Codex Alera
Codex Alera is a fantasy book series by Jim Butcher. The series chronicles the coming-of-age of a young man named Tavi in the realm of Alera, an empire similar to Rome, on the world of Carna. Every Aleran has some degree of command over elemental forces or spirits called furies, save for Tavi, who is considered unusual for his lack of any. As the aging First Lord struggles to maintain his hold on a realm on the brink of civil war, Tavi must use all of his intelligence to save his family from diverse enemies.
| Author | Jim Butcher |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Ace Books |
| Published | 2004 - 2009 |
| No. of books | 6 |
| Website | www |
Alera is part of a large continent that is inhabited by the Icemen to the north. They are connected to another large continent held by the Marat via a land bridge, which is the location of the Calderon Valley. The Canim reside across the ocean to the west, staging regular, bloody raids on coastal settlements. A map of the realm, illustrated by fan Priscilla Spencer, was published in First Lord's Fury.
The inspiration for the series came from a bet Butcher was challenged to by a member of the Del Rey Online Writer's Workshop. The challenger bet that Butcher could not write a good story based on a lame idea, and he countered that he could do it using two lame ideas of the challenger's choosing. The "lame" ideas given were "Lost Roman Legion", and "Pokémon".[1]
Books in the series
| No. | Title | Release date | Hardcover ISBN | Paperback ISBN | Audiobook ISBN | Audio Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furies of Calderon | October 5, 2004 | 0-4410-1199-3 | 0-4410-1268-X | 0-14314376-X | November 20, 2008 |
| 2 | Academ's Fury | July 5, 2005 | 0-4410-1283-3 | 0-4410-1340-6 | 0-14314377-8 | November 20, 2008 |
| 3 | Cursor's Fury | December 5, 2006 | 0-4410-1434-8 | 0-4410-1547-6 | 0-14314378-6 | November 20, 2008 |
| 4 | Captain's Fury | December 4, 2007 | 0-4410-1527-1 | 0-4410-1655-3 | 0-14314338-7 | March 27, 2008 |
| 5 | Princeps' Fury | December 2, 2008 | 0-4410-1638-3 | 0-4410-1796-7 | 0-14314375-1 | November 25, 2008 |
| 6 | First Lord's Fury | November 24, 2009 | 0-4410-1769-X | 0-4410-1962-5 | 0-14314520-7 | November 24, 2009 |
Furies
Furies are elemental spirit-like forces (earth, water, air, fire, metal, and wood) that inhabit all aspects of Alera. Furies can be found as exceedingly small motes anywhere attention is paid, but can aggregate into larger and more volatile beings (either at the behest of a Crafter manifesting their power or as wild, feral Furies). Furies in the wilderness or lands distant from cities are often considered more powerful, and the land more likely to be inhabited by such 'feral' furies. The nature of furies as independent beings appears to be substantially dependent on both the Alerans' cultivation of the land and their furycraft power. In tamed lands, the furies dissolve into motes that do not act independently, but can be gathered by a crafter into a manifest fury for their uses. Untamed lands, however, are prone to dangerous manifested furies that will harm anyone on sight unless destroyed or claimed by a Crafter of skill. Those living in these regions generally give their furies names (usually after the geographical landmark they believe their fury is connected to) and treat them as independent entities with quirks and individual talents, which causes their furies to do exactly that, as Crafting is an application of willpower. Crafters are often only limited by what they believe they can and cannot do with their furies. The furies connected to a person can be passed on to another chosen by the crafter after their death, allowing that person to manifest that fury. This implies that Furies' natures are neither as simple as motes gathered with personalities projected onto them by the ignorant, nor fully independent entities that do not change.
Of these, the Great Furies are the most powerful, representing large scale landmarks such as mountains or weather systems. They are for the most part bound and placated through the efforts of High Lords, and cannot be directly controlled by Alerans except to annoy and provoke them. The term 'Great Furies' is often used as an imprecation or expression of awe, a remnant from an age where their existence was common knowledge. Most are not aware of the Great Furies outside of myth, to prevent ambitious or dangerous Crafters from provoking them: a fully roused Great Fury is capable of laying waste to huge areas of the continent.
While Proto-Aleran ruins show no sign of fury-crafting ability amongst humans of the past, the Aleran people at the present day manifest personal furies in their early childhood or adolescent years, and control them with their will. They are used to aid them in whatever task is undertaken from housework to combat. This fury-based magic is accomplished in one of two forms. First, an Aleran may draw from the strength of their fury to increase their own. For example, earth crafters often draw physical might from the ground, through their furies, to allow them to lift loads far too heavy for normal people, while wind crafters can increase their speed and metalcrafters their endurance and tolerance of pain. The second form of fury-crafting is to "manifest" a fury. This involves the fury taking a corporeal form, often the shape of an animal, though taking the shape of a human is not unheard of. Manifested furies are necessary for the most powerful forms of furycrafting, including flight (windcrafting) and healing (watercrafting).
While most Alerans display some type of very rudimentary ability in all areas of fury-crafting, they are typically skilled in only one or occasionally two elements and generally cannot rise above the freeman social status. Those who have sufficient skill with one or two fury types may elect to become "Citizens" by displaying that skill in a trial. High Lords and their offspring generally show considerable talent in all areas of furycraft well beyond the capabilities of a typical person, indicating that heredity plays some role in furycrafting, including inheritance or transference of specific furies. Residents of large cities typically treat furies as generic entities, while those in rural areas forge close personal bonds with specific furies often tied closely to local natural landmarks. All Alerans of sufficient talent and strength in furycrafting to be admitted to the Citizenry are obliged by law to marry someone with similar ability, in the interest of producing children with strong fury-crafting talent.
During "Princeps' Fury", a fully intelligent Fury is introduced as the secret behind much of the First Lord's continent-spanning furycrafting. Named Alera, this fury came to be accidentally, when the First Lord Gaius Primus gathered pieces of stone from across Alera into a moasic map of the land. This allowed Primus to obtain information by seeing through the furies of very disparate locations, and effect changes from a great range, but this unique construct allowed these furies to coalesce and form an awareness unlike any before it, a fury that represents the continent itself. This fury can appear in the guise of a woman made of metal and precious stones, clothed in mist. Having been manifested by the thousand-year-old House of Gaius, Alera acts by observing distant events through the many furies that make her up, and can effect enormous changes in the continent's climate by guiding the First Lord's power to be applied remotely where he desires, allowing him to effect such changes as minimizing hurricane systems and pushing cold systems into otherwise temperate locations. Alera has a very distant and detached personality. Lacking human emotion, the vastness of her awareness causes her to therefore lack particular care for personal attachments; she finds the beings that inhabit Alera to be interesting, but transitory, with her having existed for millions of years before any civilization upon the continent. Alera can only act in a manner consistent with the powers and limitations of a fury, and only at the behest of the First Lord. She clarifies to Octavian that all effects she helps him to manifest will impact the entire continent, all peoples equally and without prejudice. Alera represents a legacy of connection to enormous power in the hands of the House of Gaius. Her existence is therefore known only to the First Lords of this line, as awareness of her potential could motivate other High Lords to attempt similar constructions. The greater risk, however, is Alera's implication that any other such amalgamation would lack the conscious beneficent intent with which Gaius Primus and his heirs had accessed and utilized her power. Throughout Octavian's interaction with Alera, it is made apparent that her visible form is progressively diminishing, possibly her collective power as well.
