Characters in the Realm of the Elderlings

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This article discusses the characters in The Realm of the Elderlings, a fictional world created by Robin Hobb for her book series The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy. This page does not attempt to be a comprehensive listing of all the characters and their histories, but a general overview of the most important ones.

Contents

[edit] The Farseer Trilogy

It is the tradition of the Six Duchies to name children after a virtue. This is thought to impress the importance of the virtue on the child so that he or she will grow up embodying that virtue. While it is practiced throughout the kingdom, the noble houses are particularly fond of the tradition.

[edit] The Royal Family, the Farseers

Due to the complex nature of the Farseer family, characters are ordered by age.

 
 Unnamed Woman, a Soldier
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 King Bounty Farseer
 
 
 
 
 
 The Wife of King Bounty
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chade Fallstar
 
 
 Constance of Shoaks
 
 
 
 
 King Shrewd Farseer
 
 
 
 
 
 Desire Mountwell of Farrow
 
 Merry Farseer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mountain Woman
 
 Prince Chivalry Farseer
 
 Lady Patience of Tradeford
 
 King Verity Farseer
 
 Kettricken of the Mountains
 
 King Regal the Pretender
 
 
 August of Withywoods
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 FitzChivalry Farseer
 
 
 
 Molly Chandler
 
 
 
 Sacrifice Farseer (Stillborn)
 
 King Dutiful Farseer
 
 Elliania Blackwater
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mishap the Minstrel (adopted)
 
 Nettle Farseer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Prince Prosper Farseer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[edit] Chade Fallstar

The bastard half-brother of King Shrewd and great-uncle to Fitz. Due to an accident when he was younger, his face is covered with pox-like scars. He rarely ventures outside the false walls and hidden chambers of Buckkeep Castle; when he does, it is only under the alias of Lady Thyme. Chade is the royal assassin for the Farseer line and takes Fitz as his apprentice. He keeps a pet weasel, Slink.

In features, he is very much a Farseer (his brother Shrewd especially resembled him in later life), although, it is noted, his eyes are a surprising green (most Farseer eyes are dark). When he is first introduced, his life consists largely of a secret chamber, "good food and wine, and a weasel for a companion", and secret missions for the King.

The elder half-brother of King Shrewd, Chade Fallstar was the son of King Bounty (Shrewd's father), and a female soldier, conceived out of wedlock whilst the army of The Six Duchies was on a campaign in the Sandsedge region. The soldier later wed and died while Chade was still a child, at which point the husband set his stepson upon a mule with a necklace that had belonged to Chade's mother, and sent the child to Buckkeep.

Upon arriving at Buckkeep, the King recognised Chade as his son, and provided for his education, raising him as a noble, and also beginning the boy's training as an assassin. He was not, however, taught The Skill, an ancient set of abilities based on mental contact and manipulation, which was inherent in the royal line; this remained a bitter point in his life for years. He did learn to Scry in bowls of water, a separate art entirely from the Skill. Chade's mentor died some time before the apprentice reached fifteen. By adulthood, Chade's life was divided between his public and private personae: in public, he was a foppish, handsome young man, fond of luxury, and, he claimed many years later, more vain than his nephew Regal; in private, however, he was the King's private emissary, sent to kill or harm enemies of the crown, or to topple obstacles to power and peace. To add to this dichotomy, he was also 'a kindly step-uncle' to his royal nephews, Chivalry and Verity, who 'watched over them.' Presumably, he ensured they were safe from the assassins of other political powers in the region.

His public life did not last long, however: whilst still a young man, Chade was badly scarred when a potion he was brewing exploded, terribly marking his face and hands. Ashamed of his appearance, Chade retreated into private, hidden chambers within the castle, and later claimed to have wished himself dead. For months, refused to leave his chambers; when he finally did, he wore disguises that covered his face and hands, to hide the scarring. He then left Buckkeep for 'a long time', and when he returned, he found himself considered dead by the court, and felt that he would be more useful to the King without a public face. Thereafter, when sent to do his assassins duties, he would either go by stealth, or in the guise of 'Lady Thyme', a cantankerous and repellant elderly lady, who would not be suspected by any. His retreat into isolation was not, as he thought, unnoticed or unmourned; Chivalry and Verity, who had both been fond of him, were both upset by his absence. Regal, however, never knew him: Chade was already scarred and departed when King Shrewd married Lady Desire of Farrow, and since the lady had a fear of malformed persons, he was not introduced to her or to her son after he returned.

As the Royal Assassin, Chade was bound to serve the King - first his father, King Bounty, and then his brother, King Shrewd. It was also a part of his role to be introduced and explained to the King-in-Waiting, in line with the Preparation of a King-in-Waiting to take the throne. Accordingly, when Prince Chivalry reached the age of sixteen, and was made King-in-Waiting, Chade was revealed to him, and the Prince was told how to find Chade in the castle; the Prince in turn revealed that he remembered and had missed him, which shocked Chade. Chivalry chose to act upon this information the very same night: he and Verity (whom Chivalry had disobediently informed of Chade's existence) made their way to Chade's private quarters to visit him. He was shocked and annoyed by this intrusion, and scolded them: he tried to impress upon them, with great difficulty, that they could not call upon him whenever they wished.


Fitz's Apprenticeship
For many years, Chade had no apprentice; however, when Chivalry's illegitimate son (Fitz, but called 'boy' by Chade) was brought to Buckkeep and taken under the protection of the King, Chade was ordered to train the boy to succeed him as Royal Assassin. This Chade did, although not always willingly: he made a point of ensuring that that the boy knew exactly what he was being trained for, and on one occasion rebelled against a command from Shrewd to ostracise the boy as a test.

