausible Deniability: Wetterlant claims that he's completely innocent of murder, in spite of the fact that he did so publically, in front of seventeen witnesses.
Politically Incorrect Villain: In addition to be elitist towards the common-folk, he also calls Glokta a "crippled remnant."
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Orso is especially disgusted by Wetterlant's crimes and when the man tries to evoke a false equivalency between them and Orso's hedonism, Orso snaps and shouts that he's "never bloody raped anyone!"
Small Role, Big Impact: He's a minor character but the fallout from his trial and execution is used by Isher to turn the nobility, including Leo dan Brock against Orso, eventually leading to a civil war.
The Sociopath: A low-functioning example. He can express a superficial charm but his ultimate affect is shallow. He's incapable of empathy or regret, and believes his aristocratic status makes him superior to commoners who he can abuse with impunity. He's a consummate liar who lets loose a string of lies when questioned about his crimes and hops from one to the next when met with the smallest pushback from his interrogators. He's also said to have something "missing about the eyes."
Undignified Death: At his hanging, Wetterlant's unable to say his last words over the roar of the crowd, gets pelted with rotten fruit by them, has the trapdoor open under him prematurely so he's left with one foot wedged into the edge of the gallows until an executioner is finally able to kick his leg out so he can hang.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: When Wetterlant shows up for his trial, he comes with a shaved head, has traded his fancy clothes for a penitent's sackcloth, and sports fresh bruises on his face, putting on an act like he was tortured into providing a false confession. Arch Lector Glokta points out how foolish a claim that is because, if Glokta tortured Wetterlant, he'd have tortured him far worse. It fools the nobles but Orso knows the truth and has him hanged anyway.

Lady Wetterlant

"A mother's love for her child transcends the law."

The ferociously protective mother of Fedor dan Wetterlant.

Aristocrats Are Evil: Not as bad as her son, but she's still a member of the aristocracy who argues her son should not be punished for rape and murder. After his execution, she turns traitor and wages war against the Crown.
Avenging the Villain: She joins the rebellion against Orso to avenge her son, who Orso executed for rape and murder.
Defiant to the End: Unlike her coconspirator Lord Barezin, Lady Wetterlant continues to hurl insults and curses at Orso and her executioners up until her noose strangles her.
I Regret Nothing: Even after her side is defeated at the Battle of Stoffenbeck and Orso, the target of her vengeance, survives, Lady Wetterlant declares she regrets nothing.
Mama Bear: Lady Wetterlant isn't above making brazen threats to the King, the High Justice and the Arch Lector to ensure her son's survival. After her son is executed by King Orso, Wetterlant joins the rebellion against the Crown. It's perhaps deconstructed in that for all her threats and her action, Lady Wetterlant only can provide beggarly troops for the rebellion against Orso.
Moral Myopia: It doesn't matter to her that her son raped a woman and murdered a man, she considers her son being on trial at all to be an outrage.
Politically Incorrect Villain: She's a classist who believes that the eye witness accounts of seventeen commoners don't hold a candle to the word of one nobleman.
Revenge Before Reason: It doesn't matter that she has beggarly troops at her disposal or that her son was executed for a crime he was very clearly guilty of, Lady Wetterlant is devoted to launching a war against the Crown in the name of vengeance.
Undignified Death: Just like her son, she experiences an embarrassing and lingering death courtesy of a bungled hanging.

Other Nobles

Carlot dan Eider

A merchant, head of the Guild of Spicers.

The Charmer: Dipping into Femme Fatale when necessary.
The Chew Toy: The universe apparently hates poor Carlot. She's constantly batted around by powerful figures, which ends repeatedly in her losing everything, and she deserves it far, far less than people who get away free with bigger crimes. She's finally content and happy as of Red Country.
Manipulative Bitch: Although for pretty altruistic reasons.
May–December Romance: When she was twenty-two, she was compelled to marry a sixty-year-old man to repay her father's debt.
Miss Kitty: In Red Country, true to the book's Western theme.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: She ignores Glokta's earlier warning to flee the Union to return and warn him about the Gurkish making their way to Midderland with a secret fleet. As a result, Glokta ends up seizing her assets at the end of the story and forcing her to act as his spy in Styria.
Non-Idle Rich: Does everything in her power to support Glokta in his defense of Dagoska.
Pet the Dog: As part of the ruling council of Dagoska she tries to restrain the Union's worst abuses towards the natives.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Her role in the ruling council of Dagoska and as the Mayor in Red Country.
The Rival: In Red Country, she's in a bitter fight with the crime boss, Papa Ring, for control of the town of Crease.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: By the end of Best Served Cold, she flees Styria to avoid Glokta's wrath after Shivers fails to kill Monza. It's revealed in Red Country that she's made her way all the way to the town of Crease in Far Country.
Slowly Slipping Into Evil: When she first appears, she tries to use her resources and wiles to save the population of Dagoska. With every appearance after that she compromises her principles further. In Red Country, she breaks her word to let a duel decide which of them rules Crease, and instead launches a preemptive strike against Papa Ring's forces and businesses while the fight's still going on, causing a bloodbath in Crease.
Throw the Dog a Bone: After spending most of her screen time suffering undeservedly, the end of Red Country has her as the unopposed Mayor of Crease which is starting to evolve thanks to industry. She's also gotten the Union out of her hair by convincing them she's aligned with the Old Empire.
Trauma Conga Line: Glokta exposes her as a traitor and later forces her to work for him as a spy in Styria, where she becomes Ario's mistress. In Best Seved Cold, she's tortured and blackmailed into assisting Monza in Ario's assassination, forcing her to seek protection in the League of Eight in order to escape the wrath of both Glokta and Grand Duke Orso. Fortunately, things start to look a little brighter for her by the time of Red Country.
Two Aliases, One Character: Though her name is never mentioned, it's pretty obvious that she's the Mayor of Crease in Red Country.
Ultimate Authority Mayor: In Red Country she's become the Mayor of Crease and the power in town is split evenly between her and her rival, Papa Ring, until she bests him. Her authority is justified in this case since it's a plot point that Far Country is far away from most global powers, and Carlot's plan is to align with the Old Empire over the Union.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: In Before They Are Hanged, she turned traitor to the Union and made a deal to hand Dagoska over to the invading Gurkish Empire because she knew the city was doomed anyway and at least by cooperating she could ensure there wasn't any bloodshed.