Types
| Type | Description | Title used for powerful crafter soldiers |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Used for communicating over large distances, reading emotions, shape shifting (even to the point of copying the forms of other specific individuals), keeping a youthful appearance, and manipulating water; the control this provides over a human body allows for both healing or inflicting of illness or may be used to injure or kill; disrupted by fire. Isana, as one limited and very specific use of shape shifting, learned how to extend her finger nails, making a sharp weapon. Manifested water furies out of large bodies of water may attack directly. | Healer/ Knight Aqua |
| Earth | Used to impart greater strength; track and hunt; manipulate the earth; influence or calm animals; and inspire lust. A manifest earth fury can attack directly and can carry a crafter across ground as if on a raft. Earthcraft is necessary to travel swiftly on fury-crafted roads throughout Alera. Earthcraft is disrupted when contact with the ground is lost. | Knight Terra |
| Wood | Used in manipulating plants, shaping wood, tracking, and for camouflage where there is sufficient plant-life to be adapted to the purpose; used by archers to bend massive bows to allow arrows to fly farther and faster, and to increase the accuracy of arrows. Also used to instantly create wooden tools. Requires nearby wood or plant matter, living or dead, in order to use. Woodcrafting is easily disrupted with metal. | Knight Flora |
| Air | Used to fly, control the wind, and to increase speed and agility. Also to bend air into a lens to see farther or into an echo chamber to allow voice communication without the need for watercrafting; however, the effective range is much shorter. It can also be used to create barriers of silence around an area to ensure private conversation. Strong crafters may be able to bend the air to make objects or people seem invisible or to create lenses of air to focus light into a damaging beam. It can be used to manipulate the weather, including the creation of lightning. One blind windcrafter was said to be able to "see" by sensing the currents of air in the room. Windcraft is disrupted by earth, particularly in the form of salt. The book has examples of multiple windcrafters working together for greater effect (For example, they may together carry passenger carriages in flight, or create a huge lens to harness sunlight as a very destructive beam [think of using a magnifying glass to burn bugs, but on a huge scale].) | Knight Aeris |
| Fire | Used to control firelight to subliminally manipulate passionate feelings such as joy, anger, and fear; used to create and manipulate flames for either constructive or massively destructive purposes; can be used to create cold by extracting heat from an object; can be used to warm the crafter's own body when faced with cold weather; manifested fire furies may attack directly; the most powerful firecrafters can create white-hot spheres that vaporize anything within them and sear all objects within a large radius; disrupted by water. | Knight Ignus |
| Metal | Used heavily in swordplay as crafters can change the hardness of metal, allowing them to strike with diamond-hard blades. Combat can be carried on in total darkness, if the opponent carries or wears metal, as metalcrafters do not need light to sense nearby metal. Shields and armor can also be made more flexible to absorb a greater amount of impact force than normal. Metalcrafting is also used in forging weapons and other precise metal objects; and, further, metalcrafters have dramatically increased pain tolerance and physical endurance. Although they gain reaction speed, accuracy, and deadly ability in combat, metalcrafters do not become physically stronger, nor does metalcraft give them skills they have not learned, and they still require metal weapons/armor to make the most of their abilities. The most deadly swordmasters are those who also augment their abilities with earth and wind. Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, and Araris Valerian are the only characters to display the ability to manifest a metal fury - the effect being that Sextus and Araris transformed into metal, in an effect reminiscent of Colossus from the X-Men. The process is only skin deep, as the skin inside the mouth remains flesh. It is quite painful; however, the metalcraft necessary to accomplish it also provides protection from pain. Disrupted by wood. | Knight Ferrous |
Watercrafters are not conventionally used in the front lines of battle. In the series, Tavi himself also uses them almost strictly as medical staff that actively tend to the injured. Given the number of casualties during battles, any and all Watercraft specialists are assigned to that position. Outside of healing, strong water crafters are used as spies and assassins; as the ability to completely change appearance and copy the forms of others is of great use in these roles.
A group of raw legionare recruits, or "fish," who acquitted themselves remarkably well under Tavi's command, were given the nickname "Knights Pisces". This group was a unit of Knights Aeris.
Races of Carna
Alerans
Alerans are humans, taking their name from the country they inhabit. They are the most developed civilization on Carna, and they exert their influence over all other sentient races through their use of furies. Their far-flung empire spans most of an entire continent, but they are pressed on all sides by hostile enemies. Their government is a feudal monarchy with institutions derived from the Roman Empire. The government is headed by a single patriarchal monarch, the First Lord, who controls the high lords and their territories. The Senate is the political body for the empire, establishing laws and government appropriations. All of the high lords and senators are part of an aristocracy called Citizens, as are lesser lords and nobles. To become a Citizen, an Aleran must either win a duel with a Citizen called the juris macto or be appointed by the First Lord. Citizens are similar in status to Roman Patricians.
Aleran culture is male dominated and allows for people to be bought and sold as slaves. Women's rights are lacking in many respects but a highly influential Dianic League is winning support for more rights. The country is organized into city-states, with each of the major cities ruled by a high lord. The outlying areas of the cities are inhabited by farms, called Steadholts. Each Steadholt is led by a steadholder who rules that area of Alera, under the authority of the local High Lord.
The Aleran military is organized into legions similar to those used by the Romans. Each High Lord is allowed and responsible for maintaining three full legions (containing Knights and foot soldiers called legionares) and a contingent of bodyguards (singulares). Each legion has sworn loyalties to their High Lord, which causes issues when conflict arises between the First Lord and a High Lord.
Canim
The Canim are large, anthropomorphic wolf-like creatures and fierce warriors. They are long-lived, with a society organized in a caste-like social hierarchy which is susceptible to political in-fighting. Canim speak a growling barking language more suitable to their muzzles than the mangled Aleran that they attempt. Most Aleran contact with the Canim is through Canim raids along the west coast of Alera. They are capable of sorcery, as revealed in Academ's Fury when the Canim use their influence over the elements to batter the coast of Alera with violent storms and in Cursor's Fury when they shot bolts of concentrated red lightning to hit the officers of the First Aleran legion. The blood of living (or formerly living) intelligent beings is necessary in the use of Canim sorcery, in contrast to the fury-based magic of the Alerans. Their current ambassador to Alera is Varg, who was imprisoned after the events of Academ's Fury. In Cursor's Fury, a large contingent of Canim invade Alera with the intent of creating a permanent colony on the continent. In Captain's Fury, it is revealed that the Canim are invading Alera with such massive forces because their homeland has been invaded by the Vord. In Princep's Fury it is revealed that Canea used to consist of several countries, or ranges as the Canim term them, each of them as big as or bigger than Alera itself. Yet by the time the Canim invasion force returns home only one range, Shuar, remains. Shuar is described as a cold, northern, range with tundra and hardy people. The Shuarans are known for their golden fur and their monumental defense engineering. They had turned the plateau that defined their range into a monstrous fortress, which is the reason they have survived against the vord longer than the others. The Narashans are Canim with mainly black fur and are called the "tree people" by other Canim, suggesting that they once lived in forests. Their range was south of Shuar. Ambassador Varg is a war-leader of Narash. Most Canim view Alerans as unnatural demons and call them as such. Historically, only the Canim of Narash viewed the Alerans as anything more than vermin to be eventually exterminated.
Four classes in the Canim caste system are described as follows:
- The Warrior caste consists of the elite warriors. These professional soldiers are the Canim analog of Aleran legionares. They are taller and stronger than the other castes and much more disciplined. They are issued military standard armor and weapons. Warriors often ride on animals called Taurg, which are giant bull-like creatures that are very irritable and will eat their rider or trample them if not held in check with Canim discipline. The heads of Canim armies are known as Warmasters.
- The Maker caste consists of the farmers and artisans, the Canim equivalent of an Aleran steadholder. In the invasion of Alera, the Maker caste is deployed in raiding parties that attack Aleran travelers and raid steadholts with improvised weapons. They are not very disciplined and pose a threat mainly because of their numbers and sheer Canim strength. By the end of Captain's Fury the Raiders that were a part of the Canim invasion have been trained by Nasaug into a force that approaches the warrior caste in capability.
