Title: Old Kingdom Characters
Note: I am unsure of some details, as I do not own or have immediate access to the books (the library's copies were stolen). Any facts of which I am unsure appear in bold italics. If you know these facts, please fill them in! If any underlined data remains when I am ready to move this to an actual article it will have to be removed. Also, the sections marked needs expansion and data are ones for which I do not have existing data on Wikipedia (right now, this is essentially a merge and rewrite), and as aforementioned, I do not have access to the books, and thus am unable to check/refresh my knowledge of these characters. Any contributions to these sections are very welcome! Thank you!
Second note: the majority of the links are in red because they reference either to where this article will be, once it is added to the main section of Wiki, and to where new articles which I plan to create will be. I know it looks nasty now, but hopefully there will be no red links whatsoever once I move this to its appropriate place, and create the other articles.
- There's no need to do that: internal section links need not be [[Article#Section|Section]] , but are better as [[#Section|Section]]. I'll go through and fix your redlinks. (for posterity, your intended title is Old Kingdom characters.) Nihiltres 04:11, 15 April 2006 (UTC)
{{Spoiler about|the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix}}
Abhorsens edit
Terciel edit
Terciel was the fifty-second Abhorsen, succeeding his aunt. He bound Kerrigor, the Greater Dead Adept, beyond the Seventh Gate but could not force him past the Ninth.
Terciel fathered two children: Sabriel, who was stillborn and returned to Life, and Lirael, who he fathered many years later with the Clayr Arielle. Weeks after conceiving Lirael, Terciel was trapped in Death while investigating Kerrigor's activities in the Old Kingdom capital city Belisaere.
After Terciel was rescued from death by Sabriel and Touchstone during Sabriel, he revealed that his extended stay in Death had cost him a great deal of his life; after emerging from Death, he had only ten thousand heartbeats to live. As a result of this, he chose to sacrifice himself in order to decrease Kerrigor's power, and allow Sabriel and Touchstone to escape. By ringing the bell Astarael, he caused his own death, but also forced the army of Dead creatures surrounding the party back into Death.
Sabriel edit
Sabriel was stillborn, and believed to be lost to the land of the living, until her father, the Abhorsen (revealed in Lirael to be named Terciel), rescued her from the clutch of the Greater Dead Adept, Kerrigor. Her earliest years were spent with her father, in the company of a group of nomads. For her education, she was then sent to Wyverley College in Ancelstierre, the country south of the Old Kingdom, where magic has little influence, save very near the border.
After the discovery of Terciel's disappearance, Sabriel travelled to the Old Kingdom to rescue her father from whatever prevented him from fulfilling his duties as the Abhorsen.
After her journey and adventures in Sabriel, Sabriel took her place as the fifty-third Abhorsen and married Touchstone, then known to her as Touchstone, and the two began the immense task of reconstructing the Old Kingdom after its decline during the reign of the Dead and the absense of adequate leadership. Their progeny were Ellimere and Sameth. During the reconstruction, Sabriel acted in a diplomatic capacity during meetings with the government of Ancelstierre, as a result of the knowledge of the country and its politics gained during her school days. Presumably, Sabriel will start Lirael on the same training process she had planned for Sameth soon after the binding of Orannis.
Lirael edit
Lirael was born and brought up in the Clayr's Glacier, in the Old Kingdom. She was the daughter of Terciel and the half-sister of Sabriel, having been conceived in a short-lived affair between Terciel and the Clayr Arielle. This tryst was the result of Arielle's vision, brought to her by her Clayr heritage, of the immense importance of conceiving a child with Terciel. Shortly after her conception, Terciel vanished, as a result of his entrapment inside one of the gates of death by Kerrigor. When Lirael was five years of age, her mother left on a quest, prompted by a vision, and Lirael received word of her death on her tenth birthday.