Fedor dan Isher

Lord Fedor dan Isher

A scheming aristocrat who is dissatisfied with the royal family and Closed Council during the Age of Madness.

Aristocrats Are Evil: Isher has been seizing his land back from Union citizens by sending out thugs to either intimidate people into selling or kill them if they won't budge. Eventually he plots treason against the crown and instigates a civil war to gain more power.
Big Bad Wannabe: He may be the initial brains of the conspiracy against Orso and the Closed Council, but all Isher really brings to the table is two blowhard noblemen. Isher is completely dependent upon Leo's soldiers to be a military threat, and, after Savine joins the conspiracy, she supplants him as the brains of the operation, turning it into a much more dangerous threat.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: There hasn't been a faction that Isher has been a member off that he has't betrayed.
Karma Houdini: Isher's plotting leads to Leo and Savine's rebellion against the crown, and Leo's gradual descent into villainy, but despite everything Isher's done, not only does he escape the Battle of Stoffenbeck unharmed, he also lands a seat on the Closed Council when Leo manages to usurp Orso after the Great Change is undone.
Manipulative Bastard: Isher plays both Orso and Leo like a fiddle during the Wetterlant Trial to get more power on the Open Council. While Orso catches on, Leo doesn't, and Isher uses Leo's dissatisfaction with the Crown to get him to join a conspiracy against Orso.
Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: His stated reasons for wanting to depose and replace the Closed Council is to weed out the corruption in the government and make the Union great again. In reality, Isher is just a power-hungry man who wants a spot on the Closed Council and a more malleable Puppet King.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Isher manages to escape when his side loses the Battle of Stoffenbeck, leaving his coconspirators behind to face the King's justice.
Smug Snake: Isher is clever enough to manipulate others into helping him, and careful enough that even Savine doesn't have any dirt on him, but he's still nowhere near the powerful threat he thinks he is.
Toxic Friend Influence: He ingratiates himself as a friend to Leo but only to manipulate him into causing a scandal at the Wetterlant Trial. His masterplan is to use Leo to launch a coup against Orso and the Closed Council, and, once that fails, Isher leaves all of his allies behind to die while he makes his escape.
Villain Respect: Despite having a low opinion on women, he expresses respect towards Savine when her superior planning gives his conspiracy against the Crown a much better chance of success.
White Hair, Black Heart: He's still a young man but his hair is already white, and his heart is already devoid of compassion.

Selest dan Heugen

A rich noblewoman and Savine's self-styled rival in the business world.

Big-Breast Pride: Selest is quite well endowed, and she doesn't miss an opportunity to dress in ways that show this off.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: As nasty and ruthless as Savine in the business arena, but without any of the self-awarness Savine develops over the course of the "Age of Madness" trilogy.
Karma Houdini: Manages to escape all repercussions for denouncing Savine in the Court of the People and revealing her true parentage to the world. By the end of the trilogy she even becomes the first woman to have a seat in the Closed Council as Minister of Commerce.
The Rival: Although Savine initially dismisses her as a mere pretender, Selest proves quite a shrewd businesswoman and threatens to usurp Savine's place in the Solar Society.

Citizens

Broad Family

Gunnar*

Gunnar Broad

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds

Liddy: "It's a fine line, Gunnar, between helping people and hurting 'em. You're prone to wander all over it."

A Union veteran returning home from the failed wars in Styria. He and his family are forced off their land after Gunnar's temper gets the better of him during an altercation with Lord Isher's hired thugs. Gunnar struggles to provide for his family while also battling his violent nature.

