by Brent Weeks
Jorvis, Demnos: Ana Jorvis’s father, and Arys Greenveil’s brother-in-law, married to Ela Jorvis.
Jorvis, Ela: Sister of Arys Greenveil, wife of Demnos Jorvis, Blood Forester, mother to Ana Jorvis.
Jumber, Norl: A Blackguard.
Jun: A Blackguard scrub. Partners with Ular during a scrubs test to get across town with money.
Kadah: A magister at the Chromeria; a green drafter who teaches drafting basics.
Kalif: A Blackguard.
Kallikrates: Teia’s father. He ran the silk route as a trader before losing everything due to his wife’s lavish lifestyle.
Keftar, Graystone: A green drafter and Blackguard scrub. He’s an athletic, dark-skinned son of a rich family that paid for him to be trained before he came to the Chromeria.
Klytos Blue: The Blue on the Spectrum. He represents Ilyta, though he is a Ruthgari through and through. A coward and Andross’s tool.
Laya: A Blackguard who drafts red, present at the Battle of Garriston.
Lem (Will): A Blackguard, either simple or crazy, a blue drafter with incredible will.
Leo: A Blackguard scrub, hugely muscular.
Lightbringer, the: A controversial figure in prophecy and mythology. Attributes that most agree on are that he is male, will slay or has slain gods and kings, is of mysterious birth, is a genius of magic, a warrior who will sweep, or has swept, all before him, a champion of the poor and downtrodden, great from his youth, He Who Shatters. That most of the prophecies were in Old Parian and the meanings have changed in ways that are difficult to trace hasn’t helped. There are three basic camps: that the Lightbringer has yet to come; that the Lightbringer has already come and was Lucidonius (a view the Chromeria now holds, though it didn’t always); and, among some academics, that the Lightbringer is a metaphor for what is best in all of us.
Little Piper: An orange/yellow bichrome Blackguard.
Lucia: A Blackguard scrub. She is the prettiest girl in the class and is Cruxer’s partner. They have a close friendship.
Lucidonius: The legendary founder of the Seven Satrapies and the Chromeria, the first Prism. He was married to Karris Shadowblinder and founded the Blackguards.
Lunna Green: The Green on the Spectrum. She is Ruthgari, a cousin of Jia Tolver. Her brothers killed Arys Greenveil’s parents during the war.
Lytos: A Blackguard, a lanky Ilytian eunuch.
Malargos, Aristocles: Uncle of Eirene and Tisis Malargos; didn’t come back from the wars.
Malargos, Dervani: A Ruthgari nobleman, Tisis Malargos’s father, a friend and supporter of Dazen during the False Prism’s War. He is a green drafter who was lost in the wilds of Tyrea for years. When he tried to return home, Felia Guile hired pirates to kill him so that he wouldn’t reveal Gavin’s secrets.
Malargos, Eirene (Prism): A matriarch, the Prism before Alexander Spreading Oak (who preceded Gavin Guile). She lasted fourteen years, though Gavin has only the barest memory of her from Sun Day rituals in his youth.
Malargos, Eirene (the Younger): The older sister of Tisis Malargos. She took over the family’s financial affairs when her father and uncle didn’t come back from the war.
Malargos, Tisis: A stunningly beautiful Ruthgari green drafter. Her father and uncle fought for Dazen. Her older sister is Eirene Malargos, from whom she will likely inherit the wealth of a great trading empire.
Marissia: Gavin’s room slave. A red-haired Blood Forester who was captured by the Ruthgari during Dazen’s war, she has been with Gavin for ten years, since she was eighteen.
Marta, Adan: An inhabitant of Rekton.
Martaens, Marta: A magister at the Chromeria. She is one of only a handful of living paryl drafters, and she instructs Teia.
Mori: A soldier in the Omnichrome’s army.
Mossbeard: The conn of a village on the Blood Forest coast near Ruic Bay.
Naheed: Satrapah of Atash. She was murdered by General Gad Delmarta during the False Prism’s War.
Nassos: A Ruthgari count in western Ruthgar. Liv Danavis’s cousin serves him.
Navid, Payam: A good-looking magister at the Chromeria; Phips Navid is his cousin.
Navid, Phips: Cousin to Payam Navid. He grew up in Ru, and later joined the Omnichrome’s army. His father and older brothers were all hanged after the False Prism’s War when he was just twelve years old. He wants vengeance on Lord Aravind.
