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Kings of the Wyld

 Kings of the Wyld
type
TVTItem
 Kings of the Wyld
label
Kings of the Wyld
 Kings of the Wyld
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KingsOfTheWyld
 Kings of the Wyld
comment
Clay Cooper was once a member of the band Saga, one of the most famous bands of mercenaries in history. He toured the world with his friends, taking gigs to clear out monsters that threatened villages, or even venturing into the Heartwyld itself, the most dangerous place in the world. For ten years, they were giants, the top of the game.Now, nineteen years later, Clay Cooper is retired with his wife and daughter, working as a town guard for his tiny village. Until one day Gabriel, Saga's old frontman, comes calling with yet another attempt to get the band back together—but this one is important. The distant city of Castia is under siege from the largest horde of monsters seen in hundreds of years, and Gabe's daughter Rose is trapped there, as she had been doing mercenary work in the area. Gabe wants Clay's help to get their old friends back together and save Rose.There are some problems, though. Gabe sold his priceless sword; Moog, their wizard, is busy trying to find a cure for an incurable disease; Matrick the Thief is king of a country; and Ganelon, their finest, fiercest warrior, is locked in a magical prison. Just getting the band back together will be a miracle in and of itself. Then five old men will have to cross a thousand miles of the most dangerously enchanted woods in the world, to fight a horde of countless monsters, all to rescue a girl who is almost certainly already dead.But if it were easy, there would be no glory.Kings of the Wyld is the first entry in Nicholas Eames The Band series, followed by Bloody Rose in 2018 and a third book, Outlaw Empire set for the 2020s.
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2024-02-20T07:16:06Z
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2024-02-20T07:16:06Z
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DBTropes
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1282bf4f
type
No Celebrities Were Harmed
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1282bf4f
comment
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Numerous to real-world rock stars, including "Neil the Young" and Elvais, the latter of whom was a legendary hero who died on a latrine. Word of God confirms that Clay Cooper's nickname, Slowhand, is a deliberate Shout Out to Eric Clapton.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_1282bf4f
 Kings of the Wyld / int_15fc9fb
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Our Elves Are Different
 Kings of the Wyld / int_15fc9fb
comment
Our Elves Are Different: The druin are mostly the same as elves, an ancient fey never-aging low-fertility humanoid race, except for their rabbit ears.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_15fc9fb
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1bc2e445
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End of an Age
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1bc2e445
comment
End of an Age: With the monster population down and the world safe, gone are the days where a few strong fighters could wander into a nearby forest, kill a bunch of monsters, and get a name for themselves. Now most of the fighting is done in arenas, and the pageantry of the mercenaries has been cranked up until the knob falls off. Gabe's Rousing Speech at the end points out that the world is obviously not saved, since there's a giant horde attacking Castia.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_1bc2e445
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1be36a63
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Immortal Procreation Clause
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1be36a63
comment
Immortal Procreation Clause: Upon arriving in a new world, the druin found themselves simultaneously unaging and semi-infertile; each druin woman could bear only one child in her lifetime, dooming the species to a slow but inevitable process of extinction.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1be36a63
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Kings of the Wyld / int_1be36a63
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1dfd19f9
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Papa Wolf
 Kings of the Wyld / int_1dfd19f9
comment
Papa Wolf: Gabriel, who not only goes on a suicide mission across half the world for the off chance that he can save his daughter, but who manages to convince four other over-the-hill ex-heroes to come along for the ride. Clay is one in extension, since he is driven to join Gabe by the thought of how he'd feel if it was his daughter.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_1dfd19f9
 Kings of the Wyld / int_20989d05
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Parents as People
 Kings of the Wyld / int_20989d05
comment
Parents as People: Initially it seems Valery doesn't care that Rose vanished because she's so loaded up on drugs, but when she decides to kick the habit and Gabe returns, she outright begs him to bring Rose back. He promises he will.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_20989d05
 Kings of the Wyld / int_22cf536c
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Chekhov's Gun