Fitz, his apprentice, did not at first realise Chade's illegitimate Farseer origins, having not realised that Chade was at all related; when Fitz did guess (after Chade referred to himself as a Farseer), he amused Chade by guessing "You're Shrewd's son!" He was swiftly corrected by Chade, who commented, "How [Shrewd] would scowl" if he had heard such a comment (Chade appears just as old as Shrewd and is several years older).

Chade seems to have been saddened by the downfall, removal and eventual death of his nephew, King-in-Waiting Chivalry; this did not stop him giving warnings to Chivalry's son whenever he perceived the boy to be at risk (for example, warning him not to expect to become an assistant to the Court Scribe, Fedwren), or from protecting the new King-in-Waiting, Verity.


The Outislander Threat
For some years prior to the Mountain Marriage, the Six Duchies had been under fierce attack by Red Ship Raiders, fierce warriors from the Outislands who had begun by making attacks on the coastal towns and farms, and who progressed to Forging (a process removing most humanity from the victim) the populations of towns they attacked. Chade was despatched to Forge, the first town to be so attacked (hence the name of the process), to investigate what had happened, and he took Fitz with him. It was there he was first given suspicion of Fitz's possession of the Wit, when Fitz informed him that the Forged people had no sense of community; in the process, Chade was accidentally seen by unForged villagers, leading them to spread to tales of 'The Pocked Man' (a mythical Harbinger of Disaster and Misery, whom Chade resembles due to his accident) walking in the kingdom.

Gradually, Chade came to care for his great-nephew, who became more inured in his apprenticeship as he became older. Therefore, when his apprentice was despatched to the Mountain Kingdom with Prince Regal and the royal party intending to celebrate the wedding of the Mountain Princess Kettricken to King-in-Waiting Verity, with orders to assassinate Prince Rurisk (heir to the Mountain Kingdom), Chade's concern over not being appointed to commit the deed, and his worry over entrusting the task to an apprentice, was heightened by his emotional connection to the boy. His concerns proved justified: Regal had manipulated events in the Mountain Kingdom to make the murder of Rurisk seem appropriate, and then to frame Fitz for the murder (after circumstance made it impossible for Fitz to carry it out without being caught). Furthermore, Regal's plots appeared partly encouraged by the King, and had been part of a plan between Regal and Galen, the Skillmaster, to murder Verity. These circumstances left Fitz furious with Regal, and doubtful of the King; Chade, however, counseled caution and loyalty to the royal family.

After Queen-in-Waiting Kettricken comes to court, Chade orders Fitz to protect her, and to give her good counsel when she needs it. Having discovered Fitz's affections for Molly Chandler, he warns Fitz that he cannot expect to lead a life not sanctioned by the King, but that Fitz should aim to gain Kettricken's support: she could be a powerful ally for Fitz if he wishes to marry Molly.


[edit] Shrewd

King of the Six Duchies, Shrewd is the half brother of Chade Fallstar, the father of both Chivalry and Verity by his first wife, and Regal to his second, Queen Desire. As a means of ensuring the loyalty of his bastard grandson FitzChivalry so as to avert any future crown-inheritance issues, he apprentices him to the assassin Chade. Shrewd has a reasonable amount of power in the Skill.

In the beginning of the Farseer trilogy he is a proud man who, partially thanks to Chade's work, is well seated in his throne with Verity to succeed him. When Fitz comes to see him properly, he asks Fitz to swear fealty, which Fitz does. In the Royal Assasain it seems that King Shrewd's health has failed while Fitz was in the Mountain Kingdom and Verity has taken over much of the ruling. Fitz discovers that Regal has set his own healer to try and help Shrewd regain his health. This is through controversial methods: the use of smoke and drugged wine. King Shrewd once again asks Fitz to swear fealty. Eventually Fitz discovers that the king's poor health is because his Skill strength is being sapped by Justin and Serene under Regal's orders. In one last attempt to skill to Verity, he taps Fitz's strength and reaches Verity, but he is killed shortly after by Justin and Serene.

[edit] Chivalry

The eldest son of King Shrewd and father of Fitz. Less than a year previous to Fitz's birth, Chivalry went to the Mountain Kingdom to negotiate a series of treaties. When he discovered his son's existence, he abdicated his future throne and went to live at Withywoods with his wife, Lady Patience. The tale of his death in a hunting accident a few years later is widely accepted, but there remains some suspicion that Chivalry was murdered per order of Queen Desire.

[edit] Verity

The second son of King Shrewd and uncle to FitzChivalry. After Chivalry abdicates, Prince Verity becomes King-in-Waiting, but feels unequal to the task of ruling, as he was always brought up to be the "second son," not to rule as Chivalry was. He is fond of his nephew, but has little time to spend with him. He soon weds Kettricken of the Mountain Kingdom in the hopes that the two kingdoms will forge a stronger bond. At first they are both rather formal with each other through lack of understanding and interaction, but this gives way to mutual love. Verity was taught by Solicity, the Skillmaster before Galen, who had completely different views on how to teach the Skill from her successor. Verity in turn teaches Fitz the Skill whenever he has the time, beginning with the setting of walls around his mind, when Fitz - unknowing and untrained - inadvertently shares dreams of his love for Molly with his uncle. Verity is immensely powerful in the Skill, giving off an aura of Skill power.

Verity travels to find the Elderlings and carves himself a dragon in an effort to save the Six Duchies. Without a coterie for help, Verity is drained by his efforts, but with some help from both Kettle and FitzChivalry, he finishes his dragon. However, in order to create the dragon, he was forced to sacrifice himself, and becomes the dragon. After saving the Six Duchies, he returns to the resting place of the Elderlings' dragons in the Mountains, sleeping, awaiting to be called upon when the Six Duchies needs help again.