Nerra: A Blackguard who designs great explosive disks for sinking ships.
Niel, Baya: A green drafter and Blackguard.
Nuqaba, the: Keeper of the oral histories of Parians, a figure of tremendous power. She resides in Azûlay.
Oakenshield, Zee: Andross Guile’s great-great-grandmother, a green drafter. She was the founder of Guile house, despite the name coming from another side of the family.
Omnichrome, Lord (the Color Prince): The leader of a rebellion against the rule of the Chromeria. His true identity is known by few, as he has re-formed almost his entire body with luxin. A full-spectrum polychrome, he posits a faith in freedom and power, rather than in Lucidonius and Orholam. Also known as the Color Prince, the Crystal Prophet, the Polychrome Master, the Eldritch Enlightened, and the Lord Rainbow. He was formerly Koios White Oak, one of Karris White Oak’s brothers. He was horribly burned in the fire that triggered the False Prism’s War.
One-Eye: A mercenary with the Cloven Shield company.
Onesto, Prestor: An Ilytian banker at Varig and Green.
Orholam: The deity of the monotheistic Seven Satrapies, also known as the Father of All and the Lord of Light. His worship was spread throughout the Seven Satrapies by Lucidonius, four hundred years before the reign of Prism Gavin Guile.
Orlos, Maros: A very religious Ruthgari drafter. He fought in both the False Prism’s War and as a defender of Garriston.
Or-mar-zel-atir: One of the original Blackguards who served Lucidonius.
Oros brothers, the: Two Blackguard scrubs.
Payam, Parshan: A young drafter at the Chromeria who attempts to seduce Liv Danavis as part of a bet. He fails in spectacular fashion.
Pevarc: He proved the world was round two hundred years before Gavin Guile, and he was later lynched for positing that light was the absence of darkness.
Philosopher, the: A foundational figure in both moral and natural philosophy.
Phyros: A member of the Omnichrome’s army. He is seven feet tall and fights with two axes.
Pip: A Blackguard scrub.
Pots: A Blackguard.
Presser: A Blackguard.
Ptolos: Satrapah of Ruthgar.
Pullawr, Orea: See White, the.
Rados, Blessed Satrap: A Ruthgari satrap who fought the Blood Foresters although he was outnumbered two to one. He was famous for burning the Rozanos Bridge behind his army to keep it from retreating.
Ramir (Ram): A Rekton villager.
Rassad, Master Shayam: Completely blind in the visible spectrum, he allegedly could navigate with sub-red and paryl; taught Marta Martaens’s teacher in paryl.
Rathcore, Ulbear: The late husband of the White, he has been dead for twenty years. An adroit player of Nine Kings.
Rig: A Blackguard legacy. He is a red/orange bichrome.
Rud: A Blackguard scrub. He is a squat coastal Parian who wears the ghotra.
Running Wolf: A general for Gavin during the False Prism’s war. He was thrice bested by smaller forces commanded by Corvan Danavis.
Sadah Superviolet: The Parian representative, a superviolet drafter, often the swing vote on the Spectrum.
Samite: One of Karris’s best friends. She is a Blackguard and a bodyguard for Kip, and one of the strongest female Blackguards.
Sanson: A village boy from Rekton.
Satrap of Atash: See Aravind, Lord.
Sayeh, Meena: Cousin to Samila Sayeh. She was just seven years old when she was killed in Gad Delmarta’s purge of the royal family at Ru.
Sayeh, Samila: A blue drafter for Gavin’s army. She fought in the defense of Garriston u
nder Gavin Guile.
Selene, Lady: A Tyrean blue/green bichrome. She is in charge of the greens in Garriston so that they can dredge the key irrigation canals.
Sendinas, the: A Rekton family.
Shadowblinder, Karris: Lucidonius’s wife and later widow. She was the second Prism. See also Atiriel, Karris.
Sharp, Master: One of Andross Guile’s agents. He wears a necklace of human teeth.
Shayam, Lord: One of the lords of the air, set to oversee redistribution of the city of Garriston by the Color Prince.
Shimmercloak, Gebalyn: Vox Shimmercloak’s former partner. She seems to have died in a fire while on an assignment.
Shimmercloak, Niah: An assassin. She is the partner of Vox and a lightsplitter.