As of the beginning of Lirael, the reader is shown Lirael at fourteen years of age, when she feels highly outcast from her community, the Clayr. She had not yet received the gift of the Sight, which is universal among the Clayr, a fact unheard of for her age. Lirael also deviated from the standard appearance of the Clayr: she had dark hair while the Clayr are blonde, and she had pale skin while the Clayr had dark complexions. The final cause of her depression was that she had never been Seen by any of the Clayr—almost as if she were a nonentity.
Her feelings of depression caused her to attempt suicide on her fourteenth birthday, and her journey to the highest point of the glacier sets her on a new path for her life. The senior Clayr Sanar and Ryelle give her an adult job in the library, a position at which she proves herself to be adept. Her adventures in the library cause her to summon the Disreputable Dog, encounter a Free Magic creature known as a Stilken, and set her on the path she follows throughout Lirael and Abhorsen.
By the end of Abhorsen, Lirael's parentage has been revealed to her, and she has discovered and grasped her birthright as both the Abhorsen-in-waiting, the Abhorsen who will succeed Sabriel, as the fifty-fourth Abhorsen, and the rare title as Remembrancer. She possesses the ability to use the Dark Mirror to, while in the realm of Death, view past events. She loses a hand in the final binding of Orannis, but Sameth would create a new magical one for her at a later date, (according to the Disreputable Dog) he mused from the edge of life that she would be given the title of Lirael Golden-Hand.
Lirael makes an appearance at the end of The Creature in the Case in which she defeats the Free Magic Hrule [sic] that was chasing Nicholas Sayre.
Royal Family edit
Touchstone edit
Touchstone, whose real name is Torrigan, was a bastard prince, the son of the Queen of the Old Kingdom and a nobleman whose identity is unknown. He was the childhood playmate and half-brother of Rogirek, the man who became Kerrigor. He was present when Rogir murdered his family and was the only one to survive, due to the quick thinking of the Abhorsen and his companion, Mogget. His body was preserved as the wooden figurehead of one of the royal boats in Holehallow, while his spirit was preserved on the border of Death. His northern blood caused him to, under extreme stress, become berserk, a trait which caused the Abhorsen who preserved him to think him to be insane, after finding Touchstone in a berserk rage.
Over two hundred years later, the Abhorsen's daughter Sabriel awakened Touchstone, who was then unable to mention his real identity outside the Sea of Saere. Even there, he avoided mentioning his true name, as Mogget had convinced him he was not worthy of it. After the defeat of Kerrigor, Touchstone claimed his birthright as King of the Old Kingdom, and married Sabriel. Their progeny were Ellimere and Sameth. Touchstone's true name is not revealed to the reader until the conclusion of Abhorsen, where Touchstone rings Ranna to help bind Orannis.
Kerrigor edit
Kerrigor's given name was Rogir, and he began life as a prince of the Old Kingdom, half-brother to Torrigan (who later took the name Touchstone). As a child, his nickname was Kerrigor, derived from a backward reading of his formal name, Rogirek. During his late youth and early adulthood, he disappeared from the capital of Belisaire for some time, during which period he studied the dark arts of Free Magic and Necromancy.
After he returned to court, Rogir was welcomed back by his family, who he persuaded to venture with him into the reservoir of the Great Charter stones beneath the palace. There, he murdered his mother and sisters, and used their blood to crack, and thus render useless, three of the six Great Charter stones. It was revealed at that point that Kerrigor was no longer human, but instead one of the Greater Dead, a powerful undead creature. After his murder of the Queen and her daughters, which caused the downfall of the monarchy, Kerrigor began to raise armies of Dead minions, and wreak havoc on the country, by destroying lesser Charter Stones and massacreing human villages. Many Abhorsens over the years, including Terciel who bound him beyond the seventh gate of Death, forced Kerrigor back, but as long as his body remained intact, Kerrigor remained able to return to life.
Kerrigor was finally defeated when, after being forced temporarily into Death by Terciel (at the cost of Terciel's own life), he crossed the Wall dividing Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom. After a long struggle at Wyverley College and the destruction of his body by Sabriel and Touchstone, Kerrigor was bound, under the bell Ranna, into the form of a black cat (similar to Mogget) and sealed below the Abhorsen's house.
