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Imaro

 Imaro
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TVTItem
 Imaro
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Imaro
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Imaro
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A Heroic Fantasy series by Charles Saunders, currently consisting of four books.Saunders grew up reading the adventures of Conan the Barbarian and Tarzan, but was troubled how such stories never had black heroes, even when Africa was involved. So he decided to write his own stories, and created Imaro and Nyumbani, his new hero and setting respectively. Nyumbani is a Fantasy Counterpart Culture of ancient Africa with people and places corresponding to real ones throughout Africa's history. Imaro, an outsider from the moment of his birth, overcomes endless challenges to his existence ranging from petty Jerkasses who don't like him for not having a father to an Ancient Conspiracy by Eldritch Abominations. Imaro, aside from simply desiring survival, seeks to find the answers about his father and why he encounters so much misfortune. He makes good friends and hated enemies along his trek across Nyumbani.In order, the series is as follows: Imaro The Quest for Cush The Trail of Bohu The Naama War
 Imaro
fetched
2023-06-04T09:44:50Z
 Imaro
parsed
2023-06-04T09:44:50Z
 Imaro
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DBTropes
 Imaro / int_169d22e6
type
Villain Team-Up
 Imaro / int_169d22e6
comment
Villain Team-Up: While their status as "villains" is a little uncertain note (they are less honourable than Imaro in their methods, but their actual goal is just to get him to stop plundering their towns), the armies of the usually feuding countries of Zanj and Azania team up to take down Imaro and the haramia.
 Imaro / int_169d22e6
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1.0
 Imaro / int_169d22e6
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_169d22e6
 Imaro / int_216ca857
type
Not What I Signed on For
 Imaro / int_216ca857
comment
Not What I Signed on For: The haramia tell this to Imaro at the end of Book I. They're fine with banditry for profit, but fighting whole armies, confronting Eldritch Abominations, and chasing after the traitor who has kidnapped Imaro's love interest? Um, yeah, good luck with that...
 Imaro / int_216ca857
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_216ca857
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_216ca857
 Imaro / int_262861e1
type
Blade on a Stick
 Imaro / int_262861e1
comment
Blade on a Stick: The Ilyassai weapon is the arem, a long spear with a iron blade beginning halfway down its length, used both for throwing and melee combat.
 Imaro / int_262861e1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_262861e1
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_262861e1
 Imaro / int_28cd01ca
type
Disappeared Dad
 Imaro / int_28cd01ca
comment
Disappeared Dad: Imaro never knew his father, and his mother would say nothing about him, even what people he was from.
 Imaro / int_28cd01ca
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_28cd01ca
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_28cd01ca
 Imaro / int_294ed981
type
Bilingual Bonus
 Imaro / int_294ed981
comment
Bilingual Bonus: Knowledge of Swahili will reveal many meaningful names. Nyumbani is Swahili for "home".
 Imaro / int_294ed981
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_294ed981
featureConfidence
1.0
 Imaro
hasFeature
Imaro / int_294ed981
 Imaro / int_35b8b13f
type
Collateral Angst
 Imaro / int_35b8b13f
comment
Collateral Angst: Keteke doesn't really serve any purpose other than getting killed to make Imaro feel bad.
 Imaro / int_35b8b13f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_35b8b13f
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_35b8b13f
 Imaro / int_3a1c2171
type
The Man Behind the Man
 Imaro / int_3a1c2171
comment
The Man Behind the Man: A whole row of them. Chitendu is the man behind Muburi, while the Sorcerers of Naama are the man behind him, while themselves being the servants of the demonic Mashataan. Chitendu at one point contempteously (and self-contempteously) calls Muburi a "tool of a tool."
 Imaro / int_3a1c2171
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1.0
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_3a1c2171
 Imaro / int_48ca7c29
type
Broken Ace
 Imaro / int_48ca7c29
comment
Broken Ace: While Imaro is certainly the biggest badass in the world, he's also increasingly haunted by all the pains and humiliations he's suffered, all the desperate battles he's had to fight, and all the horrific works of dark magic he's seen.
 Imaro / int_48ca7c29
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1.0
 Imaro / int_48ca7c29
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_48ca7c29
 Imaro / int_53f5119f
type
The Dragon
 Imaro / int_53f5119f
comment
The Dragon: Rumanzila's leadership of the haramia is based partly on his own fighting prowess, partly on the Undying Loyalty of the mute giant Mbuto.