[edit] Regal

] The only son of King Shrewd and Queen Desire, half-brother of Princes Chivalry and Verity, and third in line to the throne. He demonstrates great contempt for FitzChivalry, considering him a threat to the stability of the succession. He is later referred to as Regal the Pretender. Though Regal was never trained in the Skill, he uses royal coteries to wield it. He serves as the antagonist of the first trilogy. He eventually dies in his rooms, the victim of the Wit-bonded ferret of a Witted man he tortured to death.

[edit] FitzChivalry

The narrator of The Farseer Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy, Fitz is the illegitimate son of Chivalry and an unknown woman from the Mountain Kingdom. Fitz is capable of using both sides of the Dragon magic, the Skill and the Wit. He is strong in the Skill, but fears that his use of it is tainted with the Wit and that this affects his Skilling. Despised by the Skillmaster, Galen, Fitz is never properly trained; Galen puts a Skill Suggestion upon his mind during his early "training" to kill himself, and the subsequent beating that he gave him may explain why he is often troubled by Skill-headaches and seizures. Due to his illegitimate birth and his lack of memory before the opening of the book, Fitz never learns his exact age. However, his estimate is that he was brought to his uncle Verity when he was about six years old. In the fourth of the books, Fool's Errand, Fitz is approximately 35. In order to keep his real identity secret, Fitz is commonly known as "Tom Badgerlock" in the Tawny Man trilogy - Tom being the name Lady Patience first gives him, and Badgerlock being an explanation of the white streak in his hair (which was due to a head injury early in life).

Fitz is the White Prophet's Catalyst. Nighteyes calls him "Changer" and the little things that Fitz does often set the wheels of change in motion without his awareness.

  • Fitz is adopted by Lady Patience as her son and she names him Thomas; Chivalry and Verity would call him 'the Tomcat' when referring to him in private;and towards the end of the books Fitz has a memory of his mother calling out the name 'Keppet'. This is confirmed in the very first book, as a woman from the mountain kingdom selling furs shouts the name at him.
  • Fitz is bonded to three animals during his life, including Nosy the hound and Smithy the terrier. All are canine with the last and greatest being Nighteyes the wolf. They share a very deep bond that some Witted folk deem to be too deep. Fitz is a tolerated outcast from the 'Old Blood' people, who despise all those of the Farseer bloodline.

[edit] The Dukes of the Six Duchies

[edit] Ram

Duke of the duchy of Tilth.

[edit] Brawndy

Duke of the duchy of Bearns. Father of Celerity and Faith.

  • Duke Brawndy dies in battle against numerous Red Ship Raiders in the hall of his keep.

[edit] Shemshy

Duke of the duchy of Shoaks.

  • He was involved in a dispute with the Duke of Rippon regarding who was responsible for maintaining the watchtowers inAssassin's Apprentice.

[edit] Kelvar

Duke of the duchy of Rippon.

  • Kelvar takes a young bride named Lady Grace, and elevates her far above her station to duchess. Lady Grace eventually grows to be a lady of high esteem.

[edit] Other Members of the Court

[edit] The Fool

A jester in King Shrewd's court, the Fool (or Beloved as his mother named him) frequently speaks in riddles, and at times appears to be prescient. Although the Fool frequently teases him, Fitz considers him a close friend. The Fool is extremely pale, almost albino, with white hair and colourless eyes that many people find hard to meet. However, he gradually darkens throughout the books, appearing as golden or "tawny" in Fool's Errand. His actual gender is brought into question throughout the series and never definitively answered, but by common consensus he is referred to as male, when directly questioned on the matter he said that it was no one's business but his own.

The Fool believes that he is the White Prophet of that age, and Fitz is his Catalyst: The Fool predicts the future and uses Fitz to change it to his vision, which is not always easy on the Catalyst. The Fool tells FitzChivalry that they are to save the world by saving the Six Duchies. If you save part of the world, you save all of it, as that is the only way it can be done, or so he says.

The Fool has traces of Skill on his fingers from an accidental encounter with Verity's Skill-coated arms. First silver, it fades to grey, allowing the Fool to know the history of anything he touches with those fingers, which lends him great abilities with wood carving (often referred to as Hedge magic). He also leaves his fingerprints on Fitz's wrist, creating a faint Skill-link between them, that was also a result of the fool's visioning the scene in the town square, and seeing himself/herself with the rooster crown.

Not much is known of the Fool's family life, only that he was born in a small village; his mother had black hair and green eyes; his fathers (he had two, as was the custom in the land where he grew up) were cousins; and he had a sister with golden hair. This last gives him sympathy towards Girl-on-a-Dragon, and he strives to awaken her and set her free.


  • It is said that the Fool knows everything before it happens and that he knows if anyone, anywhere speaks of him. Others say it is just his great love of saying 'I warned you so!' and that he takes his most obscure sayings and twists them into prophecies. Perhaps sometimes this has been so, but in many a well-witnessed cases, he has predicted, however obscurely, events that later came to pass. The Fool came to Buckkeep in the seventeenth year of King Shrewd's reign, but from where has always been a common question amongst the citizens of the keep. Many stories have arisen, one being that he was captive of the Red Ship raiders and Bingtown traders seized him from them. Another is that the Fool was found as a baby upon a small boat shielded from the sun by a parasol of sharkskin and cushioned on a bed of heather and lavender.

Fitz is the narrator of the books, but there is speculation that the Fool is meant to be the main character.

The Fool describes himself as having many facets, and masquerades as different characters through the Farseer, Liveship Trader, and Tawny Man Trilogies. At turns, he is seen as the beadworker Amber and the foppish Lord Golden.