Battle Butler: After entering Savine's employ, his cover is that of her coachman, but in actuality he works as a hired goon who dirties his hands so Savine's businesses continue to run smoothly.
Beware the Nice Ones: Gunnar comes across as a pretty nice guy under most circumstances, but he has a monstrous appetite for violence that he's willing to indulge in at a moment's notice.
Blind Without 'Em: Lord Marshall Mitterick gave Gunnar a pair lenses as a reward for saving his life. Without them, Gunnar can't see more than a handspan in front of him before the world becomes a smudge.
The Brute: Savine hires him to serve as her main muscle, and, despite his shame over it, he does love violence.
Call to Agriculture: Coming home from the failed war against Styria, Gunnar intended to live a peaceful life with his wife and daughter on the family farm. One violent altercation with a local lord's hired goons quickly forces the family to move out of fear of reprisal.
Frequently-Broken Unbreakable Vow: Gunnar keeps promising his family that he'll stay out of trouble, yet frequently finds himself—sometimes through happenstance and sometimes deliberately—facing situations where violence is his only option. His wife lampshades it by telling him to not make promises he can't keep.
Happily Married: Despite all the hardships they face, Gunnar and his wife, Liddy, genuinely love each other.
Just Following Orders: During his time in Styria, he was assigned to kill POWs the Union didn't have room for and did it without question, numbing his guilt with alcohol and trying to console himself by saying he was just following orders. He tries to adopt a similar attitude when press-ganged into the Burners, though he can't deny he enjoys the violence even if he hates himself for it.
Motivational Lie: The letter Savine gave him from his wife and daughter that urged him to remember he's a good man at heart was actually a forgery to motivate Broad to side against the Burners to save her. Broad's not that upset when he finds out.
Papa Wolf: The first time Gunnar goes into a murderous blood-rage onscreen is when a man tries to intimidate him into selling his land by threatening to kill Gunnar's wife and daughter. Not only does Broad brutally kill him, he does the same thing to the man's two accomplices.
Punch-Clock Villain: He's a loving husband and father who just wants to provide for his family. Unfortunately, after Valbeck, the best way for him to do so is by working as a hired goon for Savine dan Glokta. During The Wisdom of Crowds, he throws his lot in with the Burners and gives in to his repressed violent desires. It's only through Savine's forged letter from his wife and daughter that Gunnar is able to snap out of it and fight Judge and her Burners on the Tower of Chains.
Reluctant Psycho: Gunnar knows that his temper and love of violence are genuinely wrong, and he works hard to repress them for the good of his family and out of a genuine sense of shame. Unfortunately, more often than not, he's fighting a losing battle against his nature.
Returning War Vet: His first chapter in the Age of Madness trilogy has Gunnar finally returning home to his family after being off fighting in the Union's war with Styria.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Gunnar was a Ladderman in Styria, meaning he was in one of the most dangerous positions as the first man up the ladders, over the walls, and into the fighting where it's thickest. He did it five times. The horrible things he did during the war have damaged him greatly, to the point where he isn't sure he'll ever be able to escape his violent tendencies.
The Teetotaler: Gunnar has stayed sober since coming back home from Styria, knowing that drinking would just make his judgement even worse.
Unknown Rival: He becomes one to Lord Isher after his men force Gunnar and his family off their land.
We Used to Be Friends: He and Sarlby's friendship sours following the failed Breaker rebellion at Valbeck, which resulted in Broad being given a cushy job for Savine dan Glokta and Sarlby joining the Burners. Sarlby only becomes friendly again once Broad is press-ganged into the group, though Broad is crestfallen at how far Sarlby has fallen. They end up fighting atop the Tower of Chains when Broad decides to save Savine and Orso rather than follow Judge.
Would Hurt a Child: His first chapter in The Trouble With Peace has him threatening a worker's son to get him to call off a strike he planned. The man gives in before Gunnar gets to work, but Gunnar had every intention of following through on his threats.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Just before her trial, Savine gives him a letter from his wife and daughter telling him that they know he's in trouble and has lost his way, but assuring him that he's a good man. It ends up being the motivation Broad needs to side against Judge when she orders him to throw Savine and Orso off the Tower of Chains. After being reunited with his family, Broad finds out Savine forged the letter to help her odds of survival. Broad doesn't take it that bad, and resumes work as her leg breaker as if nothing happened.

Liddy

Liddy Broad

The wife of Gunnar and mother of May. She's been keeping the family farm afloat while Gunnar was fighting in Styria.

Determined Homesteader: Due to increased industrialization, common land is being cordoned off for businesses and the local lord, Isher, is forcing people out to seize their property. Liddy has managed to keep the farm going despite the hardships and the threats of Isher's men, but her and her daughter's efforts end up being for naught when Gunnar immediately murders Isher's men for threatening his family, forcing them to flee as fugitives.
Happily Married: Even though Gunnar's violent tendencies only make things more difficult for their family, the two of them still love each other.
Locked Out of the Loop: She and her daughter have no idea that Gunnar is working as a leg breaker for their boss, assuming he's just another servant.
Morality Chain: The welfare of her and her daughter Liddy are about the only things keeping Gunnar from giving in completely to his psychopathic tendencies.
Selective Obliviousness: When Gunnar tries to confess to his crimes as a Burner, Liddy tells him she's fine with not knowing and May confirms that her mother chooses to remain blind to her father's terrible actions for the sake of the family.

May

May Broad

The daughter of Gunnar and Liddy Broad.

Calling the Old Man Out: Just as her father is about to act on his violent impulses after they've already landed the family into trouble, May snaps at him not to mess up their lives again after she just went through all the hard-work to earn them safety and comfort.
Daddy's Girl: Gunnar is fiercely protective of her and May greatly admires her father for fighting in the war with Styria, even if Gunnar doesn't think he did anything to be proud of.
I Owe You My Life: She invokes this by sheltering Savine dan Glokta during the Breaker uprising in Valbeck, telling Savine that she wants protection and employment for herself and her parents as payment.
Locked Out of the Loop: She and her mother have no idea that Gunnar is working as a leg breaker for their boss, assuming he's just another servant. At least, Gunnar assumes they are, but May eventually tells him she knows full well what he does and doesn't care, while her mother turns a willfully blind eye to it.
Morality Chain: Her welfare and her mother's, are the main things keeping her father from giving in completely to his psychopathic tendencies.

Breakers and Burners

The Weaver

The mysterious leader of the Breakers and the Burners. His goal is to bring about the "Great Change," which will "break" the rotten core of the Union, and bring in a new era where the poor and downtrodden are no longer crushed under the boots of the rich and powerful.

His true identity is a major spoiler for The Age of Madness trilogy. For more information see: Superior Pike and Sand dan Glokta