 Imaro / int_53f5119f
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1.0
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Imaro / int_53f5119f
 Imaro / int_57d43e40
type
Fantasy Counterpart Culture
 Imaro / int_57d43e40
comment
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Nyumbani is full of counterparts to tribes, kingdoms, and empires of ancient Africa.
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1.0
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1.0
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Imaro / int_57d43e40
 Imaro / int_5a5de5ca
type
Boss Rush
 Imaro / int_5a5de5ca
comment
Boss Rush: On his way to face Isikukumadevu, Imaro is confronted by the images of four enemies he has previously killed.
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1.0
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_5a5de5ca
 Imaro / int_60ea2a89
type
Starter Villain
 Imaro / int_60ea2a89
comment
Starter Villain: N'tu-mwaa is the first major enemy Imaro faces, and the only villain in the first book who isn't looking to destroy Imaro in particular - he's just looking to perform a ritual that requires the Human Sacrifice of an Illyassai warrior, and Imaro was the Illyassai warrior his henchmen happened to kidnap.
 Imaro / int_60ea2a89
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1.0
 Imaro / int_60ea2a89
featureConfidence
1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_60ea2a89
 Imaro / int_6bda9a30
type
Meaningful Name
 Imaro / int_6bda9a30
comment
Meaningful Name: "Imaro" is derived from imara, Swahili for "power".
 Imaro / int_6bda9a30
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_6bda9a30
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_6bda9a30
 Imaro / int_77a5657
type
Lovecraftian Superpower
 Imaro / int_77a5657
comment
Lovecraftian Superpower: Users of mchawi tend to develop abilities like Combat Tentacles that fire death rays.
 Imaro / int_77a5657
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_77a5657
featureConfidence
1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_77a5657
 Imaro / int_8774fb47
type
Eldritch Abomination
 Imaro / int_8774fb47
comment
Eldritch Abomination: The Mashataan is a race of these.
 Imaro / int_8774fb47
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
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Imaro / int_8774fb47
 Imaro / int_8c1ad82f
type
Proud Warrior Race Guy
 Imaro / int_8c1ad82f
comment
Proud Warrior Race Guy: The Illyassai are so hardcore that it is said that "even their cattle are warriors." Kulu proves as much when she's captured - when Imaro sees her again, he notes that she's got blood on her horns.
 Imaro / int_8c1ad82f
featureApplicability
1.0
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1.0
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Imaro / int_8c1ad82f
 Imaro / int_984ef9ef
type
"Not So Different" Remark
 Imaro / int_984ef9ef
comment
"Not So Different" Remark: After killing N'tu-mwaa, Imaro reflects that they weren't so different - they were both trying to force a people who despised them for an accident of birth to recognise their worth.
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featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
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Imaro / int_984ef9ef
 Imaro / int_9b5516f0
type
Showy Invincible Hero
 Imaro / int_9b5516f0
comment
Showy Invincible Hero: No matter how hopeless Imaro's situation looks, you know he's always going to get out of it just by being that damn awesome (and maybe by a bit of luck on occasion). But reading about Imaro being awesome is still an awful lot of fun.
 Imaro / int_9b5516f0
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1.0
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1.0
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Imaro / int_9b5516f0
 Imaro / int_ac09dc0f
type
Alas, Poor Villain
 Imaro / int_ac09dc0f
comment
Alas, Poor Villain: It's hard not to feel sorry for N'tu-mwaa in the end. Even Imaro acknowledges to himself that they'ren't that different.
 Imaro / int_ac09dc0f
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_ac09dc0f
 Imaro / int_b00115aa
type
Noble Fugitive
 Imaro / int_b00115aa
comment
Noble Fugitive: Bomunu is a nobleman from Zanj who has been forced to become an outlaw after his schemes backfired on him.
 Imaro / int_b00115aa
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_b00115aa
 Imaro / int_b2279346
type
RetCon
 Imaro / int_b2279346
comment
Retcon: In the revised edition of the first book, "Slaves of the Giant Kings" has been replaced by "The Afua", because of the former story's resemblance to the Rwandan genocide.
