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The Elenium

 The Elenium
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The Elenium
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After ten years in exile, tired, aging Sir Sparhawk returns to his dirty, polluted home city of Cimmura to find that things have changed quite a bit in his absence. The incompetent King Aldreas has died under mysterious circumstances, and his youthful heir Ehlana is on the verge of death, her life preserved solely by an extremely risky spell. The city—and the kingdom of Elenia it rules—now is controlled in all but name by the corrupt Primate Annias of the Elene Church, who's put a puppet ruler in control and is stripping the treasury bare to pay for his private campaign for the head of the Church. And his ally, the fallen Pandion Knight Martel, is stirring up trouble across the continent to discredit and ultimately destroy the Church Knights to which Sparhawk belongs.Gathering a party of various companions, including champions of the Church Knights, sorcerers of Styricum, street thieves, and his squire, Sparhawk sets out- both to thwart the designs of Annias, and to find a cure for the queen's suspicious illness. But increasingly, he and his companions are embroiled in a shadowy world of magic, powerful artifacts, and the evil God that craves them.A Spiritual Successor to The Belgariad, the Elenium is nonetheless quite distinct and arguably serves as an example of David Eddings at his best. It is both darker and more medieval in feel while still avoiding a Crapsack World, and contrasts the usual callow protagonist on a climb to greatness with its own cast of predominantly seasoned, somewhat cynical professionals. Particularly notable in that none of the knights—who are, essentially, paladins—are Lawful Stupid, and that political action is increasingly as important to the story as classical adventuring.There is a sequel trilogy called the Tamuli (which is covered here too).Novels in the series The Elenium The Diamond Throne (1989) The Ruby Knight (1991) The Sapphire Rose (1992) The Tamuli Domes of Fire (1992) The Shining Ones (1994) The Hidden City (1995)
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Abusive Precursors
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Abusive Precursors: The Elder Gods.
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Retired Badass
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Retired Badass: Vanion in the second series. He, a battered old man not far removed from being saved from his deathbed, challenges the entire population of Sarsos to a race to prove a point about their lack of physical fitness. He gets out to a big lead until he trips in a rabbit hole and sprains his ankle. And he still wins.
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The Man in Front of the Man
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The Man in Front of the Man: Sure, Annias looks like the real villain, but his whole scheme was Martel's baby all along. Similarly, Krager takes the credit in the sequels. And Zalasta was behind both of them.
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Heal It with Booze
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Heal It with Booze: In the first book, Sparhawk does first aid on one of his companions by scrubbing the wound out with some cheap wine before bandaging it. When he gets back to base, Sephrenia, the team's medic/sorceress, is less than impressed.
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 The Elenium / int_13a499b8
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Diabolus ex Nihilo
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Diabolus ex Nihilo: Klael shows up randomly in the final book of the second series and promptly takes over as Big Bad. Once explained it makes sense, and anyone familiar with The Malloreon could see something like that coming, but it was still rather jarring.
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Dragon-in-Chief
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Dragon-in-Chief: Martel, arguably. He's ostensibly working for Annias, Otha, and ultimately Azash, but as the above consist of a Smug Snake, an idiot, and a near-mindless Eldritch Abomination, he's the one whose schemes really drive the plot, and he has the personal connection to the hero to boot.
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Arbitrary Skepticism
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Arbitrary Skepticism: Played for laughs in the last book when a Tamuli scholar refuses, like the rest of his race, to believe in Trolls. Ulath answers by calling a gargantuan, angry (illusionary) troll in the hall. Also: 'I'm an agnostic, Divine One.' 'Would you like to examine that last sentence for logical consistency, Stragen?'note "Divine One" is the honorific used when addressing a god or goddess. The prelates of the Hierarchy suffer from an especially glaring case, where they dismiss all Styrics gods and creatures even though they are blatantly existing and using their powers, including granting magic to the Styrics and their acolytes, while blindly and unquestioningly believing in their one true god, who does absolutely nothing during the entirety of the series and might as well not even exist.
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Darker and Edgier
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Darker and Edgier: Though the specifics are often quite different, in Broad Strokes the Elenium can be thought of as a Darker and Edgier evolution or spiritual successor to The Belgariad.
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All Are Equal in Death
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All Are Equal in Death: Invoked in-universe when Sparhawk has to sneak into the catacombs under the Cimmura Cathedral.
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No Biochemical Barriers
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No Biochemical Barriers: Possibly averted. The trolls aren't harmed by eating the Klael-soldiers, but they find the taste absolutely foul, and they probably gained no nutrition from it. Definitely averted in the case of the Klael-soldiers' problems in Earth's atmosphere.
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Religion of Evil
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Religion of Evil: Worshippers of Azash seem to literally worship evil (or at least, what we miserable mortals see as evil), while the religion of Cyrgon exists to prop up a militaristic totalitarian state.
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Artistic License – Biology
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Artistic License – Biology: The Dawn-men, explicitly stated to be ancestral to both humans and trolls, resemble nothing that appears in our own evolutionary lineage. Faran is at least 16 years old at the beginning of the series, as it takes around 6 years to train a warhorse and Martel remembers him from when he and Sparhawk were friends 10 years prior. The series takes about 2 years, with another 4 in the epilogue, and then 2 more between series, making him at least 24, but he's showing no signs of aging, despite horses only living about 30 years generally.note  The oldest verified horse, "Old Billy", lived to 62 His not aging might have something to do with a certain Child-Goddess who likes to meddle and despises change (and is shown to share a mutual fondness with him). Khalad does mention in the first book of the Tamuli that Sparhawk might want to start thinking about putting Faran out to pasture.
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Full-Frontal Assault
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Full-Frontal Assault: Bellina, under Azash's curse, who hangs out naked in her brother's cellar butchering and eating children alive. And then inverted when the Knights run across a horde of naked revelers trying to summon Azash into a clay idol, and promptly assault them. Also done by Lillias during her farewell to Sparhawk.
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Gone Horribly Right
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Gone Horribly Right: The Atans are the result of an extended breeding experiment intended to produce the ultimate Proud Warrior Race Guys. They succeeded so perfectly that they were forced to sell themselves into slavery to the Tamuls to prevent their own overdeveloped killer instincts from killing off the entire race over, say, an argument over the weather. The Delphae are a race that can kill with a touch thanks to a curse from their god and are hated by most other races in existence. This is all part of their god's master plan. The Cyrgai were cursed so that they could not travel beyond the borders of their own nation, or they would die instantly. Cyrgon commanded that they immediately set about using their female slaves to breed an army that would be able to cross the border, as the slaves were not Cyrgai. In their zeal, the Cyrgai overlooked their own women and crossbred themselves into borderline extinction. At one point the knights, hoping to avoid any fights or delays, put on their armor so everyone knows that they are knights and will either defer to them or stay out of their way. A couple of hours later, a noble seems them, immediately recognizes them as knights, and orders them on a side quest that they are obligated to obey.
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Hide and No Seek
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Hide and No Seek: In the Tamuli, used by Mirtai to Danae, telling her to get some water, and giving her time to say things that weren't appropriate for children to hear: Mirtai is telling her life-story as part of a 'ritual of passage into adulthood', and when she gets to a certain point, she does this. Lampshaded when Danae returns with the water and asks Mirtai if she has finished with the part that Danae isn't allowed to hear.
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The Brute
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The Brute: Adus. Kalten describes him as putting armor on a gorilla (who doesn't bathe). He's pretty much the archetype at its best: a mentally handicapped, rape- and torture-happy animalistic thug, who can't write and can barely read, but is a savant when it comes to small-unit tactics, serves as The Dragon's chief enforcer, and is very, very dangerous in combat. Martel refers to him as a walking battle axe, and that's not too far off.
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Poor Communication Kills
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Poor Communication Kills: One of the Eshandist leaders had a problem being understood; when he yelled at his fanatic followers, "Fall upon your foes!" they heard "Fall upon your swords!" He spent the next several years wondering why he lost. More like "poor communication mildly inconveniences" in this instance, but: Alean loves Kalten. Kalten loves Alean. Alean thinks he will never notice her because she's just a maid. Kalten thinks Alean could never look at him that way because notorious womanizer. Then Kalten starts trying to get himself killed on the battlefield because he's so lovelorn, and suddenly Alean starts communicating. Volubly, and at great length. Cue glorious hookup.
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Our Nudity Is Different
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Our Nudity Is Different: Female toplessness is not considered nudity in Valesian culture. Of course, Empress Elysoun is well aware of the effect that walking around with her boobs out has on men from other cultures, and she takes full advantage of it. Even when she's going to an Elene-hosted party, she'll have her Elene dress modified so her assets are still front and center.
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The Siege
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The Siege: One of these forms a large arc in the third book. There's another one in the Tamuli. They come into play as a running gag, too: Thalesians hate sieges. (They're perfectly willing to engage in one, and do it very competently, but they hate sieges. Just ask them.) When Ulath is called on his constant vocal hatred of sieges despite being almost as quick as resident siege guru Bevier to suggest forting up, hilarity ensues:
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 The Elenium / int_1cc2ea8d
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Villain Ball
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Villain Ball/Idiot Ball: Annias grabs this in the first book by carrying out the second phase of one of his schemes before determining that the first step succeeded, with predictably poor results. This is noted by Sparhawk as being very out of character (Smug Snake that he is, Annias isn't that sloppy), and is one of the first signs that something (read: Azash) is messing with the lesser villains' minds. The same thing happens to Martel when Sparhawk puts a freeze on one of his schemes. It's explained that at least part of it was because they were being controlled by a Styric -Elenes and other races have complex, sharp minds, but Styrics are generally simpler and will be taken in by simple things—so while the ploys would have worked on Styrics, they didn't work on Elenes, and especially not the good guys, who knew Annias and Martel well enough to know how they generally operated. Each Cyrgai was issued a personal Idiot Ball at birth, and they were executed if they ever lost it, i.e. began to show signs of becoming too intelligent.
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Heterosexual Life-Partners
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Heterosexual Life-Partners: Tynian and Ulath.
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Servant Race
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Servant Race: The Cynesgans started existence as a race of literal bastards, born from women raped by Cyrgai soldiers. They were pressed into service as cannon fodder and scapegoats and later purposefully bred by the Cyrgai in an attempt to create an army immune to the curse that kept pure-blooded Cyrgai from leaving their own lands.
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Cruel and Unusual Death
 The Elenium / int_1e584efa
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Cruel and Unusual Death: Mirtai is very good at causing these, especially in her Backstory, including ripping the guts out of a pair of murderers while they were still alive and leaving them to burn to death in a blazing house with their guts around their feet. The other Atans encourage this. Justified because the guys in question had her owner killed. Hilariously subverted when in the end of The Hidden City she kills a man by throwing him out a window. Kalten asks what she did, she tells him "I defenestrated him" and he, believing that "defenestrating" means something much worse, tells her that it's a terrible thing to do to a man until she clears up the meaning. Sephrenia threatens a particularly obstinate Styric with this in the form of the "death spell," even going so far as to begin the incantation for it. Aphrael quickly chastises her with a reminder that she won't let Sephrenia cast that spell. Sephrenia just as quickly points out that he doesn't know that. It's unclear whether Sephrenia is forbidden to cast that spell at all, or if it's just that Aphrael is unwilling to impose the death penalty for a bit of backtalk. If Sephrenia is able to cast the death spell in other circumstances and other gods would be more willing to punish blasphemy, that may have helped her bluff.
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Humanoid Aliens
 The Elenium / int_1e669b8e
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Bhelliom stated the Klael-soldiers are in fact Humanoid Aliens from one of Klael's planets. They're pretty badass; if they weren't methane-breathers who wear out quickly in an Earth-like atmosphere things might have gone poorly. Fortunately, Khalad noticed their little quirk and was more than happy to exploit this.
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Royals Who Actually Do Something
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Royals Who Actually Do Something: Mostly used realistically. The royals play pivotal roles as leaders in many events, but only rarely get their hands dirty. Subverted hilariously by King Soros of Pelosia, who comes along for the ride with The Cavalry but spends so much time praying it's up to Patriarch Bergsten to run the show.
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Back-to-Back Badasses
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Back-to-Back Badasses: Sparhawk's and Ehlana's respective ancestors, which served as the initial basis for the bond between the two families.
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Obstructive Bureaucrat
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Obstructive Bureaucrat: The government of Tamul, in regard to their 'absolute power' Emperor. He comments that he has to look out the window to get an accurate weather report.
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Advantage Ball
 The Elenium / int_1fffdf05
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Advantage Ball: The Church Knights, by dint of their training, reputation, and armor, which is not only protective but intimidating as well, tend to Curb Stomp any enemy force in combat, regardless of the opposition's numbers, equipment or tactics. The individual Knights tend to do this as well. The Lamorks as well, by virtue of using crossbows, which can pierce even the armor of the Church Knights. The Cyrgai possessed this in the distant past due to their advanced military strategies which made them a major threat to their more primitive neighbors. Most modern races hold the ball in comparison to the Cyrgai due to changes in military tactics and equipment. In the Tamuli, this is the Atans' hat. They outclass everyone else to such an extent that entire enemy armies have surrendered rather than fight them. Mirtai demonstrates that even Church Knights are no match in dismounted combat by knocking Kalten on his ass without much effort - mounted knights would probably be more of a challenge as Atans don't seem to use missile weapons or polearms. The Atans' lack of polearms and ranged weapons becomes an issue when encountering Trolls and Klael-soldiers, both of whom are more than a march for an Atan in hand-to-hand. The only ranged weapon the Atans use is the bow, but bows are for hunting exclusively and not considered "proper" weapons of war. Kring and Berit run themselves ragged trying to convince the Atans that javelins and crossbows are proper weapons of war.
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Punch-Clock Villain
 The Elenium / int_20860a0e
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Punch-Clock Villain: Subverted with Krager. In The Elenium he appears to be just in it for the booze. In The Tamuli, he gets a Mook Promotion and reveals himself as The Man Behind the Man and the one really in league with the Cyrgai.
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Gentleman Thief
 The Elenium / int_20d965e
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Gentleman Thief Count Stragen is the bastard son of a corrupt Thalesian nobleman. To show his contempt for his father, he talks and dresses like a noble but acts like the master criminal that he is. Of course he wears a rapier — it's a necessary part of his image.
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Church Militant
 The Elenium / int_2139c878
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Church Militant: The Church Knights, four holy orders of highly trained magic-using soldiers intended to defend the Church. There is also the Church Soldiers, rather less trained soldiers. Unlike the Church Knights they aren't technically part of the priesthood themselves, but they are soldiers for the Church, just answering to significant priests rather than operating as autonomous knightly orders. Consequently they mostly show up as mooks for Annias.
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Little Miss Almighty
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Little Miss Almighty: Aphrael, the Child Goddess
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 The Elenium / int_21d70919
type
Crapsack World
 The Elenium / int_21d70919
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Crapsack World: Largely averted; though there are some hints at it in the settings, the people occupying them are pretty normal. Cimmura's a notable example setting-wise in that it's a polluted mess that's constantly being doused in rain, but it's also home to Ehlana, Sparhawk and a guild of Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters. Zemoch during the reign of Otha is described this way. Basically a cross between Mordor and the USSR.
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Panacea
 The Elenium / int_21e3e4d6
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Panacea: Any magical object presumably would work as a cure for Ehlana's ailment. Alas, magical objects are very rare in this world, as a creation of one requires for a god to permanently sacrifice part of their power. The protagonists eventually procure the Bhelliom which, it turns out, isn't a magical object, but a creator of their world imprisoned in stone.
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Knight in Sour Armor
 The Elenium / int_21f7ff0f
comment
Knight in Sour Armor: Sparhawk, of course, though most of the other knights fall into this territory.
 The Elenium / int_21f7ff0f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_21f7ff0f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_21f7ff0f
 The Elenium / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 The Elenium / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: Sparhawk's ring. Aldreas' spear.
 The Elenium / int_22cf536c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_22cf536c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_22cf536c
 The Elenium / int_23015b1f
type
Magnificent Bastard
 The Elenium / int_23015b1f
comment
Krager in the Tamuli. In his first appearance he boasts about how everything Martel (the true Magnificent Bastard of the series) accomplished was due to his tutelage, how if it had been Krager advising Azash then he surely would have won, how the defeat he just suffered was merely an inconvenience, and how Sparhawk would be facing far greater opposition than before. It then turns out that all of Cyrgon and co's schemes are thwarted far easier than Martel and Azash's, their ranks consist of idiots and Harmless Villains, and it becomes very clear that Krager was talking out of his ass.
 The Elenium / int_23015b1f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_23015b1f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_23015b1f
 The Elenium / int_2311e2de
type
Accidental Aiming Skills
 The Elenium / int_2311e2de
comment
Accidental Aiming Skills: Kurik, when the Basilica is under siege.
 The Elenium / int_2311e2de
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2311e2de
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2311e2de
 The Elenium / int_231c34d2
type
Suddenly Significant Rule
 The Elenium / int_231c34d2
comment
Suddenly Significant Rule: In the Elenium, the rank of Apprentice Knight is not really used anymore - until it means that the not-yet-knighted Berit can wear armour while he rides out with Sparhawk and Company to face Azash. During the Archprelate elections, the Preceptors of the four orders of Church Knights are revealed to hold Patriarchal rank in the church hierarchy. This allows them to attend the proceedings, vote against Annias's proposals or candidates, and invite Sparhawk and his fellow knights to attend because they are technically clergy.
 The Elenium / int_231c34d2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_231c34d2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_231c34d2
 The Elenium / int_234fa9ba
type
May–December Romance
 The Elenium / int_234fa9ba
comment
May–December Romance: Sparhawk has got a good 20 to 30 years on Ehlana. And Sephrenia is considerably older than Vanion. Like, orders of magnitude older.
 The Elenium / int_234fa9ba
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_234fa9ba
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_234fa9ba
 The Elenium / int_23a06c52
type
TheUnReveal
 The Elenium / int_23a06c52
comment
The Un-Reveal: In The Shining Ones there are a few mentions of the Cyrgai Wars, in which the Delphae and Styrics made an alliance and battled the Cyrgai, only for (allegedly) the Styrics to betray them, nearly causing the Delphae to become extinct. This sparked a feud between the races that was never resolved, and the actual truth was blurred so much that pretty much everyone has their own story. Sparhawk repeatedly asks Xanetia and Sephrenia to tell him the truth, and when they refuse, he threatens to ask Bhelliom, since it's a neutral observer. This horrifies both of them, but eventually Sparhawk gets so fed up of their bitchy cat-fight that he tells them that he no longer cares about what happened, and just he wants their fighting to stop. We never do find out what happened.
 The Elenium / int_23a06c52
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_23a06c52
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_23a06c52
 The Elenium / int_2493b31d
type
Fire-Forged Friends
 The Elenium / int_2493b31d
comment
Fire-Forged Friends: Sparhawk and Ehlana's ancestors, whose families become bound together after they end up back to back on a battlefield butchering bandits left and right.
 The Elenium / int_2493b31d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2493b31d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2493b31d
 The Elenium / int_25956bc1
type
Scary Impractical Armor
 The Elenium / int_25956bc1
comment
Scary Impractical Armor: When Sparhawk and company reach Zemoch they find a horde of undead soldiers wearing this. It gives them pause until they realize it's worse than useless. Apparently the Zemochs saw fully-armoured Church Knights bearing down on them during the last war but didn't understand the point of plate mail. They only knew it was really damn scary, so they started making armour designed entirely to intimidate. Sephrenia points out how pathetic it is that the entire Elene world is shaking over their boots over a complete moron who can't even think of a decent purpose to create the above undead, and also as Talen gives a hilarious suggestion to Berit as to what to do after they pass said soldiers...
 The Elenium / int_25956bc1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_25956bc1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_25956bc1
 The Elenium / int_27afefc
type
So Near, Yet So Far
 The Elenium / int_27afefc
comment
So Near, Yet So Far: The first book starts out with Sparhawk being taken to see Queen Ehlana, except that she is placed in suspended animation inside her crystal casing in order to keep her alive. Most of the rest of the trilogy consists of him and his companions searching for a way to cure her.
 The Elenium / int_27afefc
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_27afefc
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_27afefc
 The Elenium / int_289008dc
type
Incorruptible Pure Pureness
 The Elenium / int_289008dc
comment
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Bevier, with some variation. He behaves like the perfect devout knight, prays on a regular basis, feels guilty thinking about women... But as soon as he's certain that killing someone is morally justifiable, people who get in his way get to know what the business end of his giant lochaber axe feels like. Berit in the Tamuli. His innocence is what draws Elysoun to him, despite his protestations against sleeping with a married woman (her culture has no taboo against adultery). He also doesn't understand innuendo, setting up a swordsmanship demonstration for the Atan ladies who wanted to learn more about "Elene weaponry". Eventually subverted; after Sparhawk gives him a talk about how sex really isn't that big a deal, he gives in to Elysoun's charms and even becomes a little jealous when she tells him she's sleeping around with other men as well.
 The Elenium / int_289008dc
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_289008dc
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_289008dc
 The Elenium / int_2a729dd9
type
Artifact Alias
 The Elenium / int_2a729dd9
comment
Artifact Alias: The Styric foundling Flute is known by the end of the second novel to be the Child-Goddess Aphrael, but she's still commonly called Flute. It's however justified as each identity has its own unique traits and quirks, and Flute is noticeably different from her other selves. Even Aphrael is just another mask she wears, and her true self is something she keeps hidden at all times.