[edit] Galen

The Skillmaster of the court. He is known to be a brutal and sadistic master; he is abusive to the Fool, and hates Fitz since, when he was teaching Chivalry the Skill, Chivalry burned the Skill-command "Be Loyal to Me" into him accidentally, with such strength that his new loyalty bordered on worship. He is unable to believe that Chivalry could be at fault and so he blames Fitz for the Prince's downfall and death. While the previous Skillmaster believed that the Skill should be taught while the student is relaxed and loosely focused, Galen claims that the Skill can only be learned through absolute control over one's body and mind, and he uses physical punishment to train his students. He is also a bastard half-brother to Regal, through Queen Desire. Galen dies in a failed attempt to kill Verity.

[edit] Burrich

Burrich by John Howe

Originally from Chalced, Burrich was Prince Chivalry's right hand man until Chivalry abdicated; afterwards, he became the stablemaster at Buckkeep. Burrich is very strongly witted, but he resents and abhors this "Beast magic" and tries - unsuccessfully - to prevent FitzChivalry from using it. In the Tawny Man trilogy, it is found that he has much of the Old Blood magic previously thought to be lost. He is unwillingly bonded to Vixen, a dog in Buckkeep's stables. Despite being Witted, Burrich does not consciously use the Wit as stablemaster, although he hears the animals calling him 'Heart of the Pack'.

In the apparent absence of Chivalry's interest in his son, Verity designated Burrich as FitzChivalry's guardian. At first Fitz resents his coarse attempts to parent him, but he later comes to appreciate Burrich's straightforwardness and good heart. Believing FitzChivalry to be dead, Burrich eventually marries Molly Chandler out of love and to protect the true identity of Nettle, Fitz and Molly's daughter. Burrich has six children with Molly: Chivalry, Swift, Nimble, Steady, Just and Hearth.

In the Tawny Man Trilogy, Burrich travels to Aslevjal in order to bring his son Swift home. Upon contfrontation with the Pale Woman's stone dragon, Burrich demonstrates the true power of his Wit (much to the awe of Fitz and the rest of the Witted coterie) by dropping the stone dragon singlehandedly using his Wit magic in an attempt to protect Swift and the dragon Tintaglia. Burrich, however, is fatally injured as the stone dragons retaliates and flings Burrich to the side. Fitz and the rest of the coterie attempts to heal Burrich through the Skill, but due to Burrich being locked from the skill by Fitz's father Chivalry, they are unsuccessful. Burrich later dies at sea, and his body is dropped off the edge.

Before dying, however, Burrich pleads to Fitz that he look after Molly and their children to which Fitz promises but initially hesitates in doing. Burrich further makes peace with his son Swift. He dies with the Warrior's Prayer on his lips, a simple "Yes," expressing acceptance for his life and his death.

[edit] Lady Patience

Prince Chivalry's wife, known for being extremely eccentric. She has a wide range of interests and hobbies ranging from paper making to herb lore and gardening. A quiet woman who hates crowds of people, many considered her temperament unsuitable for a future queen. The public discovery of Chivalry's bastard brings her great pain, all the more so because she is childless herself. Nonetheless, she treats FitzChivalry as her own son, giving him the name "Tom" and attempting to educate him in the fine arts and other non-essential skills. Her companion is the lady Lacey. She once loved Burrich, before marrying Prince Chivalry.

When Regal rellocates to Tradeford, Patience assumes control over Buckeep and garners much respect for her determination at driving out the Red Ship Raiders. When Kettricken returns with Verity and the rest of the Elderlings, Patience is given control over Tradeford, where she remains to the end of the book until she returns to Withywoods to live with Fitz and Molly.

[edit] Commoners

[edit] Molly Chandler

A girl from Buckkeep Town whom Fitz first meets as a child. Originally, she knew Fitz as "Newboy," as he was the newest addition to the group of poor children that she kept company with. Her nickname, "Molly Nosebleed," was given to her by her friends in imitation of the name her mother gave to her, Molly Nosegay. While she worked in her family's candle shop when she was young, she later becomes a maid to Lady Patience at Buckkeep Castle, as well as Fitz's love interest. After his announced death, she gives birth to Nettle, Fitz's daughter, marries Burrich and gives birth to his children. Molly serves as a major part of Fitz's motivations throughout the entire series, both because of his love for her and the pain of losing her. After leaving him in Royal Assassin, she is not seen again except through Fitz's Skill-visions until Fool's Fate, when they finally reconcile.

[edit] Starling Birdsong

A wandering minstrel who befriends Fitz. Like all minstrels, she wishes to secure her place at court and in history by writing a famous ballad; much to Fitz's chagrin, she follows him in the belief that he will inspire one. Fitz's relationship with her remains erratic, in no small part due to her insistence on wanting to influence his life. Her relationship with the Fool also fluctuates, from distaste to belief that he is a woman and so on.

Starling was raped and tortured during the red ship raids, where she became impregnated by one of the soldiers. Taking potent herbs in order to miscarry, she consequently becomes barren.

Starling later marries a minor noble younger than herself, Lord Fischer. She is found to be pregnant at the end of the series.

[edit] The Mountain Kingdom

The rulers of the mountain Kingdom do not take the title of king or queen, but refer to themselves as "sacrifice" for their people. However, traditional titles will be used here for the purpose of clarity.

[edit] Eyod

King of the Mountain Kingdom and father of Rurisk and Kettricken. Opposed initially to the union with the Six Duchies, Rurisk convinced him of the long term wisdom of Kettricken's marriage for the future trade benefits that would provide sufficient food and other essentials for the growing Mountain Kingdom.

[edit] Rurisk

Prince of the Mountain Kingdom and the elder child of Eyod. He worked with King-in-Waiting Chivalry during the negotiation of the border treaties previous to the books. An order to assassinate this kindly prince brings Fitz one of his first great conflicts. Fitz initially decides not to kill Rurisk as ordered, but Regal's gift of poisoned apple wine still managed to kill the prince. The first of the Six Duchies warships was named the Rurisk in his honor.

