Pug (fictional character)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pug is a fictional character who appears in the books of Raymond E. Feist. Pug is the protagonist in Feist's first novel, Magician, also featuring prominently in the Riftwar Saga, the Serpentwar Saga as a powerful member of the Conclave of Shadows.

[edit] Biography

Pug is the eminent magician of Midkemia, a world popularised by fantasy author, Raymond E. Feist in his Riftwar Saga.

Pug is the child of unknown parents, an orphan abandoned at a monastery near Crydee. He is as a boy sent to Castle Crydee, on the North-west coast of the Kingdom of the Isles, and adopted by Megar, the castle keep's cook. He grows up there, becoming the closest friend of Megar's son, Tomas, becoming almost a brother to him.

While gathering shellfish at age 13, Pug is caught in a storm, his ankle is sprained, and he is charged by a wild boar. He is saved in the nick of time by a franklin named Meecham in the service of the court Magician Kulgan. Kulgan discovers Pug's talent for magic and takes him as a Choosing Day apprentice.

Under Kulgan's tutelage, Pug makes satisfactory progress in the theory of magic, but finds himself unable to cast spells in the traditional way. Pug appears to suffer some form of mental block.

Kulgan decides that as a foil to Pug's very logical mind, Pug is to be taught equestrian skills. This leads to Pug being selected to accompany Princess Carline (daughter of the Duke of Crydee) into the countryside on a ride. During the course of this ride, they are attacked by two trolls; Pug manages to defend the princess demonstrating skill first with a sling and then with his unexpected success in casting a spell, his first of any power. The spell causes the trolls excruciating pain and they drown. Kulgan voices to Pug that this is a skill unheard of in Midkemian magic. Casting spells without a device to focus the power was impossible. Casting a spell in the manner in which Pug did should have caused great pain to himself instead of the Trolls.

Upon return to Crydee Pug earns the gratitude of the Duke and the affection of Carline, Duke Borric's beautiful, but willful, daughter. As a reward for this feat, Pug is made a squire and was granted land, to be held by the crown until the age of majority.

Then, mysteriously, the Tsurani invade Crydee. A bitter nine year war ensues at the start of which, Pug is captured and taken to Kelewan, kept at first as a swamp slave, cutting timber and pulp for the Tsurani. He is liberated from the swamps by a Clan of Tsurani nobles, and instructed to tutor their sons in the ways of the Kingdom. Pug is respected but never allowed to forget that he is nothing but a slave. During this time Pug meets and falls for Katala, a slave girl of great beauty and wit, and Laurie, a former Troubador from the Kingdom, most recently a friend and confidant of Pug. However, one day Pug's former training is recognized by a Tsurani Great One. Pug is trained as a Greater Path Magician, and is remarkable in many ways. His outworld status (as well as his former status as slave, enemy and lesser path apprentice) makes him something of a celebrity. Pug is renamed Milamber.

Pug becomes instrumental in bringing the Riftwar to an end, by destroying the planetary rift between Kelewan and Midkemia, in an effort to stop the return of the enemy to Midkemia. When the Riftwar ends, Pug is granted both name ConDoin, and title to Stardock, an island dedicated to advancement of magical study. With Katala he has a son, William, and an adopted daughter named Gamina.

He eventually releases all ties with the Kingdom of the Isles, and realizing that Nalar (the God of Evil) could one day return, he and his closest friends and confidants begin an organization known as the Conclave of Shadows.

During his life he has had four children. One, Gamina is adopted. His first son William, did not wish to train as a Magician, despite the fact that Pug hints that he has the potential to become a powerful one, possibly even surpassing Pug. William eventually leaves Stardock and becomes quite a prominent soldier, rising quickly, though his relationship with Pug is rocky at best.

Later, he marries Miranda, the daughter of Macros, and they have two more children, Magnus and Caleb. Magnus grows to be an amazing magician, similar to his father though Caleb doesn't, yet still works for the Conclave. Pug seems to completely respect Calebs' decision not to train as a magician, probably learning from his mistakes with William.

He is currently the leader of the Conclave of Shadows and according to Nakor more powerful than Macros ever was.

[edit] Teleportation

In the Serpent War Pug appears to learn how to teleport without using a magical orb from his wife Miranda. However, in the more recent books in the Darkwar series he seems to have lost that power. It is unknown if Pug actually lost his ability to teleport though that seems unlikely. It is much more likely that Raymond E. Feist simply forgot that Pug learned how to teleprt.