 The Elenium / int_2a729dd9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2a729dd9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2a729dd9
 The Elenium / int_2a8a7ea6
type
Bury Your Gays
 The Elenium / int_2a8a7ea6
comment
Bury Your Gays: Mirtai's former owner.
 The Elenium / int_2a8a7ea6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2a8a7ea6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2a8a7ea6
 The Elenium / int_2ae29c0d
type
The Dreaded
 The Elenium / int_2ae29c0d
comment
The Dreaded: The Shining Ones are the acme of terror for Tamuls, to the extent that even the Atans refuse to face them unless absolutely necessary. Subverted; they turn out to be a race of pacifistic Mary Sues.
 The Elenium / int_2ae29c0d
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_2ae29c0d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2ae29c0d
 The Elenium / int_2bbba5f3
type
Say Your Prayers
 The Elenium / int_2bbba5f3
comment
Say Your Prayers: Inverted. After killing a corrupt church soldier, Bevier leads the man's subordinates in prayers for his soul. It's an effective intimidation tactic, but given how devout Bevier is, it's entirely possible that the prayers were sincere. After all, just because you have to kill a man doesn't mean you want to send him to Hell.
 The Elenium / int_2bbba5f3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2bbba5f3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2bbba5f3
 The Elenium / int_2c1871ee
type
Shining City
 The Elenium / int_2c1871ee
comment
Shining City: Fire-Domed Matherion in The Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_2c1871ee
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2c1871ee
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2c1871ee
 The Elenium / int_2cf282ea
type
She Is All Grown Up
 The Elenium / int_2cf282ea
comment
She Is All Grown Up: Ehlana, as Sparhawk quickly discovers.
 The Elenium / int_2cf282ea
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2cf282ea
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2cf282ea
 The Elenium / int_2d4fa515
type
Ax-Crazy
 The Elenium / int_2d4fa515
comment
Ax-Crazy: Subverted in the Tamuli when the Knights go undercover. Bevier cuts down the haft of his lochaber and plays the part of a Psycho for Hire in Scarpa's army, and he hams it up so much everyone in the army camp is completely terrified of him. Adus as well, cutting through his own troops to reach Kalten in the final battle, while roaring like an animal.
 The Elenium / int_2d4fa515
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_2d4fa515
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2d4fa515
 The Elenium / int_2d6f00e4
type
Psycho for Hire
 The Elenium / int_2d6f00e4
comment
Psycho for Hire: Adus, Martel's Brute and walking battle axe. In the Tamuli, Bevier does an amazingly Large Hammy impression of one.
 The Elenium / int_2d6f00e4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2d6f00e4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2d6f00e4
 The Elenium / int_2dc0d2bf
type
Hidden Depths
 The Elenium / int_2dc0d2bf
comment
Hidden Depths: Melidere is introduced as Ehlana's lady-in-waiting, a baroness who is very intelligent but who knows that many feel threatened by intelligent, beautiful young women and so acts vacant because it's a good way to pick up information. It's revealed in The Shining Ones that she's also a criminal (her father shaved the edges of coins and re-milled them in order to create a rather significant fortune, and Melidere kept up the work). Kalten as well. In a two minute span, he manages to slip coded messages to Ehlana that he knows she and Alean are there, and that he, Caalador, and Bevier are all in disguise nearby. Ehlana even says that he passed more information than Sparhawk could have in an hour. Alean herself: a shy, demure servant girl who nonetheless comes up with a brilliant idea for safeguarding documents from the enemy (and then a way of spotting the forged documents that the heroes are looking for) while also enthralling Kalten, whose love-life has hitherto consisted of hitting on local barmaids, into settling down and becoming a proper husband.
 The Elenium / int_2dc0d2bf
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2dc0d2bf
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2dc0d2bf
 The Elenium / int_2fb61faa
type
Statuesque Stunner
 The Elenium / int_2fb61faa
comment
Statuesque Stunner: Mirtai, the Atan giantess who towers over all the Church Knights. She could pass for tall and dark if you overlook the dozen or so knives she carries everywhere. That includes knives strapped to her knees specifically for kneeing men in the crotch. According to Talen, she even has a pair built into the soles of her shoes.
 The Elenium / int_2fb61faa
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2fb61faa
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2fb61faa
 The Elenium / int_2fc4ac67
type
Black Knight
 The Elenium / int_2fc4ac67
comment
Black Knight: The first character we see in the series wears black plate, has a crooked nose, carries a huge sword, rides an evil-looking horse and quietly threatens anyone who gets in his way. His name is Sparhawk and he's the protagonist. The entire Pandion Order invokes this trope. They have a reputation for being cruel and implacable warriors who torture prisoners graphically in their chapterhouses. They planted those rumors themselves, to make enemies believe they're even more badass than they already are (and to save them the trouble of actually having to torture people; that's a great deal of work, after all). They actually prefer not having to slaughter their enemies most of the time and cultivate this reputation to encourage enemy forces to surrender rather than fight.
 The Elenium / int_2fc4ac67
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2fc4ac67
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2fc4ac67
 The Elenium / int_2fd1d68a
type
Cool-Down Hug
 The Elenium / int_2fd1d68a
comment
Cooldown Hug: Delivered by Kalten to Sephrenia in The Shining Ones. Given that he's a trained warrior, big enough to make three of her and knows she would never escalate her attempts to get out over scratching him and ineffectually hitting his chest, she doesn't have much choice but to give in eventually.
 The Elenium / int_2fd1d68a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_2fd1d68a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_2fd1d68a
 The Elenium / int_309b8806
type
Cursed with Awesome
 The Elenium / int_309b8806
comment
The Delphae are a race that can kill with a touch thanks to a curse from their god and are hated by most other races in existence. This is all part of their god's master plan.
 The Elenium / int_309b8806
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_309b8806
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_309b8806
 The Elenium / int_30de7a51
type
Chivalrous Pervert
 The Elenium / int_30de7a51
comment
Chivalrous Pervert: Almost every time the party stops in a tavern Kalten takes a pass at the barmaids. Ulath just may be a bigger pervert, though it's more of an Informed Ability with him because we don't actually see him doing it, just read about it later.
 The Elenium / int_30de7a51
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_30de7a51
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_30de7a51
 The Elenium / int_314c56b9
type
Time Stands Still
 The Elenium / int_314c56b9
comment
Time Stands Still: Played straight by the Troll-Gods, starting when Sparhawk browbeats Ghnomb into helping him catch up to Martel. Used pretty heavily in the second series. Averted by Aphrael, whose time compression technique is closer to Year Inside, Hour Outside.
 The Elenium / int_314c56b9
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_314c56b9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_314c56b9
 The Elenium / int_31da1e24
type
Shipper on Deck
 The Elenium / int_31da1e24
comment
Shipper on Deck: Aphrael, about midway through the Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_31da1e24
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_31da1e24
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_31da1e24
 The Elenium / int_323f135b
type
Sorting Algorithm of Evil
 The Elenium / int_323f135b
comment
Sorting Algorithm of Evil: Apparently averted, as Cyrgon, the God of Evil in the Tamuli, is less powerful, less intelligent (arguably), and less evil than Azash in the Elenium. And then in the third book, Klael shows up...
 The Elenium / int_323f135b
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_323f135b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_323f135b
 The Elenium / int_32a4f5d
type
Strange Secret Entrance
 The Elenium / int_32a4f5d
comment
Strange Secret Entrance: The city of Cyrga is found this way, involving a long and detailed set of instructions from an oasis across the desert and culminating with finding the exact spot where an illusion conceals an entrance through the mountains by lining them up with the Pillars of Cyrgon.
 The Elenium / int_32a4f5d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_32a4f5d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_32a4f5d
 The Elenium / int_33ca811a
type
Game-Breaking Bug
 The Elenium / int_33ca811a
comment
In Domes of Fire, both a party of mounted Atans and some of Bevier's knights are killed by Mooks with crossbows. Both are very, very angry, and it's pointed out that crossbows are game breakers in this world because they can effectively punch through any armour the knights have got. One of their next actions is to find the crossbow depository and take it out.
 The Elenium / int_33ca811a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_33ca811a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_33ca811a
 The Elenium / int_35884ee7
type
Villainous Incest
 The Elenium / int_35884ee7
comment
Villainous Incest: Aldreas and Arissa.
 The Elenium / int_35884ee7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_35884ee7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_35884ee7
 The Elenium / int_36f64808
type
Eager Rookie
 The Elenium / int_36f64808
comment
Eager Rookie: Played with. Sparhawk told a young knight to guard Sephrenia, but agreed to let him take part in the battle (his first) when Sephrenia said she didn't need a guard. The knight was then killed by Adus. This was notably foreshadowed - after their first meeting, Sparhawk tells Vanion "He's too good for this world, you know. God will probably be calling him home soon." This might have also been a You Can't Fight Fate situation, as he was one of the twelve knights sustaining the spell keeping Ehlana alive.
 The Elenium / int_36f64808
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_36f64808
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_36f64808
 The Elenium / int_37e78e9c
type
Crystal Prison
 The Elenium / int_37e78e9c
comment
Crystal Prison: Inverted in that the inhabitant is only in there to keep her alive. This is more of a short-term Human Popsicle for Queen Ehlana, to save her from the poison until they can find a cure. This is also the Bhelliom's form on Earth, as it was forced into a sapphire in order to escape being trapped in iron.
 The Elenium / int_37e78e9c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_37e78e9c
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_37e78e9c
 The Elenium / int_38047858
type
Squishy Wizard
 The Elenium / int_38047858
comment
Squishy Wizard: Otha is an unusually literal version of this trope.
 The Elenium / int_38047858
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_38047858
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_38047858
 The Elenium / int_3b5fcbb7
type
Artifact of Doom
 The Elenium / int_3b5fcbb7
comment
Artifact of Doom: Bhelliom. Sure, you can kill a god with it, but you'll have to spank the Troll-Gods first.
 The Elenium / int_3b5fcbb7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3b5fcbb7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3b5fcbb7
 The Elenium / int_3bf27a8d
type
Right Through the Wall
 The Elenium / int_3bf27a8d
comment
Right Through the Wall: Once they get married, Sparhawk and Ehlana are active enough that Danae complains about it.
 The Elenium / int_3bf27a8d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3bf27a8d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3bf27a8d
 The Elenium / int_3cb1d38d
type
Bad Boss
 The Elenium / int_3cb1d38d
comment
Bad Boss: Azash, Annias, Martel, and especially Adus, who at one point cuts through his own troops to reach Kalten.
 The Elenium / int_3cb1d38d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3cb1d38d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3cb1d38d
 The Elenium / int_3d2d0d5c
type
Feeling Their Age
 The Elenium / int_3d2d0d5c
comment
Feeling Their Age: Sir Sparhawk is middle-aged at the beginning of the first book, and several times it's noted that he hasn't got the speed or stamina he had as a younger man.
 The Elenium / int_3d2d0d5c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3d2d0d5c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3d2d0d5c
 The Elenium / int_3d699462
type
Curb-Stomp Battle
 The Elenium / int_3d699462
comment
Curb-Stomp Battle: Nearly every primary and secondary warrior character comments on this after fighting the Cyrgai. In fact almost the entire Tamuli proves to be a long-running series of these, with the heroes often commenting on how uncreative their opponents are. It's especially bad during the climax, when just about every battle is horrifically lopsided in favour of the heroes. It's most notable with Sparhawk versus Cyrgon, and Anakha versus Zalasta. In Domes of Fire, both a party of mounted Atans and some of Bevier's knights are killed by Mooks with crossbows. Both are very, very angry, and it's pointed out that crossbows are game breakers in this world because they can effectively punch through any armour the knights have got. One of their next actions is to find the crossbow depository and take it out.
 The Elenium / int_3d699462
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3d699462
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3d699462
 The Elenium / int_3df9c288
type
Keystone Army
 The Elenium / int_3df9c288
comment
Keystone Army: Various ancient armies that have been brought forwards in time in The Tamuli disappear when their leader is killed, leaving only the (rapidly-mummifying) bodies of any other dead.
 The Elenium / int_3df9c288
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3df9c288
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3df9c288
 The Elenium / int_3f1aadeb
type
Strictly Formula
 The Elenium / int_3f1aadeb
comment
Strictly Formula: The series, like The Belgariad, quite deliberately and shamelessly rips from myth and medieval literature. And it's awesome. As Eddings put it with respect to the Belgariad, ripping off myth is "the literary equivalent of peddling dope."
 The Elenium / int_3f1aadeb
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_3f1aadeb
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_3f1aadeb
 The Elenium / int_4045a37f
type
Boob-Based Gag
 The Elenium / int_4045a37f
comment
Boob-Based Gag: Elysoun has huge boobs. Female toplessness isn't considered nudity in Valesian culture, but she's entirely aware that walking around with her boobs out renders men from other cultures permanently Distracted by the Sexy, and she finds it hilarious. And it is.
 The Elenium / int_4045a37f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4045a37f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4045a37f
 The Elenium / int_40bb59d0
type
Blatant Lies
 The Elenium / int_40bb59d0
comment
The story of Otha, innocent goatherder, following a lost member of his herd and coming across the idol of Azash, who then commands him to worship him and convert the rest of Eosia to his Religion of Evil, very much feels like a dark and rather ballsy subversion of the story of Moses and the Burning Bush.
 The Elenium / int_40bb59d0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_40bb59d0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_40bb59d0
 The Elenium / int_413e6726
type
Deliberately Cute Child
 The Elenium / int_413e6726
comment
Deliberately Cute Child: Aphrael. It turns out the child act is more or less A Form You Are Comfortable With - and Aphrael uses it entirely so people will pick her up and give her kisses. Her true form is actually quite adult and never clearly described save for her eyes and her lack of clothes. The kisses and such have an ulterior motive: they make those people love her. Bhelliom outright states it's afraid of her because of this, because she can essentially wrap anyone around her little finger, itself included.
 The Elenium / int_413e6726
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_413e6726
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_413e6726
 The Elenium / int_41dd77d
type
Zerg Rush
 The Elenium / int_41dd77d
comment
Zerg Rush: The Rendors' main tactic.
 The Elenium / int_41dd77d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_41dd77d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_41dd77d
 The Elenium / int_434a6d40
type
Evil Sorcerer
 The Elenium / int_434a6d40
comment
Evil Sorcerer: Otha. Martel tried to be this in the Backstory, but got caught and most of his powers were stripped away. Also Zalasta in the Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_434a6d40
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_434a6d40
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_434a6d40
 The Elenium / int_43a46119
type
Surrounded by Idiots
 The Elenium / int_43a46119
comment
Surrounded by Idiots: Zalasta's mooks include Scarpa, Sabre and Krager - an insane misogynist, an effeminate poseur and a drunk respectively. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, indeed. (He's quite aware he's doing so, too.)
 The Elenium / int_43a46119
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_43a46119
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_43a46119
 The Elenium / int_443b78cd
type
Tranquil Fury
 The Elenium / int_443b78cd
comment
Tranquil Fury: Sparhawk, oh good God Sparhawk. At the end of The Sapphire Rose, when Kurik dies, Sparhawk murders his way through many, many soldiers in a state of complete serene anger and is only distracted when Kalten suggests he go kill Martel. It works because it's going to be more satisfying taking his anger out on the one who is ultimately responsible. Then there's The Hidden City, when Sparhawk learns that Ehlana was kidnapped. A lot of people expect him to go berserk, but instead, he shuts down his emotions after a little angsting, then works out plans to nullify his enemies' plots and arranges for several armies to head towards the stronghold. ( Each army, by the way, is individually more than capable of butchering the Cyrgai armies.)
 The Elenium / int_443b78cd
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_443b78cd
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_443b78cd
 The Elenium / int_44796d0f
type
No Guy Wants an Amazon
 The Elenium / int_44796d0f
comment
No Guy Wants an Amazon: Utterly averted by Kring, who worships Mirtai from the moment he sees her. In fact, the only worry he has about her is how the women of his tribe will react to dealing with such a strong-willed outsider. Also subverted in her past, as she had to ward off numerous rape attempts before becoming Ehlana's slave.
 The Elenium / int_44796d0f
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_44796d0f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_44796d0f
 The Elenium / int_4604fd4d
type
Worthy Opponent
 The Elenium / int_4604fd4d
comment
Worthy Opponent: Even though they hate each others' guts until the final battle, Martel admits that he still has respect for Sparhawk. He also refers to Sparhawk and Sephrenia as the only two people he's ever truly loved, and at another point he remarks: Cyrgon at his end.
 The Elenium / int_4604fd4d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4604fd4d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4604fd4d
 The Elenium / int_463b32b8
type
Save the Princess
 The Elenium / int_463b32b8
comment
Save the Princess: The plot of the first two and a half books is to Find the Cure! for Queen Ehlana's poisoning.
 The Elenium / int_463b32b8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_463b32b8
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_463b32b8
 The Elenium / int_474e3977
type
You Have Failed Me
 The Elenium / int_474e3977
comment
You Have Failed Me: Said word for word by Azash, as he kills both Otha and Annias amidst his death throes.
 The Elenium / int_474e3977
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_474e3977
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_474e3977
 The Elenium / int_47804320
type
Holy Ground
 The Elenium / int_47804320
comment
Holy Ground: From the Tamuli, there is a concern that an Elene-style church has been consecrated (it hasn't).
 The Elenium / int_47804320
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_47804320
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_47804320
 The Elenium / int_47ae290f
type
Let's Fight Like Gentlemen
 The Elenium / int_47ae290f
comment
Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: The final duel between Sparhawk and Martel fits the bill. Justified in that the book constantly drives home that Sparhawk and Martel are evenly matched and both of them want to find out who's truly better. Once the outcome is certain, Martel admits he never had any doubts. On his deathbed.
 The Elenium / int_47ae290f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_47ae290f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_47ae290f
 The Elenium / int_47fea76b
type
Butt-Monkey
 The Elenium / int_47fea76b
comment
Sabre appears to make it through the end of the series alive (we last see him cowering under the furniture while the Delphae kill Scarpa). Appropriate, since he is more of a Butt-Monkey than actually evil. Of course, given the number of powerful, violent people who are very, very angry with him, he may not have escaped for long.
 The Elenium / int_47fea76b
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_47fea76b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_47fea76b
 The Elenium / int_4832a3bb
type
Always Chaotic Evil
 The Elenium / int_4832a3bb
comment
Always Chaotic Evil: Subverted with the Zemochs, who look like this at first but later turn out to be harmless after the Evil Overlord and his god that were ruling them were... forcibly removed. Following the end of the war, the opposing nations focused primarily on rebuilding the nation and rehabilitating the Zemochs rather than on retributive punishment. Played largely straight with the Cyrgai, though they're more like Always Stupid Evil as a result of centuries of inbreeding and fanaticism.
 The Elenium / int_4832a3bb
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_4832a3bb
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4832a3bb
 The Elenium / int_485eb589
type
Sealed Evil in a Can
 The Elenium / int_485eb589
comment
Sealed Evil in a Can: Azash, who was sealed inside a clay idol of himself. He did find some ways around this, however—it turns out his spirit can enter any identical idol as well, and he had a huge temple-fortress built around the original. The Cyrgai later on are more like Sealed Evil In A City. Klæl is sorta this (although the can is a form of a mountain-sized monster). In its real form it's much more powerful eternal spirit of destruction, but series of mishaps made it stuck as a giant monster.
 The Elenium / int_485eb589
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_485eb589
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_485eb589
 The Elenium / int_48b9731f
type
Paper-Thin Disguise
 The Elenium / int_48b9731f
comment
Paper-Thin Disguise: The monastery Sparhawk returns to in Rendor seems innocent enough to the actual Rendors. Everyone else knows it's full of Cyrinic Knights there to spy on the Eshandists.
 The Elenium / int_48b9731f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_48b9731f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_48b9731f
 The Elenium / int_48e8fe57
type
Happily Adopted
 The Elenium / int_48e8fe57
comment
Happily Adopted: It only gets a brief mention in the Elenium, but Kalten was essentially this; after his parents were killed in an accident when he was a child, he was taken in by Sparhawk's parents and the two boys were raised together. Sparhawk's narrative notes that "in some ways, they were closer than brothers."
 The Elenium / int_48e8fe57
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_48e8fe57
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_48e8fe57
 The Elenium / int_49a2599d
type
Platonic Prostitution
 The Elenium / int_49a2599d
comment
Platonic Prostitution: Early on in the very first book, Sparhawk hires a prostitute because he wants to eavesdrop on some minor villains who are meeting in the room next to hers. The prostitute, a Hooker with a Heart of Gold who enjoys her work, considers herself to owe him a raincheck, which she reminds him about whenever they meet.
 The Elenium / int_49a2599d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_49a2599d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_49a2599d
 The Elenium / int_4a3e547f
type
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
 The Elenium / int_4a3e547f
comment
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Sparhawk, twice. See Lemony Narrator below.