Affably Evil: He wants to bring about a Great Change to improve the lives of the Union's oppressed citizens and, once his identity is revealed, he shows himself to be well-mannered, calling his followers "his children," and even offers Vick a job despite their skepticism. It's a stark contrast to the emotionless and terrifying torturer he acted like as Superior Pike.
Bad Boss: He hangs two hundred of his own followers who rose up in Valbeck to bring about his Great Change. Vick, who was already unnerved by what Superior Pike is willing to do to his enemies, is even more terrified of what he's willing to do to his own allies.
The Bad Guy Wins: The Weaver's true identity is revealed to be Sand dan Glokta, who gets away with everything he sought out to accomplish. He instigated the Great Change, not to reform the Union, but to break Bayaz's hold over it and essentially become the Union's new shadow ruler. He ends the trilogy successful, with his daughter acting as Lady Regent of the Union and no one outside of those loyal to him aware of his involvement in the Great Change.
Big Bad Ensemble: "Bad" in this series is always debatable, but he's the main threat of the Breakers and Burners storyline, while competing with Stour Nightfall in the Northern storylines, and Bayaz as the Greater-Scope Villain of the series. By the end of the trilogy, the Weaver's true identity is revealed to be Sand dan Glokta, who was only using the Great Change as a means to break Bayaz's hold on the Union and replace him as the ruler from the shadows through his daughter Savine.
The Chessmaster: In his civilian identity of Superior Pike, he organizes a revolution against the Union while working as the right-hand of the Inquisition, one of the Union's most powerful institutions. Throughout the Age of Madness, he instigates the uprising in Valbeck, then hangs two hundred of his own supporters knowing Prince Orso will be blamed and further turn the Union's citizens against the Crown, then uses the chaos of Orso's war against Leo and Savine as a distraction to stage his own massive uprising across the Union while simultaneously depleting his enemies' numbers.
Commonality Connection: Both Pike and Vick were prisoners in Angland's brutal penal colonies yet willingly joined the very Inquisition that sent them there, if nothing else but for the chance to finally be the ones with their boots on someone else's necks. Pike says it's one of the reasons he ends up offering her a job, but really it's so he can use her as an instrument to end the Great Change once it's outlived its usefulness.
Evil Versus Evil: The Wisdom of Crowds reveals the Weaver is really Sand dan Glokta and he only instigated the Great Change to end Bayaz's control over the Union so Sand could become the new Bayaz.
Hazy-Feel Turn: The morality in The First Law series has always been sketchy, with there being less "good" and "evil" than moral grayness. Superior Pike goes from the second-in-command of the Union's Inquisition to the head of a rebel organization willing to go to any extremes to bring the Union down. Or so he claims. In reality, he's just following Sand dan Glokta's orders to break Bayaz's hold over the Union.
Karma Houdini: Superior Pike, who adopts the Weaver persona, and the "true Weaver" Sand dan Glokta, are responsible for the deaths of thousands but get away scot-free with their crimes.
Legacy Character: He allows others such as Superior Risinau to use the name "the Weaver" to spread his ideals. Then it turns out even Pike himself is taking the name from the "true" Weaver, Sand dan Glokta, who turns out to have engineered the entire revolution with his wife Ardee.
Manipulative Bastard: He's able to play everyone against each other in his civilian identity, tricking fellow Chessmasters while keeping his real loyalties and motives hidden. He even successfully plays Master Actor and Consummate Liar, Vick dan Teufel.
Mole in Charge: After Glokta retires as Arch Lector in The Trouble with Peace he appoints Pike the new head of the Inquisition. At the end of the same book, Pike reveals himself to be the leader of the revolutionaries that wants to tear down the Union. Then The Wisdom of Crowds reveals Pike was answering to the "true Weaver" Sand dan Glokta who only got the idea from his wife Ardee.
Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: All the Weaver's rhetoric of improving the lives of the downtrodden citizens of the Union is a lie. In reality, the Great Change is just meant to break Bayaz's control of the Union and transfer it to Glokta.
Rebel Leader: He's the leader of both the Breakers and their more extreme offshoot, the Burners, with his goal being to tear down the corrupt leaders of the Union.
The Unfettered: Despite his affability and well-intentions, the Weaver is utterly ruthless in bringing about his Great Change, to the point where he's willing to hang two hundred of his own supporters to further the cause.
Villain: Exit, Stage Right: Pike disappears once the Burners are destroyed, only showing up again to take Vick to meet the real Weaver, Sand dan Glokta.
Visionary Villain: The Weaver's ultimate goal is to stop the rapid industrialization that has been exploiting and destroying the lives and livelihoods of the underprivileged. He formed the Breakers to break the Union, ridding it of its corruption, and stopping the merciless system that facilitates the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer. Or so he claims. In reality, he's just breaking Bayaz's control over the Union and ensuring it's given to the "true Weaver" Sand dan Glokta.
Walking Spoiler: The Weaver's identity is a massive spoiler for the Age of Madness trilogy.
We Can Rule Together: He offers Victarine dan Teufel in the final chapter of The Trouble With Peace the chance to join him, partly due to their similar backgrounds, partly because he wants a skeptic to balance out his more fanatical followers. She accepts, if only because she's in the midst of an army of his followers at the moment. The following book reveals she was really recruited as a pawn to use when the Great Change was no longer needed. Sand dan Glokta, revealed to be the true Weaver, then offers her the role of Arch Lector.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Weaver's means may be horrifying but his goals are well-intentioned. He knows exactly how corrupt the Union is and he wants to overthrow its government so that the poor and downtrodden will no longer be oppressed. The Wisdom of Crowds reveals the stated cause is a lie. The Great Change was nothing but a means to have Sand dan Glokta replace Bayaz as the Union's puppet master.

Judge

"Nothing was ever got with talk... That couldn't be got with fire."

The psychotic leader of the Burners, the more fanatical offshoot of the Breakers.