 Kings of the Wyld / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: That horn that vomits bees is at first seen as a joke by everyone. Then it's used on Akatung the Dread.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_22cf536c
 Kings of the Wyld / int_33b4e7f
type
Helmets Are Hardly Heroic
 Kings of the Wyld / int_33b4e7f
comment
Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: Clay really hates helmets, claiming that all they do is muffle your hearing, block your peripheral vision, and they don't even do a good job of protecting against blows to the head. It seems he's not alone in this belief: With the notable exception of Lastleaf (and then only for a little while during the final battle), no one else in the book wears one either.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_33b4e7f
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Kings of the Wyld / int_33b4e7f
 Kings of the Wyld / int_3946634e
type
The Smart Guy
 Kings of the Wyld / int_3946634e
comment
The Smart Guy: Moog, the wizard/alchemist. He knows a little something about everything, and will ramble about it at length. His odd devices and ideas also bring to mind the oddity of the keyboardist.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_3946634e
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Kings of the Wyld / int_3946634e
 Kings of the Wyld / int_3fe2b13f
type
Ungrateful Bastard
 Kings of the Wyld / int_3fe2b13f
comment
Ungrateful Bastard: Lilith, the princess that Saga saved from being raped and imprisoned and then married Matrick constantly cuckolds him, none of his kids are biologically his. Refuses to let him leave as king, for fear he'll make a legitimate heir. And has tried to have him assassinated on multiple occasions. In the epilogue, the kids all choose to stay with Matrick over Lilith.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_3fe2b13f
 Kings of the Wyld / int_40217655
type
Faux Action Girl
 Kings of the Wyld / int_40217655
comment
Faux Action Girl: Some of the new female "mercenaries" are pretty clearly just models and dancers hired to make the male mercenaries look good during the parade. They even respond to catcalls with blown kisses, when Clay notes that most female mercenaries respond to that sort of thing by beating the offending party within an inch of their life. Turns out that they actually are competent mercenaries; at the final battle, Clay sees them in sensible armor fighting beside their coworkers.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_40217655
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Kings of the Wyld / int_40217655
 Kings of the Wyld / int_40cbee83
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Wretched Hive
 Kings of the Wyld / int_40cbee83
comment
Wretched Hive: The city of Conthas, a place that exists without any kings or laws to govern it. Fittingly, it's a nasty place full of crooks and con-merchants that Clay compares to a person who's parents hired a prostitute as a babysitter for and never came back. Coinbarrow, a city located in the lower layers of Fivecourt, and where Saga ends up first while looking for Ganelon.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_40cbee83
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4127eb1
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Shut Up, Hannibal!
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4127eb1
comment
Shut Up, Hannibal!: When Lastleaf tries to have a Motive Rant at the end, Gabe just keeps telling him to shut up because no one gives a shit.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_4127eb1
 Kings of the Wyld / int_48e8fe57
type
Happily Adopted
 Kings of the Wyld / int_48e8fe57
comment
Happily Adopted: Mattrick loves his wife's children even though every last one of them is the result of her affairs. They are apparently fond of him too - when he divorces her, all five of them choose to come live with him instead of her.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_48e8fe57
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4f84cdef
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Smug Snake
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4f84cdef
comment
Smug Snake: Kallorek, the most successful bookie in the world, clearly believes that he's a genius negotiator who has gotten everything on nothing but his own merits, and therefore deserves everything he can grab. It's pretty clear that he just rode on Saga's coattails, though they certainly found his ruthlessness useful. While alone with the band on an airship, he threatens all of their families with rape and death. It says a lot about him that he is surprised when Clay throws him off the ship. Clay later notes that killing him probably solved half their problems.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4f84cdef
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Kings of the Wyld / int_4f84cdef
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4ffde1e0
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Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
 Kings of the Wyld / int_4ffde1e0
comment
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Clay spends a significant portion of the book with no weapon except his shield Blackheart. He carved it from the corpse of the treant Blackheart, who Saga killed for leading a group of treants in attacking a town.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_4ffde1e0