 The Elenium / int_4a3e547f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4a3e547f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4a3e547f
 The Elenium / int_4b316d47
type
Break the Cutie
 The Elenium / int_4b316d47
comment
Break the Cutie: The Shining Ones is one huge one for Sephrenia. First, it's revealed that there's a powerful Styric magician working with the other side, and every Styric magician of that caliber happens to be her friend. Then she's forced to go to Delphaeus, the home of the race she believes killed her family. Then she witnesses the rest of the party forming an alliance with them and completely disregarding her feelings with some very unkind words (to be fair, they didn't know and she wouldn't tell them) and then it's revealed that her old friend Zalasta was the traitor, and he was also behind her parents' murder and would have had her killed too. All because he wanted her for himself and was jealous that she was the chosen High Priestess of Aphrael.
 The Elenium / int_4b316d47
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4b316d47
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4b316d47
 The Elenium / int_4bc2a19c
type
Villain Forgot to Level Grind
 The Elenium / int_4bc2a19c
comment
Villain Forgot to Level Grind: The Cyrgai never got any weaker, but believing they represented perfection they never bothered changing, and so the rest of the world buckled down for some serious level-grinding (ten thousand years worth) and blew past them. Against modern Church Knights and Atans the Cyrgai are hilariously useless. The Cyrgai actually have fossilized. Lack of actual opposition turned their martial training into little more than a formalized dance which gets easily taken apart by any competent warrior with real-world experience. Likewise, they spent a lot of time looking impressive but it's not a good idea to strike a heroic pose during a real fight.
 The Elenium / int_4bc2a19c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4bc2a19c
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4bc2a19c
 The Elenium / int_4c782fb9
type
Gods Need Prayer Badly
 The Elenium / int_4c782fb9
comment
Gods Need Prayer Badly: The Elene god and Azash are probably the two most powerful deities in the world not counting Bhelliom and Klael because they have so many worshippers; ordinary Styric gods like Aphrael are substantially weaker. In the Tamuli, at one point the conspirators try to starve Aphrael to death by killing off enough of her worshippers that she'll lose the power to sustain herself. Aphrael states at one point that outside of human perception, the air is positively littered with the ghosts of dead gods whose worshippers are all gone. It's also implied that this may be the reason that the Elene god has commanded His followers to believe only in Him: He's afraid of the others poaching his followers. Aphrael reveals that in order for the knightly orders to receive Styric assistance, the Styric gods had to agree not to convert any knights.
 The Elenium / int_4c782fb9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4c782fb9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4c782fb9
 The Elenium / int_4dcfdb68
type
It's the Only Way to Be Sure
 The Elenium / int_4dcfdb68
comment
Subverted with Krager. He gets away scot-free after helping the bad guys in the Elenium and he gets away scot-free after helping the bad guys in the Tamuli. Once characters start complaining about that at the end of the Tamuli, it is revealed that what he did not get away scot-free from was drinking a lot of alcohol over the years. He's probably less than a year from death at the end of The Hidden City, and the only reason he's not really suffering is that he's so delirious he wouldn't even notice someone stabbing him to death. Khalad resolves to do it anyway, not out of revenge, but because It's the Only Way to Be Sure.
 The Elenium / int_4dcfdb68
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_4dcfdb68
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4dcfdb68
 The Elenium / int_4e7017f1
type
Wig, Dress, Accent
 The Elenium / int_4e7017f1
comment
Wig, Dress, Accent: Played with early in the first book when Sephrenia decks out Sparhawk and Kalten in elaborate disguises so they can move around Cimmura without drawing the attention of the church soldiers. It doesn't work.
 The Elenium / int_4e7017f1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4e7017f1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4e7017f1
 The Elenium / int_4e95743e
type
Cutlery Escape Aid
 The Elenium / int_4e95743e
comment
Cutlery Escape Aid: Mirtai's backstory in The Tamuli involves being captured by slavers as a child. She pulled the handle off the spoon they gave her, and sharpened the metal shank.
 The Elenium / int_4e95743e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4e95743e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4e95743e
 The Elenium / int_4efc4fae
type
Good Scars, Evil Scars
 The Elenium / int_4efc4fae
comment
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Inverted. Sparhawk's nose was broken and healed crooked, making him look cruel and ugly. Martel only has silver hair over a surprisingly youthful face. Kring is described as having several serious scars on his face and scalp, but they're noted as evidence of the rather physical path to leadership in his tribe.
 The Elenium / int_4efc4fae
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4efc4fae
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4efc4fae
 The Elenium / int_4f6d87f7
type
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl
 The Elenium / int_4f6d87f7
comment
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Sparhawk and Ehlana.
 The Elenium / int_4f6d87f7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4f6d87f7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4f6d87f7
 The Elenium / int_4f84cdef
type
Smug Snake
 The Elenium / int_4f84cdef
comment
Smug Snake: Annias and Otha. Krager in the Tamuli. In his first appearance he boasts about how everything Martel (the true Magnificent Bastard of the series) accomplished was due to his tutelage, how if it had been Krager advising Azash then he surely would have won, how the defeat he just suffered was merely an inconvenience, and how Sparhawk would be facing far greater opposition than before. It then turns out that all of Cyrgon and co's schemes are thwarted far easier than Martel and Azash's, their ranks consist of idiots and Harmless Villains, and it becomes very clear that Krager was talking out of his ass.
 The Elenium / int_4f84cdef
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4f84cdef
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4f84cdef
 The Elenium / int_4ffde1e0
type
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
 The Elenium / int_4ffde1e0
comment
The Church Knights, by dint of their training, reputation, and armor, which is not only protective but intimidating as well, tend to Curb Stomp any enemy force in combat, regardless of the opposition's numbers, equipment or tactics. The individual Knights tend to do this as well.
 The Elenium / int_4ffde1e0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_4ffde1e0
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_4ffde1e0
 The Elenium / int_504333fe
type
A God I Am Not
 The Elenium / int_504333fe
comment
A God I Am Not: At the end of The Hidden City, Sparhawk realizes that as Anakha, he has more power than most of the gods. But he decides he doesn't want the responsibility and gives it all up.
 The Elenium / int_504333fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_504333fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_504333fe
 The Elenium / int_50b05d30
type
Disproportionate Retribution
 The Elenium / int_50b05d30
comment
Martel gets one of these moments when Annias calls Sephrenia a witch, prompting Martel to grab him by the collar and threaten him with things much worse than Sparhawk could ever do should he ever talk trash about "my little mother" again. While it's Disproportionate Retribution,it's also a sign that Martel still cares about Sephrenia even after everything he's done.
 The Elenium / int_50b05d30
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_50b05d30
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_50b05d30
 The Elenium / int_50ed1af4
type
Our Demons Are Different
 The Elenium / int_50ed1af4
comment
Our Demons Are Different: The Elder Gods are implied to have created several races of these as servants; the only ones the reader ever meets are the Balrog-esque Damorks and the insectile Scarily Competent Trackers called Seekers. There are also otherworldly monsters that serve Klael and show up in the Tamuli, but it's unclear if they really qualify as "demons" or not. Bhelliom stated the Klael-soldiers are in fact Humanoid Aliens from one of Klael's planets. They're pretty badass; if they weren't methane-breathers who wear out quickly in an Earth-like atmosphere things might have gone poorly. Fortunately, Khalad noticed their little quirk and was more than happy to exploit this.
 The Elenium / int_50ed1af4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_50ed1af4
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 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_50ed1af4
 The Elenium / int_51030afb
type
Primitive Clubs
 The Elenium / int_51030afb
comment
Primitive Clubs: Most trolls are armed with clubs, since they lack the metalworking necessary to manufacture swords, and their arms aren't shaped right for stabbing with a spear.
 The Elenium / int_51030afb
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_51030afb
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_51030afb
 The Elenium / int_51300dbf
type
Fat Bastard
 The Elenium / int_51300dbf
comment
Fat Bastard: Otha. He hasn't had to actually move in centuries, to the point that he can't walk at all. Subverted by Platime, who despite his criminal status is no worse than the protagonists.
 The Elenium / int_51300dbf
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_51300dbf
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_51300dbf
 The Elenium / int_524f94d3
type
Rape as Backstory
 The Elenium / int_524f94d3
comment
Rape as Backstory: This happened to Alean repeatedly, much to Kalten's consternation. Averted with Mirtai, whose old master tried to rape her and paid for it. A lot.
 The Elenium / int_524f94d3
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_524f94d3
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_524f94d3
 The Elenium / int_5313c266
type
Bookends
 The Elenium / int_5313c266
comment
Book Ends: The Elenium begins and, except for the epilogue, ends with Sparhawk slinking into Cimmura on a rainy night. The Tamuli begins the same way.
 The Elenium / int_5313c266
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5313c266
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_5313c266
 The Elenium / int_53f5119f
type
The Dragon
 The Elenium / int_53f5119f
comment
The Dragon: Otha is technically this for Azash, but as he's physically not up to much Dragoning, Martel fills the role in the Final Battle. Demoted to Dragon: Later on, Cyrgon is pressed into duty to serve as this to Klael after arrogantly summoning it. Dragon-in-Chief: Martel, arguably. He's ostensibly working for Annias, Otha, and ultimately Azash, but as the above consist of a Smug Snake, an idiot, and a near-mindless Eldritch Abomination, he's the one whose schemes really drive the plot, and he has the personal connection to the hero to boot.
 The Elenium / int_53f5119f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_53f5119f
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_53f5119f
 The Elenium / int_546b3fc7
type
City of Gold
 The Elenium / int_546b3fc7
comment
City of Gold: Matherion isn't quite gold, but the entire city is covered in polished nacre (mother of pearl) tiles that shine like a rainbow. Played with in that any time there's an earthquake or a brisk wind, some of the tiles fall off and the city looks like it has the pox. And the Empire subsequently goes through a financial crisis from buying new tiles.
 The Elenium / int_546b3fc7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_546b3fc7
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_546b3fc7
 The Elenium / int_549cd62d
type
Level Grinding
 The Elenium / int_549cd62d
comment
Subverted with the Cyrgai. 10,000 years ago, they were the most powerful military in the world, and now they are extinct or so everyone thinks. When they do run into Cyrgai in modern time, they are just as badass as they were 10,000 years ago...except everyone else has been Level Grinding in badass that entire time.
 The Elenium / int_549cd62d
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_549cd62d
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_549cd62d
 The Elenium / int_5539b84f
type
Corrupt Church
 The Elenium / int_5539b84f
comment
Corrupt Church: The Elene Church was this in the past, which led to several factions breaking away and creating the Eshandists and the churches in the Elene kingdoms of Daresia. Some churchmen, notably Makova, are still corrupt, but there are others who aren't.
 The Elenium / int_5539b84f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5539b84f
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_5539b84f
 The Elenium / int_556a4e20
type
The Empire
 The Elenium / int_556a4e20
comment
The Empire: Zemoch. Tamul is a more benevolent version, and the Cyrgai used to be this, until the rest of the world caught up to them and ultimately left them in the dust.
 The Elenium / int_556a4e20
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_556a4e20
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_556a4e20
 The Elenium / int_558245a7
type
Redshirt Army
 The Elenium / int_558245a7
comment
Redshirt Army: The soldiers of the Church of Chyrellos might be a lampshade of this; they barely qualify as mooks, and they wear red tunics. The Cyrgai. When confronted by Klael's giant alien warriors, even the Atans and the Church Knights fall into this category.
 The Elenium / int_558245a7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_558245a7
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_558245a7
 The Elenium / int_55b8d46d
type
Bastard Angst
 The Elenium / int_55b8d46d
comment
Bastard Angst: Stragen is hypersensitive about his illegitimate birth.
 The Elenium / int_55b8d46d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_55b8d46d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_55b8d46d
 The Elenium / int_566e0367
type
Bodyguard Legacy
 The Elenium / int_566e0367
comment
Bodyguard Legacy: Sparhawk is a mighty magical knight and his family is the hereditary champion of the Throne of Elenia. When he marries the current Queen, Ehlana (or rather, she marries him) he becomes the Prince Consort but still maintains his role as Knight Protector. Since he and Ehlana will have no children other than Danae, he is also the last male Sparhawk, but it is strongly implied that his squire Khalad will be knighted and take over the role of Knight Protector.
 The Elenium / int_566e0367
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_566e0367
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_566e0367
 The Elenium / int_568b9d5
type
Orphaned Etymology
 The Elenium / int_568b9d5
comment
Orphaned Etymology: Bevier's Lochaber axe, though a real and effective weapon, stands out a little in a setting without a Lochaber.
 The Elenium / int_568b9d5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_568b9d5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_568b9d5
 The Elenium / int_575fd5e2
type
Dark Is Not Evil
 The Elenium / int_575fd5e2
comment
The first character we see in the series wears black plate, has a crooked nose, carries a huge sword, rides an evil-looking horse and quietly threatens anyone who gets in his way. His name is Sparhawk and he's the protagonist.
 The Elenium / int_575fd5e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_575fd5e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_575fd5e2
 The Elenium / int_57b80b45
type
Fantastic Racism
 The Elenium / int_57b80b45
comment
Fantastic Racism: The quickest way to piss off a Troll is to insinuate that he might be an Ogre. Also there's the Elenes and the Styrics, the Styrics and the Zemochs, the Styrics and the Delphae...
 The Elenium / int_57b80b45
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_57b80b45
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_57b80b45
 The Elenium / int_57d43e40
type
Fantasy Counterpart Culture
 The Elenium / int_57d43e40
comment
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Not taken to the all-consuming extent of the Belgariad, but in general the Elenes are English and French, the Thalasians are Scandinavians, the Cammorians are sort of Italian, the Pelosians are Russians (with the Peloi being Cossacks or Mongols) and Lamorks are Germans, the Styrics are Jews (though their religion is more like pre-Christian paganism, and they have some Roma influences thrown in as well), the Tamuls are Chinese, the Cyrgai are the worst examples of Greco-Romanic culture (particularly Sparta), and the Rendors are Arabs. There are also a few Fantasy Counterpart Religions: the Church of Chyrellos is obviously the Roman Catholic Church, and the Church of Astel and its leader are Expys of Eastern Orthodoxy and the Patriarch of Constantinople, respectively. And while the Rendors look like Muslims, at least from a xenophobic Western perspective, the history of their breakaway sect sounds a lot like the formation of Protestantism.
 The Elenium / int_57d43e40
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_57d43e40
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_57d43e40
 The Elenium / int_57dda60c
type
The Emperor
 The Elenium / int_57dda60c
comment
The Emperor: Otha, and the Too Dumb to Live King of the Cyrgai. Sarabian is a Reasonable Authority Figure though.
 The Elenium / int_57dda60c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_57dda60c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_57dda60c
 The Elenium / int_58204b95
type
Magic Knight
 The Elenium / int_58204b95
comment
Magic Knight: Of the "Paladin" variety, although Pandions are more "Good but grey on the side of practicality." Technically all Church Knights are taught magic, but individual skills vary. In practice, Sparhawk does most of it. For extra special fun, the god who gives them magic powers is not the god they worship. Aphrael is working on it, though. The Church is aware of this, but prefers not to talk about it. Subverted with Kalten, who's been taught by Sephrenia but is unable to make magic work and isn't ashamed to admit it. He just can't pronounce the Styric words, much less manage to think completely in Styric as necessary to cast spells. This is brought up as a joke every now and then.
 The Elenium / int_58204b95
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_58204b95
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_58204b95
 The Elenium / int_5a100b90
type
Puppet King
 The Elenium / int_5a100b90
comment
When Puppet Emperor Sarabian of Tamul starts asserting his authority over his government, he consciously patterns his appearance after Ehlana's, including Elenian clothes and an Elenian-style rapier for a weapon. In The Hidden City, he demonstrates the rapier isn't just for appearances when he uses it effectively during an attempted palace coup.
 The Elenium / int_5a100b90
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5a100b90
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_5a100b90
 The Elenium / int_5bdf025f
type
Instant Sedation
 The Elenium / int_5bdf025f
comment
Happens with Kalten as well. In the Elenium, we see him swimming in the lake looking for the Bhelliom. In the Tamuli, he's terrified of being under water, meaning that he needs to be drugged by the Beer of the Gods before being dragged through a flooded passage.
 The Elenium / int_5bdf025f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5bdf025f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_5bdf025f
 The Elenium / int_5c5ac0e2
type
Really 700 Years Old
 The Elenium / int_5c5ac0e2
comment
Really 700 Years Old: The knights constantly ask about Sephrenia's real age. It quickly becomes a Running Gag. It's eventually revealed that she's only three hundred and change years old.
 The Elenium / int_5c5ac0e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5c5ac0e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_5c5ac0e2
 The Elenium / int_5dd191ec
type
Wife Husbandry
 The Elenium / int_5dd191ec
comment
Wife Husbandry: Sort of. Ehlana settles on Sparhawk years before she hits puberty, but that wasn't his own doing. Aphrael also settles on Talen but they're much closer in apparent age.
 The Elenium / int_5dd191ec
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5dd191ec
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_5dd191ec
 The Elenium / int_5f146203
type
Dissonant Serenity
 The Elenium / int_5f146203
comment
Dissonant Serenity: Sparhawk is more frightening when he gets quiet than when he rages and roars. Even more true with Bevier, whose faith cause leads him to take shockingly violent action once he is certain he is on firm theological and moral ground. At one point he not only decapitates a corrupt church soldier that refuses to let them pass, he then leads the man's terrified subordinates in chanting prayers for the dead man's soul.
 The Elenium / int_5f146203
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1.0
 The Elenium / int_5f146203
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1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_5f146203
 The Elenium / int_5f173ee4
type
I Kiss Your Hand
 The Elenium / int_5f173ee4
comment
I Kiss Your Hand: The standard greeting among Styrics.
 The Elenium / int_5f173ee4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_5f173ee4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_5f173ee4
 The Elenium / int_60194b82
type
Spanner in the Works
 The Elenium / int_60194b82
comment
Spanner in the Works: Sephrenia and Aphrael were consistently doing this to Zalasta without ever realizing it.
 The Elenium / int_60194b82
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_60194b82
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1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_60194b82
 The Elenium / int_6056f853
type
Homoerotic Subtext
 The Elenium / int_6056f853
comment
Homoerotic Subtext: Invoked whenever any female character kisses another female character with variations of "you shouldn't do that, it gives the wrong kinds of ideas"
 The Elenium / int_6056f853
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6056f853
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6056f853
 The Elenium / int_60fa92ac
type
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
 The Elenium / int_60fa92ac
comment
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Martel's name could be a historical Shout-Out to Charles Martel, a Frankish duke who stopped the Muslim invasion of Europe in the eighth century by using cunning, pragmatism and adaptability. And heavy professional infantry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours.
 The Elenium / int_60fa92ac
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_60fa92ac
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_60fa92ac
 The Elenium / int_61881f59
type
Demoted to Dragon
 The Elenium / int_61881f59
comment
Demoted to Dragon: Later on, Cyrgon is pressed into duty to serve as this to Klael after arrogantly summoning it.
 The Elenium / int_61881f59
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_61881f59
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_61881f59
 The Elenium / int_619613a0
type
The Singing Mute
 The Elenium / int_619613a0
comment
The Singing Mute: Flute switches to singing wordlessly when she drops her signature flute in the ocean by mistake. Subverted when she reveals that she was always able to speak and is a God in Human Form.
 The Elenium / int_619613a0
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_619613a0
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_619613a0
 The Elenium / int_619985d7
type
Sacrificial Lion
 The Elenium / int_619985d7
comment
Sacrificial Lion: For the entire trilogy, we've seen that Kurik is a match for any of the knights, and indeed instructed several of them in combat. This makes it especially jarring when he is unceremoniously slaughtered by Adus.
 The Elenium / int_619985d7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_619985d7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_619985d7
 The Elenium / int_61b8f9e2
type
Bunny-Ears Lawyer
 The Elenium / int_61b8f9e2
comment
Played for laughs in the last book when a Tamuli scholar refuses, like the rest of his race, to believe in Trolls. Ulath answers by calling a gargantuan, angry (illusionary) troll in the hall.
 The Elenium / int_61b8f9e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_61b8f9e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_61b8f9e2
 The Elenium / int_61c7f576
type
Sedgwick Speech
 The Elenium / int_61c7f576
comment
Sedgwick Speech: In the midst of the big siege in the third book Ulesim gets up in front of the Rendors and delivers a huge speech about attacking the city relentlessly. And then Kurik nails him between the eyes with a crossbow bolt in mid-sentence.
 The Elenium / int_61c7f576
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_61c7f576
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_61c7f576
 The Elenium / int_638b65bc
type
Armor Is Useless
 The Elenium / int_638b65bc
comment
Armor Is Useless: Very averted. Armor is key to the Church Knights' way of battle, and while Atans fight in light armor they never actually clash with heavily armored troops and have the advantage of sheer size anyways. Played straight with Azash's undead guardians in the end of the first trilogy. They all wear huge menacing armor with spikes that look very frightening, because that's what the Zemochs thought armor was for - but they never understood the real purpose for armor, so the Zemoch armor is clumsy, incredibly unwieldy, and doesn't even protect properly; all those spikes only serve to direct a blow towards weak points instead of deflecting them. In fact, the armor is worse than useless. Also played with in the case of Adus, not because the armor is inherently useless but because it doesn't fit right. Also averted in that once he's down, his killer (a ten-year-old boy) needs help to get a sword through his breastplate to deliver a coup de grace. Played with with Martel. It is not that his armor is useless (he is a trained Church Knight), but out of vanity he has his armor made in the finest (and heaviest) style in the world, with gold details and ornamentation on it, which tires him faster than the equally-skilled and equally-aged Sparhawk. And he admits it with his dying breaths. Played straight, however, whenever crossbows are involved. At close to medium range crossbow bolts can pierce armor as if it was a sheet of paper.