[edit] Kettricken

Princess of the Mountain Kingdom and the younger child of Eyod. She is 18 when she weds Verity. Though she often struggles with the differences between a "sacrifice" and "Queen-in-Waiting" she takes her position quite seriously. As a result of finding herself sometimes overwhelmed by the traditions of the Six Duchies, she attempts to recreate the aesthetics of the Mountain Kingdom in her personal quarters and the Queen's Garden. Fitz recognises traces of the Wit when she meditates.

[edit] Animal Characters

[edit] Nosy

A puppy with whom Fitz formed his first Wit-bond. It lasted until Burrich discovered the bond and separated them. Fitz believed that Burrich had killed Nosy to break the bond, whereas he had just taken him to Rurisk, a 'Prince' in the Mountain Kingdom. This adversely affected his relationship with his mentor for many years. As a last act of friendship, Nosy dies soon after saving Fitz from drowning.

[edit] Smithy

A puppy gifted to Fitz by Lady Patience and with whom he forms a Wit-bond. He is described as a small brindle terrier, and his temperament is playfully fierce. He dies defending Burrich from a knife attack,

[edit] Nighteyes

Nighteyes is a young wolf whom Fitz buys in the marketplace and intends to release outside of Buckkeep. However, Nighteyes refuses to return to the wild, and he eventually wears down Fitz's resistance to the idea of bonding again. Though Fitz feels guilty that Nighteyes chose him as a companion instead of returning to the wild, it does not prevent them from forming Fitz's strongest Wit-bond. From that point on, he is a near constant presence, at Fitz's side and in his head.

[edit] The Liveship Traders Trilogy

[edit] The Vestrit family

The Vestrit family is an Old Trader family of Bingtown. Their liveship is the Vivacia, and their closest Rainwilder kin are the Khuprus family after they take over their liveship debts.

[edit] Ephron Vestrit

Ephron was the third generation of the Vestrit family to own a liveship, and it was his death that quickened the ship. Rather than risking the inherent dangers of trading upriver with the Rain Wild folk, Ephron decides to pursue the less profitable but safer trade amongst the outlying islands. This is seen as strange amongst the other Traders, as only Liveship Traders are able to navigate up the dangerous river and thus are solely able to benefit from its rich trade.

His wife was Ronica Carrock and together they had two daughters, Keffria and Althea, along with three boys who died in the Blood Plague that presumedly was carried down from the Rain Wild River.

[edit] Ronica Vestrit

Ephron's widow, mother of Althea and Keffria Vestrit, and grandmother of Wintrow, Malta, and Selden.

While current ideas presume that Bingtown women should be docile and dependent, Ronica is quite independent and resourceful. Ephron left her with all the tasks on the shore while he dealt with those at sea. With Ephron's passing, she retreats into a sorrowful reprieve as Kyle takes control over the Vestrit family. Ronica is pushed to action, however, as her city is pushed to the brink of disaster. She emerges as an influential force in the rebuilding of Bingtown, striving to unite all aspects of Bingtown's now varied society.

[edit] Keffria Vestrit

Elder daughter of Ronica and Ephron, Keffria is one of their two surviving children. She married Kyle Haven and together they have three children, Wintrow, Malta and Selden. It was she who dedicated Wintrow to Sa as a priest, but she lacked the willpower to stand up to Kyle when he overrode her later.

[edit] Althea Vestrit

The second daughter of Captain Ephron Vestrit and Ronica Vestrit, Althea is a willful tomboy at the start of the series. After the Blood Plague killed the three Vestrit sons in their youth, Ephron Vestrit saw fit to make Althea the heir to his liveship Vivacia. For all intents and purposes, Althea grew up on the Vivacia and fully expected to be named its captain upon her father's death. However, she found that Ronica intended for Vivacia to be given to Keffria's husband Kyle, who had been acting as captain.

Althea is a longtime friend of the liveship Paragon, whom she first met as a little girl. She is also involved with both Brashen and Grag Tenira; she primarily views the latter as a friend.

In Golden Fool, Jek tells The Fool that Althea has married Brashen in the Rain Wilds Trader's Concourse, 'More for her niece's (Malta's) sake than for her own'. She then reveals that Althea is pregnant, and very unhappy, because she is puking every morning and Brashen has become very solcitous of her.

Althea's character is influenced by the Tomboy, Adventuress and Bad Girl female stock characters.

[edit] Wintrow Vestrit

Wintrow is the eldest child of Kyle Haven and Keffria Vestrit. Initially training to be a priest, he was forced to return home for his grandfather's funeral. Despite Keffria's objections, Kyle pulled Wintrow out of the monastery where he was enrolled and forced him to become ship's boy on the newly quickened Vivacia. Though Wintrow's position is to satisfy the ship's need for a blood relative aboard, he is usually unhappy with his situation and his relationship with Vivacia reflects this.

While serving under his father, Wintrow's right forefinger is crushed in an accident. The finger is amputated on the foredeck, with Wintrow giving directions on how to best cut it. Later, when given the opportunity to escape, he swims to shore as the ship arrives in Jamallia. While there he attempts to relieve the suffering of some slaves, but is enslaved himself. His father eventually buys him back, but allows his face to be tattooed with both the mark of the Satrap and the mark of Vivacia, which denotes that he is now a slave "owned" by the ship herself.

When Vivacia is taken by the pirate Kennit, Wintrow and his father are the only crew members to survive the attack, and Wintrow eventually becomes a trusted adviser to Kennit. Though he resents Kennit's taking Vivacia, Wintrow admires Kennit's ambitions and finds himself in much better circumstances. He forms a strong relationship with Etta after he is instructed to educate her.

In their time shared aboard the Vivacia, Kennit subtly passes to Wintrow his knowledge and skills of seafaring and pirating. With Kennit's death and with the consent of all the Pirate King's captains, Wintrow assumes command of Kennit's fleet and fledgling kingdom alongside the newly named Queen Etta of the Pirate Isles.