- The Ritualist caste consists of the Canim's spellcasters. They gain their power from the blood of intelligent creatures. They have the power to summon red cloud-like creatures with acidic tentacles to guard the sky from flying Alerans. They can also summon fire or acid from the sky and cause devastating damage to their foes. They use their own race's and Aleran blood for power. Originally, their role in Canim society was to grant luck, bless family lines, and grant a plentiful harvest, but by the time of the invasion of Alera, they are vying with the warrior caste for political control of the Canim. They often use the skin or body parts of their enemies as clothing or tools. For example, many ritualists have cloaks made of human leather or helmets made of Vord skulls.
- The Hunters are the Canim version of Cursors. They are the spies, scouts, and assassins of the Canim. They use short black lengths of chain, small javelins, and iron bars for throwing. These light weapons allow the hunters to sneak up on people. They are only mentioned in passing in the books until Princeps' Fury, in which they make their first appearance. Unlike cursors, they have no overt authority, remaining as pure covert operatives. They are considered to already be dead, having received their blood song (Canim form of last rites) when they became hunters. The Hunters are usually assigned to a Warmaster. They are most commonly tasked with missions where the letter of the Canim codes of honor must be violated in order to preserve the spirit of the codes. The Hunters justify their role by renouncing their right to their life, removing their obligation to observe the codes. With extreme skills in stealth and assassination, Hunters are able to sneak in and out of the most guarded positions in Canea and Alera. This is often used to the advantage of Warmasters who can cause dissenters or enemies to simply "disappear".
Icemen
Very little is known about the Icemen except that they are a savage enemy of Alera, held at bay along the northern fringes of the empire by the Shieldwall. The expense of maintaining the northern defenses, as well as the slave trade, has caused a political rift between the cities of northern Alera and the cities of southern Alera. The Marat use the hair of female Icemen to make incredibly strong, lightweight ropes that will not freeze and break, even in the coldest of climates. In the Marat language, they are called the Gadrim-ha. Icemen first appear in the prologue of Princeps' Fury where they are described as being apelike creatures, the tallest the size of a legionnare but with broader shoulders and chest. They hurl icicles as javelins. In Princeps' Fury, some light is shed upon their method of communication; they make use of considerable mental powers to share emotions. The use of this ability is also available to watercrafters, as Isana demonstrates during negotiations with the Icemen. She also theorizes that this, in conjunction with some type of firecrafting, is the accidental cause of the conflict between Icemen and Alerans, igniting passions that escalated into war. It is also hinted that they wield some form of control over the weather; their military movements are almost always accompanied by snow storms.
In First Lord's Fury, Tavi announces that Alera will lease the Wall from the Icemen before eventually tearing it down. After the Vord War is concluded, the Icemen become a part of the new racially integrated society of Alera, receiving their own recognized state. An Iceman even attends Tavi and Kitai's wedding, with the aid of a coldstone amulet around its neck.
Marat
The Marat are a silver-haired, pale-skinned people who reside on a continent connected to Alera via a land bridge (where the Calderon Valley is located). The Marat appear in many ways to simply be barbaric humans, but their culture and physiology show several key differences, including night vision and exceptional physical abilities, and are noted to have a much higher body temperature than Alerans. They are an aggressive race who routinely fight one another in small scale conflicts. The Marat bond themselves to another creature (such as a Wolf, Herdbane, Gargant, Horse, Fox, Lion and even in one case an Aleran) and call this creature their Totem (chala), gaining many of the creature's strengths and abilities; for example, the members of the Gargant clan have exceptional strength, while those of the Horse clan are faster than other Marat. They are also known for "partaking" in their fallen enemies, where they eat their adversaries (sometimes alive) in combat to gain their strength. It has not been shown whether this actually improves the physical abilities of a Marat or is merely superstition. When their hordes attacked Alera before Tavi was born, they killed the Princeps Septimus's Legion at the First Battle of Calderon. However, after a series of complicated events, their most powerful clans, the Gargant and the Horse clans, became allies of the Aleran nation and often help them against the other hostile forces in Carna. In Captain's Fury, the Marat are seen supplying the First Aleran legion with scout auxiliaries and are trading with the Alerans at the city of Garrison, with one of their headmen offering to act as moderator in negotiations between the Icemen and Aleran representatives. In First Lord's Fury, the Gargant, Herdbane and other Marat clans come to the aid of the Alerans in the defense of their final holdout in the Calderon Valley.
Vord
Little is known about the Vord. They are described repeatedly as an "alien" race, but no one knows where they come from. The Vord are originally found in Alera in the Wax forest, where their Queen slumbered. Events were set into motion by Tavi and Kitai which awakened the queen, and caused the Vord invasion. According to Marat tradition, they are shapeshifters. When they come, they possess members of a sentient race, consuming their souls and transforming them into the Taken. The normal vord scouts (called Keepers) have the appearance of large spiders and see in infrared vision. They feed on a translucent, waxy substance called croach, and resided in dormancy in the Wax Forest before they were awakened by Tavi and Kitai. After the Vord queen was awakened, she began producing members of the Vord warrior form; these vord warriors tend to take on the characteristics of the civilization that they are assaulting, and have colossal reserves of strength. When facing the Alerans, they take on humanoid forms, and emulate the Knights. For example, one type of Warrior Vord has a humanoid body, dragonfly-like wings, and two blade-like arms the same length as a legionare's Gladius (the Legion weapon of choice) and thus resemble a Knight Aeris. In another instance, they take on the characteristics of the Canim Warrior caste. While they can be killed by conventional methods, the most effective way to kill a Vord warrior is to burst the large, croach-filled bubble on its back. At the start of each Vord uprising, there is a primary queen; this queen rapidly forms a nest, and spawns two additional queens who depart to form separate nests; each queen is capable of creating more queens, although in Princeps' Fury, it is discovered that the primary queen birthed sterile queens in the Canim lands. The Keepers, venomous, spider-like creatures the size of dogs, maintain the croach; without the croach the Vord can not survive, for it acts as both air and food. Keepers take living creatures into the croach and they are slowly dissolved into it. The Vord's main objective appears to be to make all things like itself; in pursuit of this goal, the three queens will each occupy different areas of the places (in Carna) they wish to "infect." After the events in the book Cursor's Fury, the prologue states that the Vord have taken over the savage Canim's homeland. After events in Princeps' Fury, the Vord queen is described as looking like Kitai but greenish; this probably has something to do with the events that happened between Kitai and Tavi when they sought the Blessing Of The Night (a thorny mushroom that heals all wounds, injuries, and ailments similar to an elixir of life) in Calderon many years before, and awoke the creature. After First Lord's Fury the Vord in Alera are left in disarray and are slowly being exterminated, though wild Vord who learned to survive do remain. The Vord in Canea are left as a future threat to the realm, unifying the surviving races against the common enemy.
Extinct races
In Princeps' Fury, a few races that were driven to extinction by the Alerans are mentioned. These include the Children of the Sun (formerly of the Feverthorn jungle), the Malorandim, the Avar, the Yrani, and the Dekh. Nothing is known about them besides the fact that they all once had empires that were powerful enough to challenge Alera at the time; and that the Children of the Sun left a series of ruins in the Feverthorn jungle, as well as an unknown force which has kept Alerans out even centuries after their extinction.