 The Elenium / int_638b65bc
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_638b65bc
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_638b65bc
 The Elenium / int_6459cc02
type
I See Dead People
 The Elenium / int_6459cc02
comment
I See Dead People: Sephrenia gets regular visits from the ghosts of several Pandion knights, while Sparhawk shares a little chat with the ghost of King Aldreas. During the second book, Tynian reveals himself as a Necromancer and goes around raising ghosts to help the party find Bhelliom. Sephrenia knows how it's done too, but she claims (truthfully or not) that she's not strong enough to wrangle up ghosts. "I'm a little small for that sort of thing." Given that necromancy is almost literally wrestling the dead into submission, and she's described as being a rather tiny woman, she has a point.
 The Elenium / int_6459cc02
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6459cc02
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6459cc02
 The Elenium / int_6547ce31
type
Accidental Proposal
 The Elenium / int_6547ce31
comment
Accidental Proposal: Sparhawk accidentally proposes to Ehlana when, instead of returning her ancestral ring, twin to one he owns that symbolizes the link between their families, he instead puts his ring on her finger. Played with in that it's only accidental on his side. She knows from the beginning that he made a mistake, but she keeps him on the hook because she had wanted to marry him anyway.
 The Elenium / int_6547ce31
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6547ce31
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6547ce31
 The Elenium / int_6563aeb6
type
Shameless Fanservice Girl
 The Elenium / int_6563aeb6
comment
Shameless Fanservice Girl: ELYSOUN
 The Elenium / int_6563aeb6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6563aeb6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6563aeb6
 The Elenium / int_6774150c
type
If I Can't Have You…
 The Elenium / int_6774150c
comment
If I Can't Have You…: Zalasta to Sephrenia. He stabs her and then tells her "I love you."
 The Elenium / int_6774150c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6774150c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6774150c
 The Elenium / int_67f26dcc
type
Planet of Hats
 The Elenium / int_67f26dcc
comment
Planet of Hats: Generally averted in the first series, though the Pelosians do wear literal funny hats. The second series plays it straight: the Tamuls are lazy administrators, the Atans are gigantic warriors, the Styrics are wizards, the eastern Elenes are melodramatic slave owners, the Arjuni are slave traders, the Tegans are mind-numbingly boring, the Cynesgans are evil mongrel people, and the Valesians are free-love nudists.
 The Elenium / int_67f26dcc
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_67f26dcc
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_67f26dcc
 The Elenium / int_686083e8
type
Ethnic God
 The Elenium / int_686083e8
comment
Ethnic God: Each race has at least one god; most have a pantheon, while the Styrics have over a thousand. It's never explained whether the gods made the races or vice-versa, but the connection is apparently insoluble: on a few occasions, Aphrael has to get the Elene god's permission to act on his people.
 The Elenium / int_686083e8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_686083e8
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_686083e8
 The Elenium / int_69681e01
type
Big Brother Instinct
 The Elenium / int_69681e01
comment
Big Brother Instinct: Invoked by Platime, when he seals his loyalty to Queen Ehlana. He tells her that she's the same as his own little sister now, and anyone who crosses her will have to deal with him. He even addresses her as "baby sister" for the rest of the books.
 The Elenium / int_69681e01
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_69681e01
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_69681e01
 The Elenium / int_6b1caa93
type
Adipose Rex
 The Elenium / int_6b1caa93
comment
Adipose Rex: Otha, the Emperor of Zemoch, is what happens when you take the villainous type of this trope and give him several centuries to perfect his laziness and corruption. He needs several strong men to carry his litter around (having long ago lost the ability to move under his own power) and is frequently described as a "slug" by the other characters.
 The Elenium / int_6b1caa93
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6b1caa93
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_6b1caa93
 The Elenium / int_6c275297
type
The Fettered
 The Elenium / int_6c275297
comment
The Fettered: While generally unscrupulous in their tactics and unconcerned with most secular laws, the Church Knights are absolutely unwilling to break church law or disobey ecclesiastical orders, which allows Annias a Near-Villain Victory, just because they aren't willing to simply assassinate him or reveal his atrocities without absolute proof.
 The Elenium / int_6c275297
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6c275297
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1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6c275297
 The Elenium / int_6cb1745e
type
Streetwalker
 The Elenium / int_6cb1745e
comment
Streetwalker: Prostitutes pop up in minor speaking roles quite often, especially early in the Elenium. They're usually portrayed sympathetically. Sparhawk even gets a brief adventure gathering evidence in a brothel. And this Troper says that without so much as a wink.
 The Elenium / int_6cb1745e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6cb1745e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6cb1745e
 The Elenium / int_6d57a234
type
Lemony Narrator
 The Elenium / int_6d57a234
comment
Lemony Narrator: Played with (added to a few isolated examples of it being Played for Laughs) when the third person narration of Sparhawk's inner monologue turns into garish Purple Prose, then comments upon Sparhawk noticing it and groaning inwardly. It's actually a minor plot point. Blame Aphrael. It happens again but up to eleven with Sparhawk/Anakha actually complaining outwardly about it at the last book's climax. It's actually a bigger plot point. Blame Bhelliom.
 The Elenium / int_6d57a234
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6d57a234
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6d57a234
 The Elenium / int_6d9bc945
type
Babies Ever After
 The Elenium / int_6d9bc945
comment
Babies Ever After: Only for Sparhawk and Ehlana. Subverted in that their bouncing baby daughter is actually Aphrael. At the same time she exists as Flute. When they do eventually meet, nobody non-magical (or non-human) suspects a thing except Berit, who sees that Sparhawk, Sephrenia, and Vanion are remarkably twitchy about it. Justified in that the poison Ehlana was given made her barren, and Aphrael figured she'd kill two birds with one stone — she needed somewhere safe to hide and get over the shock of a God's death (Ehlana's womb was perfect) and she'd give Ehlana the heir she needed. The only problem with that is Sephrenia getting miffed with Aphrael because she seems to know that the poison causes sterility, which seems odd, since it's also universally fatal.
 The Elenium / int_6d9bc945
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_6d9bc945
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6d9bc945
 The Elenium / int_6df8075f
type
Clueless Chick-Magnet
 The Elenium / int_6df8075f
comment
Clueless Chick-Magnet: Berit, especially in Tamuli. Someone wonders if they should tell him, only to be shushed by ALL the women present. Apparently, his innocent cluelessness is part of his attractiveness. Inverted by Bevier, who's attractive and knows it, but is pitching at the priesthood one day and refuses to act on it.
 The Elenium / int_6df8075f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6df8075f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6df8075f
 The Elenium / int_6e4ea868
type
Specifically Numbered Group
 The Elenium / int_6e4ea868
comment
Specifically Numbered Group: The Styric Pantheon is aptly known as The Thousand, or, literally, "ten times ten times ten", which they picked because it was an auspiciously round number. One god who'd lost a finger had wanted it to be the "nine times nine times nine", but more deities than that had already come into existence.
 The Elenium / int_6e4ea868
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6e4ea868
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6e4ea868
 The Elenium / int_6eb4e408
type
Artistic License – Military
 The Elenium / int_6eb4e408
comment
Artistic License – Military: There's a big deal made of the Cyrgai (Expies of Ancient Greece using Phalanx tactics) being hopelessly obsolete against "modern tactics", like the Eastern Peloi javalin-armed light cavalry using hit-and-run tactics. In actuality, said javelin-throwing light cavalry tactic is as ancient as the Phalanx itself, being used by the Persian armies in their war against Greece. Yes, the one where they were soundly defeated.
 The Elenium / int_6eb4e408
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6eb4e408
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6eb4e408
 The Elenium / int_6feaf27b
type
Scarily Competent Tracker
 The Elenium / int_6feaf27b
comment
Scarily Competent Tracker: The Seekers of Azash.
 The Elenium / int_6feaf27b
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_6feaf27b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_6feaf27b
 The Elenium / int_7041e520
type
Super Breeding Program
 The Elenium / int_7041e520
comment
The Atans are the result of an extended breeding experiment intended to produce the ultimate Proud Warrior Race Guys. They succeeded so perfectly that they were forced to sell themselves into slavery to the Tamuls to prevent their own overdeveloped killer instincts from killing off the entire race over, say, an argument over the weather.
 The Elenium / int_7041e520
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7041e520
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7041e520
 The Elenium / int_708614d3
type
Killer Outfit
 The Elenium / int_708614d3
comment
Killer Outfit: Mentioned as the reason why the Genidian Knights wear chainmail instead of the other orders' traditional platemail: a previous preceptor tried to order them to align with the other orders. Thalesia has a lot of rivers, so the majority of the order refused, as platemail is a bit hard to remove when you're drowning. The preceptor, in his platemail, and another knight in chainmail were dumped into a river. The latter shucked off the chainmail and swam to the surface. The former... didn't. They then elected their current preceptor, who was smart enough not to suggest something so foolish.
 The Elenium / int_708614d3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_708614d3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_708614d3
 The Elenium / int_71019994
type
Unwanted Harem
 The Elenium / int_71019994
comment
Unwanted Harem: Berit develops one of these in the second series. Apparently something about his eyelashes drives women wild.
 The Elenium / int_71019994
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_71019994
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_71019994
 The Elenium / int_7241785e
type
You Can't Fight Fate
 The Elenium / int_7241785e
comment
This might have also been a You Can't Fight Fate situation, as he was one of the twelve knights sustaining the spell keeping Ehlana alive.
 The Elenium / int_7241785e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7241785e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7241785e
 The Elenium / int_7286e96d
type
Idiot Ball
 The Elenium / int_7286e96d
comment
Azash presents a pretty good case. He may be the most evil of the Elder Gods, but he's also an emasculated Idiot Ball-carrying buffoon locked inside a clay idol. His minions can be pretty scary, though.
 The Elenium / int_7286e96d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7286e96d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7286e96d
 The Elenium / int_72f992e4
type
No Loves Intersect
 The Elenium / int_72f992e4
comment
No Loves Intersect: Largely played straight, especially in the Tamuli. Averted, though, in the last book of the Elenium, when Berit falls head over heels for Ehlana. It leads to an undercurrent of extended tension between him and Sparhawk. Fortunately, Sparhawk figures out the problem and is able to defuse it.
 The Elenium / int_72f992e4
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_72f992e4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_72f992e4
 The Elenium / int_7390323c
type
Sticky Fingers
 The Elenium / int_7390323c
comment
Sticky Fingers: Talen. It's become a Running Gag, to the point where Sparhawk automatically tells Talen to empty his pockets if there's a chance he might have stolen any small valuables recently.
 The Elenium / int_7390323c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7390323c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7390323c
 The Elenium / int_7539e04
type
Love Hungry
 The Elenium / int_7539e04
comment
Love Hungry: Aphrael.
 The Elenium / int_7539e04
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7539e04
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7539e04
 The Elenium / int_7568eb84
type
Human Subspecies
 The Elenium / int_7568eb84
comment
Human Subspecies: The first series has the Elenes (taller, capable of logical thinking, decidedly unintuitive), the Styrics (smaller, incapable of logic, very intuitive and connected to their gods) and the Trolls (nine foot tall predatory apes sitting somewhere between Killer Gorilla and Frazetta Man). All are descended from the Dawn-Men, a race of huge carnivorous ape-men who walked the earth eons previously. The sequel series introduced the various races of the Tamul Empire; how they fit into the equation is not entirely clear, though the Atans' bulk is the result of a breeding program.
 The Elenium / int_7568eb84
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7568eb84
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7568eb84
 The Elenium / int_75d98040
type
Magical Barefooter
 The Elenium / int_75d98040
comment
Magical Barefooter: Flute, a mystical child and goddess, always has bare feet. And her feet always have grass stains, even when she's been inside all day, invoking Fertile Feet.
 The Elenium / int_75d98040
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_75d98040
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_75d98040
 The Elenium / int_75f56be2
type
Trail of Blood
 The Elenium / int_75f56be2
comment
Trail of Blood: Exploited toward the end. Sparhawk and his friends try to navigate a maze by following blood drops from a wounded enemy. Then they discover 1) the blood drops aren't from any of the injured Zemochs, because 2) they aren't blood, and 3) they're only there to keep people in the killing-ground maze, the real entrance to the temple is elsewhere.
 The Elenium / int_75f56be2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_75f56be2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_75f56be2
 The Elenium / int_769ad308
type
Hidden Weapons
 The Elenium / int_769ad308
comment
Hidden Weapons: Mirtai is always armed, to the point where she carries a spoon with the handle sharpened to the point of being a shiv. Special mention is made of her being "not visibly armed" at Ehlana's wedding while wearing a sleeveless mid-thigh length dress.
 The Elenium / int_769ad308
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_769ad308
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_769ad308
 The Elenium / int_772f4a4f
type
"Be Quiet!" Nudge
 The Elenium / int_772f4a4f
comment
"Be Quiet!" Nudge: Ehlana attempts this with her husband. Of course, since he's wearing plate armor, all she gets out of it is a bruised elbow.
 The Elenium / int_772f4a4f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_772f4a4f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_772f4a4f
 The Elenium / int_77a55dfa
type
Endless Daytime
 The Elenium / int_77a55dfa
comment
Endless Daytime: Sparhawk accidentally causes this when he uses Bhelliom to help him catch up with Martel ... but leaves the method up to the Troll-Gods.
 The Elenium / int_77a55dfa
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_77a55dfa
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_77a55dfa
 The Elenium / int_7842867
type
Vengeance Feels Empty
 The Elenium / int_7842867
comment
Vengeance Feels Empty: Played with. Khalad vows to kill Krager for his role in Kurik's death, but then is told that Krager is dying of liver failure and is too delirious to even feel a sword being run into him. Vengeance would mean nothing. Khalad, being the practical sort he is, accepts this...but resolves to hunt Krager down and kill him anyway, not out of vengeance but because It's the Only Way to Be Sure.
 The Elenium / int_7842867
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7842867
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7842867
 The Elenium / int_792bb47a
type
Heroic Bastard
 The Elenium / int_792bb47a
comment
Heroic Bastard: Talen and Stragen. Arguably Platime as well, considering that he's both one of the good guys and a self-admitted, unrepentant career criminal.
 The Elenium / int_792bb47a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_792bb47a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_792bb47a
 The Elenium / int_79503ae9
type
Stout Strength
 The Elenium / int_79503ae9
comment
Stout Strength: By the time of the Tamuli, the knights of Sparhawk's generation are middle-aged, and they're no longer as slim and trim as they once were. Kalten in particular tends to strain the buttons on his doublet. They'll still cut you clean in two with one blow, even if you're wearing bronze armor (steel tends to take a bit more effort).
 The Elenium / int_79503ae9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_79503ae9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_79503ae9
 The Elenium / int_796fa10c
type
The Ageless
 The Elenium / int_796fa10c
comment
Elenian Trolls are twice as tall as a human, covered in fur and leathery hide, immortal (though not invulnerable), and they live in the frozen mountains of Thalesia where packs have to live miles apart from one another because they'll usually kill each other on sight. They're also distantly related to humans and have not only their own culture but their own gods.
 The Elenium / int_796fa10c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_796fa10c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_796fa10c
 The Elenium / int_7c8a4602
type
Horsing Around
 The Elenium / int_7c8a4602
comment
Horsing Around: Sir Sparhawk's horse Faran. Faran is infamous for his bad temper and a tendency to bite strangers (such that Sparhawk always has to warn handlers about it). In one of the later books, the Child-Goddess Aphrael tells Sparhawk that Faran only has a bad temper because he is trying to please Sparhawk by matching his personality. Much to Sparhawk's annoyance, Faran has a habit of prancing dramatically whenever Sparhawk rides him with his formal armour on. The horse is also remarked upon to be unusually intelligent, to the point of understanding Sparhawk's speech and having memorized the ritual entry into a Pandion Chapterhouse as well as Sparhawk has; he's furthermore incredibly loyal to Sparhawk, so much that Sparhawk can occasionally call on Faran to do what needs to be done without explicit commands and has no fear but that Faran will comply.
 The Elenium / int_7c8a4602
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7c8a4602
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7c8a4602
 The Elenium / int_7ea8f5ce
type
Knight in Shining Armor
 The Elenium / int_7ea8f5ce
comment
Knight in Shining Armor: Bevier. All the Cyrinic Knights are generally like this, what with the burnished armor, white surcoats, and such, but Bevier plays it completely straight.
 The Elenium / int_7ea8f5ce
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7ea8f5ce
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7ea8f5ce
 The Elenium / int_7eebe99c
type
The Alcoholic
 The Elenium / int_7eebe99c
comment
The Alcoholic: All it takes to get Krager to spill his entire life story is a barrel of Arcian red wine. And some cash, maybe. But mostly the wine. While he gets away at the end of the Tamuli, it's mentioned that the drink has taken its toll on his body, and he isn't likely to live long. Also King Wargun of Thalesia, who spends the entirety of The Tamuli dying offscreen from his destroyed liver.
 The Elenium / int_7eebe99c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_7eebe99c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_7eebe99c
 The Elenium / int_80cd1f62
type
God of Evil
 The Elenium / int_80cd1f62
comment
God of Evil: Azash and Cyrgon.
 The Elenium / int_80cd1f62
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_80cd1f62
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_80cd1f62
 The Elenium / int_80cd6404
type
God of Fire
 The Elenium / int_80cd6404
comment
God of Fire: Ulath enumerates the Troll Gods for his fellow Church Knights. Among these is Khwaj, the god of fire, whom Sparhawk later compels to turn their campfire into a listening device to spy on their enemies.
 The Elenium / int_80cd6404
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_80cd6404
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_80cd6404
 The Elenium / int_816bc80a
type
Ghostly Death Reveal
 The Elenium / int_816bc80a
comment
Ghostly Death Reveal: It's eventually explained to Sparhawk that in his absence, Sephrenia and a select group of his fellow Pandion Knights performed a magic ritual to keep the poisoned Queen Ehlana alive at the expense of their own life energy. Every month, one of them will die unless the cure is found, with Sephrenia being the last to go. Neither he nor Sephrenia knows which one will die each month until each knight's ghost appears to inform them of the passing; Sephrenia, who is Really 700 Years Old and has known all of these knights since they were children, takes it extremely hard every time.
 The Elenium / int_816bc80a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_816bc80a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_816bc80a
 The Elenium / int_823c6e3e
type
Large Ham
 The Elenium / int_823c6e3e
comment
Large Ham: Sabre, who certainly tries to affect the mannerisms of a Magnificent Bastard, but suffers from the fact that the closest he's ever come to the real deal is in old epics. The result is so thoroughly over-the-top and cliche that Sparhawk is amazed the guy's for real the first time he sees him. Of course, he's just a little fish in the grand scheme of things. Then there's Lilias, who only makes one appearance but puts on one ridiculously hammy show for her neighborhood with Sparhawk until their performance resembles a badly-written romance novel. Aren't we forgetting Bevier as a one-eyed mercenary? He admitted to being an actor during his schooling, but I doubt he'd make it as a professional. Faran, whenever Sparhawk is in his armor. Even Sparhawk gets in on this when he is talking to Arasham, posing as a loyal disciple while pumping the old man for information.
 The Elenium / int_823c6e3e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_823c6e3e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_823c6e3e
 The Elenium / int_84194ebf
type
24-Hour Armor
 The Elenium / int_84194ebf
comment
24-Hour Armor: Averted. The Knights have full plate armour but usually travel in mailshirts because the actual armor is such a damned inconvenience most of the time. For example, there is a scene in which Sparhawk wakes up one morning and basically finds an excuse not to put his armor on just yet, because it's had all night to get chilled.
 The Elenium / int_84194ebf
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_84194ebf
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_84194ebf
 The Elenium / int_84f15fc4
type
Sapient Steed
 The Elenium / int_84f15fc4
comment
Sapient Steed: Faran is not only foul-tempered and fond of showing off, he's also very intelligent. Aphrael once remarked Faran acts the way he does because that's what Sparhawk expects in his steed.
 The Elenium / int_84f15fc4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_84f15fc4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_84f15fc4
 The Elenium / int_857abc33
type
Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters
 The Elenium / int_857abc33
comment
Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: Platime is one of these. Sure, he's committed almost every crime in the book, but not treason - and besides, he loves the Queen and pays his taxes! He's also never practiced witchcraft, committed barratry (mostly because he doesn't know what it is), or had carnal knowledge of an animal. Truly, a virtuous man.
 The Elenium / int_857abc33
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_857abc33
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_857abc33
 The Elenium / int_857d1626
type
Power Glows
 The Elenium / int_857d1626
comment
Power Glows: The Delphae. Bhelliom and Klael in their true forms, too.