Shimmercloak, Vox: A green drafter and assassin. He was kicked out of the Chromeria at thirteen; he worships Atirat.
Shining Spear: Originally called El-Anat. Once he converted to the Light, he became Forushalzmarish, then Shining Spear so the locals could pronounce it.
Siluz, Rea: Fourth undersecretary of the Chromeria library and a weak yellow drafter. She knows Janus Borig and directs Kip to meet her.
Small Bear: A huge archer with just one eye. He served Zee Oakenshield.
Spear: A commander of the Blackguards when Gavin first became Prism.
Spreading Oak, Alexander: The Prism before Gavin. Likely a poppy addict, he spent most of his time hiding in his apartments.
Stump: A Parian Blackguard.
Sworrins, the: A Rekton family.
Tala: A drafter and warrior in the False Prism’s War. She was also a defender of Garriston. Her grandson is Aheyyad Brightwater, and her sister is Tayri.
Tala (the Younger): A yellow/green bichrome. Named after the hero of the False Prism’s War, she is an excellent drafter, though not yet an excellent fighter.
Talim, Sayid: A former Prism. He nearly got himself named promachos to face the nonexistent armada he claimed waited beyond the gates, forty-seven years ago.
Tamerah: A Blackguard scrub, a blue monochrome.
Tana: A Blackguard legacy, a scrub.
Tanner: A Blackguard scrub.
Tarkian: A polychrome drafter.
Tayri: A Parian drafter and defender of Garriston. Her sister is Tala.
Tazerwalt: A princess of the Tlaglanu tribe of Paria. She married Hanishu, the dey of Aghbalu.
Temnos, Dalos the Younger: A drafter who fought in both the False Prism’s War and the defense of Garriston under Gavin Guile.
Tempus: A Blackguard put in charge of greens during the battle at Ruic Head.
Tep, Usef: A drafter who fought in the False Prism’s War. He is also known as the Purple Bear, because he is a discontiguous bichrome in red and blue. After the war, he and Samila Sayeh became lovers, despite having fought on opposite sides.
Third Eye, the: A Seer, the leader of Seers Island.
Tiziri: A student at the Chromeria. She has a birthmark over the left half of her face.
Tizrik: The son of the dey of Aghbalu. He fails the Blackguard testing, though not before Kip breaks his nose for being a bully.
Tlatig: One of the Blackguard’s most skilled archers.
Tolver, Jia: The Yellow on the Spectrum. An Abornean drafter, she is a cousin of Arys Greenveil (the Sub-red).
Tremblefist: A Blackguard. He is Ironfist’s younger brother, and was once the dey of Aghbalu.
Tristaem: The author of On the Fundaments of Reason.
Tufayyur: A Blackguard scrub.
Tugertent: One of the Blackguard’s most skilled archers.
Ular: A Blackguard scrub, Jun’s partner.
Usem the Wild: A drafter and defender of Garriston.
Valor: A Blackguard scrub. He partners with Pip during a Blackguard test. They fail when thugs stop them.
Vanzer: A Blackguard and green drafter.
Varidos, Kerawon: A superchromat, magister and head tester of the Chromeria. He drafts orange and red.
Varigari, Lord: A gambler from the Varigari family, originally fishermen before they were raised in the Blood Wars. He lost the family fortune and lands to his habit.
Vecchio, Pash: The most powerful of the pirate kings. His flagship is the Gargantua.
Vena: Liv’s friend and fellow student at the Chromeria; a superviolet.
Verangheti, Lucretia: Adrasteia’s sponsor at the Chromeria. She is from the Ilytian Smussato Veranghetis.
Vin, Taya: A mercenary with the Cloven Shield company.
Wanderer, the: A legendary figure, the subject of Gevison’s poem The Wanderer’s Last Journey.
White Oak, Karris: A Blackguard; a red/green bichrome; the original cause of the False Prism’s War.
White Oak, Koios: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White Oak, Kolos: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White Oak, Rissum: A luxlord, the father of Karris and her seven brothers; reputed to be hot-tempered, but a coward.
White Oak, Rodin: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White Oak, Tavos: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White, the: The head of the Spectrum. She is a blue/green bichrome, but currently abstains from any drafting in order to prolong her life. Her name is Orea Pullawr, though it is rarely used. She was married to Ulbear Rathcore before his death.
Wil: A green drafter, and a Blackguard.
