Turjan

Turjan is a fictional sorcerer from the Dying Earth series by fantasy author Jack Vance. He first appeared in the short story collection The Dying Earth, in 1950.

Biography

Turjan resides in a stone castle called Miir, by the river Derna in the land of Ascolais. He spends much of his time in his study, where he keeps the ancient books which contain the one hundred spells which are still known to mankind.

At the beginning of the series, in "Turjan of Miir," Turjan is frustrated in his attempts to create synthetic life in his nutrient vats. Turjan uses a spell to travel to an otherworldly realm known as Embelyon, in order to ask the secret from an incredibly powerful (but never seen) wizard named Pandelume, who remembers all of the thousands of spells which are lost to the rest of mankind in Turjan's time. After performing a service for Pandelume, Turjan not only learns how to create life, but also receives instruction in many different spells, as well as in mathematics, a lost science in his own civilization. Turjan first creates a green-haired woman named Floriel, who is killed by one of Pandelume's defective creations. His second creation, T'sain, returns with him to Earth after Turjan completes his apprenticeship under Pandelume.

In "Mazirian the Magician," Turjan has been captured by an evil wizard named Mazirian, who torments Turjan in an effort to force him to give up the secret of how he imbues his artificial creations with intelligence. T'sain eventually kills Mazirian and frees Turjan, but dies in the attempt. Turjan vows to use her brain in order to recreate her in a new body.

Powers and abilities

Like the other wizards of the Dying Earth, Turjan practices magic by memorizing written spells, which he immediately forgets upon casting them. In his first appearance, before his tutelage under Pandelume, Turjan can memorize only four of the most powerful spells. Turjan also relies on magical devices and amulets which protect him from harmful magic and can undo harmful enchantments.

In addition to his spellcasting ability and magical artifacts, Turjan is trained in other sciences, such as mathematics, the ability to create artificial humans from vats, and the secrets of superhumanly prolonged life.