Relation to Rome
Codex Alera takes place during the reign of a Rome-like empire. While the relationship between ancient Rome and the realm of Alera is only alluded to over the course of the series, having been lost to history, Butcher confirmed that the people of Alera are the descendants of the "lost Roman legion" (the Legio IX Hispana) and its camp followers, which had been transported to the continent of Carna—an effective "drop chute for the Bermuda triangle."[2]
The realm's Roman ancestry endures in the hierarchical society; the military structure, fighting style, and weaponry; and the nomenclature of cities, geographical formations, people, and ranks. At least one book survived, as well. In the prologue to First Lord's Fury, the Canim Warmaster Varg is reading a book out of Alera's history, but comments that he does not believe "Julius" could have taught Tavi anything. Like the explorers of Earth, Alerans had a tendency to name the places they discovered and built after places in the world they left behind. The ruined city of Appia, one of the earliest Aleran settlements, most likely refers to the Appian Way, also known as Via Appia, which is one of the earliest and most strategic roads in Ancient Rome. It is in this city that Tavi and Maestro Magnus perform their research into Romanic technology at the beginning of Cursor's Fury. When questioned about the term "Romanic" by Max, Tavi responds, "The people were called Romans...you call something Romanic when it was built by Romans."
Other geographic features named for places in Rome include the River Gaul (from the region approximating present day France and Belgium), the Tiber River (from the main watercourse of the city of Rome), the city of Aquitaine (from the province of Gaul compromising Novempopulania and Gascony), the city of Phrygia (from a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Turkey), and the city of Rhodes (from a Greek island southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea).
Some of the names appropriated for Aleran geography are borrowed from Roman mythology, though the gods themselves did not survive. The city of Ceres shares its name with the Roman goddess of agriculture, and Placida was a surname of the goddess Venus.
Characters
Major characters
| Name | Race | Named Furies (Element, preferred shape) |
|---|---|---|
| Tavi (Gaius Octavian, Alias Captain Rufus Scipio) | Aleran | Alera (All, human) |
| The only known adult Aleran without any furycrafting ability. He has currently revealed his identity as the son of Gaius Septimus. He was raised by his 'aunt' Isana (in actuality his mother) and his uncle Bernard in Bernardholt in the Calderon Valley. Often harassed due to his inability to control furies, Tavi learned to use his intelligence to figure out ways around this "disability." He was kidnapped by the Marat and forced to participate in a 'trial of wits.' Upon successfully completing the trial before "The One" in the Wax Forest, and thus declaring Atsurak mistaken, he splits the Marat horde in two when the Gargant and Horse clans withdraw from conflict against Alera. During the trial he also becomes 'bonded' to a Marat girl, Kitai. Doroga and Hashat agree to attack Atsurak's horde to save Tavi's family at Garrison, and Tavi is heralded as a hero for his actions. After gaining the patronage of the First Lord, he wins a scholarship to the Academy to begin Cursor Training. When Gaius falls into a coma due to extended furycrafting, Tavi must use his wits to prevent civil war and protect the First Lord from an attack by the Vord and the Canim Taken. Tavi went undercover as a logistics officer in a new legion, until an attack by Canim Ritualists
incapacitated every other officer and left Tavi as the new Captain. Shortly after becoming the new captain – and defeating the Canim in battle – Tavi developed the ability to internally use furies. This meant he could draw upon the strength of furies (and finally turn out a furylamp); however, he could not yet manifest an external fury. After two years in command of the First Aleran Legion, he was removed from command for defying the orders of the traitorous Senator Arnos, but escaped custody and managed to negotiate a Canim surrender, given directly to him, and as Gaius Sextus put it, "surrendering even though outnumbered five to one of your own troops, with arms, in a heavily-fortified city." Through conversations between Isana and Fade, Tavi is revealed to be the son of Septimus and grandson of Gaius, making him the legitimate heir to the First Lord. Also during these conversations, it is revealed that Isana unconsciously used her own watercrafting abilities to inhibit Tavi's growth, resulting in suppression of his furycraft as he grew up. She does this for fear that were he recognized as Septimus's son, because of power or age, he would consequently be challenged and most likely killed. Gaius is also aware of Tavi's identity, but the First Lord continues to maintain the secret for fear that Tavi's lack of skill with crafting would make him an easy target for assassination. However, having learned his parentage and eventually manifesting his furycrafting talents, Tavi openly reveals his identity and declares himself the Princeps of Alera. Following a meeting with his grandfather Gaius Sextus, he planned to travel with the Canim to their homeland to help them cross the seas. He reasoned that while he is gone, Tavi will have time to continue to develop his furies, and most importantly, stay out of reach of those who would kill him. He is called Tavar by the Cane; the tavar is a small, fierce species of animal in Canea, which is known for its cleverness and proficiency in fighting. While in Canea, Tavi discovers that the majority of the continent has been overrun by the Vord save one region of fortresses called Shuar. Tavi assists in the defense of Shuar by creating a plan, all the details of which no one person would know, because the Vord Queens can read minds. During the course of this plan, Shuar is destroyed by the Vord, but not before Octavian manages to kill one of the queens. The Princeps then Sails back to Alera, transporting the Shuaran and Narashan Refugees on massive furycrafted icebergs he had had hewn into ships. On the voyage home, a human-like fury appears to him that calls herself Alera. She is the fury embodiment of the entire continent of Alera and is attached momentarily (a few thousand years) to the house of Gaius. She is not allowed to craft anything for him that does not affect everything on Alera equally, but she can teach him as much knowledge as he can learn. When he finally reaches Alera, Tavi uses his ingenuity to traverse Alera in days and bring the joint armies to trap Vord forces that are again in the Calderon Valley. Octavian, along with Kitai, goes to battle against the Vord Queen and wakes the two great furies of Garados and Thana to weaken her before killing her in the Princeps' Memorium. Afterwards, Octavian is crowned as First Lord and officially married to Kitai with their newborn child in attendance. He then remakes Alera with Marat, Icemen, and Canim states. | ||
| Amara | Aleran | Cirrus (wind fury, horse) |
| Amara is a (former) Cursor, Countess, strong windcrafter, and Count Bernard's wife. She is also a close friend to Tavi. She may be unable to bear children after being struck by the blight, which causes her a great deal of stress in her relationship to Bernard (who, as a noble and powerful crafter, has an obligation to bear children). When she was an academ, Fidelias served as her patriserus, but revealed himself as a traitor during her final exam exercise. She fled to Calderon, where she met Tavi during a vicious furystorm. Afterward, she sent Tavi ahead to attempt to warn Riva and Garrison, but when he is kidnapped by the Marat, she and Bernard must warn Garrison and lead the defenses there. In Academ's Fury, she and Bernard once again lead the troops of Garrison, this time on an attack against the Vord. During the events of Cursor's Fury, she leads a covert operation with Lady Aquitaine, Bernard, Aldrick, and Odiana to free Lady Placida, Rook's daughter, and the daughter of an Aleran Lord from the stronghold of Lord Kalare. During those events, Amara believes she is pregnant, until her menses returns near the end of the book. In Captain's Fury, Amara embarks on a dangerous mission with Bernard and Gaius Sextus to defeat Kalarus. At the conclusion of this mission Amara feels "betrayed" by the First Lord and resigns her post as a cursor. During the events in Princeps' Fury, Amara and Bernard are asked by the First Lord to sneak into Vord infested territory in hopes that they might discover the Source of the Vord's new power. She discovers that Invidia Aquitaine has pledged her loyalty to the Vord and that Kalarus Brencis Minoris is creating Knight slaves for the Queen. While on the mission she assassinates Kalarus and frees many slaves. In First Lord's Fury, during the failed assassination attempt of the queen, she will also kill Invidia Aquitaine with a dagger thrust in the back as is fitting a traitor. She will be wounded by the Vord Queen but is healed by Isana and the Blessing Of The Night. The Vord mushroom will also heal the effects of the blight so that she is able to bear children, though she and Bernard still adopt several orphans after the war. | ||