Winsen: A mountain Parian, and a Blackguard scrub.
Wit, Rondar: A blue drafter who becomes a color wight.
Young Bull: A blue drafter who fought with Zee Oakenshield.
Yugerten: A gangly Blackguard scrub, blue drafter.
Zid: Quartermaster of the Omnichrome’s army.
Ziri: A Blackguard scrub.
Zymun: A young drafter and member of the Omnichrome’s army.
For Kristi, who gets better all the time—and makes me want to do likewise,
and for Mom, who took a seven-year-old kid who hated reading and kindled a lifelong love.
The man who is content to live alone is either a beast or a god.
—ARISTOTLE
Chapter 1
The two Blackguards approached the White’s door, the younger rhythmically cracking the knuckles of his right fist nervously. The Greyling brothers stopped in front of the door, hesitated. Pop, pop, pop. Pop, pop, pop.
The elder brother, Gill, looked at his little brother, as if trying to emulate their commander’s sledge-gaze. Gavin hated it when Gill did that, but he quit popping his knuckles.
“We gain nothing by waiting,” Gill said. “Put that fist to use.”
It was early morning. The White usually didn’t emerge from her chambers for at least another two hours. With her declining health, the Blackguard were doing all they could to make the old woman’s last months easy.
“How come it’s always me who—” Gavin asked. At nineteen, Gill was two years older, but they were the same rank, and they’d been elevated to full Blackguard status at the same time.
“If you make her miss it because you’re arguing with me…” Gill let the threat hang. “Fist,” he said. It was an order.
Scowling, Gavin Greyling knocked on the door. After waiting the customary five seconds, he opened the door. The brothers stepped inside.
The White wasn’t in her bed. She and her room slave were praying, prostrate on the floor despite their age, facing the rising sun through the open doors to the balcony. Cold wind blew in around the two old women.
“High Mistress,” Gill said. “Your pardon. There’s something you must see.”
She looked at them, recognizing them immediately. Some of the nobles and luxlords didn’t treat the youngest of the full Blackguards seriously. It was a judgment that cut because it was partly deserved. Gavin knew that even a year ago, he wouldn’t have been promoted to full Blackguard at seventeen. But the White never treated him like he was beneath anyone. He woul
d gladly die for her, even if someone told him that she’d die the next day of old age.
She broke off her prayers, and they helped her into her wheeled chair, but when the old room slave waddled over to close the balcony doors on bad hips, Gill stopped her.
“She needs to look from the balcony, caleen,” Gavin said.
Gavin wrapped the White in her blankets gently but efficiently. They’d learned exactly how much delicacy her pride would stand, and how much pain her body could. He pushed her out onto the balcony. She didn’t complain that she could do it herself. She would have, not long ago.
“In the bay,” Gill said.
Little Jasper Bay was resplendent below them. Today was the Feast of Light and Darkness, the equinox, and it was turning into one of those autumn days one hopes for: the air chilly, but the sky blindingly blue, the waters calm instead of their normal chop. The bay itself was conspicuously underpopulated. The fleet was still gone to fight the Color Prince at Ru and stop his advance. Gavin should have been there. Instead, he and three others had been sent back by skimmer on the eve of battle to report the fleet’s disposition and plans.
Surely by now, the battle had taken place, and all that remained was to wait to hear whether they should rejoice in their victory or brace for a war that would tear the Seven Satrapies apart. Thus the White’s prayers, Gavin supposed. Can you pray about the outcome of an event after the fact? Do they do anything then?
Do they do anything, ever?
The White waited silently, staring at the bay. Staring at nothing, Gavin was afraid. Had they interrupted her too late? But the White trusted them; she asked nothing, simply waited as the minutes stretched out.
And then, finally, a shape came around the bend of Big Jasper. At first, it was hard to get a sense of the size of the thing. It surfaced a hundred paces from the high walls ringing the entirety of Big Jasper, which were lined with people jostling one another to see. The sea demon was visible at first only by the wake it left, plowing waters to the left and the right.
As the sea demon came closer, it sped up. Its cruciform mouth, half open, swallowing the seas with its ring-shaped maw and jetting them out through its gills along the whole of its body, now opened full. With each big gulping pulse, its mouth opening wide now, water splashed out to the sides and back in great fans every fifty or so paces, then as the massive muscles contracted, the water behind it hissed with churned air and water.
