Characters / Wars of Light and Shadow

Characters of Wars of Light and Shadow:

Main Characters:

Arithon s'Ffalenn

• Blessed with Suck: Arithon possesses the gifts of foresight and empathy, meaning he can foresee every consequence of every action he takes, and feel the suffering these choices will cause.
• Cool Sword: If Alithiel were any more awesome, it might as well be a lightsaber.
• Casting a Shadow: Type 2. Though there's brief speculation that it may be something more than that...
• Dark Is Not Evil: Arithon, the Master of Shadows, is actually a pretty decent guy, but his gifted geas of empathy makes it hard for him to be around people.
• Death Seeker: To the point that the Fellowship binds him against committing suicide to prevent further suffering from his half-brother trying to get at him.
• Doom Magnet: Arithon tends to leave a trail of orphaned, dead, and imprisoned comrades in his wake, because his half-brother, driven insane by his cursed geas, can't get at him, and therefore lashes out at those closest to him.
• Guile Hero: Arithon seems to love pulling off plans of many kinds. Most notable are his plans counting on Dakar's attempts to sabotage them in Ships of Merior, and in Traitor's Knot, both his original plot to discredit Lysaer's campaign by harmlessly humiliating the sunwheel priests and, later, his method of infiltrating the Kralovir by setting up a complex chain of events that could have been toppled at any moment by the slightest mishap. Not to mention damaging the Great Waystone by turning Prime Selidie's tracking sigil for iyats against her, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist spying on him again.
• Heroic Bastard: A strange case here. Both his parents were royals - they just happened not to be married to each other at the time he was conceived. Also, since he is the last surviving s'Ffalenn, he is inheritor by default.
• It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Arithon knows that Lysaer has all the resources of the Rathain merchants, including a sizable army, at his disposal, and no compunction against harming anyone harboring Arithon. Therefore, he has to keep moving and avoid getting too close to people in order to minimize the effects of his Doom Magnet status.
• Last of His Kind: Arithon is the last scion of the s'Ffalenn bloodline.
• Magic Music: He's pulled some truly amazing stunts with his lyranthe and, in some cases, just his voice or mind alone.
  • In Ships of Merior, he quite accidentally awakens the Fifth lane power circle under the Mayor's hall in Jaelot while playing Halliron's eulogy, effectively destroying most of the city. Few are hurt, but Jaelot's citizens are not pleased.
  • Peril's Gate: Arithon used his Masterbard's ear and lyranthe to play the Paravian songs and awaken a dormant power focus in Sanpashir.
    • Later, Morriel Prime's mucking with the power lanes caused a massive surge on the solstice that threatened to damage Rockfell Peak. The shorthanded Fellowship called on Arithon's connection with the land to direct it through him, at the expense of his life if need be - but Arithon managed to sing it into submission in his mind, safely releasing the magnetic surge into the land and ending the imbalance that had caused an unnatural winter in Rathain.
    • In Kewar Tunnel, Arithon used the same melody and tactic to sever the immediate hold of Desh-thiere's curse - not eliminating it, but making it vastly easier to manage.
• Master of Illusion
• Mindlink Mates: With Elaira, after a healing attempt gave them an empathic connection.
• Mirror Character: The respective trials, successes, and failures of Lysaer and Arithon are frequently set up as counterpoint to each other.
• Noble Fugitive: After the events of Curse of the Mistwraith.
• Pirate: The s'Ffallenn line has long bred pirates, and some of it has rubbed off on him. Tends to lack the expected details, though.
• Reluctant Ruler: Arithon would rather do right by the common people of Rathain than be big and important.
• Samaritan Syndrome: Arithon can't appreciate the privileges of being prince of Rathain because he feels too acutely the suffering of the poor and oppressed.
• Technical Pacifist: Due to his gift of empathy, Arithon doesn't want to hurt anyone - just don't push him too far...

Lysaer s'Ilessid

• Abusive Parents: Lysaer's dad was a dick to his mom, and wanted to use Lysaer's gifts against the s'Ffalenns. Considering that said mother is shared by both half-brothers, we can figure out how well that went...
• A God Am I: Lysaer sets himself up as a Messiah.
• Kick the Dog: Lysaer has a few moments shortly after his exorcism to show how his character has changed. In one case, he literally kicks a dog that had snapped at his heels, without even a thought regarding how out of character it would usually be for him. Earlier that day he had smashed Arithon's lyranthe in a fit of rage.
• Knight Templar: Lysaer, whose gifted geas of justice was twisted and corrupted by the Mistwraith.
• Like Father, Like Son: ... for better or worse.
• Light Is Not Good: It is not clear if Lysaer's path is morally superior to Arithon's...
• Mirror Character: The respective trials, successes, and failures of Lysaer and Arithon are frequently set up as counterpoint to each other.
• Prince Charming: ... but he is charismatic and beloved by his subjects.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: At first, though as he falls under the influence of his curse his intentions become more and more blurry.

Fellowship of Seven:

• Magical Society
• Really 700 Years Old: The Sorcerers possess what is called "longevity training," allowing them to live far beyond the natural human lifespan

Asandir the Kingmaker

• Determinator

Ciladis the Lost

• Seeker Archetype: He set out to find where the Paravians had gone, and hasn't been seen since.