| Bernard | Aleran | Brutus (earth fury, dog) and Cyprus (wood fury, "vaguely humanoid") |
| Bernard is Tavi's uncle and father figure. He, like his sister, is a strong fury-crafter, and he has an earth fury and a wood fury. He was pivotal in the Second Battle of Calderon and took over command of the fort at Garrison afterward, leaving Bernardholt to the control of his sister. As a Count, he is a minor noble of Alera and a Citizen. While leading a desperate attack against the Vord nest near Garados in Calderon Valley in Academ's Fury, he married Amara. The two have kept their relationship quiet while they try to have children. In Cursor's Fury, Bernard works with Amara and Lady Aquitaine to free Lady Placida, Rook's daughter, and the daughter of High Lord Atticus from the stronghold of Lord Kalare. He also leads the First Lord and Amara through the woodlands and swamps of Kalare to quash the rebellion. In Princeps Fury, He and Amara begin to discuss the possibilities of adopting a child, and do in First Lord's Fury before and after they are finally able to conceive a child. | ||
| Araris Valerian; aka Fade | Aleran | (Powerful Metal) |
| Fade was a slave (and presumably mentally retarded.) at Bernardholt whose face has been branded with the Legion's mark of cowardice. He is often charged with the protection of Tavi, and was sent with him to Alera Imperia when Tavi began training to become a Cursor, where he serves as a common slave. He is secretly a skilled swordsman, possibly the best alive, revealed to be Araris Valerian, the former guard and close companion of the deceased Princeps, both the subject of debate as to whether Araris allowed the Princeps to be better than he was, or whether the Princeps was truly more skilled. To protect the princeps' son and wife, he branded himself as a disguise and went into hiding as the slave Fade. He has a deep resentment of the First Lord, though, at the request of Tavi, fought to protect his life during the Vord attack on the Citadel in Academ's Fury. He nearly dies to save Isana in Cursor's Fury. After Isana risks her life in a prolonged watercrafting to save him, his hidden love for Isana is revealed. He shows up more in Captains Fury as Tavi's personal singulare, traveling with him to free Varg from the Grey Tower and teaching him more about sword fighting. He also proposes to Isana, who says yes, making him and Isana officially engaged. Araris plans to travel with Tavi to the homeland of the Canim; however, in Princeps' Fury he has stayed behind with Isana in Alera. He is captured by the Vord and used as a hostage to keep Isana in the Vord Queen's court, but secretly stays awake even inside the croach. At a crucial moment during the failed assassination attempt on the Queen, he emerges from the croach covering his skin with metal, engaging her. Although defeated, he later protects the survivors from the Vord and assists the First Aleran in taking and defending the lair. After the war Araris and Isana marry and are named Count and Countess Rillwater by the First Lord Gaius Octavian. | ||
| Gaius Sextus | Aleran | Alera (All, human) |
| Gaius is the First Lord (Emperor) of Alera. He is an incredibly strong fury-crafter and cunning leader, but age and sickness are wearing away at his abilities. He is Tavi's patron, and after Tavi joins the Academy the two forge a close relationship. When he falls into a fury-crafting-induced coma, Tavi must work to protect the realm from civil war and a Vord attack. Though often portrayed as fair and just, several characters, including Fade and Isana, have strong negative feeling towards Gaius due to events surrounding the First Battle of Calderon. In Cursor's Fury, he must outwit both Kalare and the Canim during an act of overt civil warfare. As shown in Captain's Fury, he decides to go to war against Kalare. Gaius later learns that Tavi is his grandson and legitimate heir to his throne. Gaius is forced to acknowledge Octavian, despite fears that Octavian will be targeted by assassins before his powers fully manifest. Gauis Sextus dies by the end of Princeps' Fury in an attempt to slow the Vord, taking the entire city of Alera Imperia with him by awakening one of the great furies under the city as a volcano eruption. | ||
| Isana | Aleran | Rill (water fury, Young Isana's Face) |
| Isana raised Tavi as his aunt, and is also a powerful watercrafter. She also took over Bernardholt, which became Isanaholt under her control, when her brother was made a Count. As a steadholder, she is a full Citizen of Alera, and harbors an obvious dislike of the First Lord, though he made her a symbol of his power. During Academ's Fury, she attends Wintersend to warn Gaius about the Vord threat in the capital and in the Calderon Valley. Unable to gain an audience with the First Lord, who is secretly stuck in a coma, she turns to Lady Aquitaine to save her family, pledging her allegiance to Aquitaine as long as they protect her family. In Cursor's Fury, she manages a dangerous watercrafting to save Fade from death, which reveals to the reader that Tavi is actually her son with the Princeps, and thus heir to the throne. During the events of Captain's Fury she is revealed to be much stronger now than she was in previous books, healing with the skill of a High Lady. No explanation has been given for her increase in power, although it may have something to do with the Princeps willing her more power or with her letting go of the past or of her own fear. She also develops a strong friendship with Kitai, and through this friendship learns that Kitai is in a relationship with her son and that Kitai can fury-craft through her bond with Tavi. Isana also falls in love with Araris, eventually becoming his fiancee. Isana is an extremely powerful crafter, being able to rival a High Lord (Antillus) in crafting strength (only water). It is speculated that this may be due to Septimus willing some of his furies to her prior to his death. It may also be that her limits were self-imposed, mentally; this seems to be confirmed in Princeps' Fury. When Attis Aquitaine assumes the title of First Lord, he asks Isana to help him unite the people indicating that she has come to be greatly respected. Isana agrees to help Attis for the good of the people, but only until Tavi returns, at which point she expects Aquitaine to relinquish the title of First Lord to her son, the rightful heir. She is captured by the Vord and taken to the Queen, who calls her 'grandmother' and keeps Isana alive and threatened by taking Araris hostage. During the assassination attempt, after Invidia's death, the Queen offers her leadership of the surrendered Alerans, but she refuses. She successfully uses watercrafting to kill the assaulting Vord later on. After the war Araris and Isana marry and are named Count and Countess Rillwater by the First Lord Gaius Octavian. | ||
| Kitai | Marat | (All; as powerful as Tavi) |