 Imaro / int_b2279346
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_b2279346
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_b2279346
 Imaro / int_b5b4b077
type
The Ace
 Imaro / int_b5b4b077
comment
The Ace: Imaro. While he's never an Instant Expert, once he gets a chance to practice at anything, he invariably becomes the best at it.
 Imaro / int_b5b4b077
featureApplicability
1.0
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1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_b5b4b077
 Imaro / int_b6cebad3
type
Double Standard
 Imaro / int_b6cebad3
comment
Double Standard: Ilyassai women are only allowed to have children with Ilyassai men, but Ilyassai men can take women from other nations as spoils of war; the narration specifically calls this out as a double standard.
 Imaro / int_b6cebad3
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1.0
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Imaro / int_b6cebad3
 Imaro / int_c4db3679
type
The Dark Side
 Imaro / int_c4db3679
comment
The Dark Side: Mchawi, powerful magic that causes some serious Body Horror to the user.
 Imaro / int_c4db3679
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_c4db3679
featureConfidence
1.0
 Imaro
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Imaro / int_c4db3679
 Imaro / int_d0f0a80d
type
One-Word Title
 Imaro / int_d0f0a80d
comment
One-Word Title: Also a Protagonist Title.
 Imaro / int_d0f0a80d
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1.0
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 Imaro
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Imaro / int_d0f0a80d
 Imaro / int_d47d9b71
type
Mirror Boss
 Imaro / int_d47d9b71
comment
Mirror Boss: Isikukumadevu sends a copy of Imaro's younger self against him. Imaro wins, but only by channeling the hatred he feels towards his past self for allowing the Illyassai to betray him, and it's implied that the fight did a number on his psyche.
 Imaro / int_d47d9b71
featureApplicability
1.0
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 Imaro
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Imaro / int_d47d9b71
 Imaro / int_d66cd0e6
type
Training from Hell
 Imaro / int_d66cd0e6
comment
Training from Hell: The Ilyassai's mafundishu-ya-muran is a grueling many-year-long training regimen that all boys go through. At the end of it, they have to kill a lion in single combat.
 Imaro / int_d66cd0e6
featureApplicability
1.0
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 Imaro
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Imaro / int_d66cd0e6
 Imaro / int_db6230b7
type
Lightning Bruiser
 Imaro / int_db6230b7
comment
Lightning Bruiser: Imaro is a huge, muscular man who's also extremely quick and light on his feet.
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featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_db6230b7
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 Imaro
hasFeature
Imaro / int_db6230b7
 Imaro / int_f1c860c4
type
Spider-Sense
 Imaro / int_f1c860c4
comment
Spider-Sense: Kufahuma, which is an acute awareness of one's surroundings and the ability to sense approaching danger. This is described as a skill anyone can cultivate with time and effort, but Imaro has something else as well: the ability to sense mchawi.
 Imaro / int_f1c860c4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_f1c860c4
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 Imaro
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Imaro / int_f1c860c4
 Imaro / int_f8173bd9
type
Medieval European Fantasy
 Imaro / int_f8173bd9
comment
Medieval European Fantasy: Deliberately avoided by being set in a fantasy version of Africa, populated with African-esque characters.
 Imaro / int_f8173bd9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Imaro / int_f8173bd9
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 Imaro
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Imaro / int_f8173bd9
 Imaro / int_fc33ff16
type
One-Winged Angel
 Imaro / int_fc33ff16
comment
One-Winged Angel: N'tu-mwaa's partial ritual turns him into a grotesque creature with the head of a lion and the horns of a cow. Subverted in that he's still not meaningfully more powerful in that form, though if he'd been able to complete the ritual he'd have gained literally godlike powers.
 Imaro / int_fc33ff16
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 Imaro
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Imaro / int_fc33ff16
 Imaro / int_name
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ItemName
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Imaro / int_name
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Imaro

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Imaro
hasFeature
Boss Rush / int_58cb94cd
 Imaro
hasFeature
Broken Ace / int_58cb94cd
 Imaro
hasFeature
Gratuitous Foreign Language / int_58cb94cd
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Heroic Fantasy / int_58cb94cd
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seeAlso
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hasFeature
Lovecraftian Superpower / int_58cb94cd
 Imaro
hasFeature
Orwellian Retcon / int_58cb94cd
 Imaro
hasFeature
Showy Invincible Hero / int_58cb94cd
 Imaro
hasFeature
Starter Villain / int_58cb94cd