 Kings of the Wyld / int_500ecfb7
type
The Big Guy
 Kings of the Wyld / int_500ecfb7
comment
The Big Guy: Ganelon, quiet and taciturn but extremely dangerous. His weapon of choice being a two-handed axe, he is the band's obvious guitarist. His reputation for being a frothing Blood Knight who causes more trouble than he solves also brings to mind the infamous memetic insanity of drummers.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_500ecfb7
 Kings of the Wyld / int_537dd8fe
type
Affably Evil
 Kings of the Wyld / int_537dd8fe
comment
Affably Evil: Jain and her Silk Arrows, bandits who rob Gabe and Clay outside of Cloverdale, and then the rest of the band a few weeks later. The first time, they steal everything except for Clay's shield (Jain says that Blackheart is too important to take from him), and the second time they steal about twenty pounds of gold jewelry, but make the band breakfast first. With all the money, they decide to give up on thievery and become a mercenary band.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_537dd8fe
 Kings of the Wyld / int_53b6ab6a
type
Jumped at the Call
 Kings of the Wyld / int_53b6ab6a
comment
Jumped at the Call: Played straight with everyone except Clay, ironically, who was the first person to rejoin with Gabe. Clay cynically assumes Moog and Matrick are too busy with their current affairs to want to bother reforming Saga and he thinks Ganelon probably hates all of them to even accept. Moog agrees instantly, Matrick begs in private to get him out of his kingdom and after talking to Gabe, Ganelon agrees to reform pretty easily.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_53b6ab6a
 Kings of the Wyld / int_56585e87
type
Combat Clairvoyance
 Kings of the Wyld / int_56585e87
comment
Combat Clairvoyance: Druin like Lastleaf can use "the Prescience", which enables them to see seconds into the future, making them especially dangerous in a fight. The only way to really get around it is to not be the only one attacking.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_56585e87
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Kings of the Wyld / int_56585e87
 Kings of the Wyld / int_567e7c4d
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Wounded Gazelle Gambit
 Kings of the Wyld / int_567e7c4d
comment
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Larkspur pulls this on Saga by pretending to have amnesia when they get stranded in the Heartwyld.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_567e7c4d
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Kings of the Wyld / int_567e7c4d
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5989e3b6
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Enemy Mine
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5989e3b6
comment
Enemy Mine: When Saga and Larkspur become stranded in the Heartwyld. The members of Saga are wary that the "amnesiac" Larkspur will revert back to her real personality and Larkspur is putting on an act in order to get Saga's cooperation due to their circumstances.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_5989e3b6
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5cb5fe11
type
Sealed Badass in a Can
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5cb5fe11
comment
Sealed Badass in a Can: Ganelon is an unintentional version; he was given the worst punishment anyone could think of, which had the side effect of leaving him young and healthy when the band needed him nineteen years later. After the siege of Castia, he voluntarily goes back, telling the guards "wake me when she gets here." Presumably he was referring to the Winter Queen.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_5cb5fe11
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5eb92325
type
Declaration of Protection
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5eb92325
comment
Declaration of Protection: Gabe gathers his old band, crosses thousands of miles, and engages a horde of monsters so big that they are the horizon, all to save his daughter.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_5eb92325
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Kings of the Wyld / int_5eb92325
 Kings of the Wyld / int_60b21fa3
type
The Lancer
 Kings of the Wyld / int_60b21fa3
comment
The Lancer: Matrick, the friendly but violent knifeman, has the last name Skulldrummer and handles his two knives like drumsticks.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_60b21fa3
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Kings of the Wyld / int_60b21fa3
 Kings of the Wyld / int_60e49895
type
The Leader
 Kings of the Wyld / int_60e49895
comment
The Leader: Golden Gabe, "the frontman". Not only is he literally the man in front during a fight, but he is the one who does all the talking and has all the ideas, making him a clear example of a Charismatic Leader. Clay initially appears to be Gabe's second, but Gabe laughs when Clay calls Gabe the leader. Sure, everyone outside Saga thought he was in charge, but everyone inside Saga (except for Clay) knew that they were following Clay. While Gabe usually had the ideas, Clay was the one who had the final decision. According to the author, Clay was envisioned as "the guy on bass whose name everyone forgets but without whom the song just doesn’t feel right."