 The Elenium / int_857d1626
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_857d1626
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_857d1626
 The Elenium / int_8712e4c9
type
Story-Breaker Power
 The Elenium / int_8712e4c9
comment
Story-Breaker Power: Xanetia positively oozes these. She's effectively immortal, she can read minds and thus promptly discovers the Manipulative Bastard, she can melt people and scenery to goo with a touch, she can touch Bhelliom without being obliterated, she can turn invisible, and her magic makes absolutely no "sound." Once she joins the party she's effectively a one-stop shop for all your Game-Breaker needs. There are several issues, though; firstly, Sephrenia starts out loathing her, due to old racial prejudice (and the fact she thinks Xanetia's people killed her family), causing everyone to futilely attempt reasoning with her, and she eventually breaks from the group for a while. Secondly everyone else on the continent is terrified of the Delphae and Xanetia is almost constantly in disguise, which she admits is somewhat painful for her. Thirdly, she is not only a helper, she is a hostage for her people's good faith; if they betray the party, Xanetia - effectively their crown princess - is to be killed. This causes various degrees of tension for some time.
 The Elenium / int_8712e4c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8712e4c9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8712e4c9
 The Elenium / int_8774fb47
type
Eldritch Abomination
 The Elenium / int_8774fb47
comment
Hell, Cyrgon himself. And it's entirely deliberate, seeing as he is capable of adapting and thinking but freely chooses not to. Still, trying to make a minion out of Klael was a bit of a bonehead move. To say the least.
 The Elenium / int_8774fb47
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8774fb47
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8774fb47
 The Elenium / int_881b90be
type
Bling of War
 The Elenium / int_881b90be
comment
Played with with Martel. It is not that his armor is useless (he is a trained Church Knight), but out of vanity he has his armor made in the finest (and heaviest) style in the world, with gold details and ornamentation on it, which tires him faster than the equally-skilled and equally-aged Sparhawk. And he admits it with his dying breaths.
 The Elenium / int_881b90be
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_881b90be
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_881b90be
 The Elenium / int_8878f3be
type
Badass Army
 The Elenium / int_8878f3be
comment
Badass Army: The Peloi and their ridiculously well-trained horses. Even the Church Knights step lightly around these guys. So does Otha, who invaded the West through Lamorkand in part because he didn't want to risk fighting the Peloi. Of course the Church Knights. And the Atans, really. Subverted with the Cyrgai. 10,000 years ago, they were the most powerful military in the world, and now they are extinct or so everyone thinks. When they do run into Cyrgai in modern time, they are just as badass as they were 10,000 years ago...except everyone else has been Level Grinding in badass that entire time.
 The Elenium / int_8878f3be
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_8878f3be
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8878f3be
 The Elenium / int_8967e17f
type
Back from the Dead
 The Elenium / int_8967e17f
comment
Back from the Dead: A major part of the plot in the Tamuli is someone calling up armies from the past. Kurik does this twice, as his presence is needed to banish/reclaim the Bhelliom.
 The Elenium / int_8967e17f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8967e17f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8967e17f
 The Elenium / int_8c1ad82f
type
Proud Warrior Race Guy
 The Elenium / int_8c1ad82f
comment
Proud Warrior Race Guy: The Atans and the Cyrgai, who both suffer from cultural Idiot Balls to greater or lesser extent (the Atans never back down from a fight, no matter how unlikely they are to win it; the Cyrgai are completely incapable of change.) If you're wondering, Atans beat Cyrgai, hands down. See Happiness in Slavery above; the Atans are so content to live exclusively as warriors that they willingly and intentionally enslaved their entire race to ensure their survival.
 The Elenium / int_8c1ad82f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8c1ad82f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8c1ad82f
 The Elenium / int_8c3241aa
type
One-Hour Work Week
 The Elenium / int_8c3241aa
comment
One-Hour Work Week: There are monks whose sole duty is to perform certain obscure rituals during the funeral of the Archprelate. Which means that they only have to do about fifteen minutes of work each every two to three decades.
 The Elenium / int_8c3241aa
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8c3241aa
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8c3241aa
 The Elenium / int_8cb844c6
type
Mr. Exposition
 The Elenium / int_8cb844c6
comment
Mr. Exposition: Every major character fills this role at one point or another, but the worst offender is Xanetia. At one point in The Shining Ones, she reads the mind of The Chessmaster of the other side, and then explains exactly what he has been doing behind the scenes for the entirety of both trilogies to that point. In excruciating detail. In Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe. For about three chapters.
 The Elenium / int_8cb844c6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8cb844c6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8cb844c6
 The Elenium / int_8e0ceaf5
type
Finger in the Mail
 The Elenium / int_8e0ceaf5
comment
Finger in the Mail: In the Tamuli, instructions to Sparhawk from Ehlana's kidnappers include a lock of her hair as verification.
 The Elenium / int_8e0ceaf5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8e0ceaf5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8e0ceaf5
 The Elenium / int_8e4a0f15
type
Dumb Blonde
 The Elenium / int_8e4a0f15
comment
Melidere, one of Ehlana's ladies in waiting, puts on the show of a Dumb Blonde, while the truth is that Ehlana keeps her around for her brains.
 The Elenium / int_8e4a0f15
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8e4a0f15
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8e4a0f15
 The Elenium / int_8f37b
type
Medieval Stasis
 The Elenium / int_8f37b
comment
Medieval Stasis: Averted for the most part. The history behind the Elene kingdoms includes bronze-age warriors and the discovery of iron, and when the Cyrgai show up in the second series they're all wearing bronze-age equipment and using antiquated phalanx tactics. Also, the borders of Cynesga have changed dramatically over time. That said, the timespans over which these innovations happened are considerable. For example, the Zemoch invasion of Eosia happened 500 years before the start of the story, at which point all the major kingdoms still existed.
 The Elenium / int_8f37b
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_8f37b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8f37b
 The Elenium / int_8fb244bd
type
Replaced with Replica
 The Elenium / int_8fb244bd
comment
Replaced with Replica: Aphrael sneaks one of the rings that are the key to Bhelliom's power note well, that's what everyone thinks off Ehlana's finger, replacing it with a fake. (She pulled the same trick on Ghwerig in the backstory, swiping both rings.)
 The Elenium / int_8fb244bd
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_8fb244bd
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_8fb244bd
 The Elenium / int_91c001
type
Cute Mute
 The Elenium / int_91c001
comment
Cute Mute: Flute. Subverted in that she can talk, but chooses not to until the second book.
 The Elenium / int_91c001
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_91c001
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_91c001
 The Elenium / int_9245d989
type
Sinister Minister
 The Elenium / int_9245d989
comment
Sinister Minister: Primate Annias, who doubles as Elenia's Evil Chancellor.
 The Elenium / int_9245d989
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9245d989
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9245d989
 The Elenium / int_957e5fc2
type
Villainous Breakdown
 The Elenium / int_957e5fc2
comment
Villainous Breakdown: Zalasta was always pretty crazy, but he was very good at hiding it. After seeing his grand plans crash down around him, however, he pretty much completely loses it and is almost totally Axe-Crazy by the time he crashes Sephrenia's wedding at the end.
 The Elenium / int_957e5fc2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_957e5fc2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_957e5fc2
 The Elenium / int_9620c3a1
type
God-Emperor
 The Elenium / int_9620c3a1
comment
God-Emperor: In The Tamuli it's the inverted form, with Cyrgon, a god who is also the earthly ruler of the people of the same name.
 The Elenium / int_9620c3a1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9620c3a1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9620c3a1
 The Elenium / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 The Elenium / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Azash in the first trilogy. The second is a bit more complicated, with Cyrgon, Zalasta and Klael all vying for the role. By the end, even Krager has thrown in his hat for the title.
 The Elenium / int_970c790a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_970c790a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_970c790a
 The Elenium / int_97914ed
type
Idiot Savant
 The Elenium / int_97914ed
comment
Idiot Savant: Adus, when it comes to small-unit tactics.
 The Elenium / int_97914ed
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_97914ed
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_97914ed
 The Elenium / int_97d97c28
type
Revenge Before Reason
 The Elenium / int_97d97c28
comment
Revenge Before Reason: This might as well be Lamorkand's national motto. The entire country is in a constant state of turmoil because landowners will go to war at the drop of the hat.
 The Elenium / int_97d97c28
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_97d97c28
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_97d97c28
 The Elenium / int_9823f7c
type
ProudWarriorRace
 The Elenium / int_9823f7c
comment
Played with extensively with the Atans, who as a whole believe they must always be "slaves" and that a completely "free" Atan is a very, very bad thing. This is due to them being such a Proud Warrior Race that generational blood feuds can be started over a disagreement about the weather, and so they as a race offered themselves as slaves to the Tamuls. However, their "slavery" consists entirely of them agreeing to not kill anyone without permission and serve as the Tamuls' army, which allows them to be warriors and have glorious battles, without bringing their race to the edge of extinction from everyone killing everyone else for the slightest reason. And the Atans are all happy with this arrangement.
 The Elenium / int_9823f7c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9823f7c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9823f7c
 The Elenium / int_9853e107
type
Elective Mute
 The Elenium / int_9853e107
comment
Elective Mute: Flute, for the first book and part of the second.
 The Elenium / int_9853e107
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9853e107
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9853e107
 The Elenium / int_9a072432
type
Royal Decree
 The Elenium / int_9a072432
comment
Royal Decree: The written variation. The Council are about to destroy it... until they're reminded that destroying a royal decree is punished by death. Becomes a circular argument with a Cynesgan border guard. Sparhawk presents a decree from Sarabian granting their party passage through all borders in the Empire. The guard believes it is a fake and asserts that it is punishable by death to forge a royal decree, and Sparhawk retorts that it is punishable by death to ignore one. He reasons that one of them is about to be in big trouble. The guard, it turns out. The Knights kill all the border guards when they realize that the delay is so reinforcements can arrive.
 The Elenium / int_9a072432
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9a072432
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9a072432
 The Elenium / int_9b2cfbb4
type
Frazetta Man
 The Elenium / int_9b2cfbb4
comment
Frazetta Man: The Trolls embody this stereotype almost to a T, to the point of being so primitive it's stated they'd have died off centuries ago if they weren't immortal. Essentially nine-foot tall apes, they are incapable of using any weapon other than clubs and tend not to work in groups, but still possess a language and their own gods. Trolls, Elenes, and Styrics are all descended from the Dawn-Men, a race of carnivorous apes who walked the earth eons ago. Far larger than Elenes or Styrics, the Dawn-Men were still smaller than Trolls (though even harder to kill), and while capable of working in groups and making flint weapons (abilities Styrics and Elenes would later build on, but Trolls would abandon), lacked language skills (something all of their descendants would develop). Cyrgon, amusingly, cannot tell Trolls and Dawn-Men apart.
 The Elenium / int_9b2cfbb4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9b2cfbb4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9b2cfbb4
 The Elenium / int_9b54d536
type
Evil Counterpart
 The Elenium / int_9b54d536
comment
Evil Counterpart: Martel, to Sparhawk. Klael to Bhelliom.
 The Elenium / int_9b54d536
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9b54d536
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9b54d536
 The Elenium / int_9b7de69c
type
False Friend
 The Elenium / int_9b7de69c
comment
False Friend: Zalasta, to everyone who isn't Sephrenia. To her, he ends up as an Evil Former Friend.
 The Elenium / int_9b7de69c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9b7de69c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9b7de69c
 The Elenium / int_9bf49893
type
I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me
 The Elenium / int_9bf49893
comment
More like "poor communication mildly inconveniences" in this instance, but: Alean loves Kalten. Kalten loves Alean. Alean thinks he will never notice her because she's just a maid. Kalten thinks Alean could never look at him that way because notorious womanizer. Then Kalten starts trying to get himself killed on the battlefield because he's so lovelorn, and suddenly Alean starts communicating. Volubly, and at great length. Cue glorious hookup.
 The Elenium / int_9bf49893
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9bf49893
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9bf49893
 The Elenium / int_9c1f758a
type
Kill It with Fire
 The Elenium / int_9c1f758a
comment
The Elder Gods are implied to have created several races of these as servants; the only ones the reader ever meets are the Balrog-esque Damorks and the insectile Scarily Competent Trackers called Seekers. There are also otherworldly monsters that serve Klael and show up in the Tamuli, but it's unclear if they really qualify as "demons" or not.
 The Elenium / int_9c1f758a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9c1f758a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9c1f758a
 The Elenium / int_9cad69bf
type
Depraved Homosexual
 The Elenium / int_9cad69bf
comment
Depraved Homosexual: Baron Harparin, one of Annias' minions, who is a pedophile. He's universally detested by all the characters and the butt of constant snide remarks from friend and foe alike. It's pretty clear that it is his pedophilia that people find despicable, not his homosexuality. One of Mirtai's former owners averts this while unfortunately falling victim to Bury Your Gays.
 The Elenium / int_9cad69bf
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9cad69bf
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9cad69bf
 The Elenium / int_9d17b859
type
Made of Iron
 The Elenium / int_9d17b859
comment
Trolls, Elenes, and Styrics are all descended from the Dawn-Men, a race of carnivorous apes who walked the earth eons ago. Far larger than Elenes or Styrics, the Dawn-Men were still smaller than Trolls (though even harder to kill), and while capable of working in groups and making flint weapons (abilities Styrics and Elenes would later build on, but Trolls would abandon), lacked language skills (something all of their descendants would develop). Cyrgon, amusingly, cannot tell Trolls and Dawn-Men apart.
 The Elenium / int_9d17b859
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9d17b859
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9d17b859
 The Elenium / int_9e1548b4
type
Old Retainer
 The Elenium / int_9e1548b4
comment
Old Retainer: Kurik, who has been Sparhawk's squire for all of Sparhawk's life, and has repeatedly turned down knighthood in spite of kicking knightly arse on a regular basis in favour of remaining a squire. Sparhawk comments that Kurik is as much a part of him as his hands.
 The Elenium / int_9e1548b4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9e1548b4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9e1548b4
 The Elenium / int_9f80e1da
type
Sarcasm Mode
 The Elenium / int_9f80e1da
comment
He's also never practiced witchcraft, committed barratry (mostly because he doesn't know what it is), or had carnal knowledge of an animal. Truly, a virtuous man.
 The Elenium / int_9f80e1da
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9f80e1da
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9f80e1da
 The Elenium / int_9fb2452d
type
Evil Is Not a Toy
 The Elenium / int_9fb2452d
comment
Evil Is Not a Toy: Cyrgon, Cyrgon, Cyrgon. Summoning Klael, a being of infinite power and malevolence, capable of eating Gods for breakfast and picking its teeth with Eldritch Abominations, and trying to control it and make it his minion? That's just asking for trouble.
 The Elenium / int_9fb2452d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9fb2452d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9fb2452d
 The Elenium / int_9fe35833
type
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
 The Elenium / int_9fe35833
comment
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: No matter how depraved he becomes, Martel never stops loving Sephrenia. Lycheas and Arissa obviously care for each other, as does Lycheas's father Annias, demonstrated when he goes out of his way to get the two rescued from imprisonment and brings them into exile in Zemoch when his plan goes south. Scarpa calls out for his mother while he is melted into goo by the Delphaeic curse This is an interesting one, as he had his mother killed when he began his Start of Darkness.
 The Elenium / int_9fe35833
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_9fe35833
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_9fe35833
 The Elenium / int_a15af1f3
type
Sugar Bowl
 The Elenium / int_a15af1f3
comment
Sugar Bowl: Aphrael's realm, where lovable animals romp in peace under a rainbow sky.
 The Elenium / int_a15af1f3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a15af1f3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a15af1f3
 The Elenium / int_a18fda9c
type
Dumb Muscle
 The Elenium / int_a18fda9c
comment
Dumb Muscle: On the side of villainy: Adus, the Cyrgai, and Klael's Giant Mooks. Kalten appears to be this, but it's actually Obfuscating Stupidity. He's actually smarter than Sparhawk in some ways.
 The Elenium / int_a18fda9c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a18fda9c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a18fda9c
 The Elenium / int_a1b141f4
type
My God, What Have I Done?
 The Elenium / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: Played for laughs and said almost verbatim when Oscagne realizes that he has led Emperor Sarabian to realize the true power an absolute monarch has.
 The Elenium / int_a1b141f4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a1b141f4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a1b141f4
 The Elenium / int_a2b38d3b
type
Eye Scream
 The Elenium / int_a2b38d3b
comment
Averted with Mirtai, whose old master tried to rape her and paid for it. A lot.
 The Elenium / int_a2b38d3b
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_a2b38d3b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a2b38d3b
 The Elenium / int_a32c4e5d
type
Chessmaster
 The Elenium / int_a32c4e5d
comment
Annias. He's smart, and a decent Chessmaster, but his Smug Snake tendencies typically bite him in the hindquarters, and he's no match for Martel or the real Big Bad, Azash. This is actually lampshaded and justified in-series when Vanion and Ehlana both point out that Annias used to be extremely clever and competent, with only his recent schemes being obvious, pathetic, and easily abrogated. Sephrenia then explains that Azash tends to ruin his followers by influencing or outright forcing them to be more like him—and while he himself is a competent Big Bad in terms of power, his ability to be clever and subtle, particularly within the bounds of the more sophisticated Elene culture, is next to nil.
 The Elenium / int_a32c4e5d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a32c4e5d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a32c4e5d
 The Elenium / int_a3912d0e
type
Sexy Discretion Shot
 The Elenium / int_a3912d0e
comment
Sexy Discretion Shot: Just as things get interesting on Sparhawk's wedding night, the narrator starts admiring the city outside the window.
 The Elenium / int_a3912d0e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a3912d0e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a3912d0e
 The Elenium / int_a4c37cbe
type
Mood Whiplash
 The Elenium / int_a4c37cbe
comment
Mood Whiplash: This exchange in the third book:
 The Elenium / int_a4c37cbe
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a4c37cbe
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a4c37cbe
 The Elenium / int_a5398aba
type
Authority in Name Only
 The Elenium / int_a5398aba
comment
Authority in Name Only: Prince Avin Wargunsson might be Regent of Thalesia (to become King when insane father finally finishes dying), but every one of his subjects treats him as a complete joke. The King of Rendor is also stated to be this. Emperor Sarabian is treated this way by his own government in the Tamuli. His role has become so ceremonial that when he begins taking an active role in leading his empire, several characters wonder if it is even legal for him to do so at this point.
 The Elenium / int_a5398aba
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a5398aba
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a5398aba
 The Elenium / int_a58802b7
type
Happiness in Slavery
 The Elenium / int_a58802b7
comment
See Happiness in Slavery above; the Atans are so content to live exclusively as warriors that they willingly and intentionally enslaved their entire race to ensure their survival.
 The Elenium / int_a58802b7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a58802b7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a58802b7
 The Elenium / int_a588c1cf
type
Cool Horse
 The Elenium / int_a588c1cf
comment
Cool Horse: Faran, Sparhawk's mount.
 The Elenium / int_a588c1cf
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a588c1cf
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a588c1cf
 The Elenium / int_a60f7120
type
Physical God
 The Elenium / int_a60f7120
comment
Physical God: Aphrael and Azash, not to mention the Styric pantheon and Cyrgon. On top of them, Bhelliom and Klael. Also the troll-gods. The Elene god is implied to be this as well, though he never puts in a personal appearance.
 The Elenium / int_a60f7120
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a60f7120
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a60f7120
 The Elenium / int_a62dca03
type
Year Inside, Hour Outside
 The Elenium / int_a62dca03
comment
Averted by Aphrael, whose time compression technique is closer to Year Inside, Hour Outside.
 The Elenium / int_a62dca03
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Elenium / int_a62dca03
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a62dca03
 The Elenium / int_a65288e2
type
Ascended Extra
 The Elenium / int_a65288e2
comment
Ascended Extra: Zalasta. He appears briefly in the Elenium as a friend of Sephrenia, but becomes much more prominent in the Tamuli. He's also revealed to be a Big Bad Friend and responsible for a lot of events in the Elenium.
 The Elenium / int_a65288e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a65288e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a65288e2
 The Elenium / int_a70223
type
Karma Houdini
 The Elenium / int_a70223
comment
Karma Houdini: Arguably, Martel. Sure he dies, but it's a quick death after a fair fight, with the two people he cares about most by his side. In his own words, it's almost as good as a formal deathbed. And this after bringing untold suffering out of pure spite and greed. None of his victims died so well. Subverted with Krager. He gets away scot-free after helping the bad guys in the Elenium and he gets away scot-free after helping the bad guys in the Tamuli. Once characters start complaining about that at the end of the Tamuli, it is revealed that what he did not get away scot-free from was drinking a lot of alcohol over the years. He's probably less than a year from death at the end of The Hidden City, and the only reason he's not really suffering is that he's so delirious he wouldn't even notice someone stabbing him to death. Khalad resolves to do it anyway, not out of revenge, but because It's the Only Way to Be Sure. Sabre appears to make it through the end of the series alive (we last see him cowering under the furniture while the Delphae kill Scarpa). Appropriate, since he is more of a Butt-Monkey than actually evil. Of course, given the number of powerful, violent people who are very, very angry with him, he may not have escaped for long.
 The Elenium / int_a70223
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_a70223
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a70223
 The Elenium / int_a74e8ba4
type
Thieves' Guild
 The Elenium / int_a74e8ba4
comment
Thieves' Guild: Played straight and on a grand scale. Sure, Platime's chief thief in Cimmura, but every town everywhere has its own thieves' guild, and they all coordinate to some extent.