An Offer You Can't Refuse: She gets Broad to join the Burners by usurping Risinau's faction and telling Broad to make sure they're properly executed. She then sends Sarlby to "make sure he makes sure."
Axe-Crazy: Even her own allies know Judge is dangerously insane, with a love of violence and a desire to see the Union burn.
Barefoot Loon: She always goes around barefoot as an indicator of her unhinged personality. She even likes to demonstratively put up her dirty bare feet on the table during the court sessions.
Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: The Burners, as their name implies, don't want to break the Union to bring about the Great Change, they want to bring it by burning the Union to the ground. She and her forces end up burning down vast swathes of Valbeck, heedless of the danger towards their Breaker allies.
Co-Dragons: She and Superior Risinau serve as the Weaver's right and left hands.
The Corrupter: Judge isn't only mad herself, but she has a way of turning other people mad as well. Under her, Sarlby goes from a good man to a mass murdering fanatic and Judge preys on Broad's violent nature to make him pliable to her.
Defiant to the End: Even with Orso and Leo's armies retaking Adua from her forces, Judge decides to pass a final sentence and throw Savine and Orso off of the Tower of Chains rather than make a getaway or use them as hostages. When Savine says Judge can talk her way out of this, Judge just dismisses it as "Savine's way" not hers.
Disney Villain Death: She has thousands of people murdered by throwing them off the Tower of Chains. When she tries to do the same to Savine as a final sentencing, Savine ends up throwing her off instead.
Disc-One Final Boss: She's the main antagonist throughout The Wisdom of Crowds with the Weaver taking a hands off role to have her rule as she sees fit. With her death, the Breakers and Burners are ended as a threat, only for Leo dan Brock to betray Orso once more.
Evil Is Hammy: She's more than a touch theatrical while riling her followers up in her speeches.
Eviler than Thou: It was never in question that she was the most psychopathic person among the fundamentalist Burners, but she made sure Risinau knew by executing him and his entire faction.
Fiery Redhead: Judge is passionate and a total psychopath with a mass of flame-red hair.
Hanging Judge: In addition to being named "Judge," during the uprising at Valbeck, she takes over the courthouse and runs mock trials against her wealthy prisoners, having the jury box filled with prostitutes who declare the defendants guilty before Judge is done stating their name and an imprisoned, naked defense attorney who's only purpose is to agree their client is guilty and offer no defense at all. Judge ends up hanging dozens of her prisoners before Vick can negotiate the release of the rest. Once the Great Change starts and she rules Adua, she gets worse, murdering hundreds of people a day in show-trials and planning to spread the practice all across the Union.
The Heavy: She's the most visible and active antagonist in The Wisdom of Crowds.
In Love with Your Carnage: She immediately takes a shine to Gunnar Broad after he knocks one of her bailiffs through the witness box. She continues to show tangible appreciation for the violence he's capable of while flirting with him and offering him a spot by her side.
Might Makes Right: When one of the prisoners she's put on trial demands what right she has to judge him, her response is that she has the authority of the fist, sharpened metal, and force, which she claims is the only real authority there is.
Multiple-Choice Past: Whenever Judge asks people, "You know why they call me Judge?" she gives out different but not necessarily exclusive backstories each time. For example, saying she got the name because it was her job to settle disputes among the whores down by Keln's docks, judging who had the right of it. Or because her parents were killed by Chief Sangeed of the Ghosts in Far Country and she was kidnapped to act as an impartial judge to the feuds of the clans as an outsider. Or because she she can judge someone's character with one look, better than they can judge themselves. Or because she's the person who's been chosen to judge what survives the past and what burns. She prompts the question a final time to Savine before trying to execute her. When Savine asks why, Judge's response is, "Honestly? I've no clue."
"Not So Different" Remark: When she sees Broad fight she says she recognizes the "devil in him," mostly because it takes one to know one. It's partly why she's so keen to have him by her side.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is unknown. She offers various stories about how she got the name but it's not clear which of them, if any, are true. Even she admits she has no clue why people call her Judge.
Psycho Supporter: Judge is a total psychopath and she supports the Weaver mostly because he's willing to resort to insanely ruthless measures to bring about the Great Change.
Pyromaniac: If being part of a group called the Burners wasn't obvious enough, Judge really loves starting fires.
The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: The Burners are so named because they're even more extreme than the already extreme Breakers, and Judge is their leader. She's more than happy to bring about the Great Change by burning their oppressors alive then digging through their ashes to grab her freedom, regardless if "collaborators" or innocents get caught in the blaze.
Right Hand Vs Left Hand: Though she and Risinau are allies in the Weaver's cause, they clearly don't like each other. Judge sees Risinau as an idiot and he sees her as a madwoman. They're both right but the Weaver gives Judge permission to kill and supplant Risinau since his way is failing to control the people.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: She and the Burners hightail it out of Valbeck before Prince Orso's soldiers and the Inquisition arrive to take back the city. But not before starting a few more fires on her way out.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Practically every sentence out of her mouth is laden with curses.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: Risinau's reign during the Great Change may have been marked by uncontrolled idiocy, but when Judge takes his place, hers is marked by uncontrolled bloodlust. She judges over show trials and pronounces thousands of innocent people guilty in made-up conspiracies so they can be thrown off of the Tower of Chains. Her reign is so horrible that it eventually forces every POV character in Adua to team up to take her down, even if the alliance is brief.
Unwitting Pawn: For all her anarchist talk of "burning down the world," she just ended up a pawn of Sand dan Glokta, ensuring the old world continued only now controlled by Glokta instead of Bayaz.
Villain Respect: She admits to Savine that she's tougher than she looks during their fight, but that won't stop her from going off the Tower of Chains.
Villainous Crush: She openly lusts after Broad and makes overtures for him to join her side. The feeling is just as strong on Broad's part but he's able to keep his urges in check. After Judge seizes control from Risinau and "volunteers" Broad as a Burner, Broad becomes her lover. She's quite upset when he turns against her atop the Tower of Chains to save Savine and Orso.
You Have Failed Me: She has General Bell thrown off the Tower of Chains, not because she thinks he's a traitor but because he lost a battle, and a loser makes him just as bad in her book. She later threatens Sworbreck with the same threat when he completely loses control of the trial against Savine.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: The Weaver finds out about Vick's conspiracy against Judge but doesn't make a move to stop it because Judge's madness has outrun its usefulness.
Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Judge's followers see her as a champion of the common people. Everyone else, as Savine says, "with eyes and ears in their heads" considers her a lunatic.

Malmer

One of the leaders of the Breakers during the uprising in Valbeck.