Davien the Betrayer

• Evil Sorcerer: According to popular belief due to his unspecified role in overthrowing the High Kings. However, given the nature of the series and hints dropped so far, it's implied that his motivations were anything but evil, although exactly what they were is still unclear.
  • Later books make it clear that humanity's presence might make it impossible for Paravians to return, and since the Fellowship is bound to protect/nurture the Paravians even at the cost of humanity's survival.
• The Ghost: Davien is mentioned many times but never seen. The effects of his shenanigans are, however.
  • He makes his first (brief) appearance in Grand Conspiracy, though, and plays a major role thereafter.
  • In later books in the series he gets a body
• Our Ghosts Are Different: Davien was rendered discorporate by unclear means as a punishment rendered by the Fellowship.
  • Later revealed that to be a misunderstanding involving a Deadly Force Field

Kharadmon

• Deadpan Snarker
• Foil: To Luhaine. Kharadmon is tall and lean when manifested, preferring to move through air and tending to be irreverent and free-spirited, prone to quick, impetuous action and snark; Luhaine is short, portly, prefers moving through the earth and leans toward fussy perfectionism and stuffiness with a propensity to lecture. Yet they work well together, even if they don't always appear to get along.
• Our Ghosts Are Different

Luhaine

• Our Ghosts Are Different

Sethvir

• The Archmage: Sethvir is the unofficial head of the Fellowship of Seven.
• Eccentric Mentor
• Wizard Beard
• Seers - his role in the group is receiving visions to help direct the Fellowship's members and goals

Traithe

• Beware the Nice Ones
• I Know Your True Name: It is implied that during his brief possession, he discovered the Mistwraith's true name, but had to sacrifice that knowledge during his exorcism.

Subordinates

Dakar the Mad Prophet

• The Alcoholic: Being a Mad Prophet, Dakar is frequently plagued by visions of the future. Staying as piss-drunk as possible helps him get a good night's sleep.
  • In Traitor's Knot, this becomes a valid tactic when the Koriani attempt to track down Fionn Areth.
• The Apprentice: To Asandir.
• Dirty Old Man: He likes the ladies about as much as he likes his drink. Both of these have gotten him in trouble.
• Dreadful Musician: Dakar can't carry a tune in a paper bag even when he's sober. Unless he just does that to be annoying.
• Fainting Seer: This especially gets up his nose when he passes out due to a particularly violent and extremely important vision, and no one will tell him what it was.
  • Especially since when he can't remember them that means the Prophecies Are Always Right
• Fat Bastard: Dakar loves food and hates hard work, and it shows.
  • Still a bit strange, considering how much exercise he gets chasing Arithon around and climbing up mountains with sorcerers. Not enough, apparently.
• Mad Oracle: The future gives him nightmares.
• Unhappy Medium

Koriathain Order:

Elaira

• Hot Witch
• Mindlink Mates: With Arithon, after a healing attempt gave them an empathic connection.
• Plucky Girl

Lirenda

Morriel

• Grand Theft Me: Morriel has extended her lifespan by possessing her successor Selidie. Incidentally, this also allows her to escape prosecution by the Fellowship of Seven.
• Wicked Witch

The Deshir Clans

Jieret s'Valerient

• Ascended Fanboy: Jieret is willing to follow Arithon into battle to prove his worth, even if his parents forbid it due to his young age. When his father dies during the battle of Strakewood Forest, Jieret inherits the title of Clan Lord.

Lady Maenalle s'Gannley

• Lady of War

Others

The King of Amroth

• Domestic Abuse: He wanted to use his wife's dowry as a weapon against the s'Falenn, and was prepared to rape her to get a second child with Lysaer's elemental mastery. In a vision, he is seen beating her when she refuses to agree to go along with his grudge.
• No Name Given: His name is not mentioned in the series. Word of God states that his name is Demar s'Ilessid.

Lady Talera s'Ahelas

• Posthumous Character

Halliron Masterbard

• Magic Music

Pesquil

• Bounty Hunter: Actually, the head of an entire league thereof.

Captain Dhirken

• Dark and Troubled Past
• Pirate Girl
• Samus Is a Girl

Lady Talith

• Rebellious Princess: Not against her family, mind you, but she isn't satisfied to stay behind while Lysaer gathers his army, and jumps at the chance to go with Pesquil to deliver news on Arithon's location.

The Mistwraith

• Big Bad
• Curse: The Mistwraith gets the last laugh on the two half-brothers who cooperated to help seal it away, by setting them at each other's throats thereafter.
• Demonic Possession: Several characters are possessed by portions of the Mistwraith, with various long- and short-term effects.
• Hive Mind: The Mistwraith is made up of countless individual wraiths, corrupted and bent to a single purpose by the Mistwraith's influence.
• It Can Think: The discovery that the Mistwraith is intelligent comes as a chilling surprise to the Fellowship.
• Made of Air
• My Death Is Only The Beginning: The Mistwraith doesn't exactly die, but it's a very sore loser.
• Time Dissonance: The "core" of the Mistwraith can travel back and forth in time at will, allowing it to set up some truly bastardly consequences for its own defeat.

Fionn Areth Caid'An

• Body Double / Doppelgänger: Turned a bit sideways on both counts. Fionn was magically altered by Lirenda at birth to resemble Arithon, in order to use him as a tool to draw the original out by threatening to have Fionn killed in his place.
• Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Really hates that he was saved from being executed for looking like the Master of Shadows by the Master of Shadows himself, and never quite grasping the fact that Arithon put his life in danger to rescue him when it was in his best interests to let Fionn burn (If everyone in Athera believed that the Master of Shadows had already been killed, there would be no need for the Alliance of Light, and Arithon's life would have been much easier) meant he was a much better person than Fionn gave him credit for. On top of that, the plan to morph Fionn into Arithon's double depended on Arithon refusing to let an innocent die for someone else's alleged crimes, so it also meant that one of the most powerful organizations in the world knew he was not a monster and refused to set the record straight. His griping gets to the point where half the Fellowship thinks that Arithon should have left him to his fate.

Sulfin Evend

Kevor