 Kings of the Wyld / int_60e49895
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Kings of the Wyld / int_60e49895
 Kings of the Wyld / int_61375e57
type
BigDamnKiss
 Kings of the Wyld / int_61375e57
comment
Big Damn Kiss: At the final battle, Larkspur's airship kills a giant, then Larkspur herself flies down and gives Ganelon a massive kiss.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_61375e57
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_61375e57
 Kings of the Wyld / int_617f0563
type
Heel–Face Turn
 Kings of the Wyld / int_617f0563
comment
Heel–Face Turn: Double subverted with Larkspur. Her "amnesia" causes her to revert back to an innocent girl only to reveal she was pretending to be one in order to catch Saga off guard. However, she later has a real one and helps Saga during the final battle.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_617f0563
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Kings of the Wyld / int_617f0563
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6293c185
type
Sequel Hook
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6293c185
comment
Sequel Hook: As Lastleaf was dying of his wounds, he used Tamarat to kill himself, resurrecting his mother the Winter Queen. She hasn't made herself known yet, but it's only a matter of time.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6293c185
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Kings of the Wyld / int_6293c185
 Kings of the Wyld / int_65d658f
type
Putting the Band Back Together
 Kings of the Wyld / int_65d658f
comment
Putting the Band Back Together: Gabe outright states that this is the goal for the first half of the story.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_65d658f
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_65d658f
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6c553873
type
Private Military Contractors
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6c553873
comment
Private Military Contractors: The mercenaries, of course, though they're treat far more sympathetically than is normal for this trope. Furthermore, the entire setting is based on a pun regarding the word "band:" Mercenary bands are treated exactly like rock bands, with tours, frontmen, bookers, gigs, and of course money and fame.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6c553873
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Kings of the Wyld / int_6c553873
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6d9bc945
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Babies Ever After
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6d9bc945
comment
Babies Ever After: Larkspur gives birth to Ganelon's son in the epilogue.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_6d9bc945
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Kings of the Wyld / int_6d9bc945
 Kings of the Wyld / int_723be11b
type
Villain Has a Point
 Kings of the Wyld / int_723be11b
comment
Villain Has a Point: Clay admits that Lastleaf isn't wrong when he points out monsters are killed and enslaved for the entertainment of humans and usually treated without mercy whether they try to get along with them or not. It's just that he's willing to murder thousands of innocent people to the Hoarde to seal their loyalty to him where he draws the line.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_723be11b
 Kings of the Wyld / int_7464705c
type
Arc Words
 Kings of the Wyld / int_7464705c
comment
Arc Words: "We were giants, once."
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 Kings of the Wyld / int_776a06eb
type
All Myths Are True
 Kings of the Wyld / int_776a06eb
comment
All Myths Are True: Characters make constant references to the story of the gods known as the Summer King and the Winter Queen, the first a benevolent deity of light and warmth, the second a malevolent deity of cold and death. There is also the Autumn Son, the Heathen, their son who turned on them both. It turns out that they're all druins. The Summer King was the Archon who gave Gabriel Vellichor, the Winter Queen his wife, and the Heathen their son, Lastleaf. When the Archon's wife died in childbirth, he created the sword Tamarat to resurrect her any time it was used to kill a druin, and immediately used it to kill their newborn daughter. His wife was resurrected, but horrified at what he had done, so killed herself. The Archon kept resurrecting her until she went insane. Their son stole Tamarat so that his mother could finally rest in peace.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_776a06eb
 Kings of the Wyld / int_85c5db50
type
In Love with Your Carnage
 Kings of the Wyld / int_85c5db50
comment
In Love with Your Carnage: Why Ganelon and Larkspur become a couple.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_85c5db50
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Kings of the Wyld / int_85c5db50
 Kings of the Wyld / int_8618825d
type
Portal Network
 Kings of the Wyld / int_8618825d
comment
Portal Network: The ancient Dominion had a small one, with only three "Thresholds:" One in the ruins near Castia, one in Kaladar where the War Fair is held, and one in Antica, which sunk into the sea. They open the Castia portal to send the dragon Akatung to Antica, then take it to Kaladar and bring the entire War Fair to fight the Heartwyld Horde.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_8618825d
 Kings of the Wyld / int_95b7c400
type
Faux Affably Evil
 Kings of the Wyld / int_95b7c400
comment
Faux Affably Evil: Kallorek "the Orc," Saga's old bookie, acts like a friendly and eccentric landowner. But he reacts violently to any insult, real or imagined, casually breaks his word on both major and minor deals, and has a monopoly on all booking west of the Heartwyld that lets him take fully half of anything any mercenary bands make.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_95b7c400
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type
Chainmail Bikini
 Kings of the Wyld / int_9bfbf9f3
comment
Chainmail Bikini: The pretty female "mercenaries" Clay sees in Conthas are wearing armor that not only barely covers any skin, but is clearly too fragile to protect the skin it does cover. During the final battle, Clay spots them wearing much more practical armor.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_9bfbf9f3
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type
What Measure Is a Non-Human?