Cool Old Guy: He's an older man who cares about the common folk of Valbeck and is willing to give Broad a job based on a friend's recommendation. Broad, Vick and Orso all reflect that they can't help but like him.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He's the only Breaker leader who stays behind to protect his followers when the king's forces surround Valbeck. His compassion ends up getting him tortured and executed by Superior Pike.
Only Sane Man: When compared to his fellow rebel leaders, Risinau and Judge. The former is a dreamer more concerned with the romantic ideals of the Great Change than he is with the practical details of it, like providing food and safety for their people. The latter is a psychopathic fanatic willing to let her own allies be caught in the crossfire if it means burning down the Union. Of the three, Malmer is the most grounded, the one who actually looks out for his people's best interests, and the only one who doesn't abandon the city before the king's forces arrive.
Token Good Teammate: Malmer is the most moral of the Breaker leaders in Valbeck. All he wants is for common citizens to get fair wages for fair work and safe environments. He frequently tries to get his fellows to show mercy and he's the only leader who stays with Valbeck when the king's forces come to reclaim the city, even if it will probably result in his death.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: His fellow rebel leaders use him to start the uprising in Valbeck, then leave him to be executed for the ordeal while they run. It's eventually revealed that the man who executed him was his boss, the Weaver.

Sarlby

A former comrade-in-arms of Gunnar's who persuades him to join the Breakers.

Dissonant Serenity: He takes to overseeing the mass executions of the Burners enemies with a smile on his face, a jaunt in his step, and jokes to spare.
The Fundamentalist: He comes to believe in Judge's cause wholeheartedly, murdering hundreds of people at her order without a second thought. Once Judge is killed, the Burners destroyed, and Sarlby's imprisoned, he tries to remain defiant only to display the slightest flicker of doubt at Vick's words. He's then informed he'll be hanged the next day.
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Sarlby always wanted to upend the Union as a Breaker, but after two hundred people were hanged following the Valbeck uprising, Sarlby stopped being a Breaker and joined the more extremist Burners.
Killed Offscreen: Sarlby is last seen in the House of Questions, being interrogated by Vick then informed he'll be executed the next day.
Mook Lieutenant: Sarlby eventually assumes this position in the Burners, being the most visible of Judge's lieutenants.
Returning War Vet: Like Gunnar Broad, Sarlby has returned from the failed Union war with Styria.
We Used to Be Friends: When Sarlby is first seen, he's an old war buddy of Broad's and vouches for him so Broad can get a job at a local tavern. After the fiasco that was Valbeck, and Broad starting to work for Lady Savine, the next time they meet Sarlby is disillusioned with his friend "joining the enemy." He agrees to take Broad to the Breakers but makes it clear he won't stop them if they decide to kill him.

Other Citizens

Mauthis

A senior representative of the mysterious banking house of Valint & Balk. Introduced in The First Law, he offers a "non-traditional" loan to Glokta to help the Union's defenses against the Gurkish invasion in return for unspecified vapors in the future.

Character Tics: He licks his thumb before turning pages in his ledger. Moveer takes advantage of this to poison all the ledgers in Valint & Balk, killing Mauthis along with dozens more.
Faux Affably Evil: He's calm and polite even when he makes veiled threats to Glokta.
Guilt by Association: Monza's reasoning for targeting him is essentially "he was in the room when Benna was killed." Mauthis had no idea about Orso's plan to kill them, and while he didn't object it, he did seem confused by Orso's decision-making.
Lean and Mean: Described as tall, gaunt and hollow-eyed.
Morally Bankrupt Banker: He's not above threatening Glokta when the latter starts asking uncomfortable questions. It later turns out that Valint & Balk was created by Bayaz to control the Union and keep the war against the Gurkish going.
Mysterious Backer: Lends Glokta a substantial amount of money during the siege of Dagoska, for initially unknown reasons. He's ultimately revealed to work for Bayaz.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He's usually a very composed and stoic man, but when Mauthis warns Glokta about the type of people he's gotten involved with by accepting Valint & Balk's money, Glokta becomes afraid because the composed Mauthis is terrified.
The Stoic: He's completely unfazed by Benna being murdered right in front of him.
Straight Edge Evil: Drinks no alcohol, in order to keep his mind on the job.
There Is No Kill Like Overkill: He's killed along with dozens of other people after Morveer poisons every single ledger in the bank.

Longfoot

Brother Longfoot

A talented Navigator whose constant chatting and boasting get on his companions' nerves.

The Friend Nobody Likes: Absolutely none of his companions much care for him, since he never shuts the hell up. Still, much as they dislike him, they do tolerate him.
Lovable Coward: He admits to running from fights, but it's hard to hold that against him.
Miles Gloriosus: Spares no opportunity to boast about his talents and accomplishments.
Motor Mouth: He will not. Stop. *Talking*.
Non-Action Guy: Combat is not among his many skills.
Plucky Comic Relief: He doesn't have much depth beyond providing humor to that plotline.
Running Gag: His constant tendency to brag about his "many skills".
Shoo Out the Clowns: Following the journey, he is captured by the Inquisition and barely escapes (mostly) intact, before exiting the story. Things get worse after that.
Small Name, Big Ego: One of his signature traits is constantly boasting about his skills and knowledge, and having a very high opinion of himself despite his relative unhelpfulness to the group.

Sworbreck

Spillion Sworbreck

A writer with an over-inflated sense of his own talent. First seen as Nicomo Cosca's biographer, he eventually returns to the Union with new writings of his adventures in the Far Country.