Ellimere edit
Ellimere is the daughter of the King Touchstone and Sabriel. At the 2nd binding of Orannis, Ellimere rings Dyrim. Although this is never mentioned in the books, it can be assumed that she was named after one of Sabriel's school-friends, who died during Kerrigor's attack on Wyverley College at the climax of Sabriel.
The Clayr edit
Sanar and Ryelle edit
needs expansion and data
The two twin daughters of the clayr who gained their sight at the age of sixteen, they are the voice of the nine day watch in Lirael, and have been paperwing pilots since the age of fourteen, due to their being twins, and the combined nature of their spirit they both rang the bell Mosrael at the binding of Orannis.
Arielle edit
Lirael's mother, lover of abhorsen Terciel (Sabriel's father.)
Kirrith edit
Lirael's aunt sister to Arielle.
The Wallmakers edit
Prince Sameth edit
Prince Sameth is the second child of Sabriel and Touchstone. He is a central character in Lirael and Abhorsen, when he embarks on a journey to save his friend Nick and find his true destiny as the heir of the Wallmakers.
Sameth's story begins in Ancelstierre, where he attended school. His cricket team's journey by the wall is disrupted by a group of Dead Hands led by the necromancer Hedge. Sam has the best magical knowledge amongst the group, so he leads the assault against the attacking Dead. After the Dead Hands had been seen to Sameth, who was unaware of what had happened to Nick during the siege, was visited by his father, Touchstone in hospital, who told him that he would soon be returning to Belisaere. However, Sameth was not greeted by either of his busy parents upon his return; instead his elder sister Ellimere made sure he followed Sabriel's instructions on becoming the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, as well as her own choice of chores. However, Sam avoided doing these as much as possible, spending most of his time in his workshop. He felt scared of The Book of the Dead and the Abhorsen's bells he had been given for practice. His parents return to Belisaere after a while, but he finds he is unable to tell his mother of the problem. Sabriel and Touchstone soon have to return to their duties, as the threat of the Southerling refugees escalates. Soon after, Sameth receives a letter from Nick, telling him of the 'Lightning Farm' expedition. Sam, is immediately suspicious, and sneaks out of Belisaere using a Glamour. He did not pack The Book of the Dead or the Bells, but they appear in his bag later.
Sameth doesn't do a good job of drawing attention away from himself, and manages to get stabbed in the leg in an inn. He stumbles into a forest, where he meets Mogget, who joins him on his quest. Mogget and Sam then begin a desperate flight towards the Ratterlin, pursued by Dead Hands in the bodies of Southerling Refugees. They only just make it to an old water mill in time, and suffer the loss of their horse on the way. There, they find a bathtub, which they use to float down the river.
It is not long before Sam and Mogget encounter Lirael and the Disreputable Dog, who are also travelling down the river. They then abandon the bathtub and join the others on Finder. When the four of them reach the Abhorsen's House, the true destinies of Sam and Lirael are revealed: Sam is a Wallmaker, not an Abhorsen.
Abhorsen sees the continuation of Lirael and Sameth's journey. They face many hardships together, but eventually rescue Nick and rebind Orannis. Sam is hit hard by the news of his parents' death at the Crossing Point, and is overwhelmingly releaved to see them alive and well at the end of the book. Sam rings Belgaer during Orannis's binding. In Abhorsen's epilogue, the Disreputable Dog reveals that Sameth will make Lirael a new hand made of gold. This hand is made just before the events of The Creature in the Case, which take place six months after Abhorsen.
Creature Characters edit
Mogget edit
Mogget was originally the second most powerful of the Nine Bright Shiners, and was then known as Yrael. When seven of the Nine chose to structure the lone available magic - Free Magic - by creating Charter Magic, he chose to hide, remaining neutral. When the last of the Nine, Orannis, began his battle with the Seven, Yrael again remained neutral. He was bound by the Seven after they narrowly defeated Orannis. Yrael was bound in the form of a creature called Mogget, and became the servant of the Abhorsens for millennia. He is known to have several forms, but usually is shown as a small white cat, who is described as having green, almond-shaped eyes, and wearing a bright red collar which contains the most powerful Charter marks of binding. He has also been known to take on the shape of an albino dwarf with sharp teeth, although he mentioned that one of the previous Abhorsens had forbidden him to take that shape around Abhorsens without prior permission.