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comment
What Measure Is a Non-Human?: The human kingdoms grant only the most limited of rights to "monsters," even though many of them are fully sentient and seem to be no more inherently evil than humans (which is admittedly not saying much...). This is one of the things that Lastleaf is angry about, and which he uses to gain converts to his cause.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_9c45b5a2
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Mermaid Problem
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comment
Mermaid Problem: An in-universe cause for debate, as evidenced when Clay thinks back to when he and Saga helped some mermaids and discovered quite a lot more than they bargained for about it. Even then, it still confused him.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_9c88cfb
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type
Foreshadowing
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comment
Foreshadowing: Lastleaf's name is a big hint that he's the Autumn Son, the Heathen. Clay mentions at the beginning his band didn't kill Akatung the Dread, only leave him to die from his injuries. He shows up again near the end, still alive and very bitter about that. A chimera is carted through Conthas during a parade. It shows up again at the Maxithon to fight Saga. At least, Clay assumes it's the same one. It's established early on that no one really knows what an Infernal looks like, aside from that it's big, scary, and demonic. Sure enough, an Infernal shows up at the final battle as the last thing Saga has to fight. After hearing a ballad from Kit recounting the Creation Myth surrounding the Holy Tetrea, he admits that a little embellishment separates a good story from a great one. Turns out, that particular story had quite a few tweaks and changed names to hide the Awful Truth behind it.
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_9d12bbc1
 Kings of the Wyld / int_9f6fb586
type
Leitmotif
 Kings of the Wyld / int_9f6fb586
comment
Leitmotif: The audiobook, fittingly, has a soundtrack. Gabe's theme is a rapid and uplifting piece, while Lastleaf's is somber and dangerous.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_9f6fb586
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_9f6fb586
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type
Yoko Oh No
 Kings of the Wyld / int_a1b83879
comment
Yoko Oh No: Valery, Gabe's wife, is often credited with breaking apart Saga by poisoning Gabe's ear and talking about coexisting with monsters. Clay notes that while Valery didn't really help, in the end she didn't have much to do with the band's troubles, and especially not with them breaking up.
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_a1b83879
 Kings of the Wyld / int_a77dc648
type
Our Kobolds Are Different
 Kings of the Wyld / int_a77dc648
comment
Our Kobolds Are Different: Kobolds are described as short creatures that look like bipedal rats. They're intelligent enough to speak in broken sentences, but feature as minor monsters that are often forced to take part in the arena shows that modern adventuring bands take part in.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_a77dc648
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Kings of the Wyld / int_a77dc648
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type
And I Must Scream
 Kings of the Wyld / int_a8a04f6f
comment
And I Must Scream: Clay is horrified to learn that, rather than simply being literal stone, Ganelon was aware and conscious during his stint in the Quarry.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_a8a04f6f
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_a8a04f6f
 Kings of the Wyld / int_aaece264
type
Rousing Speech
 Kings of the Wyld / int_aaece264
comment
Rousing Speech: Gabe gives one at the War Fair to convince every mercenary present—and therefore nearly all of the mercenaries in the world—to follow him through a portal to Castia to save the city and his daughter. And he gives this speech through a pinecone.
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_aaece264
 Kings of the Wyld / int_b454d74b
type
Sixth Ranger Traitor
 Kings of the Wyld / int_b454d74b
comment
Sixth Ranger Traitor: Subverted. Larkspur ends up betraying Saga, but by the time that happens her Heel–Face Turn has already kicked in and she ends up rejoining for the final battle.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_b454d74b
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type
Tragic Villain
 Kings of the Wyld / int_b5171e10
comment
Tragic Villain: Lastleaf, whose father was a Villain with Good Publicity who tried to kill him in order to drag his dead mother back to life against her will, and who's had to watch the world his kind used to rule be conquered by humans who treat every non-human as a "monster" to be killed or enslaved.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_b5171e10
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type
Too Dumb to Live
 Kings of the Wyld / int_b58b4e3c
comment
Too Dumb to Live: Kallorek really shouldn't have threatened the loved ones of extremely dangerous people while alone with them.