 The Elenium / int_a74e8ba4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a74e8ba4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a74e8ba4
 The Elenium / int_a75c8dc9
type
Left-Justified Fantasy Map
 The Elenium / int_a75c8dc9
comment
Left-Justified Fantasy Map: At least until the story shifts to Tamul, where it become a right-justified fantasy map.
 The Elenium / int_a75c8dc9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a75c8dc9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a75c8dc9
 The Elenium / int_a7aef9ff
type
Obfuscating Stupidity
 The Elenium / int_a7aef9ff
comment
Obfuscating Stupidity: As she points out huffily, Sephrenia and other Styrics aren't nearly so simple as they appear. She's fully trained in logic (though she prefers intuition); she can read (just not Elene, as noted above), and she deliberately downplays her own immense powers while in Elenia to avoid appearing too threatening. She's not the only one. Flute/Aphrael, Emperor Sarabian, and to an extent Bhelliom itself all qualify. Cyrgon's an interesting case, because his stupidity is genuine but a conscious choice stemming from his role as a god of unchanging militarism and tyranny; when push comes to shove, he can learn if he has to. Also, Kalten. He really isn't very good at academic pursuits, including magic, but he's surprisingly sharp behind his exaggerated loveable oaf persona. This is best exemplified in The Hidden City when Kalten, Caalador, and Bevier infiltrate Natayos to see if Ehlana and Alean are there. When Alean recognizes the disguised Kalten by how he walks, and Ehlana tells her to sing, he recognizes her voice... and immediately begins whistling a counterpoint to let them know he heard. Then he strikes up a conversation with the guards so he can slip in references to Caalador's accent and Bevier's axe. Ehlana herself calls him a "treasure" whom Alean should never let go of, since he gave them far more information than Sparhawk ever could have. He is also the only one who is able to help Sephrenia deal with Zalasta's betrayal. Melidere, one of Ehlana's ladies in waiting, puts on the show of a Dumb Blonde, while the truth is that Ehlana keeps her around for her brains.
 The Elenium / int_a7aef9ff
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a7aef9ff
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a7aef9ff
 The Elenium / int_a8826e1e
type
Giant Mook
 The Elenium / int_a8826e1e
comment
Giant Mooks: Klael's alien army in the Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_a8826e1e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a8826e1e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a8826e1e
 The Elenium / int_a8a04f6f
type
And I Must Scream
 The Elenium / int_a8a04f6f
comment
And I Must Scream: Happens to a Big Bad at the end of the Tamuli and to another minor villain. The Troll-Gods set them on fire (and in the minor villain's case, shove him into "No-Time," a kind of frozen moment) so that they will run and burn alone forever. The Powerless Ones, Gods whose worshipers have all died and have been forgotten, reduced to little more than incoherent whispers wanting attention.
 The Elenium / int_a8a04f6f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_a8a04f6f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_a8a04f6f
 The Elenium / int_aa2bd65c
type
Mordor
 The Elenium / int_aa2bd65c
comment
Mordor: Zemoch is a classic example.
 The Elenium / int_aa2bd65c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_aa2bd65c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_aa2bd65c
 The Elenium / int_ab44208d
type
Stock Medieval Meal
 The Elenium / int_ab44208d
comment
Stock Medieval Meal: On one occasion when Kalten is suckered into fixing breakfast for the knights, he slices bread and cheese for everyone and asks if this gets him off the hook.
 The Elenium / int_ab44208d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_ab44208d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_ab44208d
 The Elenium / int_ac09dc0f
type
Alas, Poor Villain
 The Elenium / int_ac09dc0f
comment
Alas, Poor Villain: After everything Martel has done, when he lies dying Sparhawk and Sephrenia both gather to his side and mourn his death. Sephrenia even grants him her blessing, which she had withheld after Martel's fall from grace.
 The Elenium / int_ac09dc0f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_ac09dc0f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_ac09dc0f
 The Elenium / int_acecb17d
type
Chekhov's Skill
 The Elenium / int_acecb17d
comment
Chekhov's Skill: Bevier's study of history and acting.
 The Elenium / int_acecb17d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_acecb17d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_acecb17d
 The Elenium / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 The Elenium / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: From the Tamuli, "This is Prince Sparhawk, the man who destroyed the Elder God Azash, and you've just insulted his wife." The listener reacts appropriately... by running for his life. Sephrenia's reaction when Sparhawk suggests killing Azash.
 The Elenium / int_ad1db87c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_ad1db87c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_ad1db87c
 The Elenium / int_add14bc2
type
Orcus on His Throne
 The Elenium / int_add14bc2
comment
Orcus on His Throne: Otha, justified by the fact that he's largely incapable of getting up off said throne by now.
 The Elenium / int_add14bc2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_add14bc2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_add14bc2
 The Elenium / int_ae3d6438
type
Deadpan Snarker
 The Elenium / int_ae3d6438
comment
Deadpan Snarker: The entire Thalesian race. Most of the main cast gets this way at times, too. It's Eddings, what do you expect? Sarabian.
 The Elenium / int_ae3d6438
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_ae3d6438
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_ae3d6438
 The Elenium / int_af2f15c1
type
The Puppet Cuts His Strings
 The Elenium / int_af2f15c1
comment
The Puppet Cuts His Strings: Under Ehlana's tutelage, Sarabian tosses his ministers aside and starts running the Tamul Empire himself.
 The Elenium / int_af2f15c1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_af2f15c1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_af2f15c1
 The Elenium / int_afd181c7
type
Xtreme Kool Letterz
 The Elenium / int_afd181c7
comment
Xtreme Kool Letterz: It's spelled Klæl, for no apparent reason, although a reasonable guess is that it is to emphasize Klæl's utterly alien nature.
 The Elenium / int_afd181c7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_afd181c7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_afd181c7
 The Elenium / int_b01abe4f
type
Catchphrase
 The Elenium / int_b01abe4f
comment
Catchphrase: Sparhawk — "Neighbor." Martel — "Old boy." Ulath — "I hate sieges." And of course,
 The Elenium / int_b01abe4f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_b01abe4f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_b01abe4f
 The Elenium / int_b032e4ed
type
Ms. Fanservice
 The Elenium / int_b032e4ed
comment
Elysoun is technically this in the Tamuli, though since she's also Ms. Fanservice it's played for laughs. The difference between the two is that Elysoun does it because it isn't a sin in her culture. Arissa does it because it is a sin in her culture.
 The Elenium / int_b032e4ed
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The Elenium / int_b032e4ed
 The Elenium / int_b1346878
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Fate Worse than Death
 The Elenium / int_b1346878
comment
Fate Worse than Death: The touch of the Delphae, aka the Shining Ones, is regarded as this by Tamuls in general, to the point that they're willing to accept certain death of almost any other cause to escape it.
 The Elenium / int_b1346878
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The Elenium / int_b1346878
 The Elenium / int_b1a7cd14
type
Tap on the Head
 The Elenium / int_b1a7cd14
comment
Tap on the Head: Averted. Ulath gets knocked on the head during the siege of Chyrellos. He slips into a coma, and when he wakes up he is extremely confused, forgetting which continent he is on and who his comrades are. He eventually makes a full recovery, but even with magical aid it's a slow, arduous process. Also, it's mentioned that without his scarily good helmet, he would have died.
 The Elenium / int_b1a7cd14
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 The Elenium / int_b1a7cd14
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The Elenium / int_b1a7cd14
 The Elenium / int_b1b865f7
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Royal Rapier
 The Elenium / int_b1b865f7
comment
Royal Rapier: Since the series is set in a culture that mixes the Renaissance and Cavalier eras, the rapier appears repeatedly as a chosen weapon of royalty and nobles: When Queen Ehlana starts wearing a sword, she chooses a rapier. Besides being the traditional noble's sword, it fits her personality: elegant, beautiful, quick, skilled at the intricate moves of Elenian politics, and deadly when she chooses to be. Gentleman Thief Count Stragen is the bastard son of a corrupt Thalesian nobleman. To show his contempt for his father, he talks and dresses like a noble but acts like the master criminal that he is. Of course he wears a rapier — it's a necessary part of his image. When Puppet Emperor Sarabian of Tamul starts asserting his authority over his government, he consciously patterns his appearance after Ehlana's, including Elenian clothes and an Elenian-style rapier for a weapon. In The Hidden City, he demonstrates the rapier isn't just for appearances when he uses it effectively during an attempted palace coup. Averted hard with Sir Sparhawk. He views himself as Ehlana's bodyguard first and her husband second, so when she tries to get him to wear a rapier as part of his court clothing, he rejects it in favor of his knight's broadsword, a weapon he knows how to use.
 The Elenium / int_b1b865f7
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The Elenium / int_b1b865f7
 The Elenium / int_b1efb7a7
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Mayfly–December Romance
 The Elenium / int_b1efb7a7
comment
Mayfly–December Romance: While this doesn't quite appear, the foundation is firmly set for Aphrael and Talen.
 The Elenium / int_b1efb7a7
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 The Elenium / int_b1efb7a7
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The Elenium / int_b1efb7a7
 The Elenium / int_b2280b66
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Retcon
 The Elenium / int_b2280b66
comment
Retcon: In The Sapphire Rose, Sephrenia is outraged at Mirtai referring to Ehlana as her owner and seems not to know much about the Atans or the Daresian continent. It's revealed in The Shining Ones that Sephrenia is from Astel originally, and even though she spends a lot of time away from the Daresian continent, it just seems unlikely that she wouldn't have heard of the Atans or their status as slaves, especially as they also guard the Styric city of Sarsos. It is possible, however, that because Sephrenia was concealing the existence of Sarsos, her true education, and the nature of the Styric people, she had to adopt such an attitude since she otherwise couldn't prove how she knew of the Atans and their slavery. Not seeming to know much about Daresia also falls under her Obfuscating Stupidity act. It's possible that she was shocked to see an Atana in personal slavery in Eosia, as opposed to the institutional slavery that the Atans live in under the Tamuls. In The Ruby Knight, Berit spends quite some time swimming around in a lake during the search for the Bhelliom. In Domes of Fire, Sparhawk makes a remark to the effect that he isn't sure Berit knows how to swim. Huh. Diving while wearing only loincloth in a lake where he had his head above water while probing the ground with his feet is different from swimming in a castle moat deep enough to drown in while wearing full evening wear. Happens with Kalten as well. In the Elenium, we see him swimming in the lake looking for the Bhelliom. In the Tamuli, he's terrified of being under water, meaning that he needs to be drugged by the Beer of the Gods before being dragged through a flooded passage. In The Sapphire Rose, the box in which the Bhelliom is placed before being thrown into the ocean is described as being made of steel (to restrain the jewel's power) and lined with gold (to conceal its presence), and is secured with a keyless padlock. In The Shining Ones, upon being retrieved, the box is described as being made of gold and having no keyhole or padlock. In The Ruby Knight, Sephrenia refers to the Troll Gods as "wise". Later, in the Tamuli, Xanetia says that the five Troll Gods combined have the intellect of a five-year-old child.
 The Elenium / int_b2280b66
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 The Elenium / int_b2280b66
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The Elenium / int_b2280b66
 The Elenium / int_b252f072
type
Megaton Punch
 The Elenium / int_b252f072
comment
Megaton Punch: Berit delivers one of these when Talen's Bratty Half-Pint act starts to wear on the group. He throws in a punt for good measure.
 The Elenium / int_b252f072
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 The Elenium / int_b252f072
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The Elenium / int_b252f072
 The Elenium / int_b351349c
type
Flowery Elizabethan English
 The Elenium / int_b351349c
comment
Flowery Elizabethan English: Appears several times. All the speaking dead, whether they died centuries before or a few days before. A man playing a resurrected dead hero speaks this way, plagiarizing an old play. Also Bhelliom speaks this way.
 The Elenium / int_b351349c
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The Elenium / int_b351349c
 The Elenium / int_b356f7c1
type
Horns of Barbarism
 The Elenium / int_b356f7c1
comment
Horns of Barbarism: The Genidian Knights (based in Thalesia, a Viking Fantasy Counterpart Culture) wear horned helmets as part of their formal armor. Justified in that the horns in question come from ogres, and are much harder than steel; they're additional head protection.
 The Elenium / int_b356f7c1
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 The Elenium / int_b356f7c1
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The Elenium / int_b356f7c1
 The Elenium / int_b486877f
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Squick
 The Elenium / int_b486877f
comment
The first book even starts setting up one in the first chapter, as an annoying noble interrupts Sparhawk's attempt to kill Krager. Sparhawk casts a spell on said noble as he leaves. Several chapters later, said noble comes to the Pandion chapterhouse with a massive boil on his nose that Sparhawk encourages him to get lanced. Sephrenia calls Sparhawk out on the fact that said boil was not a natural occurance, to Sparhawk's amusement.
 The Elenium / int_b486877f
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 The Elenium / int_b486877f
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The Elenium / int_b486877f
 The Elenium / int_b575a2b1
type
Cold Iron
 The Elenium / int_b575a2b1
comment
Cold Iron: Anathema to Bhelliom, so that any simple, mundane sword can destroy it, though doing so might obliterate the planet. Styrics and their gods also avoid iron, using bronze when metal tools are necessary, but this seems to be a cultural peculiarity rather than a weakness. It's revealed near the climax of the Tamuli that the Styric gods are actually sensitive to magnetism, and the way iron distorts magnetic fields is an extremely uncomfortable sensation for them, often described by Aphrael as "making my skin crawl".
 The Elenium / int_b575a2b1
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The Elenium / int_b575a2b1
 The Elenium / int_b58b4e3c
type
Too Dumb to Live
 The Elenium / int_b58b4e3c
comment
Too Dumb to Live: The Cyrgai exemplify this trope to its most literal extent: by breeding almost exclusively with Cynesgans they essentially bred their own race out of existence until Cyrgon stepped in. At this point they're so hopelessly inbred and isolated they can barely function. Forget bronze age armour, standard issue kit for these guys is the Idiot Ball. A particularly literal case has the Cyrgai walking themselves to death as they pursued a group of Peloi cavalry, and reached the line of an ancient curse that the Styric Gods placed around their territory to prevent them from escaping. The first few soldiers dying might not qualify, but the ensuing ranks, watching their fellows die in front of them are definitely like this. Hell, Cyrgon himself. And it's entirely deliberate, seeing as he is capable of adapting and thinking but freely chooses not to. Still, trying to make a minion out of Klael was a bit of a bonehead move. To say the least. This is how the king of the Atans dies in the Tamuli. He attacks an enormous Eldritch Abomination several thousand times larger than himself, on foot, with a sword, without realizing that it might actually be able to kill him. He dies feeling sorry for it, because it's been unfortunate enough to come up against him.
 The Elenium / int_b58b4e3c
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The Elenium / int_b58b4e3c
 The Elenium / int_b61c6d0c
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Top God
 The Elenium / int_b61c6d0c
comment
Top God: His worshipers insist that the Elene God is this (when they're not denying the existence of other gods completely). He's not - He isn't qualitatively different from any of the other gods, nor does he have any authority over them unless they enter His territory. He is however far more powerful than any of the other gods due to His immense number of worshipers.
 The Elenium / int_b61c6d0c
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The Elenium / int_b61c6d0c
 The Elenium / int_b707726f
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Hypocritical Humor
 The Elenium / int_b707726f
comment
Oscagne also has deep objections to Tamuls being referred to as "godless yellow dogs". The Tamuls have plenty of gods (and given a few minutes to think he might even be able to remember some of their names) and the Tamul skin tone is more...
 The Elenium / int_b707726f
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The Elenium / int_b707726f
 The Elenium / int_b84491a3
type
Wrong Insult Offence
 The Elenium / int_b84491a3
comment
Wrong Insult Offence: In Domes of Fire, Stragen takes the Styric Council to task for not being more proactive in the emerging crisis in Daresia. When one of the Councillors answers by calling him a bastard, he shrugs it off... because he literally is the illegitimate son of a nobleman. He then proceeds to point out he is also a swindler, murderer, and thief (since he is also the head of a thieves' guild), glibly implying that anything they could call him would not be insulting in the least. He even does it in their own language. Oscagne also has deep objections to Tamuls being referred to as "godless yellow dogs". The Tamuls have plenty of gods (and given a few minutes to think he might even be able to remember some of their names) and the Tamul skin tone is more...
 The Elenium / int_b84491a3
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 The Elenium / int_b84491a3
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The Elenium / int_b84491a3
 The Elenium / int_b8bf00fd
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Poison Ring
 The Elenium / int_b8bf00fd
comment
Poison Ring: At one point in the Tamuli, Khalad is looking for a way to conceal Sparhawk's ring. He pays a jeweler to take one of these rings apart and mount the "lid" to cover the ruby.
 The Elenium / int_b8bf00fd
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 The Elenium / int_b8bf00fd
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The Elenium / int_b8bf00fd
 The Elenium / int_bbf11c0
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Genius Bruiser
 The Elenium / int_bbf11c0
comment
Genius Bruiser: Most of the knights come close, but Ulath is probably the best example, being seven feet tall and silent, yet possessed of remarkable intellectual depth, particularly in the fields of religious study, history, and folklore. Then there's Bhlokw, a Troll Priest who cheerfully engages Ulath in philosophical debate (such as whether there's still a moral obligation to obey the Gods if they've gone crazy).
 The Elenium / int_bbf11c0
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The Elenium / int_bbf11c0
 The Elenium / int_bc252ea0
type
The Hero Doesn't Kill the Villainess
 The Elenium / int_bc252ea0
comment
The Hero Doesn't Kill the Villainess: Played with. All of the male villains have been killed by the heroes. Princess Arissa, the lone female conspirator, is still alive and, it is implied the heroes would have been spared her life, but she drinks poison instead. When she realizes that the heroes don't plan to kill her, she begs the sorceress Sephrenia to save her. Sephrenia refuses and the heroes leave her to die.
 The Elenium / int_bc252ea0
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The Elenium / int_bc252ea0
 The Elenium / int_beb9a361
type
Anti-Hero
 The Elenium / int_beb9a361
comment
Anti-Hero: Sparhawk, of the "Disney Anti-Hero" variety. He's got hard edges and can be rather petty or ruthless when he feels it's called for, but at heart he's an honorable man who lives for his duty to his knighthood, his nation, and especially his Queen.
 The Elenium / int_beb9a361
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The Elenium / int_beb9a361
 The Elenium / int_bf1255fa
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Really Gets Around
 The Elenium / int_bf1255fa
comment
Really Gets Around: Princess Arissa, who's literally slept with most of Cimmura, including King Aldreas (her brother) and Annias — the latter when she was twelve years old. Elysoun is technically this in the Tamuli, though since she's also Ms. Fanservice it's played for laughs. The difference between the two is that Elysoun does it because it isn't a sin in her culture. Arissa does it because it is a sin in her culture.
 The Elenium / int_bf1255fa
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The Elenium / int_bf1255fa
 The Elenium / int_bf74d357
type
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
 The Elenium / int_bf74d357
comment
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Sparhawk's friends constantly make cracks about how ugly he is. Ehlana, on the other hand, is anything but. This ties into a Running Gag throughout the Elenium, where Sparhawk keeps booking passage with a sailor named Sorgi by telling him he's running away from an ugly heiress whose cousins want to force him to marry her. They meet again in the Tamuli, and Sorgi sees Ehlana. Also Kring and Mirtai. Subverted in that Kring's scars, which have been gained in numerous battles, make Mirtai decide he's worth marrying.
 The Elenium / int_bf74d357
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The Elenium / int_bf74d357
 The Elenium / int_c00484eb
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Accent Relapse
 The Elenium / int_c00484eb
comment
Accent Relapse: Inverted with Caalador, who speaks in an outrageously folksy Cammorian accent most of the time... until people tell him to cut it out.
 The Elenium / int_c00484eb
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 The Elenium / int_c00484eb
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The Elenium / int_c00484eb
 The Elenium / int_c0f8b680
type
Trickster God
 The Elenium / int_c0f8b680
comment
Trickster God: Aphrael is one of the weakest gods, but she's very good at getting what she wants via a combination of clever planning and Obfuscating Cuteness.
 The Elenium / int_c0f8b680
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The Elenium / int_c0f8b680
 The Elenium / int_c241adec
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Supernatural Sensitivity
 The Elenium / int_c241adec
comment
Supernatural Sensitivity
 The Elenium / int_c241adec
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 The Elenium / int_c241adec
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The Elenium / int_c241adec
 The Elenium / int_c3478f1d
type
Badass Bookworm
 The Elenium / int_c3478f1d
comment
Badass Bookworm: Bevier, a poet and amateur actor, student of military history and siege engineering. And that's when he isn't out and about decapitating people with his axe. Ulath as well. One of the best fighters in the group, he mentions that the winters in Thalesia are so harsh that all one can do for months on end is read and think.
 The Elenium / int_c3478f1d
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The Elenium / int_c3478f1d
 The Elenium / int_c3c3c608
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Evil Former Friend
 The Elenium / int_c3c3c608
comment
Evil Former Friend: Zalasta becomes this to Sephrenia Martel is this to Sparhawk.
 The Elenium / int_c3c3c608
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 The Elenium / int_c3c3c608
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The Elenium / int_c3c3c608
 The Elenium / int_c48dfa35
type
"With Our Swords" Scene
 The Elenium / int_c48dfa35
comment
"With Our Swords" Scene: In The Sapphire Rose, an injured Bevier passes his Lochaber Axe to Berit when he's about to go with the main group into Azash's lair. Berit uses said axe in the climax to break Azash's concentration during his battle against Sparhawk and the Bhelliom.