| Kitai is the daughter of Doroga, the head of the Marat, and Tavi's love interest. Tavi saved Kitai's life during their trial before "The One" in the Wax Forest, and the two have been bound ever since. She is sent to the capital of Alera, Alera Imperia, to Watch Tavi and the humans, and also to track the Vord who followed Tavi's scent to the capital. Stealing for food and clothing, Kitai is known as the "Black Cat," a thief infamous for circumvention of fury-crafting. Tavi tracks down the "Black Cat" to free Max from the Grey Tower. After their reunion, Kitai and Tavi work together to warn the Citadel of the Vord and protect Gaius from the Taken Canim. She is currently the ambassador of the Marat to Alera, a position created by Tavi to gain her entrance into the Citadel. During Cursor's Fury, the nature of her bond to Tavi is explored, giving Tavi greater resilience, reflexes, and strength (similar to a Marat). The final pages of Cursor's Fury also indicate that she has developed the ability to fury-craft via her bond with Tavi. Due to the varied appearances of Alerans, Kitai was initially unsure of how to appear when in their presence. Eventually, she began wearing her hair in the long mane fashion of the Horse Clan. In Captain's Fury, she develops a friendship with Isana after learning she is Tavi's mother. She accompanies Tavi to Canea, and on the way back masters fury-crafting. She is the only other person than Tavi to learn about the existence of Alera, the composite fury. After Tavi becomes the princeps officially, Kitai insists that they court and wed officially as per Aleran customs, and Tavi also challenges her to a contest as per her people's customs. In First Lord's Fury Kitai accidentally reveals to Tavi that she is with child - she held this information back from him due to her fears that Tavi would not allow her to fight at his side. She and Tavi take on the Vord Queen together in the final battle, and she is instrumental in calming the great furies awakened by the Queen while Tavi kills the Queen. After the Vord threat is ended, Kitai and Tavi are officially wed in the city of Riva. | ||
| Fidelias (alias Valiar Marcus) | Aleran | Vamma (earth), Etan (wood, large squirell), A little Watercraft |
| Fidelias is a former Cursor and the former patriserus of Amara. He began the series as one of the main antagonists, having betrayed the Crown and joined Lord Aquitaine's forces. He does this believing it is the best way to avoid a civil war over the First Lord's throne. His treachery led to a Marat attack on the Calderon Valley during Furies of Calderon, though he would help save the valley steadholders from the Vord and Isana from assassins in Academ's Fury. In Cursor's Fury, Fidelias disguised himself with watercrafting as an old legionnaire named Valiar Marcus, in order to observe Tavi. It is revealing that he has had contact with the First Lord, and that Gaius suspects Tavi is the son of the deceased Princeps. Fidelias continues to 'serve' under Tavi in order to observe him. During the events of Captain's Fury, as rumors of Tavi's parentage begin to spread, Fidelias is ordered by Lady Aquitaine to assassinate Tavi lest he become a hindrance to their plans. Initially torn and conflicted, in the end Fidelias 'betrays' Lady Aquitaine and gives his loyalty to Tavi after the latter is declared the new Princeps. He sees in Tavi the Hope for a better Future. Though he keeps his real identity hidden throughout the Canean expedition in Princep's Fury, Magnus begins to suspect he is not what he seems. In a double bluff, Tavi reveals Fidelius in a Vord ambush, who surrenders instead of fleeing. As a traitor to the crown, Fidelius is crucified... But Tavi, considering the fact that Fidelias, as Marcus, saved his life plenty of times and worked to his advantage, returns and frees him after Fidelius confesses his true loyalty lies to the people of Alera. Only a few people aware of his real identity, Fidelias re-assumes his duties as First Spear, and Tavi leaves him in command of the legions when he leads the final assault against the Vord Queen. Fidelias survives the mission, and becomes the new First Lord's valet, his identity still as Marcus. | ||
| Antillar Maximus | Aleran | Specific references to Androcles (Water fury, lion) though he is a strong crafter in all other areas |
| Antillar, usually referred to as "Max," is the bastard son of Lord Antillus Raucous and one of the strongest young fury-crafters in Alera. Like Tavi, he trained to be a Cursor, and uses his watercrafting to impersonate the First Lord after he falls ill in Academ's Fury. When Brencis attacks Tavi, Max is nearly killed and imprisoned in the Grey Tower. After he is rescued by Tavi and Kitai, he returns to the Citadel, where he impersonates Gaius during the Vord attack. Later, in Cursor's Fury, he assists Tavi in his disguise as a legionnaire officer, and in Princeps' Fury he goes with Tavi to Canea, along with his brother, Crassus. He remains Tavi's loyal aide to the end of the books, albeit an assault by the Vord Queen leaves him wounded and out of the fight in the last battle. He is promoted to Captain of the First Aleran when Tavi becomes the First Lord. | ||
Minor characters
| Name | Race | Named Furies (Element, Preferred shape) |
|---|---|---|
| Aldrick ex Gladius | Aleran | powerful metalcrafter |
| Aldrick is one of the greatest swordsmen alive and a mercenary for Aquitaine. He is a wanted man and Odiana's lover. A major player in the events of Furies of Calderon, he fought against the legionnaires and Aleran steadholders at the Second Battle of Calderon. He also led Aquitaine's mercenaries against the Vord in Academ's Fury and participated in the rescue of hostages from Lord Kalare's stronghold in Cursor's Fury. He is absent for the rest of the following books, only re-appearing with his Windwolves to assist the First Lady Isana against the Vord in First Lord's Fury. It is revealed that he comforted the (already) insane Odiana back when he was Septimus' aide, which led to his duel with Araris, and his exile from service. | ||
| Antillus Crassus | Aleran | (manifests a lion-shaped water fury) Air, Metal, Fire, Earth |
| Introduced in Cursor's Fury Crassus is Max's younger half-brother. Initially Crassus is at odds with Max and Tavi. We eventually learn that Max's scars are a result of beatings he took for things Crassus had actually done. Eventually the two brothers reconcile and we later discover that they actually both manifest similar Water Furies in the shape of lions. When Tavi ascends to Captain of the First Aleran Legion, he promotes Crassus to the rank of Knight Tribune. Later, when Tavi is arrested by Senator Arnos, he puts Crassus in command of the Legion. He works as a capable Tribune under Tavi throughout the Vord war. In the Vord Queen's assault on Tavi, he is gravely injured and although healed by his mother, he never fully recovers, thus having to leave the legion. He still bears a grudge against Tavi afterwards for not telling him his mother was alive, straining their friendship. | ||
| Aric | Aleran | Air, eagle-shaped |
| Aric, the more compassionate of Kord's two sons, assisted in the escape of Odiana and Isana from Korthold in Furies of Calderon. After his father's death, he inherited his Steadhold, becoming Steadholder Aric. During Academ's Fury, he was possessed by the Vord, along with the majority of his steadholders, and died in battle against the legionnaires of Garrison. | ||
| Atsurak | Marat | None |
| Atsurak, leader of the Herdbane clan and former-headman of the Marat, led the Marat horde in the Second Battle of Calderon in a partnership with Lord Aquitaine. He was challenged and defeated by Doroga, and killed by Fidelius to retrieve Lord Aquitane's signet dagger that Fidelius had given him. | ||
| Lord Attis Aquitaine | Aleran | Unnamed (Wind, Shark) Unnamed (Fire, willow tree) Unnamed (water, lizard) Unnamed (Earth, Snake) Unnamed (Wood, Bull) Metal |
| Lord Aquitaine is one of the High Lords of Alera, and the largest political threat to Gaius Sextus. He engineered the Marat invasion of the Calderon Valley in Furies of Calderon, but was forced to assist Gaius in Academ's Fury by leading an attack on Kalare's bloodcrows on the docks of Alera Imperia. He also worked with Gaius during Cursor's Fury to prevent Kalare from assuming the throne. After leading the combined legions against the Vord in Princeps' Fury Attis assumes the role as First Lord of Alera following Gaius' death. It is revealed in an old letter that is given to Isana by the High Lord Antillus, that both he and Attis were close friends with Gauis Septimus. His hostility towards Sextus stems from the loss of Septimus. He partakes in a gamble to lure out his ex-wife and his troops, where he is injured by a fury-crafted blade, fatally, and he dies near the end of First Lords Fury. It is later revealed that Ehren was the one who talked him into putting him up as bait, actually following Gaius Sextus' instructions in the encrypted letter, thus removing the only threat to Tavi's claim on the throne, though no-one but Bernard is aware of this. | ||
| Bittan | Aleran | Fire (Snake) |
| Kord's younger son, Bittan was favored heavily over Aric, possibly because of his inherently cruel and petty nature. He was killed during an attack against Tavi and Fade by Aldrick ex Gladius, but not before setting the forests of the Calderon Valley on fire with his firecrafting, which led Isana to flood much of the valley to put them out and stop the battle. | ||