[edit] Malta Vestrit

The middle child and only daughter of Kyle Haven and Keffria Vestrit, Malta is spoiled by her father. She is forced to mature from her childish, petulant ways throughout the story. This is reflected in her romantic life: she moves from attempting to seduce her friend's brother to being - eventually happily - engaged to the Rain Wilder Reyn Khuprus.

Due to Malta's exposure to the, as yet, unawakened dragon Tintaglia coupled with her experience with the Satrap Cosgo on the Rain Wild River, a "Scaly Crest" formed on her brow. This is later revealed to her by the awakened Tintaglia to symbolise Malta as the Queen of The Elderlings, a semi-human race previously considered extinct.

In Golden Fool, Jek tells The Fool that Malta has already been pregnant twice, and in both times did not manage to carry the child to term.

Malta's character is influenced by the Spoiled Princess and Adventuress female stock characters.

[edit] Selden Vestrit

Youngest son and child of Kyle Haven and Keffria Vestrit. Selden is fostered to the Khuprus family of the Rain Wilds as well as becoming a go-between with the humans of the Rain Wilds and Bingtown, and the newly awakened dragon Tintaglia. Selden later represents both the dragon Tintaglia and the Rain Wild community in an envoy to Buckkeep in the Six Duchies.

[edit] Liveships

[edit] Vivacia

A newly quickened liveship belonging to the Vestrit family. Bonded to both Althea Vestrit and Wintrow Vestrit, Vivacia is the centrepiece of the series.

[edit] Paragon

Paragon, also known as the Pariah, is owned by the Ludluck family, though they refuse to sail him because of his past behavior. Paragon is known to have killed three crews, after which he drifted back to Bingtown. He is considered mad and is isolated from the rest of the ships on a secluded beach. He is at turns a brute and a child. Paragon is introduced to us with a face which has been disfigured by an axe, leaving him blind.

Paragon is partly "mad" because he is uniquely made from two wizardwood logs. The two dragons vie for dominance, while the essence known as Paragon is also addled by his experiences with the boy Kennit. His mind is settled, however, when Kennit dies aboard Paragon. This enables the ship to become whole, with a consolidation of sorts amongst his different essences.

Paragon is recarved by Amber with a new face. The face is that of FitzChivalry Farseer (Fitz). However his eyes are blue, the same as Kennit's, rather than Fitz's very dark brown.

[edit] Ophelia

The liveship of the Tenira family, Ophelia's first impressions - and thus her nature - were formed by women. She comes off as equal parts matron and gossip, and serves as something of a mentor to Vivacia at different times. She is also deeply interested in Althea's love life and often works to unite her and Grag.

The dragon within her wizardword was presumedly dead upon the creation of the ship, therefore Ophelia has no dragon memories. Upon learning of her origins, she remains unchanged compared to other Liveships that underwent severe identity crises.

Ophelia is often described in the book as a "blowsy old cog".

[edit] Ringsgold

A liveship that is lost at sea to an unusual, coordinated serpent attack. In its dying throes, the ship tells its attackers that it was once called Draquius, and was a very different being in its previous life. The serpents devour the wizardwood to restore the few memories they can.

[edit] Kendry

The Kendry belongs to the Khuprus family of Rain Wild Traders. Although originally boyish and talkative, the affable figurehead becomes bitter and unmanageable after his dragon past is revealed.

[edit] Goldendown

Like Ophelia, The Goldendown had no memories of being a dragon. This liveship is never seen and is only mentioned near the conclusion of book 3.

[edit] Pirates

[edit] Captain Kennit

A ruthless pirate captain who aspires to be the king of the Pirate Isles. Kennit wears a small wizardwood bead charm crafted to look like his face on his wrist; the charm is sentient, though usually silent. He seeks to captain a Liveship, though his reasons for this are unknown to his crew. It is later revealed that Kennit is a Ludluck, one of the family members who owned the Paragon. As a young boy on board Paragon, Kennit was forced to serve the pirate Igrot and was responsible for cutting away Paragon's eyes. Kennit was often beaten and sexually assaulted by Igrot, but his emotional and physical pain was "taken away" by Paragon, allowing him to survive.

While attacking a slave ship, Kennit has his right leg bitten off by a serpent just under the knee. He is almost dead by the time he captures the Vivacia, but his life is saved when Wintrow removes the gangrenous section of his severed leg.

When Althea Vestrit boards Vivacia, Kennit drugs her and rapes her.

Kennit is eventually killed in battle, saving the life of the Satrap Cosgo as he dies.

[edit] Etta

The lover of Kennit, Etta originally worked in a brothel in Divvytown. She joined his crew after a murder attempt at the brothel. She is passionately in love with Kennit and oblivious to the fact that he does not return her sentiments. While he sees her as a simple whore, she has earned the respect of Vivacia's crew and especially that of Wintrow.

After following Bolt's advice, she secretly becomes pregnant with Kennit's child. This cements her relation to Kennit and the Pirate Isles, whereas upon Kennit's death she is named Queen of the Pirate Isles and her as-yet unborn son the future heir to the new kingdom. While her relationship with Wintrow is a bit awkward, she desires to raise her son alongside the former priest.

Etta's character is closely modelled on the Hooker with a heart of gold and Warrior Heroine female stock characters.

[edit] Sorcor

Sorcor is originally Captain Kennit's first mate aboard the Marietta. As Kennit's popularity grows, Sorcor becomes a committed follower. He eventually captains the Marietta after Kennit captures the Vivacia.