Amoral Attorney: As the Chief Prosecutor of the Great Change, his job involves making up the most outlandish conspiracy theories possible and leveling them at obviously innocent people who're unable to defend themselves, all so they can be executed.
Believing Their Own Lies: Savine utterly trounces him when he tries to incriminate her during her trial. Seeing him falter at basic reasoning and questioning, she wonders if Sworbreck has truly begun to believe himself the greatest legal mind of their time instead of a hack writer who's only tried people never allowed to prepare a proper defense.
Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Savine tells him the only reason she doesn't have him thrown off the Tower of Chains as he did to so many innocents is because people enjoy his terrible writing and she needs his puff pieces to maintain her popularity with the Union citizens now that she's become Lady Regent. So she'll keep him alive for as long as he's useful, and not for a second longer.
Chekhov's Gunman: He just appears to be Cosca's put-upon biographer throughout Red Country, but in the climax of the book, he's the one who defuses the conflict between the heroes and Cosca by killing the latter with his own sword.
The Dog Bites Back: After being dragged through hell on account of Cosca's actions, witnessing horrific crimes and being arrested by the Inquisition just for being associated with him, Sworbreck finally breaks when Cosca takes a family hostage and runs Cosca through with his own sword.
Drunk with Power: He becomes more and more intoxicated by the power his position as Chief Prosecutor for the Great Change gives him, happily framing thousands of people for fabricated crimes so they can be thrown off the Tower of Chains. The second he's captured, he pleads pitifully for his life, admitting he's a weak man.
Everyone Has Standards: He grows increasingly disgusted by the unnecessarily violent actions committed by the Company of the Gracious Hand, even as he accompanies them as Cosca's biographer.
Expy: Sworbreck is clearly a fantasy version of W. W. Beauchamp from Unforgiven: both are nebbishy authors of pulpy tall tales who follow around a living legend to document the real story only to find that the wild frontier is a lot less romantic than they'd expected.
Face–Heel Turn: Though not strictly good, he has at least enough human decency in Red Country to be disgusted by Cosca's crimes and kill him to save some children. Once the Burners take control of Adua he goes from hack writer to a collaborator drunk on power who acts as the Chief Prosecutor of the Great Change, framing thousands of innocent people for made up conspiracies so Judge can order their executions.
Fake Ultimate Hero: In his writings, he cultivates the image of a Gentleman Adventurer of the Far Country. In actuality, he doesn't go further than the Rostod harbor and instead pays a scout to wear his clothes and ride across the plains so they look like an adventurer's clothes upon his return.
Guilt by Association: After Inquisitor Lorsen turns Cosca's men against him, Lorsen has Sworbreck arrested alongside Cosca and Friendly. When Sworbreck asks why one of the mercenaries replies with, "Why not?"
Innocently Insensitive: While going on about Savine's experiences in Valbeck during the uprising, Sworbreck obliviously triggers her traumatic memories of the event with his prattle.
Karma Houdini: He acts as the Chief Prosecutor of the Great Change, willingly condemning thousands of innocent people to death in show trials for Judge and the Burners, but manages to survive the group's destruction and even retains his writing job. Vick is suitably disgusted by the unfairness of it and Savine herself says Sworbreck will now devote his life to making her look good and the second he no longer can he'll be killed.
Locked Out of the Loop: It turns out he has absolutely no idea what Savine and Orso use his office for.
Propaganda Machine: Savine hires him to be one to bolster her public image among the working-class. Sworbreck begins writing puff pieces of Savine doing secret (and fake) charity work for the common folk, who have named her "The Darling of the Slums." The target audience have mixed reactions. He starts up again after Risinau takes control of Adua, launching propaganda campaigns against him, and then sides with Judge once she overthrows him.
The Quisling: During the Great Change, Sworbreck sides with the Burners, adopting their colors and enforcing their ideology in show trials in order to expand his personal power. The method of execution, being thrown off the Tower of Chains, is even his suggestion.
Small Name, Big Ego: Sworbreck fancies himself the best writer in the world, but when he rattles off some of his most famous literary accomplishments, he's met with stone silence from his listeners.
Villains Want Mercy: In spite of all the people he helped kill during the Great Change, after he's captured he begs and blubbers for mercy from Savine, who he'd previously tried to have killed. Savine does spare him, but only for pragmatic reasons and promises to kill him the second his usefulness ends.

Curnsbick

Honrig Curnsbick

An inventor from the Union who first shows up in the Far Country trying to start a metalwork business. At some point, he eventually travels back to the Union, where his aptitude for science and invention leads to him being revered as the nation's Master Machinist.

Chekhov's Gunman: When he's first introduced in Red Country he just seems like a smart inventor and businessman. Fifteen years later as of The Age of Madness he's helped launch the Union into its equivalent of the industrial revolution.
Cool Old Guy: By the time of The Age of Madness he's become a bit older but no less pleasant and inventive.
For Science!: Curnsbick just seems to enjoy inventing for the sake of science and innovation. The reason he founded the Solar Society along with Savine and Ardee was to bring about a group of like-minded people dedicated to inventing.
Gadgeteer Genius: Curnsbick's inventing skills have earned him the moniker of the Master Machinist. In Keln he invented a patent portable forge, a wheelchair for Glokta, a steam-engine used in textile mills and to pump water from mines, and even begins to develop a steam locomotive with plans to expand railways across the Union. During the Burners reign, he's unwillingly recruited to devise more efficient ways to hang people or lifts to develop them to their deaths.
Honest Corporate Executive: Despite his immense wealth and power as one of the Union's foremost industrialists, Curnsbick isn't seen employing any corrupt business practices of his own. Doubly odd given his friendship with renown Corrupt Corporate Executive, Savine dan Glokta.
Intergenerational Friendship: He's an older gentleman and one of the few people that the twenty-something Savine dan Glokta considers a true friend.
Nice Guy: He's a pleasant, generous man with a passion for inventing and a genuinely friendly demeanor.
Noodle Incident: It's left unexplained what happened between Curnsbick and his former partner Majud by the time of The Age of Madness trilogy, only that Curnsbick has missed him every day for the past ten years.
Platonic Life-Partners: He's missed Majud every day ever since they parted ways a decade ago. Given the reveal of Curnsbick's orientation and just how intensely he misses Majud, it's implied the two were more than just business partners.
Real After All: At first Curnsbick just seems like a false identity made up my Majud in order to have someone to blame for his thriftiness. Temple is thoroughly surprised when Curnsbick shows up in the flesh, just in time to reward Temple for the excellent job he's been doing on making his and Majud's shop.
Self-Made Man: He goes from a humble inventor to a foundry owner to one of the most powerful and respected industrialists in the Union. By the end of The Age of Madness he's also landed a seat on the Closed Council.
Straight Gay: When Savine tells Leo he shouldn't let his feelings on someone's sexual orientation interfere with his decision making, she shocks Leo by casually mentioning Curnsbick is gay.
Trapped in Villainy: It's all but said in The Wisdom of Crowds that the weighted hanging platform and the lift to the top of the Tower of Chains he invents for the Burners were due to him being pressured into doing so. Regardless, he still feels very guilty for their use after the Great Change ends, and wonders if he should have stood up to them instead.
Uncle Pennybags: A running gag throughout the book is Majud justifying his frugalness by insisting his partner Curnsbick has a heart of iron where business is concerned. When Curnsbick does show up, he proves to be exceedingly generous, introducing himself by giving Temple a bonus for the excellent he did on his shop and tosses a few coins to Buckhorm's son as well for his assistance. Later, when the Fellowship reunites at a party, drinks are on him, much to Majud's horror.