| Lord Kalarus Brencis | Aleran | All |
| Lord Kalare is manipulative and powerful High Lord. Kalare is a tyrant whose lands are impoverished and war-torn. Kalare commands powerful legions of warriors known as 'Immortals', slaves with powerful crafting abilities who have been tortured and twisted into fearless berserkers who feel no pain. During the events of Cursor's Fury, Kalare's forces attempt to stage a coup during a conference taking place in Ceres. Later in the book it becomes known that Kalare made a deal with the Canim to attack the west coast of Alera in order to spread thin the First Lord's forces. His forces are defeated in part thanks to Tavi's interference with the Canim incursion and he is forced to withdraw to his own lands. In Captain's Fury, it is revealed that Kalare is going insane and that he has provoked the wrath of one of the Great Furies and intends to use it to wipe out a large number of Alera. Gaius, with the help of Amara and Bernard, infiltrate Kalare's lands and Gaius is able to release Kalare's hold on the fury thus annihilating Kalare and his forces. | ||
| Kalarus Brencis Minoris | Aleran | All |
| Brencis is the murderous son of Lord Kalare and an Academ at the Academy. In general, he is a bully to those he deems weaker than him, but is a coward when faced with a stronger adversary (such as Max). While high, and at this father's urging, he attacks Tavi in the street after his duel for Citizenship, and is nearly killed by Tavi in the struggle before Lord Kalare and Lady Placida intervene, which leads to Max's arrest. Kalarus Brencis Minoris is creating Immortal-like slaves for the Vord at the command of Invidia Aquitane. This results in his death at the hand of Countess Amara by the end of Princeps' Fury. | ||
| Captain Demos | Aleran | The Slive (Wood), possibly some metal |
| Captain Demos is the Captain of the Slive, a small but agile ship that operates in the sea between Alera and Canea. He is a skilled swordsman, a smuggler, a pirate, and a part-time slaver. He is also a surprisingly honorable man and might well be the most dangerously competent captain currently sailing the seas of Carna. He first appears in Cursor's Fury, delivering a mysterious shipment to Canea, most likely at the behest of Lord Kalare. Later books reveal that he was the man who smuggled Sarl out of Alera and brought him, along with the Vord Queen, to Canea. Despite this, Captain Demos is hired by Cursor Ehren the moment he returns from the trip and has no problem working for Kalare's enemies for the rest of the series. In Captain's Fury, Captain Demos reveals that his entire ship is his personal Wood fury. Even though he's the first to admit that Araris would beat him in a fair fight, his bond with his ship makes him very difficult to defeat while on board the vessel. He has no trouble disabling both Tavi and Araris when a brief argument about Demos' part-time slaving comes to blows, only to emphasize that he doesn't plan to double-cross them or back out of their deal. The Slive continues to serve as the personal flagship of Gaius Octavian in Princeps' Fury and First Lord's Fury, after Tavi finally convinces its Captain to swear off carrying slaves by bribing him with solid gold chains (that would be far more profitable to sell instead of using them to hold prisoners). | ||
| Doroga | Marat | None |
| Doroga is the current leader of the Marat and headman of the Gargant tribe (Gargants are described in a later book as a giant relative of a burrow badger). His wife, a member of the Fox clan, was killed by Atsurak's savage Herdbane. He's Kitai's father, and an ally of Bernard and Tavi (and, by proxy, Gaius). During the Furies of Calderon, he used Tavi to call Atsurak "mistaken" before "The One" to keep the Gargant and Horse clans from assisting the Marat horde. After Tavi saved Kitai's life in the Wax Forest, Doroga repaid his kindness by protecting the lives of Tavi's family—by leading his own horde of Marat into battle against Atsurak at the Second Battle of Calderon. During Academ's Fury, he led the Marat into battle against a Vord nest in Marat territory and went to Bernard to warn Alera about the Vord threat and assist them in combat against the Vord in Calderon Valley. Doroga returns in Princeps' Fury as a neutral party for Isana and the Icemen. He personally assists the Alerans with all the Marat clans against the Vord in First Lord's Fury. | ||
| Sir Ehren ex Cursori | Aleran | Wind, A small amount of wood, not a very powerful fury-crafter |
| Formerly an Academ and now a Cursor, Ehren, though incredibly intelligent and a competent fighter, lacks strong fury-crafting. He is often teased by his fellow students, but is a close friend to Tavi and Max. He rescues Tavi and Kitai in Academ's Fury after they are kidnapped by Gaelle and Kalare's assassins in the Deeps. He used his weak fury to his advantage because weak fury-crafting is harder to detect so no one noticed him breaking in using his wood fury. He also solicits the assistance of Lady Placida and Aquitaine during the Vord attack on the Citadel. In Cursor's Fury, he worked as a Cursor on an island to the west of Alera, returning to the mainland in time to warn Tavi and Max of the impending Canim invasion. In Captains Fury he helps Tavi rescue Varg from The Grey Tower. In Princeps Fury Ehren warns Gaius Sextus of the impending Vord invasion, and their use of fury-craft. He serves as an advisor to the First Lord during the campaign against the Vord. He is injured and thought dead during the Vord attack on Caulderon, revealed to be as a ploy to make Aquitane think he died and thus avoid his revenge. He becomes Tavi's highest ranking cursor after the war. | ||
| Gaelle, aka Rook | Aleran | Water |
| Gaelle was a female Cursor trainee and traitor to the crown in Academ's Fury. Tavi discovers the real Gaelle was killed by Kalare, and is currently being impersonated by a strong watercrafter. In Cursor's Fury, Amara discovers that Rook's child (Masha) is being held hostage by Kalare, to force Rook's actions. After Amara rescues Rook's daughter, the two are given a pardon and are allowed to live quietly on a steadholt. During the events of Princeps' Fury, Rook is revealed to have been enslaved by Kalarus Brencis Minoris, and is killed by the Vord Queen. | ||
| Lady Gaius Caria | Aleran | Powerful Watercrafter, Fire, Earth |
| Caria is the second wife of Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, and mistress of Lord Aquitaine. Her marriage to the old First Lord is a political arrangement in order to get the support of High Lord Atticus (Caria's father), in Cursor's Fury it's mentioned that the First Lord took her as a "hostage" since there is no love between them. Out of "habit" she, as it is revealed in Princeps' Fury, has been poisoning Gaius Sextus's medicinal tonic. Due to the revelation coming too late, she escapes without a trial. However, she is presumed dead after Gaius Sextus's last stand in Alera Imperia in Princeps' Fury. | ||
| Hashat | Marat | None |
| Hashat is Doroga's sister-in-law and ally. As the leader of the Horse clan, she usually sides with Doroga against the Herbane and Wolf. However, she is generally unwilling to deviate from tradition and custom, and is less accepting of Alerans than Doroga. She fought alongside him at the Second Battle of Calderon in Furies of Calderon and the Marat attack on the first nest of Vord in Academ's Fury. | ||
| Lady Invidia Aquitaine | Aleran | Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Metal, perhaps also Wood. |