Mogget was an unwilling but helpful advisor who saved and assisted numerous Abhorsens, including Sabriel and Lirael in their quests. Due to his enforced servitude, he harboured a great grudge against the Abhorsens, and on the few occasions he was released from his bindings, usually tried to slay them and claim his "blood price."
Mogget's binding spell was contained in his red collar, which sported the most powerful Charter marks of binding, a small miniature necromantic bell, and Charter marks warning those who might encounter him of his dangerous nature. His binding also incorporated a means to rebind him via the use of a magical ring, which had the ability to form a new collar. This ring would expand in the prescence of the unbound Mogget, to a size such that it would be able to be forced over the head of the creature. It would then shrink, and cause Mogget to shrink in size along with it. The re-binding would be complete with an Abhorsen's use of a bell. The ring is described as small and silver, with two claws coming out of the band to hold a small red ruby. This spell was also used to great effect against Kerrigor in Sabriel, after Kerrigor consumed Mogget, he was bound along with mogget, this resulted in Mogget's binding bell shifting from Saraneth to the weaker Ranna, due to the charter collar being used to bind two free magic constructs instead of one. Ranna exerted a much different influence over him than Saraneth, causing him to become afflicted with nearly constant drowsiness. In the conclusion of Abhorsen, he was finally freed and chose to help the Abhorsens against Orannis, who had once again broken free. He was finally released from service by Belgaer, the thinker bell.
Disreputable Dog edit
The Disreputable Dog was intended to be a simple sending comprised of Charter Marks that Lirael tried to construct. Using a frame of silver wire and the encouragement of a small soapstone dog statuette, Lirael performed the construction ceremony, and unintentionally awoke the Free Magic within the statuette, causing an avatar of the Third Bright Shiner, Kibeth, to invoke itself within her sending. It took the shape of a rather mixed breed of dog with pointy ears, a shape that Lirael had never intended, but which she still welcomed. The Disreputable Dog is of the female gender and rather obnoxious at times, but proves herself to be loyal, resourceful, and useful.
The Dog shows the ability in the books to use Charter Magic, change shape at will, go into Death, and also use a characteristic force of making those who she wishes walk wherever she chooses. She can revert to the free magic being she truly is at will , unlike Mogget, she can also change shape without changing temperament. The Dog accompanies Lirael throughout Lirael and Abhorsen, and both Lirael and the Disreputable Dog develop an indestructible attachment to each other. Unfortunately, when Lirael defeats the Ninth Bright Shiner, Orannis, the Dog sacrifices her life to save Lirael from total destruction, by biting off her hand. Theoretically, the dog could not have been "killed" since she is part of the Charter, but she instead decides to walk across the borderline between life and death for some time.
Necromancers edit
Chlorr of the Mask edit
It is believed Chlorr was once an Abhorsen, who was scarred by a necromancer, She always wears a bronze mask, due to her grotesque disfigurement. She was sent far into death where the effects of the seventh gate turned her into one of the greater dead, she re-emerged into life with help from the necromancer Hedge, and is able to use free magic and her abhorsen skills to manipulate the dead.
Chlorr was bound by the necromancer Hedge, who used her to attack areas around the Red Lake, where he was trying to unearth Orannis, the Destroyer. She then attacked Lirael and her companions as they were travelling to the Abhorsen's House, and was briefly expelled from her chosen form by the Disreputable Dog.
In Abhorsen, it is Chlorr who besieges the Abhorsen's House and forces the companions into an encounter with Astarael. She later attacks them near the "lightning farm", when Lirael has almost bound her, when Mogget, the Abhorsen's familiar, drives her away.