Zuri

"Everyone looks better on their knees. It was my favorite thing about attending temple."

A Gurkish refugee who acts as the peerless lady's companion to Savine dan Glokta.

Agent Scully: When Savine's other maids express fear at the possibility of Zuri encountering Eaters while traveling South, Zuri dismisses them as fictional. This in spite of the fact that Eaters attacked Adua only thirty years ago and people are still alive who remember fighting against them. She has a good reason to deny their existence, given that she's an Eater who formerly served the Prophet Khalul himself.
As the Good Book Says...: Zuri frequently cites priestly sayings in conversation, usually dryly acknowledging the hypocrisy involved each time. She frequently cites her scripture teacher in it. Her teacher having been the Prophet Khalul, though Zuri admits it's been years since she gave a single damn what Khalul might think of her.
Becoming the Mask: She admits to Savine that at first their friendship was a cover so she could act as Savine's protector, but over time she began to truly love Savine and now considers her a friend.
Being Evil Sucks: Her loyalty to Khalul has long since faded and she sees her former order as causing more harm than good. She would prefer to have the Union and Gurkul become allies rather than waste more lives and resources avenging an old grudge.
Bodyguarding a Badass: Savine is often quite capable of defending herself against common threats, but it takes an Eater to defeat an Eater.
Big Sister Instinct: She travels alone to the chaotic war-torn South to save her brothers and bring them back to Adua.
Girl Friday: Zuri is always by Savine's side as her peerless lady's companion, writing down everything that could benefit Savine's businesses and damage her rivals in the little book she keeps on her.
Hidden Badass: She's an Eater. Almost certainly Ishri of the Hundred Words and a very powerful one as well who's able to throw down with Yoru Sulfur and kill him alongside her "brothers" Rabbik and Haroon.
Hunter of His Own Kind: Glokta assigned her to watch over Savine in the event that Bayaz ever sent Sulfur after her. This proved to be a very wise precaution.
Metaphorically True: Haroon and Rabik are not her brothers by blood, but rather Eaters that belonged to her former religious sect. However, she does view and treat them as family.
Ninja Maid: Savine's right-hand servant and as an Eater, an inhumanity fast and strong supernatural being. Glokta actually employed her specifically for this purpose, introducing her as a lady friend and secretary for his daughter to hide her true purpose as the ultimate bodyguard.
Only Friend: She's the closest thing to a friend that Savine has, with Savine noting how sad it is that the one person she can say that about is the person who's companionship she pays for. Though Zuri herself acknowledges the power imbalance in their relationship yet genuinely views Savine as her friend anyway.
Platonic Declaration of Love: After Savine rages at Zuri's reveal of secretly being an Eater, and agent of her father, Zuri tells Savine she eventually grew to love Savine and that their friendship was not a lie.
The Reliable One: Savine thinks of Zuri as her rock, and when Zuri departs for the South to help her brothers, Savine is worried what she'll do without Zuri by her side.
Satellite Character: Most of Zuri's characterization revolves around her relationship to Savine, with little else known about her or her past. Then it's revealed she's the Eater Ishri who has since defected from Khalul's side for the possibility of an alliance between the Union and South.
Servile Snarker: While she's always impeccably polite about it, she's still willing to trade sarcasm with Savine.
Stronger Than They Look: She's packing a lot of deceptive power for such a slim woman. It's a major hint she's actually an Eater.
Undying Loyalty: When Savine decides to turn herself in following her failed coup, Zuri decides to go with her, in spite of the risk to her life posed by being labeled an accomplice to treason. Though it's later revealed she's an Eater who was planted to act as Savine's bodyguard, her loyalty to Savine has since become one hundred percent genuine.

Characters / The First Law Union Citizens

Nobility

Glokta Family

Sand dan Glokta

Ardee dan Glokta (nee West)

Savine dan Glokta

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds

Brock Family

Lord Brock

Harod "Hal" dan Brock

Finree dan Brock

POV: The Heroes

Leonault "Leo" dan Brock

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom Of Crowds

Wetterlant Family

Lord Fedor dan Wetterlant

Lady Wetterlant

Other Nobles

Carlot dan Eider

Lord Fedor dan Isher

Citizens

Broad Family

Gunnar Broad

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds

Liddy Broad

May Broad

Breakers and Burners

The Weaver

Judge

Malmer

Sarlby

Other Citizens

Mauthis

Brother Longfoot

Spillion Sworbreck

Honrig Curnsbick

Zuri

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Index

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Characters / The First Law Union Citizens

Edit Locked

Nobility

Glokta Family

Sand dan Glokta

Ardee dan Glokta (nee West)

Savine dan Glokta

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds

Brock Family

Lord Brock

Harod "Hal" dan Brock

Finree dan Brock

POV: The Heroes

Leonault "Leo" dan Brock

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom Of Crowds

Wetterlant Family

Lord Fedor dan Wetterlant

Lady Wetterlant

Other Nobles

Carlot dan Eider

Lord Fedor dan Isher

Citizens

Broad Family

Gunnar Broad

POV: A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds

Liddy Broad

May Broad

Breakers and Burners

The Weaver

Judge

Malmer

Sarlby

Other Citizens

Mauthis

Brother Longfoot

Spillion Sworbreck

Honrig Curnsbick

Zuri

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Index

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