| Lady Aquitaine is the cunning and manipulative wife of Lord Aquitaine. She played a prominent role in Academ's Fury, where she ordered Fidelias to protect Isana from assassins while in Alera Imperia and brokered a deal to protect Isana's family in exchange for her political support. She also entered the Citadel to kill the Vord and break through the lines of Taken Canim to save the First Lord. Her prominence continued in Cursor's Fury, where she assisted Amara in rescuing Lady Placida, Atticus Minora and Rook's daughter from Kalare. When she attempted to betray Amara and Lady Placida at the end of the novel, she was outwitted, stripped of her clothing, and left stranded with Aldrick and Odiana. She is assumed killed by Fidelias at the end of Captain's Fury when she is shot by a balest bolt poisoned with heartfire and rancid garic oil. However, she makes a re-appearance in Princeps' Fury as a servant of the Vord. The Queen supplied her with a symbiont creature that keeps her alive, having gained her as an ally. Though serving her out of self-interest, the Vord Queen and Invidia develop a mutual relationship of understanding. The Queen promises Invidia dominion over the remaining Alerans, and intends to keep her word. She leads her collared fury-crafters to kill her ex-husband, and manages to fatally injure him, though not without suffering horrific burn injuries, leaving her scarred and bald. Isana manipulates Invidia into betraying the Queen, however Invidia double-crosses everyone, attacking the High Lords after they seemingly killed the Queen. The real Queen quells the assault, but forgives Invidia, stating that it is in her nature to be treacherous. Given a chance to choose, Invidia sides with the Queen against her race, and is killed by the veiled Amara from behind. | ||
| Kord | Aleran | Fire, Earth (scorpion-shaped) |
| Kord, a slaver and steadholder in the Calderon Valley, is a petty, gutless man with little respect or compassion for others. When his son, Bittan, was accused of rape, Kord tried repeatedly to kill Steadholder Warner, then Steadholder Bernard, and Tavi to protect his son from justice. When Bittan was killed, he kidnapped Isana and Odiana, attempting to enslave them. After they escaped, he pursued them to Garrison, where Odiana arranged his death at the hands of the Marat after he removed her slave collar. | ||
| Maestro Killian | Aleran | Wind |
| Blind Maestro Killian is Tavi's patriserus and leader of the Cursors. While Gaius was incapacitated due to illness, he dealt with most affairs of state. He died from poisoning during the Vord attack on the Citadel, but revealed to Tavi that he had partnered with Kalare to gain intelligence. To keep Kalare's trust, he had allowed an assassin to assume Gaelle's face and train as a Cursor near the First Lord. | ||
| Sir Miles | Aleran | Unknown, strong metalcrafter |
| Sir Miles, the brother of Araris Valerian, is the head of the Royal Guard and close friend of Gaius Sextus. He and Maestro Killian control the Aleran state through the office of the First Lord when Gaius is struck ill from over-extertion during Academ's Fury. He's a capable sword fighter, but possesses a slight limp due to a knee injury he suffered when his brother pushed him in front of a cart to prevent him from dueling Aldrick ex Gladius. | ||
| Odiana | Aleran | Unknown; powerful watercrafter |
| Odiana is a powerful watercrafter, though her empathic abilities have driven her mad, making her a somewhat unknown variable in the struggle between the First Lord and Aquitaine. She is Aldrick's lover, and faithful only to him. She was made a slave when she was eleven after a steadholder sold her father's debt to slavers. She was rescued from slavery by Septimus and his singulares, including Aldrick. Shortly afterwards, it was discovered that Aldrick was sleeping with Odiana, an event which led to his duel with Araris, and his expulsion from Septimus' guard. Kord briefly enslaved her again during the events of Furies of Calderon, but she escaped with Isana's help. In return, she saved the lives of Bernard, Tavi, and Fade at the Second Battle of Calderon. She returned in Cursor's Fury, assisting Amara at Lady Aquitaine's behest in the rescue of Kalare's hostages. | ||
| Lady Aria Placida | Aleran | Lithia (Earth, horse), unnamed falcon (fire), Unknown Wind, Unknown Water |
| Lady Placida is a member of the Dianic League, though she and her husband try to remain politically neutral. Unlike many High Lords and Ladies, their marriage was arranged out of love, not political gain. She prevents Kalare and his son, Brencis, from killing Max and Tavi in the streets of Alera Imperia, and assists Ehren in soliciting the aide of Lord and Lady Aquitaine during the Vord attack on the Citadel. During Cursor's Fury, she is kidnapped by Kalare and held to prevent her husband from joining forces with Gaius in the civil war. During the escape from Kalare, she calls upon an equine earth fury by the name of Lithia and defeats several guardian gargoyles. Upon their return to High Lord Cereus' stronghold, she compliments Amara and Bernard for going "beyond the call of duty".[3] She assists Aquitane during his campaign against the Vord and partakes in the assassination attempt against the Vord Queen, however she is defeated and poisoned. Isana saves her life and she survives the battle. | ||
| Serai | Aleran | Unknown, Water, Metal |
| Serai was a courtesan, slave, and Cursor of the Crown. She was enslaved as a "sex slave" to pay for the funeral of her husband and children after they died of blight. Due to a breakdown in communication amongst the Cursors, she personally took Isana to the capital during Wintersend so Amara could stay behind in the Calderon Valley to fight the Vord. When Isana is attacked by Kalare's bloodcrows, Serai was killed by an arrow through the heart. | ||
| Ambassador Varg | Cane | None |
| Varg is the former Canim ambassador to Alera. Varg is a large Cane, even by Canim standards, standing roughly ten feet tall and weighing over seven hundred pounds. His fur is jet black and is streaked with white from numerous scars. Like all Canim, Varg shows little love toward the Aleran people, but warns Tavi in Academ's Fury that his Canim guards are being taken by the Vord. During 'Cursor's Fury', Varg is kept prisoner in the Gray Tower, and is often visited by Tavi, where they play ludus, a chess-like game familiar to both Alerans and Canim (possibly derived from the Roman ludus latrunculorum). It is during this time that Varg develops a begrudging respect for Tavi, but still reminds the young Aleran that they are enemies. In Captain's Fury, Tavi infiltrates the Gray Tower and frees Varg in order to return him to the invading Canim armies to secure an armistice. It is then revealed that Varg is the father of Nasaug, the leader of the Canim forces. In the end, he leaves Alera with Nasaug and the rest of the Canim forces in order to return to their homeland and remove the Vord. In Princeps Fury, it is revealed the most of people in his country were killed. However, his son's mate and pups survived. After the Vord War, First Lord Octavian gives Parcia to the surviving Cane, and gives Varg the title of High Lord. | ||
| Sarl | Cane | None |
| Sarl was Varg's assigned secretary, and part of the ritualist caste in Canim society. He is slightly deformed and he betrays Varg by setting a deal with the Vord Queen in Academ's Fury. In Cursor's Fury, Sarl is killed by Tavi in the midst of the war between The First Aleran and the Canim. | ||
| Nasaug | Cane | None |
| Nasaug is the Battlemaster or captain of the invading Canim army in Cursor's Fury and is found to be Varg's son in Captains Fury. He is highly intelligent and very well versed in military tactics, one of his more intelligent moves, freeing enslaved Alerans surrounding his conquered Aleran cities in exchange for their service in his military, was recognized as genius by Tavi. In Cursor's Fury, Nasaug's invading force was halted and pushed back by Tavi and his First Aleran Legion, causing him to rearrange his army to the south of Elinarch, the city controlled by the First Aleran. He has a mate, and several puppies. | ||
| Sha | Cane | None |
| Sha is a member of the Nasharan hunters, serving under Nasaug and later Varg. As all hunters, he has sung his bloodsong before joining and thus is considered dead by his race's customs, able to do anything his Lord could not do due to political restraints. He and two other hunters are instrumental in killing one of the Vord Queens on Canea, and he later develops a professional relationship with Fidelius/Marcus, whom he easily identifies as being a spy rather than a veteran legionarre. He and Marcus together covertly remove and kill Khral, an upstart ritualist who would have caused the Canim-Aleran alliance to break. After the war, he and Fidelius work together to train new recruits for the Cursors, sharing some ideas. | ||
References
- Butcher, Jim (6 April 2010). "Jim Butcher chats about Pokemon, responsibility, and Changes". fantasyliterature.com. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- Butcher, Jim. "Jim Butcher question and answer session during San Diego Comic Con 2008". Jim Butcher question and answer session during San Diego Comic Con 2008. suvudu.com. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- "Cursor's Fury" page 508