[edit] Igrot

Many years before the Liveship trader series begins, Igrot was a pirate who captured the Paragon and used it for piracy. He kept a young boy on board, Kennit Ludluck, who was the sole remaining family member for the ship. Igrot would often beat and sexually assault the young Kennit. Igrot was eventually beaten to death by Kennit after the boy poisoned the crew by mixing wizardwood with a stew. Igrot kept his pirate treasure hidden up the rain wild river - a treasure that is eventually recovered by the Paragon captained by Brashen Trell.

[edit] Other characters

[edit] Brashen Trell

Brashen was the first mate aboard the Vestrit liveship Vivacia under Ephron Vestrit. He is a member of the Trell family of traders, but he was disowned due to his excessive and socially damaging habits. His employment by Ephron Vestrit was on the condition that he was able to control those habits.

Brashen is a longtime friend of the liveship Paragon, and often stays aboard the grounded ship when in Bingtown. He also has a fluctuating relationship with Althea.

[edit] Kyle Haven

Husband of Keffria Vestrit, Kyle acted as captain of the Vivacia while Ephron was ill and made her a slaver after her quickening. While he has an antagonistic relationship with Wintrow, he dotes on Malta. He frequently clashes with Althea over the Vivacia and harshly controls his wife, Keffria.

[edit] Amber

Amber is a foreign wood carver who owns a shop in Bingtown. She is particularly skilled at creating beads and other small pieces, although she has been known to carve furniture. She employs a Six Duchies woman named Jek to guard her shop.

Amber has golden skin, eyes and hair, and it is assumed that she takes her name from her unusual coloring. She often wears outlandish clothes and mismatched jewelry. However, she is an intensely private person, and she reveals little of her past. She finds slavery disgusting and seeks to free the slaves of Bingtown.

She strongly believes in the workings of fate and destiny, and is convinced that she has to find a nine-fingered slave boy. It is implied throughout the Liveship books and later confirmed in the Tawny Man trilogy that Amber is in fact the Fool.

[edit] Satrap Cosgo

Ruler of Jamaillia and Bingtown, the Satrap becomes entangled with Malta's tale in Ship of Destiny. Generally - and rightly - considered to be a poor leader, Cosgo was taught about the pleasures of the flesh and of pleasure herbs at a very young age by members of his court. This led to an abrupt end to his education due to his wish to indulge in other fancies. As a result he is very naïve and easily manipulated with flattery and gifts, with a quick temper toward any who question him or deny him what he wants.

[edit] Companion Kekki

Companion to Cosgo in the matters of the Rain Wild. However she is more of a body servant than a proper Satrap's Heart Companion. It is well known that it is only Serilla that remains from Cosgo's fathers Companions. Whilst travelling down the Rain Wild River, Kekki drinks some of the poisoned river water, and dies soon after the three are rescued by a Chalcedean ship. Kekki's character is influenced by the Bimbo female stock character.

[edit] Companion Serilla

Advisor to Satrap Cosgo, she finds him greatly dislikeable. While travelling to Bingtown on a Chalcedean ship, Cosgo gives her the choice of either bedding him or being given over to the Chalcedean captain. Thinking that the Satrap is bluffing, she refuses his offer, and is then imprisoned in the captain's quarters, where she is beaten and raped. Her ordeal ends when the Satrap and his entourage fall ill with food poisoning and she is forced to bring him back to health before arriving in Bingtown. Once in Bingtown, she realizes that there is a plot against the Satrap, and she convinces Reyn Khuprus to kidnap the Satrap for his own safety. Once the Satrap is kidnapped and taken to the Rain Wilds, Serilla acts as the Satrap's voice in Bingtown as she tries to bring different groups together to prevent further civil unrest. After Malta's arrangement with the Satrap - allowing the Vestrit family to represent his interests in Bingtown - both Serilla's position in Bingtown and her status as companion is revoked. Keffria Vestrit then agrees to employ Serilla to administrate the Vestrit's new charge from the Satrapy. Serilla's character is influenced by the Nerd girl female stock character.

[edit] Jani Khuprus

Mother of Reyn and a Rain Wild Trader connected to the Vestrit family. Jani is influential in the Rain Wilder community due to her wealth and her family's ownership of the last wizardwood log.

[edit] Reyn Khuprus

Son of Rain Wilder Trader Jani Khuprus. He refuses to allow the last wizardwood log to be carved up, believing that it holds the last dragon inside. He courts Malta after she unintentionally gives him permission to do so. He is also notable for being decidedly less disfigured - by scales or growths - than most Rain Wilders his age, and for possessing the greatest understanding of the architecture and contents of the Elderling city the Rain Wilders mine for treasure.

[edit] Roed Caern

Violent son of a Bingtown Trader, associated with Companion Serilla.

[edit] Davad Restart

Controversial Bingtown Trader with ties to the New Traders and friend of the Vestrit family. His wife Dorill and their children were killed by the Blood Plague. He lacks social graces and is shunned by almost all of the Old Trader families, largely due to his dealings with the New Traders. While he means well, he often inadvertently insults the Vestrits, who feel torn between loyalty and common sense.

Restart is killed when Rain Wild traders organised by Reyn Khuprus ambush his coach in order to kidnap the Satrap and his companion.

[edit] The Tawny Man Trilogy

[edit] The Royal Family

[edit] Prince Dutiful

King-in-waiting, Dutiful is the son of Queen Kettricken and FitzChivalry, though both he and Kettricken believe his father to be King Verity due to King Verity inhabiting FitzChivalry's body at the time FitzChivalry made Queen Kettricken pregnant. He is about fifteen during the events of The Tawny Man Trilogy. He inherited both the Skill and the Wit from Fitz, although Kettricken is slightly Witted and believes herself responsible. His actions are decidedly contrary to his name the majority of the time, forcing Fitz to come to his rescue. It is at the end of Fools Errand that both Fitz and Dutiful decide that each other is to blame, however indirectly, to the loss of both of the bond-beasts. However this seems to bring them closer together.