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_b58b4e3c
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type
Aerith and Bob
 Kings of the Wyld / int_b9d334b2
comment
Aerith and Bob: Most of the characters have names befitting a medieval setting. Then there's the living knocker named Steve.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_b9d334b2
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_b9d334b2
 Kings of the Wyld / int_bdbc35e7
type
Blade Enthusiast
 Kings of the Wyld / int_bdbc35e7
comment
Blade Enthusiast: Matrick uses two dangerous, named knives. At first he appears to subvert the stereotype, but it turns out that when he gets going, he's a wickedly cruel fighter who can give Ganelon a run for his money.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_bdbc35e7
 Kings of the Wyld / int_bf8ae149
type
Layered Metropolis
 Kings of the Wyld / int_bf8ae149
comment
Layered Metropolis: Fivecourt is one of the largest cities in all of Grandual, and it's shaped like a bowl divided into six layers. Predictably, the lower layer is for those in poverty and the criminal underworld.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_bf8ae149
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Kings of the Wyld / int_bf8ae149
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d08049db
type
Taken for Granite
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d08049db
comment
Taken for Granite: "The Quarry" is a prison where the prisoners are turned to stone and locked away in the darkness, guarded by basilisks. While everyone assumes that they are unaware, according to Ganelon they are completely awake. He spent ten years in a frothing rage, hating his friends for abandoning him, but he mellowed out by the time they freed him.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_d08049db
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d250df04
type
Creation Myth
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d250df04
comment
After hearing a ballad from Kit recounting the Creation Myth surrounding the Holy Tetrea, he admits that a little embellishment separates a good story from a great one. Turns out, that particular story had quite a few tweaks and changed names to hide the Awful Truth behind it.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d250df04
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Kings of the Wyld / int_d250df04
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d5b3df2d
type
Dark Action Girl
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d5b3df2d
comment
Dark Action Girl: Larkspur, a Winged Humanoid bounty hunter hired by Lilith to apprehend Matrick and kill off the rest.
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_d5b3df2d
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d5c7b415
type
Elites Are More Glamorous
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d5c7b415
comment
Elites Are More Glamorous: Unlike most settings, mercenaries are considered elite forces who earn glory and fame by protecting people from monsters. It's explained that part of the reason for this is because there hasn't been a large scale human-vs-human war in decades, so the normal army units don't have much to do besides parade and guard things. Mercenaries, on the other hand, are constantly testing themselves against monsters, so one mercenary is easily a match for a dozen normal soldiers.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d5c7b415
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Kings of the Wyld / int_d5c7b415
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d9d2c40b
type
Amazon Brigade
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d9d2c40b
comment
Amazon Brigade: Several, including Lady Jain and her Silk Arrows, the Sisters in Steel, and the entire royalty/army of the matriarchal kingdom of Phantra.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_d9d2c40b
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Kings of the Wyld / int_d9d2c40b
 Kings of the Wyld / int_da4d59ae
type
Memento MacGuffin
 Kings of the Wyld / int_da4d59ae
comment
Memento MacGuffin: Gabe carries around a bunch of rocks that Rose found when she was a little girl. They're just boring ordinary rocks, and Clay says that Rose isn't going to care about them. Gabe says that they're not a gift, they're to put on Rose's grave if she's already dead. After he gets a chance to talk to her using magic, he puts them on Shadow's grave instead, since they're not worth hauling all the way to Castia.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_da4d59ae
 Kings of the Wyld / int_dabc7a46
type
Sixth Ranger
 Kings of the Wyld / int_dabc7a46
comment
Sixth Ranger: Larkspur, a Femme Fatale bounty hunter who initially hunts Saga to claim a bounty on Matrick, but who eventually allies herself with the band.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_dabc7a46
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1.0
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Kings of the Wyld / int_dabc7a46
 Kings of the Wyld / int_dae5c997
type
Action Girl
 Kings of the Wyld / int_dae5c997
comment
Action Girl: There are plenty of female merc bands in the story. Jain and her Silk Arrows, who casually get the drop on Saga twice, although the first time it's just Clay and Gabe. Gabe's daughter Rose, as well; there's a reason she was fighting at Castia. During the siege, she ended up in charge simply by virtue of being the most badass person still alive.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_dae5c997
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More Criminals Than Targets
 Kings of the Wyld / int_dca03b6b
comment
More Criminals Than Targets: After centuries of mercenaries making names for themselves by killing every kobold and harpy that gets within ten miles of a human settlement, there aren't really many monsters left outside the Heartwyld. The cities found a logical (albeit horrifying) solution to this problem: Breed the monsters themselves, and have mercenaries fight them in the arena. The old-timer mercenaries are all disturbed at the idea, and even the younger generation admit there's not much glory in that kind of fight.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_dca03b6b
 Kings of the Wyld / int_e25ff7
type
The City
 Kings of the Wyld / int_e25ff7
comment
The City: Fivecourt, the largest human settlement in Grandual.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_e25ff7
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Kings of the Wyld / int_e25ff7
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type
Disaster Dominoes
 Kings of the Wyld / int_e4ba33fc
comment
Disaster Dominoes: The fight against the chimera in the Maxithon arena end up getting the pillars holding the arena bowl in the center of Fivecourt's river destroyed, one by one. The result is the place being ruined as it goes sailing down the river, destroying everything in its path before crashing into a harbor.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_e4ba33fc
 Kings of the Wyld / int_e871aab2
type
The Sky Is an Ocean
 Kings of the Wyld / int_e871aab2
comment
The Sky Is an Ocean: In Gradual there are skyships, large vessels once utilized by the Druin that many kingdoms have repurposed into a grand but no less perilous means of getting from one place to another. To drive the comparison to regular ships home, they have sails and are powered by a sort of Magitek called tidal engines.