 The Elenium / int_c48dfa35
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The Elenium / int_c48dfa35
 The Elenium / int_c4da82aa
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Easily Elected
 The Elenium / int_c4da82aa
comment
Easily Elected: Leaders in the Republic of Tega are forcibly elected — candidates can't refuse nomination and are guarded to prevent escape. If elected, all their assets are converted into shares of the national treasury to encourage responsible rule. (At least reelection is illegal.)
 The Elenium / int_c4da82aa
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The Elenium / int_c4da82aa
 The Elenium / int_c5474384
type
Vow of Celibacy
 The Elenium / int_c5474384
comment
Vow of Celibacy: The first book notes that the Pandion Knights had originally taken an oath to never marry (and by implication never have sex). However, due to a shortage of Pandions and applicants for knighthood they were allowed by the church to take back their vows so they could marry and have children. It'd also implied that knights are allowed to have sex while undercover, such as Sparhawk's relationship with Lillias. Elene priests are supposed to be celibate, which is presumably where the Pandion celibacy came from (Church Knights technically belong to the priesthood).
 The Elenium / int_c5474384
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 The Elenium / int_c5474384
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The Elenium / int_c5474384
 The Elenium / int_c59cfa2e
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Felony Misdemeanor
 The Elenium / int_c59cfa2e
comment
To clarify, she tells Ehlana at one point that, had she been free, she would have killed a major character for the unpardonable sin of allowing his shadow to touch her.
 The Elenium / int_c59cfa2e
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The Elenium / int_c59cfa2e
 The Elenium / int_c5f0119c
type
Insane Troll Logic
 The Elenium / int_c5f0119c
comment
Insane Troll Logic: From an actual Troll God no less. The reason that Tynian and Ulath can be in the "time of broken moments" and be jumped slightly through time so they exist in only the smallest, tiniest fraction of every moment rendering them unable to be seen/heard by anyone else, and yet perfectly see and understand everyone else they are trying to spy on? Because the Troll God Ghnomb thinks it works that way.
 The Elenium / int_c5f0119c
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The Elenium / int_c5f0119c
 The Elenium / int_c67af1b0
type
Big Bad Wannabe
 The Elenium / int_c67af1b0
comment
Big Bad Wannabe: Annias. He's smart, and a decent Chessmaster, but his Smug Snake tendencies typically bite him in the hindquarters, and he's no match for Martel or the real Big Bad, Azash. This is actually lampshaded and justified in-series when Vanion and Ehlana both point out that Annias used to be extremely clever and competent, with only his recent schemes being obvious, pathetic, and easily abrogated. Sephrenia then explains that Azash tends to ruin his followers by influencing or outright forcing them to be more like him—and while he himself is a competent Big Bad in terms of power, his ability to be clever and subtle, particularly within the bounds of the more sophisticated Elene culture, is next to nil. Krager in the Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_c67af1b0
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The Elenium / int_c67af1b0
 The Elenium / int_c75df49a
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Shout-Out
 The Elenium / int_c75df49a
comment
Eddings also makes a not-so-subtle Shout-Out to his previous works when he makes Sparhawk utter Belgarion's Catchphrase:
 The Elenium / int_c75df49a
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The Elenium / int_c75df49a
 The Elenium / int_c81e2bba
type
Necromancer
 The Elenium / int_c81e2bba
comment
During the second book, Tynian reveals himself as a Necromancer and goes around raising ghosts to help the party find Bhelliom. Sephrenia knows how it's done too, but she claims (truthfully or not) that she's not strong enough to wrangle up ghosts. "I'm a little small for that sort of thing." Given that necromancy is almost literally wrestling the dead into submission, and she's described as being a rather tiny woman, she has a point.
 The Elenium / int_c81e2bba
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The Elenium / int_c81e2bba
 The Elenium / int_ca3df489
type
Magical Jew
 The Elenium / int_ca3df489
comment
Magical Jew: Styrics are a Fantasy Counterpart Culture of Jews, and they are a race of magicians who basically mentored the Elenes in the ways of magic and mysticism. In particular, the protagonist Sparhawk was taught by the Styric priestess Sephrenia.
 The Elenium / int_ca3df489
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The Elenium / int_ca3df489
 The Elenium / int_ca967579
type
Torture Cellar
 The Elenium / int_ca967579
comment
Torture Cellar: Bellina has one of these. The Pandions are rumoured to have them, too - as does the Church of Chyrellos, though everyone insists they never get used. The faux-Elenic castle in the Tamuli has a lovingly recreated one. Stragen uses it to ensure the musicians play an actual fanfare rather than notably discordant Tamul music.
 The Elenium / int_ca967579
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The Elenium / int_ca967579
 The Elenium / int_cc4d190a
type
Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?
 The Elenium / int_cc4d190a
comment
Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Azash gets wiped out by Sparhawk and Bhelliom in the third book. The other gods are understandably quite terrified.
 The Elenium / int_cc4d190a
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 The Elenium / int_cc4d190a
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The Elenium / int_cc4d190a
 The Elenium / int_ce9f550c
type
My Hovercraft Is Full of Eels
 The Elenium / int_ce9f550c
comment
My Hovercraft Is Full of Eels: Basically what happens whenever Kalten tries to speak Styric. Happens again when he is learning Tamul: he tries to say "smile" but it comes out wishing for a person's teeth to rot away. Also happens to Sparhawk in the first book when he magicks up a bouquet of flowers for Sephrenia but comes this close to conjuring up a handful of snakes.
 The Elenium / int_ce9f550c
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The Elenium / int_ce9f550c
 The Elenium / int_d0309fad
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Religion is Magic
 The Elenium / int_d0309fad
comment
Religion is Magic: Played with in that the Church Knights' magic doesn't come from the Elene God, but from the Styric pantheon. For reference, your average Elene peasant thinks nothing of burning down Styric villages and massacring them all. Nobody stops to consider that the Elene God might grant the same kind of magic to the Church Knights. In fact Sephrenia calls the Archprelate out on it. It is noted that the Styric gods granting magic to the Church Knights had to agree not to try to convert their knights. Since Stragen is not a Church Knight and has no intention of becoming a Church Knight, his use of magic based on knowing Styric and being observant around Pandion Knights inadvertently more-or-less swears him to Aphrael (he basically reacts by shrugging and saying there are worse gods that could have happened with).
 The Elenium / int_d0309fad
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The Elenium / int_d0309fad
 The Elenium / int_d19dc823
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The Gods Must Be Lazy
 The Elenium / int_d19dc823
comment
The Gods Must Be Lazy: The Elene God does not do one single thing through both series, although he is acknowledged as being real, incredibly powerful, and really boring at parties. The members of his Church Militant actually pray to the Styric gods for magical abilities he could easily grant them. Though one churchman suggests that maybe if they'd actually tried asking him to grant them powers they could have avoided the slight institutionalized heresy that their entire military wing is involved with. The Elene God is based on God of the Roman Catholic Church. Like the Roman Catholic God, you are just supposed to have faith that he's working behind the scenes with his "grand plan" beyond your understanding. The Tamul gods are too busy partying and acting like children to actually do anything. Most Tamuli have trouble remembering any of their names. Inverted with the Atan god. He is real and probably as powerful as the Styric gods, and takes a keen interest in his worshippers, but the Atans consider it disrespectful to ask the gods for things they could fix themselves. They do invoke their god, but only for really important occasions like weddings and coming-of-age-ceremonies (who only occur within Atan, so very few people other than the Atans know about it).
 The Elenium / int_d19dc823
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 The Elenium / int_d19dc823
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The Elenium / int_d19dc823
 The Elenium / int_d2de1bff
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Age Insecurity
 The Elenium / int_d2de1bff
comment
Age Insecurity: Sparhawk is continually stymied in any attempt to learn the age of Sephrenia, the instructor of the Pandion Knights in magical studies. He knows that she taught his father and grandfather, and still looks like quite a young woman, but she refuses to give any sort of straight answer; a person's exact age, she explains, can be a deadly tool in the wrong hands. In the second trilogy, it comes out Sephrenia is three hundred and change but by that point no one really bothers with it much because they've got bigger and weirder things to deal with.
 The Elenium / int_d2de1bff
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The Elenium / int_d2de1bff
 The Elenium / int_d332bf54
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Lampshaded
 The Elenium / int_d332bf54
comment
Lampshaded when Danae returns with the water and asks Mirtai if she has finished with the part that Danae isn't allowed to hear.
 The Elenium / int_d332bf54
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 The Elenium / int_d332bf54
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The Elenium / int_d332bf54
 The Elenium / int_d3701aea
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Prevent the War
 The Elenium / int_d3701aea
comment
Prevent the War: After Sparhawk destroys Azash, the heroes are at pains to prevent King Wargun from launching a genocidal war against Zemoch anyway, despite the Zemochs being entirely nonthreatening without the lash of their dark god.
 The Elenium / int_d3701aea
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The Elenium / int_d3701aea
 The Elenium / int_d62dd556
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The Chessmaster
 The Elenium / int_d62dd556
comment
The Chessmaster: Zalasta. Xanetia's recap of how he is directly involved in everything bad that's happened in both the ''Elenium'' and the ''Tamuli'' up to that point goes on for around 20 pages.
 The Elenium / int_d62dd556
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 The Elenium / int_d62dd556
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The Elenium / int_d62dd556
 The Elenium / int_d786481
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Top Wife
 The Elenium / int_d786481
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Top Wife: The Tamul Emperor is required to take nine wives, one from each of the component races of the empire. However, his marriage to the Tamul wife always takes place well before the marriages to the other eight (who get a joint wedding ceremony to make those eight equals), making the Tamul wife the senior wife.
 The Elenium / int_d786481
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The Elenium / int_d786481
 The Elenium / int_d83104d2
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Saved From Their Own Honor
 The Elenium / int_d83104d2
comment
Saved From Their Own Honor: The Atans sold themselves into nominal "enslavement" (citizenship, effectively) by the Tamul emperor because their honour code became too extreme for their society to function. Mirtai once explains that if she were free, she'd be honour-bound to to kill everyone whose shadow has touched her.
 The Elenium / int_d83104d2
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The Elenium / int_d83104d2
 The Elenium / int_d948b07
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Terrain Sculpting
 The Elenium / int_d948b07
comment
Terrain Sculpting: when trolls invade northern Tamul, the Bhelliom responds by creating a humongous escarpment to separate them. When two of the knights are dealing with the troll Gods, Schlee(the god of ice) makes a scale model of the continent down to the smallest discernible details.
 The Elenium / int_d948b07
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The Elenium / int_d948b07
 The Elenium / int_d9e9ad7e
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The Cavalry
 The Elenium / int_d9e9ad7e
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The Cavalry: Wargun and his Redshirt Army.
 The Elenium / int_d9e9ad7e
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The Elenium / int_d9e9ad7e
 The Elenium / int_d9f477b2
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Flanderisation
 The Elenium / int_d9f477b2
comment
Flanderisation: Kalten starts off Sparhawk's lifelong best friend and backup man; Sparkhawk's equal in general knowledge, raw cunning, and combat ability, but who never got the hang of magic because his talent with the Styric language is close to nil. This maintains throughout the first book, and after that Kalten begins a slide for being a big dumb guy who's somehow missed everyday information (like what a 'diagonal' is). And then subverted, as the last couple books demonstrate that Kalten may not be book smart, but he thinks fast on his feet and can be remarkably clever. He's also shown to actually be able to understand the gist of most Styric conversations, even if he can't hope to pronounce the words. Ultimately, it's a case of Kalten discovering Obfuscating Stupidity. He hides his intelligence behind the fact that everyone expects him to be stupid. The only exception is Sparhawk, who's his main companion in the first book and has been his friend since childhood; the more he's around people who aren't Sparhawk, the stupider he acts.
 The Elenium / int_d9f477b2
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The Elenium / int_d9f477b2
 The Elenium / int_d9f4972a
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Recruited from the Gutter
 The Elenium / int_d9f4972a
comment
Recruited from the Gutter: Talen starts out as a street thief and is brought into the travelling group by Sparhawk after Annias finds out he's been spying on the knight's behalf. He later ends up a royal page (and Pandion novice-to-be) in the Tamuli. Although at least part of Sparhawk's motive is to keep Kurik's son safe. It's even implied at the end of the Elenium that he may be Princess Danae's royal consort in the future. (Of course, Danae is really Aphrael.)
 The Elenium / int_d9f4972a
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The Elenium / int_d9f4972a
 The Elenium / int_da38c13f
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Lamarck Was Right
 The Elenium / int_da38c13f
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Lamarck Was Right: Despite being a generation younger than his father, Khalad can do everything Kurik can do and immediately fills the squire role upon arrival. Justified because Khalad's family have always been squires for the various generations of Sparhawks and he's just following the tradition. In fairness, Eddings does give Khalad his own personality, but there really is a lot of Kurik there.
 The Elenium / int_da38c13f
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The Elenium / int_da38c13f
 The Elenium / int_dae5c997
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Action Girl
 The Elenium / int_dae5c997
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Action Girl: Mirtai in the Tamuli. It helps that her entire race is like this - slavers who attack a group of teenage Atan girls with dreadful intent wind up as eunuchs.
 The Elenium / int_dae5c997
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 The Elenium / int_dae5c997
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The Elenium / int_dae5c997
 The Elenium / int_db39ccfd
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Battle Couple
 The Elenium / int_db39ccfd
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Battle Couple: Mirtai is an Action Girl and as much a warrior as any man. She towers over Kring, who is a horseman and about as deadly as she is—which deeply impresses Mirtai when she learns. They get engaged, and due to their different cultures are planning to get married, twice, by the end of the Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_db39ccfd
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The Elenium / int_db39ccfd
 The Elenium / int_db6230b7
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Lightning Bruiser
 The Elenium / int_db6230b7
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Lightning Bruiser: Your average troll is nine feet tall and weighs around a thousand pounds. They have arms long enough for them to walk on their knuckles like some apes. Despite the size, they have inhumanly sharp reflexes and acute hand-eye coordination, to the point they can go fishing bare-handed with every confidence of success. Ulath, resident troll expert of the group, says if you're not careful when you're fighting a troll, it'll easily jerk your weapons out of your hands and feed them to you. Even Genidian Knights who have to fight a troll try to shoot it full of arrows to hamper its movements and then hit it from all sides to avoid the threat of the hands. Ghwerig, deformed and dwarfed as he was, could still run almost as fast as a man. A troll without twisted hips and shoulders could presumably go a lot faster.
 The Elenium / int_db6230b7
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The Elenium / int_db6230b7
 The Elenium / int_dbea254f
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ChosenOne
 The Elenium / int_dbea254f
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Chosen One: Anakha, Bhelliom's chosen one. That's Sparhawk to the rest of you.
 The Elenium / int_dbea254f
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The Elenium / int_dbea254f
 The Elenium / int_dc1761bd
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A God Am I
 The Elenium / int_dc1761bd
comment
A God Am I: One conversation suggests that all mortal races are gradually evolving to become like Gods, with the Delphae taking an accelerated course.
 The Elenium / int_dc1761bd
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The Elenium / int_dc1761bd
 The Elenium / int_dca70c44
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Reasonable Authority Figure
 The Elenium / int_dca70c44
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Reasonable Authority Figure: There are several, but Dolmant stands out. While corruption is far from universal in the church, he stands out above the rest in his honesty. Vanion and the other leaders of the Knightly orders also qualify.
 The Elenium / int_dca70c44
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 The Elenium / int_dcbe8a6e
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Chekhov's Gunman
 The Elenium / int_dcbe8a6e
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The entire subplot involving Ghasek in The Ruby Knight (involving the Chekhov's Gunman Bellina no less) could have been lifted straight out of a Hammer Horror movie. The terrified people in the nearby village, the Hate Plague-infected minstrel, the creepy forest setting with its chilling moonlight, the haunted castle, the discovery in the basement, the Fate Worse than Death for Bellina in the end—it has all the Gothic hallmarks. And it was incredibly effective, disturbing, and a major source of horror to some. It is also a Shout-Out to Real Life serial killer Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who kept a Torture Cellar in her castle and was eventually condemned to be walled up in her quarters.
 The Elenium / int_dcbe8a6e
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The Elenium / int_dcbe8a6e
 The Elenium / int_de416844
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Fantastic Catholicism
 The Elenium / int_de416844
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Fantastic Catholicism: The Church of Chyrellos—except that there is no Christ figure, so it's essentially Judaism in Catholic clothes.
 The Elenium / int_de416844
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The Elenium / int_de416844
 The Elenium / int_debf324f
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Immune to Fate
 The Elenium / int_debf324f
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Immune to Fate: The gods can see the destiny of every mortal, except one: Sparhawk. He's known as the Anakha, meaning "without destiny". This made the gods so nervous they considered killing him before he was even born. Eventually it is revealed that Sparhawk is immune because he was infused with the power of Bhelliom, an elemental force older and stronger than any god. Even while that power was dormant, it was so great that no god could see his future.
 The Elenium / int_debf324f
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The Elenium / int_debf324f
 The Elenium / int_e35ab565
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Indy Ploy
 The Elenium / int_e35ab565
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Indy Ploy: Styrics are terrible at these, mostly due to them not taking surprises well or being particularly quick on their proverbial feet. Sparhawk pulling one of these, therefore, ends up confounding their foes several times, particularly with Martel’s plot with Arasham.
 The Elenium / int_e35ab565
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The Elenium / int_e35ab565
 The Elenium / int_e4ba33fc
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Disaster Dominoes
 The Elenium / int_e4ba33fc
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Sephrenia points out how pathetic it is that the entire Elene world is shaking over their boots over a complete moron who can't even think of a decent purpose to create the above undead, and also as Talen gives a hilarious suggestion to Berit as to what to do after they pass said soldiers...
 The Elenium / int_e4ba33fc
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The Elenium / int_e4ba33fc
 The Elenium / int_e4cf1ef0
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Load-Bearing Boss
 The Elenium / int_e4cf1ef0
comment
Load-Bearing Boss: After Azash and Otha are killed, the city of Zemoch starts to slowly fall apart as though thousands of years of attrition hit it all at once. It's less of a spectacular collapse and more of an accelerated decay.
 The Elenium / int_e4cf1ef0
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 The Elenium / int_e5421161
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Expy
 The Elenium / int_e5421161
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There are also a few Fantasy Counterpart Religions: the Church of Chyrellos is obviously the Roman Catholic Church, and the Church of Astel and its leader are Expys of Eastern Orthodoxy and the Patriarch of Constantinople, respectively. And while the Rendors look like Muslims, at least from a xenophobic Western perspective, the history of their breakaway sect sounds a lot like the formation of Protestantism.
 The Elenium / int_e5421161
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The Elenium / int_e5421161
 The Elenium / int_e542d889
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Gorn
 The Elenium / int_e542d889
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Scarpa calls out for his mother while he is melted into goo by the Delphaeic curse This is an interesting one, as he had his mother killed when he began his Start of Darkness.
 The Elenium / int_e542d889
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The Elenium / int_e542d889
 The Elenium / int_e545d293
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Narm
 The Elenium / int_e545d293
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Narm: In universe example. In the Tamuli, a funeral ends up being a source of laughter as the priest delivering the eulogy couldn't keep a straight face, as the deceased Prince Regent Avin Wargunson's skin was dyed purple from being drowned in red wine, and the people preparing the body couldn't get the wine out..
 The Elenium / int_e545d293
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The Elenium / int_e545d293
 The Elenium / int_e5f8ceac
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Army of The Ages
 The Elenium / int_e5f8ceac
comment
Army of The Ages: Cyrgon does this in the Tamuli, but it's less effective than most examples.
 The Elenium / int_e5f8ceac
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The Elenium / int_e5f8ceac
 The Elenium / int_e7cc97
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TheOgre
 The Elenium / int_e7cc97
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And let's not even get into the Ogres. They're even bigger.
 The Elenium / int_e7cc97
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The Elenium / int_e7cc97
 The Elenium / int_e83f211c
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O.O.C. Is Serious Business
 The Elenium / int_e83f211c
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O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In The Shining Ones, Sephrenia, who has been established as largely non-violent, begins to spout racial hatred toward the Delphae and pretty much begs the others to kill them. Turns out she thinks they killed her family. The narrator also gets a spot of OOC: most of the action is narrated using informal modern English. During Sparhawk's final confrontation with Zalasta in The Hidden City, the narration abruptly shifts to stilted English in a hyper-formal register, and a few pages later, the reader discovers why.
 The Elenium / int_e83f211c
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 The Elenium / int_e8d46c29
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Backstory
 The Elenium / int_e8d46c29
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Mirtai is very good at causing these, especially in her Backstory, including ripping the guts out of a pair of murderers while they were still alive and leaving them to burn to death in a blazing house with their guts around their feet. The other Atans encourage this. Justified because the guys in question had her owner killed.