[edit] Members of Buckkeep Castle

[edit] Thick

Thick is a servant whose services are acquired by Lord Chade to attend to tasks in his secret lair. He has learning disabilities and physical problems are described in a way that makes it likely he has Down's Syndrome. Fitz discovers that Thick is very strongly endowed with the Skill but unable to process all he perceives with it, leaving him distracted and seemingly unintelligent. Thick can often be heard humming random notes to a song composed of the small noises of life, which he unconsciously projects via the skill. Fitz later discovers that Thick has a similarly problematic attachment to his mother as he has to his due to the fact that both feel themselves on some level to have been abandoned.

[edit] Laurel

Laurel is Queen Kettricken's huntswoman. She comes from an Old Blood (Witted) family, but does not possess the magic herself.

[edit] Outislanders

[edit] Elliania

Dutiful's Outislander bride to be, Daughter of Arkon, Narcheska of the Narwhal clan.

[edit] Ottre Blackwater

Mother of Prince Dutiful's Outislander bride-to-be who was taken by the infamous Pale Woman and Forged of her memories and held as ransom.

[edit] Arkon Bloodblade

Arkon Bloodblade is the father of the Narcheska, Elliana.

[edit] Peottre Blackwater

Peottre Blackwater is the uncle of the Narcheska, Elliana.

[edit] Commoners

[edit] Mishap

The adopted son of FitzChivalry Farseer. Hap, as he's called, knows nothing of Fitz's true identity and calls him by the name Tom Badgerlock. Hap is taken in by Fitz as a child and is probably the son of a woman raped by a Red Ship Raider. He has two different colored eyes, a sign of evil in those times, and his name is likely a direct result of his physical characteristics. He is apprenticed to the cabinet maker Gindast in Buckkeep, but ends up leaving this apprenticeship to become a minstrel after many difficulties with his work.

[edit] Svanja Hartshorn

Svanja Hartshorn enters into a relationship with Hap, though her father Rory forbids her from seeing him. She is considered responsible for Hap's problems during his apprenticeship, which is shown to be true when Hap quits his apprenticeship for her and she steals his money. Ultimately, she is found disloyal, hanging on the arm of an older, wealthy sailor.

[edit] Jinna

A hedge witch who lives in Buckkeep. Hap introduces her to Fitz. Like with Starling, Fitz's relationship with Jinna varies in depth. She is one of the few people to discover he is Witted and gives him a charm for his journey.

[edit] Nettle

Nettle is the daughter of Fitz and Molly Chandler. As a Farseer, she possesses the Skill, although she has not received any training. However she does not possess the Wit like her father. When she comes in contact with Fitz through her Skill dreams, he hides his true identity from her, but she nevertheless discovers more than he wishes. She is unknowingly the subject of many a debate between Chade and Fitz, who respectively do and do not want her involved in the Royal court.

As a result of the intervention of Prince Dutiful, Nettle is brought to court to be trained in the skill and courtly manners. Later Lady Patience makes Nettle the heir of Withyswoods,the old estate of Nettle's grandfather Prince Chivalry. Also she begins to be trained properly in the skill by his father Fitz, who after some awkward moments, becomes bonded to his daughter.

Prince Dutiful is particularly fond of Nettle.

[edit] Swift

Swift is one of Burrich and Molly Chandler's sons, the twin brother of Nimble. He left home when Burrich discovered that he possessed - and thought well of - the Wit and fled to Buckkeep to find Kettricken. He is fanatical about the Wit, and he holds Fitz in scorn because he thinks Fitz is not Witted.

Swift was a member of Prince Dutiful's "Wit Coterie" during the prince's quest to Aslevjal to kill the dragon Icefyre. He was nearly killed by the the Pale Woman's stone dragon and was only saved by the timely intervention of Burrich who was on the isle to bring Swift and Fitz home. Unfortunately Burich did not survive the injury the stone dragon inflicted on him when saving his son.

Upon their return to Buckeep, Swift together with other members of the Wit Coterie were honoured for their loyal service during the quest. Later, Swift became apprenticed to Web the Witmaster and accompanied the latter during his tours of the Six Duchies.

[edit] The Pale Woman

The infamous Pale Woman, though rumored to be nothing but a legend during the Red Ship War, is known to the Fool. She took up residence in the Elderling Stronghold on Aslevjal island. She was the woman who ordered the Fool to be tattoed on his back so he would be known to her if his appearance ever changed. She learned a more cruel way of applying the tattos later in her life (by mixing the inks with her own blood so they would always respond to her) which she applied to Dutiful's bride-to-be. She learned much knowledge from Skill scrolls sold to her by Prince Regal during the Red Ship War in order for him to finance his inland kingdom when he had his father killed so he could take control of the Six Duchies. The Pale Woman claimed to be a white prophet, though she is found to be false. The pale woman died in her own palace, attempting to destroy what she could before she died by lighting the Skill scrolls aflame. She was unsuccessful, and was found dead next to the scrolls, a battered Elderling lamp in her hand.

[edit] Piebalds

[edit] Laudwine

Laudwine is the leader of the Piebalds, an extreme faction among the Witted. He and Fitz are highly antagonistic, especially since Fitz's charge, Prince Dutiful, is involved. Fitz cuts off Laudwine's arm in self-defense and later kills him in order to save Civil.

[edit] Deerkin

Deerkin is a cousin of huntswoman Laurel. He associated with the Piebalds, ambushing Laurel, Fitz, and The Fool, even shooting Laurel in the shoulder before he was stopped by Fitz. Fitz was going to torture him to discover where the Piebalds had gone with Dutiful, but Laurel and Deerkin escaped during the night. When he found out about the true motives of the Piebalds, he left them and helped Laurel bring people to help Fiz and rescue Dutiful.