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Kings of the Wyld / int_e871aab2
 Kings of the Wyld / int_ea08e9
type
The Team
 Kings of the Wyld / int_ea08e9
comment
The Team: The main mercenaries, of course. The book has plenty of fun drawing parallels between a mercenary band and a rock band.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_ea08e9
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Kings of the Wyld / int_ea08e9
 Kings of the Wyld / int_ef2582c3
type
Named Weapons
 Kings of the Wyld / int_ef2582c3
comment
Named Weapons: Pretty common among higher-level mercenaries. Gabe has the sword Vellichor (the most valuable artifact in the world, a gift from a dying immortal), Clay has the shield Blackheart (carved from the corpse of the treant Blackheart), Matrick has the knives Grace and Roxy (named after the prostitutes he lost his virginity to), and Ganelon has the axe Syrinx (origin unknown, but its magic only comes alive in his hands). Lastleaf has three swords, all forged by his father: Tamarat (forged to bring his wife back from the dead), Scorn (a "volatile weapon"), and Madrigal (the singing sword, a gift from Lastleaf's father to an Exarch).
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Kings of the Wyld / int_ef2582c3
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f16da697
type
Undying Loyalty
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f16da697
comment
Undying Loyalty: Clay is repeatedly surprised when his bandmates immediately drop everything to join Gabe's quest. Gabe later explains to him that they're not following him, they're following Clay.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f16da697
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Kings of the Wyld / int_f16da697
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f36c4f98
type
Easily Forgiven
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f36c4f98
comment
Easily Forgiven: Downplayed with Ganelon, him agreeing to rejoin immediately after being freed seems like it, but during his time at the Quarry, he had a lot to reflect on, specifically with himself and Saga. At first, he hated them, but began to realize how bad his actions were if even Clay and the group didn't want to help him and started to realize the consequences of his actions.
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 Kings of the Wyld / int_f6b1c9f3
type
"You!" Exclamation
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f6b1c9f3
comment
"You!" Exclamation: Lastleaf is NOT happy when he sees Gabe during the Council of Courts, as it was him who scarred him with Vellichor.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_f6b1c9f3
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Kings of the Wyld / int_f6b1c9f3
 Kings of the Wyld / int_fd1f1a63
type
Ridiculously Cute Critter
 Kings of the Wyld / int_fd1f1a63
comment
Ridiculously Cute Critter: The Owlbear cubs, which Moog of course ends up adopting after Saga are forced to kill the mother.
 Kings of the Wyld / int_fd1f1a63
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Kings of the Wyld / int_fd1f1a63
 Kings of the Wyld / int_fe0330fb
type
Brick Joke
 Kings of the Wyld / int_fe0330fb
comment
Brick Joke: There's countless mention of centaurs in the land Clay calls home. At the very end, it's revealed that there was indeed a centaur, and his daughter killed it by accident.
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Kings of the Wyld

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

 Kings of the Wyld
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Amnesiac Villain Joins the Heroes / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Chainmail Bikini / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Declaration of Protection / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Elites Are More Glamorous / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Enchanted Forest / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Helmets Are Hardly Heroic / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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More Criminals Than Targets / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Named Weapons / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Our Kobolds Are Different / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Portal Network / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Retired Badass Roundup / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Rousing Speech / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Taken for Granite / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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The Leader / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Yoko Oh No / int_8063b105
 Kings of the Wyld
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Faux Action Girl / int_8063b105