Hedge edit
needs expansion and data Hedge is a Free Magic sorcerer and necromancer. He was born in Ancelstierre, but scorns the area during the series for its lack of power. He discovers Orannis' binding location and heads its release, summoning many dead Hands to excavate the hemispheres. He is killed at the end of Abhorsen by Lirael and the Disreputable Dog, who cause him, during combat in Death, to look up towards the Ninth Gate unable to resist it's call he goes into final death. Hedge was one of the crossing point scouts, working for the ancelstierrian army, at the age of 50 he crossed into the old kingdom in search of power, and to sate his curiosity about magic, he killed a weakened necromancer, and took his bell bandoleer, hedge chose to become a free magic being to increase his power shucking his old body.
Other edit
Nicholas Sayre edit
Nick plays a central role in Lirael and Abhorsen, and is the main character in The Creature in the Case. He went to the same school as Prince Sameth, and so was caught up in the siege on the hill. During the seige, he finds himself on the sunken road with Hedge, and is mistaken for Sameth by the necromancer. A fragment of Orannis is introduced into his blood stream. The active part of the Destroyer's spirit is now inside him. After recovering in hospital, he is recruited by Hedge to go on an expidition to the Old Kingdom, supposedly to harness the power of lightning to start a lightning farm back in Ancelstierre. The real purpose of the visit is to awaken Orannis from its imprisonment. Forunately, Nick wrote to Sameth relating his plans, thus prompting the start of the prince's adventure. However, Sameth does not meet Nick at the Wall as he planned. The epilogue of Lirael reveals to the reader that the real enemy is inside Nick, and Hedge is only its servant. It also reveals that the pit is being dug by an army of Dead Hands that use the bodies of Southerling refugees. Nick is slowly being consumed by the Destroyer, and believes they are suffering from a disease like leperacy. When Nick blacks out, Orannis can speak to Hedge.
In Abhorsen, Nick is rescued from the pit by an owl and a flying dog, who are actually Lirael and the Disreputable Dog. While the Disreputable Dog tracks down Chlorr, Lirael finds the reed boat from the Clayr's prophecy and attempts to inform an ailing Nick of the real situation. However, the Destroyer emerges and flees. Nick remains mostly unconcious until the crossing over the Wall, where he touches a part of Sabriel's wind flutes, which were smashed in the crossing of the Wall. This awakens the memory of his brief conversation with Lirael, but he just as quickly blacks out again. This happens several times in the journey, until the windmill (where the lightning farm was to be built) is reached. Here Nick makes a desperate attempt to stop the Destroyer's awakening, before finally being rescued by Mogget. However, he was too late. Nick has a brief reconcilliation with Prince Sameth before passing on to the First Precinct of Death. He is fortunate to be brought back to Life by the Disreputable Dog after the final binding of Orannis, and is baptised into the charter.
Orannis edit
Orannis was once the Ninth Bright Shiner, who sought to destroy the entirety of creation, and foil the plans of the seven members of the Great Charter. It would have triumphed, but it was bound by the other Seven Bright Shiners into two silver hemispheres. The hemispheres were buried deep beneath the earth, protected by seven bonds: gold, silver, lead, rowan, ash, oak, and bone.
After one small shard of Orannis' binding hemispheres broke off, Orannis used its shard to infect young Ancelstierrian Nicholas Sayre, who then became its conduit, as if Nicholas were possessed by Orannis. In order for the Destroyer to be released, the hemispheres were required to be joined by a powerful stroke of lightning. Therefore, a "lightning farm" was built near the Old Kingdom border, in Ancelstierre, and the hemispheres were transported there, with the purpose of joining them into a single sphere.
The hemispheres were successfully rejoined, and Orannis began to show its destructive powers. However, another Seven came, led by Lirael, the new Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with the purpose of rebinding it. They initially failed because the power of the Abhorsen, Clayr, Wallmakers and other binder's blood had been weakened after so many generations. Mogget, once Yrael, the Eighth Bright Shiner, added his voice to the binding bells, making the binding successful once again, and Orannis was bound anew by Lirael and the other Seven.