 The Elenium / int_e8d46c29
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The Elenium / int_e8d46c29
 The Elenium / int_e8e56799
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Blue-and-Orange Morality
 The Elenium / int_e8e56799
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Blue-and-Orange Morality: The trolls think nothing of eating other sentient beings (indeed, failing to eat what you kill is actually a sin against their God of Eat, even if the killing was done for other reasons), but they are deeply offended by abductions, poisonings, hostage-taking and other things that humans are liable to dismiss as Dirty Business. The troll-gods take a personal interest in punishing guilty humans when they find out that such things exist.
 The Elenium / int_e8e56799
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 The Elenium / int_e8f2d4f2
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The Devil Is a Loser
 The Elenium / int_e8f2d4f2
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The Devil Is a Loser: Azash presents a pretty good case. He may be the most evil of the Elder Gods, but he's also an emasculated Idiot Ball-carrying buffoon locked inside a clay idol. His minions can be pretty scary, though. Cyrgon even more so. This is a guy who deliberately bred up a race of inbred musclemen who haven't changed in millennia. Also justified in both cases. Azash is more like a primordial, evil force of nature than a real character, while Cyrgon is essentially the god of unthinking stagnation, having designed his chosen people at the dawn of time and become so attached to them that he is unwilling to change them one iota. His conservativism is a deliberate choice; despite his dislike of innovation, he learns quickly in a fight.
 The Elenium / int_e8f2d4f2
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 The Elenium / int_e9a3a1ed
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Never Learned to Read
 The Elenium / int_e9a3a1ed
comment
Never Learned to Read: Sephrenia, by choice. She doesn't want to start thinking in Elene, so she doesn't want to learn to read it just to be on the safe side. We find out in the Tamuli that she can read Styric. She's just been letting everyone think Styric doesn't have a written form.
 The Elenium / int_e9a3a1ed
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 The Elenium / int_eae41a
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The Vamp
 The Elenium / int_eae41a
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The Vamp: Arissa, although her efforts to subvert the protagonists fail spectacularly.
 The Elenium / int_eae41a
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The Elenium / int_eae41a
 The Elenium / int_eb27c1f2
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Sealed Good in a Can
 The Elenium / int_eb27c1f2
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Sealed Good in a Can: Bhelliom is a (mostly) benevolent and very powerful creator of the world.
 The Elenium / int_eb27c1f2
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The Elenium / int_eb27c1f2
 The Elenium / int_eb81c601
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Big Damn Heroes
 The Elenium / int_eb81c601
comment
Big Damn Heroes: Zalasta gets one of these moments in the Tamuli when he wipes out a powerful enemy sorcerer and a giant dinosaur during a battle. It's actually a big dramatic False Flag Operation designed to win the Elenes' trust.
 The Elenium / int_eb81c601
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 The Elenium / int_ec0ce986
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Spotting the Thread
 The Elenium / int_ec0ce986
comment
This is best exemplified in The Hidden City when Kalten, Caalador, and Bevier infiltrate Natayos to see if Ehlana and Alean are there. When Alean recognizes the disguised Kalten by how he walks, and Ehlana tells her to sing, he recognizes her voice... and immediately begins whistling a counterpoint to let them know he heard. Then he strikes up a conversation with the guards so he can slip in references to Caalador's accent and Bevier's axe. Ehlana herself calls him a "treasure" whom Alean should never let go of, since he gave them far more information than Sparhawk ever could have.
 The Elenium / int_ec0ce986
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 The Elenium / int_ecf76ce6
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Decapitated Army
 The Elenium / int_ecf76ce6
comment
Decapitated Army: The Zemochs aren't really evil, and are happy to forgo any plans for war once Azash has been wiped out.
 The Elenium / int_ecf76ce6
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The Elenium / int_ecf76ce6
 The Elenium / int_ed7b2907
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Folk Hero
 The Elenium / int_ed7b2907
comment
Folk Hero: Sabre tries to be one of these in the Tamuli, but his Zorro act is lampshaded, subverted, mocked and generally played completely for laughs, with all the heroes treating him as a figure of fun and a complete joke. And then he kidnaps Ehlana and Alean in the last book. It's still played for laughs, with Scarpa and Krager ruthlessly mocking him nonstop. It is only fair, since Sabre had to have Krager help him with the kidnapping. This is part of the standard model for the bad guys' plan in The Tamuli, with the various provinces getting a modern folk hero/rebel leader (buffed up with magic to help charisma if they're someone like Elron/Sabre) and a resurrected historic folk hero to lead the anti-Tamuli uprising (anti-Elene Church uprising in the nascent Lamorkand implementation). One of the things that first makes people suspect Scarpa might be a bit different from the other rebel leaders is that the resurrected Arjunan folk hero is pretty much an afterthought that even the Arjunans aren't particularly fond of.
 The Elenium / int_ed7b2907
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Elenium / int_ed7b2907
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_ed7b2907
 The Elenium / int_f10d3363
type
Distracted by the Sexy
 The Elenium / int_f10d3363
comment
Distracted by the Sexy: Invoked and damn near weaponized in the Tamuli, as a method to avert attention to the messages being sent between Ehlana and Sarabian via Melidere. The baroness keeps everyone so locked on her hips, they probably didn’t even realize she had hands or anything in them.
 The Elenium / int_f10d3363
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f10d3363
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f10d3363
 The Elenium / int_f25b1ae6
type
Unskilled, but Strong
 The Elenium / int_f25b1ae6
comment
Unskilled, but Strong: Otha was granted terrible powers by Azash. He has no clue what to do with them, since he's a not particularly bright or ambitious shepherd who happened to stumble across an Eldritch Abomination. This is best shown by him raising a legion of terrible undead warriors. They defend the flagstone they are standing on, and react to nothing else. This is an enemy that could be defeated by walking around it. Or by giving just one soldier a push onto another square...
 The Elenium / int_f25b1ae6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f25b1ae6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f25b1ae6
 The Elenium / int_f2877d9e
type
IncrediblyLamePun
 The Elenium / int_f2877d9e
comment
Incredibly Lame Pun: "The Baron Harparin was so pleased that he completely lost his head."
 The Elenium / int_f2877d9e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f2877d9e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f2877d9e
 The Elenium / int_f38a4690
type
Legacy of Service
 The Elenium / int_f38a4690
comment
Legacy of Service: A two-tiered example. The Sparhawks have been (institutionalized, hereditary) champions of the monarchs of Elenia for several generations, and Kurik's family have been squires to the Sparhawks for several (though unlike the Sparhawk's champion undated) generations. By the end of the Elenium, Sparhawk is set to be the last Sparhawk champion, as his wife is the monarch of Elenia, and they will only have the one — female — child. However, while Kurik died, his son Khalad stepped into the squire role as per tradition, and it's implied that unlike Kurik he will not be able to avoid knighthood, and the family might end up replacing the Sparhawks as the champions of the Elenian monarchy.
 The Elenium / int_f38a4690
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f38a4690
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f38a4690
 The Elenium / int_f4fe270
type
Villainous Glutton
 The Elenium / int_f4fe270
comment
Villainous Glutton: Otha, oh so much.
 The Elenium / int_f4fe270
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f4fe270
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f4fe270
 The Elenium / int_f5a3e496
type
Suspiciously Similar Substitute
 The Elenium / int_f5a3e496
comment
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Kurik is replaced by his son, Khalad, in the Tamuli.
 The Elenium / int_f5a3e496
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f5a3e496
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f5a3e496
 The Elenium / int_f76842b1
type
The Fundamentalist
 The Elenium / int_f76842b1
comment
The Fundamentalist: Patriarch Ortzel, the arch-conservative Lamork churchman who's got his heart set on forbidding the Church Knights from using magic. But since he's not Annias, everyone except Ehlana gets behind him as the good guys' candidate for Archprelate. Thankfully, he gets Character Development later and becomes more cosmopolitan.
 The Elenium / int_f76842b1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f76842b1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f76842b1
 The Elenium / int_f788b2c5
type
Love Makes You Evil
 The Elenium / int_f788b2c5
comment
Love Makes You Evil: Zalasta really, really wants to win over Sephrenia.
 The Elenium / int_f788b2c5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f788b2c5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f788b2c5
 The Elenium / int_f800dc72
type
Dual Age Modes
 The Elenium / int_f800dc72
comment
Dual Age Modes: Although Aphrael spends most of her time as a child, she can be an adult if she wants. Or both at the same time.
 The Elenium / int_f800dc72
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f800dc72
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f800dc72
 The Elenium / int_f87470d1
type
Dying Truce
 The Elenium / int_f87470d1
comment
Dying Truce: The final duel scenes in both trilogies wrap up with Sparhawk delivering the fatal blow and then having a respectful (if short) conversation with the one he just killed.
 The Elenium / int_f87470d1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f87470d1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f87470d1
 The Elenium / int_f9977015
type
My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours
 The Elenium / int_f9977015
comment
My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours: During the Archprelate elections and the political maneuvering leading up to it, encyclopaedic knowledge of canon law is a major asset on the heroes' side. This includes the Preceptors' right to attend meetings despite centuries of abstention, forcing Annias's supporters to attend very early meetings lest other factions elect a new chair in their absence, and holding official votes on every trivial matter to keep count of who's standing where. One friendly patriarch (probably) jokingly suggests nominating for sainthood the monk who'd codified the law centuries ago.
 The Elenium / int_f9977015
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f9977015
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f9977015
 The Elenium / int_f9c77812
type
Childhood Brain Damage
 The Elenium / int_f9c77812
comment
Childhood Brain Damage: The main characters meet a secondary, clearly handicapped character who was kicked in the head when young by a cow.
 The Elenium / int_f9c77812
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f9c77812
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f9c77812
 The Elenium / int_f9f2c33
type
Running Gag
 The Elenium / int_f9f2c33
comment
This ties into a Running Gag throughout the Elenium, where Sparhawk keeps booking passage with a sailor named Sorgi by telling him he's running away from an ugly heiress whose cousins want to force him to marry her. They meet again in the Tamuli, and Sorgi sees Ehlana.
 The Elenium / int_f9f2c33
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_f9f2c33
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_f9f2c33
 The Elenium / int_fb4dbbf6
type
Roll in the Hay
 The Elenium / int_fb4dbbf6
comment
Roll in the Hay: Kurik strongly implies that his eldest was conceived in this manner, and later, while visiting his farm, he and his wife (whom he had not seen for several months) enter the scene with him muttering that the boys need to do better at weeding the thistles out of the hay.
 The Elenium / int_fb4dbbf6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_fb4dbbf6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_fb4dbbf6
 The Elenium / int_fd752bc3
type
All Trolls Are Different
 The Elenium / int_fd752bc3
comment
All Trolls Are Different: Elenian Trolls are twice as tall as a human, covered in fur and leathery hide, immortal (though not invulnerable), and they live in the frozen mountains of Thalesia where packs have to live miles apart from one another because they'll usually kill each other on sight. They're also distantly related to humans and have not only their own culture but their own gods. And let's not even get into the Ogres. They're even bigger.
 The Elenium / int_fd752bc3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_fd752bc3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_fd752bc3
 The Elenium / int_fdee662
type
Semi-Divine
 The Elenium / int_fdee662
comment
Semi-Divine: The Delphaes in The Shining Ones started as humans but now are slowly evolving into gods. As a result, they possess awesome powers, but they can also melt alive anyone who gets too close to them. Eventually, they fully evolve into gods and leave the earth forever.
 The Elenium / int_fdee662
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_fdee662
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_fdee662
 The Elenium / int_fe0330fb
type
Brick Joke
 The Elenium / int_fe0330fb
comment
Brick Joke: Throughout the first trilogy, Sparhawk was booking passage on a particular ship giving the excuse that he was fleeing from an ugly heiress and her cousins to explain his desire for passage. Come the second trilogy, they end up on the same ship (Aphrael likes symmetry), and Sparhawk explains that he was caught by the cousins and forced to marry, gesturing to his beautiful wife. The first book even starts setting up one in the first chapter, as an annoying noble interrupts Sparhawk's attempt to kill Krager. Sparhawk casts a spell on said noble as he leaves. Several chapters later, said noble comes to the Pandion chapterhouse with a massive boil on his nose that Sparhawk encourages him to get lanced. Sephrenia calls Sparhawk out on the fact that said boil was not a natural occurance, to Sparhawk's amusement.
 The Elenium / int_fe0330fb
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_fe0330fb
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Elenium / int_fe0330fb
 The Elenium / int_ff7f34c5
type
Pet the Dog
 The Elenium / int_ff7f34c5
comment
Pet the Dog: Martel gets one of these moments when Annias calls Sephrenia a witch, prompting Martel to grab him by the collar and threaten him with things much worse than Sparhawk could ever do should he ever talk trash about "my little mother" again. While it's Disproportionate Retribution,it's also a sign that Martel still cares about Sephrenia even after everything he's done. There is also his genuine sadness to learn that Kurik had been killed, for he had the same level of respect for the squire that most knights had. Krager of all people to Ehlana and Alean, after they've been mistreated by Scarpa. Zalasta even gets one, when he apologizes to Ehlana after Scarpa's mistreatment of her and Alean, and during Ehlana's captivity he ensures that she is treated well and converses with her daily. Not that it makes the reader care about him after he stabs Sephrenia in the heart.
 The Elenium / int_ff7f34c5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Elenium / int_ff7f34c5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_ff7f34c5
 The Elenium / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Elenium / int_name
comment
 The Elenium / int_name
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1.0
 The Elenium / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Elenium
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The Elenium / int_name
 The Elenium / int_name
itemName
The Elenium

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

 The Belgariad
seeAlso
The Elenium
 The Elenium
hasFeature
A Form You Are Comfortable With / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
A Tankard of Moose Urine / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Abhorrent Admirer / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Above the Gods / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Accidental Proposal / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Addled Addict / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Adipose Rex / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Advantage Ball / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Adventure Rebuff / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Agent Scully / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
All Are Equal in Death / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
All Trolls Are Different / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Animated Armor / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Annoying Arrows / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Armed Legs / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Army of Thieves and Whores / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Artifact Alias / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Authority in Name Only / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Badass Army / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Badass Preacher / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Ban on Magic / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Barrier Maiden / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Bastard Angst / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
"Be Quiet!" Nudge / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Bearer of Bad News / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Best Friends-in-Law / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Black Knight / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Bling of War / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Blood Magic / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Bodyguard Legacy / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Book and Switch / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Born in the Saddle / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Bottled Heroic Resolve / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Caltrops / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Carpet of Virility / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Carry a Big Stick / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Celibate Hero / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Centipede's Dilemma / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Chastity Dagger / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Childhood Brain Damage / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Chubby Chaser / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Clap Your Hands If You Believe / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Classical Tongue / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Co-Dragons / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cold Iron / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Color-Coded Patrician / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Complete Immortality / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Confusion Fu / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cool Crown / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cool Horse / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Corrupt Church / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cosmic Chess Game / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Courtly Love / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cover-Blowing Superpower / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Creating Life Is Unforeseen / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Crippling Castration / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Crystal Prison / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Curse / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cute Mute / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Cute Witch / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Daddy's Girl / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Defiant Stone Throw / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Depraved Homosexual / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Died in Your Arms Tonight / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Disabled Deity / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Divine Parentage / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Divine Ranks / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Don't Look At Me / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Doom Troops / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Doublethink / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Dragon-in-Chief / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Dual Age Modes / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Duel to the Death / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Duty That Transcends Death / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Dying Truce / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Dystopia Justifies the Means / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Empathic Weapon / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Endless Daytime / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Enigmatic Empowering Entity / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Ethnic God / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Eunuchs Are Evil / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Evil Chancellor / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Evil Former Friend / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Evil Genius / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Evil Is Sterile / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Expansion Pack World / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Experienced Protagonist / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Explosive Breeder / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Fantasy Counterpart Religion / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Fantasy Pantheon / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Fat Idiot / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Feeling Their Age / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Feral Villain / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Flanderization / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Flowery Elizabethan English / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Foe-Tossing Charge / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Frazetta Man / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Friend Versus Lover / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Functional Addict / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
God of Fire / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Gold Makes Everything Shiny / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Good Colors, Evil Colors / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Good with Numbers / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Guns in Church / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Gutted Like a Fish / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Hate Plague / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Have You Seen My God? / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Heroic Bastard / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Hidden Weapons / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
High Fantasy / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
High Priest / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Hollywood Tone-Deaf / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Holy Is Not Safe / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Home Guard / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Horns of Barbarism / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Horny Vikings / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Horsing Around / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Human Mom, Non-Human Dad / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Idiot Savant / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
I'm Melting! / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Immortals Fear Death / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Impossible Theft / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
In the Doldrums / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Indifferent Beauty / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Innocent Fanservice Girl / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Instant Waking Skills / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Intergenerational Friendship / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Invisibility / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Invisible to Normals / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
It Has Been an Honor / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
It's Personal with the Dragon / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Javelin Thrower / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Jesus Taboo / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Kid Has a Point / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Kill the God / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Killer Outfit / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
King of Thieves / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Knightly Sword and Shield / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Lady and Knight / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Language Equals Thought / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Language Fluency Denial / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Language of Magic / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Last-Second Word Swap / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Leaking Can of Evil / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Little Miss Almighty / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Little Miss Con Artist / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Locked Away in a Monastery / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
MacGuffin Title / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Magic Is a Monster Magnet / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Magical Barefooter / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Magical Flutist / int_46a4b34d
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hasFeature
Magical Gesture / int_46a4b34d
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hasFeature
Magical Incantation / int_46a4b34d
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hasFeature
Magical Jew / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Magically Inept Fighter / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Master Race / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
May–December Romance / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Meddlesome Patrolman / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Medieval Universal Literacy / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Mental Handicap, Moral Deficiency / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Me's a Crowd / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Miles to Go Before I Sleep / int_46a4b34d
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hasFeature
Mineral MacGuffin / int_46a4b34d
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hasFeature
Modest Royalty / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Moody Mount / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Mordor / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Mysterious Waif / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Mystical Waif / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
National Weapon / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Nearly Normal Animal / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Necromancer / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Never Got to Say Goodbye / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
No MacGuffin, No Winner / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Offscreen Karma / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Old Retainer / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Older Sidekick / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Omniglot / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Only-Child Syndrome / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
"Open!" Says Me / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Orcus on His Throne / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Orphaned Etymology / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Our Gods Are Different / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Our Ogres Are Hungrier / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Out with a Bang / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Pals with Jesus / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Panacea / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Perception Filter / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Physical Religion / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Platonic Prostitution / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Please Put Some Clothes On / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Plot-Powered Stamina / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Power Glows / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Power Perversion Potential / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Powerful, but Incompetent / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Precocious Crush / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Pretext for War / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Prevent the War / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Primitive Clubs / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Protagonist-Centered Morality / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Protocol Peril / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Quit Your Whining / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Rearing Horse / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Recruited from the Gutter / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Religion is Magic / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Religious Bruiser / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Replaced with Replica / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Requisite Royal Regalia / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Roll in the Hay / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Royal Bastard / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Royal Rapier / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Safety in Muggles / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sapient Steed / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Say Your Prayers / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Scary Impractical Armor / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Seamless Spontaneous Lie / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sedgwick Speech / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Servant Race / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Shapeshifter Default Form / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
She Is All Grown Up / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Shrouded in Myth / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sickly Green Glow / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Simplified Spellcasting / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sinister Minister / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Smack on the Back / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
So Near, Yet So Far / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sorcerous Overlord / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Specifically Numbered Group / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Spikes of Villainy / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Spit Shake / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Squishy Wizard / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Standard Evil Empire Hierarchy / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Standard Hero Reward / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Stealthy Teleportation / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Stock Medieval Meal / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Stock "Yuck!" / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Suddenly Significant Rule / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sugar-and-Ice Personality / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Summon Bigger Fish / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Super-Senses / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Supernatural Sensitivity / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Sympathetic Slave Owner / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Tap on the Head / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Tastes Like Friendship / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Terms of Endangerment / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Terse Talker / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Brute / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Champion / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Cutie / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Fettered / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Final Temptation / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Fundamentalist / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Gods Must Be Idiots / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Gods Must Be Lazy / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Heretic / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The High Queen / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Leader / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Man in Front of the Man / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Mentally Disturbed / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Old Gods / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Pardon / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Power of Blood / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Puppet Cuts His Strings / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Quiet One / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Siege / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Singing Mute / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Squire / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Usurper / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
The Women Are Safe with Us / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Thieves' Guild / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Thousand-Year Reign / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Throwing Your Sword Always Works / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Token Religious Teammate / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Too Important to Walk / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Top God / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Treachery Cover-Up / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Tyop on the Cover / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Ugly Hero, Good-Looking Villain / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Uncleanliness Is Next to Ungodliness / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Unequal Pairing / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Universally Beloved Leader / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Unskilled, but Strong / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Vengeance Feels Empty / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Villainous Incest / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Voluntary Vassal / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Walking Shirtless Scene / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Warding Gestures / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Warrior Monk / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
We Have Ways of Making You Talk / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Weird Currency / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Wife Husbandry / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Wizard Duel / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Wizards Live Longer / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Words Can Break My Bones / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
World of Snark / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Worse with Context / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Yin-Yang Clash / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
You Cannot Grasp the True Form / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
You Look Like You've Seen a Ghost / int_46a4b34d
 theelenium
sameAs
The Elenium
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Girl in the Tower / int_46a4b34d
 The Elenium
hasFeature
Hero Secret Service / int_46a4b34d